Samantha
I watched Pancake gnawing on a shoe in the corner of the room while I finished getting ready. I was to meet Mike in an hour, and I was feeling more anxious by the minute.
" Do you think I'm being hasty? " I questioned the beagle, attracting his attention, "I should be mad at you for ruining yet another shoe of mine, but I can't even think about it now, should I cancel?”
He moved his ears, back to concentrating on my shoe, and I sighed audibly, putting aside the brush and picking up my cell phone. This was crazy! I couldn't go out with him. How would I explain the fact that I had a baby growing inside me?
I was about to call the man and make up some excuse, when I remembered the scene at the Adamos house. The way I felt when I saw Theon with Harper was not right! I needed to get over it one way or another!
Instead of calling Mike, I tried Charlie.
She answered the video call on the second ring, dressed in a short leather police costume, in her dressing room before some show.
" Sam, hi " she smiled " Wow, you look great, where are you going?”
" Sorry, are you working?”
" Don't worry, we have twenty minutes until my show starts," she assured, settling into an armchair and I could see Mary walking by behind her, "so, tell me, why are you so dressed up?”
" I have a date," I sighed, sitting down on the bed.
" Hmmm a date," she hummed in an insinuating tone.
I noticed someone approaching her, unable to identify which of the girls it was. I wasn't sure if I wanted to share this, but these girls were my family and they knew everything about me for the last few years.
" Who has a date? " I recognized Carrie's voice.
" Sam," she pointed the cell phone screen at the girl's face, who waved at me with a smile on her face.
" Hey Sam. Wow, you look beautiful, this guy is lucky " she winked.
" Carrie, I'm done with the mirror," Elle's voice sounded in the background.
" I have to go, good luck," she wished before the camera refocused on Charlie.
" It's a rush here, I was the first one ready, but some of the girls were late," she explained, "but tell me, what does this guy look like?
I sighed as I gathered all the information I had about Mike in my mind.
" He's the town vet, I met him last week," I began to relate.
" A vet? Is he handsome? " she smiled.
" Quite a bit, but I don't know. I think I'll cancel.”
" What, why? " she widened her eyes.
I rolled over on the bed, lying on my stomach as I thought about how to explain the situation to her. I needed to get rid of some of those conflicting feelings that were inside me.
" He doesn't know about the baby," I began, "I don't even know how to begin to explain. Also, I ended up accepting your invitation on an impulse, and I'm beginning to think I did it for the wrong reason.”
" Tell me," she begged.
" We flirted a lot at his clinic last week, when I adopted a dog.”
" You adopted a dog? " she stared at me in surprise.
" Don't make that face, I'm having a baby. I can take care of a dog," I rolled my eyes.
" Sorry, you were saying?”
" I went to his clinic with Theon and Harper," I went back to the report, "he started flirting with me and when I went to check it out, Harper had practically passed my phone number to the guy.”
" Harper? Theon's girlfriend? " Charlie was surprised.
I had realized the woman's real intent at that point, but I couldn't blame her for wanting extra reassurance about me.
" Yes! I didn't make a big deal out of it, but I ran into him again yesterday, and he asked me out," I continued, "I told him I'd get back to him later, and I ran into them both later, and all she did was jump on Theon's lap when she saw me!”
" So you agreed to go out with the vet because a jealous girlfriend decided to mark her territory? " Charlie stared at me.
" Something like that," I admitted.
Charlie appraised me for a moment with a suspicious expression before sighing audibly.
" Sam, I want you to be honest with me," she ordered, "remember that I know you better than anyone else, and I'll know if you lie.”
" Sure," I agreed.
" Did you agree to go out with the vet because you felt obligated by Harper, or are you doing this because you have feelings for the father of your child, and you want to run away from those feelings?”
I looked away from the question. I knew the answer, and as much as I wanted to deny it, to Charlie and to myself, she was right. My friend knew me better than anyone and would understand, so maybe it would be easier to just assume what was going on once and for all.
" I hate having to watch him with her, I hate feeling jealous of her and knowing that I'll never have that. I hate feeling this way about him," I sighed.
" Sam," she groaned.
" I don't want to feel that way," I amended, "I don't want to feel anything for him!”
" You don't seem willing to tell him how you feel," she mused.
" Of course not," I sat up in a jump, "have you gone crazy? From the beginning he made it clear how it was all going to happen, I'm not going to humiliate myself like this, much less betray the trust they both have placed in me!”
She got up from the armchair she was sitting in after having her name called by someone, I think our time is up.
" In that case, you need to go to this date.”
" But…”
" Sam, I have to go now, but promise me that you'll go out, have fun, and forget about your son's unattainable father," she rolled her eyes, "This guy might surprise you, and if he's just another jerk, at least you'll get a free dinner!
I couldn't help but smile at that remark.
" Okay, I can go.”
" That's the way to talk," she smiled, "I'll call you later for all the details.”
She barely gave me time to say goodbye before she ended the call, leaving me standing there alone.
She's right, I wouldn't miss anything by going on a date with Mike, and it would be better than staying at home moping about a man I can never have!
With this thought I finished getting ready and went to the address of the restaurant where we had arranged to meet. When I got there I found Mike sitting at one of the tables waiting for me. He stood up as soon as I approached, pulling out a chair for me to sit on before returning to his seat.
" Sorry I'm late," I asked, watching the man in front of me.
" After seeing the result, I can assure you that it was worth it," he winked.
I couldn't help but smile at that comment; he might not be Theon, but being complimented like that was always nice.
" Don't be silly. But thanks for the compliment.”
" There's plenty more where that came from," he assured her, "I ordered a bottle of red wine, I hope you like it.”
For a moment I stared at him dumbfounded, not knowing how to react to this information, as he poured me a glass of the dark liquid. I hoped I had at least until the end of dinner before I had to drop the bombshell of my pregnancy on him.
" Well, I can't drink wine," I remarked in bewilderment.
" Oh, sorry," he frowned, "is it something to do with religion?”
That would be a good way out, can I pretend to be religious? Or I could stop running away and just tell him.
" Not exactly, I can't ingest anything containing alcohol at the moment.
" Some kind of treatment? " he sipped his own glass " I can order you some juice.”
" Perfect," I smiled, deciding to let him think that way for the moment.
Mike called the waiter and asked him to bring me an orange juice while I looked at the menu, thinking about which dish to choose.
" So, you just moved here, where did you come from? " he asked, "Have you decided what to order?”
" I was living in Las Vegas, and I haven't chosen yet.”
" They serve great ceviche," he began, looking at his menu.
" Oh, I can't eat anything raw," I denied without even noticing my new slip.
This information attracted the man's immediate attention, making me blush in front of his gaze while I still pretended to read the menu. I guess I'll have nowhere to run this time.
" Samantha?”
" Yes? " I bit the inside of my cheek, looking at him a bit fearfully.
" Excuse me for asking, but the treatment you mentioned before, is it the kind that lasts nine months?”
I watched him without knowing how to answer that question. From the expression on his face, it was clear that this would not end well. I just closed the menu and put it on the table before I started to get up.
" This was a mistake, I'm sorry.”
Mike immediately stood up, taking my hand and preventing me from walking away.
" Sam, let's talk about this, please," he ordered.
I watched him suspiciously for a moment before sitting down again, and he sighed, looking relieved.
" I didn't mean to offend you.”
" I can't be offended if it's true," I looked away, "I thought long and hard before accepting your invitation.”
" Look, let's order," he interrupted me, "then we can talk about it.”
" Really?”
" Samantha, I want to meet you," he assured me, "there's no reason to interrupt our plans, I was just taken by surprise.”
" I'm sorry," I sighed, feeling guilty for putting her in that situation.
" Come on, forget the ceviche, we can order a soup as an appetizer, what do you say? " he smiled, causing me to smile back.