13. Chapter 13
”Ihave a love-hate relationship with this tiny birthmark on your shoulder,” Sam says, touching it with his thumb.
”What do you mean?” I ask, straightening up on the counter to look directly into his eyes.
”I wanted to touch it but never did. I want to kiss it but never have.”
”One down, one to go,” I say, smiling.
I watch him as he leans his head down and softly kisses my shoulder.
I feel a jolt of electricity course through my body and settle in my chest. The doctor in me says it”s nothing more than my brain signaling my adrenal gland to secrete adrenaline, which quickens my heart rate. The woman in me knows better. This man is reaching a part of my heart that no one has ever touched before.
”Laila,” he says, ”what we have is simple, easy, not complicated.”
”I know,” I say, ”but I want more.”
”I live five thousand miles away,” he reminds me.
”Don”t leave,” I say.
”You”re moving to Boston to begin a new life. It will demand everything from you. I don”t want to be a distraction. There”s a reason why you broke up with Eric. I don”t want to be another casualty on your road to success.”
”Wow,” I say. ”It sounds like you”ve put a lot of thought into this.”
”It”s all I think about,” he says.
”This trip to San Diego,” I begin, ”I don”t want it to be pretend.”
”What are you saying?” he asks.
”Sam, when you touch me, I melt. I love being with you. What that means long-term, I don”t know, but who does? My sister thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with Justin, and he died before their fairy tale ever began.”
He tries to back away, but I reach for his arm.
”Sam,” I whisper, ”please.”
”Laila,” he says, ”what am I going to do with you?”
”I hope you will kiss me.”
”You want me to kiss you,” he says, raising his hand to the crook of my neck.
”Yes, Sam, I want you to kiss me.”
He begins gently stroking my cheek and then my lips with his thumb. I put my hand on his shoulder and close my eyes when his lips finally press against mine. He gives me one, two, three light kisses before I move my hand from his shoulder and wrap it around his neck. I run my fingers through his thick, wavy hair while my lips beg his for more. My whole body responds when he finally gives in and deepens the kiss. This, this is a real kiss. His lips are warm, firm, and sweet. This is what wine must taste like because I feel drunk with the emotions exploding inside me.
When we end the kiss, I open my eyes and say, ”You”re right. You”re definitely fluent in kissing.”
He laughs and wraps his hands around my waist, lifting me off the counter.
”Is this my cue to leave?” I ask.
”I don”t want you to leave,” he says, ”but it”s late. Sharon must be waiting up for you.”
”See you tomorrow,” I say when he walks me to my car.
I wrap my arms around his middle and hug him like I”ve done hundreds of times before.
When he hugs me back, we stand in silence for a few seconds, enjoying the last hug we”ll ever have as just friends. Deep down inside, we both know nothing will ever be the same again.
”Have a good night,” he says, giving me a sweet kiss before opening my car door.
As soon as I get home, I pick up the phone and call Loren.
”I know it”s late, Sis,” I say as soon as she answers. ”Sorry for waking you, but I just have to tell someone.”
”What is it?” asks Loren, half asleep.
”Is everything okay?” I hear Aaron asking in the background.
”Tell him everything”s fine,” I say. ”Are you ready for this?”
”It”s Laila,” Loren tells Aaron, ”I”ll only be a minute.”
”Sam kissed me,” I say. ”Sam kissed me!”
”I”m happy for both of you,” says Loren. ”That”s great. Now go to bed and have a safe trip tomorrow.”
”I love you, Sis,” I say.
”I love you too,” she says.
Before she ends the call, I hear her tell Aaron, ”Sam kissed her!”
Then I hear Aaron ask her, ”Like this?”
I smile and dial Katherine.
Adam picks up on the first ring.
”Sorry to wake you,” I say. ”Can I speak to Katherine?”
”Is everything okay?” he asks.
”Yes, everything”s fine.”
”Katie,” I hear him whisper. ”Babe, it”s your sister.”
”Which one?” I hear Katherine ask groggily.
”Which one do you think?” asks Adam.
”Laila,” Katherine says when she comes on. ”This better be good.”
”Sam kissed me!” I exclaim in the most excited, quiet voice I can muster.
”It”s about time,” she says. ”Who initiated it, you or him?”
”Does it matter?” I ask.
”Well, no, but I”d like to know.”
”I did,” I say.
”How was it?” she asks.
”It was perfect.”
”Good,” says Katherine. ”Call me when you get to San Diego. Good night.”
”Good night,” I say.
Before I end the call, I hear Adam ask, ”So how was it?”
Followed by my sister”s response, ”Here, let me show you.”
In the morning, we stop at the Coffeehouse on our way to pick up Sam and pick up chocolate croissants and coffee for everyone.
When Sam climbs into the car next to me after putting his luggage in the trunk, he leans over and kisses me. I can”t believe this is really happening.
After he puts his seatbelt on, he reaches for my hand.
At the airport, I kiss my parents goodbye. Sam hugs Mom, and when he shakes Dad”s hand, Dad says, ”Take care of my daughter, Son. I expect her to return home in the same exact condition she”s in right now.”
”I”m not a car, Daddy,” I say, laughing.
”You know what I mean, Princess,” says Dad.
”Yes, sir,” says Sam, making direct eye contact with Dad.
”I love you guys,” I say before Sam takes my hand, and we walk into the airport.
We mostly sleep during the flight. I wake up once to find Sam looking at me. ”You”re beautiful,” he says. ”I can”t wait for everyone to meet you.”
When he falls asleep, I do the same thing. I stare at him, taking inventory of his chiseled features: a strong jawline, a slight dimple on his chin, perfect full lips, thick eyebrows, and long eyelashes. He has a sexy scar right above his left eyebrow that he got while playing basketball when another player hit him with an elbow. When I close my eyes, I can see his eyes staring back at me, deep turquoise blue with gold centers. He”s tall, strong, and handsome, and he doesn”t snore.
After landing, we leave the baggage carousel and make our way out of the airport.
Ten minutes pass, and there”s no sign of Sam”s dad.
”You don”t think he forgot about us, do you?”
”No,” Sam says. ”One thing about Dad is that he”s always running five to ten minutes late.”
”It”s part of his charm?” I ask.
Sam laughs and leans over to kiss me.
”Practice,” he says when I smile.
I lean over and kiss him back.
”Practice makes perfect,” I say.
”There he is,” says Sam a few minutes later.
We grab our bags and start walking in his direction.
”Sam!” exclaims his dad as soon as he sees us. I watch father and son embrace and kiss each other on the cheek. Sam”s dad is about six feet tall. He has dark brown hair and eyes, and he is graying at the temples. He”s in great shape. It looks like he came straight from work to pick us up because he”s still wearing a white dress shirt and a loose tie around his neck. Robert is the director of a software development company. It”s true what they say. The apple doesn”t fall far from the tree.
”Dad, this is Laila.”
”Laila,” says Mr. Jameson, ”I”ve heard so much about you. It”s good to finally meet you.”
”Thank you,” I say as he hugs me. ”It”s nice to meet you, too.”
”Everyone”s gathered at the house,” says Robert, ”so let”s get going.”
Sam”s childhood home is a beautiful two-story coastal craftsman in Pacific Beach, a neighborhood in San Diego. The beach is two blocks away. As soon as we pull into the driveway, a woman comes running out of the home to greet us. It must be Sam”s mom because I can immediately see the resemblance. She”s blonde and slender. Her skin is tanned like Sam”s. Her blue eyes are Sam”s eyes, along with her nose and smile. Alice is a jewelry designer who caters to the rich and famous throughout the state.
When Sam gets out of the car, he hugs and kisses his mom.
”It”s so good to see you, Sweetheart,” she says. ”I missed you so much.”
”I missed you too, Mom,” says Sam, walking over to my side of the car. ”I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Laila.”
Sam helps me out of the car, and before I can say a word, Alice hugs me, too. ”Welcome, Laila. It”s so nice to meet you.”
”It”s good to meet you, too,” I say.
When I walk into the house, I”m met with handshakes, hugs, and even a few kisses from so many people. Sam doesn”t leave my side and introduces me to everyone.
”Do you two want something to drink?” asks Ruth, or is this Janice?
”No, I”m fine,” I say. ”Thank you.” She must see the question on my face because she quickly fills in the blank. ”Janice. I”m Sam”s grandma. It”s okay. We don”t expect you to remember all our names right away.”
”Thank you,” I say. ”I appreciate that.”
I meet the immediate family, whose names I know but whose faces are still unknown. I also meet a dozen aunts, uncles, cousins, their spouses, and their kids. I feel dizzy, but Sam is here to put me at ease the whole time.
”You”re tall!” I hear a small voice say. I look down to see a little boy, aged maybe five or six. ”Hi,” I say. ”I”m Laila. What”s your name?”
”Paul,” he says.
”This is my little cousin,” says Sam. ”He”s four, the youngest member of the family, the baby. His mom, Amanda, is over there.”
I look in the direction he”s pointing and see a beautiful, tall woman with a curvy body and curly blond hair. She”s waving at me from the kitchen.
I wave back, hoping I can remember these people and their names five minutes from now.
”Amanda is my first cousin,” says Sam. ”We”re five months apart, and we grew up together, insisting we were siblings until we were six. Our moms are sisters.”
I kneel on one knee and shake Paul”s hand. He looks like Sam. He has dark, wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, a perfect tan, and is tall for his age.
There are multiple tables set up inside the house and on the covered patio outside to accommodate the large group.
The house is spacious, with white walls, grey furnishings, and sea foam green accents throughout. The color reminds me of the sea glass on my nieces” barrettes.
When it”s time to eat, our table out on the patio seats eight. Sam”s maternal grandparents, Martin and Ruth, Amanda, her husband, Nick, and their sons, Nick Junior and Paul, sit with us.
”I see Dad finally got the studio apartment built over the garage,” Sam says, pointing at the two-story building behind the house.
”That”s where your grandma and I stay when we visit,” says Martin.
”Not this week,” says Amanda. ”This week, you”re staying with us, so you two can watch the boys while I help with the wedding.”
”Yeah!” Nick and Paul exclaim.
”Your great grams and gramps must let you stay up late,” says Nick. ”You two get way too excited every time they watch you.”
”We”ll never tell,” says Ruth, smiling and winking at the boys.
”While we”re on the subject,” Sam says, ”I”ll need my room this week so Laila can sleep there. Is it still intact, or has Mom turned it into a jewelry shop?
”No, your room is still there,” says Amanda. ”But Robert and Janice have already claimed it. The guest room is being used as an office, but we put an air mattress in there for Tiffany and Josh.”
”Tiffany is my cousin,” Sam says, ”Amanda”s sister, and Josh is her husband.”
”Son,” says Martin, ”we had the studio professionally cleaned as soon as we heard you and Laila were coming.”
”We put brand new bedding on the bed and new towels in the bathroom,” says Ruth.
Martin digs in his pocket, pulls out a set of keys, and offers them to Sam.
”Grandpa, Laila, and I—” Sam begins, but I put my hand on his arm, and he stops talking.
”It”s okay, Babe,” I say. ”The studio is perfect. Thank you both.”
”Speaking of,” says Amanda, as we watch a couple of teenagers open the sliding glass door and step outside carrying mine and Sam”s luggage.
”Take those upstairs to the studio,” says Martin, handing the keys to one of the teens.