Okay, so I definitely need to update this more often. I'm really sorry to all of you who have been hanging out for an update all this time. Eventually I will learn what time is.
Chapter Eight
Danny as usual had left for work early that morning, but Sam didn't care. She had long since realized that their marriage was never going to be the fairytale she had imagined it could be when she was still old enough to have dreams of happiness.
As per usual, Sam awoke to find Sophie watching morning cartoons, having already eaten her breakfast before her father left, and now was waiting for her mom to finish getting her ready for school.
After sending her daughter off to brush her teeth and get dressed, Sam acquainted herself with the only thing Danny ever made her: Coffee; despite the fact that as per usual it was his thick sludge with more coffee than water. But she had since grown used to the mud (especially when there was a Starbucks on her way into the office).
Half an hour later, Sophie was sitting on the arm of the sofa, her arms crossed across her chest, taping one of her feet against the floorboards, whilst Sam rushed about the house, getting the last of her things.
"Honestly Mom!" Sophie exclaimed as Sam headed toward her, car keys in hand.
"Smart with me and Lisa can't stay over this weekend." Sam chided mockingly, bundling her daughter out the door and into the car, chuckling at the look of horror on her daughter's features.
As per usual, the shop with a green front that was known globally for its coffee prowess, stood near empty as Sam walked in the front door later that morning. Inhaling the pungent and sweet aromas of the various blends of coffee, she mentally imagined herself, throwing her hair around as all models do in hair-care advertisements, but falling into the dark temptation of the barista before her.
She didn't even bother looking up at the menu behind the counter, already knowing what she wanted, and thus, striding up to the boy who always made Sam feel as though she were in an episode of The Simpson's.
One Double Tall, skinny latte with two shots and extra cream.
Every time she said that order, she always couldn't help mentally wondering why she even bothered having a skinny latte with extra cream. What was the point of dieting if you were just going to cut corners?
Still, taking a seat in one of the plush couches, and pulling a magazine from her bag and immediately flicking to the Sudoku, Sam allowed herself to be lost to the world of coffee.
It wasn't long however before she had the distinct impression that she was being watched. At first she let the feeling slide, after all, she was in a public coffee house. But still, the prickly feeling at the back of her neck would not die, and eventually Sam allowed her head to rise and search for whoever felt she deserved to be watched.
That's when she saw his profile.
She hadn't seen him in six or seven years, and was surprised by the lack of change in his posture – surely he would have at least managed to relax a little bit….hold it, Spade. This is Martin we're talking about. Martin, the King of Relaxation beside your Ice Queen?
Once again Sam kicked herself mentally for at these moments, always finding her personality to split.
Martin glanced in her direction, and upon seeing her staring at him, turned around and fled the shop.
Sam didn't know whether to run after him or stay where she was. After a moment something kicked in that brought her to her feet and force her to stride from the shop, leaving her coffee still sitting on the table she had vacated.
However, once on the street, all Sam saw were a flurry of coats, jackets, blank expressions and the rears of people's heads. Scanning her eyes repeatedly along the street, Sam sighed, realizing he'd gone, and turning back to the seat she had left, saw her coffee cup gone.
Sighing out of frustration, Sam glanced at her watch; realized she was almost going to be late for work, and bolted two doors down the street, into a lobby and then an elevator, and up to the 14th floor, and was behind her desk, still holding in pants, when her boss walked past, as per usual ignoring her, and disappearing into her office.
"Why do I even bother? She wouldn't notice even if I was late." Sam said to herself under her breath.
But hours, and a lot of phone calls later, Sam still couldn't get the image of Martin's silhouette from her mind, and decided she needed to see him, and hopefully, once and for all, settle all accounts she held with him. Seven years was too long to hold a grudge, and too long to hold onto false hope.
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