Grinning openly now, Pinky goads, "Yeah, she
told me to make sure you don't go into work. She said you may be in
extreme danger." Pinky is curious about Stumps reaction. It is not
at all what he expected. He thought Stump would be furious, not act
mortified. He asks concerned, "Hey man, are you all right?"
Stump nods, his stomach churning with guilt.
"I'm not feeling well today, that's all."
******
When Samantha finishes her early morning
class at the park she speeds to the Rock Springs Ranch as fast as
she can to speak with Stump. She has to be back at Mel's in a few
short hours for her undercover shift. She is extremely nervous
about admitting her ploy to him. He is sure to make fun of her but
she really doesn't have any other options. She hopes she can talk
to him in private and that he won't tell the other guys. She'll be
mortified! Samantha, what you did was wrong! It's time for you to
grow up and face the music! Plus you need to make sure he knows
that those guys drugged him last night. You don't want him getting
hurt, do you?
She slides to a stop in the parking area used
by the Drake Security team, bounds up the stairs and crashes
through the office door without knocking. Her heart is pounding
with dread. Stump is sitting on the long sofa sipping a soda and
talking to Pinky. When he spies Sam all of the color drains out of
his face.
Stump feels the color leave his face and
horrifyingly his member once again springs to attention. He thinks,
Oh God! What's she doing here? Is she going to tell the guys I took
her virginity? What if she accuses him of raping her? What will the
guys think then? Oh God, why can't he remember what happened last
night? His stomach twists painfully.
Bear, Stump's father, is sitting in the
corner observing the scene. He has been worried about Rance ever
since he walked in the door this morning. He doesn't look well and
he is acting very strange. Now, with Samantha here, he looks even
sicker, almost like he is terrified of her. What in the world is
going on?
Sam makes a bee line to where he's sitting
and says, "Stump, we need to talk."
She notices that he actually turns even
whiter and looks like he may faint. Guilt shadows his eyes. What's
wrong with him? This is certainly not the reaction she expected!
She thought he would be furious, what's going on here?
Stump thinks, Oh God! Is she going to accuse
me right here in front of all the guys? His heart is pounding with
dread and he breaks out into a cold sweat.
She pauses, thinks, and then continues,
"...about your being drugged last night."
A look of relief slides across his face and
he asks, "I was drugged last night?" What's she talking about? Was
he really drugged? Stop it man! That's no excuse for what you
did!
Shaking her head in disgust she says, "Don't
tell me you didn't realize someone slipped something in your drink!
How many times do you get falling down drunk after two beers?"
Offended by her accusations, he says, "You
weren't even at Mel's last night. How do you know I got falling
down drunk ... unless maybe you're the one that slipped something
in my drink?" Stump surmises slipping easily into his usually
antagonistic attitude toward Samantha. If she drugged him that will
give him a reasonable excuse for his actions, won't it?
"How dare you accuse me of drugging you? You
pig! I'm the one that saved your good for nothing hide! You'd be
bear food by now if not for me!" yells Sam falling into her usual
rebellious attitude toward Stump. She's not about to apologize to
this callous ignorant man! Damn him!
Scoot is just entering the office and
immediately intervenes, "What's going on here? Calm down Sam! Tell
me what's happened." Damn! What is he going to do with these two?
They are going to send him to an early grave for sure!
Pacing angrily back and forth in the office
while all of the Drake Security team looks on curiously, Sam takes
a deep, calming breath and then tells her story. The pig! She
should have left him to Zeke and Jeb!
"Last night, I was at home minding my own
business. It was my night off and I was planning on curling up in
bed with a good mystery when Jim called me from Mel's. He said that
Stump was really drunk and he thought the guys he was with, Zeke
and Jeb, had drugged him. He also said that he overheard them
talking about feeding Stump to the bears. So, like a fool, I went
over to the bar and dragged him out of the place and back to my
apartment, not an easy task I might add. I think they have made him
as a plant."
Scoot looks at Stump and asks, "Well? What do
you remember?"
Looking extremely guilty and turning a bright
shade of red Stump says, "To be honest, I don't remember much. I
remember going to the bar, I remember drinking the first beer and
eating my burger and fries. I remember ordering a second beer and
that's about it ... at least until I woke up this morning at Sam's.
She was already gone to work." Oh God! Did she really save his
hide? That would explain how he ended up in her apartment. It still
doesn't excuse his taking her virginity. Damn! Why is she sparing
him in front of the others? Why isn't she flailing him with
accusations or accusing him of raping her?
Bear, Stump's father, is observing the scene
from the corner and he knows by looking at his son that he is
lying. He just doesn't know why. This is not at all like his
son.
Scoot says, "Well Sam, I, for one, thank you
for getting Stump out of the bar. It sounds like he could have been
in serious trouble except for your intervention. I am concerned
that you may have also blown your cover."
"Me? Why would you think that? Is it unusual
for a cocktail waitress to take a customer home with her?" asks Sam
amazed that he would even suggest that.
"No, it's not unusual. I guess it would
entirely depend on how you dress when you wait tables and how you
looked when you went into the bar to get him," replies Scoot.
Stump, extremely confused, speaks up, "Sam
doesn't wait tables at Mel's." Then a horrifying thought strikes
him and he says, "No! Don't tell me that you're Susie, the blonde
cocktail waitress?" Oh God! How much worse can this get?
"The one and only, are you surprised Sugar?"
replies Sam in her deep southern drawl. Now that is a little reward
for all this trouble! The pig! That look of surprise is worth
losing a few arguments to him!
Stump turns a pasty white and says, "More
like floored! You sure had me fooled. Damn! I've even been flirting
with you!" Oh Lord! He's not ever going to live this down!
Grinning Sam says, "I'd say it was a lot more
than flirting! It serves you right, you male chauvinist pig! I have
to go. I have to be at Mel's in a couple of hours. See ya!" She
heads down the stairs and back to her apartment to apply the layers
of makeup she'll need to cover her lack of sleep before she goes to
work. That pig! It'll be a cold day in hell before she apologizes
to him for anything! She grins to herself. That look, she loved
that look of surprise! It serves him right!
Pinky curiously asks, "You're kidding, you
knew it was Sam all along, didn't you?"
Looking extremely embarrassed, Stumps says,
"No, you wouldn't recognize her either. The woman has beautiful
long blonde hair falling in curls around her shoulders, sparkling
eyes almost as blue as Skye's, and a set of breasts that any woman
would be envious of and she talks with that really sexy southern
drawl." Shaking his head he continues, "I still don't believe it's
really Sam."
Bear is sitting in the corner enjoying the
scene. It sounds like Rance's subconscious recognizes the
attraction between him and Sam even if he is too stubborn to see
it. He loves it!
Scoot cuts his eyes over at Bear who is
obviously laughing behind his hand and gives him a dirty look. Then
he looks back at Stump and emphasizes, "Well, you better believe me
when I tell you, it's really Sam! Maybe she's got some nice traits
that you can't see because you're blinded by your hatred! Now, what
did you find out about the mine before last night? Is there
anything useful or do we need a new plan?"
Shaking his head in frustration Stump says,
"We need a new plan. Those guys are tight lipped. At least they
were around me. Maybe Jim will let us put some bugs around in the
bar. If we use the adhesive tape kind we could put them underneath
all the tables and pick up any conversations going on."
Scoot says, "That's a good idea. I'll give
him a call. Then Goose can go as a repair man before he opens up
tomorrow and sneak the bugs in and maybe a couple of the hidden
cameras too."
A little while later Scoot says, "All right,
we're all set for Goose to go tomorrow and install the bugs and two
of the hidden cameras. Jim said it was fine with him as long as
when this is over we leave them so he can monitor the conversations
in his place. I told him I didn't want to know. In the mean time,
Stump, you need to lay low. Jim confirmed everything Sam said
happened."
Stump is feeling really sick and his stomach
is rolling and rolling so he goes into his bedroom, shuts the door,
and sinks down on the bed. Now not only does he need to apologize
to the obnoxious woman for taking her virginity, he owes her his
life too. Damn!
How did he get into this mess? He wonders if
his body thought he was making love to Susie last night, not Sam.
At least that makes him feel a little better. It doesn't change the
fact she was a virgin or that they didn't use protection. Oh God,
what's he going to do if she's pregnant? He hangs his head between
his knees trying to stop the rolling in his stomach. He still
doesn't understand why she didn't accuse him in front of the
others. That would have been just like the Sam he thought he
knew.
After a while Bear knocks on Stump's door.
Stump moans, "Yeah, come in."
Bear walks into the room and finds Stump
lying on the bed, as white as the sheets. He closes the door and
sits down in the one chair in the room and he says, "All right,
Son, tell me what happened last night. I know you were lying
earlier. Now tell me why."
A tear slides out of Stump's eye and he
brushes it away then says, "I wasn't lying, Dad. Everything I said
was true." He hesitates then says, "It was all true as far as it
went. Oh Dad, I really messed up this time. Sam and I had sex last
night. What's worse, she was a virgin! In my defense, I didn't know
until this morning it was Sam or even who the woman was. I mean,
the first time I thought I was having a really erotic dream. I
guess I was still under the influence of the drugs. Then the second
time, it was dark as pitch and she was so warm and so responsive I
just got carried away. Then this morning I saw the blood on the
sheets and then I found a bill in the desk with Sam's name on it.
Oh God, Dad, what am I going to do?"
Bear calmly asks, "Did you use
protection?"
Stump shakes his head, "I don't think so. I
didn't find any empty packaging anywhere around this morning and I
don't remember using any."
Bear says, "Well, then you're going to be the
man your mother raised you to be and face this head on, that's
what. To be perfectly honest with you I'm not surprised. Sparks
have been flying between the two of you since the first day you
met. It was inevitable that you would end up in bed."
Stump protests, "But Dad, I don't even like
the woman. She drives me insane!"
Bear replies, "It sounds to me like you liked
her well enough last night. You had sex with her twice. Men don't
usually get it up with women they don't like."
Stump grudgingly agrees, "That's true and the
sex was magnificent. I've never enjoyed a woman more. I just don't
understand why it has to be her. She is such an obnoxious know it
all."
Bear patiently explains, "Maybe you just
don't know her. Give her a chance Son, she's not so bad. You said
yourself that she is gorgeous when she's, what was it? ... Susie?
You also seem to like this Susie quite a lot."
Stump nods his head in acknowledgement. His
Dad is right. He has to face this head on. It's the only honorable
thing for him to do.
Later that evening when Zeke and Jeb walk
into Mel's Bar, Zeke hollers at Sam, "Hey Susie, what happened to
your boyfriend? He didn't show up for work today."
Giving them a dirty look Sam says, "I don't
know. When I woke up this morning the creep was gone. What's worse,
he took all my tip money!"
Jeb says, "That's what you get for taking up
with a tramp like him. They are only interested in what they can
get from a pretty woman like you. Judging by all those muscles, he
is probably fresh out of prison anyway. Now if you wanted to spend
some time with Zeke and me, we know how to treat a lady."
Sam says innocently, "I'll just bet you do.
What can I get you fellas today?
Zeke says, "I'll have my usual. Jeb what do
you want?"
Jeb says, "I'll have my usual too."
When Sam's shift is over at Mel's that night,
she is getting ready to leave when Jim says, "Susie, hang on, I
think I should walk you home tonight. I don't think you need to be
out by yourself this late after what happened last night."
She looks at him questioningly her heart
pounding with fear and says, "Do you really think I might be in
danger?"
Jim says, "Well, I don't know for sure. I
know those two weren't happy when you waltzed in here last night
and hauled that Kincaid fellow out of here. They might not have
bought your story. I don't' trust them at all and I just would feel
better if you'd let me walk you home, all right?"
As Sam and Jim are walking across the parking
lot toward Sam's apartment, she sees the two construction worker's
truck sitting down the street in the next block with its lights
out. She says, "Jim, that's their truck down in the next block with
its lights off. You could be right. They may be waiting for me.
Thanks for walking me home."