Chapter 5
Sam
Sam had met Alex, Judd, and Cameron while he was in college.
The other three were the closest to each other, but Sam hung out with them a lot, too.
He had met Judd their freshman year, and they hit it off instantly.
They were both artists who also loved going to the gym, so they did a lot of physical things together like rock climbing or mountain biking.
At first, Sam spent less time with Alex and Cameron than he did with Judd, but he had gotten to know them all during their time at college. He and Judd were the closest, but he liked them all, and he was happy about getting this role and doing a good job on this project for Alex.
The shift in timing had made it possible for Sam to do that other movie, and that was the biggest thing that had ever happened to him.
He was just coming off an amazing experience, and now he was doing this one with friends.
Life was good. The storyline of Paths Crossing was based on Alex's real family, and it was special to him. Sam was happy to be a part of it.
He was not disappointed about the charming, gorgeous young woman who was playing opposite him either.
Trinity Banks. She and her sister were both really nice girls who had never acted a day in their lives.
Ty was a spitfire version of her sister, and both of them were friendly and seemed confident in spite of their acting inexperience.
Sam had talked to Ty more, and he really liked her.
He figured they'd get along fine as co-stars.
She had a boyfriend, and it was so serious between them that she refused to do the kissing scenes.
Sam had already met the woman who would stand in for Ty.
Her name was Natalie, and she was a local girl—someone who had come out when Alex and his team held open auditions in Missoula.
Natalie wasn't there hanging out with them tonight, though.
It was just about eight or ten of the main people.
The restaurant had a bar in the back, and there were two pool tables. They had been occupied earlier in the night when they first arrived, but eventually the crew from Paths Crossing took over the first table, and then finally, the second.
"I'm playing the winner," a woman's voice said from behind Sam after he took his shot. He turned to find Ty standing there. She had been at the bar talking to Cameron, and she just walked over. She was smiling at him, and she motioned to the table.
"Those are my quarters," she said. Her smile was mischievous, challenging, and if Sam didn't know any better, he would think she was…
was she flirting? Her eyes sparkled, and she was absolutely captivating.
The two of them held eye contact long enough that he thought maybe her boyfriend situation had changed.
He cleared his throat, glancing at the pool table, toward Ash, who was taking his second shot. "I missed that last shot, but I sank three before that," Sam said, coming to stand next to her.
"Are you just saying that to brag?" she asked.
"No, I'm saying you're probably going to be playing me."
"Hey, I still have a chance here," Ash said defensively. He sank his next shot and made a face at Sam.
"You do not want to get into a smack-talking war with this guy," Cameron said, coming to stand next to Ty and gesturing to Sam.
"You're just salty because I destroyed you so bad," Sam said.
"I only had like four balls still on the table," Cameron insisted, looking at him like he was crazy.
"You're right, you're right, you did really well," Sam said, patting her shoulder and reassuring her. Cameron made a silly face at him, crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out, and Sam made a face back at her.
Ash missed his shot, and Sam shot the next one without hesitating.
He sank his last regular ball, and then he casually pointed to the corner pocket where he easily landed the eight ball, striking the final blow and ending the game.
Ash still had two balls on the table, and he and Sam shook hands when it was over.
Something happened with Judd at the other pool table, and everyone reacted to that.
Sam looked at Ty, who had already picked out her pool cue.
She casually rested it against the table, and she started racking the balls in the wooden triangle.
Sam just watched her, smiling at how confident she was and that she knew how to play pool.
He made a face like he was impressed, and she shrugged.
"I've only thrown sixty-eight college parties," she said.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there with frat boys.
I'd better know how to play a little pool.
Not to brag, but I can handle myself at pretty much all party games," she said, chalking her stick.
"Now, sit me down with an algebra test if you want to see me sweat. "
Sam glanced at Judd's table. He was playing pool with one of Ash's crew, one of the musicians, and something had happened again, and they were replaying some amazing shot.
Sam only vaguely took them in because Ty wasted no time in breaking those pool balls.
She went to the front of the table and only lined up her shot once before letting that handle fly.
"Gaww," Sam said, covering his mouth and gawking at her.
She laughed and pointed at the table. "I think I got one of each, so I'll pick stripes," she said. She lined up a shot and dropped the twelve ball into the side pocket.
"Dang, girl, you don't waste any time," Sam said.
"I'll waste a little now," she said, staring at the table. "I don't really have much. I wanted that cue ball to stop about five inches behind where it did."
"Do you not have anything with that fourteen? No, I guess not," he said, moving to look from a different perspective.
"I’m just going to try for…" She trailed off, taking a shot for the ten in the corner pocket, but it didn't make it in. It settled right next to the opening, and Sam made a sound of disappointment.
"That was a good shot, you almost had it."
"Don't take it easy on me," she said, turning and staring up at him. She was only about a foot away, and there was no denying that he was attracted to her.
"Don't worry, I won't," he said. "I can see how good you are. I'm not going to take it easy."
"I got a little lucky on that break," she said. "Is that where that comes from?" she added, staring off like she was lost in deep thought.
"Is that where what comes from?"
"The phrase lucky break. Is that from pool? Like you're breaking the pool balls, and you got lucky?"
She blinked and stared at him, waiting for his answer, and wearing the most serious expression. The sight tickled Sam, and so did the question. He let out a laugh.
"What?" she said. "That could be where it comes from. But oh, I guess it could be an actor in a breakout role… like lucky breakout role…"
"I actually have no idea," he said, shaking his head at her.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I don't know. It's just cute."
"Oh, it looks like it's from a wishbone," she said, looking at her phone while he took a shot.
Sam missed, and he leaned against the pool table and did the same thing, searching the phrase on his phone as she continued to read hers.
"No, I found somewhere that says billiards is right, too," Sam said. "You might be right. It might be from pool."
"It doesn’t matter," she said, stashing her phone in her back pocket. "Either way, I was lucky on that actual break. They usually don't spread out that much."
"Are you feeling lucky right now? I'm getting scared."
"I'm feeling amazing right now. I feel normal, which is… I can't even tell you how good it feels."
"I heard Judd talking to you about that bourbon."
"It's not just that," she said, shaking her head. "Well, maybe… I don't know… all I know is that I had about eight panic attacks today. I even had one when I first got here tonight. But now I feel so good. I don't know what it is. It's like something was gripping my body, and now it's gone."
"I've had those before," he said.
"You have?" she asked, turning to stare at him.
"Yes. Never eight in one day, but maybe eight total in my life. Is it where you're just in fight or flight?"
"Yeah, but I don't know. I think I get it differently or more extreme than other people.
I'm not sure. Every time I search about it, it's when I'm feeling bad, and then I just get scared and start feeling worse.
" She tilted her head and stared at him with sweet relief and sincerity.
"But right now, my body feels normal, Sam.
I'm so thankful. When I'm feeling good, I'm feeling good, you know?
It's like all the stuff that was scaring me is suddenly no big deal.
I had all these thoughts that were about impending doom, and suddenly they're not there. "
"Well, I'm glad you feel better," he said.
"Thank you, I started to feel better right when we left the ranch earlier…" Ty trailed off like she might finish that sentence, but she didn't. She took a shot, sinking the ball she was aiming for. They went on talking about something else.
That round of pool was the most fun twenty minutes Sam had passed in a long time.
He could easily be smitten with this girl, and he relished that fact because it would make playing this role easy.
He and Ty hung out the rest of the time they were out, which was only an hour or so.
But then they sat next to each other on the way back to the ranch in the car.
They were riding in a car with Judd and Cameron, and ten minutes into the trip home, Cameron figured out that she had left her phone. They turned around, and the four of them were later than the others getting back to the ranch. It didn't matter because they got along so well and were having fun.
Cameron and Judd had to stop at the set building for something, so Sam and Ty ended up walking back to the trailer area alone. They had been talking to each other for the last two hours, and now they had a few more minutes on a path. Sam couldn't help but think that something might happen.
"I know Alex is happy we get along so well," Ty said, glancing at him. It was dark on that path, and they were in a stretch of it that was shielded by trees.
They were alone, and when they came upon a part of the path with uneven ground, she reached out for his arm.
She used a light touch, but she kept her hand there for stability.
She was holding onto his elbow. Her fingertips gently touched the inside of his arm, lightly gripping that sensitive flesh.
Sam was attracted to this woman, and his body responded accordingly.
He didn't react to her touch, but it was difficult because he was hyperaware of it.
She let go once the path cleared, and Sam missed having her hand there. "Sorry," she said. He glanced at her, and she flashed him a smile. "About hanging on to your arm," she clarified, looking adorable.
He shook his head a little. "No, I'm fine with it," he said. He paused and then added, "As long as your boyfriend doesn't mind."
They took a few slow steps in silence before she stopped walking.
He turned to her, and he assumed she would deny having a boyfriend and maybe even kiss him.
Instead, he watched as her face turned to one of extreme dread.
She slapped a hand to her mouth and turned away from him.
It all happened so quickly that he heard the sound of heaving and saw her vomiting before he quite registered what was happening.