Sweet Escape

chapter 5

Brad's Pov

I stood awkwardly at my locker, Freddie by my side as we waited for Amber. I must be confusing you guys as to why I'm even agreeing into dating this Amber girl. You see, Freddie's my bestfriend and I love the guy like a brother I never had and I don't think we have to fight over a girl which is my bestfriend as well. I'm not actually saying that I'm stopping now to actually sweeping Sam to her feet like my real plan is.

Yes. Plan.

Sam is the reason I came back here. Since the day I auditioned to be the iCarly's intern, Sam was the first person I laid my eyes on. Sure there is Carly and yes, I can't deny the fact she's pretty and sweet but looking at Sam, its different. There's something more to that wild firecracker. She's the definition of beauty. Natural Beauty. I know for sure she doesn't have any idea how stunningly beautiful she is and that's what makes her even more beautiful. She don't put a lot of make-up or wear some skimpy clothes just to show people that she's beautiful. Just the simple skinny jeans and hoodie with a matching old sneakers are enough to make the men population kneel down to her and yes, I'm one of them.

When I learned about Freddie and Carly's plan into locking Sam and I in a room because they thought she was in love with me made me somewhat giddy. I actually thought that it was me. But then I saw their show live at the Troubled Waters where Freddie kissed her.

It was painful.

The most painful sight ever but when I thought it couldn't get worst. They began to date. That's when I decided that it's time to move on.

I'm already in love with her back then.

My dad told us that he was being based to Portland and we have to move as well. I thought of it as an oppurtunity. When I was there, Freddie and I still had some communication like email and stuff that when he told me from over the email that he and Sam are no longer together, I was ecstatic and guilty at the same time for even feeling that way. I was his friend, listening to him weep over something incredible that has been gone - his words.

After a two years, I decided to move back. Ready to win Sam. But then, I was shocked when I saw them both at the Groovy Smoothie, giggling at each other.

They're back together.

I'm not losing hope nor I'm praying for them to break up again. I'll just wait for the right time. For time to tell me to make a move. Right now, I'm going to enjoy what Sam and I have. Friendship. If that's the only way to actually have some place in her heart and spend time with her...then, I'll be good. For now. I'm just going to her bestfriend and be there for her when she needs me.

"Dude, I don't think this is a good idea." I turn to Freddie with a very hesitant look in my eyes.

He roll his eyes at me and tilt his head.

"Yes, this is a good idea. You're just going to talk to her and tell her you're up for her invitation. Just like that. Easy as one, two, three. Its your chance to have a hot girl. Don't you want that?" Uhh..I don't think you'll like my answer if I tell you no because the only hot girl in my eyes is your girlfriend.

"Fine. But if this-" I point to him but he look past me with a smirk.

"Dude, shut up. She's already here. Okay, game face now." he push me forward and I gave him a glare.

I pat my clothes and Amber look at me in bewilderment.

"Hey." I wave.

"Hey." she said shyly, twirling a strand of her auburn hair between her fingers.

"Remember when you asked me to go on the movies with you this Friday?"

"Yeah."

"I just want to tell you that..uhmm.." I stutter, scratching the back of my neck and I heard a groan behind me. I whip my head to look over my shoulder and glare at Freddie who roll his eyes annoyingly. I turn back to Amber who's smiling at me.

"You know what, its okay if you don't want to go with me. Really." she gave me a sad smile and I easily saw the disappointment in her green eyes.

"No!" I said quickly and she seems surprised at my sudden outburst."I mean, no. I'm actually going to say that I'll take your invitation."

Her eyes lit up and she smile widely. Yeah, she's really beautiful. She's like ready to jump but I can see she's trying not to - well, maybe not in front of me.

"Oh my gosh! Really?" her eyes big.

"Yeah."

"That's soo great." she chirps happily."Thank you."

"Well, you're sweet and cute and I really want to get to know you better."

She blushes adorably and bit her lip. Tucking a strand behind her ear she spoke.

"That's so sweet of you to say. I really want that too."

"So..I'll see you then this Friday."

"Yeah. I'll text you my address."

"Okay. I'll pick you up by seven."

She nod excitedly and look a bit hesitant but then she peck me on the cheeks catching me off-guard. She blushes madly when I smile at her. She turn to her heel, joining her friends and they began gushing.

I actually felt something there. I felt someone pat my back.

"Wow. She's very agressive."

"So is your girlfriend." I remark and he smirk.

"I know."

Freddie and I walk throught the cafeteriaa halls and look for our usual table. We quickly spotted Sam and Carly. Sam who's intently writing something in her notebook and Carly who's talking to her as if she doesn't know that she's not even listening.

Soon as we reach them, Freddie slip next to Sam and gave her a kiss on the cheeks which I must say shot me hard right in the chest part. She look up and smile at him happily. Carly stop from talking and wave at me. I slip next to her, across Sam and Freddie who's now engulfed in an intense make-out.

I almost puke there. I shift my eyes away and chose to talk to Carly.

"So, how's your day?"

"Good except for that exam in which I got a B." she roll her eyes."I heard that you finally agreed on going out with Amber." I raise my eyebrow and narrow my eyes.

"How did you-"

"Its all over campus. There were students who heard you guys talked. So, I see its true."

I scratch the back of my neck and gave her a small smile.

"Its okay to be nervous. But you'll do good."

"You guys talking about Brad's date?" Sam asked.

I guess they're finish sucking each other's face now.

"Yup. What we heard is true." Carly said.

Sam nod and gave me smirk.

"I see you got yourself a new girlfriend now."

"She'a not my girlfriend."

She roll her eyes and gave me a disbelieving look.

"Whatever. So, how did you told her?"

"He kinda stutter at first." Freddie mutter on my behalf.

"Why?"

"I was shy."

"Eh, understandable." Sam shrug, closing her notebook and putting the cap of her pen, she place them inside her bag.

"What were you doing?" Freddie asked curiously, nodding his head to the empty space where her things were.

"That? I was just jutting down some notes."

"Are you excited?" Carly asked me.

I look at her big brown eyes that holds such anticipation. I know Carly enough to know that she's more excited than me. Its her thing. I know that if I was a girl she'll probably start listing down the perfect outfit I can wear for my date, starting from skirts to blouses to flatshoes to strappy heels from the hair to the make-up.

"Not really. I mean, we barely know each other and I don't really like her like that." I answered honestly.

"But she's pretty and smart as what I've heard about Freddie and the others."

"I find her cute and sweet but not really my type."

"You don't like smart girls with a pretty face?" Sam asked, with a surprise look.

"What? Is is surprising?"

"Well, duh. Smart chicks with a pretty face is like..your kinda thing. It suits you."

"I don't think so. Its like dating my own kind."

"Nerds don't like nerds? Wow."

"Funny, Sam." I laugh boringly."It is possible. How about Freddie? He's a nerd and he's dating you." I point out to her with a mischevious smirk.

"Hey!" Freddie frown, I guess, offended.

"Hmmm..I guess so. You've played well, fudgeboy."

I shrug and pull a topperware of fudge, placed it on the table and before I knew it, Sam's already devouring it whilst we all look at her in amusemen, well, Carly with a half-disgust look. But this is Sam we're talking about. I'm kinda used to it.

"Dwish ish amagshing." Sam mumble, her mouth full of the fudgy goodness.

I chuckle lightly. She's so cute even when she's doing something disgusting to other people's eyes.

"Sam!" Carly hiss, throwing her some napkin.

"Priss." Sam mutter under herself and I can't help but chuckle more.

She didn't use the napkin but instead lick her lips with her tongue. Oh shit. The way she sweep her tongue on those crumbs of chocolate on the corners of her mouth is simply sexy. I wonder how skillful her tongue is. I can almost imagine her tongue swirling on my- Shit! Damn it! Okay, stop it Brad. You're such a hormonal boy. You can't think of her like that!

I better go to the bathroom.

Sam's Pov

I lock my front door, adjusting my duffel bag placed over my shoulder. I turn the knob again, making sure its safely closed. I step down the small steps and walk over my red mini cooper parked at the side of our street. I clicked it open, chucking my duffel bag to the passenger seat before hopping inside. I press my foot on the gas, clutching on my steering wheel, I turn over my shouder and drove out of the driveway. Once I'm good, I began to move my car down the road.

The drive to the restaurant is not that long, just half an hour and I don't need to worry about the heavy traffic because I always go there little too early. Turning my radio on, I press shuffle on my pearpod. I let the music fill the car. Tapping my fingertips lightly on the wheel, I started singing along with my favorite Taylor Swift song: Mine. When it comes to picking songs, I never let anyone know that I have a full album collection of Taylor Swift. It'll totally ruin my reputation and it's bad enough that I'm going soft because I'm dating a total nerd, wait, that's not right. Let me rephrase that, I'm dating a total nerd hottie. There, that's more like it.

The sight of my restaurant came into view and I can't stop myself from smiling proudly. Whenever I see my growing business, doing great and people patronizing it, makes me soo happy with pride. Looking at the fruit of the seed I once planted.

I parked at my reserved parking space at the back of the establishment. It's almost five, thirty minutes before people pile up on the front door, waiting for me to flip the "open" sign on the door.

I grab my bag, placing it on my lap, I open it and make sure I have everything I need inside: wallet, phone, few clothes and some few personal stuffs. I pull the keys out from the ignition, opening hastily on my car door and slamming it close behind. It closed automatically after a few seconds. I drop my bag beside my feet, patting my front and back pocket searching for my keys only to find it at the very end of my left side pocket. I jiggle with my keys, looking for the right key to open the back door. I finally had it in my hand, pushing it on the keyhole, I writhed it for a while before it opened.

I kick the door open, reaching for my bag lying on the ground, I walk inside. The back door lead to the restaurant dirty kitchen. I went out of the kitchen, turning to the left side corner where my office is. The restaurant looks haunted without the sound of the customers asking for the menu, waiters rolling around from table to table, the double doors swinging noisily not to mention the only light illuminating the big room is the sunnrays from the outside.

I heard the door from the back opening and closing and the light footsteps coming. Soon, my employees emerge from the kitchen doors, waving anf greeting with a friendly smile, they start to clean the restaurant before opening it to the public. Knowing I don't need to tarry in the room anymore, I went to my office leaving my employees to do their daily morning works.

I slump on my chair and sigh heavily. The bad thing about having such big business is the big piles of papers showing the daily, weekly, monthly and/or yearly expenses of the restaurant, not to mention the other fees needed to be paid as well.

As expected, the customers began filling the previous empty room. I heard a light knocking on my door and my head shot up from reading some of the bills that has been recently delivered straight in my office.

"It's open." I call from my spot, my eyebrows raised in anticipation.

The door opened slowly and a head appears from behind. I stood up from my chair, utterly confused to be what seemed unfamiliar face.

"Excuse me?" I said."Who are you?" I asked, feeling like someone just invaded my personal bubble.

The guy, I assumed in his twenties, is wearing a formal tux, obviously pressed neatly. A strong odor - men's perfume - travel to my nose and I resist myself from sneezing. His hair is perfectly styled quiff, his gray eyes staring directly at me.

He open the door, enough for me to take in his features: Broad shoulders, tall - must be 5'11 - and has a good posture. He look like those bachelorette on those magazines.

He clear his throat and open his mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry. Your employee told me this is your office." he starts, closing the door, he walk in front of me. Reach his hand out, he adds."I'm Darren Blake."

I study his hands and settle to the idea of not taking it for a handshake. What does he want?

"You must be wondering why am I here." he read my mind. Looking as intimidating as possible I tilt my chin upwards like what those mean girls on those chick flicks do."Can I have a seat first?" he asked a bit conscious.

I thought for a while and nod after. He mumble a quick gratitude, holding his briefcase on his lap propperly like there is some gold in it. Wait. Where did that briefcase came from? Was it there when he walked in? I mentally slap myself for not focusing too much.

I, too, took a seat facing him, my elbows prop above my glass desk, palms pressed together with an impatient look as if every second matter to me. Well, in my case, it sure is.

"I'm here for a proposal."

My eyebrows shot up quickly and I look at him like he's on stage of haywire or something.

"You're pretty fast there, I see but..uh..I'll let you know. I have a boyfriend."

"No." he chuckled lightly."I don't mean that kind of proposal."

"Then what?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Do you ever thougt of setting up other branches for your restaurant?"

"You mean franchising?"

"Precisely. I'm actually the man to help you." he said cockily.

"I'm not interested." I answer."You may go now." I pointed to the door but he held out his hand.

"Wait, wait!" he opened his briefcase and taking out a long red folder and place it on my desk, pushing it nearer to me."Before you decide. You may want to read it first. It'll give more information on who I am, the company I work and what we plan on doing for Sam's Kitchen. It might change your decision. It's a big opportunity actually Ms. Puckett so, I suggest you learn more about my offer before jumping on such decision."

"I'm happy on how Sam's Kitchen turning into."

"Atleast take a look at it. There's a lot profit to be made in franchising. Big benefits as well."

"I'm not into big profits and bucks."

"Please." he half-plead."Here, this is my calling card. In case you change your mind." he put atop of the folder his card and stood up."I'll go now but I will hold on to you calling me sooner, Ms. Puckett."

I watched him leave and close the door behind him. Thinking about his offer, I felt quite tempted. As I've said before, having a business requires a lot of money considering it's growing big and need a lot. Sure, Sam's Kitchen is big to occupy customers but as I've seen over this past few weeks, more and more are eating and I feel like we need to expand more. Sam's Kitchen is built in a wide lot and I can expand it whenever I want but that's not that easy. It'll take thousands maybe more to do that. And here is this guy named Darren, introducing himself to m like he's a heaven sent to me to help me with my problems.

My eyes travel down slowly to my desk where the red folder and his callin card laid motionless. Thoughts run to my mind. I don't know if I should take up on this. My main thought about it is if I do this franchising thing, it means I have to like let other people use the name of the restaurant and I don't have some sort of control anymore. Sam's Kitchen had been running good with the help of my own self. It's independent on its own way.

I comb my hair with my fingers and sigh. I took the folder, slid the card inside and place it inside my drawer, locking it safely. I guess I'll just look at it when I most need it. Right now, I still can handle the works.