After giving Amanda one last kiss, he turned to Luke and said enthusiastically, “Man, wait till the you see the rig they're using to clear the slopes, the thing's a monster....”
Their excited conversation drifted back down the hall after them as they headed out, the girls seemingly forgotten in their excitement to watch the powerful machinery in action.
Amanda shook her head as she settled back into her chair, “Boys and their toys. If there's one thing that can distract a guy from the thought of sex in about two seconds flat, it's the promise of seeing real-life, three-ton Tonka Toys doing their thing.”
Sam smiled, “Somehow, I think the only toy that Justin is interested in is YOU, Manda.”
Amanda glanced out her window at the two receding male figures making their way towards the slopes.
“OK,” she said to Sam urgently, “We probably only have about ten minutes. SPILL!”
“Spill?” asked Sam innocently.
“Yes, SPILL!”
“Spill what?”
Amanda smirked, “Your coffee, for starters..”
Samantha's cheeks colored, “That was an accident.”
“Ha! Try again. Remember, you're talking to the queen of dropping an assortment of various beverage-filled containers, all because of a guy. You can't fool me, girlie girl!”
Samantha shook her head, “Well, I don't know what you're talking about.”
Amanda shook her head, amused.
“Now you're just wasting my precious time,” she teased, “There is VERY obviously something going on between you two! Did you guys date or something?”
“What?! NO!,” Sam shot back emphatically, “I barely know him!”
“Oh, that's right, I forgot,” Amanda giggled, clapping her hands in front of her. Then, dropping her voice to an approximation of Luke's timbre and tone, she imitated, “Unfortunately, we have never had the opportunity to get to know each other personally.”
Amanda waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and laughed as Sam became increasingly embarrassed.
“Stop, he didn't mean it that way, and he doesn't sound that that! Can we just move on now? PLEASE?”
She dropped her head miserably into her hands.
“OK, OK,” said Amanda, in a tone that indicated she might be admitting defeat. Sam raised her head back up, hoping for the best.
“Admittedly, that was a bad impression,” Amanda conceded, “I definitely didn't do his voice justice. I mean, it's just so...so...I don't know. Sexy, I guess. I have to admit, I did get goosebumps outside when he said 'good morning' to me.”
“Thank you! Yes! Me too!” Sam said in solidarity, relieved to learn that maybe her reaction to Luke was nothing personal – maybe it was just some kind of magical effect he had on all females, “Every time I hear his voice, tingles run up and down my spine, and goosebumps pop up on my skin. I thought I was the only one that happened to!”
“And is it just me?” Amanda continued slyly, “Or is he really, really – and I do mean extremely – good looking? Obviously, he's got nothing on Justin...but, da-yum! That dark hair? Those blue eyes? He's pretty hot.”
“Oh, believe me, I know!” Sam commiserated, “It's hard for me to even look at him. Every time I'm around him I get these butterflies, and when he looks at me, it's like...the sun is shining on me! And I don't WANT to look back, but it's like I HAVE to, and then I can't look away, and...”
“A-HA! I knew it!” Amanda burst out, pointing her finger dramatically across the desk at Sam, “I knew you liked him, and you just didn't want to admit it!”
“What?” Sam said defensively, “I didn't admit to anything.”
Amanda snorted, “Please. Butterflies...looking into the sun...goosebumps. Oh, girl, you've got it BAD!”
“Goosebumps!” Sam cried, betrayal ringing in her voice, “Goosebumps aren't proof of anything! You said that YOU got goosebumps when he said 'good morning' to you...and YOU were the one going on about how sexy his voice is!”
Amanda shrugged, “A means to an end.”
“You tricked me!” Sam shouted, disbelieving.
Still maintaining her perfect composure, except for the barest hint of a smile tugging at her lips, Amanda said serenely, “Tricked is such a strong word. I would definitely cop to 'leading the witness' but 'entrapment' – never!”
Sam sighed, “While I do appreciate that this is so amusing for you, I am cutting off this conversation. We are done talking about this. I am done discussing Luke Reynolds.”
With that, Sam leaned back in her chair with a defiant expression on her face. She crossed her arms determinedly, closing off her posture, and tilted her chin up as if to put a period on the sentence.
Amanda laughed aloud, exclaiming, “Ha! Don't you wish it was that easy. Hmmm....now, Luke Reynolds...why does that name seem so familiar to me? It's been driving me insane ever since I got his resume. I mean, sure, I know he's been successful in his sport, but it's not like I follow anyone but you in it. So why would I know that name?”
Amanda drummed her fingers on her desk, attempting to puzzle it out. Sam started to look concerned.
“Drop it, Amanda,” she said sternly.
“No, I'm serious, Sam, I'm not messing with you!” Amanda retorted.
“I'm serious, too!” Sam replied, dropping her head back and staring at the ceiling in frustration.
“It's like I already knew his name from somewhere when I got his email,” Amanda continued to muse, “But I can't put my finger on it. It's driving me crazy!”
“Let. It. Go.”
There was a few moments of silence, the girls staring each other down, until Amanda finally broke the standoff by looking down at her desk and shuffling through the resumes. Thinking that Amanda was acceding to her wishes, Sam took a deep breath and physically relaxed. She was supremely grateful that the subject was closed, hopefully once and for all. She couldn't remember the last time she had been on such an emotional roller coaster.
“Oh my gosh! That's it!” Amanda exploded suddenly, startling Sam out of her reverie.
“What's 'it' – what are you talking about?” Sam asked apprehensively.
“Posters,” Amanda declared triumphantly.
“Oh, God,” Sam replied, dropping her forehead into her hands.
“You had posters of Luke Reynolds all over your walls when we were teenagers.”
“Did not!” Sam protested weakly.
“Yes you did! You were so in love with him! You used to say you were going to marry him,” Amanda concluded, clearly proud of her deductive skills.
“Oh, dear God,” Sam groaned plaintively, “I'm never going to hear the end of this.”
“You had that poster of him from the X Games, one of him breaking some Olympic record...and, of course, my personal favorite, the shirtless one he did for that energy drink.”
Sam sighed and leaned back in her chair, resigned to the fact that this recitation was bound to continue, regardless of her protests. She was better off just letting Amanda wind down to a conclusion in her own time. She'd either run out of steam, or the guys would return. Either way, Sam would be out of her misery soon.
“Oh, man, you talked about him all the time!” Amanda reminisced, “You always said that you were going to marry him, and have a whole sports team full of athletic little kids together. DAMN, I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out!”
Samantha sighed, feeling the need to set the record straight, regardless of how it would be received. She began to speak slowly and deliberately, saying, “First of all, I was not madly in love with him. I had a little crush. Second of all, I only said that IF we were ever to get married and have kids, they would most likely be athletic. I never expressed a preference for doing that or not doing that, one way or another. Third of all, I only ever talked about him all the time in the professional sense. He is an amazing snowboarder. That is all.”
Sam sat up straight in her chair, proud of herself. She felt she had argued well, and had c
onvincingly addressed every accusation that Amanda had thrown at her.
Amanda shrugged as if none of that mattered.
“Sure, Sam,” she said, sounding amused and singularly unconvinced, “All of that may be true. But you do have to admit one thing. You DID have an awful lot of Luke Reynolds posters up on your walls.”
“Fine, yes, I admit that!” Sam burst out in frustration, “I had a TON of posters of Luke Reynolds up when I was a teenager. Is that a crime? Are you going to call the home decorating police on me? What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?”
“Well, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition,” Amanda snorted derisively, referencing Monty Python, “and you certainly should have expected this. All the afternoons we spent in your Luke Reynolds poster-covered bedroom as teenagers! In fact, I kind of I feel as if Luke Reynolds watched me do the majority of my AP Chem homework junior year.”
Sam, still riled up, opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by the familiar sensation of goosebumps popping out on her forearms, a chill racing up her spine, and a the small hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She breathed out raggedly. Luke was back.
Her innate knowledge was confirmed when Amanda's gaze shifted upward, looking past Sam to the doorway.
“Hey, guys, did you enjoy the look around?” she asked brightly. Sam was crossing her fingers that Amanda wouldn't think it was funny to tease around with Luke about Sam's feelings. She prayed that Amanda would know how much she would hate that, and would just drop it.
She saw Amanda give her a subtle wink. She felt relief flood through her. Not that she had any real cause to worry. While Amanda teased her good-naturedly, just like Sam had teased her when it came to Justin, Amanda would never say anything that would truly hurt or embarrass her. She knew that. Still, it felt good to see the wink and know for SURE that she was in the clear.
Sam, able to relax now that she knew humiliation was not in her immediate future, tuned back into the conversation. Luke was speaking, and his voice was tinged with excitement.
“Man, those slopes are amazing! Your property is incredible. It's so beautiful!” he said, with genuine enthusiasm.
“We think so,” Amanda said proudly, glancing at Justin.
“I especially like the fact that there are so many other outdoor activities – the zipline, the hiking, the horseback riding, the white water rafting. It just adds such a great, adventurous vibe to the place that I've never encountered anywhere else.”
Amanda beamed.
Justin smiled and spoke to Amanda in a low, suggestive tone, “Can I borrow you for a second? I have some things that I need to go over with you before I head into town.”
Amanda's cheeks exploded in a rosy blush and she stepped around the desk, headed toward the door where Justin was standing.
“Of course!” she said brightly, squeezing Sam's shoulder as she passed, “Be right back!”
Sam shook her head and said softly, mostly to herself, “Real subtle, guys.”
Even though the comment had not been for his benefit, she heard Luke chuckle. Again, she liked that she could effortlessly make him laugh.
She turned stiffly to look at him, taking a deep breath as she did. She had the desperate urge to flee the room – her usual MO when he was in one with her – but that would be completely unprofessional. She had to sit there and tough it out.
Chapter Three
Luke remained standing, but turned slightly so that his body was facing Sam. She could feel his gaze on her. The atmosphere in the room shifted around her, and she heard a low buzzing start in her ears. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings, and she could hear her heart beating in her chest like a drum. It was so loud, in fact, that she was quite sure that Luke could hear it, as well. God, how embarrassing!
She tried to calm down by assuring herself that she was being silly, that it was impossible, that there was no way that Luke could hear the beating of her heart across the room! She needed to get a grip, is what she needed to do! However, that felt like it would be easier said than done, considering that she had butterflies racing around her stomach like they were competing in the Indy 500.
Her pulse was racing. She was lightheaded. It felt as if her entire body were covered in goosebumps. She was on sensory overload. And all because she found herself alone in a room with Luke freaking Reynolds!
After a few seconds of trying unsuccessfully to gain control of her breathing and heart rate, she decided that – professionalism be damned – her safest bet would be to do what she usually did, flee his presence.
She rose quickly to her feet, which did nothing to help the lightheadedness that plagued her, and blurted out, “I'll be right back, I just need to go check the...”
“Wow, thirty seconds,” Luke said with a mischievous half smile, “That must be some kind of record.”
“What?” Sam asked. She knew that her cognitive functions were not exactly firing on all cylinders, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what he might be talking about.
“You only lasted 30 seconds in a room with me. Usually you're able to stand me for at least five minutes before you pull a disappearing act. Thirty seconds must be some sort of record.”
Sam mustered up what little dignity she could and said haughtily, “I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.”
She tried to move past him and out the door, but he shifted ever so slightly to block her path.
“Well, I'm sure you do,” Luke said, his eyes twinkling, “But I'll go ahead and fill you in anyway. I'm talking about the fact that you can't stand to spend five minutes in a room alone with me.
“That's ridiculous,” Sam scoffed, attempting to reach for the door. Her progress was impeded by her reluctance to touch him. She figured that if his mere presence within 20 feet of her was this powerful, then actual honest-to-God physical contact could actually be her undoing.
Perhaps sensing her Achilles heel, Luke moved to casually lean against the door frame, blocking her access to the knob and causing her to snatch her hand back as if she'd been burned.
“Ridiculous, huh?” he said casually.
“Yep,” she replied laconically.
“OK, prove it then,” Luke shrugged as he walked past her, his body brushing against her as he sat down in the seat that he had previously occupied.
After she recovered from the buzzing sensation that ran over her entire body from Luke’s brief brush by, Samantha's little-used-of-late competitive instincts perked up, and she said, “What is that, some kind of challenge?”
“Yes, Samantha, it is a challenge,” Luke said, not even turning again to face her.
“Fine. Challenge accepted,” she shot back tersely as she took the two steps back to her chair and sat down.
She felt more calm and confident than she had felt at any point since Luke had walked into the room this morning. If there was one thing in the world that could snap her out of the damn infernal phenomenal haze she seemed to live in whenever Luke Reynolds was around, it was a little competition. Her drive, her passion to win, had now been awakened, and she wouldn't be satisfied until she had beaten Luke at whatever challenge he was proposing. The thought niggled at the back of her mind that she didn't even know exactly what the game was, or what she would be required to do to win, but she shushed that voice.
One of the immutable principals of victory? Don't let distractions pull focus from your goal. She would find out the particulars of this little power play when she needed to. All she needed to know right now is that she would win it.
This was good, Sam thought to herself as she sat ramrod straight, facing Luke. She felt more like herself now that there was a competition involved. Goosebumps were history, no more butterflies or racing heart. Just iron-willed determination to prove Luke wrong. The competitive juices flowing through her overrode everything else in her system, just as they always did.
Game on.
Game. Freaking. On!
Luke asked gently, “You O
K? You seem a little tense.”
“Fine,” she responded tersely.
Luke cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. He said, “OK, then.”
When Sam didn't respond, he sighed and flopped back against the back of his chair, his shoulders slumping, and sat in that defeated posture for a moment. He took a deep breath and said, “Look, Samantha. Cards on the table time, OK? I have obviously done something to upset you. I'm really sorry for anything I may have ever done to offend you. But, really, I wish that if you're not going to move past it on your own, that you would tell me what it is I've done so that I could apologize for it, and you could forgive me!”
Samantha did a small double take, “What are you talking about? You haven't done anything to me.”
She was surprised that Luke would ever think that in the first place, and even more surprised that he would actually care.
“OK, then, is it just that you simply don't like me? Because, in all fairness, you don't know me that well. I think if you took the time to get to know me, you would find that I am a really nice guy.”
Luke smiled at her warmly and accidentally-on-purpose brushed his hand against hers.
Sam felt a shiver rush up her arm and down her spine, one that felt much too intense to be caused by that tiny, glancing touch. She heard herself gasp a little.
This is getting absurd, she told herself sternly. They were adults. Luke was just a guy, she was just a girl. They were in the same industry. She could definitely make small talk with the man until Amanda returned from her impromptu rendezvous with Justin. It was her JOB, for crying out loud!
Yes, she realized, it was time to suck it up and put her big girl panties on. At the thought of the word panties, though, her mind immediately scampered to naughty thoughts about Luke. Would he like the panties I'm wearing, she wondered. She was overtaken by the most delicious fantasy about him pulling them down over her strong, athletic legs.
NO, she rebuked herself. This is exactly the kind of thinking that has resulted in you not even being able to have a civil conversation with the man. Get a grip!
Sweet Victory Page 4