Take Me Home Tonight
You can waste life drawing lines, or you can live it crossing them
Sunday
Mercy's POV
The alarm rang out alerting me to the fact that it was time for my morning workout, I rolled my eyes wondering why I'd ever told the thing to alert me to the fact that I needed to torture myself seven days a week, surely everyone on earth had a lay in on Sunday's. I has a five second conversation with myself and decided why not, so I turned my back to the thing and slapped the alarm to stop the buzzing, accidentally turning the music on, My arm flopped back to turn the music off and hit something unfamiliar "What the hell" I sat up looking at the naked man in my bed, "What the hell" I repeated, shocked at seeing my best friend's ex-boyfriend laying there, I smiled for a second remembering the night, before my mind took on the seriousness of the situation "What are you doing here?" I nudged him, pulling the sheet up to cover my naked body.
No one had ever seen me naked, not since I'd turned eleven and started maturing, but last night for whatever reason I really didn't care, he'd taken my mind to a place it had never been to before, emotionally, physically, and intellectually, and somehow it had freed me. I lay watching him stir and felt something warm about him being beside me, I'd experienced situations like this moment before, and nine times out of nine, it hadn't ended well.
"What?" his voice husky and rough as he rubbed his eyes before opening them
"You're in my apartment" I snapped, I didn't like my tone, but I guessed I'd better get ready to push before he jumped "Naked, in my bed"
"We?" he looked at me disappointment in his eyes as he lifted the sheet to confirm what I'd said scrunching the wrinkles on his forehead together, the puzzled look on his face told me he was unsure as to why I was pretending last night hadn't happen, or it wasn't something we'd both wanted "Do you need me to go?" he sat up still rubbing his face with his hands
"Yes" I slammed myself on the pillow "I mean no" I looked at him "We shouldn't have done this"
"Is that how you really feel?" he turned to look at me
"You know I meant everything I said last night" I frowned, because I did, I really did want a night to remember, which was what I got
"So, what's up?"
"I just feel it's wrong" I smiled nervously "But oh so right" I purred, grinning as I curled up to him, kissing his cheek "What are we going to do?" I fell back on the bed, deflated at the reality of the situation
"I know what I want to do" he moved towards me smiling
"This can't happen again" I brushed his hand off my thigh "We made a mistake"
"You're telling me that last night wasn't fun?" the grin on his face was so cute I had to smile
"The most I've had in a while, but?"
"We're done, she finished with me remember, and I'm good with that" he hissed
"You two might be done, but she's my best friend, I'm not ready to give that up just yet"
"So" he looked at me, I could hear disappointment in his tone "What was this?" he slammed back onto the pillow and looked into my eyes, we lay in the silence for a while, the music on the radio filling the air as we tried to find the words that described, what we wished the situation could be
...Tell me is there something wrong with me, don't know if I know how to feel
Don't know when the love got gone from me hologram feelings, is anything real?
Tell me is it right or wrong for me, I don't really know what it is
Searching for a sound in the silence, a word in the quiet, a whisper that will
Show me, just show me just show me just show me, show me, just show me just show me just show me...
"I..." I really didn't know what I was going to say, I just needed to fill the silence
"Don't" he sat up "This wasn't a mistake, something like this doesn't happen the way it happened if people don't care about each other" he flung the sheet off himself and got up
"Sam" I called after him, stopping him in his tracks "I know you understand what this could mean for me, I just need time"
"We've both had some shit relationships Mercy, but that doesn't mean this one will end up like them"
"I get that" I frowned "I guess I'm"
"Scared?"
"Sort of" I smiled "I want to follow my heart"
"So" he walked back towards my bed "You're not saying never?"
"No, I'm not, I just need to work this out"
"Look" he sat on the bed, all I could think was that he was still naked "I don't know where this is going, there are no promises at this point, but for me, there was something more than lust there last night, I want to see if we're the real deal, or at least give us a chance" he grabbed my hand "I know there are complications with your girl code and stuff, but I swear on my part all that is over for me now, I'm focused" he smiled that smile "And you know me well enough to know how I get when I'm focused"
"I just don't feel like a very nice person right now"
"Hey" he lifted my chin up to look into my eyes, I felt the seriousness of the moment "You're a beautiful person, inside and out" he giggled
"Stop it" I giggled slapping his chest playfully, slightly screaming as his chest pushed me backwards to lay flat on the bed "You're not a bad person either" I stroked his face "In fact you're very pleasing to the eye, and the body" I wiggled comfortably as he moved to lay on top of me "We shouldn't" I whispered as I assumed position
"Your body's telling me we should" he whispered back kissing my neck and ear, while his hands did their own thing
"Take your cue from my body" I whispered as my eyes rolled back and my arms pulled him in
I went back to that place we'd found last night; we hadn't been drinking enough to not know what we were doing, but somehow, I woke up this morning thinking he'd be filled with regret, how wrong could I be, he'd surprised me by being upset at my attempted rejection. Now I was smiling again, happy he'd seen straight through my facade and shown his true feelings, which in all honesty I was more than ready to reciprocate, but once it was over again, all I could think about was my best friend.
"Can't happen again springs to mind" I giggled a while later as we lay smiling, exhausted, and satisfied
"That needs to happen at least twice a day" he laughed
"I still need time, I'm sorry" the ending of a fourteen-year friendship flashed through my mind
"A week, you have until the wedding on Friday, then I want to know the answer to my question"
"Which is?" I was a bit shocked at his stern tone, but I liked the delivery, it was sexy as hell
Are we doing this or not?" he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom
"Are you sure this thing between you two has finished?" I sat up in the bed we'd just made love in, asking
"Positive, I've felt it was over more than three months ago, and I knew for sure last night" he stopped to look at me for a silent second
"So, what are you going to do if she wants you back?" I decided not to read the message on his face and carry on
"You need to stop asking me questions and get to answering the one I asked" he laughed carrying on his journey to the bathroom
Sam's POV
Bathroom
I'd woken up excited, her conversation had dampened things for a second, but I understood it, I was about to change her life, we'd slept together behind my ex's back, who just happened to be her best friend, that was always going to cause concern. I turned the shower on, stepped in and stood telling myself hand on heart, I didn't know I had feelings for the women until they arrived yesterday. We'd been around each other a lot, because my ex and her were tight, but we'd never taken much time out to sit and talk to each other
So, when the opportunity came up last night, our conversation had started awkward, but within fifteen minutes we'd forgotten we were there for the soon to be bride and groom, we sat talking non-stop. The groom was one of my best friends and the bride was Mercy's little sister, they'd met five years ago at college, so as best man, and maid of honour, we were bound to spend some time together. We soon learned we had lots in common, I liked the fact that she was confident, ambitious, intelligent, and crazy sexy without even trying, she ticked so many boxes for me I was super excited.
So, when I offered to walk the two blocks home with her and she quickly agreed, I can't lie, I was hopeful, a walk turned into drinks, drinks turned into intimate conversation and somewhere along that trail we found ourselves in bed enjoying the hell out of each other. Now I'm in her bathroom, getting a boner at the thought of that happening all over again, "Was it going to happen again?" the question shocked me into action, I quickly washed off, because I needed an answer to that question urgently.
End of Sam's POV
Mercy's POV
"Am I going to see you again before the wedding?" he sat on my bed a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his wet hair, I was still sat on my bed wrapped in a sheet watching with pure lust on my mind while he got dressed
"It might be difficult with my sister's friend up this week, she'll need somewhere to stay"
"How about after hours?" he turned to ask
"I'll call, or come over to yours"
"Every time I see you, all I'll be thinking about is putting my hands all over you" he leaned back to lay his head in my lap
"And I'll be thinking about your hands all over me" I pulled the towel off his head and rubbed his wet hair with it "You could do with a haircut" I raked my fingers through his hair telling him
"I'm waiting till the wedding"
"Makes sense" I leaned over and kissed his forehead "I could feel a lot for you" I smiled "So" I wound her finger in his hair "What did you see in her, I mean, she's your usual type"
"You want to know what I see I you?" he looked at me asking "There's nothing to compare, you're not her" he frowned "You're pretty, smart, I love the way your eyes tell the truth about how you're feeling when we're in bed, and I feel your mouth does the same, I believe every word you say, and I'm happy, no, comfortable with that" he sat up "You're right, you're not my usual type" he rolled his eyes at the word "But now I know, by some shift in the universe, that you're the right type for me, I'm going to have trouble letting you go, just one night and I can feel that" he smiled "This is a positive move"
"I just"
"Please don't feel like you have anything to prove, I don't want or need you to change for anything" he cupped my face with his hands "I could fall in love with you, just the way you are"
"Why are you using big words like that already?"
"They suit the occasion" he laughed "That's what I mean about you" he looked into my eyes "I don't want to keep anything from you" he grabbed my hand "I'll think before I speak in future"
"No" I smiled "Don't, just be you" I watched him get up to pull his trouser up "I'll try and catch up with you later"
"Please, at least call" he dragged his top over his head, leaned in and kissed me, a minute later he was gone
Monday
"Hey" he smiled down the phone "Thought you were calling last night?"
"I've got the girls staying over, we went in last night, I wasn't fit" I laughed, happy to be hearing his voice
"Can I come over?"
"They'll be here till the wedding, Jane's not feeling Mom's" there was that silence again for more than a few seconds "Can I come to yours?" I suggested
"As I'm sure you already know, the grooms not staying there either, of course he's crashing at mine, he's in the other room as we speak"
"So, this is it then, phone sex for six days"
"There's always the park for emergencies" he laughed
"That is not going to happen" I laughed at his ridiculous idea, quickly shutting up as Kitty walked into my bedroom "They're in my room" I whispered "So I'll see you next week" I put on my professional voice, before saying my goodbyes and closing the call "Work" I smiled at her "They never leave me alone"
"Jane said remember it's the final fitting today, so we should get to your parents' house, asap" she told me
"Okay" I slipped my feet into my shoes and followed her out my bedroom, my day was done, these things never took an hour with Jane and Mom in tow.
"Ready?" Jane smiled at me hugging me as I walked past, a sure sign she was getting nervous
By the end of the day, we were all exhausted, we fell into another alcohol induced sleep in front of the television, a dead arm woke me out of my uncomfortable slumber, it was early, but I needed to hear someone's voice, I lay trying to bring life back to my arm while making every effort not to wake my sleeping sister up, she was sprawled across my lap. My phone buzzed and I looked around trying to find it before it woke everyone up, finally snatching it off the side table above my head
Tuesday
"Morning sleepyhead" Sam's voice sounded happy and made me happy
"Morning" I adjusted my voice to sound just as happy "I wasn't asleep by the way"
"Missed you yesterday, can you make breakfast?"
"I can try, give me half an hour"
"Frankie's?"
"Sure" I closed the call and slid Jane off me to get up, making my way to my bedroom to get dressed, I needed to make the effort with my appearance, as I showered, I wondered how I was going to get away from Jane, and that interfering friend of hers Kitty. Finally, I was satisfied with my look, I opened the door and instantly smiled at seeing my best friend sat between them "Hey, didn't hear you come in"
"Oh, Jane let me in" Rachel stood up smiling "Thought we could catch up over breakfast, at Frankie's your fav"
"I was..." I looked around the room grasping for some excuse "Going to take Jane and Kitty for breakfast, I didn't know..."
"That's fine, I already asked, they're getting ready"
"Great" I smiled, trying not to roll my eyes, I knew I wasn't going to get a second to warn Sam, so once Jane and Kitty appeared, I grabbed my jacket and followed them out my apartment.
As was usual Rachel loved a crowd, she shone best when people were watching, so of course she took charge of the short trip. We went in her car, and breakfast was on her, in that way she assumed she had a say in what people ate. Generally, I'd half hear what she had to say and then do exactly what I wanted to do, but today was full of firsts, I was so tense I took instruction like the rest of them.
We walked into Frankie's in full talk mode, well Rachel spoke everyone else was listening "Shit" she hissed as her eyes found Sam "Don't let him see me" she moved to let me stand in front of her, he looked up and smiled at me, of course I smiled back
"Jane" Mason's face came into view from the booth "Join us" he got up to hug his fast-approaching fiancé
"This was planned, wasn't it?" I laughed looking at Jane
"No" Jane laughed "Seriously, it wasn't"
"Mercy, Jane" Sam acknowledged us
"Sam" I smiled hugging him as he got up to greet us
"When did you two start talking?" Rachel asked
"He's Mason's best man" I told her, affronted that she thought she could dictate who I spoke to
"I'm not getting back with him, if that's what the plan is" Rachel hissed at me
"It's been six months, surely you've moved on?"
"I have, but you know how he is when he's focused"
"Yeah" I looked over at Sam again and smiled, I knew his focus, and by the look in his eyes everyone else knew it too
"Sit down" Jane's tone surprised us when she suddenly took control of the situation "Sam, this is Kitty a friend from Florida, and my bridesmaid, Sam's Mason's best man" she told her friend
"Hi" he shook her hand, Jane had said it all, there was nothing else to say, he moved to let Kitty get into the booth, then Mercy before he sat back down. Rachel was busy getting in on Mason's side to sit next to Kitty "Actually" he banged the table "This is a great opportunity for us to finetune the Hen and Stag do's" he looked at me smiling "Shall we grab a table and get on with it?"
"Sure" I jumped up to follow him, happy we were going to get some time, we finally found a booth three down from them
"I feel like I'm being punished" he whispered as we sat smiling at each other
"You're not, we just chose an awkward time to do this" I assured him
"So, are we doing this then?"
"You gave me till Saturday" I reminded him
"Can't help trying" he laughed
"She thinks I set this up for you two to meet"
"She's so full of herself" he huffed "Anyway" he tapped the table "What I wanted to say was I miss you" he reached out for my hand, I immediately pulled away and looked behind me "They can't see" he held his hand out closer to me, I smiled and held it, I missed him too "Listen" his eyes went up as we sat listening
...Show me, just show me, just show me, just show me, show me, just show me, just show me, just show me
Got this weight on my chest, can't forgive or forget, people prey on my best got nothing left
Might be dark enough tonight to feel the pain can I trust myself enough to make a change?
It's hard to imagine, can't even grasp it I'm misunderstanding, how to love...
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is begging to be our song" he laughed as 'Show Me' by Leslie Odom Jr & Tatiana Marie Clark played "I hope you let me show you again"
"When, I mean if the time comes"
"It's coming" he laughed
"If we ever become a couple, it might be our song" I giggled
"Can we please make some time tomorrow, go see a movie or something, anything just time?"
"I could fake pop into work around five, we could get maybe three hours"
"Done" he grinned letting go of my hand quickly "Incoming" he warned, I knew it was Rachel
"I'm concerned at the amount of planning still left to do with less than three days to go" she stopped at our table "I do believe I came to take you out to breakfast" she looked at me
"You did" I smiled "And as soon as it gets here, I'm ready for it, now can we get on?" I looked at Sam again
"Sam" she looked at him for a second, walking off before he could say anything
"What the hell was that?" Sam asked me
"I guess the girl getting the attention isn't her" I told him
"Hands all over you remember?" he laughed grabbing for my hand again
"Hands on me" I looked down at our fingers playing with each other on the table
The food came shortly afterwards, we went back to the table to listen to Mason and Jane gushing wedding day expectations and life after their big day, eventually parting company at nearing midday.
Wednesday
I burst out of my bedroom looking a tad overdressed for the impromptu emergency call out, mumbled something to Jane and Kitty, who were sat watching 27 bridesmaids, and left the apartment, taking a deep breath when the door shut behind me without any questions. I jumped in my car and made my way across town to the venue, smiling at Sam meeting me on the front steps
"First date" he laughed "A bit backwards, but I'm hoping everything about this is unfamiliar" he grabbed hold of me and gave me the best kiss "It's been an age" he grinned kissing me again "What do you want to watch?" he looked at the list asking
"You"
"Good answer" he laughed "Horror, romance, action, animated, musical, sci-fi, choice is yours"
"Action"
"Great choice" he grabbed my hand and walked towards the entrance, we literally went shopping once we got inside, our hands were full of goodies we knew we weren't going to finish, but it was out first date night, we needed something to remember it by. After the cinema we found ourselves a backstreet cafe, it served the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted, we sat talking, I'm not sure how many cups we had, but I do know the agreed three hours had turned into nearly seven. We got back to our cars and reluctantly said goodnight to our evening, I think being separated felt worse that night, because we connected so well, it tugged at me heart.
Thursday
Everything was suddenly so real, it was the day before the wedding, everyone was getting ready for the hen and stag night shenanigans, more family and friends had flown in, my apartment was bursting with visitors, our parents' house wasn't much better, and the two local hotels were full. The theme for the night was saints and sinners, Sam and I had planned for couples to dress in the opposite costumes, and throughout the night we'd meet at various venues to do dares, the challenge was to make sure everyone was doing these things with their own partners, as most of them were either married or devout Christians.
Everyone had their carefully planned scripts, masks, specific items hanging from hats, trousers, skirts to guide their pursuers. "Ready?" I called Sam to ask when all the ladies were dressed and stood waiting
"Ready" he confirmed, and we were off, as the facilitators we didn't get involved, but we had our hug at the end of the night, he reminded me that tomorrow was the day and we parted.
Friday
The day was everything you'd have expected it to be with Mason and Jane, they were meant for each other, Sam and I had been throwing looks all day, I could tell he was ready to pounce. Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying the night I was sat trying not to out us to my best friend, who was so busy sticking her tongue down her new guy's throat she hadn't spoken to me twice all day.
"Mercy!" I heard Rachel shouting my name
"What?" I looked up to see her standing over me
"I've been stood here for a while; you're drooling over Sam"
"I am not" I quickly snapped
"Honestly, old news, you can have him" she waved her hand dismissively
"You don't need to give me permission"
"I know" she laughed "You're so not his type" I didn't respond, she was fishing, all the loved-up act with Mr Stange was for Sam's benefit, and of course she'd been watching him, watching me.
The next thing I know Sam's making his way across the dancefloor, I clasped my hands together to silently pray he wasn't about to expose us "Everything alright?" he looked at me asking
"Everything's done now, I think you can be relieved of your best man duties" Rachel snarled at him
"I need an answer" he looked at me his lips thin with impatience, I looked at Rachel for a second before looking back at him, a smile came to my face, in that second, I knew I was so fed up with that invisible line I'd drawn myself
"Yes" I smiled getting up to grab his hand
"Don't tell me this is not our song" we both laughed at the song coming on again
"Dance?" he asked, I nodded a yes and stepped past Rachel
"What the hell?" she stood asking, neither of us answered
Tell me is there something wrong with me, don't know if I know how to feel
Don't know when the love got gone from me, hologram feelings, is anything real?
Tell me is it right or wrong for me I don't really know what it is
Searching for a sound in the silence, a word in the quiet, a whisper that will
Show me, just show me, just show me just show me, show me, just show me Just show me Just show me...
"You know what I'm thinking" he whispered in my ear as we moved around the dancefloor
"Your hands all over me" I stopped dancing "Take me home?"
"Tonight?"
"Yes" I laughed "Please tell me the bride and groom are not staying at yours?"
"They are not" he grinned grabbing my hand to leave
"Where are you going?" Rachel was stood in front of me asking
"Sam's" I smiled as we carried on walking "Oh" I stopped to look back at her "And we'll be having breakfast at his tomorrow, just in case you wanted to know" I smiled
"But..."
"No, you're not invited" Sam told her pulling me away with him
