If Not For You

Chapter 10-Before

Sam's POV

The last week or so since I got home had been strange.  Things had almost been back to normal, but it wasn't the same.  Maeve avoided me, and we never joked anymore.  She was just sickeningly sweet all the time.   She was making it very clear to me that she only wanted to be friends. I went along with it for both of our sakes, but I hated it.  I wish things could just go back to the way they were before that night.  Part of me knew it was probably my fault there was this unspoken tension between us, because I left and then never brought it up.  It was too late to bring it up now, and she seemed to be over it.   I stood looking in my mirror as I got ready for the bachelor party I was attending for a friend from work.  I then heard her bedroom door shut, telling me she was going out.

"Maeve," I said sticking my head out of my bedroom door, "I won't be back till late, so don't worry about dinner."

"I'm actually heading out too, but I already took care of the dogs and stuff like that." She said as she turned and kept walking.  Her makeup and hair was done, so I knew she wasn't going to see Frankie, but whoever she usually spent nights with. 

"Alright, see you around." I said as she walked out the door.  I finished getting ready and drove to Jakes house where I was meeting up with the rest of the guys.  We had decided like always to pregame.  

"So where is this bachelor party happening?"  I asked as we got in the uber

"That really popular strip club downtown, it's a really upscale one as far as I'm told."  Jake replied

"There is such a thing as an upscale strip club?" Danny laughed

"There is, these girls get paid with hundreds instead of ones, and I've heard a lot of VIPs go here." Josh said as we all buckled our seatbelts.

"How are things with Maeve?" Jake quietly whispered in my ear as the other guys chatted

"Awful.  We never talked.  She avoids me at all costs."  I sighed

"She still seeing that other guy?" He asked.  I felt my stomach drop as I thought about her with someone else, especially the type of guys she chose.

"Yeah, she's actually out seeing him now," I replied, "Can we drop it" he nodded and chimed into the conversation Josh and Danny were having.  We pulled up to the strip club and all walked inside.   I walked straight to the bar and sat down, ordering a drink.  Danny and Josh sat next to me facing the bar, Jake leaning against the bar facing the stage talking to another friend.  I heard the song that was playing end and there was chatter amongst the crowd.   After a moment the crowd started cheering and whistling when the next song started playing but I kept my eyes towards the bar, lost in thought.  I was shaken from my thoughts when Jake nudged me with his elbow,

"Hey Sam,"  He paused, "I don't think Maeve is seeing anyone else right now, or at all for that matter." He said

"How could you possibly know that?" I scoffed, annoyed he was bringing it up again

"Uh, because shes on stage.." He pointed towards the stage as he laughed.  I said nothing but spun around so fast on my seat I nearly fell off.   My eyes got wide and my mouth fell open as I saw that it was, in fact, Maeve.  She was wearing a black leather two piece set with chain details that accented her curves.  The heels she had on making her already long legs look even longer.  I watched as she danced around the pole, making eyes at every patron she looked towards.  She walked closer to the end of the stage and her eyes landed on me.  She raised a brow and then went back towards the pole, dancing on it again, even more seductively than before.  When I had turned around so quickly it prompted Josh and Danny to do so too.