AncilI stepped away from the doorway, allowing her space to get in then said cautiously, “Sure, come on in.”
She walked through the door scanning the insides of the house. “I haven’t been in here since your 16th birthday party. The memories.”
“Sam, what do you want?” I asked, my voice monotonous.
“I just came to see how you were doing. I feel like it’s my fault that you’re heartbroken right now. If it weren’t for me, you two wouldn’t have even been in each other’s lives.”
“I’m not heartbroken,” I said. “I’m just disappointed.”
“Disappointed in what?”
“I’m disappointed in myself for losing the best thing I ever had. I knew she was too good to be true,” I said.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It happens to the best of us,” Samantha said, her eyes still scanning the inside of the house.
“Do you think there is still a chance there for me?” I asked.
Samantha sat down on the living room chair and folded her legs, making herself comfortable. “Well, we need to examine your competition. Tom is an internationally known pop heartthrob with millions of dollars in the bank while you are broke, depressed, and emotionally vacant.”
I sighed.
“But there is one thing that you have that Tom doesn’t,” Samantha said.
“And what’s that?” I asked.
“Desperation.”
“Desperation?”
“Yes, desperation. You will stop at nothing to get her back. I mean, you beat up a homeless man just to find her for God’s sake. That’s pretty desperate if you ask me,” Samantha said.
“How do you know about that?” I asked.
“Kate and I still talk. Well, we talked. You seem to be the only one she locked out of her life. Oh, you and her father.”
“I can’t believe that she labeled me just as toxic as her father,” I sighed.
“Toxic. Kate uses that word a lot,” Samantha looked up to the ceiling as if she was reminiscing on all the times she had heard Kate say the word toxic.
“I guess I’m going to just have to move on.” I lamented.
“Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Umm. What?”
“You have something Tom Hiddens doesn’t have. You’re desperate.”
“And Tom isn’t?” I inquired rhetorically.
“Tom is a superstar. He’s more desperate to win a Grammy than he is to be with Kate. I spoke to Kate two days ago and she told me that he and she haven’t spent quality time together since they got back together. Even though his tour has ended, he’s still busy recording and writing music.”
I smiled at the window of opportunity Samantha revealed to me. “So you’re saying that there is still a chance there for me?”
“I’m saying that you only have one thing that Tom Hiddens doesn’t. I’m not saying that there is still a chance for you. Based on Kate’s background and her experiences, I think that the most unforgivable offense to her is abuse, and well, you abused a homeless man. You broke his arm!”
“You’re probably right,” I said.
“Samantha dear, are you spending the day?” My mom came from the kitchen and asked.
“I don’t have anything else to do today.” Samantha paused to assess her thoughts. “My boyfriend’s at a church retreat for the day.”
“And you’re not with him?” My mom asked, watching her keenly.
“I’m not much into the whole holy ghost thing. I’m more a spirit kinda girl,” Samantha quipped.
“Sounds like a good reason,” my mom said with the kind of sarcasm that you had to listen very carefully to notice. She then went back into the kitchen.
Samantha turned back to me and said, “You want to go for a drive?”
“Depends on the location,” I answered.
“When I broke up with Jonathan last year I went to a-“
“Isn’t Jonathan the name of your current boyfriend?” I interrupted.
“No. I mean yes. His name is Jonathan but he’s another Jonathan. My last boyfriend’s name was Jonathan and my current boyfriend’s name is also Jonathan,” Samantha said.
“That’s a lot of Jonathans.”
“Anyway, there is this place that sells a special type of ice cream. It’s an ice cream that has the alcohol level of a typical Champagne.”
“Wow,” I said.
“Yeah, I know right? My friend from college introduced it to me after my breakup and I thought I’d introduce it to you.”
“Well, let’s go.”
