Howie struggled out of a sound sleep as the shrill ringing of the telephone penetrated his dreams. He nudged Dani several times before sighing with exasperation at her lack of response. She was a light sleeper and he knew she had to be awake. His suspicions were confirmed when, as he picked up the receiver, she pulled the blanket up over her head. "Hello?" he said groggily into the phone.
"Howie doing sweetheart?" Laughter followed.
"It's for you," Howie told the lump under the blanket, laying the phone on top of her and snuggling back up to her on the couch. Dani reached for the phone and said grumpily, "Whoever this is, you'd better have a damn good reason for calling at this time of the night!"
"My, my! Aren't we testy this morning? Someone must not have gotten any last night."
"I got plenty. Which is why we're sleeping now. Aside from the fact that it's . . . ." Dani glanced over at the red glare of the clock on her desk , "three in the morning here," she said. "Where in the hell are you, anyway?"
Sam laughed. "I'm in Scotland in a gorgeous castle, in a gorgeous feather bed, with a gorgeous Scot."
"What are you doing there?" Dani asked sleepily as she tried to settle herself back into Howie's arms. More laughter. "Really, Dani. Surely you don't want the details," Sam teased.
"Oh, shut up," Dani told her friend. "What are you doing in Scotland? Besides the Scot," she added quickly before Sam could.
"Just finished an interview with Sir Elton for the magazine. You don't think Sweet D would give me a quote for the article, do you?" Sam asked. "You know, something along the lines about how thrilling it was to perform with him at the Grammys?"
"Ummmm," Dani said, looking over at her lover snoring softly. "I don't think so. When are you coming in?" Sam and Dani had been college roommates and had remained friends ever since. They planned a vacation together every year, usually some place exotic. This year, however, they had decided to just hang out in Orlando, maybe do Disney and some of the other theme parks. Something tame, as Sam had characterized it.
"I should be in sometime on Friday," Sam told her. "I don't know what time though. I'll just take a cab out to the land of the rich and famous," she said laughing. "Mmmm, Ian, you're awake at last," Dani heard Sam purr across the miles. She rolled her eyes. She hoped to God Sam hung up the phone before she got too involved with her Scot. "Gotta go, girl," Sam's voice came from the receiver. "See you Friday," she said before the phone went dead. Dani laughed and shook her head as she reached over Howie to hang up the phone. Sam had always been the adventurous one and Dani never knew what to expect next from her. Her movements roused Howie from his sleep and he wrapped his arms around her, snuggling her close. "So when is she coming in?" he asked sleepily.
"Sometime Friday," Dani told him, already drifting back off to sleep. Howie's eyes popped wide open. "This Friday?" he asked. "I thought it was next Friday."
"Mmm hmm," she replied, "this Friday."
"Shit," Howie swore silently.
Sam stretched out in the bed, the sunlight pouring through the window bathing her in it's warmth. Her Scot was asleep again, his mouth hanging open and saliva running down one corner. Sam sighed. Why did they always look so much better in the dark? Or after a couple of drinks, as had been the case last night. She slid out of the bed, taking the sheet with her and leaving him exposed. Her clothes were strewn across the room along with his and she quickly gathered hers up. She dressed silently, hoping to slip out unnoticed. She supposed she ought to wake him and let him know she was leaving, but it wasn't like she ever planned to see the man again. She probably wouldn't have spent the night with him at all if it hadn't been for his name. McLean. The name she had cried out in passion last night. "You are so pathetic," she told herself. "Get over it. You have got to quit pining over some jerk who didn't even know what a good thing he had."
6 months earlier
Sam sat a table with Dani, sipping her coffee. Catering had outdone itself as usual. They had turned a small backstage room into a mini-restaurant and had set up a wonderful buffet of sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables. Sam was on assignment from the prestigious music industry magazine she worked for to interview the Backstreet Boys. She was one of the best at what she did and was used to be given the choice assignments. This one she didn't consider to be in that category. She would've traded off the article with someone else or refused the assignment outright if it hadn't been for the fact that her best friend was traveling with the band. The two women weren't able to get together as often as they liked because of their hectic schedules and had to make time where they could. Sam personally couldn't stand pop music but since her friend had become deeply involved with one of the group's members, she had been eager to meet the Boys and check them out for herself. And check them out she had. Especially AJ, who until a moment ago had been practically draped over her. As he had left the table, Dani cleared her throat. Sam could tell she was about to go into her lecture mode. "He has a girlfriend, you know."
"Somebody should tell him that," Sam said flippantly.
"He knows," Dani said exasperatedly. "Every time they have a fight, he goes out and picks up another woman. Every 22 year old man gets even by screwing somebody else."
"Well," Sam said, looking for all the world like a cat with a mouthful of cream, "he's certainly good at . . . . .getting even." She ducked as a potato chip came flying at her.
"I should have known," Dani said shaking her head. "You've known him for . . . what? Less than three hours? And you've already been in the sack with him! When did you manage to find time?"
Sam grinned at her. "Alex and I decided to do an . . . . .in-depth. . . .interview."
"Did you at least get anything you could use for the article?" Dani asked.
"Hmmmm. I'm not sure. I'll have to replay the tape and see if there's anything besides 'Oh God!' and 'Come for me baby' on it." Dani's eyes widened. "Tell me you did not tape yourself screwing AJ."
"Not intentionally," Sam said dissolving into laughter. "I really meant to just interview the man. . . . .really!" she insisted at the look of disbelief on Dani's face. "But we started comparing tattoos and one thing led to another. The next thing I knew we were both naked."
You're incorrigible," Dani told her. "When are you going to find somebody to settle down with?" Sam sobered at her comment. "Well, we can't all be as lucky as you and find our Prince Charming." Sam had always envied Dani, first for her intelligence and beauty queen looks and now for her luck in finding love. Sam was the product of an Asian mother and white father. Her looks, which Dani had always insisted were exotic, set her apart from her friends, making it difficult for her to figure out where she fit in. As a result, she tended to validate her self-worth by falling in bed easily with handsome men. At least, that's the way one of her college pysch professors had explained it to her after a particularly kinky love making session.
"Hey, sweetheart," AJ said, breaking into Sam's thoughts as he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. "I've got about thirty minutes," he said looking at his watch, "if you want to finish that interview." He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned at her.
"I would like to, ah . . . .clarify. . . . a few of those points we went over earlier," she
agreed huskily, entwining her arm through his as they headed off to find some privacy.
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