Enjoy!
Chapter 5
"Umm… do I know you?"
"No, I was sent over by-" The man started before being interrupted.
"Hey Merce... you okay there?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at her curiously. She immediately remembered that she was covered in food and let out an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah… my daughter took it upon herself to try and feed me." She replied, trying to wipe some of the food off of her face. Sam stared at her before smiling.
"This is Mike, he knows what to install, he just needs access to your house for what? Forty-five minutes or so?" Sam asked the tall man standing next to him.
"Yep, after I get everything installed I'll need to sit down with you and go over everything but I should mostly be out of the way." He replied smiling, his smile made her feel at ease.
"Well, please come in and do whatever you need to do." She said moving aside and letting them both inside. She noticed Sam scanning the room and giggled making him look back at her.
"She's upstairs with my friend. You know you didn't have to come back right?"
"I wanted to make sure you two were okay," he said with a concerned tone, his deep voice rumbling through the room. The corners of his lips turned up into a smile, and she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter at the sight. He reached out and plucked a stray noodle from her hair, his fingers brushing against her skin in a gentle caress. Glancing around, he grabbed a napkin from the coffee table and carefully wiped away the sauce that had splattered onto her face during their meal. She blushed at the intimate gesture, grateful for her darker complexion that could easily hide her embarrassment.
Sam's fingers, warm and firm on her skin, lingered for a moment more than they had to, their eyes meeting. In that brief moment, a shot of electricity seemed to flash between them. The air around them charged with something... wondrous and inexplicable.
A moment later, the spell was broken as he pulled back, a hint of surprise flashing through his vibrant green eyes as if he too had felt the sudden jolt. His hand dropped back down to his side, yet Mercedes noticed how his fingers subtly twitched as if yearning for the warm contact they just experienced.
"Thanks," she mumbled softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
But in that intimate silence that their small world had been reduced to, her words echoed like the softest melody. Sam's smile deepened into a grin that made his entire face glow with warmth. It added a charming appeal to his already handsome features.
"No problem," was all he said in response, his voice low and laden with an emotion Mercedes couldn't quite decipher. He turned his attention away from her then, perhaps sensing the need to give her breathing space after their unexpectedly heated exchange.
"Um, Cedie?" Mercedes startled at the sound of Tina's voice, but Sam appeared unaffected by her presence.
"What's up?" Mercedes asked.
"Care to explain why there are two very attractive men in your house, and one of them is cleaning you up?" Tina raised an eyebrow.
"This is my colleague Sam, and that's Mike. He's here to install a security system for me," Mercedes explained, nervously biting her lip as she glanced back at Sam with a shy smile.
Tina's voice was laced with flirtation as she spoke to Sam, nudging her friend Mercedes and wiggling her eyebrows. "Mhm... Sam huh? You're cute," she purred.
"Calm down, he has a girlfriend!" Mercedes replied through gritted teeth in Tina's ear, then quickly shifting her attention to her daughter Charlie who was happily playing in the grass. She grabbed the little girl, now covered in food, and smiled apologetically at Sam.
"Hi there little cutie! I have been thinking about you since I left..." Sam said, reaching out to grab Charlie's hand and smiling when she giggled. Tina observed the interaction with raised eyebrows before realizing what Sam had said.
"You were here earlier?"
"Yeah, I brought Mercedes home and got to meet this little cutie in the process." Sam replied, still playing with Charlie. Mercedes beamed at him and offered Charlie to him, which he gladly took. He tossed her up slightly, eliciting loud laughter from the toddler.
"Do you have kids?" Tina questioned.
"Tina!" Mercedes said, shaking her head.
"You don't have to answer that, she's just terribly nosy and should mind her own business." Mercedes retorted, giving Tina a knowing look.
"It's fine and no I don't but I want them. My girlfriend doesn't but I'm hoping to sway her eventually."
"How long have you two been together?" Tina asked, ignoring the look Mercedes shot her.
"Going on, four years actually. She's not too happy with my workload but it pays for the lavish things she just has to have…"
"Hey, sorry to interrupt but I need to ask Mercedes.. right?" Mike asked before finishing when she nodded. "Do you want any cameras in your daughter's room?"
"Umm… I don't see why that would be an issue but I don't want one in my room." She replied.
"Are you sure? You'll be the only person that can access the footage and the only way for it to get out is if you give the information to someone." Mike stated with a smile.
"Okay, sure… I'll show you up. Are you going to be okay?"
"It's not my first time here Cedie." Tina said, rolling her eyes, making Mercedes laugh.
"I was talking to Sam since he's the one holding my child."
"Yeah go ahead, I got little bit here." He said tickling Charlotte. Can he get any cuter? Stop it girl.
"Okay. Well I'll be back, you behave." Mercedes said pointing at Tina who gave a fake shocked look before walking over to the love seat and sitting down watching Mercedes go upstairs with the other man before turning to Sam.
"So… you like her don't you? I mean she's cute right?"
"She's beautiful but I have a girlfriend." Sam answered looking at Tina quizzically.
"I meant Char… but I can see how you confused my meaning." Tina said with a smirk.
"Sure you did and yes this little thing is adorable… I have siblings, late in life babies and they're 4 years old. I don't get to see them as much as I'd like but when I do I can't help but love on them, I was raised in a close knit family so that's the endgame goal for me."
"Four years isn't long enough to ask for marriage so you can jump start that dream of yours?"
"Mercedes was right, you are nosy." He said with a chuckle before continuing. "I asked but Penny… she's a free thinker, spirited and she said she wasn't ready just yet. I chose to stay because I've built something with her and I don't really want to start over I guess." He answered honestly, returning his attention to Charlotte who seemed to be listening intently to what he was saying but clearly not understanding.
She was as cute as they come and Sam couldn't understand how any man would ever put Mercedes through what her ex husband was doing. He would never do that, not if it meant never seeing that sweet smile again… both of their smiles.
"So why are you here now?"
"She called and I wanted to make sure they were okay. I was there when her ex showed up and I didn't want anything bad to happen… hey what's the deal with him anyways?" Sam asked.
"It's for her to tell not me but I'd be careful when I asked… she may not want to admit it but she's still hurting and still has some love for him." Tina said, taking a deep breath looking at Sam intensely.
"Also… she's really vulnerable and having a man who is obviously smitten by her baby can cloud her judgment. So if you have any hidden agendas about my girl, you can leave now."
"Woah, woah… I would never do anything like that to any woman. Sure I think her daughter is adorable and she's beautiful but I don't know her well enough to want anything from her, nor would I ever put her in any situation that would that would with her being hurt." Sam said defensively.
"So, if you weren't in a relationship and met her on different terms?" Tina asked with a low giggle.
"As in she would be mine?" Sam asked, smiling at Charlotte who was actively yanking his tie.
"No, as in she wouldn't have the burden of her ex-husband but Charlie would still be here."
"So you're asking if I would date her?"
"Basically." Sam nodded thinking about his answer and realized he only knew so much about her so his answer would only be based on her looks and what he recently learned.
"Visually I would say yes because as we both stated she is… beautiful, intellectually hell yes I've been in the room when she's working and her mind is beyond this world but I don't know her… personally not really, I just know she's kind and clearly very loving so.. maybe." He said feeling proud of his answer.
"Maybe what?" Mercedes asked coming from downstairs Tina and Sam both turned around and she had changed her shirt and cleaned her hair and face off. Sam blushed knowing they were speaking about her and if he would date her and her wet hair and simple t-shirt was just as beautiful as her lavender blouse she had on prior. Mercedes noticed him blush and smiled with a perplexed expression but chose not to ask any further.
"Oh… we were just talking about Sam and his want for kids." Tina said, not completely lying.
"Hmm, well you're not bad with them. Clearly Charlotte is a handful but she seems to calm down around you." Mercedes replied walking over and reaching for her but was given a look from the both of them and backed away with her hands raised.
She stood there for a moment trying to decide if she should sit next to him or on the love seat and decided to sit down on the couch in case Charlie changed her mind, she and Sam looked at each other for a moment his green eyes holding hers effortlessly before Tina cleared her throat making them look away.
"So… how long do you plan on staying?"
"Oh well, we have a meeting later this evening so I'll be back. I'm just waiting on Mike at this point plus if it's not obvious I wanted to see this little beauty." Sam replied looking back at Mercedes then Tina again.
"Well how about I take Char that way you two can handle… your business." Tina offered with a sly grin.
"Oh umm.. I guess that'll be fine, it would make it easier." Mercedes said, nodding.
"Then it's settled! I'll grab baby girl's things and we can head out because I have a few errands to run and being that you're in great hands it should be no issue." Tina said getting up and reaching for Charlie who gladly went with her but not letting go of Sam's tie, he had to quickly remove it before she ripped it and she smiled once she fully had it in her hands.
"Looks like I'll be needing a new tie." Sam joked watching her daughter happily move the tie up and down in her chubby little hand.
"I'll make sure you get it back." Mercedes giggled. "Hey I am sorry you had to come back, I'm sure your whole day is off schedule now."
"Don't apologize, you're safe now with the security system and I got to see your daughter again." Sam said, smiling at her.
"She seems to really like you."
"What can I say, I'm good with kids." He joked, making her giggle. "Ever want any more?"
"I wanted a lot of them actually… My ex didn't want any but that information wasn't known until after we got married. I don't even know how I ended up pregnant with Charlie but I'm so happy she's here." Mercedes responded with a deep sigh.
"How long were you two together?" He asked, noticing her looking down at her hands biting her lip before she looked back up at him.
"College… We shared a lot but somewhere after us getting married and me finding out I was pregnant Noah just kinda checked out and left. Now that's not saying much considering he wasn't the greatest human but when he was it was… beautiful and somewhere deep down I know that sweet Noah is still there but I don't have that kind of love for him anymore."
"He really hurt you huh?"
"He caused me pain but the hurt I feel associated with him is because of my father… umm I'm going to make sure Tina has everything she needs." Mercedes said before getting up to walk upstairs and Sam wasn't sure what made him do it but he grabbed her hand standing up before pulling her into a hug.
He gently rubbed her back and for a moment Mercedes allowed herself this comfort because it had been a long day and she needed that hug more than she realized.
"Sorry for prying… I have a horrible habit of digging before realizing I've gone too far." Sam said when he pulled away and Mercedes felt a sliver of sadness for the lack of closeness.
"It's okay, I haven't really talked to anyone except Tina and my mom about that… it feels good." She responded, shooting him a half smile before heading upstairs right as Mike was coming down noticing the look on Sam's face making him shake his head.
"She's a grown woman, she doesn't need saving and you have your own problems at home." Mike said when he was close enough.
"I know that and I'm not going to try to do anything, it's just..."
"She reminds you of you but she left and stayed away." Mike said, earning a nod from his friend.
"Plus she has the most beautiful daughter and a man who didn't even want her until now. Mike, she's the smartest lawyer in our firm and I'm more than sure I'm not the only one who didn't know she had a kid."
"That still doesn't have anything to do with that stupid plan you have formed in your head." Mike responded, giving Sam a knowing look.
"I don't have anything forming in my head." Sam said smiling as she, Tina and Charlie came down the stairs.
"Everything set?" Mercedes asked, looking at Mike who nodded smiling back at her.
"Yep, here let me run through everything with you." Mike replied.
"Sam, come help me with Char," Tina demanded as she marched outside. She already had a car seat ready and didn't need much assistance getting Charlotte settled in. With the baby secure, she turned to Sam, her eyes flashing with intensity.
"I know you're attracted to her," she hissed, poking him in the chest. "But understand this: she won't cheat or help you cheat. So if you plan on making a move, do it after you dump your girlfriend."
Sam chuckled lightly, unfazed by Tina's warning. "What makes you think I'm going to break up with my girlfriend? Mercedes and I are just colleagues and haven't even spoken this much before."
Tina's expression turned cold. "Don't play innocent with me. I can see the attraction between you two, but Mercedes is not some prize to be won. She's a goddamn gold mine. Keep that in mind when you come back and you're all alone, she hasn't been with anyone since that asshole and after today she might be feeling vulnerable. Don't fuck with my friend, understand?""
"Crystal clear."
"Good, keep it that way." Tina said before getting in her car and pulling off leaving Sam standing there in his thoughts because he was sure he wasn't giving off any vibes… was he?
Tina a real friend... more to come! Until next time xoxo!
