Reunion (6 page)

“I love you, you silly jock from the first time you knocked me over in that hall way. I’m in love you Sam. I will never forget this night for as long as I live. I’m yours. Forever.”

“Don’t think I’m crazy Sav for what I’m about to say. Promise me you won’t turn and run screaming.”

“I promise.” I smiled and waited for what he was going to say.

“Savy I know I’m only 18 but I, I want to marry you someday Savannah. I’m sure of it. You are everything I ever wanted and never knew I needed. “

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I was laying next to someone I felt the same way about and I couldn’t tell him how I felt. All I could do was cry.

Sam sat up and looked out towards the window.

“Damn it. I knew I should of never said something like that to you but you always tell me to express my feelings and not to hide them. I just thought since we just… well. I guess I wasn’t thinking. Maybe I was caught up i the moment.

I sat up and turned his face to mine.

“Sam in all my life I don’t think that I’ve heard words more sweet and more sincere. I’ve never heard words like that come from someone’s heart. Sam I love you and yes I’d marry you in a heartbeat. All you would have to do is say the word. I believe in us. In our love. We have a big future ahead of us. Thank you loving me that much to share that with me. I feel the same way.”

He grabbed me and hugged me tight. We stayed that way for what seemed like forever.

Tears spilled from my eyes and he wiped them away. He looked at me with love and adoration.

I laid in the dark and the tears fell on my pillow like rain. My body shook at the memory of that man who was once a boy who stole my heart when he told me he wanted to marry me. Where did it all go wrong. My throat swelled and my exhaustion took over. I put my iPod on. Every song that came on just reminded me of Sam. I drifted to sleep eventually and the thoughts of those sunset colored eyes invaded my dreams.

The day of the reunion me and the girls had plans to do a mini spa day. Massages, facials and hair and makeup for the evening. I had to pick Maddy up and she was going to get dressed at my moms house. Just like when we were teenagers. We would listen to music and sneak a beer out of my dad’s mini fridge in the basement. We would do each other’s hair and I remember feeling the anticipation of soon being with Sam that night at a party or at the movies or at a school dance. I could feel the flutter of the butterflies even to this day. I sat on the edge of my old bed and looked across at the mirror that hung on the wall. Still wedged between the frame of the mirror and the glass was a wallet size picture. I couldn’t quite make it out. I walked over to it and I felt the tears instantly sting the back of my eyes. It was my senior prom picture with Sam. We looked so happy. Him in his black tux and me with my Jade green off the shoulder dress. He posed with his front to my back but his chin rested on my shoulder and his arms surrounded my waist. He always put his chin on my shoulder. If we were in line for a movie or in the cafeteria or if I was helping my mom with dinner and I was stirring something in the pot. His face would be right there and he would say the same line. “ Whatcha doin?”

It made me laugh. So innocent and juvenile but adorable. I remember the photographer arguing with him about the placement of his face. The photographer wanted him to be in the so called “ Traditional position.” Sam who was always respectful simply told the man that he preferred this position and he had already purchased the picture package for him and his girlfriend so please let him pose the way he wants. The photographer shook his head. When his chin came down to reach my shoulder he whispered in my ear, “ You are gorgeous.. An angel in green. My Savy. You look stunning.” We were so in love. So crazy about each other. It just wasn’t the physical aspect of it either. Don’t get me wrong we were constantly all over each other but we were just two souls that were joined together for a reason unbeknownst to us and we just clicked. My heart felt heavy and I put the picture back. I jumped in the shower and dried my hair. I drove over to Maddy’s and played with Joey for a bit while she jumped in the shower and we had to drop him off at Maddy’s moms so she could babysit him. Kyle was working and Maddy didn’t want her mom driving home that late after Kyle gets home.

We got to the salon a little before 3. The rest of the girls were waiting for us when we pulled up. Everyone had their own stylist and we lined up in a row.

“So what the hell was Sam doing talking to the queen of sluts the other night?” Ella blurted out. “Ella!” Lilian Shouted. “We said we weren’t going to discuss him today or tonight”

“Guys it’s ok” I replied. “It’s time I just stop letting my jealous nature get the best of me. He’s not mine anymore. She can have him. “

“I just find it odd that he seeked her out to start talking to her. He couldn’t stand her in high school. I mean it was like at senior fun night when you caught them kissing near the boys bathroom. That was some screaming match.”

“Shut the hell up Ella. Enough!” Lilian said through clenched teeth.. “Sorry Sav. That skank has been all over Sam since she realized you two were dating junior year. She has been relentless and don’t even get me started about the night after our 5 year. I mean…” Then everyone yelled at once. “ ELLA Shut up!”

I got up and excused myself. I went into the bathroom and held on to the sink. The image of Christa coming out of the Bedroom of Sam’s apartment the night after our 5 year played in my mind like a movie. Slipping on a t-shirt over her braless breasts. I looked at her and she looked at me and said

“Well Savannah I guess the early bird gets the worm.”

I didn’t even remember running to my car and burning rubber down the street. I remember leaving my mom and dad a note saying I forgot I had an appointment in Boston. I need to get to very early on Monday morning and I decided to take an earlier evening flight on Sunday. I lied. I knew I needed to run and run away fast. As I heard a knock on the bathroom door I still couldn’t get the image out of my mind.

“Sav. It’s Ella. Can I come in?” I unlocked the door. “Yea come on in. I’m ok.” “Sav I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just get so angry at Sam for what he did to you. I know it was so long ago but when my friends hurt, I hurt. You know what I mean?” Ella began to cry.

“Ells stop its ok. It was a long time ago. I just want to get tonight over and done with, go to my interview on Tuesday and get the hell on with my life.”

She hugged me and we went back into the salon.

“Hey Sav. I have a theory” Said Lilian. You don’t think Sam is doing this on purpose to make you jealous do you? I mean he knows how you can get and he knows the dislike you have for Christa. He flew from London to see you didn’t he? What do you think?”

“Do you really think that’s what he’s doing?” I questioned. Everyone pretty much agreed. I had to come up with a plan. A plan of attack. Retaliation if you will. If what Lil said was true and this was just a way to make me jealous (which was working by the way), I had to play my cards right and give Sam Reynolds a taste of his own medicine.

CHAPTER 5

I DECIDED I HATE MY IPOD PLAYLIST

When Maddy and I went back to my mom’s house to get dressed and wait for Georgia to get there, I thought about what happened this night 5 years ago almost to the day. Sam and I hadn’t talked since we broke up about 7 months after my move to Boston. The distance was too much and he was so busy with his new job that we hardly saw each other. The company he worked for had him traveling all across the U.S. and to London, Paris, and Spain. When we did get a chance to talk it was done in the middle of the night where I was supposed to be asleep and he was wide awake overseas.

When I did go home to visit I needed to make time for him and my parents. I would stay at his place one night then my parents. By the time the school day at my job was over and I hopped on a plane, I arrived in Philly around 7 and I was exhausted. I would have dinner with my parents and Sam would come over and we both would fall asleep by 10. We would have sex quickly and fall asleep watching T.V. When I stayed with him we would grab drinks and dinner and sometimes we would meet Tyler and whomever he was dating at the time. Rarely we got together with the gang cause we just wanted be together alone. Sunday we would visit with his parents but I always ended my visit with mine no matter what. After dinner he would drive me to the airport and we would just stand outside the car and hold each other until someone yelled for Sam to move his car. I wanted those moments to last forever. Except the goodbye part. I had no idea when the next time I would see him would be.

One time we got lucky and he had a business meeting in Boston. They were putting him up in a hotel for a night but I wanted him to stay with me. Sam told me that the meeting would run late and he didn’t want to wake me when he came in so it was better if he stayed at the hotel. I didn’t argue with him. I wasn’t worth it. He had some time in between meetings and asked if I wanted to go to dinner. He didn’t sound odd, just distant.

We met at this small Italian café around the corner from my apartment building. I could not wait to see him. It had been over a month. I imagined we wouldn’t even get to through our first drink and we’d be all over each other and back in my bed before the olive in my dirty martini was alone at the bottom of my glass. When I saw him I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. For some reason his hug felt different. We sat and he motioned for the waiter to come over. He ordered his drink and one for me. When the waiter came back with his, Sam gulped it and looked down at the empty glass. He looked pale. He spun the empty glass back and forth between his fingers and I slowly sipped my martini.

“Hey Jock. What’s with the silence.” Sam shut his eyes tight and opened them to look up at me.

“I didn’t get the job here in Boston. They gave it to someone with more experience. They are keeping me in the Philly office but I won’t be doing as much U.S. travel as I have been doing. It will be more like 2 weeks in London or France. I’ll be away at least 2 weeks out of the month for the next year. Maybe more, maybe less. It depends on the job. I hate this but if I stay at this company and prove myself to them in a few years they will ground me in the Philly office and I may only have to travel once or twice a year. I just need to play my cards right and deal with it. I have a very good chance of moving up sooner than later I hope.”

I grabbed his hand from across the table and brushed his knuckles.

“Sam it’s ok. We will get through this. It’s not permanent. We will just keep doing what we are doing.”

His facial expression was un readable.

“There is something else and I want to be honest with you Savy and that’s why I’m telling you. I am feeling very tempted lately.” He paused and shut his eyes tightly. “ I’ve been talking with a girl at one of our satellite offices.”

“ So? What are you telling me for Sam?”

“Well we talk a lot and we have a lot in common. Especially since we both live out of a suitcase practically. We understand each other and well you and I haven’t had a decent conversation in months. It’s always about your students or how tired you are and I’m always jet lagged and i hate talking about work. to you. It’s not about us anymore. You and me. I feel like there’s nothing left to talk about.”

He put his head down and waited for my reaction. “So what are you saying Sam? You want to sew your wild oats. Screw this girl and get it out of your system then come back to me? Is that what you want? You want me to tell you it’s ok go right ahead and dip your pen into as many inkwells as you can and I’ll wait right here for you? Sweet little Choir girl Savannah pining away for the star quarter back. We are no longer in high school. We are not kids anymore Sam. Fuck this and fuck you!.” I grabbed my dirty martini and threw it back in one torturous gulp.

“Savy I didn’t mean… I don’t know what I mean. I’m just…. confused. I love you but its this distance thing. I can’t bear it anymore.”

“Save it Sam for some chick in one of your so called satellite offices. Go bang the whole company for all I care. That’s what you want well you got it. I’m obviously not enough. Seven fucking years Sam. That’s what I gave to you!” My tears turned into sobs and I reached across the table for a napkin to wipe my eyes. Sam tried to touch my hand but I quickly pulled away.

“Forget me, forget my name, forget it all. I’m done. And don’t call me Savy ever again. You lost the right to touch me when you decided that temptation and distance was just too much for you.”

I stood up and people looked around at us. He stood up to look at me. “Sav, I’m sorry. I still love you. I always will. I’m just confused. Let’s just take a breather and see what happens.” I shook my head and laughed at him.

“A breather. Ok. You’ve got it jock. You know what Sam, go to hell. ”

I turned and ran down the street. I waited in my apartment for him to knock at my door and beg me for forgiveness but he never did. He never called, e- mailed me. Nothing. It was another 7 months before I saw him again. Our 5
^th
year reunion.

Georgia walked in my old room fully dressed to kill and raring to go.

“Wow Sav you are one hot bitch! That is some dress sister and look at your hair and makeup. You look flawless. I cannot wait I’ll Sam gets a load of you and you tell him to eat your shit.”

Maddy looked at me from her reflection in the mirror and we laughed. Maddy finished up dressing and turned to me.

“Well does this necklace hide my scar from my surgery?”

“Oh Maddy you look gorgeous. Necklace or no necklace.” I smiled from ear to ear.

Maddy wore an off the shoulder blouse with very subtle pieces of sequence around it. She wore a matching black skirt and she wore knee high black leather boots. Her necklace hung right below her scar but the ornamental heart that hung from the chain took away from the scar itself. The stylist at the salon did wonders with her newly grown in curly hair making it smoother and stick out in a few directions. It was perfect for Maddy. She looked like the picture of health. I was so glad she was here. It seemed like we were transported back to high school. Maddy and Georgia getting ready in my room and us bouncing around to music that was playing on my stereo. I smiled and bopped along to the music. I was happy in that moment. I wanted to continue to feel that way. I had a plan in my head and I would accomplish it if I stayed cool and focused. My stomach twisted in knots. I was ready to make this a night to remember and one that Sam Reynolds would want to forget.