A week passed and the night they would be having their last dinner together arrived. Sam felt like a bag full of nerves and kept dropping things in the process of cooking.
“Get…a…grip!” she fussed at herself.
Junior would be there in a half an hour and she wasn’t finished getting ready yet. Even though they were friends she still didn’t want to look like she just walked out of a full day’s work at the local factory. Her hair was a mess and she hadn’t put on any make-up.
Quickly, she checked on the duck that was broiling, then turned the heat down to simmer on the vegetables on the stove top. It wasn’t her best meal ever prepared, but they would both enjoy it. She had to remember to put the yeast rolls in when she pulled out the duck.
She practically started to run into the bathroom when Junior knocked on the door, causing her to come to a skidding halt halfway there.
“He’s early! Of course, he is,” she complained as she turned around and went to answer the door. “Hey, there. I wasn’t expecting you to be early. I’m not ready.”
Walking in he grinned and said, “You look perfect exactly how you are.”
“Ha! Yeah, whatever,” she commented and started toward the bedroom again. “Can you do me a favor? If the bell goes off will you take the duck out of the oven for me, please?”
Shaking his head and still grinning he agreed. He watched her disappear and close her door to the bedroom. Shaking his head, he thought to himself that she was gorgeous without doing anything. She had always been a natural beauty and he didn’t like seeing her with a lot of makeup anyhow. Of course, he wouldn’t say anything. If she wanted to wear it and fix her hair, then so be it.
He took in the aroma of the food she obviously worked so hard over. His stomach was already growling when he arrived, and the sound effects were getting more pronounced. He noticed she hadn’t had time to set the table so he took the initiative to do it.
As he placed the silverware and plates and glasses on the table he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wondered what they would talk about. He was really more concerned about controlling himself. It would be the last time he would see her for who knew how long. There was no doubt he wanted to hold her, and when he left for the night, would he be able to not kiss her good-bye? That would be his hardest struggle.
The bell went off on the oven and he looked for something to get the duck out with. All he found was a couple dishtowels. He set it on top of the stove and his mouth began to salivate wildly.
“Man, that looks delicious!” he said to himself.
“Thank you.”
Sam had walked into the kitchen behind him, and he hadn’t heard her approaching. He jumped and she laughed at his reaction.
“Whoa! I didn’t hear you coming up behind me,” he told her and laughed nervously.
“I could tell. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Junior tried not to stare, but Sam looked good. She had put her long brown hair up into a ponytail that started at the crown of her head and finished down the middle of her back. She didn’t apply too much makeup and he could smell the perfume radiating from her. She was intoxicating.
“It’s okay. I, umm, took the bird out,” he managed to stammer.
She giggled and said, “Bird? It’s not just a bird.”
The tone turned to joking, “Oh, okay duck. I always thought ducks were part of the bird family.”
He loved hearing her laugh as she did again and said he was being silly. Even though it was hard for him not to stare and look like a drooling teenager, he could tell maybe the evening would be pretty special after all.
***
Sam couldn’t believe what was happening. Her heart was beginning to slam against her chest and she was feeling like she had never seen Junior in this setting before. Something happened between the time she answered the door and let him in and when she returned from the bedroom. Something within her.
She had gone to freshen up a little and made herself look a little better. Did she do that for herself or for him? When she walked into the kitchen and saw him standing with his back to her, she liked what she saw. It was so weird. She had seen him countless times over the years and even though she’d always known he was an attractive man, that brief time moments ago was different. When Sam realized her emotions, she didn’t know how to feel about it.
As they talked she noticed he had already set the table and she thanked him, being careful how she spoke. She was scared her voice would give her away. She took her time slicing the duck and placing it on a separate plate. She then put the vegetables in a bowl and carried both dishes to the table. The rolls were finished and as she spread butter on them he poured them both something to drink. It all felt so normal and crazy at the same time.
Inside her head, she kept telling herself to breathe and take it easy. Enjoy the night with her friend. Her friend. Not boyfriend. Not lover. Friend.
“I have to tell you, Sam, that this looks and smells divine.”
“Thank you. I hope you like it.”
“I have no doubt that I will. Thank you for preparing it and for having me over.”
“Like I said I wanted to have another dinner with you before I left.”
The mention of her leaving seemed to instantly dampen the mood and she felt guilty for bringing it up. She shouldn’t feel that way though, she knew. It wasn’t as if the topic could be ignored since she would be leaving in a matter of days.
They went through the dinner and they both did their best to not seem obvious about what was going on inside their heads. Each had a hard time with what to say and how to say it. The best part of the dinner was being in the same room together. They both knew it, but neither dared to say it.
Junior struggled with not staring at her and behaving disrespectfully as she was with figuring out her sudden attraction to him. By the time they were finished eating she needed a drink.
“I don’t usually do this, but would you like a glass of wine? Or a beer? I rarely drink but I think the occasion calls for one,” she confessed.
“That’s a great idea,” he told her and thought to himself that she had no idea how much he needed a beer.
She chose to have wine and they sat at the table and pushed their plates to the side. As they sipped at their drinks there wasn’t a lot more to say without bringing up something that neither wanted to talk about. Enough had been said the last time they had seen each other.
“Thank you for the things you brought over. I don’t remember if I thanked you then or not. Everything fits, of course.”
Smiling at him she said, “I knew they would. You both were the exact same size. Neither of you ever gained a pound no matter how much I would feed you.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve always been lucky that way.”
Before she could think she blurted out, “Well, you’ve always looked good…I mean, well you know, like you take care of yourself.”
Her face suddenly felt like it was on fire and Junior could probably see that. He grinned without looking at her.
“Thanks,” he told her. “You’ve always looked good to me, too.”
Neither should have said what they said. The atmosphere changed dramatically because of it and a very long minute passed without another word. Finally, Junior stood and said he should leave.
“I guess I better go. I have to get up early tomorrow and no matter how much sleep I get I never get used to hearing that alarm clock.”
“I understand,” she commented, standing near him and wanting to get nearer.
“I can stay for a few more minutes and help with the dishes if you want,” he offered.
Sam took one step closer as if she lost control of her own two feet. “No, I can do them. Thank you.”
There was less than a foot between them. Their eyes were locked and their breathing had seemed to slow. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her. It would be a very long time before he would see her again, if ever.
She wanted to feel him kiss her. She couldn’t say why but for some reason she didn’t care at that moment. She only knew it felt right. Would she see him again? She wondered if her eyes would ever meet his again. If another moment would show itself where they would be that close again.
As her eyes began to grow heavy with the desire to fall into his arms he cleared his throat and softly spoke her name.
“Samantha.”
“Yes?”
“Please, don’t forget me.”
For a second Sam didn’t know what to say. She almost stood on her toes when he placed both hands on the sides of her heated face. She knew it was going to happen and she couldn’t stop it. She didn’t want to stop it. Junior leaned down and softly kissed her. It lasted only seconds, but the touch of his lips against hers would be embedded in her mind forever. When he pulled back he smiled painfully, removed the soft touch of his hands, and turned to the door. She remained in place, in a trance as she watched him go. He turned to look at her once more then he was gone, and her heart began the process of hurting. Again.