Chapter 3: Changes

After sitting and catching up with Carly, Freddie, and his assistant thing, I was released so that I could get settled into my room and change for some big dinner that Mrs. Scott had planned. One of our paralegals went shopping for me since all I had were business suits and I didn't have the time to do it myself. Ever since I'd started my practice I'd been out of the loop in regards to fashion and I did want to look good this weekend. I wasn't trying to impress anyone though. I just didn't want to look out of place.

Anyway, Britney had even been nice enough to pack for me. I should have known something was up when she wouldn't let me look into my own suitcase. She filled it with a whole bunch of form fitting little dresses and outfits that would normal been seen on Carly … not on the likes of me. I groaned and placed the garments in the drawers. At least she'd pack some formal wear. I black sleeveless dress would be perfect to tonight. I laid the dress out on the bed and then undressed.

I was mad that I didn't have time to change before coming to the Scott's Estate. I'd meant to look more approachable, but one of my clients was being difficult about being transferred over to Max. Max and I held three meetings with the guy to assure him that our work ethic was pretty much identical. I also explained that I would probably look over any of her paperwork before we submitted anything. Not because I was checking after her … it's just that we both double checked each other.

I took the pins out of my bun, and my hair fell to my lower back. I teased it a little. It was a shame I couldn't wear it down. Well, it's not that I couldn't, it just that when I wore my hair up it seemed that clients respected me more. This weekend wasn't about clients it was about me being me. I wasn't sure I knew how to do that anymore. I'd hidden behind work for so long that I forgot what it was like to be Sam Puckett. I turned back to pull my accessories out of my suitcase and noticed … it. How dare they! It was my picture of Freddie and me. I quickly grabbed it and shoved it one of the drawers. Yeah, so what I kept of picture of Freddie. Benson symbolized a lot to me … he was the first and only guy that made his way into my heart. It didn't mean I still wanted to be with him. He just meant a lot to me. I slipped out of my stuffy clothes and hopped into my black dress. It was very cute, sexy even. I wondered what he'd … it didn't matter, besides he brought Maddy. For just being his assistant she seemed awful friendly in the hands on since of the word. I was sure that they'd been intimate, I mean I been working with people for a while now and studying body language, and the girl operated like she knew Mr. Benson extremely well. Nobody knew me that well. Every time Freddie and I would get close I'd come up for a reason for us not get busy. It wasn't that I didn't want to. It's just hard to explain whenever he'd make a move to inch his hand under my shirt I'd freak out. He claimed to understand but I knew better. What guy wants to stay with a girl that doesn't put out? Nub or not he had to be pissed. That's not why I ended things though, eventually I would have been brave enough or drunk enough to put out. I shook my head, took a deep breath, and tried rebury the past.

"Hey, dinner will be out in a few minutes," Carly said as she knocked on the door and entered my room. "Wow Sam, you look … wow." I glanced at myself in the mirror and smirked. Then I looked at my friend who always looked gorgeous. Tonight she wore light pink dress with her hair down. It made her look innocent and playful. Dylan probably recognized both those characteristics in his soon to be wife.

"You look great too," I said as I grabbed my brush and made my way to the bathroom.

"Thanks." She spoke a little louder so that I could hear her behind the closed door. "So what do you think of Maddy?" She added emphasis on her name.

"She seems … cute." Cute by the way was my new word for annoying. She wasn't a bad person. It just annoyed me that she was here.

"Oh well, I don't find her cute. She's clingy and way too giggly. Do you think that they are together?" Carly's line of questioning was a lot blunter than I expected.

"I don't know Carls, they do seem kind of close. Why? Are you rethinking marrying Dylan? Did you decide that nubby high school crush is the guy for you?" I chuckled as I fixed my hair.

"No, there are some lines I wouldn't cross. Freddie is one of them … I just … I always thought he'd up with someone else. You know?" We both got quiet. I hope that she wasn't going to bring it up. I hadn't even gotten comfortable this wasn't the time to talk about it.

"Yeah, well that Maddy chick would be lucky if he did choose her." I mumbled breaking the silence.

"Yeah, she would." I opened the bathroom door and saw Carly staring at the picture I thought I'd hidden. I clenched my teeth and made an attempt not to snap.

"Why are you going through my stuff Carly Shay?" I snatched the picture out of her hand.

"Why do you still have that?" Her eyes seemed more excited than shocked.

"Don't you have pictures of your old … your past … umm I have it because I look good in the picture! Leave it alone!" She stepped back a little and then laughed.

"You still love him!" She whispered then started bouncing up and down like a monkey with no home training.

"Carly stop! I know what's going on in your brunette little head and it isn't like that. I didn't even mean to bring it. Max or Britney were probably just being stupid." I grumbled as I grabbed my purse. All it really had in it was breath mints and gum. I'd been told from the amount of food that I eat some times my breath is a little rank, but I wasn't gonna let a little odor stop me from chowing down. That's the one thing that hasn't changed about me … I'm always hungry.

"Weren't we going to eat or something?" I tried to change the subject as I headed toward the door.

"Yeah, I know you're not going to tell me anything anyway." She followed me out of my room and downstairs to the dining area. It was more like a dining hall we how much space it contained. There were way too many business suits. I cringed I thought this was supposed to be my vacation and all of a sudden I felt like I was back on the job.

"There they are, the ladies I've been raving about!" Mrs. Scott made her way over to us bringing a couple of gentleman over with her. "Alex, Greg, you know Carly Shay, and this is her best friend Samantha Puckett." I was polite and greeted the strangers in front of me. "Samantha and her partner have had a couple of articles in Forbes and Fortune Magazine." The woman bragged on me as though she'd known me for years.

"They weren't a big deal. They were more impressed with our age and the fact that we already established our own firm. Our successes are pretty generic really." I downed played my situation, but I considered it more about being honest. Plus, I didn't want to spend my vacation talking about work.

"No, I've read the articles they you are anything but generic." Browned haired stranger offered.

"Oh, how silly of me I haven't made the proper introduction. Alex is my son Dylan's younger brother and Greg is their cousin they all work for Scott Enterprises and don't come over often enough. My Alex is a lawyer too Samantha you too should have some things in common." The woman winked at me. She couldn't be serious. Dylan soon came over and rescued Carly from our awkward conversation leaving me to have to fend for myself.

"My mother has a small girl crush on you." Alex said once his mother left the area. "If she were a man I think she'd leave our father and come after you herself. However, since she's not male here I am to do her bidding." He teased and I laughed. It wasn't a fake one either the dude was pretty funny.

"So, are you really interested or are you just acting this way to make your mommy happy?" I joked, but I was seriously curious.

"I'm not sure yet. Physically you are stunning and I know the stuff my mom has researched about you but … I don't know you. Not well enough to know if I'm completely attracted to you." I nodded appreciating his honesty.

"Well ditto," I smirked and threw my hair over my shoulder. I found myself blushing as I talked to Alex. Maybe I was giving Benson too much credit? Maybe there was another man on this earth that could make me feel the way he did?

"We should take seat dinner is about to be served." He led me toward my seat, which happened to be right beside his and across from us were Freddie and his Maddy. I shifted in my seat something at that very moment seemed to sour in my stomach.

The food was served and none of us spoke to each other. Freddie glanced at Alex and me and then back down to his plate. I took a couple of bites and found that was all I could stomach. Something about this dish wasn't right. I took another look at my plate it looked like some fancy version of chicken stir fry. "What is this?" I tried to hide my disgust.

"Tofu stir fry. Carly didn't tell you that we were vegetarian?" My eyes widened in horror. I was going to have to spend the whole week without meat.

"No, no she did not tell me that." I reached for the biscuits at the center of the table and Freddie did too. His hand bumped into mine and I retreated quickly.

"It's cool if you want meat. I could just let my mom know." Alex began to wave down server but I stopped him.

"It's cool. I'm not that hungry anyway." I sighed depressed. I wasn't going to impose on their event and demand meat. I had a little more self control than that. I would just fill up on bread and salad because I knew from previous experiences I hated tofu. I mean what the hell was tofu anyway, just some funky substance pretending to be something that it's not.

"Yeah right Sam, you're always hungry," Freddie countered. It was very low tone but his statement still lingered in the middle of our table.

"Maybe I've changed Benson? Did you ever think about that?" He nodded.

"Yeah, a lot about probably has changed but I doubt your appetite is one of them." I rolled my eyes at his statement and then reached for another roll. He smirked as if he'd won some sort of battle. Something about looking at Freddie made my skin crawl … maybe that wasn't the right way to describe it. He made my blood boil that was something that I was sure would never change.

Author's Note: It's been a long time I hope you all are still interested. This chapter may be a little rough but I will be looking it over again later. Thanks for reading and as always please read and review … but no flames!