“But if it means that much to you…”
She raised her hand, cutting him off before he could say more. “No. No—you’re right.” Her brows pulled together and she looked down at the table. “This is a big deal.” It had been his dream forever. She couldn’t bear the thought of taking that away from him. “I’m being selfish. You can’t pass this up. You can’t.”
He took her hand, pulling it forwards again until she rose slightly from her seat. “Are you sure?”
She swallowed, looking him dead in the eye. “Positive.”
He lifted her fingers, pausing briefly before kissing each one. “I already have my pinstriped suit at the cleaners and a flight booked for Friday afternoon. You won’t miss me, baby. I promise.”
He finally released her hand, allowing her bottom to settle comfortably on the soft, cushioned chair. She took a deep breath, hoping the action would cause her heart to slow to a normal speed, then opened the menu. “Good.”
The rest of the evening went by without any surprises. It was filled with conversation, mostly about Steven and his news about the new position: the recognition, the honor. And like before, he reminded her of how rare an opportunity his internship truly was.
Connor and Associates was the most prestigious Law Firm in Los Angeles, representatives of the rich, the famous, and the top secret. They allowed exactly five openings outside of Ivy League schools per year. Five. Which meant that Steven, who graduated summa cum laude out of UCLA’s law program and would have a bright future ahead of him no matter where he went, had just had the granddaddy of opportunities fall into his lap. This opening would never come again. There was no question about it.
The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became, and Samantha loved it. To watch his face glow. To see him actually giddy with excitement, like he’d gotten an autograph from his boyhood idol—or better yet, been asked to play in a game with his favorite team. It was awesome, because she’d practically grown up with Steven…and he was her best friend outside of Renee. Samantha was proud and excited for him, and she wouldn’t let her disappointment diminish that.
It was late that evening when Steven finally pulled alongside the curb outside of Samantha’s apartment. She leaned forward, fetching her bag from the floor of his Prius where the long strap had somehow gotten tangled around her foot.
“Are you sure you’re not mad at me about the trip?” Steven asked.
He normally wasn’t so considerate, and the fact that he was made her glance up, finding him subdued and contemplative. She untangled the strap of her bag, took her time slowly rising in her seat, and narrowed her eyes “You mean about the internship? No, why would I be?”
He lifted his shoulders. “You said everyone was expecting me.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking down to her lap before responding. “They’ll get over it.”
“Will you?”
She met his kind brown eyes that were honest and sincere. “It’s a gift, in a way.”
His eyes narrowed, but he adjusted in his seat to humor her. “How so?”
“Ammunition.”
“Ammunition?”
“Yep. I’ll be able to hold this over your head for all eternity.”
He laughed. “Is that right?”
“It will go something like this: ‘Honey, I want a new car… Oh, and do you remember that time you ditched me?’, or ‘Steven, go get ice-cream, oh yeah, and do you remember that time you forced me to drive cross-country alone?” Samantha beamed. “See, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.”
Steven shook his head, leaning forward to take her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “And I’ll give you everything, Sammie,” he whispered. “Not because I ditched you, but because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, reached for the automatic locks, and unlocked the door. “Now get out of my car so I can get some shut-eye!”
She smiled and leaned back in the seat.
“You think I’m joking,” he began again, “but I need to be at work in eight hours.” He leaned across the passenger seat and shoved the door open.
“On a Saturday, really?”
“They’re working on a big project and I said I’d help.” He raised his chin to the door and widened his eyes.
“Okay, okay…” Samantha laughed, dragging the strap of her messenger bag over her head before climbing out of the car. “Call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes.”
“Will do.” He smiled. “Now get your cute butt upstairs.”