Moonlit Wishes
Book III, Part VI

It didn't even matter whether he set the clock alarm each night because most mornings EJ woke before the alarm ever went off signaling him the start of another day. This morning was no exception as he looked over to the time on the clock as he reached over and flipped the switch debating about getting up from bed.

He didn't have to go to work this morning, it was technically a holiday if he wanted to take it due to it being the Friday after Thanksgiving. Justin had informed him earlier in the week he wouldn't be in at all until Monday morning, then again EJ figured Justin didn't have crazy things going on in his life, aka mainly a woman named Samantha, where he might need the escape work could provide.

Work would be the place to be, immerse himself into his cases, trying to find ways to help his clients. It still amazed him he even had clients and they didn't hold him bearing the surname DiMera against him either.

Well he had to admit the people who did fear or despise the DiMera name generally had a reason to do so, although he had been doing his best to steer clear of his father ever since he had decided to leave Salem and upon his return he had steadily blocked any attempts from his father when he tried to make contact with him.

While he knew he would eventually have to see Stefano sometime in the future, he had needed the time away from his father's influence, plus he'd had no desire to see his stepmother Kate either. EJ was amazed how well he had done without his father's interference in his life.

It certainly had made things better with Samantha.

He didn't need to be thinking of her yet again. Why did almost everything he thought about come back around to that incredibly infuriating woman when he was trying so hard to stop thinking about her as much?

He guessed it didn't help matters that he was living here with her in the same house. Well not technically living with her as in sharing all parts of their lives together, they were just roommates, not lovers.

Although you could have been on the road to that last night as his lower anatomy could attest as EJ got out of bed and headed to his bathroom, making the necessary absolutions for the day as he debated going for a run or not this morning. He usually went on one before work and most times on the weekend too. It cleared his head better than anything else seemed to do and most mornings he was up and out running before anyone else in the house even awoke.

Another reason to go run, he wouldn't see Samantha because he knew in the light of day she would act like nothing had happened between them last night anyway so it would be a win, win situation. He'd get a good start on his day, he'd miss seeing Samantha because no doubt with the kids not being here and her not having to go into work herself this morning she would probably sleep in later than usual.

Good thing they were complete opposites in this matter, he was a morning person while it usually took Samantha about two or three good cups of coffee before she was even in a mood to speak to anyone beyond a mere grunt accompanied by a general narrowing of her eyes when he would even attempt to speak a good morning to her.

So he would put on his running clothes, go for an extremely long run this morning to clear the cobwebs of last night from his head and then clean up and head out to work without even seeing her. He'd stay gone for most of the day and then be home in time to kiss the children goodnight and then there would be one day out of the way without having to think about this crazy situation with Samantha.

Maybe Samantha's way of dealing with life by simply choosing to ignore it when it was too hard to deal with was the way to go, god knew he didn't want to have to face her this morning when he was still so conflicted over how last night had went.

~~~~~~

Sami could hear EJ stirring in his room, well she could hear him if she walked close to the stairway which she had stayed close by most of the morning anticipating him coming down. She'd already drank a cup of coffee so she was awake and ready to take him on, well she almost was as she heard him leaving his bedroom.

Quickly she made her way back to the foyer and opened the front door, almost gasping at the cold breeze that hit her as she stepped outside for just a moment. She glanced down; yep her girls looked pretty perky from the cold air as she quietly closed the front door and scurried back into the kitchen. She knew EJ would come by the kitchen to get a drink of water before he left to go running and she'd be there to greet him good morning.

In one, two, three seconds…

EJ was so ready to go running he didn't even notice Samantha was in the room until it was too late and he immediately collided against her, almost knocking her over in the process since he was so much bigger than her anyway. It kind of threw him for a loop since he wasn't anticipating her even being up much less plowing into her tiny frame as he was on his way to fix a drink of water before his run.

He had her in his arms haphazardly as he tried to right them back up to positions away from each other, glad he hadn't fallen against her on the floor because he might have really hurt her if he had done so.

Damn what was she doing up so early this morning and as he tried to stand away from her after pushing away from her lush body what in the world was she wearing?

Almost nothing, could that tank top be any tighter and the way her breasts looked so inviting, much less could those tiny shorts she was sporting be any shorter? It almost made him want to break his resolve to stay away from her and take her right there on the kitchen table. He felt his breath quicken along with his heart rate like he had been running already.

He was about to ask her what the hell she was doing up when she sweetly said, "Good morning EJ."

He stood there dumbfounded, words stuck in his throat while she stood there smiling at him all the while looking like she'd had the best night of sleep in her life.

Had he imagined last night? Was he really losing his mind? It was like he had walked into some weird alternate universe in which this woman greeted him like this dressed in clothes that hardly covered her womanly figure which was looking more and more appealing by the moment to him. His body betrayed him instantly, wanting him to scoop her up in his arms.

"Something wrong EJ?" she asked as if nothing were wrong, still wearing that smile and almost nothing else.

He shook his head once, thinking he was seeing things and closed his eyes, surely this was a mirage or something even though he hadn't drank a drop of alcohol last night.

Sami touched his arm, causing him to quickly pull back away from her touch. No she was here, literally in the flesh acting all sweet to him.

Finally he found his voice although he was sure he wasn't making much sense. "I, I was going…"

What was he going to do? It had escaped him for a moment as he looked at her again.

"Going to run this morning?" She asked him as she went to the cupboard to get him a glass of water, filling it up from the faucet and bringing it to him for him to take a sip.

He took the glass from her and took a large sip of water, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Yes that's it; I'm going on a run this morning."

"Would you like some company? I mean with the kids still at mom's I could go with you if you wouldn't mind."

Samantha never wanted to go running this early in the morning. Had aliens come down last night and took her with them leaving someone who looked incredibly like her instead? Had she been invaded becoming a host for such a creature? That had to be it.

"EJ?"

It took a few more moments for him to answer her.

"Sure, if you'd like, but don't you think you should maybe, should" he pointed in the direction of her body not saying anything else.

Sami looked down at her choice of dress trying not to laugh out loud, "Oh yeah, I guess I should go put on some more clothes if I'm going running with you. I'll be right back."

She walked away from him swaying her hips as she pulled off her tank top as she began walking up the stairs, completely pulling it off before she reached the top stair and headed down the hallway to her room, knowing EJ's eyes never pulled away without her having to look back at him.

She smiled as she entered her bedroom and started to get ready to go on their run. She'd keep up with him if it killed her because she believed she had gotten his attention this morning. She quickly pulled on her running clothes, tying her Nike running shoes in tight bows and knots and made her way back down the stairs in record time.

Funny EJ was still standing in the same spot where she had left him.

Yes, today was going to be a fun day indeed.