All the Time, chapter 5
She got the blankets from the couch and started to fold them one by one.
"Why won't you talk to me?"
"I'm busy."
"Folding blankets?"
"It takes concentration."
"To fold a blanket?"
"Yes Tre."
She picked up another one and started to fold. She finished up and stacked them on top of one another. She then took the pillows and placed them together too.
"Sam, I think you're done."
"No I'm not."
"Yeah."
"I have to put them away." She got the stacked pile of blankets and carried them to the hall closet. Tre followed close behind with the pillows.
"Where do these go?" She turned around only to be met with a wall of pillows.
"Back on the couch."
"Oh." Tre returned to the couch and set them down. Sam walked back into the kitchen and put the leftover food in the fridge.
"Why are you ignoring me?"
"I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"You're stalking me."
"Pfft. I prefer following. Like a cat follows a mouse."
"More like stalking its prey."
"Ok, fine! Stalking. Whatever."
"So, you're stalking me?"
Yes, didn't I just explain that to you?"
"No, I explained that to you."
"Would you keep it down, down there!" C. 's voice rang down the stairs.
"Sorry C.!"
"I like you."
"That's good for you Tre."
"No, I really like you."
"I'm not a one night stand Tre."
"I'm not like that."
"My ass. And I quote you, 'I'm not exactly sure how many kids I have, but yes, I do miss them officially, for the record. In case any of them are listening, I love you. '" She had a smug look on her face and threw the dish rag on the counter.
"How did you memorize it?"
"It was one quote that stuck out in my mind. That REALLY stuck out in my mind."
"So, that was then."
"So."
"So, that was then."
"So, you just said that."
"So? What's up with us saying so? It was in the past. I'm trying to give you that idea."
"I don't know what's up with us saying so. So. Oops, I mean it was in the past. You've been married and twice divorced Tre. I'm not stupid, it's not going to happen to me."
"Don't knock until you've tried it baby."
"Well too bad I'm knocking. And don't call me baby."
"Why not?"
"Because we are not going out!" She came closer to him and poked a finger on his chest.
"Oh, I thought we were. I thought you were playing hard to get."
"Obviously not." She took a big sigh. "Just please don't call me that, we are not going out."
"Fine. What do you want me to call you? Dominated Love Slave? Baby? What?"
"None of the above. I have to go."
"Go where?"
"Out."
"As in?"
"Out!"
She grabbed her jacket off the chair and put it on. Tre grabbed his.
"I'll drive you where ever you need to go," he offered.
"Thanks Tre."
"Your welcome." Sam said bye to C. Then they headed out to Tre's rental car. Tre opened the passenger door for Sam. She nodded a thank you. He nodded back. He walked around and opened the driver door. He settled in and looked and her.
"Where to miss?"
"The stars."
"That's from that movie! Ummm. The one with that hot old lady and she's like 100 and she's like on ship and stuff!"
"Titanic, Tre. Titanic."
"So you want me to seduce you into the lovely back seat of my rental car? So we can do it in a car some kid colored in?"
"Tre, I was kidding."
"Oh," he sighed and looked down at the keys in his hand. "Listen, I really like you. I really do. I just want you to give me a chance." Sam hung her head. She knew this coming. After a series of long distance relationships that didn't work out, she didn't want to head in that direction again. But what could see tell him that would make him understand?
"Tre," she took a shaky breath and looked at her hands, "I can't. I'm sorry. I truly am."
"What do you mean you can't? Please?" He lifted her head to meet his. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I've been in them before Tre. It's not like I don't know what happens. You go away we promise to call each other everyday and write. Then months later, the letters and the calls will stop. Then we won't hear from each other. Then, I'll go to concert, I'll see you, you'll be married and I'll regret I let you slip away." Sam burst into a flood of tears. Tre leaned over and brought her to his chest. They just sat there letting silence wash over them and comfort them, glad they had met.
"No, it won't be like that. I promise."
Sam looked up from him. "That's what they always said. And every time my heart was broken. "
"No, not this time."
She released her grasp on him. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.
"Where you going?" No response. "Sam! Sam wait!" He shoved the keys in his pocket and opened the door. He scrambled out of the car. He ran up to her. She walked faster. He grabbed on to her arm. "Sam!"
"What?" She spun around. He closed the gap between them. She was bit he'sitant at first but gradually deepened the kiss. He was the first to break away. He searched her eyes for the slightest bit of an indication of a reaction. She laid her hand gently on his face. She rubbed her fingers over the stubble on it. He smiled.
"So you do you like me now?"
"Tre, you don't ask someone that."
"What do you want me to ask? If that was the best kiss of your life? Did you feel something?"
"That was technically the first kiss of my life. So I really can't tell you it was better than the others, but that was really special."
"That was your first?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You make me feel special."
You are special Tre." She leaned her forehead against his. He wrapped his arms around her. She put her hands in his pockets in his jeans. "What now?"
"I thought you said you were going out?"
"I was."
"You aren't?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because I found what I was looking for."
"Why won't you talk to me?"
"I'm busy."
"Folding blankets?"
"It takes concentration."
"To fold a blanket?"
"Yes Tre."
She picked up another one and started to fold. She finished up and stacked them on top of one another. She then took the pillows and placed them together too.
"Sam, I think you're done."
"No I'm not."
"Yeah."
"I have to put them away." She got the stacked pile of blankets and carried them to the hall closet. Tre followed close behind with the pillows.
"Where do these go?" She turned around only to be met with a wall of pillows.
"Back on the couch."
"Oh." Tre returned to the couch and set them down. Sam walked back into the kitchen and put the leftover food in the fridge.
"Why are you ignoring me?"
"I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"You're stalking me."
"Pfft. I prefer following. Like a cat follows a mouse."
"More like stalking its prey."
"Ok, fine! Stalking. Whatever."
"So, you're stalking me?"
Yes, didn't I just explain that to you?"
"No, I explained that to you."
"Would you keep it down, down there!" C. 's voice rang down the stairs.
"Sorry C.!"
"I like you."
"That's good for you Tre."
"No, I really like you."
"I'm not a one night stand Tre."
"I'm not like that."
"My ass. And I quote you, 'I'm not exactly sure how many kids I have, but yes, I do miss them officially, for the record. In case any of them are listening, I love you. '" She had a smug look on her face and threw the dish rag on the counter.
"How did you memorize it?"
"It was one quote that stuck out in my mind. That REALLY stuck out in my mind."
"So, that was then."
"So."
"So, that was then."
"So, you just said that."
"So? What's up with us saying so? It was in the past. I'm trying to give you that idea."
"I don't know what's up with us saying so. So. Oops, I mean it was in the past. You've been married and twice divorced Tre. I'm not stupid, it's not going to happen to me."
"Don't knock until you've tried it baby."
"Well too bad I'm knocking. And don't call me baby."
"Why not?"
"Because we are not going out!" She came closer to him and poked a finger on his chest.
"Oh, I thought we were. I thought you were playing hard to get."
"Obviously not." She took a big sigh. "Just please don't call me that, we are not going out."
"Fine. What do you want me to call you? Dominated Love Slave? Baby? What?"
"None of the above. I have to go."
"Go where?"
"Out."
"As in?"
"Out!"
She grabbed her jacket off the chair and put it on. Tre grabbed his.
"I'll drive you where ever you need to go," he offered.
"Thanks Tre."
"Your welcome." Sam said bye to C. Then they headed out to Tre's rental car. Tre opened the passenger door for Sam. She nodded a thank you. He nodded back. He walked around and opened the driver door. He settled in and looked and her.
"Where to miss?"
"The stars."
"That's from that movie! Ummm. The one with that hot old lady and she's like 100 and she's like on ship and stuff!"
"Titanic, Tre. Titanic."
"So you want me to seduce you into the lovely back seat of my rental car? So we can do it in a car some kid colored in?"
"Tre, I was kidding."
"Oh," he sighed and looked down at the keys in his hand. "Listen, I really like you. I really do. I just want you to give me a chance." Sam hung her head. She knew this coming. After a series of long distance relationships that didn't work out, she didn't want to head in that direction again. But what could see tell him that would make him understand?
"Tre," she took a shaky breath and looked at her hands, "I can't. I'm sorry. I truly am."
"What do you mean you can't? Please?" He lifted her head to meet his. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I've been in them before Tre. It's not like I don't know what happens. You go away we promise to call each other everyday and write. Then months later, the letters and the calls will stop. Then we won't hear from each other. Then, I'll go to concert, I'll see you, you'll be married and I'll regret I let you slip away." Sam burst into a flood of tears. Tre leaned over and brought her to his chest. They just sat there letting silence wash over them and comfort them, glad they had met.
"No, it won't be like that. I promise."
Sam looked up from him. "That's what they always said. And every time my heart was broken. "
"No, not this time."
She released her grasp on him. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.
"Where you going?" No response. "Sam! Sam wait!" He shoved the keys in his pocket and opened the door. He scrambled out of the car. He ran up to her. She walked faster. He grabbed on to her arm. "Sam!"
"What?" She spun around. He closed the gap between them. She was bit he'sitant at first but gradually deepened the kiss. He was the first to break away. He searched her eyes for the slightest bit of an indication of a reaction. She laid her hand gently on his face. She rubbed her fingers over the stubble on it. He smiled.
"So you do you like me now?"
"Tre, you don't ask someone that."
"What do you want me to ask? If that was the best kiss of your life? Did you feel something?"
"That was technically the first kiss of my life. So I really can't tell you it was better than the others, but that was really special."
"That was your first?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You make me feel special."
You are special Tre." She leaned her forehead against his. He wrapped his arms around her. She put her hands in his pockets in his jeans. "What now?"
"I thought you said you were going out?"
"I was."
"You aren't?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because I found what I was looking for."
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