Just One Reason, page 25
“She broke up with you?”
Sam nodded. “We’d been done for a while…and the actress was hot. I didn’t really blame her.” But that all felt like a different lifetime now. “So what went wrong with you and your exes?”
“With David I always say we were too young to know what we wanted, but the truth is he was too nice and I walked all over him.” She paused. “I’ve started to realize I need a challenge.”
“Someone who frustrates you a little?”
“And tells me what to do,” Terri added. “David and I met in college. I should have dated him and then moved on. Instead, he proposed and I didn’t want to break his heart… We still keep in touch. He’s a dentist down in LA and I’ve gone to see him and his family a couple of times. I love his wife. She bakes cookies and does crafts. About as different from me as you can get.”
“So would you say the ex-wife was the bigger deal?”
“For sure. Kayla and I met at the hospital. She was a resident too.”
“Technically I’m not a resident.”
Terri raised an eyebrow. “Not anymore.”
“Strip. We need to rinse the wetsuits too.”
“You just like to tell me to strip.” But Terri spun around, waiting for Sam to unzip her.
“Why’d you and Kayla not work out?”
Terri peeled off the wetsuit. Underneath she had on a striped white and black bikini and if she wanted to spend the rest of the day only wearing that, Sam wouldn’t complain.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Unless you don’t want to tell me.” Sam held out her hand for Terri’s wetsuit and started rinsing it. She definitely wanted to know, but she didn’t want to push. “There are towels inside if you want to go grab one.”
“I’m fine.” Terri folded her arms. “I’m kind of surprised you didn’t hear the stories. For a while, it was all anyone wanted to gossip about.”
“I heard that you were in some kind of love triangle. Honestly I didn’t really believe it ’cause what people said didn’t really fit with what I knew about you.” Sam unzipped her wetsuit and tugged it off.
“Long story short, Kayla wanted someone more exciting than me. She started sleeping with another one of the residents. Rebecca.” Terri looked over at Sam. “Sorry you asked?”
“Not yet. But do you want to stop there?”
Terri shrugged. “I guess I’d rather you know the whole story. Rebecca wanted us all to have a threesome. Kayla did too. I wanted Kayla to have her fun and decide she liked me better. That’s not how it played out.”
“No wonder you didn’t want to date a resident.” Sam opened the side door and grabbed two towels from the stack she kept by the door. She handed one to Terri and wrapped the other around her waist. “So in the end Kayla picked Rebecca?”
“They lasted about two months. Then Kayla came back with her tail between her legs. Wanted to get back together with me. When I said no, she lost it and started telling everyone what had gone down. Of course she added quite a few fun details that never happened. Apparently I’d made a sex tape of all of us together—and sold it online.”
“Shit. What a mess.”
“Exactly. I started the divorce process and told myself never again.” Terri paused. “The funny thing is, back then I was really only comfortable with vanilla sex, and I was so scared of messing something up that I hardly let myself enjoy it. No way would I have made a sex tape. I barely pulled off the threesome.”
“Huh. You’ve changed.”
“You think?” Terri grinned. “I decided that with the next person I slept with, I’d stop worrying about messing up so much. I wanted to have fun.”
“So basically I had good timing?”
“That and you are so damn sure of yourself that I kind of let myself get swept away. You make me stop thinking so much.”
“From vanilla to ass-slapping and restraints.” Sam clicked her tongue. “You sure you’re okay with everything we’ve been doing?” She thought of the whip and the clamps Terri had picked out. She couldn’t go that far if Terri wasn’t certain it was what she wanted. “I don’t want you to wake up one morning and realize this isn’t really you.”
“This is me.” Terri touched Sam’s wrist and then trailed a light fingertip up her arm. “I’ve never felt sexier. Or more in control. Which I know sounds weird, considering.”
“It’s not weird. I’ll only ever do what you want me to do.”
“I know. Speaking of…” She unwrapped her towel and took a step closer to Sam. “What do I have to do to get you to put on your strap-on tonight?”
“Hmm. Well, for starters, you can stay in that bikini.”
“And?”
“For the rest of the night you do exactly what I tell you to do.”
“That sounds like a perfect evening on a perfect day of vacation. Why didn’t I decide to spend all ten days here?”
“That’s a very good question.” Sam pulled Terri into a kiss. Dinner would have to wait.
Chapter Twenty-nine
“Look at this little one go!” Terri clapped her hand over her mouth as one of the hermit crabs launched himself at another crab. The two tumbled shell over shell into the tide pool with a dramatic mini-splash.
Sam had her camera angled on a group of sea lions basking on a rock not far from where they sat. “I love that everyone else comes here to watch the sea lions and you’re smitten with the hermit crabs.”
“I keep hearing Sebastian from Little Mermaid and wondering if these guys can sing.” One of the crabs with a bright orange shell that had been warily watching Terri since she’d sat down on the rocks scampered a few inches closer. “I think this one likes me. She keeps giving me the eye.”
Sam laughed. “You are so weird sometimes.”
“Which is why you like me.”
“Completely true.” Sam switched out her lens and then scooted back a few feet. She settled back on the rock, lying on her belly with her camera focused on the tide pool.
“Can you take a picture of Shelly?” Terri pointed to the crab that was still eyeing her.
“You named the crab?”
“Of course I named her. Look how beautiful she is.”
Sam snapped a shot and then peeked around the camera at Terri. “It’s nice to know your type. I feel like I can measure up to that.”
“Don’t get too complacent. I like you when you’re trying hard.”
Sam angled her lens on Terri. She snapped a few shots and Terri mostly ignored her, watching the crashing waves, sun glinting on the spray, and then the barking sea lions perched on their rock. Usually she was self-conscious when someone photographed her, but Sam had a way of making her feel like she was only one part of the scene. And she knew Sam didn’t expect her to smile or even necessarily look at the camera.
Last night she’d let Sam shoot her naked. Parts of her were covered by the sheets, but it was the first time she’d ever had someone take a picture when she wasn’t hiding behind any clothes. Although she’d been nervous at first, Sam had quickly relaxed her, talking her through everything. But Sam was like that with everything. Calm and reassuring. She would have made a damn good doctor. Terri sighed. No matter how many times she told herself to let go of it, she still worried Sam was making a mistake. A forty-one million dollar mistake.
Sam put away her camera and her lenses, carefully tucking everything into place in her bag. “Ready for our next stop?”
They’d woken early to surf. After, Sam had made breakfast and with very little effort, Terri had convinced her back into bed before they left the house again. As far as she was concerned, the rest of the day was all bonus, but it was sweet that Sam had an itinerary and wanted to show her the sights.
Terri eyed the orange-shelled hermit crab still peering at her. “It’s gonna be hard leaving Shelly, but I am looking forward to that caramel apple you promised.”
“Sometimes you have to let those hard-to-get girls go.”
Terri shot her a skeptical look. “When have you ever done that?”
“Well, that’s what I’ve been told. Fortunately for you, I don’t like to do what I’m told.” Sam got up and stretched out her hand. “This caramel apple will be every bit as good as you can imagine. Tart apple, sweet caramel, salty nuts… And it’s all on a stick so you can keep your fingers clean. We both know that’s the real reason you like to put everything in your mouth.”
“Sure. That’s the reason.” Terri clasped Sam’s hand, accepting the help up. As soon as she was standing, she leaned close to Sam. “And now I’m going to be thinking of all the other things I’d like in my mouth as I eat that caramel apple.”
“That’s my goal.”
Sam kissed her, silently reminding her as she nipped her lip that it wouldn’t be long before they were back in bed.
* * *
Terri waited for Sam to unlock the front door, eyeing a little hand-painted sign next to the doorbell that read “Paradise is a beach house” along with a sketch of a dog running on the beach. She pointed to the sign. “Did your grandma make that?”
“No…I found it online.”
“You bought it?” Terri laughed. “Okay, didn’t see that coming.”
“Why not? It’s cute. I want a dog like that to take the beach. I’m going to get one when I’m old. He’ll run around chasing sticks and I’ll just sit there smiling.”
“You might already be old enough for that. I mean, you did buy a cute little sign to go over your doorbell.”
Sam’s grin was sheepish. “Remember, I also have a stamp collection.”
Terri opened her mouth in a mock gasp. “How’d I forget about that?”
“My ballroom dance moves were so good you couldn’t remember anything else.” Sam winked. “But it is a little bit like paradise here.”
“True. And someday you should get a dog. You’d be a good dog parent.”
“You think?”
The sincerity in Sam’s question surprised Terri. “Definitely.”
“I never had a dog. When I was a kid, we had these two Siamese cats. They were kind of like dogs I guess. At least that’s what my parents always said whenever I asked for a dog.”
Every time Sam mentioned her parents, she got a clouded look in her eyes. Terri wanted to ask about it, but she got the sense that she’d have to find the right time. “I love dogs. My last one passed a few years ago and I haven’t had the heart to get another. Turbo. I know he’s not resting in peace. That little booger’s probably barking at everyone up in heaven.”
“Turbo? Sounds crazy.”
“Oh, he was. Totally wild. That’s why I loved him.” Terri paused. “What about kids?” It was weird to bring it up except she wanted to know where Sam stood on the subject.
“What about them?”
“Do you want them?”
Sam hesitated. “If I had the choice, I’d definitely pick dogs. But I guess I’m not completely opposed. Do you want kids?”
“No. I thought I did for a while, but it turns out I’m an awesome auntie and dogs are cuter.”
“You had me worried there for a minute.” Sam opened the door. “Probably good to know these things before you get in too deep.”
“How deep?” Terri stepped past her, slipping in a kiss right as Sam started to laugh. The taste of the caramel apple still lingered on her lips, and after one kiss Terri went back for another.
After getting back from the tide pools, they’d walked to a candy shop specializing in caramel apples and all things dentists would hate. The place was dangerously close to Sam’s house, as was the pizza place that they’d gone to for lunch. With all the sex on top of surfing, Terri thought she could eat everything in sight. On Tuesday she’d go back to healthy eating.
Unfortunately Tuesday would come way too soon. She’d had to check her phone to be sure of the day when she’d woken that morning. It was Sunday, which meant she only had one more day with Sam. On Monday she’d leave and she’d wait ’til then to face the fact that she didn’t live in paradise.
Terri followed Sam into the living room which, second only to Sam’s bedroom, had quickly become her favorite place in the house. She loved that Sam didn’t have a television or any screens in the house and instead sat and stared out the window at the ocean.
“I forgot to tell you—I’ve got a shoot at six tonight. It’s right down at the beach. One of my surfing buddy’s kid needs senior portraits. He surfs too so I figured we’d see if there were any waves. I’m hoping to catch some good light right before sunset.” Sam kicked off her sandals and sank down on the couch. “You’re welcome to come, but if you want to stay here and relax that’s fine too.”
“I’d love to watch you work.”
“Really? Okay, cool.”
Sam patted the couch and Terri sat down, snuggling close. She felt a swell of contentment when Sam wrapped her arms around her. “I’m gonna miss this.”
“Then don’t leave,” Sam whispered.
“I’m glad you didn’t cancel the shoot because of me. I’ve been worried that you might have dropped everything so we could hang out. And it’s been lovely but…I know you said you were short on cash.”
“Broke, actually.” Sam sighed. “But not for long. I got plans. Don’t worry. And I have credit cards.”
Since they’d gotten to Santa Cruz, they’d walked everywhere and made all their meals at home. Terri had wondered, but didn’t want to ask, if partly it was because Sam didn’t have any money to go out. And then she felt bad that Sam might be skipping work to spend time with her instead. “You know, I can pay for things for a while. We could go back to splitting when you become that famous photographer.”
Sam shook her head. “I’d rather miss out on something than have you pay for all of it.” She seemed about to say more, but the doorbell interrupted her. She loosened her hold on Terri. “That’s weird. You’re the only person who’s rung my doorbell since I moved in.”
“Maybe a neighbor?”
“Maybe.” Sam got up and went to open the door. “Oh…Hi…Did you not get my message?”
A woman’s voice answered: “He got your message. Whatever your plans were, you can be late.”
From her angle on the couch, Terri couldn’t see who she was talking to. Sam stepped back, opening the door wider, and then shot a look in Terri’s direction. It was hard to decipher much in a quick glance, but Sam’s shoulders had tensed and clearly something was wrong.
A well-dressed older couple, the man in a tan suit and the woman in a dark blue dress with a shawl over her shoulders, entered. Terri immediately stood up. It wasn’t hard to see the family resemblance. Shit. What were Sam’s parents doing here?
“Uh, Mom, Dad, this is Terri. Terri, these are my folks. Lynn and Mark.” Sam turned back to her parents. “Dad, I said I couldn’t do today. You show up anyway?”
Sam’s smoothness had gone out the window. Terri stepped forward. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. Maybe I can get drinks while you talk?”
“That’d be great. I’ll take a seven and seven,” Mark said, loosening his tie.
Sam shook her head. “I don’t have any alcohol. And Terri, you don’t need to get anyone drinks. I think maybe we should go out—”
“Why don’t you have any alcohol?” Lynn interrupted. “Is that why you left the residency? Were you drinking too much?”
“No, Mom. I wasn’t drinking too much.” Sam clenched her jaw.
“We do have Coke and orange juice. And water, of course.” Terri waited for someone to respond. She could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. “Can I get a glass for anyone?”
“We?” Lynn looked from Terri to Sam. “Is she living here? Did you drop out of the residency for her?”
“No.” Sam’s voice was tight. She lowered it even further and added, “Look, can we not do this right now?”
“Do what exactly?” Lynn crossed her arms and with her head cocked, she looked like a force to be reckoned with. “Find out why my daughter is throwing away her future? I think I deserve to know.”
Mark cleared his throat. “I think we all need to sit down and talk.”
“I’ll go for a walk,” Terri suggested.
“That’d be great,” Lynn said, giving Terri a tight-lipped smile.
The dismissive tone in Lynn’s voice made Terri’s skin crawl, but she started toward the door anyway.
“Wait—I don’t want you to leave.” Sam caught Terri’s hand. She glanced at her dad. “You know that dinner we had with Dr. Weiss and his wife? Right after I started the residency?”
Both Lynn and Mark nodded.
“This is Dr. Terri Anderson. The pediatric internist that Dr. Weiss was raving about. The one he said practically ran the whole place. And, yes, she’s my girlfriend.” Sam let go of Terri’s hand. “But she’s not why I left the residency. In fact, if you asked her, she’d be on your side. So don’t fucking stand there judging her, or me, when you have no clue what’s going on.”
“Elizabeth, watch your language,” Mark said. He glanced again at Terri. “This has nothing to do with Elizabeth dating women. Lynn and I have never had a problem with that.”
“The problem is with her throwing her future down the toilet,” Lynn added.
Terri touched Sam’s arm. “I’m going to the kitchen to get everyone water. Maybe you could all sit down and talk?”
Terri took a deep breath when she reached the kitchen. Sam had lowered her voice, but she could still hear her. The tone was unmistakable—she was pissed—but the words were hard to decipher. Terri filled four glasses with ice water. She knew Sam had beer in the house along with a bottle of vodka in the freezer. Her choice to not offer this to her parents would be a question for later. At this rate, Terri was going to have a whole list of questions. When had Sam told her parents about leaving the residency? Her father seemed to be taking the news better than her mother, but no one looked happy.
She headed back to the living room, carefully balancing all four glasses. Sam’s father had sat down in the love seat and Sam was sitting on the couch. Lynn had decided not to sit, apparently, and was in the middle of delivering her assessment on Sam’s current situation.
