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Samantha pulled her jazz shoes off and tossed them into her bag. For a moment, she wished she could get out of there without putting shoes on. It had been a few weeks, but getting used to the rehearsal schedule just wasn’t happening. The rehearsals were nothing in comparison to small, community theater.
She’d made plans to meet Meka but was already regretting it. It felt like forever since she’d seen her friend, but she wished she had set aside time for herself. Every time she made plans, she felt instant regret, even though everything was always fine once she got there.
Samantha walked through the doors of the dive bar around the corner from her building. At least she was close to home. It wasn’t a place she would have picked, but it wasn’t bad once she was inside. She immediately spotted her friend sitting at a table in the corner. Meka stood and waved excitedly.
“Sam!” she greeted. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. What are you drinking?”
Samantha hung her bag on the back of the chair. “Hey, girl. I’m on a health kick. One glass of red wine a week max is my limit.”
Meka flagged down a server. “Two glasses of Zin and a basket of fried zucchini, please.”
The server nodded before he disappeared. Samantha took a moment to look around. The bar was much nicer on the inside than she thought it would be. There were several high tables across from the bar and decorative lights everywhere she looked.
“Now catch me up. How are rehearsals? How is Bryce? How’s life?”
Samantha had hoped her friend would take a moment before cutting to the chase. “Good. Everything is good.”
Meka rested her chin on her closed fist and smiled. “How’s that rehearsal schedule? I know it must be crazy.”
“Girl. I am beat. I know this is all I ever wanted, but I’m so tired.”
Meka’s smile somehow grew larger. “You’ll get used to it. Now tell me about Bryce.”
“How do you know there’s anything to tell?”
“Listen. I could feel the chemistry between you two. And don’t think I forgot about the hot bathtub kiss. Have you seen him lately?”
Samantha couldn’t decide how honest she wanted to be with her friend. She did need an unbiased opinion. She had been mostly talking to Rayelle, who would certainly be biased.
“We had sex.”
Samantha watched as her friend nearly knocked her drink over in surprise. Her expression went from shock to pure curiosity. “How was it?”
Samamtha’s face split into a grin. “It was amazing. I wasn’t going to tell you, but it was amazing. I almost can’t even describe it. It was hot as hell, but he was so careful with me. I would have done anything he asked me to do.”
Meka raised her glass in a toast. Samantha had a hard time not going into detail. She really would have done anything he asked. Things weren’t awkward or clumsy. He said all the right things and touched all the right places. The only snag had been when she came into the kitchen to find him cooking breakfast. Her stupid brain had gone straight to one of the last interactions she had with Brandon. Even knowing Bryce wasn’t the same man, she had a hard time shaking the memories of Brandon taking what she hadn’t been willing to give.
“From the look on your face, I’ll assume it was better than amazing,” Meka said with a grin.
Samantha’s face heated with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious. “Anyway, what’s new with you? I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”
“Nothing is new with me. The Nook is still the same and my daughter still gives me gray hairs. Now, back to Bryce. You can’t just tell me you had amazing sex and then change the subject. Start from the beginning.”
Samantha shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was beyond out of practice with that kind of girl talk. Once again, she had to remind herself that Bryce was not Brandon, so she didn’t have to worry about everything she said. She could be herself and talk about what she wanted to talk about.
“The beginning, huh?” She paused while the server placed their food on the table. “It sounds really bad if I break it down.”
Meka took a bite of zucchini and then gestured with the remainder of it still in her hand. “You’re too hard on yourself. I’m not the bedroom police. Who am I to judge anyone?”
“Well, there isn’t much to say. Last time I saw you I was freaking out because we kissed. Then the next time I saw him we got down and dirty. That really does sound terrible.”
Meka pushed the basket in front of Samantha, encouraging her to eat. “It’s a veggie and veggies are healthy so eat up. And stop beating yourself up. I can’t tell you how many men I’ve slept with within the first couple dates. I would if I could remember though.”
Samantha laughed. Hearing that tidbit made her relax. She was being hard on herself. Avoiding Meka because she thought she would judge her was ridiculous. Of all the things they’d talked about over the years, her friend never once looked at her any differently.
“Okay, I guess it isn’t so bad if we pretend we’re just two single people.”
“Samantha. You are just two single people. You didn’t know each other as in-laws. Allow yourself to be happy. Even if you did know each other before, you aren’t doing anything wrong. Am I the reason you aren’t with him right this second? I know how busy you are and would not be offended if you want to cut this night short for some more amazing sex.”
