by Lois Kasznia
“Hey there,” said Sam as she opened the door. She had Cracker by the collar so he wouldn’t get loose, but still felt a thrill when she saw Ian. She would never get tired of looking at him.
“Hey there, yourself,” said Ian as he smiled at Sam taking in how stunning she looked in her long legged jeans. He then looked at Cracker. “What a beautiful dog.” Ian knew better than to hug Sam in front of her dog. Instead, he got to face level with Cracker who licked him immediately. Ian had passed the first test.
“This is Cracker,” said Sam, somewhat relieved. “I can’t let him loose because I’ll never see him again.”
“It’s good to see you,” said Ian honestly. He had missed Sam terribly and felt really jealous of her relationship with Jett.
“Same here,” said Sam as she smiled fondly at Ian.
“Would Cracker be upset if I kissed you?” Ian stood close to Sam and she breathed in his male scent.
“I’d be upset if you didn’t kiss me,” said Sam, and Ian’s lips found hers.
“I really missed you,” murmured Ian between kisses. His arms tightened around Sam and the kiss became intense as they explored, and enjoyed the way each other tasted. Ian’s fingers threaded through Sam’s long locks, his hands resting on her shoulders.
“Wow!” said Sam as she pulled away first, taking a deep breath to quiet her racing heart. She had never been kissed like that before. She tried to read Ian’s eyes and found pure adoration and she smiled. “If we keep this up, we’ll never go on this ride.”
“What do you vote for?” said Ian as he nuzzled Sam’s soft neck.
“You did promise me a ride,” said Sam softly. “But after the ride…” She let her voice trail.
“I suppose you’re right, since I do have friends waiting for us.” Ian pulled away reluctantly. “You might want to take a jacket or something. It could get a little chilly.”
“Sure,” said Sam and she grabbed her leather jacket and put it on.
“Will Cracker be okay here by himself?” asked Ian as he fondly petted the dog’s head.
“Toby said he’d come by and check up on him,” said Sam as she reached for her backpack.
“Does Toby have a key to this place?”
“Of course he does,” said Sam. “It’s Jett’s apartment.” She started to put two and two together. “He would never take advantage of it, Ian. Toby has a good heart.”
“What about Jett?”
“Ian, I’m not his type. You don’t have to worry about him. Now, who are your friends, and what should I know?”
“They are my frat brothers from school. Rich and Todd. Wives are Katy and Olivia. They’re good people”
“Do they live here?” asked Sam as she hopped onto the back for Ian’s bike.
“No, Rich and Katy live in Las Vegas and Todd and Olivia live in Spokane. Olivia and Katy are doctors and were at a convention in town. Rich and Todd decided to join them when they found out I’d be here too.” Ian revved the bike and they were on their way.
“Doctors and architects,” mused Sam now feeling a bit intimidated. She wondered what Rich and Todd were like. Sam started to concentrate on the scenery which was outright beautiful. Ian would squeeze her knee and point something out to her as the sped down the highway. Ian then pulled off and Sam could see the group waiting. There were four motorcycles and the riders were standing around drinking coffee and laughing. They watched in anticipation as Sam and Ian pulled up.
“Hey, Ian,” said one of the men. “Where the hell have you been? We almost were going to take off without you.”
“We’re not that late,” said Ian good-naturedly as he got off the bike and Sam followed suit. “Guys, I’d like you to meet Samantha Stevens. This charmer is Rich, his wife, Katy.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Sam as she shook their hands. Rich was tall and movie star material with Brad Pitt hair and the most intense brown eyes Sam had seen. Katy appeared to be just the opposite of her husband. Small in stature she had mousy brown hair pulled back into a pony tail and blue eyes which held a guarded expression. “You can call me Sam.” She smiled hoping she passed inspection.
“Sam, nice to meet you,” said Rich, shaking her hand with a firm grip.
“You have to watch Ian,” said Katy with a smile. “He can be a real charmer.”
“Thanks for the warning,” said Sam as she looked over at Ian whose face turned red.
“Hello, Sam.” Todd stood as tall as Rich and Ian, also had Hollywood looks. Olivia and Katy could pass as twins, for she was just as small as Katy, making Sam feel like a big oaf.
“You must be Todd and Olivia,” said Sam warmly as she shook their hands.
“You don’t ride?” asked Olivia, not impressed with Sam.
“No, I didn’t have time when I lived in Chicago.” Sam felt her rebuff and inwardly cringed.
“Oh, Chicago?” asked Rich. “I thought I detected an accent.”
“Why, have you been there?” asked Sam hopefully.
“My aunt and uncle live there, but I can’t remember the suburb. You guys have great pizza.”
“I know,” said Sam proudly.
“Sam just moved here this week to start her new job,” said Ian. “She’s never seen the coast of California so I offered to enlighten her.”
“Enlighten?” Now, all four of them were laughing.
“I’m really anxious to see this coast,” said Sam, trying to stop them from teasing Ian.
“Well, if that’s what the lady wants, let’s go,” said Todd as he hopped on his bike.
The ride felt spectacular with Ian and Sam trailing the pack. The helmets Ian and Sam were wearing had microphones in them so they could converse while Ian drove.
“I don’t think the ladies liked me too much,” she told Ian.
“They have a tendency to be a little overprotective and they don’t know you. Just be Sam, and you’ll do fine. I think it’s more important that I like you.”
“I like you, too,” said Sam with a smile.
“Have I passed the test?” Ian asked hopefully.
“My dog likes you, so you’re close to a B.”
“What? What’s next?” teased Ian.
“Old people and kids.”
“You know, you are one tough person to please.” Ian knew he could ace that test.
“Cautious, that’s all. I don’t want my feelings to be trampled.” admitted Sam sheepishly.
“What about me? You saw how protective my friends are,” countered Ian.
“You can have this on record, Ian. I will never ever hurt you,” stated Sam seriously.
“Can I get that in writing?” asked Ian with a smile.
“Sure, I might even write a song about it.” Sam laughed and Ian squeezed her leg fondly.
“Todd is signaling,” observed Ian. “I think they want a coffee break.”
“You know, that does sound good,” agreed Sam. Ian followed the other’s lead and they stopped at a Starbucks.
They weren’t the only other bikers in the lot and there was a camaraderie amongst the group. They chatted as if they were long lost friends. As they got to their tables, Sam sat comfortably next to Ian, totally unprepared for the onslaught of questions from Katy and Olivia.
“Tell us, Sam, how did you and Ian meet?” asked Katy with no warmth in her voice.
Sam looked at Ian to see which one of them should field the question. Since Ian hesitated, Sam took the initiative. “Actually, we just met last week. I had flown into Los Angeles for an interview, and Ian had been in town to see the same person I interviewed with.”
“Do you Midwesterners always end your sentences with a preposition?” asked Olivia.
“What?” asked Sam, caught off guard by the question.
“With whom were you interviewing?” clipped Olivia.
“Knock it off, Olivia,” said Todd through clenched teeth. “I’m sorry, Sam.”
“Sam is working for Jett Robinson, and you guys know I’m doing hi
s house in Maui,” offered Ian as he squeezed Sam’s hand in empathy.
“Awesome,” exclaimed Rich. “What will you be doing for him?”
“Who is he?” asked Katy. “Is he someone famous?”
“Sorry,” explained Rich. “Katy doesn’t follow pop culture.” Rich turned to face Katy. “Jett Robinson is the lead singer for the eighties rock band Savvy. Remember they did that party song you always liked? Now, he has a reality show, too. He’s the one who always had all the girls swooning over him?”
“Yeah, now I remember.” Recognition shone in Katy’s eyes. “I don’t like him. He’s a pompous ass.” She looked accusingly at Sam. “You work for him?”
“Yeah, I do,” said Sam defiantly. She didn’t mean to be snotty to Ian’s friends, but felt that Katy had overstepped her bounds with her. “I thought the same thing when I applied for the job, but he’s really a pretty decent guy. To me, anyway.”
“What did you do back in Chicago to qualify for the job?” asked Olivia.
“Nothing, that’s just it,” explained Sam. “I had been a Vice President of Marketing at a life insurance company.”
“Sam’s brother is Jordan, you remember him, Todd? You met him at dinner? He’s the one who got Sam the interview.”
“Your brother is Jordan Stevens?” asked Todd incredulously.
“My twin,” said Sam. She liked Todd’s smile, and he was being nice to her, unlike his snotty wife.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Katy crossly.
“Jordan Stevens happens to be one of the best lead guitarists in the industry,” commented Rich condescendingly. “I know you only like classical music, but he’s really good.”
“Thank you,” said Sam proudly. “I’ll have you know that both Jordan and I are classically trained musicians.”
“You play, too?” asked Todd. “Is that why you’re working for Jett?”
“No, I mean, yes. It didn’t start out that way.” Sam took a sip of her now cold coffee. “I interviewed for the job as his press assistant. He wanted someone who didn’t like him and went against the stereotype bimbos that are on his show. I didn’t like him very much, either. But, so far he’s been very professional with me. He heard me play with Jordan at this club and now he wants me to play on some of his tracks that he’s working on. Personally, I don’t want to, but Jordan keeps talking me into it.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” said Ian looking at Sam accusingly. “Sam is really just as good as Jordan, but she has stage fright.”
“I hate to rain on Sam’s parade, but we’re running out of time,” commented Katy as she stood up.
“Right,” said Sam and she turned to Ian and started to get up. Ian put his hand out and forced Sam to sit down.
“Since we’re on a time crunch because of my appointment, why don’t you guys go ahead? Sam and I will be fine.” He literally glared at Katy and Olivia.
“You know what?” asked Sam crossly. “I don’t know what I did to piss you off. I know when I’m not welcomed.” With that, Sam got up and started to walk away, but Ian grabbed her arm again.
“Now, look what you’ve done,” demanded Ian as he glared angrily at his friends.
“Drop it, Ian. I’ll find another way home. I’ll be fine.” Sam hugged her chest.
“No, it’s not.” Ian stood adamant. Rich and Todd also glared at their wives
“I agree with Ian,” said Rich crossly. “Since you two have decided to be miserable to Sam, I see no reason for Ian to want to ride with us.”
“Guys, please,” interjected Sam. “I can’t take any more of this. I know why Katy and Olivia don’t like me because they don’t want to see Ian hurt and they don’t think I’m good enough for Ian.” Sam glanced at both women who wouldn’t look her in the eye. “All I can say, is Ian is a great person and you have my word that I will never, ever hurt him.” With that said, Sam walked out of the restaurant and sat outside at one of the tables, shaking. Ian raced after her and put his arm around her.
“Honey, I’m so sorry.” Ian hugged her firmly. Ian ignored Katy and Olivia as they sat down next to Sam. They both looked at each other guiltily.
“Look, Sam, Ian is like a brother to us and we have always looked out for him. He’s been really hurt in the past and I guess we’re just sort of overprotective.”
“And I haven’t?” asked Sam with tears in her eyes. “This is our first date and Ian had to pass my brother’s test before we could go out. Jordan is very protective of his little sister. Can you at least give me a chance?”
“You’re absolutely right,” agreed Olivia and Katy sheepishly.
“I still have two tests to complete,” said Ian dropping into the fourth seat. “What is it, Sam?” Ian smiled at her at reached for her hand.
“Yes,” said Sam feeling better. “Ian has to pass my test of how he treats children and the elderly. My dog loved him, so he’s getting better.”
“We can vouch for him on both counts,” laughed Katy. “Ian puts up with my mother, and he loves my kids. Come on, Sam.” Katy offered her hand, and Sam accepted it. “Let’s go.”
As they walked to their bikes, an elderly couple came out of the restaurant, and Sam watched them walk to the outside tables. They were holding hands and all of a sudden the man fell down, his coffee cup went flying. “Ian!” screamed Sam, but Ian had read the situation immediately. He helped the man up to a sitting position to see what was wrong. Sam came flying over to help with Katy and Olivia right behind her.
“Move aside,” cried Katy. “We’re doctors.” Sam stepped aside and let Katy and Olivia do their work. Ian had both the man and woman calmed down.
“I’m okay,” said the gentleman as he sat up and looked into the anxious face of his wife. “My legs just gave out.”
“Stay still.” Katy’s voice rang with authority. “You need to have this checked out.”
“He’s on a new high blood pressure medication,” explained his wife as she knelt beside him. “I bet that’s what’s making him dizzy.”
“I’m calling for an ambulance,” said Olivia.
“Our medical insurance doesn’t cover an ambulance and we don’t have the money to pay for one,” said the woman nervously.
“It’s on me,” said Katy. “Here’s my card and when you get the bill, send it to me.”
“Our car is over there, and I don’t drive. I’m sorry to be such a bother.” The woman appeared bewildered by the situation.
“It’s no bother,” interrupted Sam. “I can follow the ambulance, and Ian can follow me.”
“What a great idea,” said Katy with a smile. “I really like you, Sam.”
“Thanks,” grinned Sam. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Chapter Ten
“Well, that’s an interesting first date, don’t you think?” asked Ian as he sat on Sam’s couch.
“It is memorable,” laughed Sam as she sat next to him. “I’m glad everything worked out. They’re going to be okay, which is a good thing. You really moved fast.”
“I saw him out of the corner of my eye,” explained Ian as he put his arm around Sam’s shoulder.
“You passed my test,” whispered Sam as she stared into Ian’s eyes.
“I still have the children test to complete,” he whispered softly.
“That can wait until next time.” Sam whispered back and gently kissed Ian’s lips. The kiss started slowly and then Ian parted her lips and his tongue eagerly met Sam’s tongue.
“Why do you taste so damn good?” asked Ian hoarsely.
“Our minds think alike.” Sam gave into Ian’s kisses which were increasing in intensity.
“What time do you have to leave?” asked Sam in a whisper. “I mean the latest possible minute?”
“Damn,” said Ian as he looked at his watch. “I’m already late, as it is.” He pulled out of Sam’s embrace reluctantly. He gently grasped Sam’s face between his hands and tenderly stroked her cheek. “I’ll be back as soo
n as I can.”
“Promise?” Sam didn’t want to see him leave.
“Promise.” Ian unfolded his legs and walked to the door. “Bye Sam.”
“Bye,” whispered Sam. “Call me?”
“You bet.” Ian smiled and left.
Sam watched as Ian got onto his bike and took off. She slipped on some tennis shoes and clipped Cracker’s leash on. She needed a walk to clear her head, and it probably wouldn’t hurt Cracker, either.
****
“What are you doing this weekend?” asked Jett as he plopped on Sam’s desk scaring the living daylights out of her.
“Uh, like working?” responded Sam.
“How would you like to go to Maui?”
“What?” shrieked Sam. “Are you serious?”
“Yup.” Jett found himself amused by her reaction. Sam’s enthusiasm made him smile and Jett realized how jaded his life had become, and he didn’t like it. “I want to check up on Ian’s work. My buddy, Drew, is staying there this weekend, and I haven’t seen him in ages.”
“Oh.” Sam looked puzzled, “Drew?”
“Yeah, Drew. Drew Stone.” Jett smiled as the surprise showed on Sam’s face.
“The lead singer of Ambush?” asked Sam breathlessly.
“The one and only.”
“You’re kidding, right?” breathed Sam. “He’s like one of my favorites!” She looked at the disappointment on Jett’s face. “I mean no offense, Jett.”
“None taken.” Jett smiled. “It’s why I hired you, right?”
“Right,” agreed Sam, but somehow she felt disloyal. She could see some disappointment in Jett’s eyes. “But, sometimes, you’re not so bad.” She bumped his arm in a sisterly fashion.
“Only sometimes?” teased Jett. “When haven’t I been nice to you?”
“When you’re nagging me to play in public,” retorted Sam.
“That’s only for your own good. You’ve got talent, flaunt it.” He glared at Sam in a fatherly manner.