Dou you mind, Mike?

After (part 2)

"I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I just really needed to talk to someone about what happened. Someone who..."
"Who, Mike?" Sam shouted, wrenching her arm from his grip. "Talk to Jessica, talk to Matt, but not me!"

Mike stood speechless, watching one of the strongest women he had ever known fall apart in front of him. He never intended to hurt her, but Sam had no idea what Mike had been through. He just needed someone to listen.

"After I got better and was finally able to leave the hospital, Jess needed more time to recover," Mike said, taking slow steps toward the curb and sitting down. "I tried to stay by her side because I felt responsible for everything she went through. But after a while, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change what happened. When Jess looked at me, I saw fear in her eyes."
He rubbed his chin nervously, took a deep breath, and continued calmly. "When she was finally well enough to go home, I offered to drive her, but she refused. She said she needed some time. I gave her space and didn't reach out, but she didn't contact me either."
Mike wanted to say more but held back the words.

Sam sat down next to him on the ground, pulled her bag into her lap, and took out her cigarettes.
"Sometimes my thoughts are all over the place, and smoking helps," she said, offering Mike a cigarette from the pack. She lit both their cigarettes with her lighter.

They sat in silence, the streetlights illuminating the smoke swirling around them. It was a cooler summer night, and the wind hinted that autumn was on its way. Neither of them had expected this evening to be so different from their usual routine. Sam felt guilty for reacting the way she did to Mike's approach. She had to protect herself because she knew that a lot would come to the surface if she didn't, and she wasn't ready for that yet. As much as she wanted to let Mike go, a voice inside her kept saying that she couldn't. She needed him, even if she couldn't admit it to herself. She swallowed hard, stood up, and brushed herself off.

"I don't know if you're still living in Denver, but if you're not, I have a spare room where you can stay," Sam said, twirling her house key around her fingers as she started walking toward the parking lot. Mike stubbed out his cigarette and followed Sam to the van.

"I actually moved not long after. I'm renting a place in Memphis now. You know, Sam, that's why I was so surprised to run into you. It never crossed my mind that you lived here. No offense, but I came to the area for work a week ago. I hadn't been here once in that time. I don't even know why I went into the diner," Mike said as he got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
Sam got in beside him and buckled her seatbelt. "I'll take you home." Sam nodded.
"Um, Sam. I've never actually been to your place, so..." Mike scratched his forehead, waiting for her to respond.
"Oh, God, sorry." She laughed awkwardly and gave him directions.

They weren't far from the diner. Neither of them spoke during the six-minute drive. When they arrived, Mike pulled into the driveway but didn't turn off the engine.

"Do you want to come in?" Sam asked, turning to him uncertainly. Before he could respond, Mike's face lit up with mischief.
"Oh, Sammy," he said, his eyes briefly flashing with a hint of flame. "I won't say I didn't enjoy this date, but if you want to get me into bed, you'll have to do a bit more."
He smirked, clearly amused by Sam's embarrassment as she turned various shades of red.
"Okay, okay. I knew that was a long shot, I'll give you that." she said, trying to recover.
"But seriously, Mike. You're welcome to stay at my place. I don't feel comfortable letting you drive more than ten hours tonight. I promise you can leave tomorrow. Turn off the engine and come in. I could use a man's expert hands around the house anyway."
Before Mike could take the bait, Sam continued with a proud smile.
"Gotcha. I did that on purpose. Now, come on!"

Sam walked up the porch and unlocked the door, turning on the lights and flooding the house with brightness. Mike grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat, which contained a few clothes he'd brought for the past week. He locked the car and followed Sam inside. He felt slightly awkward, having never been to her house before. They weren't close enough for casual visits. However, Mike knew Sam's mother well. They had often met at the Washington residence. Her mother was an absolute sweetheart, and it was no surprise that Sam had inherited both her outer beauty and inner grace.

"Nice house," Mike said, trying to lighten the mood as he dropped his bag onto the couch.
"I've tried to make the most of it since..." Sam's voice faltered slightly. She grabbed the remote, sat down next to Mike on the couch, and turned on the TV.
"There's still a lot to be done. I've had only five days off in the last three months. I kind of got lost in work."
"So, it looks like you could use a handyman around here?" Mike gestured toward the corner, where some furniture parts were piled up.
"As I mentioned, I've had very little time to deal with it," Sam said, getting up from the couch and picking up one of the wooden pieces from the floor.
She held it in front of her like a child showing off their first drawing, proudly displaying the small door of a dresser.
Mike slid closer, reached out, and gently took the item from her grasp.
"This is a dresser door," he laughed. "Sam, assembling a dresser doesn't really take more than a day. I'd be happy to help you with it."
His gaze softened, lingering a bit longer in her eyes than he ever admitted.

Sam was the first to look away, quickly grabbing the square little door back. To her surprise, Mike was stronger and didn't let go. She twisted and turned, trying to free the object from his grip, but Mike stood up from the couch and, quite unexpectedly, wrapped his other arm around her waist. Given his height and build, Sam felt enveloped by him, almost completely lost in his embrace. Their laughter echoed through the living room. Sam kept trying to retrieve the piece of furniture, but Mike's hold on both her and the door grew stronger.

"Mike, please, let gooo," Sam managed to cry out between bursts of laughter.
Mike obliged, and the furniture piece fell from his hand, thudding against the hardwood floor, but neither of them seemed to notice. Mike turned Sam to face him, both of his hands now resting on her waist. Sam's smile was still wide, her face flushed from laughter. Mike smiled too, but he was more absorbed in the sparkle of her eyes, a sight he hadn't seen so close in a long time. It was as if time had frozen.

Sam's expression began to soften, her smile fading, and it seemed she was savoring the moment too of the eye contact with Mike. Her hands moved instinctively, touching Mike's firm chest. She slightly crumpled the fabric of his shirt with her fingers, perhaps trying to feel closer to his skin.
Sam felt her heart race faster with every passing second, inching closer to Mike. His hands, gentle yet firm, caressed her back, resting on her waist as if saying he never wanted to let her go. His gaze deepened as he looked at Sam's lips, and she could feel his breath growing nearer, warm and tantalizing.
Sam was ready for anything that might happen next, but as she leaned closer to Mike, he swiftly moved past her face and reached for a piece of furniture lying on the floor. For a moment, Sam's breath caught, not understanding why she felt a pang of disappointment. She hadn't seriously considered the thoughts running through her mind.

"I think, I think I'll just... go take a shower now," she stammered. "Yes. Yeah. Shower is good." Her discomfort was unmistakable.

Mike placed the small wood back among the others, a crooked smile forming on his lips as he observed Sam's awkwardness. He felt the same way. Still, it filled him with joy to see Sam laugh, the woman who had shared his darkest memories. For those few moments, he too felt a sense of happiness. It was an intoxicating kind of joy. He wanted more.

"Sam!" he called after her, leaning against the living room doorframe that led to the hallway. "You could show me the room where I'll be sleeping," he added, his gaze more seductive than necessary.

"That's a good idea," Sam replied, jabbing the air with her finger as she headed in the opposite direction. Mike grabbed his bag and followed her down the hallway.

"This is it. I hope it's okay. I didn't really use it for anything else; there was a period when I slept here. I tried every corner of the house, hoping to find a place where sleep would come easier."

"Did you succeed?" Mike asked sincerely. Sam paused, considering her response.

"Let's just say I haven't found the right one yet," she admitted, her eyes reflecting a genuine longing.

Two thoughts raced through Mike's mind simultaneously, each equally compelling.