22 - Samantha
“Wow, thank you, Beth. That’s great. Tomorrow sounds good. Thanks again. Ok, bye.” I hang up the phone and stare at the screen for a few minutes before jumping up and down. I dial Jess’s number, and she picks up on the second ring.
“I got the job! I got the job, they want me to start tomorrow!”
“What! You didn’t even interview! How is that possible? Congratulations!”
“She said she’d talked to my boss and had gotten a glowing recommendation. They need someone badly and we could treat my first two weeks as probation, like an extended interview.”
“Holy shit, congrats!”
“Thanks,” I say, shuffling my feet and jumping up excitedly. “Anyways, I had to tell someone. I know you’re busy today, I’ll let you go.”
“I’ll get some wine on the way home. We can have pizza or something tonight and celebrate as a family.”
“Are you saying I’m part of the family now,” I ask with a grin.
“You always were, Sam, you know that,” she laughs. “Ok gotta go. I’ll see you tonight.”
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath. A smile spreads across my face. Things are starting to come together! I’ve never had things go so well. I’ve met a guy that I like, and who seems to like me back, I’ve found a job with almost no trouble at all, and I have a place to stay with people who care about me.
My fresh start is feeling great.
The day starts flying by. I have to go out and buy new work clothes since I didn’t bring any with me and I need to make sure I’ve got all the paperwork for tomorrow. There's a thousand and one bits and pieces that I need to do before I start tomorrow. I’m going straight into a full-time job as an assistant program director. I have no doubt it’ll be busy from the beginning.
It’s not until late afternoon when I get back home that I notice the missed calls on my phone. Jess is already home and she sees me frown as I look at the screen.
“Ronnie again?” she asks with a raised eyebrow. I glance at her and shake my head.
“No, it’s Dean. He’s called me three times.”
“He seems clingy,” she says with a slight frown. “Hasn’t he ever heard of playing it cool?”
I laugh. “I’m not sure. This is weird. He’s calling me again!” I turn the phone around and show her the screen. Her lips stretch out into a line and she shrugs.
“You going to answer?”
“I guess so,” I answer. I duck into my room and put the phone to my ear. “Dean? Is everything ok?”
“Sssam,” he says. “I thought you were… I thought you were ignoring me.”
“Are you drunk?” I ask, knitting my brows together. He’s slurring and hard to understand. There’s background noise, voices and music as if he’s in a bar.
“I had a couple drinks with my friend. I got fired today.”
“You got fired?! Because you were drunk??”
“No that happened - hic - that happened after. My own father fucking fired me.”
“Oh gosh,” I say, putting a hand to my forehead. “I’m sorry, Dean. You ok?”
“I’m GREAT. Really great. I’m good. I want to see you.”
I look up to see Jess in the doorway with her arms crossed. She has an eyebrow raised as if to ask what’s going on. I nod at her and speak into the phone.
“I start a new job tomorrow, Dean, so tonight isn’t so great for me. Maybe later this week?” There’s a pause on the line and I frown. “Dean?”
“Ok. You’re right. Sorry to bother you.”
The line clicks and I look at Jess. She drops her arms by her sides and looks at me.
“What’s going on?”
“He got fired this morning apparently. He’s completely wasted.”
“Drunk dialling you already,” she says. “Not so charming after all.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I just hope he’s ok. He told me he worked for his father, so I don’t know what would have happened for his own dad to fire him.”
Jess shrugs and turns towards the kitchen. “You still want pizza tonight? I got some wine on the way home.”
“Yeah,” I call out after her before looking back at my phone. I find Dean’s number and type a quick message.
You ok? Do you need anything?
It buzzes a few seconds later.
I fine. I think I loke yoU
I shake my head as I imagine him mashing his keyboard and trying to type when he probably can’t see straight. We’ve all been there, just maybe not three days after meeting someone.
I like you too, Dean. Let me know if you need anything xx
I slip my phone into my pocket and head over to the kitchen. I help Jess wrangle the kids as Owen walks in the door with some pizzas. Jess has a glass of wine ready and the five of us settle in for dinner together. I look around at my new family and feel my heart grow as they congratulate me and welcome me into their fold. We drink some wine and eat pizza and laugh. I tell them about the organisation that I’ll be working for, I thank them both for letting me stay with them.
“I’ll start looking for a place as soon as I can,” I say as I grab another slice of pizza. Owen shakes his head.
“Stay as long as you want, Sam, really. It’s no bother at all. You’re a big help with the twins.
I smile and bite down on the piece of pizza. I try to ignore the phone in my pocket, even though all I want to do is make sure Dean is ok. It’s not that I’m not enjoying the evening, I am, it’s just that a part of me is worried for him. I didn’t think he’d be the type of guy to go and get wasted on a Monday afternoon.
In no time, the kids are washed and in their room for bed. Owen is reading them a story as Jess and I are in the kitchen washing up. I look over at her and smile.
“Thank you for tonight,” I say. “It was so nice of you guys to do this for me.”
“What, pizza and wine? Please,” she laughs. “Sounds like a regular Monday night. Saves us cooking. I’m happy for you, Sam. You deserve it. The job sounds really great.”
“I’m excited,” I start just as the doorbell rings. We look at each other and frown as a loud knock rings out on the front door. The two of us put the dishes down and dry our hands as we head out towards the front door.
When Jess opens it, my jaw drops.
“Dean?!” I exclaim.
His eyes lift lazily up to me as he braces himself against the door frame. He’s wearing a suit, but the shirt is half hanging out of his pants and his tie is loosened around his neck. His hair isn’t perfectly tousled now, it’s just plain messy. He’s struggling to keep himself up and he opens his mouth and closes it before finally speaking.
“Sam,” he slurs. “You’re beautiful.”
Jess glances at me and shakes her head. “Come on,” she says. “Get in. Did you drive here?”
He snorts. “I’m not an idiot,” he says, waving his cast in front of his face.
“Right,” I say, helping Jess to support his body weight. I kick the door closed and the two of us help him to the couch. He collapses down and groans.
“Thanks. You’re so beautiful,” he says as he looks at me. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Ok, Dean,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. “You want some water?”
“No. Yeah. Ok. Yeah. Water.”
Jess glances at me again and grins in disbelief. “You have some special kind of luck with men,” she whispers as we head over to the kitchen together.
“Please don’t,” I say with a laugh. I glance back at the couch to see him swaying back and forth. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok, it’s not your fault. Better for him to be here than out on the streets in that state. Jesus. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that drunk since I was in college.”
By the time we get back to the living room, Dean is asleep. There’s a thin line of drool dropping down his chin and his head is at an unnatural angle. Jess and I hoist his legs up and lay him down. I take his shoes off and she grabs a blanket from the end of the sofa and throws it over him. I unclasp the sling around his arm and put it on the coffee table as Jess adjust his pillows.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I never thought he’d show up here. I said I couldn’t see him tonight.”
Jess laughs. “Don’t worry about it, Sam. At least you know he thinks you’re beautiful.”
I laugh and shake my head, look at him as he snores on Jess’s couch. “Is it bad that I’m still attracted to him?”
“No, that’s normal when you’re smitten with someone.” She looks at me with an eyebrow raised and just laughs when I stare back at her.
Smitten.
Maybe I am. I look at Dean one more time and run my finger over his cheek before following Jess back into the kitchen.