Be My Friday Night (7 page)

“Now I’m glad I suggested pizza,” he said.

The bell jingled as Otto opened the restaurant’s front door for Sam. The restaurant was crowded. It appeared a few other town hall attendees had also felt like having a late dinner.

Sam had always loved it here. She loved the exposed brick, and the worn wooden tables with chairs in fading pastel colors. She’d spent many an afternoon studying or devouring a novel at one of the back tables. Sometimes Otto would be working. He’d always been ready to talk.

This was the first time they’d ever entered the restaurant together.

“Well I’m glad to see you’ve come in to help. It's definitely busy tonight,” said a voice behind the counter.

Otto let out a hearty laugh in recognition of Zelda’s voice.

A self-conscious jolt shot through Sam. She had said hello to Zelda many times before, but never as a guest of Otto’s.

“Zelda I’m actually here for dinner,” he said. He looked at Sam with warm eyes before turning back to his aunt.

“Aunt Zelda, you remember Sam. Sam, I'm sure you remember my Aunt Zelda,” he said.

Sam noted how Otto still made a formal introduction. It was his good manners. The situation also just felt different.

“Sam, it’s so good to see you. I hear you went all fancy on us and got yourself a PhD,” Zelda said. Rather than extending a hand to shake, she walked around the counter to give Sam a hug.

Zelda had always been known for being a little fancy herself. In her thirties, she’d gone to Italy to learn about pizza making, and came back with the ways of the Italians and the gusto to open her own pizzeria. She closed shop every August and September to travel. There had always been rumors she had an Italian boyfriend who she shacked up with every year. Zelda was yet to confirm or deny the Italian lover. According to Grover lore, his name was Cosmos.

“No one wants hot pizza in August,” she’d always insist.

Zelda’s hug was warm and solid. Something about it was reminiscent of Otto’s handshake.

“It’s good to see you!” Sam said.

Zelda fluttered her hands at Otto and briskly shooed him away, sending him behind the counter to serve customers and prepare a pizza for him and Sam. Zelda pulled a bottle of red wine from the impressive wine rack on the wall. She called to Otto for glasses and a corkscrew. He obliged. She popped the cork and poured the wine.

“Tell me all about the school board meeting. From all the snippets I’ve heard tonight from everyone it sounds like it was quite a doozy,” said Zelda.

Sam had always seen Zelda as a similar soul, someone who was also viewed as a little eccentric by the folks of Grover. To give Zelda a feeling of the energy in the meeting, Sam had no qualms about doing clumsy impressions of voices, or waving her arms. Zelda hung on her every word. It seemed like no time had passed when Otto arrived at the table holding a pan of pizza in one hand, and two plates in the other.

“It’s my turn with Sam. I’ll help you clean up when we’re done Zelda,” Otto said.

Zelda shrugged him off and insisted that he and Sam take their time. Sam waved to Zelda as she assumed her position behind the counter. She gave Sam a sly smile back.

Otto poured more wine and began slicing pieces of the steaming pizza for each of them.

“It’s like we’ve come full circle,” said Sam. A surge of feelings came bubbling oh so close to the surface.

Otto nodded.

“I always find it strange that we get close before you leave,” Otto said.

Sam stomach jumped. She bit into her pizza to avoid responding to his statement.

Otto had always been bad news. The kind of guy that if she let herself go, she was scared of what might happen, because she had no idea of what it would look like. With most guys, you could predict exactly what a relationship would look like.

Whenever Sam let her mind try to imagine being with Otto, something she usually made herself not do, she was never able to picture clear outcomes. She’d always had fun in the moment with Otto. It had never been something worth ruining in a relationship attempt. Relationships always led to drama. It was nice there was no drama with Otto.

Sam took another bite of pizza. She watched the way Otto bit into his slice. He had the ability to demolish half the slice in a clean precise bite.

This time was different. She was going to use the lack of vision she had with Otto to her advantage. Sam had decided. This time she was going to let herself have a little fun.

“I haven’t left yet,” she said. Surprised at her own flippancy she watched Otto for a reaction.

Otto simply nodded, and moved the conversation back to the meeting.

They began to rehash the events again. They laughed over each play by play, the delightful weirdness that was the town of Grover.

“I guess it’s not for everyone though. Ethan was very set on leaving the day he gave Randy and me his two weeks,” said Otto.

Sam chewed her piece of pizza thoughtfully. It had the right amount of cheese, olives, and mushrooms. No onions or pepperoni Sam noted.

“Otto, I know you’ve worked and lived here full-time for a few years now, but Grover is still a novelty to you. It’s not easy growing up here having things expected of you, or not expected of you,” said Sam.

“Interesting. Can you elaborate?” he said. He took another bite of pizza. He looked up at her with intent eyes.

No one had ever asked her to articulate the uncomfortable feelings bubbling up in her every time she feared she’d be stuck in this town. It was the same way she’d felt as a teenager. The sinking feeling she couldn’t escape. She’d drown here. Her lungs filled with water. She’d never regain consciousness. It was one of the only things she couldn’t tell Layla and Holly. They’d loved it here. She’d only hurt their feelings.

“I come home and feel I have no control,” said Sam.

“Is that a bad thing?” said Otto.

“Yes! It’s awful. I didn’t even know what the problem was until I went away to school. In college, I could go to the library and study, go to class and make conclusions based on what I’d studied. I was awesome at it. I come home, I no longer feel awesome. I used to blame my mother, but that’s so cliché to blame your mother. I take responsibility for how I feel, and that’s why I need to get out of here sooner rather than later, so I can continue living my life the way I like,” she said.

To Sam’s annoyance, Otto shrugged.

“Sometimes really living is scary, and we hide behind things that provide a shield,” he said.

His words stung.

“That’s harsh,” she said.

He rested his hand on hers. Sam’s first impulse was to pull her hand away, to make sure Otto didn’t feel the electricity he shot through her body. He’d accused her of living small and he couldn’t be further from the truth. She left her hand under his. She was going to enjoy the way her skin tingled. She looked straight into his eyes.

“I’m sorry Sam,” he said.

Shit.
Her eyes lowered to their hands.

“It’s just that you used to sit at the back table and look so damn wistful. I couldn’t help but go talk to you. You always had really interesting things to say. It doesn’t matter if you’re in control or not, I’d just love to see you be yourself. She’s really something,” he said.

“I am myself. I’m fine. Also, I don’t like that you were taking pity on me,” Sam said.

Losing her nerve, she pulled her hand from under his and took a shaky sip of wine.

“That’s not what I meant. Of course I wanted to talk to you, I needed a reason—” Otto began. He stopped abruptly.

Sam waited a few beats for him to continue. It took her a moment to realize she was caught in Otto’s stare. When Otto didn’t say anything she took a bite of her pizza. She closed her eyes. A low hum escaped from her chest.

“This is amazing, as always,” she said pointing to what was left of her slice.

Otto shook his head.

“Sam I talked to you because I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t feel sorry for you. I like being there for you. I always have,” he said. He let out a breath. Sam couldn’t tell if she sensed frustration in his voice.

Sam took a deep breath. She looked around the pizzeria like the words she wanted to say were somewhere in the room.

“I don’t like the idea of needing help. It makes me feel weak, but when you do help me it makes me happy,” she said.

“So what’s it going to be? Being independent or being happy?” he said.

“I’m hoping for both,” she said.

* * *

C
lean-up was faster
than Sam had anticipated. Otto and Zelda had a system. Zelda had refused to let Sam help and had placed an espresso in front of her when the pizza was finished and the wine gone.

Rather than jolt her awake, the coffee added a cheery brightness to the overall comfortable fuzziness taking over her body.

After she’d finished cleaning, Zelda hugged Sam again and said goodnight.

Sam waved good-bye to Zelda as Zelda walked out the front door of the restaurant to drive home to her house on the hill. Sam let out a long sigh and settled her body onto a stool at the counter. She sat in silence for a while watching Otto sweeping behind the counter. A small grin crept over her face. She couldn’t help but enjoy Otto’s backside. She was almost a little disappointed when he turned to face her.

“I just need to head upstairs and grab my coat, and then I’ll walk you home. Do you want a jacket or something?” Otto said.

Sam shook her head. She stood, preparing to leave. Otto brushed past her. He climbed the first three steps on the staircase next to the front counter.

Sam looked up at him. Otto looked down at her from the third step. A lock of hair fell into his face. Her whole body began to feel prickly. It was most likely the wine. Maybe the fact Otto happened to be very handsome, especially when he served her warm pizza. She was thoroughly enjoying herself, and the new option of letting things go too far for the fun of it added to the excitement.

“Otto, don’t tell me you live in the apartment above Zelda’s,” she said.

Otto shrugged and gestured with his hands.

“I think Zelda sees me as some sort of human guard dog,” he said.

Overcome with curiosity Sam made a dash for the stairs. The surprised look on Otto’s face was totally worth the sudden move.

“Well, come on. I’m dying to see your place,” she said as she brushed past him.

He simply stared at her. Sam took a deep breath.

“You give me a hard time about not being myself. You’re enough of a mystery as it is. Maybe if I saw where you lived, you’d make more sense,” she said.

Something in his eyes stopped her on the stairs.

His hand reached for her cheek. She didn’t move. Sam felt her body relax while sparks of electricity dotted her body all at the same time.

He brushed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. Sam shuddered. She looked down. Something in her belly forced her to ground her body on the stairs. She listened to the feeling and looked him square in the eye. She gasped at the lightning she saw. It matched the sparks shooting through her.

She lifted her face toward his, and Otto put his mouth over hers. Sam melted into his kiss, letting Otto hold her tight. Something in Sam was delightfully surprised as she sank into the kiss. She had not expected it to feel so all encompassing. Another part of her seemed to know it was going to be like this all along. Sam’s body shivered in the release of the realization.

She gasped for breath and jerked her mouth away from Otto. She looked at the closed door of his apartment.

She wanted him to pick her up, carry her across the threshold and ravish her anywhere: the floor, the bed, the dining room table really any type of furniture Otto might have in his apartment. Dangerous, delicious thoughts danced in her head.

Suddenly something inside her shunned her devilish thoughts. Fear crept into her body. She wasn’t quite sure why. She'd decided to have a pleasurable fling. Why should it cause her alarm to be kissing her boss when she had plans to leave anyway? She was ruining her own fun. Sam cursed herself for complicating things right when she’d allowed herself some simplicity.

“I need to go,” she said, not meeting Otto’s eyes.

“Okay, let me get my coat,” said Otto putting his key in the door.

Before Sam could protest, he disappeared into the apartment.

Sam edged closer and closer to Otto’s doorway. She was still buzzed from the wine. This had tipped her into the bad decision she’d just made, and why not add to the disaster? It wasn’t like she was going to start stripping in the entryway or anything.

The studio sized apartment was divided into a living space and a kitchen space. The kitchen donned square and diamond tiles. The main living space had a dark blue couch in the center of the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves. The bed was in the back corner of the space, adjacent to the window.

Sam was surprised by how homey it felt. It was lived it, but still neat. All of a sudden she felt tired, and would have been perfectly happy cuddled up on the couch with a cup of tea, or snuggled under the covers of the bed with a book. Otto’s presence made both actions all the more desirable.