up. They both ordered a beer, then rested their arms casually on the bar top.
“Oh God, that is so good,” Sam said after her first long drink.
“Mmm,” Tori agreed.
“Thank you for doing this. The workout and dinner,” Sam explained. “I really want us to be friends, Tori. I think it’ll make it so much easier to work together.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes.” Samantha leaned her elbows on the table and looked at Tori. “You have to admit, this is much better than arguing and bickering or just plain not talking. Right?”
Tori smiled and nodded.
“I’m serious. You scared the hell out of me that first week, you know.”
“Did I?” She shrugged. “I don’t know why. I was just being me.”
“Were you?” Sam asked. “Who are you being now?”
Tori flicked her gaze at Sam then went back to her beer, draining half of it in one swallow.
“It was like you wanted so badly for me not to like you,” Sam continued. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”
“No one likes me, Sam.”
“I like you.”
“Why?”
Samantha shrugged, then smiled.
“Is it safe to tell you that I had more fun with you the other day than I’ve had in my whole life?”
“In the tunnel?” Tori asked with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah. The tunnel.”
“Fun? You threatened to shoot me several times,” Tori reminded her.
“Oh, I know. At the time, it seemed like a good idea,” Samantha said with a laugh. “In fact, when I think about the water, I imagine it being a pretty aqua blue! Most likely, it was the color of coffee.”
“Most likely.”
“I mean, we were being chased and shot at and then you tried to drown me. Then there was the man-eating rat. Not to mention the thirty-foot drop into the creek.”
“Don’t forget the explosion.”
Samantha laughed. “Yes. The only good thing is I’m not allergic to poison ivy.”
It was Tori’s turn to laugh. “I don’t think you were there long enough to find out. You should have seen your face as you were falling.”
“You should have seen your face when I dunked you under the water,” Sam shot back.
Tori smiled and nodded. Yes, it had been fun. They could have been killed, but it was fun. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had fun.
Chapter Twelve
Sam watched Tori pull away, then followed her onto the street. It was late. After ten. Robert would be furious. But she shrugged. She’d make it up to him. She had been enjoying herself too much to call an end to the evening. Tori had opened up. Not much, but some. She’d talked mostly about her boat. In fact, she’d invited Samantha-and Robert-to join her some weekend. That surprised Sam. She doubted Tori ever invited anyone to do anything with her. She didn’t mention one word about her childhood or family, and Samantha didn’t ask. If Tori wanted to share, she would. Samantha was just thankful they were talking at all. It would make working together so much easier.
Finally, she could put it off no longer. She turned on her cell phone. The insistent beeping told her she had messages. Four of them. She grabbed it and flipped through caller ID. All from Robert. She didn’t bother listening to them. She punched out his number, waiting only one ring before he answered.
“Are you okay?” he asked quickly.
“Of course.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m just leaving Albert’s,” she said.
“Albert’s? What were you doing at Albert’s?”
“We grabbed a burger after our workout. I’m sorry, I didn’t have a chance to call you,” she said, allowing herself that one small lie.
“I’ve been worried. I expected you home hours ago.”
Home?
“Robert, I told you I was going to work out. I didn’t think you’d be waiting for me.”
“I thought you’d be through by seven, at the latest. I waited for you. I thought we could have dinner together,” he said.
She groaned silently. She should have called him.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Do you want me to come
“Oh God, that is so good,” Sam said after her first long drink.
“Mmm,” Tori agreed.
“Thank you for doing this. The workout and dinner,” Sam explained. “I really want us to be friends, Tori. I think it’ll make it so much easier to work together.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes.” Samantha leaned her elbows on the table and looked at Tori. “You have to admit, this is much better than arguing and bickering or just plain not talking. Right?”
Tori smiled and nodded.
“I’m serious. You scared the hell out of me that first week, you know.”
“Did I?” She shrugged. “I don’t know why. I was just being me.”
“Were you?” Sam asked. “Who are you being now?”
Tori flicked her gaze at Sam then went back to her beer, draining half of it in one swallow.
“It was like you wanted so badly for me not to like you,” Sam continued. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”
“No one likes me, Sam.”
“I like you.”
“Why?”
Samantha shrugged, then smiled.
“Is it safe to tell you that I had more fun with you the other day than I’ve had in my whole life?”
“In the tunnel?” Tori asked with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah. The tunnel.”
“Fun? You threatened to shoot me several times,” Tori reminded her.
“Oh, I know. At the time, it seemed like a good idea,” Samantha said with a laugh. “In fact, when I think about the water, I imagine it being a pretty aqua blue! Most likely, it was the color of coffee.”
“Most likely.”
“I mean, we were being chased and shot at and then you tried to drown me. Then there was the man-eating rat. Not to mention the thirty-foot drop into the creek.”
“Don’t forget the explosion.”
Samantha laughed. “Yes. The only good thing is I’m not allergic to poison ivy.”
It was Tori’s turn to laugh. “I don’t think you were there long enough to find out. You should have seen your face as you were falling.”
“You should have seen your face when I dunked you under the water,” Sam shot back.
Tori smiled and nodded. Yes, it had been fun. They could have been killed, but it was fun. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had fun.
Chapter Twelve
Sam watched Tori pull away, then followed her onto the street. It was late. After ten. Robert would be furious. But she shrugged. She’d make it up to him. She had been enjoying herself too much to call an end to the evening. Tori had opened up. Not much, but some. She’d talked mostly about her boat. In fact, she’d invited Samantha-and Robert-to join her some weekend. That surprised Sam. She doubted Tori ever invited anyone to do anything with her. She didn’t mention one word about her childhood or family, and Samantha didn’t ask. If Tori wanted to share, she would. Samantha was just thankful they were talking at all. It would make working together so much easier.
Finally, she could put it off no longer. She turned on her cell phone. The insistent beeping told her she had messages. Four of them. She grabbed it and flipped through caller ID. All from Robert. She didn’t bother listening to them. She punched out his number, waiting only one ring before he answered.
“Are you okay?” he asked quickly.
“Of course.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m just leaving Albert’s,” she said.
“Albert’s? What were you doing at Albert’s?”
“We grabbed a burger after our workout. I’m sorry, I didn’t have a chance to call you,” she said, allowing herself that one small lie.
“I’ve been worried. I expected you home hours ago.”
Home?
“Robert, I told you I was going to work out. I didn’t think you’d be waiting for me.”
“I thought you’d be through by seven, at the latest. I waited for you. I thought we could have dinner together,” he said.
She groaned silently. She should have called him.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Do you want me to come
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