Samantha spends a little time greeting some of her regular customers with a genuine smile and few words. Her hesitation from earlier is entirely gone now.
Jude makes her a large coffee with the creamer she prefers while talking to her about the new updates at the coffee counter. George makes a special trip in to see her too. He breaks the news to her that he's only been working a couple days a week for the past month, because his old hands just don't seem to work as well anymore. The news makes her sad, but she doesn't let it show.
My sweet Sammy plasters a smile on her face and tells him how great it is that now he'll have more time to stop by for dinner.
The relief on his face tells me how hard it was for him to admit how much he’s been struggling.
George lays his hand on hers, “The girls from the book club will be happy to know you’re back. We canceled last month after…well you know. Just didn’t feel right without you.”
Her eyes get a little glossy when she hears this, but she plays it off like they were being silly. I know deep down it feels good to know how much she was missed.
When we leave, she has a real smile on her lips. She stops and kisses me right in front of the door. Using my shirt to pull me down to her mouth.
She speaks right to my lips, "Thank you," before stealing my breath with a scorching kiss.
Jess shouts out an, "Atta girl," and whistles loudly. Sam leans back, staring up at me, not a hint of a blush is on her cheeks. She just stole my breath in front of the whole room, and all I can feel is desire radiating from her.
“Let's go home sweets," I say, having collected my breath. She grabs my hand then lifts her concealed cast, waving to her friends.
Her eyes are heavy when she sits in the back of the cab. She sighs a sound of contentment and snuggles her body close to mine. I can already tell how much good it's done for her to be at the store, to see her friends.
I hope that after she meets with her new therapist later this week, we can keep moving forward. I know she's strong enough to get past the damage he's caused.
Within a few weeks, I can’t keep her from returning to work. Only a few days, at my insistence. It’s not that I don’t want her at the store. I just don’t want her rushing into anything and exhausting herself. I go in with her, watching her as she works. It takes a week before she finally tells me to go home.
I spend my time at home from then on. I start work on a few projects, mostly behind the scenes. I’m thinking about doing some theater, I mean I’m in New York after all. I’m not sure if I’m ready though to put myself back out there, yet. My life is so different now. The one thing I know, with any certainty, is that she will always be it for me.
I sit outside our stoop, reading a script and waiting for her to return from work. The early spring breeze is nice, and I have flipflops of my feet. I know she will comment the second she spots them.
A shadow is still hanging over us.
Darryl’s sentencing is scheduled for the middle of June. By some small miracle, he plead guilty to kidnapping and assault with the intent to do great bodily harm. Both charges combined should make it so he never sees the light of day again.
I put down the script, knowing my mind isn’t in it. I turn to better topics. I’ve been trying to decide if I should wait to propose until it’s all over. My mom says it won't matter, because she already knows what Sammy’s answer will be.
You need to just go with what feels right.She said over the phone. They returned home months ago. I think about those words as I feel the small box in my pocket that I’ve been carrying around for a few weeks. Every day I’ve had it, and it gets harder not to drop to my knees and ask her.
I’ve lived this moment a thousand times. I'll watch her face when she hopefully says yes, and it will be such a beautiful sight. I won't need a photo to remember how her eyes will light up or need a video to recall the sound of her gasp in surprise when she hears me ask those special words.
Yup, tonight is the night. I'm almost giddy, and I'll never in my life admit that I'm acknowledging that fact. I laugh at myself and continue to wait for Sam’s return home.
“Beau," Sammy calls from our bedroom. I close the door to my study and take the stairs two at a time. I can hear her muttering to herself, before I reach the door
"Stupid zipper," she curses, as I round the door. The sight before me has me frozen in my tracks.
Her back is to the door, the dress she’s trying to zip up must be stuck, as it gapes open, exposing the soft curve of her ass and the creamy skin of her back. An upside-down triangle is cut into the top of her panties. She arches, trying to tug up the zipper.
"Maybe if your ass wasn't so big it wouldn't be stuck!" she exclaims to herself.
"Awe baby, don’t be like that. I love your ass." I say, stepping into the room. I hear her huff of frustration.
“Beau can you zip me? Is this too small?" I know she wants help dressing, but all I want to do is remove the the fabric that's keeping me from her soft skin.
My voice deepens as I run my hands under the zipper all the way to the bottom.
"It's not too small sweets, but I think it needs to come off." She wears the sexiest panties. They leave her entire ass exposed to my eyes.
I reach under the fabric and cup her full ass in my hand and squeeze.
