Chapter 3 – All the right moves
Samuel Winchester, the 30-year-old man, had met Marie Colt, a 26-year-old nurse, on September 11, 2013, by the end of the summer. They met Wednesday morning, on Sam's first run in that small city. They connected immediately. She thought he was attractive. He thought the exact same thing about her. She was a little shy, in certain situations. He was nice to her. They became friends immediately, like they had known each other for years, like they had so many things in common and, well, they did. The trust was basically immediate, to a certain point. The chemistry was palpable, but it took Sam 10 days to finally ask her out.
After their work out, Marie headed back home, while Sam went to his motel room. They would meet at 8, in front of "The Willow Tree" restaurant, the only formal restaurant in Owl Falls.
When she got home, she went to the kitchen, grabbed some oranges and made some juice. Then, when walking to the fridge, she found a yellow post-it, a note from her roommate:
« Tommy needed me. I'll keep in touch, don't worry. I'll be back in 2 days. »
'Yeah right', she thought. Two days always meant two weeks in her roommate's language. That note was two days old. She hadn't received one single call; there was no 'keeping in touch'. That was always a lie, when told by her best friend, at least when it involved Tommy. But you know what? This time she didn't care. Her best friend could come back next month for all she cared; she was tired of that shit. Always leaving without saying something. Always leaving at last-minute, for days, weeks, months, sometimes without a single phone call. She did not deserve that. They were best friends. And, although she had said a thousand times she could not do it without her best friend, sometimes… Sometimes it felt like she had to.
After lunch, she decided to take a little nap. She was still tired of the past two days. She worked 24 hours in a row, starting at 8:00am, September 19th. Then, after leaving work the morning after, she slept for two hours at the house and went to help Alison – one of her friends – get everything ready for Carl's surprise birthday party. She got home at 1am, slept until 7 and then went for a run in town, to meet her most recent and most mysterious friend: Samuel Winchester.
When she woke up, she got ready: peacock-blue dress, sweetheart neckline with lace to the neck with red pump shoes, black trench coat. She did a pretty basic make up look, like she did every day before going to work. Yet, Sam had never seen her with make up on, because he had only been with her during her jogging time. She put some perfume on, grabbed her purse and left the apartment.
She decided to walk to the restaurant, since it wasn't that far. It was a slightly cool evening, the first night of autumn. The sky was clear and the moon was shining bright, alongside with all the stars in the dark. The street was silent. There were only some cars passing by. Some groups of people on their way to the annual city fair. You could also hear the music from the same fair, and all the noises, but barely.
Sam Winchester was by the restaurant's entrance, outside, waiting. He then looked to the other side of the road and saw her. She crossed the road, carefully, with a smile on her face. The wind blew her hair a little, almost in slow motion, and she used her hand to take it away from her face.
You could hear the sound of her high heels marking her pace. She walked at a normal speed, but there was something in the sound of her steps that indicated she was restless to get there.
- Marie, hi! – Said Sam, excited and nervous at the same time, as she was close enough to hear it. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she smiled.
- Hey Sam. – She answered, almost in a whisper.
- You look… beautiful. – He gasped, as he admired her.
- Well, thank you sir. – You could sense a laugh in her words and a discrete laugh was what came out of Sam's mouth when she bowed, thanking him like a lady from medieval ages.
- You're welcome, mi lady. – He replied, with the same nice but playful tone in his voice she usually had when saying stuff like that. – My arm, mi lady.
She smiled, and grabbed his arm, as they both walked inside the restaurant.
He had the steak with a side of vegetables and Marie had the roasted duck with orange and some green vegetables. They talked for two hours, the exact time their dinner lasted. They kept some secrets, only God knew the secrets they kept. Sam Winchester did not tell her about the family business. He did not tell much about the last years he spent with his brother, did not tell her what they did together. From Jessica's death to the end of the Apocalypse she only knew he and his brother went on a road trip. She knew, also, that his father died a year or so after Jessica. After that dinner, Marie knew that and so many other things: what kind of songs he liked, movies, how he had put aside his dream of having a family because "things don't seem to work out as you plan them when you are 14. Life is just not that simple", what he thought about the years he spent with his brother, how he left his family when he was 18 to go study Law at Stanford.
She told him she had a brother named Ben and that she also left her parent's house at 18, go to study, and only saw them during holidays, sometimes she would spend months without getting any news from them "which is normal", she said, "they have really busy jobs". And when Sam asked what did they do for a living she immediately said, nervous, "Bail hunters. They are bail hunters". She told him she shared her house with her best friend whom was always leaving with no apparent reason and sometimes spent weeks away, but she did not mention that friend's name. She told him pretty much everything about herself, but kept one of the most important things a secret: she would never tell that to anyone.
They both left the restaurant, Marie holding on to his arm, Sam laughing:
- Serious? You did that?
- Yeah, the kid was pissing me off.
- So you punched her?
- What? I was 16 and I was tired of her shit.
- You really did hate cheerleaders.
- Still do, Sam, still do.
- Wait, she was making fun of you because…?
- Because kids are mean and I was a little bit… Weird.
- Weird?
- Yeah. I only had one friend: Billy; and I used to listen to old songs and dress in very dark colors and always wore a leather jacket. And I was into mythology, some stuff that could creep out anyone.
- What kind of stuff?
- Sirens, vampires, werewolves, demons, rougarous… All types of monsters, all kinds of myths. – She said and Sam glanced at her, with this confuse smile. – Yes, I am really weird.
Sam smiled at her: she was cute when she was embarrassed.
- I like weird. – He answered, causing her to smile like a teenage girl. - But I'm one in a few, so you probably shouldn't let anyone know that, - He joked. – Specially your patients.
She laughed. A cold breeze passed by them and Marie trembled a little: she only had a pair of transparent tights covering her legs; it was way too cold to be outside, at least walking so slowly.
- So, what next Sam?
- I don't know. It's 10 pass 10 o'clock. Do you want to go to the autumn's fair or something?
- Yeah, sure, I could use a candy apple.
When they got there, the annual fun fair (that happened from September 21st to October 6th) was filled with people of all ages. The food stands were full, so where the drinking ones and the game ones. Kids were shooting cans with an air pressure gun to win a giant stuffed animal. Others were trying to win a gold-fish. Some were having fun ridding the fair wheel, the ghost ride, the rollercoaster and many others.
Sam was eating a bag of popcorn and Marie was trying to find the best way to give the first bite on the apple covered with red caramel without getting dirty.
- I totally love these things. – She said. – They're my favorite candy but they are a pain in the ass to eat. I guess the expression «best things in life don't come easily» can also be applied to candy.
- Just eat it, what are you so worried about? – He smiled.
She took a bit, chewed and swallowed it, letting both the caramel and the apple taste spread in her mouth.
- How is it?
- One of the best candy apples I've ever eaten, I told you, that old lady knows how to pick the best damn apples. – She looked at him. - Want some, popcorn guy?
He then laughed, he saw something funny.
- What? What is it?
- You have melted red caramel on the tip of your nose. – He smiled again.
- Oh crap. Crap, crap, crappy crap. – She hid her face and used the tissue she had on her hand to clean it. – Is it gone? – Asked Marie, super embarrassed.
- Yes, it's gone. Don't be so worried, it was just a little bit.
- Yeah, but it's embarrassing.
- I think it's kind of cute.
She smiled:
- And I'm the weird one.
- Yes. – He laughed again. – You are the weird one.
They walked while eating and talking, watching people around them having fun. She saw some of her friends and waved. «You can go to them, if you'd like.» She then looked at him, with a very dazzling smile: «No way, I rather stay with you if you don't mind. Is that okay?» He felt this wave warming him inside and smiled: «Let me think about it… Yeah, I guess that would be okay.» he said, playing once more.
At 11:30 pm they decided to leave the fun fair and Samuel walked with her to this really nice calm street, with 3 stories high buildings, with brick walls. There were half a dozen stairs to the dark green double door. Through the door window you could see two other doors, the entrance to two apartments, and the stairs leading to the 2nd floor.
- So… - She said, passing her eyes through the street. – I had a lovely evening. – Her voice presented Sam with a little irony, not because it wasn't true but because that sentence was an over-used cliché. You could see that on her face too.
- So did I. – After Sam's voice, you could hear a very short lasting awkward silence.
- This is not awkward at all. – She jested.
Sam laugh, he didn't know what else to do:
- Goodnight then?
- Yeah… I guess so. Goodnight. – She said, leaving a small but warm kiss on Sam's cheek, right before walking up the stairs.
Sam stood there, watching her walk up the exact six stairs with her hand sliding on the corridor. Sammy stood there thinking if he should or should not do it.
She took the key to the keyhole and turned it three times. Clack, clack, clack, and the door opened. As she prepared to enter the building, Sam Winchester – that climbed silently up the stairs – grabbed her by the hand, pulled her to him and kissed her with such heavy passion that you could feel it in the air: a warm breeze that made their hearts and her knees tremble. Both hearts felt an unnecessary necessity to beat faster as if Sam and Marie had been running for hours. Samuel had both hands holding her face, a 'romantic act' although no one knows the reason why holding the face of the person you're kissing is considered romantic. Obviously no one thinks if it's romantic or not when doing it: if you really feel the need o kiss someone, if you've spent several days wanting to kiss someone, you will hold that person's face in your hands, just because, unconsciously, it's a way of not letting the moment go by, it's like expression you're wish to make it last longer than it will. Holding someone's face is just like holding their heart in your hands, it's… it's not wanting to ever let go. And the way you hold it, expresses exactly how you'd hold that person's heart if you were ever given a chance.
Sam had held many faces in his life, most of them, with only one hand, in a harshly and careless way. After Jessica and Madison, that was the only way he ever held any women's face during a kiss. Until that night.
As their lips danced with each other, Samuel had his hands on her face and Marie stayed very still, caught by surprise because she thought he did not want to kiss her. She thought he didn't like her, that he wasn't interested in any way. But… well… she was wrong. That was probably one of the few occasions where she'd smile because she was wrong. She hated to be wrong… Except in situations of such matter.
Their lips departed and Sam smile, with his eyes opened, looking directly at her. Marie still had her eyes closed. She took two deep breaths and then looked at him with rose cheeks and her lips closed tightly in a very thin line.
- I… hmm…
- I'll go now. Goodnight. – Sam said, when he could not see though her face. Was she embarrassed in a good or bad way? Was she mad? Did she want him to leave or stay? He decided to play safe. – Sorry.
- No. – She whispered. – God, Sam, you silly goose. You kiss me and them you just leave?
- You were… too silent. – He said, confused. Was she mad now?
- You just kissed me with no warning, what did you want me to do? Invite you for tea? – She had a smile on her face. – That was my shy face. Not my mad one. Not my 'go away you pervert' one. Trust me, if I ever make one of those, you'll know immediately. Okay?
- Okay. – Sam agreed. It was not normal of him to react in such a weird, childish way. But he decided that time to play safe, weirdly and unexpectedly he did not want to screw things up with her. Although… he might have to leave in a couple of days, or weeks, or months. He did not know and that pissed him off, still he did not want to screw it all up. – Okay, so let's do this again.
- You just want to kiss me again, don't you?
- I shall not confirm nor deny.
- You idiot. – She smiled. – Do it inside the building then, I'm freezing out here.
- You just want me to come in, isn't it?
- I shall not confirm nor deny. - She said, as they both entered the building and started to climb the stairs up to the 3rd floor.
- Ahah, very funny.
- I'm a funny person. You should be used to it by now.
- How does someone get used to something that never happens?
- Uuhh, such a badass.
- I thought you liked the bad guys.
- Where did you get that idea from? – She asked, stopping only a few stairs away from her apartment's door.
- I don't know. You look like the type of girl who likes bad boys.
She laughed.
- I usually have crushes on the nerdy cute ones. You silly goose.
- Oh, just shut up, that… That's creepy.
- What? Silly goose?
- Yes, please stop.
- Why, silly goose?
- Marie, seriously.
- Fine. I'll stop. – She said, and then whispered: - For now.
- I heard that, you know?
She climbed up the last seven stairs in seven quick steps while Sam walked slowly. When he got to the door, she was unlocking it, with her eyes set on the floor. She was making sure of something, but Sam thought she was just having second thoughts.
- What is it?
Three seconds of silence:
- I thought I saw a spider. I hate spiders.
Marie took her shoes off just as soon as she entered the small apartment and just exhaled very slowly, expressing her relief on taking such high shoes of. Sam whipped his feet on the welcome carpet and, for a second, he thought he saw white chalk on the floor. He took it as a small innocent illusion and walked inside.
- Do you… Do you want something to drink?
- Nope. – He smiled, taking a step towards her, getting close to trapping her between his body and the wall.
- Do you want something to snack on?
- Not exactly, no. – He took another step.
Sam leaned in and held her face with one hand, as his lips got closer to hers. He kissed her with immense passion and fury, starting at the lips and then burning down his way to her neck. With the other hand, Sam grabbed her hair and then it slid down her back and then up again, grabbing the zipper and opening the dress. She took his jacket of Sam's torso and left it on the ground. That was followed by the white shirt he was wearing. She took her tights and he took off his pants and socks in a very quick and graceful move. They kissed each other as they blindly walk towards the bed. She had her arms around his neck and her breasts were pushed against Sam's muscular chest as he grabbed her by the waist with one arm and picked her up for the last 3 feet that separated them from the bed. They both fell on the mattress and the rest of the clothing fell on the ground.
Sam kissed every inch of her body, playing with every spot and making her go nuts. She trapped him rolling her legs around his waist as she kissed him and scratched his back with her nails. They would exhaust themselves to pleasure until the clock reached 2:00am.
And then fall asleep in each other's arms.