Sam snapped her head up and looked at Luke, but couldn’t read his expression. He probably didn’t mean it the way it sounded. She should probably keep her response casual and light, she cautioned herself. He was probably just asking because he wanted her to take the weekend shifts so he could take his snow bunnies out. Do NOT get your hopes up, she cautioned herself.
“Nope, not seeing anyone,” she replied briskly, trying to keep any personal emotion out of her tone. Then, not able to resist, she asked, “Are you seeing anyone?”
A slow smile spread across his face, “Not right now, but I’m hoping that might change.”
“Oh,” Sam replied. She realized it was not a clever or witty response, but she didn't really know where to go from there. So, instead of saying more, she just sat there, staring at Luke, unable to break away from his gaze. There was definitely something tangible passing between them, but Sam had no idea how to identify it.
As it happened, she didn’t get the chance to, because Amanda walked in at that moment wanting to go over their bios for the website.
After that, they had interviews up at the main offices with the two people that Amanda was considering for the pro shop manager position. The day went by quickly and before Sam knew it, they were saying goodbye to Amanda and headed to their cars to go home for the evening.
Sam was surprised to realize that she was actually a little sad that this was Friday and she wouldn’t be seeing Luke again until Monday. But she definitely did not want him to have any idea that she was thinking that! Can you say stalker, she chided herself.
She chuckled a little to herself at that as they were walking.
“Hey, no fair having an inside joke when we're the only two people here. You’re gonna give me a complex,” Luke teased as he walked past his SUV to lean against Sam’s VW Bug.
“Somehow I think your ego will remain intact,” Sam replied lightly, patting his chest as she moved around him to get to the driver’s side door.
“Hey,” he said softly and caught Sam’s hand as it was falling from his chest.
Oh Lord! Goosebump alert! Three alarm!
“Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked in that same soft, intimate tone as he slid his fingers around to her palm and lightly rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.
Sam’s brain short circuited. Surely he couldn’t mean like...on a date, she assured herself in a panic. She must be reading the signals wrong. Don't make a fool of yourself, she admonished.
“Um yeah, do you want me to meet you at Sue Ann’s? We can go over our schedules so Amanda can put it up on the website.”
Sam was trying to keep her voice even, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. How in the world could just his thumb brushing against just her knuckles be causing the intensely pleasurable sensation that was thrilling through her entire body? She had studied biology. She didn't remember reading about anything like this in her textbook.
Luke chuckled a little.
“Wow, I really must be rusty at this,” he said sardonically.
He pulled her hand closer to his chest and took a small step, closing the gap between them and causing her to have to lean her head back to look up at him.
“Samantha Holt,” he whispered huskily, “I am asking you out on a date, and I don’t usually talk about work when I’m out on a date.”
Sam felt as though the world shifted on its axis. Her head was spinning. She wasn’t sure what to do. She hadn’t ever been asked out on a proper date before.
“Um....OK?” She said, mainly because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Was that an answer or a question?” He teased.
“An answer?” she replied, her voice still unsure due to her current state of utter shock and disbelief.
Again Luke chuckled. “You know, my Dad used to always tell us, stop talking when you get the answer you want, so I’m gonna do just that. I’ll pick you up at seven. I’ll text you to get your address.”
Sam just stood there, afraid to even breathe lest it break the spell, mutely shaking her head yes.
Luke gave her a crooked smile and then said, “Samantha, I’m going to count to three. When I get to three, I’m going to kiss you. So if you don’t want that to happen, you have about three seconds to stop it.”
Oh. My. God. Now she really couldn’t breathe! She felt her eyes grow wider.
“One,” he whispered, lowering his head slowly.
“Two,” he continued, this time tilting his head slightly and smiling at her intoxicatingly.
“Three” he said at last, and then pressed his lips to hers.
And then, just like that, his mouth was covering hers and breathing was the last thing she was thinking about. His lips moved softly against hers and she felt the most amazing tingling sensations over her entire body. She wanted this feeling to last forever.
All too soon he pulled away.
“Wow,” he said shaking his head slightly and smiling down at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He opened her door for her and, her body operating completely on auto-pilot, she got in. He shut the door, and she put the key in the ignition and pulled out of Mountain Ridge and onto the street, moving robotically, still mostly unaware of the specifics of her own actions.
She was completely silent the entire drive home. She pulled into her driveway, walked up her front walkway, unlocked her front door and went inside her house.
It wasn’t until she shut the door behind her that the shock of everything that had just happened wore off and the events of the past ten minutes really sank in. She began shaking like a leaf.
“LUKE REYNOLDS KISSED ME AND WE HAVE A DATE!!!!” She screamed to no one but herself, and then proceeded to dance maniacally around her living room for the next twenty minutes. Sam was not a talented dancer, in fact, she had almost no rhythm whatsoever. She didn't care, though. This wasn't about dancing pretty, this was about pure, unadulterated joy.
After her manic energy had burned itself out, she collapsed onto her couch in a sweaty, happy heap.
“Luke Reynolds kissed me and we have a date,” she repeated softly to herself, the reality of that statement sinking in. Although she was excited beyond belief, she still couldn’t quite believe it. And really, what she felt most of all was…terrified.
--- ~ ---
After tossing and turning in her bed all night on Friday night, Sam woke up on Saturday morning determined to put that evening's date out of her mind, to the best of her ability.
She got up early and prepared for her morning run. Most people didn’t enjoy running in the cold and snow, but to Sam, there was nothing better. She loved putting on winter layers, each piece of clothing like a talisman in a ritual: her thermals, her thick wool socks, her gloves, her coat, her beanie. She loved the feeling of the frozen ground beneath her feet as she ran. She loved the sensation of her body temperature rising from the physical exertion.
Most of all, though, what Sam really loved about running was that she was always able to clear her mind. Sometimes she felt like she was viewing her entire life through an unfocused lens. When she ran, everything came into focus.
As she pounded the pavement on this pre-dawn Saturday morning, she strove to achieve the same clarity that usually came to her without effort as she sprinted through the cold winter air, but she found that the situation with Luke was not as easy and straightforward as most things usually were.
She was still confused as to why Luke would ask her out in the first place. Was he bored? Did he look at her as some kind of challenge? Other guys in their circle had shown interest in her, but it became clear pretty quickly it was only because they had seen her as unattainable, since she rarely dated. It was like a dare for them, either with themselves or their idiot buddies. Can you melt the ice queen?
She wondered if that was the question running through Luke's mind right now, or if his intentions were more honorable than that.
The other thing
clogging up Sam’s brain was that kiss. She may not have had a ton of experience, but she had kissed guys before. Several guys, in fact. But no kiss had ever made her feel like the kiss last night had. What she and Luke had shared the night before was special, at least it was to her. It was a sensation that was completely unprecedented in her history, romantic or otherwise.
Her body felt so alive, and she hadn’t wanted the moment to end as soon as it had!
By the end of her run, she was no closer to figuring out what had possessed Luke to kiss her, much less to ask her on a date. But the one conclusion that she HAD come to was that, since she did have this opportunity, whatever the reason – she should make the absolute most of it.
She now had something approaching a plan. Well. The first step of a plan, at any rate.
Time to call in back-up.
When Lauren arrived at Sam’s house that afternoon, she was prepared, as Lauren always was. She carried with her a selection of dresses, shoes, accessories, hair products, and makeup. Sam had seen professional beauty teams that included a stylist, a hairdresser, and a makeup artist not carry in such a collective haul to a job. Man, Sam smiled to herself, I flippin' LOVE my friends!
“So where are the rest of the troops?” Lauren asked, bemused, “Am I the first responder to the 911 date emergency text?”
Sam sighed, “It's just you and me, lady. Amanda’s stuck dealing with construction at Mountain Ridge, she has to make sure everything stays on track for the re-opening. And Karina and Ryan had to fly to LA today to do some meet and greet for the label.”
Sam tried to sound optimistic when she said this, but she could hear the panic leaking through at the edges of her tone.
Lauren was having none of that, however. Lauren was, as always, supremely confident in her abilities to get the job done and get it done right. She said briskly, “That's fine, we can handle this. First things first. Do you know where you’re going tonight?”
“Yes, Luke texted me about an hour ago. He said he made reservations at The Cove.”
“Good, then. And he’ll be here at seven?” Lauren clarified.
“Right,” Sam affirmed, nodding.
Lauren looked Sam up and down appraisingly, “Well, I know that you are about four inches shorter than me, but we have roughly the same build. I think at least one of these dresses should work. If not, we both have keys to Karina's place. Worst case scenario, we go the skinny jeans, sparkly top, high boots route. She's got all of those in spades.”
As Lauren spoke, she laid out garment bags on Sam’s couch. She continued, “We'll try these first, though. I brought several dresses. All of these hit me about mid-thigh, so they should hit you right above knee level. I also have several different options in heels and jewelry.”
Sam breathed a sigh of relief, “God, thanks, Lauren. You can't imagine how grateful I am.”
“Let’s just start trying these on and see what we’re working with.” Lauren said matter-of-factly, ignoring Sam's gratitude.
Sam looked at Lauren, puzzled. She knew that her friend was reserved, but the way she was acting was a little cold, even by Lauren standards. She was never overtly emotive, but come on! She was treating this occasion more like Sam was going on a job interview, not on a date with the guy she had been crushing on for fifteen-plus years!
“Lauren is everything OK?” Sam asked timidly, “If you’re too busy to help me out today, it’s fine. I can totally handle this.”
“Don’t be silly, I cleared my schedule for the rest of the afternoon.” Lauren stated, still all business, her face and voice void of emotion.
“OK, if you’re sure,” Sam said as she slipped the first dress over her head, “You just seem a little...I don’t know, kind of…”
As Sam struggled to tactfully put into words her perception of Lauren's mood, she realized that she should probably just be grateful that her friend had dropped everything at a moment's notice, collected her entire closet, and hightailed it over to Sam's house to help her out.
Sam smiled sweetly at Lauren, “You know what? Never mind. Thank you so much Lauren,” Sam said, giving her friend a hug before turning at looking at herself in the mirror to judge the fit of the dress,
“Sam,” Lauren’s serious tone grabbed her attention right away, “Are you sure this is the best thing?”
Sam eyed herself critically in the mirror, “It's not perfect, I'll grant you – it's a little tight in the shoulders. But is it THAT bad?”
“Not the dress,” Lauren's voice was laced with concern, “the date.”
Sam grimaced, “Oh, God, do you think that's a bad idea?”
“Only you can say for sure. But I have my concerns. You work together, for one. Also, you said he was somewhat of a playboy. Add to that the fact that you’ve had a thing for him since you were young, and that you’re not very,” Lauren paused, searching for the right word, “experienced. I just worry that you might be jumping into the deep end before you’ve learned how to swim.”
“I know, I know,” Sam nodded and slumped in the oversized chair next to her couch. “I am completely out of my league here, I admit that freely. I have no idea why he asked me out! Maybe he's just bored or…”
“Sam, no, that’s not what I meant at all. After spending the day with you guys, it’s completely obvious to me that Luke has a thing for you. That would be completely obvious to anyone with eyes and ears! In fact, I would even venture to say that he has a pretty major thing for you. I just wanted to make sure that you were going into this with your eyes open.”
“You really think Luke has a thing for me?” Sam said, hope filling her voice, wanting so badly to believe that it was true.
“Absolutely,” Lauren nodded her head, “Big time.”
Sam smiled widely. The thought of Luke genuinely being interested in her made her feel excited...and nervous...and giddy...and terrified...but most of all...just plain happy.
Lauren's words brought her back down to earth, “But, Sam, listen to me. You have to know that attraction doesn't always guarantee a happy ending. Yes, I think he is genuinely attracted to you. But, Sam...I just want to make sure you're not planning your wedding just yet, you know?”
Sam nodded, “I know, Lauren. Believe me, each of those concerns you voiced have been running on a loop through my head, as well. For instance, I know we work together. But, on the other hand, it’s not like he’s my boss. Also, I know that I am inexperienced. But how do you get experience unless you jump in and just...you know...experience some things?
“I also know that I have been carrying around a crush for him that has reached epic proportions, completely inappropriate in both length and strength. But, as far as that goes, I just figured...I’m in Hope Falls to figure out what I want in my life, to figure out who I am, to learn to make decisions for myself. What better way to do that than to follow my heart? And my heart says I should definitely go out with Luke. My mind is not one hundred percent on board yet. But I figure that my brain has had enough play time. Now it’s my heart's turn to get in the game.”
To Sam's surprise, Lauren's eyes glossed over ever so slightly. Lauren was definitely NOT a person who cried at the drop of a hat – or EVER, as far as Sam could remember. This slight, lovely glistening in her eyes was the closest Sam had ever seen her to tears.
Lauren took her hand, protectively, and looked into her eyes, “But...you could get hurt, Sammi,” she said softly.
Sam wrapped her arms tightly around Lauren and squeezed, holding on to her fiercely as she said, “Laur, I love you for caring this much about me. I do. But the truth is, anybody who starts any relationship can get hurt. That's the risk you take. I know my pre-existing feelings make me more vulnerable. But I'm watching out for myself. I promise, Lauren. Really. I promise.”
Lauren pulled back from the embrace, and Sam could see that her take-charge persona was firmly back in place, “OK, Sam, as long as you've really thought this through. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were gettin
g into. So, if that’s the game plan, then let’s get you in these dresses.”
Lauren smiled, and excitement now shone through in her voice. Sam turned enthusiastically to the rest of the selection of dresses. Lauren's enthusiasm had served as a serious confidence booster, and now she was actually looking forward to dressing, primping, and otherwise prepping herself for the date. She didn't feel totally comfortable or confident about the idea, but she was willing to give it a try, dammit!
After cycling through five of Lauren's dresses, which had resulted in five failed attempts at finding the ‘perfect dress’ for the date, Sam did start to get a bit discouraged. After all, she told herself, she should have had her own dresses for an occasion like this. What 28 year old woman did not own a ‘little black dress’?
Sam could feel confidence draining from her like water from a sieve. Maybe she really was in over her head. Maybe this wasn’t her. Maybe she wasn't the sort of girl who could do things like get ready with a friend for a date with a hot guy, as if she were in some sort of movie montage.
She felt like a poser.
Just as she was getting ready to abandon the whole idea, she pulled the last dress in the pile over her head. She slipped her arms through the straps and pulled the fabric down over her body, and it was like the clouds lifted and her world came back into focus. What her racing brain, her earlier run, and her conversation with Lauren had not been able to achieve, slipping on this dress had.
The person looking back at Sam in the mirror was like an alternate-reality version of how Sam saw herself. Suddenly, her normal, everyday mirror seemed to be some sort of funhouse trick, reflecting a version of Sam which was far slinkier and sexier than the one that existed in reality.
The dress hugged Sam’s body like it had been made specifically for her. It was a simple black shift with a low-cut scoop neck line and it accentuated each one of Sam’s curves perfectly. The hem hit Sam right above her knees, but the showstopper element was a slit that ran scandalously far up the back of the skirt.
Sam didn’t think she had ever felt more confident in a piece of clothing in her life.
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