There Were all The Signs

10. Filling in The Blanks

1 Month Later

 Sam

    "Well Sam, I must say this new version is a big change."

    "I realize that Melissa, but I think the plot needed it. The two lovers just weren't meshing together before. I think this change will bring the book to where it needs to be."

    "Hmm, well I believe it too. The essence that was missing before it is in here now. There are a few things that I wrote out that I think would be better changed but overall I think we got your next big hit. Is this the title you want to stick with?"

    "Actually now that I changed such a big part I was thinking about changing it but I need some time to make sure I pick the right one."    

    "Ok we will meet back here next week same date and time and I want final draft done and title determined. I want this book out before end of next month and I will be getting book tours ready a month after. Good job."

    "Thanks Melissa I will see you next week."

    I got up and left my editors office. It was a relief to have finished the book. I spent a whole month tide down in my apartment hammering it out. I didn't take many breaks. When I got back from Texas after telling Miller goodbye and watching him head off to war I had so much to say and I needed to get to work right away. I left Marcus a note the next morning and took off to the airport early. Once I was on the flight at five am, an earlier flight then I originally planned, I started writing and I didn't stop until three days ago when I submitted the story to Melissa.

    Marcus called me as soon as I landed and I apologized for running but I told him I had to and that I would make it up to him once I was done with the book. I made him promise to wait and visit until I was done. 

    Sam: "Guess what!"

    Marcus: "What?"

    Sam: "I got a surprise for you."

    Marcus: "What kind of surprise?"

    Sam: "Well some lady seems to finally have finished a task and is open to have visitors."

    Marcus: "Oh really?"

    Sam: "Finally"

    Marcus: "Looking at flights now...."

    Sam: "Hello?"

    Marcus: "Sorry I have to step into an important meeting, be a few minutes.

    ***

     Six hours later I am finished the correction my editor gave me and am going over some of the optional changes she thinks will give the book a better twist and there is a knock at the door.

    "One second," I yelled at the door. Putting my laptop down I stand up and walk to the door. I try to straighten up my clothes, I wasn't expecting guest so I am in sweats and a top knot. Opening the door my jaw drops open.

    "Hello beautiful!"

    "Marcus, how..?" He steps into the door and pulls me in for a kiss.

    "You do realize it's been a whole month since you took off without a word and you made me promise to wait to see you, I couldn't wait to see you."

    "You tricked me earlier. You could have told me so I could be more presentable."

    "What are you talking about, you look beautiful," he said pulling me in again for another kiss. "God, I missed you. You taste amazing," he picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. 

    "You taste good too. And you feel good. What do you want to do? Want to grab dinner?"

    "Slow down," he pins me against the wall. "I just need a minute." He continues kissing me and holding me close. It feels amazing to be touched.

    "I need to get my suitcase out of the hallway and let's order some take out and spend some time alone, I don't want to share you."

    "Ok but you have to put me down first."

    "I will but I need a few more seconds to compose myself first."

    That is when I realize there was something poking my core. 

    "Oh," I say wiggling a bit unconsciously. 

    "Yeah it may have not been that long but just looking at you, smelling you, hearing your voice, it's like a drug straight to my groin."

    "Should we do something about that?"

    "Oh I plan on doing something, but later. I semi proper date first, what do you say?"

    I smile and pull him in for one more passionate kiss. We both groan in unison and then I pull away gasping for breath. "Ok put me down I will go order food."

    He sits me on my feet and I go grab a Chinese take out menu and my phone and he goes and grabs his duffel from the hallway. When I order basically one of everything and then hang up I turn around to see Marcus standing in the middle of my living room smiling at me with his hands behind his back.

    "Why do you looks so suspicious?"

    "I brought you something."

    "Oh, something to know about me, I love surprises."

    His smile grew bigger if that was even possible. It really made my soul feel good to know there is a person who gets this happy just by being neat me.

    "Well then I guess I did good," he says pulling on arm out from behind his back and holds out a bouquet of Tiger Lillies. They are beautiful, the brightest orange I have ever seen. They are one of my top five flowers. Unfortunately most of the flowers I love are in the south.

    "They are beautiful. One of my favorites," I say standing up from the couch and heading over to get the flowers.    

    "Hold on a second. I have one more," he says stopping me in my tracks. And then his other hand comes out holding a small vase with a small tree in it.

    "What's that?"

    "Well this is a Plumeria tree. I heard they are your favorite. Unfortunately they don't do very well up here but I have been told on good authority if you give them plenty of sun but bring them inside when the sun goes down they should bloom for you. And it is a belated birthday gift since I missed your birthday"

    I felt the tears spring to my eyes. This has to be one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever got.

    "Hey, why are you crying do you not like it?"

    "No the opposite. I love it." I take both from him and set them on my side table and then wrap my arms around his neck and give him another kiss. "Thank you. I feel bad I didn't get you anything but in my defense I didn't know that you were coming over. How long are you staying?"    

    "I didn't do a roundtrip flight. Figured we could play it by ear. I have people handling my jobs while I am out and can work from my laptop and cell phone until I am needed back but I wanted to spend some more time alone with you. I need a chance to take you out and see if you actually like me," he said with a big smile.

    "I can promise you so far everything you have shown me I like."    

    "I beg your pardon Ms. Preston, was that a s****l innuendo?"

    "As much as I that part," I say skimming my hand across his groin, I swear I feel it twitch even through his shorts. "I was talking about more other things as well, like your personality."

    "Don't wake the beast."

    I was about to make another move but then the doorbell rung again. "That will be the food," I say heading to my purse to grab some money. Marcus opens the door and I watch him pull his waller from his back pocket and pay the delivery guy. 

    "You didn't think that I would let you pay for the food did you?"

    "Well you did just spend a lot of money to come see me the least I could do was buy us some dinner."

    "I want to clear the air about this real quick. I know that you are a modern woman, someone who is fine being alone and that you are proud and can take care of yourself. I have seen it, you have unbelievable strength but what you must know about me is I am a gentleman and a romantic. I love taking a girl out, even if it is just for a hotdog in the park and I still believe in chivalry. That means I will open doors for you, I will pull out your chair and I will pay the tab. Do you think you could live with that type of treatment?"

    Seriously, is this guy for real? I feel like I created him in a lab. A hot, f*****g sexy, business owner, with his s**t together and he knows how to treat a girl. 

    "I think I can manage," I say with a smile.

    I grab silverware and two beers from the kitchen and we make a picnic on the living room floor. If I would have imagined this in my head I would have thought it would be awkward but I felt totally at ease. There was something special in Marcus's presence that made me feel complete comfort. It was as if he belonged there with me.

    "I am really happy you came to see me," I blurt out in honesty before I even think.

    "I am really happy that I came out here. I knew I missed you but I didn't even know how much until I got here. Let's play twenty questions. I really want to get to know you. I feel like I know so much about you already just from the stories Miller has told me over the years but I want to learn about you from you. So for each question you answer I will answer one of yours as well."

    "Ok, shoot."

    "What is your favorite color?"

    "Green, same question."

    "Yellow."

    "What is your favorite book?"

    "Oh that is so unfair. You know I am a writer. Ok I will try. Children's book The Giving Tree, Romance novel  Honest Illusions, YA How to Hang a Witch and Classic Dracula. Ok my turn, what is your favorite sport?"

    "Basketball. Same question."    

    "Surprisingly the same. I don't find many men that prefer basketball to football. When was your last relationship?"

    "A few questions in and you start hitting me with the hard ones. My ex and I broke up the night before Miller's wedding, we had only been dating four months and she thought it was wrong of me to ask her to attend a family event so soon. She stated "you are way more serious about this then I am."

    "And were you?"

    "I believe that is another question," he smirks. "But I will answer anyways. I think I was trying to make it more serious than it was. Mostly I have been searching for a great love. Miller isn't the only one who wouldn't mind getting married young. We had a big family growing up and I would like to start a family. I want to love some one and devote my life to them and want the same in return but I didn't feel that with her. Ok your turn same question."

    "My last relationship was when I was eighteen. I was just thinking about it the other day. I can't remember why we broke up, I was in college and my first book had just taken off. Honestly the more I think about it I don't even know if we actually ended things verbally we just drifted apart. Ok here is a big one, how many people have you slept with?"

    "Ow, that is never a good question."

    "Don't be a wimp I won't judge you. That is something I do not like doing. I don't see the sense in judging people, you don't understand their lives or what they have had to live through to be able to judge them accurately."

    "Five. I will elaborate. I lost my virginity at fifteen to Stephanie Ingram. I thought we were soul mates. We dated throughout high school and then before senior prom I caught her hooking up with someone else in the back seat of his car. I have hated Mustang's ever since. In college I slept with two girls. One was a one night stand at a party and I was really drunk and one became another girlfriend that I had for a year. She dumped me before going to graduate school. Then there was my last girlfriend and then you. Same question," he whispered.

    "Four. I lost my virginity at sixteen. He was my boyfriend throughout high school as well and we also broke up due to something going on in the back seat of his car. I had a one night stand in college at a party as well and it's sad to say I don't even remember the guys name I just remember he was from out of state and then my college boyfriend and you. Weird that we have common stories."

    "What college did you go to? NYU?"

    "No actually I went to GSU. I moved to NYC after my book was published."

    "Were you in a sorority?"    

    "No why, do I look like a sorority girl?"

    "No I just am curious because the one night stand I had was at a frat house party at GSU."

    "Wait, what?"

    "I was actually visiting one of my cousins who was in the fraternity and I met a girl with incredible emerald eyes and she bewitched me. She never told me her name."

    "Oh my God, are you joking?"

    "No and the more I think of it the more familiar you are looking. You hair was different back then, not as dark and shorter."    

    "I had fake highlights and It was only to my shoulders. You look nothing like that guy."

    "Well three years ago I had no facial hair, my hair was buzzed short and I had no muscle tone at all."    

    "HOLY s**t!!! That is what he looked like. Oh my God are you serious."

    "You disappeared the next morning I thought I dreamt you up, but my d**k definitely had been inside someone. I could still smell you on the sheets. You know I have spent years thinking that I took advantage of you. I am so sorry. I was so drunk."

    "I wasn't."

    "What do you mean you were drinking with me I remember."

    "I had a few beers but I was drinking water mostly. I think I took advantage of you. You don't know how good it felt to be wanted after having someone cheat on you and you were older too. I was horny and I think I got you drunk so I could ravage your body. I am sorry."

    "The only thing you have to be sorry about is leaving me before I could get your information. I thought about you constantly. I can not believe I didn't recognize you sooner. I am sorry the s*x wasn't that great that you didn't remember me when I took you again three years later."

    "Well I will give you the benefit of the doubt since you were drunk. You more than made up for it the second time around."    

    "Well I guess we get to update our numbers."

    "I guess so. Next question?"

    We spent all night long talking and getting to know each other better. I still couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that this was the guy who I had my one and only one night stand with. I always wondered who he was. The real reason I ran that next morning was because I was scared of rejection. I thought once he saw me sober the next morning he wouldn't like me like he did the night before. My first boyfriend really did a number on my ego. To tell the truth I always felt like he was the one who got away. He was the one guy who caught my interest and I felt an instant connection to and I hadn't ever felt that with anyone but Miller and I felt it again at the wedding.

    We didn't have s*x that night but we fell asleep in each others arms and I felt my heart skip a beat. He stayed for a whole week and we spent every second getting to know each other as much as possible. Sharing our secrets, our deepest hopes and wishes and we made love over and over. I think secretly Marcus was trying to make up for the fact he didn't give me an o****m the first time we slept together in college. By the time he left I was preparing to start a book tour and he was returning to his business and I felt like I was falling in love with him. I just didn't know where it could go when we lived 1700 miles away from one another.

    "Sam, don't freak out, I think I love you. I have only ever said that to my family and my first girlfriend. I don't want to leave."

    "Don't freak but I think I love you back and I don't want you to leave either. I don't know how we can do this. We live so far apart."

    "Hey," he says lifting my chin up so I meet his eyes, "we will figure it all out." Then he crushed his mouth to mine and penetrated my core at the same time. We made slow sweet love and I cried. The next morning he got on his flight.