Chapter 44

Monday morning came and sunlight reached Sam's eyes, who, hearing her alarm go off, let out a huff. She quieted the alarm with smack. She felt like her head was about to explode.

Little by little she managed to get out of bed and got right into the shower. She took a quick bath feeling all the while as though everything around her was spinning. All of a sudden, flashes of the night before came to her head; her encounter with Alan, Dominik showing up to the bar, all those beers she drank, Alan kissing her…

Her eyes opened in disbelief.

«What the heck happened last night?» she asked.

She went out the bathroom, dressed up as fast as she could, made herself a strong cup of coffee, took an aspirin and rushed to work. When, in reality, all she wanted was to stay in bed and sleep all day.

She showed up to work and put on her uniform. She was a couple minutes late, but Gordon didn't mind. She noticed Carlos staring at her, decided to keep staring. He went out of his way to catch her eye, however, Samanta avoided eye contact with her friend. Dare I say, admirer?

The tension between the two was very strange. Uncomfortable and unnecessary.

«How stupid of me. Now she won't even look at me.» Carlos looked at her and kept thinking «I'm an imbecile. I should have never confessed to her.» The poor boy kept torturing himself all day.

On the other hand, Samanta couldn't bare the shame. She loved her friend, but she felt like just talking to him would lead him on, and, maybe he could mix things up even more. She didn't want that.

*****

Several days went by and Sam didn't hear from Dominik, apart from what was on TV. The German star was facing Cameroon that afternoon, they were winning 3 - 0. With that score, they made it to the next round, the elimination round, as leaders of their group. Most definitely, Dominik had no time to think of her right now, only his precious World Cup.

She didn't hear from Alan either, but that was a relief. The confusion she was in days before took its toll on her. She managed to focus on everything she would have to do, had she been admitted to college in El Cairo. She wanted to be prepared for the best case scenario.

Sadly, her relationship with Carlos only deteriorated in time. Her friend's confession put her in a dilemma. If she talked to him, she would hurt him, but also if she didn't talk to him. She could not make up her mind whether she should treat him like nothing had ever happened, ignoring his feelings for her, knowing that would hurt him, or tell him she didn't feel the same and break his heart for once. Samanta couldn't feel something beyond friendship for him, and she tried.

«Why can't I love him back? Things would be so much easier,» she kept repeating to herself, over and over. Carlos would be the perfect match for her, but there was one thing she knew for sure, the heart wants what it wants.

Rumors of Dominik hanging out with his ex-girlfriend, the current pop sensation, disturbed her a little. Although she would not admit to it, Samanta had very strong feelings for him, but she was so stubborn and proud, she would not give in. She had his number in her phone since the first time he called, but she never dared to even text him. That's how stubborn she was.

“So… is he already dating another woman?” Said Stacy one afternoon, while Samanta was watching parts of the match, on one of the screens Gordon had set up by the counter. Her work mate's voice sounded so petty, Samanta could not help but be disgusted by her, but the best thing to do was to ignore her. And so she did.

Day in and day out, she focused on doing her job, she tried to keep anything and anyone from taking whatever little peace of mind she had left, until one afternoon, Carlos had the courage to come up to her. He needed that closure.

“It's unbelievable how much you're changed, Sam. You won't even look at me anymore. Not even talk to me” were the first things that came out of his mouth.

“Carlos, please, I don't want to…”

“Hurt me? You do that every day, Samanta, with your attitude, with your indifference. I am not even asking you to feel something for me, just stop treating me like a stranger. That's the least you owe me” snapped Carlos and walked away, leaving her with her words in her mouth.

Frustration was part of her life now. She had no idea what to do. She had feelings for somebody who might already have moved on with his life, far away from her. Her best friend confessed to her. And her former boyfriend had returned to shake the foundations of her sanity.

It was almost time to go home and Samanta was getting things ready for tomorrow when…

“Samanta Andrade?” A male voice brought her back from her own thoughts.

She shook her head and looked at the man who had just called her name.

“Yes. Tell me. That's me.”

“I have a package for you. Sign here, please.”

Sam walked up to the man and did as he requested.

“What's that?” Asked Gordon approaching her with curiosity.

Sam shrugged.

“Dunno. Let's find out.”

Samanta opened the box and froze when she saw what was inside. A stunning blue dress with a box of chocolates and a little not that read:

“Please, forgive me! Would you allow me to mend my mistakes? I would love to see you wear this tonight. Is eight pm good for you?”

In that very instant, Sam felt something vibrate in her apron. Her phone. Looking at the screen made her heartbeat increase. When she saw Dominik on that screen, the world faded away around her. Staring at the beautiful present, she took a deep breath and answered.

“Yes, Dominik. I forgive you” she replied.

That was all she wanted. Proof of his feelings.

»That dress is gorgeous. How did you know I love Amaretto? 8 sounds perfect. Are you picking me up?” Sam was elated.

“What? What are you talking about?” Dominik seemed confused.

“Oh, please! You don't need to play dumb. I just got your package and it's beautiful. Really, you shouldn't have.”

“Wait a minute, Samanta.  I have no idea what you are talking about. What package? I was just calling to say hi, asking how you are doing.”

“Bu…but, here it says:” —She took the card— “Forgive me. Give me a chance, blah blah blah”. That wasn't you?

“No” was his short answer.

“Then who…” Sam could not finish her phrase. When she looked up, she found Alan standing on the opposing side of the counter, smiling, pointing at the box in her hands. “Did you like it?” she could read in his lips.

“Must have been that guy kissing you outside your house the other night” snapped Dominik annoyed.

Samanta felt the air escape her lungs inconspicuously.

“What? What did you say?” Was all she could say before Dominik hung up on her.

Must have been that guy kissing you outside your house the other night.

Dominik's voice rumbled inside Samanta's head, like an incessant echo.

«How the hell does he know?» she thought.

Samanta in dismay. She felt as though she had been hit by a train, crushing her, leaving her scattered along the tracks, unable to react, nor move. She was in shock.

«What just happened?». She wondered.

“Did you like it?” Alan's voice was loud and clear.

Samanta tried to put herself together. She shook her head.

“Yes” She looked at Alan, unable to hide her confusion. “Thank you.”

“So? Do I get another chance?” Alan seemed hopeful.

“Alan… I...” Sam was at a loss for words.

Carlos, watching from the distance, frowned seeing how this guy talked to Samanta so casually, almost like…

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he recognized him and smoldering anger took over his body.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” He approached Sam, with a face deformed by anger.

“Carlos!” Samanta's heart beating out of her chest.

“What the hell kind of game are you playing now? Did you forget everything this asshole did to you?”

“I see you haven't changed one bit” Alan glared at Carlos. “Still messing where you're not invited.”

Carlos jumped, attempting to attack Alan, but Samanta managed to hold him.

“Stop!” She screamed. “You should leave, Alan” turning her voice down.

“You didn't answer my question” he said.

“Yes. Ok. Tomorrow, 8pm.” She answered, absentminded. She just wanted him to go and keep Carlos from doing something stupid.

Must have been that guy kissing you outside your house the other night.

Dominik's voice again, making itself present, there, in her mind.

Sam could not seem to put her thoughts in order, she heard Alan but she was not listening, she was acting from plain inertia.

“Samanta!” Alan called her name, firmly.

She looked up to see him, as she held Carlos, huffing and cussing at Alan.

“I'll be there” she said.

“Do you remember? Our spot?” Inquired Alan. Samanta nodded. “See you outside the building. Okay?”

“Alright. Just go” said Sam.

Alan left and Sam let Carlos go, who looked at her, confused.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked. “When did you start meeting with him again?”

“I have not been meeting him. I ran into him last Sunday at the Hard Rock Café.”

“So you decided to hang out with him again? He forced you to an abortion!” Carlos could not help yelling.

Gordon came up to them trying to make peace.

“Alright, kids! You guys are friends. You've known each other for years. You should be there for each other…”

“This is a stranger” said Carlos with disdain. “Not Samanta. The Samanta I know, would never be talking to that punk again” he added, turned around and walked away.

Tears rolled down Samanta's face. The world seemed to be working against her. Everything was happening so fast. Like she was going through a series of unfortunate events.  

Alan came back into her life, resurfacing feelings she thought dead. A part of that great love, that degraded to something so sick, remained inside her . She could not ignore it. Regardless, Dominik Weigand came into her life, proving her there was another kind of love. Sweet love, unconditioned and not pretending to be something it was not. A feeling so pure she always smiled at the simple thought of it.

Must have been that guy kissing you outside your house the other night.

How the hell did Dominik know?

She could not explain that.

She took her phone and tried calling him back, but to no avail.