Plus One

Part 2 - Sibling Advice

"Samantha."

"Susan."

"Bobby told me you went on a date with Tom last week."

"Did he indeed." Dammit, how did he find out?

Three minutes of silence passed. "Well?"

"Well what?" I was playing innocent but knowing my sister it wouldn't work for long.

"You know very well 'what'. How did it go?"

"You're assuming the information you received was correct, which, considering it's Bobby...well, I don't mean to cast aspersions..."

"Yes you do...and yes, granted, he does sometimes get the wrong end of the stick..."

I snorted in a very unladylike manner. "And over-dramatizes everything."

"He's an actor."

"So are you. Hell, so was I for a while."

"Oh, and you never over-dramatize anything."

Okay, fair point. Sarcastic and pithy, but fair. Dammit. Still going with innocence though. "Absolutely not." Now it was her turn to snort; I just stayed quiet and left the ball in her court. Needing two hands, I put my phone on speaker and sat it on the bench while I grabbed a bottle of red wine from the fridge and poured a glass.

"You won't distract me, Sam; how did the date with Tom go?"

"I never said I went on a date with Tom."

"Sam."

"Suz."

"Oh for Pete's sake," she gave an exasperated sigh, "You are every bit as bad as Bobby, you know."

"Now, that's not nice; you take that back."

"Samantha Jane Levin, do I have to call mom and tell her you're dating again?"

"You wouldn't! That's not playing fair!" Going straight to 'The Mother Card' was dirty pool.

"I would. In a heartbeat."

I grumbled and grouched for a while but knew when I was beaten. "It was fine," I reluctantly admitted.

"Fine? What kind of answer is that? Details. Spill. Now."

Why couldn't I have been an only child? I took a large gulp of my wine and sat on a barstool. "There's not much to tell; we toured a stately home, we went up on the Eye, we had dinner, we went home."

"You went on the London Eye? You hate touristy things. And with Tom? How is this not all over Twitter or the internet?"

I squirmed on my seat. "I like touristy things occasionally...besides, I'd never been and it is a spectacular view of London..."

"Uh huh." Silence. Another mouthful of wine found its way down my throat. "So why aren't there photos of the two of you all over the place? Surely you weren't the only people on it that day."

"Um, no...not exactly." I could almost hear her thinking. "We, ah...he...he paid for the whole capsule thingy so we could, um...you know, have it to ourselves; no one being intrusive or wanting selfies."

"So you could be alone."

Squirm. "I prefer to think of it as maintaining our anonymity. Well, his anyway – nobody knows or cares who I am."

Nerve-wracking silence. Finally, "I see." That's what I'm afraid of. "And dinner?"

"Thai."

"Wine?"

"Yes."

"How long did you talk for?"

Hours; till the restaurant kicked us out, then we went to an all-night café and talked some more. "A while. The man can talk." Oh boy, can he talk. Eloquently, intelligently and informatively – fascinatingly. With his hands and arms waving about like sails in the wind. With his face animated and bursting with enthusiasm so infectious you feel you're experiencing for yourself the things he's describing. And his voice – soulful and articulate; seductive.

"You're not exactly the shy retiring type yourself."

I'd talked my fair share as well, dreams and aspirations I haven't talked about with anyone before; he just seemed to draw it out of me. He's a great listener.

I grunted in acknowledgement.

"And you went home...?"

"By taxi."

"Sam..."

Groan. "Alone. For Pete's sake..."

"What? He's a very attractive and charismatic man."

Isn't that the understatement of the century; add in witty, urbane, humble and chivalrous – and let's not forget quietly, sneakily, dangerously sexy.

"Just..." Susan sounded hesitant for the first time in the conversation.

"What?"

"Just...be careful of your heart, Sam. He's..."

"He's...?" Come on Suz, don't leave me hanging!

"He's...known for flitting from one woman to another...for not committing. His career comes first."

"Okay."

"I mean it Sam, I don't want you to get your heart broken again."

"I know."

"Will you be seeing him again?"

"I think I'll have to; we'll be working together for months."

"Ha bloody ha; you know perfectly well I mean socially."

"We're both really busy right now, so..."

Susan sighed and I was pretty sure she was about to press me for a more detailed answer but as luck would have it, one of the kids let out a loud shriek then hysterical crying erupted. Note to self: take Avri and Ex to Disneyland when I get back home. "I've got to go," she said. "Call me later in the week."

"Okay. Give the kids a hug for me and say hi to Bobby. See you." I finished off my glass of wine just as the door opened. "How was your run?"

"Great. You should have come with me."

"Next time," I promised.

He came close enough that I could feel his body heat, leaning his long frame down to kiss me thoroughly then whispering in my ear, "Join me in the shower?"

"I'm not dirty."

Breath was punched from my lungs by the look in his eyes and the deep husky tone of his voice. "I can help you with that." His heated strength subdued me as soft, practiced lips whispered small kisses over my eyelids, across my cheek and jaw and down my neck, sending a frisson of desire the length of my spine. Large, nimble hands reached under my shirt to lightly caress bare skin, leaving tiny, shivering eruptions in their wake.

I was trembling, my thoughts barely coherent. "Tom..."

"Feeling dirty yet?" His mouth returned to mine, our tongues dancing together as my hands moved up to run through his hair; when the kiss deepened I moaned into his mouth and then his arms were behind my waist and knees, lifting me from the stool and striding confidently towards the shower.

Oh hell yes.