Sam
Sam was in the kitchen of her new home, wiping down the marble counters and thinking about breakfast earlier. She wasn’t sure why it was such a sensitive topic, but when she accidentally mentioned the money Chris left her, Junior had basically shut down, at least for a few minutes. He tried to play it off, but she had seen the instant change in his face and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She shook her head and told herself she could be making more out of it than she should.
“Focus on the positive. On the good things,” she whispered to herself.
She started thinking about spending the night at Junior’s. Even though she slept in his bed alone, the entire evening was great. Everything they talked about. The way they held onto each other and snuggled on the couch. The way he was obviously happy she was with him and how wonderful it felt to be there. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought about all of it. Especially their kisses. Each time their lips touched she was amazed how intensely wonderful they felt, how much she wanted him and hadn’t realized the power in that.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn blowing in her driveway. She pushed them to the back of her mind for the time being. If it was who she thought it was, she had plenty to do to keep herself occupied. She hurried through the kitchen and when she got to the front door, was pleased to see the movers had arrived.
Sam hurried out into the sunshine and greeted them with a smile. She knew they were probably tired from the drive and offered them a chance to use her bathroom and get something to drink before beginning the laborious activity that lay ahead. Twenty minutes and two cigarettes each later, the movers began carrying her boxes into the house. One by one she directed them where to put each box. She had made certain to not only label each one, but to write on the boxes with a Sharpie too in case the label disappeared on their way home.
Two long and sweaty hours later, the movers set the last piece of furniture in the living room. Sam provided tall glasses of ice water. She ordered a couple pizzas from Domino’s and let the movers sit on the front porch to rest and eat before they had to leave. When asked, Sam told the driver she was more than satisfied with their timing and handling of her things and gave them all a substantial tip when she signed the paperwork. Once they drove away she sat on her front porch swing and took a few minutes to gather herself. Junior walked over and asked if he could join her.
With a small grin, she looked up at him. “Yes, of course you can sit.”
He sat down slowly and rested his left arm on the back of the swing behind her. They remained quiet, watched a car cruise past her house and heard a neighbor start a lawnmower. The fragrance of cut grass drifted toward them, and she smiled at the freshness of it, remarking how she had always loved that smell.
“Yeah, me too,” Junior admitted. “I’ve also always loved the smell of tar, for some reason, and that of a brand-new book.”
“Tar?” she asked with a laugh.
Nodding he replied, “Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but what can I say? I guess it’s a guy thing.”
Shaking her head, she agreed. “Yeah, maybe.”
She could tell there was still some small amount of tension between them, and didn’t like it. She leaned against him, rested her head against his shoulder, and sighed. He slid his hand down and began to caress her shoulder as seconds ticked away peacefully. Occasionally, a bee would pass by and a hummingbird fluttered before them for a quick minute. It seemed to watch them as it hovered in the air, its wings rapidly keeping it afloat.
“Oh, my goodness! That was so beautiful!” Sam exclaimed out loud.
“Yeah, I agree. You don’t see that happen very often.”
“Man, I wish I had brought my cell phone out here with me! I might have been able to take a picture of it before it flew away!”
Junior laughed and commented, “I doubt you would have been able to in time. Those little things are faster than a blink of an eye. I’m shocked it stayed in front of us for as long as it did.”
With her bottom lip sticking out slightly, he laughed out loud at how cute she looked. He lowered his face and gave her a quick kiss. As she snickered and returned his kiss, the tension lifted. The topic gathering in her mind was put off for the time being.
***
Junior
Junior had asked the guys if they needed a hand with anything, but they informed him he couldn’t for insurance purposes. If he got hurt somehow, he would be on his own. Since he couldn’t do anything helpful he watched on the side and felt sort of useless for a while. He asked Sam if he could do anything but she said not until they were all finished carrying things in. He thought to himself that he could have stayed home, but felt guilty as soon as the thought went through his head.
Hours later, with the smell of furniture polish and air freshener filling the air, Junior leaned against the marble counter in the kitchen. He took a long, deep swallow of his bottled water and his thoughts tangled his tired brain. He was grateful how the rest of their day had smoothed out and how easily they worked together. Of course, with it being her house he basically did what she asked. If she wanted something in a particular place, that was where he put it.
He admired the home Sam bought. Not only did she have great taste, but she was lucky her landlord was willing to sell it. From what she told him, she was given a great deal.
He turned and looked out of the window behind the double sink. The sun was setting, but there remained enough light to see the large back yard. He could imagine Sam planting bushes and flowers along the fence and porch, and smiled at the image in his mind. He thought about coming over and helping cut the grass. He wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted a garden somewhere out there and would be more than happy to help her with that, too.
“What are you grinning about?” Sam questioned as she appeared quietly behind him.
Turning away from the view, he answered, “Just thinking about the possible things you’ll probably do in the backyard is all.”
Junior let his eyes travel over Sam as she smiled back at him and stepped up to the sink, peering out to see for herself. Earlier in the day she changed into a more comfortable pair of cutoff jean shorts and a thin t-shirt. He had to focus on not obviously staring at her the rest of the day. Even being tired and slightly dirty, she still managed to be beautiful. She had tied her hair up in a bun so it wouldn’t keep getting in her face and her freckles seemed to be more noticeable. He was taken aback.
“Yeah, I can see a lot of possibilities out there. I wouldn’t mind having a small garden for one.”
Laughing, he said, “I literally had just thought you would want one.”
“Well, I guess you are getting to know me pretty well, then huh?” she asked as she stepped over and leaned into him. She gazed up into his eyes, her lips slightly parted. He could feel himself getting lost in them and had no problem with that.
“I like to think so, at least,” he barely whispered.
Sam’s eyes lowered to his lips and he swore she was tempting him on purpose. He felt heat rise within himself and her arms tightened around his waist. His throat tightened as his fingers reacted the same way against her back. He didn’t know what he was waiting for. His mouth belonged to her. When their lips met for the first time in too many hours he could feel his heart rate pick up a notch. He swore he would never do anything she wouldn’t want and thankfully she wanted his lips as much as he wanted hers. Temptation was a battle; everything else around them all but forgotten. Once they separated they stepped back and had to remind themselves what would be right in God’s eyes. Going any further could lead to something He wouldn’t agree with. It seemed being human was a constant struggle.
Junior felt slightly out of sync and tried to think of something to say. Sam leaned back against the sink, her hands on the edge and her face flushed. Obviously, she seemed out of sorts as well.
Clearing his throat, he asked, “What are your plans for dinner? I’m beginning to get hungry.”
She smiled back at him and felt relieved by his question. When she answered, her voice was dry.
“I will probably finish off the pizza we ordered earlier today. I don’t have anything else here and I’m too tired and filthy to go anywhere. I’ll probably take a bath, eat, and crash on the couch.”
He nodded and said, “Sounds like a plan to me. I guess I’ll go home and get cleaned up, too. I’m beginning to smell myself.”
Sam scrunched her nose and snickered. She crossed her arms and asked, “You don’t want pizza with me before you go?”
Knowing he should leave while he still had control over his senses, he answered, “It’s not that, trust me. I…umm…I think I should go is all.”
***
Sam
By the look in his eyes and his expression she understood. She agreed it was best, but kept her thoughts in her head. She stepped up to him again and thanked him for all his help. With her hands on her hips, she raised up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss goodnight.
“You want me to come over tomorrow and help?” he asked on his way out.
“I would like that, yes.”
Their eyes held onto each other and neither wanted to look away. Although the distance between them was far enough they couldn’t reach out and touch, the electricity was still there.
“Okay, I’ll call before I come over. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she replied as he turned and walked out of the house.
Her heart hammered against her chest. She was grateful he was gone before something happened, but longed for him at the same time. She didn’t want the pizza, but there wasn’t anything else to eat. She told the truth about being tired and too dirty to go out, but she would wait until after her bath. She couldn’t wait to feel her exhausted body submerged beneath the bubbles and hot water. If she wasn’t careful she might sleep there.
She grabbed her small radio from the coffee table and walked down the long hallway into the bathroom. She had a lot to buy, but thankfully blinds for the bathroom wasn’t on the list. She filled the tub with hot water as she undressed and looked in the mirror at herself. She rubbed the scar on her chest and hoped for the thousandth time it would disappear. She knew it never would completely go away and she needed to accept that fact.
When the water was as high as she wanted it and with more than enough bubbles to cover her, she slid beneath them and sighed loudly. Her first bubble bath in her first real house. She closed her eyes and felt the gratitude fill her as music softly played. She thanked Jesus for all His glorious gifts and began to think, once again, about the man who had captured her heart.
***
Junior
Junior walked into his apartment still sore from his previous day workout and exhausted from everything he helped Sam with. He set his South Street Ribs and Wings dinner on the counter and slowly walked into his bedroom. What he needed most right then was a hot shower and to eat, but what he wanted most was a good night’s sleep with Sam at his side. He didn’t even care if they had sex or not, which surprised him. He only wanted to wake up with her beside him. He knew the chances of them having sex any time soon were slim to none and he was okay with that. His respect for her and her wishes were extremely important to him. He also knew how strong her faith was and his was getting stronger as well.
He removed his dirty clothes and left them where they fell. When he stepped beneath the jet stream of water he could immediately feel the sweat running off him and it had never felt better. By the time he sat at the table with his wings, he felt more relaxed and better about most things. He already missed Sam and wanted another goodnight kiss. He grinned at his thought. He wondered if she would mind if he called, but he decided to wait. He didn’t want to rush or smother her.
An hour later he was staring at the ceiling and could feel sleep beginning to take over. He wondered about the future, something he did too much of. He thought about consequences and how damaging they could be. When he finally fell into a deep and much deserved sleep one last thought coursed through his mind. Sam walking away.