A/N: More Samcedes hijinks ahead. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The Sam in the original work had several red flags. I tried to minimize them to a couple LOL. Mercedes is no saint herself, so I guess we can see why she doesn't mind kissing his manipulative self.
Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mistakes. Thanks again for continuing to read this story.
Eight
Sam
I didn't expect that kiss at all. I did expect her to initially say no to my proposal. I anticipated every argument she would make against us marrying. It's one thing I've learned from having Mike Chang as my coach. Anticipate everything your opponent will do. Anticipate their plays. So, I anticipated Mercedes's reasons to not marry me along with her questions. What I did not anticipate was for that kiss to go the way it did.
Since high school, I have not been a fan of kissing. Because of the size of my lips and mouth, I always have been teased. One girl in high school actually called me Trouty Mouth of all things. Being self-conscious of my mouth and having my high school girlfriend more interested in her kissing her pet cat, Lord Tubbington on the mouth than me, made me not want to kiss her. Also, kissing a person seems too intimate a thing to do with girls I was only hooking up with because they bought into the allure of being with a baseball star. So, when I kissed Mercedes it was amazing. Her beautiful lips are made for kissing and worshiping her mouth with my own was almost transcendent. She put a spell on me and I did not want to stop. All I wanted was more of her and the only thing that would have stopped me from kissing is her pulling away from me which she did to answer her phone.
I don't try to eavesdrop on her conversation with her mother, but I know something is wrong when she begins to panic. I cross the room and stand next to her.
"What do you mean they are discharging her tomorrow?" she asks. "She's just had a stroke on the operating table, and they're ready to kick her out of the hospital? We haven't had enough time to choose a rehabilitation center for her. We weren't worried because they said they offer services there at the hospital."
I try to comfort her by folding her in my arms in a hug, but that doesn't stop the tears filling her eyes and falling down her face. "No, mom, we cannot have them take her there. That place is unsuitable. I don't care if they take Medicare and have an opening. There's no way with their reputation and rating that it will be okay for her to be there so soon after her surgery and stroke," she says. She leaves my arms fired up and walks toward the window, as she continues to talk to her mother for a few more minutes, and when she hangs up, she is despondent sitting on the couch looking deflated. I sit down on the opposite end of the couch and lift her legs and put them across my lap.
"They want to put her in this subpar rehab," she says. "I don't know how to stop them from doing this. I thought we had time. The hospital said that her Medicare wouldn't pay for her treatment there because she is no longer in ICU."
"It's your choice, but you know that you have the power to give your grandmother the care that everybody in America deserves but only the wealthy can truly afford." I put her legs on the floor and get off of the sofa and look into her brown sad eyes.
"If it was just us, I would say yes what the hell, but you have a beautiful, innocent, and loving daughter. Do you know the guilt I will feel if I were to ever walk away from her? I don't want to be put in that position."
Her words only cement the belief that I have that she is the perfect woman for me and my daughter. "Why are you so sure you would want to leave? What would make you want to?"
"I am sure you will make me want to leave or you will want to leave me. Either way I am one hundred percent sure it will be Y.O.U.," she spells and points at me. "Mainly because you can't keep it in your pants. I'm not ready to be a mother and a partner for you until death do us part, which is what you're asking of me. And you can't keep it in your pants. Did I mention that already? I refuse to let you or any man to degrade me by constantly being unfaithful, especially one I don't even love."
"First of all, yes, I can keep my dick in my pants. I haven't been with anyone since I knew Jessica was mine. I have always worn condoms, and I guess the one time I didn't I got a complete stranger pregnant. I still don't know how that happened, but that has worked better than anything else in making sure that I have remained celibate. Secondly, I want to be a good role model to my daughter. I promise I won't cheat, but you have to promise to be a real wife." Her head jerks back at my words. "Yes, you will also have to be a mother to my daughter. A little girl who already thinks the world of you. She doesn't call everybody by name like she does you. I need you, and Jessica needs you." I remember the words Mike spoke to me when I was freaking out at the possibility of being a father. "There are worse things than being a parent, Mercedes. And lastly, as for love, you can fall in love with me."
She starts to cough uncontrollably at my last words. Then she starts to laugh hysterically. She laughs so hard that tears fall down her face. "Falling in love with you…a man who offers me a quid pro quo marriage, that's never going to happen," she says when she sobers up. "I can promise you that. You—"
I know I was wrong but I couldn't let her say again that she could not love me, so I kiss her and pull her towards me deepening the kiss like I wanted to do earlier before the phone call interrupted us Instead of fighting me like I thought she would, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me as if I'm her last meal before she goes to the death chamber.
This time she is the aggressor and she straddles me as I slide my hand up her shirt and caress her soft skin. Wanting to touch more of her, I stop kissing her only to lift the shirt over her head and toss it to the floor. She looks into my eyes, and I wait for her to slap me across the face for my audacity, but she doesn't. Instead of hitting me, she takes off her bra and slams her body back into mine, kissing me hungrily again.
One again she is in charge of the kiss and her hands are all over my body. She slides them underneath my shirt and instead of going up, her hand stays at my waist, and I wait for her to take off my belt.
Our kiss has now turned sloppy and wet, and I can't get enough of her. I want to kiss her forever and my dick wants access to her nether lips as well. I am hard as a rock. I'll take her now on the couch if I have to. Once she has my belt unbuckled, I reach for the waist of her pants. My belt is halfway off when I hear the front door open and close. She freezes for a moment before she jumps off me as if I am a pariah. She's running around, and her big juicy perfect breasts bounce. She grabs her bra and her shirt just as the person closes in on us.
When Junior steps into the living room, Mercedes is still topless. All she has time to do is cover herself with her shirt. She stands there frozen while he looks at us, and I quickly grab a pillow to cover my erection.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growls. "I thought you said earlier he wasn't your boyfriend," he says to Mercedes while shaking his head in disbelief.
"Turn around Junior," she says. He does, and she puts on her bra and shirt. I watch the entire time and curse Junior to the lowest depths of hell for interrupting before I could at least suck one of those breasts into my mouth. "It's none of your business, and he's not my boyfriend," she says.
"Then why are you half-naked, and he's covering his dick with my auntie's pillow?" I clear my throat and look away.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mercedes says.
"You don't know what I'm talking about? Really? Because you—"
"Why are you even here?" Mercedes asks, interrupting whatever Junior was going to say next.
"They let me off of work early. Good thing I got here when I did." He gives me the side-eye and then says, "You trying to work on getting baby number two?"
"Junior, I'm a grown-ass woman, and you need to mind your own got darn business," Mercedes says.
"Grown-ass woman my ass. You will always be my little cousin until the day I die," he says. "Don't make me kick your rich boyfriend's ass." He walks away after saying that, but he looks back and frowns at me.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Mercedes yells to his retreating back.
I stand and adjust my still-hard dick in my pants. Mercedes stares while I do it without any embarrassment.
"So?" I ask once I buckle my belt and my heart returns to some semblance of order.
She opens her mouth to answer, but Jessica calls for me. I leave the living room and go to her and lift her out of Mercedes's bed. She whines until she's able to rest her head on my shoulder. I know my daughter, and I know she won't fall asleep again.
When I return to the living room, Junior is back eating one out of several burgers and fries.
"I can give you guys a ride to the hospital," I offer.
"Fine, not my boyfriend," Junior says, imitating Mercedes. "By the way, there's enough food for everyone. I'm sure you both worked up an appetite."
Mercedes hits him upside the head.
"Nom nom," Jessica says, pointing at the fries. She kicks her legs, so I put her down. To my shock, she waddles over to Junior and stands there looking up at him. He takes a huge bite of his burger, and without looking down, he lifts her and puts her on his lap. He pulls the fries closer to her, and Jessica shoves one in her mouth.
Mercedes
After Junior and Jessica finish eating, we load up in Sam's car, and he takes all of us to the hospital. Junior sits in the front with him, and I sit in the back with Jessica. She takes my mind off of the predicament that we are in, and I feel confident when I finally get to see my grandmother since our ambulance ride to the hospital.
Just looking at her tiny body in the hospital bed makes me want to get up and run out of her room because I can't take looking at her with her eyes open and being unable to speak. I wouldn't even mind if she called me by my mother's name. I would be glad just to hear her voice. She looks like a nine year old child in that bed and not my vibrant grandmother who still was strong enough to break out of holds and run down streets. I can't take it, so I leave and run right into Sam.
He takes me in his arms and holds me. I put my face in the middle of Sam's chest and inhaled. He doesn't smell like his usual cologne. Instead he smells like Jessica today. He probably just finished changing her and got baby powder residue on his clothing. He feels so strong, and when I look into his green eyes, they lull me into a false sense of security.
"Where's Jessica?" I ask him.
He motions for me to walk down the hall, and I see her playing with Junior of all people. He's pretending to run, and each time she bumps into his legs, she lets out a big belly laugh when she falls on her butt.
Sam takes me to the set of chairs on the other side of the room while Junior and Jessica continue to play.
"If you want to, we can go to the courthouse in a few days." I look at him like he has lost his ever loving mind, but he continues talking. "You'd move in with me right afterward the ceremony. I need Jessica to get used to living with us before I leave for the pre-season. We can figure everything else out later."
"Everything else?"
"Like what are we going to do about childcare when you're working. I'd prefer a licensed nanny with a degree in early childhood who knows sign language, but I would want you to find the right one. When you have narrowed it down to two who you trust and believe would be the best person to care for Jessica, I'll meet with them then. We can eventually move or set up the apartment however you want. You can redecorate it, move some of your stuff in, or buy entirely new things. Everything I have is at your disposal. Also if you want to renovate and redecorate your old house, feel free. Do it as a gift to your mom who I know will miss you once you are gone."
This man is CRAZY! And I guess I am crazy, too, because I am agreeing to the arranged marriage. My decision was made the moment I saw my grandma. She needs help, and deserves the best that money can buy, and this is the quickest and best way for her to get it.
"Why did you choose me? Is it because Jessica is half black?" I ask him because I really don't understand him at all. Millions of women would be willing to marry him. Why out of every available woman did he want me. I did not look like the type of woman that a professional white baseball player would want as his trophy wife. I am not thin, blonde, and look like a supermodel or Hollywood vixen. I am an average looking, plus-sized black woman.
"I have told you it's because you have the character, the looks, and most importantly because Jessica likes you, and you like her. You're a good person who makes hasty judgments. But I know your heart is always in the right place . I can tell you will be a great wife and mother. But yes you being black doesn't hurt anything. It is an advantage because my daughter is half black, and there are things that I will never understand about that, so I will need you for that not that Tina and Marley aren't great, but they are not black women. Please know that I won't make you regret marrying me. I promise I won't do anything to jeopardize our marriage. You can trust me. I would never embarrass you in any way or betray your trust."
Sam agrees to pay the hospital for my grandmother's bill, if they agree to let her remain in the hospital for another three days. This takes a lot of stress off of me as he is instrumental in making sure that my grandmother will have the best care available. Once all the arrangements have been made, all I have to do now is tell my mother, but that will have to wait a few hours.
Junior and my mom are at work, and Roz and my great aunt, who is Junior's mother, are at the hospital with Granny. I take the time to inhale and count my breaths so I don't have an anxiety attack while I look in the mirror at my reflection. I didn't think I would be spending my wedding day alone upstairs in my bedroom having put the look together on my own, but I think I look good. I'm in a sleeveless white lace dress with leather-trimmed crystal-embellished mesh Jimmy Choo pumps on my feet with a curly hairstyle that I had given myself by putting rods in my hair after straightening it so that I have lots of uniform curls. My make-up is on point and makes me feel feminine and beautiful.
I am not surprised when my phone alerts me with a text from Sam telling me that he's five minutes away. I am sure that he thinks he will have a runaway bride on his hands. Yes, he was being manipulative and getting me to agree to this marriage when I am at my most vulnerable state, but for my granny to live out the rest of the days receiving the best care ever, it is worth it. I am sure if my mom or grandmother were in my place, they would do the same thing. Could I have used other resources like using my savings and letting my mother mortgage this house? Yes I could have, but where would my family go if they lost their home? This house has been in my family for decades, and we can no longer afford to buy in the city in this economy. It is just not worth the risk when I can help Sam out with Jessica by agreeing to this marriage. Jessica and my grandmother deserved the best. And I was going to make sure they got it even if it meant being married to Sam Evans.
I leave my bedroom and go down the hallway and I am not surprised when I hear a loud knock, and I'm not prepared for what I see when I open the door. Sam Evans stands on the other side of the threshold, looking more handsome than any man I've ever seen. He's wearing a gray suit with a crisp white shirt, and a green tie that matches his eyes. I've only seen him dressed this nicely twice. Once at Mike and Tina's wedding and the other was on the day of Jessica's baptism. I didn't think it was possible, but he looks better today than he did then. I always put him third in looks when I compared him to the gorgeous Jake Puckerman and the sexy as hell Mike Chang. But today, Sam is the winner in all categories. I have to clear my throat and look away or I would start acting like a Sammyfan.
He steps inside and looks me over in appreciation. For the first time, I wish we had the kind of relationship where I could spin to show him how good I look, and he'd whistle, but this is not what this is. This is a business arrangement, and I need to remember that. He is not acting like it's a business arrangement with the way he is looking at me as he walks around me. When he stops in front of me, he nods, and I think it's a nod of appreciation of me looking my best for our courthouse wedding. I am suddenly speechless. All my words are stuck in my throat. He doesn't say anything either. I think we're both afraid to speak until the deed is done. We are both afraid of saying the wrong thing. Maybe we have more in common than I initially thought. He takes my hand before leading me to his waiting SUV without uttering a single word.
The butterflies in my stomach won't stop on the ride to the courthouse. It shouldn't take long, but the traffic in the city is ridiculous. My knee starts to bounce in nervousness at the thought of what I'm about to do, but I can't back out of it now.
I've given my word to Sam. I keep reminding myself that my Granny needs me to do this. And also, there's an innocent child who is counting on me to help her. I might not be ready to be a mother, but according to my mom and Roz, no woman is ever ready for motherhood. I know I can do a job of being a mother. I have great examples of motherhood in my family. I was raised by two of them.
Sam puts a big hand on my bouncing knee. He rubs the top with his thumb, and I feel a surge of heat rush through me. I want to put my hand on top of his, but I don't. I also don't push his hand while he continues to stroke my knee.
"Just so you know, if you cheat on me, I will castrate you. Not only that, but I'll also leave you. I'm serious. And I'll let Junior and his thuggish cousins on his mother's side of the family deal with you."
His driver looks through the mirror and smirks.
"I gave you my word," he says. "And stop talking about me cheating on you. I won't." We don't speak again, and a few minutes later, his driver has the door open. Sam holds my hand as we walk into the courthouse, and all I can do is hope and pray that no one notices him and that I get a chance to tell my family before someone posts about it on social media. As if a man as famous as Sam won't be noticed.
Sam has made all of the arrangements, so I have no idea where we are supposed to go. He leads us down a corridor, and we take the elevator to the top floor. I expected to go into a courtroom, but instead we walked into a judge's chamber. There is a stranger who is the judge's clerk serving as a witness, the judge has us recite our vows, and in less than twenty minutes of entering the building, we are pronounced man and wife.
Sam's lips land on mine before the judge even tells him now you may kiss the bride. The kiss is totally inappropriate because it is deep and more passionate than the other kisses he has given me. We both enjoy kissing the hell out of each other, so much that we forget where we are. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body into his, and I feel my breasts swell, and my greedy body beg for him. Parts of me that are untouched are begging to be caressed and filled.
It is only when the judge clears his throat, that I reluctantly pull away from Sam and his addictive lips. After some more paperwork, we return to the Cadillac SUV and the driver is waiting there patiently for us. This time, instead of putting his hand on my knee while we were sitting beside each other, Sam intertwined our fingers together.
"I guess I'm Mercedes Whorevans now," I joke. When he chuckles, I say, "I'm just kidding, also, I am not taking your last name."
He looks at me as if I have lost my mind. "We're a family now. We're all Evanses."
I sigh and put my head back on the headrest as reality starts to set in, and I imagine telling my mother that I'm married to a man who I professed was not my boyfriend and that I am moving out all in the same day.
"Are you packed?" he asks as we return to my grandmother's house. "I need to pick up Jessica in a couple of hours, and I need Marley to know if I am going to be delayed." I give him the side-eye as I sit on the couch and immediately take off my shoes before rubbing my aching feet.
He surprises me when he sits on the other end of the couch and puts my feet on his lap. He starts to massage them as if he's been doing this his entire life. I sit back and enjoy his big strong hands on my feet.
"I have seen Mike doing this for Tina all the time," he admits. If he plans on treating me the way Mike treats Tina, then I can definitely see a future for us. Mike is the best man I know. While he massages my feet, I pull my phone out of my purse to check on my mom. After she says she's fine, I tell her I won't be home until tomorrow.
All she does is text back with a thumbs-up. Once that's done, I go to my bedroom and get the 28 inch rolling suitcase and tote bag that I packed this morning.
"Is that all you are bringing with you?" he asks. He opens my closet and points at the rest of the clothes hanging in there and the shoes that are too many to count.
"I have to come back tomorrow to tell my mom and Junior about our marriage. I'll get some more of my belongings then. But I will get the rest of my stuff over time. I am not rushing into this marriage thing with you. If you mess up, I am gone," I tell him for the hundredth time. He takes the tote bag from me and slings it over his shoulder. After he takes my suitcase, I put my shoes back on and we walk out the door.
Sam
After leaving her house, I picked up Jessica early from Marley's, and we went out to dinner and then took a walk in the park. Dinner was nice, and while at the park, we ran into Carl Howell, Marley's uncle.
I wave when I see him sitting on a bench. He stands and approaches us. Making faces at Jessica as she takes his entire attention.
"Hey, Evans," he finally says while he grins at us. "Hi, Mercedes." He looks past me and extends a hand. I turn to find a pretty woman holding two ice cream cones.
"Holly, this is Sam Evans. He's one of Marley's husband's teammates. Sam, this is Holly." Holly gives Carl his ice cream cone and shakes my hand.
"This is my daughter, Jessica," I say pointing at her. "And this is Mercedes. She's my—"
"Don't say another word," Mercedes threatens before she shakes Holly's hand. I grin at her, and after saying goodbye to Carl and Holly, we continue our walk. After taking a few steps, Mercedes surprises me by kissing me on my cheek.
Now that we're home and Jessica's been bathed, it's almost time for her bedtime story and sleepy time in which for the first time I ever I let Mercedes take over.
I look at the platinum wedding band on my left ring finger. I picked it out myself, and I think it looks good. I picked the two-carat solitaire and matching diamond band for Mercedes. I loved her appreciation of it as she admired it and held it up to the light after we left the courthouse. It is a starter ring I want to tell her, but I don't. I didn't want to overwhelm her tiny hands with the five-carat blue diamond that I wanted to give her surrounded by white diamonds. I may save that uprgrade for our tenth anniversary.
After closing the door to one of the guest bathrooms, I turn on the faucet in the sink to ensure she does not overhear what I'm going to say. I press the contact name on my phone and wait. I know he's out of the country with his wife, but I need him right now.
"Don't you know it's after two o'clock in the morning here in Costa Rica, Evans?" my former coach growls into the phone.
"I am sorry did I wake you?" He doesn't sound sleepy. I do hope I didn't wake Tina since she's pregnant with twins right now.
"Yes, you woke me. What's up? Is my goddaughter okay?" He lets out a yawn. Then a few seconds later, I hear a door close. I bet he got out of bed so as not to wake his wife.
"She's fine. I'm not calling about that."
"Then what could you possibly be calling me for then? Especially since I'll be back in Ohio in a couple of days."
"Well, this can't wait. Listen, I need some pointers on making love to a woman." I hear him start to cough on the other end. I know what he's thinking. I've been through so many women, but I never felt a connection to any of them. The sex was mechanical and detached. Sometimes, they would bend over the bed, and I'd do them doggy style or they would just give me head. That was my preferred way. No eye contact. No kissing and no emotion. Afterward, they'd leave, or I'd leave. It was just a bodily function for me and kind of the way I lost my virginity to my highschool girlfriend. She was the one with experience, and after watching her kissing her cat, I made sure that was how we had sex. Most of the time she gave me blowjobs anyway. She wasn't called Blowjob Brittany for no reason.
"What the hell are you doing, Sam? We talked about you having sex with random women around Jessica."
"Mike, be real. That's not what I'm doing. Don't you trust me?"
"No," he says with a snort. "I don't trust you."
"Look, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just trust me this once. I've never made love to anyone before."
He sighs, and I imagine him running a hand through his hair.
"Don't you have anyone else you can call about this?" he asks.
"You know that I don't. Just tell me what I should do."
"For heaven's sake. Just take it slow and follow the signs that her body gives you. Kiss her. Touch her. Be tender. Tell her that she's beautiful. Don't just drill her like a jackrabbit. If it feels right, you'll know. Remember that it's not just about you. Please her first. And use protection or I'm going to kick your sorry ass if you get another woman pregnant." I roll my eyes at him. He was the one person who was there for me when Jessica was a possibility. He listened and only judged me a little bit. He made me believe that I could be a good parent.
"Okay. Watch for signs. Kiss. Touch and go slow. Make sure she comes. Got it."
"And wrap it up," he says. "Say it."
"Wrap it up. I got it. Let's have dinner after you guys get back. I have big news."
"Yeah, big news my ass. You better not be doing anything stupid. I mean it."
"I promise you'll like my news."
"Okay. We have presents for Jessica," he says. "Don't do anything you will regret until we get back." I smile at that. Making him and Tina Jessica's godparents was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
We end the call, and I return to Jessica's room, and find Jessica asleep in Mercedes's arms as she sing the most wonderful lullaby to our daughter. My father is a horrible parent, but he was right about one thing. Jessica needed a mother, and since the one who gave birth to her is dead, Mercedes is the perfect one to fill that role.