Sammy in Holland (Single Wide Female Travels #3)

by Lillianna Blake

  “Let me know how it is.”

  “If I make it back.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Be brave, Max, be brave.” I laughed as he left.

  Once I was alone, I was able to get dressed a little more carefully.

  So far my time in Amsterdam had served to illustrate just how uptight I was. I hoped that the book signing would give me a break from that. The moment I even thought about it, anxiety stirred within me, though. I had no idea what I’d be walking into.

  A handful of fans? A roomful? Would Erik be as quirky and unreliable at the book signing as he’d been since my arrival to Amsterdam? I thought about the joints he’d taken for himself. Maybe in Amsterdam things were more relaxed—maybe it was judgmental of me to even think it—but I wasn’t sure if I could tolerate him being high at the book signing.

  When Max returned I met him at the door. “How was it?”

  “Actually, it was far more enjoyable than I expected. It’s quite clean—now, anyway—who knows if that will continue as the evening goes on?”

  “We can hope.” I smiled and touched his cheek. “You know how much I love you, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” He smiled and gazed back into my eyes. “Almost as much as I love you.”

  “I’m so glad that you’re here with me, Max—and that we get to experience all these things together.”

  “Me too. Now let’s go experience this mellow book signing.” He grinned.

  Chapter 7

  The building that we arrived at was much bigger than I expected. When we walked in, we were directed to a smaller room within the building. I pushed open the door and found a room filled with beanbag chairs. I stared at the colorful lumps on the floor.

  “What is this? We must be in the wrong room.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I was running late.” Erik’s voice drifted from behind me.

  I turned to face him. “Yes, we’re here, but we’re obviously in the wrong room.”

  “No. No, this is the right room. Isn’t it great? Everyone will be so comfortable.” Erik patted my shoulder. “There’s a big purple one up front for you. I thought you’d appreciate a little luxury.”

  “I would appreciate a chair—or at least a podium.” I frowned.

  “I’m sorry, was this a little too outside of the box for you?”

  “I wouldn’t say that, it’s just not what I expected. What if our guests aren’t comfortable?”

  “There will be some folding chairs available in case anyone has difficulty. But I thought this would make the reading a bit more intimate.” He paused and pulled a remote out of his pocket. “And look at this.” He clicked a button on the remote. All the overhead lights in the room switched off and pulsating lights came to life. The slow pulsation of the colored light reminded me of a horror movie.

  “No, no—absolutely not.” I shook my head. “This isn’t going to work, Erik.”

  “You haven’t even given it a chance.”

  “Because I know that this isn’t going to work for me. How will I ever be able to read anything with this going on? There’s not enough light.”

  “Oh, so you do plan to do a reading?”

  “I do one at every book signing.”

  “But that’s just the thing, Samantha. This isn’t every book signing. This one is supposed to be different.”

  “My fans are coming here to see me because they expect a book signing—along with everything that comes with that.” I crossed my arms. “Erik, I really don’t mean to be difficult. I just don’t think that this is going to work. Maybe it’s just a little too different.”

  “If you give me a chance to explain, I think you might like it. There’s a microphone next to your beanbag. You can speak into it, and your voice will trigger vibrations in the beanbags of each of the people attending. It will be an amazing unification of everyone here.”

  “Or everyone might be scared off by how strange it is.” I sighed. I was ready to walk out the door and cancel the entire book signing, but it occurred to me that there had been many things in my life lately that I’d thought were odd at first. Once I’d experienced them, I’d been glad that I hadn’t missed out. Maybe this was another experience that I needed to allow to happen.

  “Samantha, please—just let me work my magic. If you trust me a little bit, I might be able to create something amazing.”

  I met his eyes. Then I looked over at Max. Max nodded his head.

  “Alright, I’ll give it a shot. But there’s no way I can do a reading in the dark.”

  “Isn’t that the point? They don’t want to hear you read from a book, they want to hear you speak from your heart.”

  I considered Erik’s words. I did like the idea of creating a connection with my fans that might be unique and memorable for them.

  “Well then, let’s see how it goes. Can you show me how the microphone works?”

  “Yes. Come right over here.” He pointed out a microphone tucked in beside the beanbag.

  As he was showing me how to turn it on and off, a few guests entered the room. My stomach churned. What would they think? I was all about going with the flow, but to me, there was a big difference between being laid back and risking my career.

  “Hello, welcome.” I smiled at them. “Please make yourselves comfortable.”

  Our guests seemed to be giving one another some looks, but I didn’t hear anyone complaining. They settled into their beanbag chairs.

  As more people entered the room, I realized that maybe I was too quick to judge. No one turned around and walked out. No one demanded a chair. It seemed that my fans were much more flexible about things than I was.

  I sighed and looked over at Max. He stood near the door and gave me two thumbs up. I smiled back at him, then I tried to sit down on the beanbag. It was far lower than what I was expecting.

  Instead of sitting, I mostly fell into the beanbag chair. When my bottom struck the fluffy material with a thud, a bit of wind escaped me. It would have been largely ignored, if it weren’t for the microphone positioned right beside the beanbag chair.

  As my cheeks burned hot, everyone turned to look at me. Erik stifled a laugh.

  “Uh, sorry, that was just some kind of audio problem. Erik, can you please check on that? What an awful sound.” I laughed.

  Other people in the audience laughed too, though I wasn’t sure if it was because they believed me or because they didn’t.

  I fumbled with the microphone in an attempt to make sure that it was off.

  Chapter 8

  Once I was settled, I looked back out at my audience. Or at least I tried to. The lights were so dim that I couldn’t quite make out their faces. In an odd way, it seemed to relax me. After introducing myself and chatting a bit about my book, I thought I would take the opportunity that the lighting and mood provided and share something personal of myself.

  “Many times people ask me how I was able to get over my fear of success and actually put my writing out there. There were a lot of different things that went into this, but one of the most important for me was meditation. Now I know some people will say that it’s impossible for them to meditate—I believed that at first myself. But with the right setting, a good dose of comfort, and a guided meditation, I believe that anyone can do it. So tonight I’d like to try that with you—just a short five-minute meditation, since we’re all in a comfortable space and the setting is perfect for it. What do you think?”

  Most of the audience clapped. Those that didn’t nodded their heads. I spotted Erik a few beanbags away. He looked eager to participate as he shifted into a more comfortable position. I was sure that if I used a calm soothing voice, I could guide most of the group before me into at least a few moments of meditation.

  Since it was quiet in the room, I didn’t see the need for the microphone. I began to walk my guests through a meditation. I described the relaxation of each muscle, the release of burdens that might be weighing the mind.

  “You are in a safe, calm
place. Now, there is a glow. It’s not too bright and not too dim. It draws you toward it. The closer you get to that glow, the more joyful you become. The glow becomes a little brighter. You can feel it now, along your skin—like the sun on a summer day. Then it seeps through your pores. It fills your body with a deep sense of peace and love for who you are.”

  I moved to speak again but a loud snore interrupted me. I searched through the audience and saw that it was Erik. He snored again, even louder. There was no way that the people I’d lulled into a relaxed state could hear me over the racket. I sighed and grabbed the microphone. I would just speak quietly into it, so as not to startle them.

  “As that warmth flows through you, everything feels light.” My voice carried through the quiet space and soared right over Erik’s snores.

  Instead of deeper relaxation people began to gasp and jump up out of their beanbag chairs. A few people stumbled over each other. Two or three screamed.

  “What’s wrong? What is it?”

  I jumped up as the rest of the people leaped out of their chairs. The only one who remained seated was Erik, still sound asleep.

  “There’s something in the beanbags!” someone cried out.

  “Is it bugs?”

  “I don’t see any bugs.”

  “Is it some kind of earthquake?”

  As the cries filled the room, I vaguely remembered Erik telling me something about the microphone being set up to send vibrations to the beanbag chairs.

  “Oh no, it’s okay, everyone. I’m so sorry.” I groaned and looked over at Max.

  He fumbled for a light switch in order to prevent panic. When he found one, instead of the room being flooded with a little light, the brightest lights I’d ever seen turned on. People, who only moments before had been in a dimly lit room, relaxed in meditation, were now being completely blinded by the intensity of the light.

  “Ugh! Turn that off!”

  “My eyes!”

  “Who does this?”

  I bit into my bottom lip as I heard more comments from others in the crowd.

  Erik stood up and rubbed his eyes. “What is going on? Who turned on the lights?”

  I glared at him as I dropped the microphone on the floor. “You did this.”

  “Did what?” He looked around at the frazzled audience. “What happened? I was deep in that meditation.”

  “No! You were snoring!”

  “Oh, sorry.” He frowned. “I might have had a bit too much to eat before coming here.”

  “The munchies?”

  He grinned. “Relax, Sammy, everything is fine.”

  “No it’s not fine, Erik. This is a disaster! People might even sue!”

  “Trust me, they won’t. Watch this.” He picked up the microphone. “Hey, everyone, sorry about the technical issues. Before we start the signing, please feel free to partake of the assortment of snack foods set up in the lobby.”

  The moment he spoke about snacks, everyone began to move toward the lobby.

  “Wow. They’re hungry.”

  Erik winked at me. “They’re mellow.”

  “Oh, great.” I sighed. “So not only did I ruin their meditation, I probably ruined their buzz.”

  “No, you just enhanced it. Everyone will be fine.”

  “This is why I like things to be under control. When they’re not, things like this happen.”

  “Did anything so bad happen, really?” He shrugged.

  Max walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You doing okay?”

  “I don’t know. Do you think people will be back to get their book signed?”

  “Sure they will.”

  “See?” Erik looked from me to Max, then back again. “Everything’s fine, just relax.”

  I took a deep breath. I tried to be calm. But I just couldn’t. The way Erik looked at me with such offhandedness made my blood boil.

  “No, it’s not fine! Everything is not fine!” I balled my hands into fists at my sides. “This has been one problem after another. Not only did you leave us stranded at the airport, you have us crammed into a shoebox, and then you can’t even be bothered to make an actual plan for the book signing. There is no chance of any of this being successful if you don’t make some kind of effort.”

  Erik’s eyes widened. “But I made plenty of effort. I made sure you got here, I made sure that the event would be eventful. Did you ever think that maybe you expect too much from other people?”

  “In this case, I don’t think I expected enough.”

  “I’m sorry if that’s how you really feel. Here in Amsterdam, we like to go with the flow of things. It’s not always about what we will make happen, but what happens naturally.”

  “I know all about what happens naturally. In fact, my entire audience does too, since it was broadcast over the microphone.” I sighed. “Can’t you see that a little bit of planning would have changed this entire experience?’

  “Maybe. But it wouldn’t have been real. It would have been rehearsed. Now look.” Erik pointed to the people who were filing back into the room to get in line for the book signing. “You haven’t lost a single fan.”

  I pursed my lips. I didn’t want to agree with him.

  Chapter 9

  If anything, I thought my fans looked a bit more eager than they’d been when they’d first arrived. I walked over to greet them.

  Instead of demanding that Erik bring me a chair and a table, I settled back into the large beanbag chair. This allowed people to sit down in front of me as I signed their books. It gave me direct eye contact and a sense of equality with the person who sat across from me.

  As I looked into the eyes of each woman requesting my signature, I didn’t see judgment. I saw acceptance. If they were willing to accept how the evening had gone, maybe I needed to as well.

  When the book signing ended, I walked back over to Max and Erik.

  “Okay, all’s well that ends well, right?” I smiled at them both. “Although I do hope that the next book signing will go a bit smoother than this one.”

  “We can hope.” Erik grinned. “So are you ready to party?”

  “Party?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m showing you the nightlife tonight, remember?”

  “Oh.” I stared at him.

  What would it be like to be escorted around the clubs by someone like Erik? Would he abandon us when he felt the whim? Still, I was starting to fear that I’d already spent too much of my time in Amsterdam being as uptight as Erik claimed that I was.

  “Okay, absolutely. I should probably change, though. This isn’t exactly a dancing outfit.”

  “Great idea. I wasn’t going to say anything, but you really need to relax and show some skin.”

  Max looked over at him. “I think she’s beautiful in whatever she’s wearing.”

  “Oh sure, right. I don’t disagree. But you know, this is Amsterdam nightlife. This is epic. You want to dress for it.”

  “How about me?” Max looked down at his slacks and button-down shirt.

  “Sorry, bud, no one cares what the men are wearing.” Erik laughed.

  Max shook his head and smiled at me. “Want me to come back with you?”

  “No, it’s fine. I can meet you two at the club. Or are we going to eat first?” I looked between Max and Erik.

  Max’s eyes narrowed. I assumed that he’d guessed that I wanted him to entertain Erik for a little while so I could cool off.

  “I know a place. I’ll text you,” said Erik.

  “Sure.” I met his eyes. “You do that.”

  “I will. I promise.” He laughed again.

  I did have to admit that, despite his reckless lifestyle, Erik was probably one of the happiest people I’d ever met.

  “Okay, I’ll see you two there.”

  As I turned to walk away, Max caught me by the elbow. “Are you sure that you want to go by yourself?”

  “I’ll be fine.” I smiled at him and kissed him goodbye.

&
nbsp; As I walked back toward the container that we were calling our temporary home, I tried to release all the tension from my body. It seemed to build and build whenever I wasn’t in control—just little things could get out of hand, and I wouldn’t realize how tense I was until it was far too late.

  I tried to let go of the memory of the failed meditation and the unexpected eruption. I wanted to be free and loose, like Erik. I wanted to truly experience Amsterdam for what it was.

  I was almost to the door of the container when I heard a voice behind me.

  “It’s you, isn’t it?”

  I turned to see a tall, lanky man right behind me. “I’m sorry?”

  “Samantha?”

  I stared at him. Was it possible that I could run into someone I knew all the way over in Amsterdam? I couldn’t place his face or his voice.

  “Yes, I’m Samantha. Have we met before?”

  “Oh, not technically.” He laughed. “I’m just one of your biggest fans.”

  “You weren’t at the book signing tonight.” I studied him closely. It was a bit unusual for a man to proclaim himself as one of my biggest fans.

  “I know. I didn’t get there in time.” He frowned. “I’m going to the next one. I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have approached you, but I saw you walking here, and I just couldn’t resist. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “It’s fine.” All of the muscles I’d relaxed grew tense again. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but after all, I was alone in the dark in a city I didn’t know with a man I’d never met before.

  “What did you say your name was?’

  “Cory. I’ve been following your book tour.”

  “Since I’ve been in Amsterdam?”

  “No, since it launched.” He blushed. “Desperate, I know. It’s just that your book spoke volumes to me.”

  “My book?”

  Cory nodded. “I’m sure you wrote it more for the female population, but I’m one of those rare men that is very in touch with his emotions. I find your writing to be so powerful. I just…” He looked into my eyes. “I had to meet you.”

  My skin crawled with discomfort. He was polite enough, but the intense way he was looking at me made me tremble on the inside.

  “It was nice to meet you Cory. Would you like me to sign something for you?” I reached into my purse to find a pen.