Stacy looked down her notes and made sure everything was covered. “No, I think everything is all set. How long are we going to do this?” Stacy asked.
Marabeth smiled triumphantly. “As long as I’m restricted.”
“Okay. Well, I guess I’m going to head on home tonight,” she said and picked up her purse. “Why would Sam Montrose set up a dinner appointment with you?”
Marabeth sighed. “It’s a long story,” she said, rubbing her forehead.
“Well, maybe you’ll fill me in tomorrow,” Stacy said and pulled her purse over her shoulder. “See you later. Good luck avoiding him tonight.”
“No luck needed,” Marabeth said and closed her office door as well.
Marabeth walked down the hallway to her suite of rooms. She quickly changed into a pair of well worn jeans and a sweat shirt, an outfit she knew her father hated seeing her in. She suspected that Sam would get the message as well but only if he found her.
She slipped down the hallway and into the screening room. Surveying the available movies, she selected an old classic and pressed the buttons. Instantly, the lights lowered and a screen appeared out of the ceiling. Within minutes, the movie was playing and Marabeth was able to sit back in a comfortable seat and lose herself in the movie.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, she heard the door open and close. She didn’t even turn around, knowing no one but Sam would enter without her permission. Sure enough, his large frame settled into the seat next to hers and he silently watched the movie with her.
Marabeth was tense initially, wondering if he was going to stop the movie and talk to her. But thankfully, he just watched until the ending credits started scrolling on the screen.
“Good movie,” he said as the lights automatically came up and the screen again disappeared into the ceiling.
“Thanks. I didn’t invite you,” she said and stood up to walk out of the screening room. She’d already missed dinner and intended to just sneak into the kitchen and have a sandwich or something light. She’d done that in the past several times when she just wanted to be alone.
“I noticed.” He stood up and faced her, watching her start to walk out of the screening room. “So are you in the habit of standing up your dates?” he called out to her.
She walked down the hallway quickly, but his long strides enabled him to keep up with her easily. “I don’t recall accepting a date from anyone. No request was made.” “Ah!” Sam said, chuckling softly. “I understand.” He touched her arm to stop her. “Can I apologize for that then? And maybe we could start over again?”
Marabeth turned to face him, looking up into his handsome face. “Are you going to tell my father that you won’t marry me?”
“No.”
“Well, then what’s the point?,” she replied and started walking towards her suite again. “We haven’t really started over. And you haven’t asked me to marry you, by the way, so it might be awkward on your wedding day.”
Sam threw back his head and laughed. “Come on, I’m starving,” and he led her towards the kitchen. “I’m guessing you were going to scavenge. Would you mind terribly if I walked along beside you and scavenged as well?”
Marabeth only shrugged her shoulders. “If I asked you not to, would you go away?”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes at his quick response, gritting her teeth in frustration. “Well, then, what’s the point in asking me if I mind? A little rhetorical, wouldn’t you say?” She immediately walked faster, wishing she could leave him behind but knowing it wasn’t going to happen, not with his long legs anyway.
“Perhaps. But you don’t really want me to go away, do you?” he asked.
They’d reached the kitchen by that point and Marabeth poked her head in to see if the chefs were still busy. But thankfully, it was late enough so only the cleaning crew was around washing dishes. “I’m sure that I didn’t invite you and you’re still here.”
Sam opened the refrigerator for her and pulled out some sliced ham and cheese. Marabeth got the bread from the pantry. “Why do you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Deny what is going on between us? You felt it the moment our hands touched that first time over a month ago. What is keeping you from just accepting that we’re attracted to each other and embrace it?”
“Why should I? Apparently, everyone is too busy telling me. Why should I bother to say it myself?” she said and put four pieces of bread onto a plate.
He stopped unwrapping the meat and cheese to look over the counter at her. “Is that what is wrong? That everyone is telling you the same thing and you’re just digging your heels in?”
Marabeth slapped some ham onto a piece of bread, then some cheese. Adding mustard, she closed it up and sliced it down the middle. “Not really. There’s also the very major issue that I just don’t like you,” she said and took a bite of her sandwich.
Sam laughed. “I think you like me too much,” he said and completed making his sandwich as well. “And that scares the hell out of you.”
“Sam, does your ego ever get so big it won’t fit through a door?” she asked and dropped her sandwich down onto her plate.
“Never,” he laughed and picked up her plate. “Come on. We’re not having this discussion in front of others,” he said.
Marabeth wanted to stomp her feet. “Why are we having this discussion at all?” she demanded.
“Come on, princess,” he said and walked out of the kitchen.
She wouldn’t follow him, she told herself. She would rather starve than eat with him. In fact, her appetite was now gone so he could just go wherever he wanted with her meal and have a wonderful time.
A few minutes later, she realized that he wasn’t waiting for her. He’d just disappeared. Marabeth felt slightly disappointed that he hadn’t at least made sure that she was following him but ignored that feeling.
She made her way towards her rooms, intending to hide away from him. Not that he wouldn’t just invade that area as well.
Walking into her rooms, she stopped short as soon as she saw him sitting on her sofa, a sandwich in one hand and a magazine in another. When she walked in, he raised one eyebrow in her direction. “Feel better?”