Be My Friday Night (13 page)

“Look how peaceful it is. We’ll be fine,” said Layla. She pointed to the cat, who seemed to be giving Randy the dirty eye.

On one side, Sam agreed with Layla. The large cat was curled up on the couch watching everyone intently. It had grown up with people. Sure, it probably could easily devour a fluffy rabbit, but it wasn’t going to eat them in their sleep. Layla knew how to handle animals. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

“It takes up two couch cushions. It’s not a normal cat,” said Randy.

Layla put her hands on her hips and squared her stance to challenge him.

“It’s only going to stay until I bring it to the wild animal reserve tomorrow,” said Layla.

“I’m staying tonight, and I’m going to help you with that tomorrow,” said Randy, not backing down.

Sam noted Randy had a point. There was a part of her, the part of her remembering what had just happened in the back of Otto’s truck, making her not as resistant to the offer of male help.

“It might be a good idea,” Sam said.

Layla’s eyes widened. She looked at Sam as if she’d grown a pair of wings, and in doing so Layla now wanted to slug her. Sam shrugged at her.

Otto patted Randy on the shoulder.

“I’ll stay in the living room with you man. I should probably keep an eye on this beast. It’s stolen property from our rival high school,” said Otto. He gave Layla a playful look.

Layla crossed her arms.

“Don’t twist it into that. I set him free,” she said, standing her ground.

Sam felt her stomach tighten. Randy sleeping on the floor was one thing. The idea of Otto on the ground in the living room was making her panic. The fact that Otto sleeping on the floor weirdly felt really good made her panic even more.

“Well Holly, let me walk you home. It’s late,” said Gus. His voice broke through Sam’s thoughts, bringing her back to the present moment.

Holly obliged. Sam and Layla walked Holly and Gus out onto the porch. Sam watched the two carefully as Holly walked very close to Gus into the night.

Sam elbowed Layla. When she had Layla’s attention, Sam motioned toward Holly and Gus. Layla shook her head, not willing to indulge in Sam’s speculations.

“Sam, your sweatshirt is on backwards. Otto just made up some lame excuse to sleep on our floor. Don’t think you can put the attention on Holly and Gus. Trust me. You’re the main attraction,” she said.

Sam looked down at her sweatshirt and groaned.

“Randy just made some lame excuse to sleep on the floor,” she said, trying to desperately level the playing field.

Layla squared up and gave Sam the same look just beamed on Randy. Sam slouched in defeat, and began to struggle out of her sweatshirt.

“I hope it was good,” said Layla. A small half smile began to escape from her lips.

“It was,” said Sam through the sweatshirt, as it covered her head.

“I’m just going to enjoy this moment. I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” she continued. She pulled the sweatshirt off. She ran her hand over her hair and shook her curls back into place, trying to appear as well-adjusted as possible.

Layla grinned sadly and shook her head.

“Ah honey. You have it bad,” she said.

Sam looked up, surprised. Layla shrugged.

“It’s a dead giveaway when you’re not gushing over the details and professing your love for this guy. You’ve never acted this way about someone you’ve liked. Plus it’s Otto, and you’re in Grover. You swore never to fall in love with Grover, and certainly not with someone making his life in Grover,” she said.

Sam was about to open her mouth and say something she was going to instantly regret. Something like it wasn’t love, or she was planning on leaving Grover as soon as the job came through.

Being the friend Layla was, she stopped Sam from letting any words inspired by fear come out of her mouth. Layla simply put her arm around Sam and led her up to the porch steps and into the house. They said their good nights to Otto and Randy, who were already making themselves comfortable in the living room with the cat.

* * *

D
uring the night
, Sam felt as feverish as a helpless maiden in a Pre-Raphaelite painting, minus the crimson hair and alabaster skin. The fact Otto was down the hall, asleep on her floor made her skin itch. Yet, there was something luxurious about lying in bed, ravished, and having the man responsible for the ravishing asleep on the floor outside her door. As Layla had said, everything so far had been different with Otto. He was her big accidental experiment.

Don’t freak out. Savor it
.

She snuggled deeper into bed and fell into a blissful sleep. She dreamed of Otto naked under the night sky as a small friendly leopard pranced in the distance.

* * *

T
he next morning
was fuzzy with confusion with the clamor of four people trying to move around the house all at once. At the same time, the situation was strangely similar to their mornings at the school. Sam brewed coffee. Otto, Layla, and Randy downed many mugs of it to make up for the lack of sleep from the night before. Layla joined Sam in the kitchen to make everyone waffles. Layla slapped a pat of butter and poured syrup on Sam’s waffle. The first sweet buttery bite hit Sam like she hadn’t eaten in days. Sex with Otto left her famished.

Proof the antics had actually happened, the large cat lay curled on the couch looking like a mutant pet. He seemed to lazily watch as everyone ate their waffles hungrily while they stole glances of each other. Sam wondered if he noticed how each person would covertly watch the other then look away if the object of their desire caught their eye. The cat probably found this whole human mating dance quite intriguing, if not entertaining.

Layla had called the sanctuary earlier in the morning. The volunteers were ready to receive Bob. Randy had named him to Layla’s annoyance.

Bob seemed to know he was heading someplace where he could roam and be truly cared for. He hopped up into Layla’s backseat. Sam and Otto waved good-bye to Layla, Randy, and Bob as they drove to the edge of town.

Otto turned to Sam. He wriggled his eyebrows making Sam laugh out loud. Stubble was growing in on his chin. She reached her hand up to rub her palm against his rough skin. He pulled her close against him. Sam let out a small gasp losing her breath. She reached her hands around his neck to steady her body. Pressed against him, she began to feel hot. She felt he was beginning to warm up too. He lowered his mouth to her ear.

“You’re the only thing I want right now,” he growled.

He bent lower to meet her mouth in a kiss. He half swept her, half led her back up the steps, kissing her the entire way. They had the bungalow to themselves for a while.

Sam surrendered to him. In his arms she felt the feeling she’d been searching for with all her hard work and accolades: pure satisfaction. She knew she eventually had to find it on her own, but right now Otto was too delicious to refuse.

* * *

M
onday morning
at work Sam had a terrible case of the jitters, and it wasn’t the coffee. She couldn’t find a way to meet Otto’s eyes. She'd become afraid of what she’d done the weekend before. Who'd she been? The person who’d been on the bed of the truck was not the same person who was trying to lay low working as a secretary until she could get out of Grover. Holding Otto’s hand had been a fun rush at the football game; letting him blow her mind once had been a one-night stand. Now she was heading toward dangerous territory. People were noticing and eventually she was going to pay the consequences.

She felt like she was back in high school. An insatiable need to sulk had washed over her. Except instead of being moody about an unrequited love toward an upperclassmen, she felt all torn up about sleeping with her boss who just happened to be the principal of the high school. It certainly didn't feel awesome. That had definitely stayed the same. Also, this was all still all taking place at Grover High. The only good part was she now had a means of escape. Eventually.

I'm not a total failure. I'll look back at this one day as a bump in the road. Not even that, it'll just be the time I went home for a little while, and had a hometown affair. It's going to be fine. I can get through this like a mature adult. The kind who has torrid affairs wherever she goes.

Sam swallowed the sticky lump in her throat. She continued to stare out the window. She heard the coffee finish and scowled at it. She wasn’t going to let her childish hissy fit ruin a good cup of coffee.

Sam hurried into Otto’s office to grab his mug off his desk. She reached for it and he grabbed her wrist. Sam looked up annoyed and tried to jerk it back. Otto stood to prevent her.

“What we did this weekend wasn’t wrong,” he said.

Sam let out what she realized sounded like a whimper, and she wanted to crawl under the table and die.

“Come out with me tonight,” said Otto.

Sam examined him for a moment.

“What?” she said.

Otto shook his head.

“It looks like I’m going to have to win you all over again. No time like the present to get started, since you’re not going to be here much longer. I’m taking you out to dinner tonight,” he said.

Sam swallowed.

“Okay, see you at 7:00 pm,” she said before the fear rushing into her heart could get the best of her. She snatched the mug off the table and scurried out of the office.

At the kitchenette, she slammed the mug on the Formica. Feelings surged through her as the coffee percolated. She was flooded with overwhelming relief. She hadn’t ended everything in one fell swoop by sleeping with Otto.

Unfortunately such relief was a sign she had feelings for him.

Just feelings of attachment, it’s because I slept with him. That’s all. They’ll wear off eventually.

Until she was called away from this place to start her life she would let Otto woo her. It was easier than pulling away. It sure felt better too. Sam wasn’t proud of her plan to use Otto for pleasure, but her knees grew weak thinking about him on the other side of the office door. It was a feeling she’d never had before.

She prepared the coffee and returned to Otto’s office. Sam plopped the heavy mug on his desk with a sly smile. She couldn't help herself. The relief only continued to wash over her.

To her delight, Otto ignored the coffee and rose from his desk. He took her hand and led her behind the office door. His hands rested on her shoulders and slowly slid up to her face as he kissed her. Sam’s body melded into the kiss.

Just as she found her footing, Otto pulled away, leaving Sam breathless and teetering.

“Is it still there for you?” he said.

“Yeah,” Sam said, catching her breath.

“Good,” said Otto and he returned to his desk.

Sam headed for her own desk, her heart on fire. The world around her was shiny and bright. She could only smile when she found herself humming throughout the day.