No contest

Sam had really done it this time. He'd entered Diane in the Miss Boston Barmaid contest, without her consent. Who did he think he was? Boy, she was really going to let him have it this time.

"Sam, might I have a word with you in your office?"

"When's it ever been just a word," Carla sarcastically replied as she went to serve her next customer.

"Sam!"

"Okay, okay. Coach, take over the bar, will you?"

Alone in his office, she was really prepared to let him have it. He'd pulled some stunts, but to reduce her to what amounted to entering a beauty contest, well, that was really low. And she would let him hear all about it.

"Listen, Sam..."

He waved his hand in the air. "I know what you're going to say. But before you do, will you just hear me out for a minute?"

"One minute. Time's ticking." she looked at her watch.

"Look, Diane, I know you're probably mad at me, but you shouldn't be. Actually it was meant as a compliment. I happen to think you're a hell of a barmaid, and you could be the one to really put Cheers on the map."

"Really? What about Miss Congeniality, Carla?"

"Come on, you really don't compare yourself to Carla, do you?"

"Why not, it seems as if she gets all your special favors. She wants a night off, you give it to her. She comes in claiming morning sickness..."

"Be fair. She is pregnant."

"Not seven months ago she wasn't!"

He laughed. "Okay okay. But I would give you special treatment but it seems to me you won't have any of it."

"I know what your idea of special treatment is, Sam, and no thanks."

"Why do you have to be this way?"

"What way?"

"You know, stubborn, hard to get along with...argumentative..."

"I am not argumentative!" Diane protested, to which Sam just smirked.

"Okay, maybe a little. But I'll have you know I've worked too hard in my career here at Cheers just to be thought of as just another pretty young thing."

"Well aren't you?"

"Of course. But you're missing the point. I want people to take me seriously. How is that supposed to happen when you trivialize me to the point to where I'm just a sex object?"

"Diane, I'll have you know I don't see you as...that."

"You don't?"

"We haven't slept together, have we?"

"If you had your way we would have, months ago."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

She let out a small shriek in frustration. "Sam, be serious! You can't possibly think that anything could ever happen between us! We're so different. I like literature; your idea of classic literature is your current edition of Playboy." she shuddered at the thought.

"So I admire a good looking gal now and then. What's that to you, anyhow?"

"Women aren't put on earth to be mere sex objects. We think, we work, we have dreams and ambitions. I don't think you give women enough credit, that's your trouble."

Sam put his hand on her arm; to his surprise she didn't pull back. "I give you all the credit in the world."

"What's that supposed to mean?:"

"It means I know it can kind of be a guy's world out there. But you come to work, you treat everyone you meet with fairness and politeness...so I thought you would do Cheers proud. I know.."

"Say it."

"I know I'm kind of proud of you."

She smiled. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. But when Sam was being sweet, he could be kind of hard to resist. But resist she would. She would do this contest thing, albeit reluctantly, if not for Sam's benefit than to prove to him that women could be and should be equal to men. Yes, she would have the last laugh, if she had anything to say about it.

TBC