“Okay, now just close your eyes.”

Sam closed her eyes as Brooke hit the play button on the remote. Anti-Zero began to flow from the speakers around their heads. The young woman had never felt anything like what she was experiencing at that moment, and found herself in awe at how well Brooke knew the songs. There wasn’t a beat missed or a time change skipped, making Sam feel like she was in the middle of some vivid, musical dream.

Once the song ended, the blonde turned in Brooke’s arms and kissed her. Brooke swallowed the moan that was forming in her throat, as she placed her drumsticks on the snare and wrapped her arms around Sam.

“Thanks, Brooke. That was incredible.”

Brooke smiled in response and placed her forehead against Sam’s. “See? You can play. It’s as simple as that.”

“Yeah, but only with your lead,” Sam blushed as she spoke.

“I guess you’ll have to…practice, won’t you?”

“Hmmm…Do you know of anyone that would let me use their drums every now and then?” Sam pushed a stray lock of hair out of Brooke’s eyes.

“I’m sure I can think of someone. Hell, I guess I should practice too.”

“Brooke, you’re not the one who needs it.”

The woman laughed at Sam’s comment. “Hell, I haven’t played in well over two years. I can’t believe I still remember how to play those songs.” Brooke closed her eyes, taking in the soft touch of small hands as she felt Sam begin to massage her biceps once again.

“You were amazing, Brooke. Really, I can’t believe how great that sounded. You never missed a beat. You had every fill exactly as Loran played it. Hell, you even got that fancy bit at the end.”

Brooke opened her eyes and looked at Sam. “Well, I like to be thorough when I learn something.” Damn, she noticed. Why not just wave a red flag and say, “Hey, by the way…I’m the drummer you’ve been lusting over since you were in high school.”

“I can see that you’re thorough. Well, if they ever got back together and Loran didn’t want to play, you’d be a great second choice.”

Brooke grimaced then stood up and walked over to the CD player to remove the disc, returning it to its original location. “Yeah, thanks but I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

Sam became worried at her friend’s behavior. “Brooke, did I say something wrong?”

The woman stopped and turned around to smile at Sam. “Not at all, Darlin’.”

“Good, because I didn’t mean to. Hey, why don’t I go make us that dinner I promised?”

“Sounds great. Need some help?” Brooke asked with a wink.

“Only in finding my way around the house and back into the kitchen,” Sam held her hand out to Brooke. “Feel like being a tour guide again?”

“Hmmm…It will cost you.”

“Damn, and I spent all my money at the store.”

“No you didn’t. I’m going to reimburse you for it. I did ask you out, after all.”

Sam responded by shaking her head, “Nope. You paid for the movie. And I offered to make you dinner.”

“Sam, at least let me pay for half of it.”

Once again, Sam shook her head. “No, Brooke. A deal is a deal and we agreed that the next time would be on me, so just live with it. Besides…can’t you think of a better way for me to pay my way?” Sam winked at Brooke.

Grabbing Sam’s hand, Brooke pulled the smaller body against her, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s waist. “Well…it won’t be money.”

Sam tilted her head to the side. “Ooh…so we’re bartering now, are we?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, what’ll it cost me to have you as my very own personal tour guide?” Sam asked as she leaned into Brooke, wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck.

“A kiss.” Brooke leaned over and placed a soft kiss against Sam’s lips.

“Only one?” Sam asked as she placed another kiss to Brooke’s lips.

“Well, I didn’t want it to seem too expensive.”

“It’s a big house, deserving of more than one little kiss.”

Brooke thought for a moment about Sam’s response before seeing the logic in it. “How about a kiss for each floor?”

Sam thought for a moment then nodded her head in agreement as she reached up and kissed Brooke again.

“Mmmm…so this is the floor in the studio.” Brooke stated the obvious before picking Sam up and carrying her out into hall where she kissed the woman again. “This is the floor in the hall.”

Now, Sam caught on to what Brooke was doing and began to laugh.

“And just think, Sam, there’s technically a floor on each step of the staircase.” Brooke wiggled her eyebrows.

“Brooke,” green eyes glared then softened just as quickly, “We’ll never get to eat.”

“Well, I said a kiss for each floor, not for each level.”

Just then, Sam’s stomach began to growl and the smaller woman blushed with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“Okay, let’s feed that monster in there and you can just pay me back later…with interest.”

Sam smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to place one more kiss against Brooke’s lips before heading up the stairs. “Deal.”

Brooke walked Sam back to the kitchen, but never made it through the door. Sam already was chasing her out so the surprise wouldn’t be ruined. Reluctantly, the tall woman gave in and started down the hall with Mario at her heels before turning back around. “But, Sam, you don’t know where anything is.”

“Brooke, I’m a big girl. I think I can find everything.”

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes, but smiled just the same as she went out the door into the backyard to play with the dog.

Sam watched out the kitchen window from time to time as she prepared their dinner. She smiled as she watched Mario chase Brooke around the pool, catch her, and knock the woman onto the ground, where Brooke would rolled over to pin the dog and continue playing with him. Sam noticed a tattoo on the small of Brooke’s back. There was something so familiar about it but she could not figure out why. Shrugging her shoulders, the blonde turned her thoughts back to preparing dinner, never giving the tattoo a second thought.

Sam opened the kitchen window and yelled down to the figure below. “Hey, Brooke. Dinner’s ready. You coming in?”

“Yeah. Be right there.”

Sam closed the window, not wanting to let any more of the air conditioning out than absolutely necessary. She heard the patio door open as Brooke walked inside and down the hall tothe bathroom to wash up. A few minutes later, Brooke walked into the kitchen, crossing over to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.

“I hope you don’t mind… I took a few liberties with your kitchen.” Sam pulled a couple of plates out of one of the cabinets and placed them on the table against the wall.

“Nope. It’s all yours. I don’t tend to use it very often, anyway. It’s kind of a waste for just me and Mario,” Brooke answered as she took the cap off of the water bottle and downed nearly half of the bottle.

“Yeah, I noticed. How many meals have been made in here? Two? Three?” Sam teased as she placed napkins and silverware on the table as well. She had considered setting everything up for dinner in the dining room, but decided that she didn’t want Brooke to get a peek at the surprise.

Brooke looked up to the ceiling in thought. “Uhmm…let’s see… I’ve been here for three years. That doesn’t count, that was microwaveable… ” Brooke continued to think and talk out loud as Sam watched on, amused. “…uhmm…Six.”

“Six? Is that all? Who did the cooking, your Mother?”

Brooke pretended to be hurt by Sam’s question. “No. Actually, I cooked for my Mom, thank you very much.” She nodded her head, proud of the fact. “I just chose not to do it too often. Besides, do you honestly believe that the woman would ever let me, or any of us for that matter, leave home if we couldn’t cook?”

Sam stood with her backside against the countertop of the island and crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing the woman in front of her critically. “You? Cook?” The blonde began to shake her head, “I don’t know about that…”

“Yes, I cook.” Brooke’s eyes glared with defiance, and then she lifted the bottle of water and finished it, placing it on the counter. “Every six months or so she makes me cook dinner for her to prove that I haven’t forgotten how.”

Sam laughed at the defensive tone in Brooke’s voice. “Let me guess, your favorite meal is…breakfast, right?”

“Yes, I do tend to like breakfast. But, I will have you know that I can cook anything you name.” Brooke puffed out her chest, proud of the truth in her previous statement.

The younger woman thought for a moment. “Hmmm…What about squid?” Not that she really wanted any, but just trying to gauge Brooke’s reaction.

“Calamari?” she questioned. “I could but would you really want me to?” Brooke asked as she turned her nose up at the thought.

“No, I was just asking.” Sam smiled as Brooke breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, this smells great. You know you didn’t have to do all this, but I appreciate it. Thank you.”

“Come on and sit down. I made us some steak and baby potatoes.”

Brooke’s eyes grew wide. “How did you know I like steak with baby potatoes? It’s one of my favorites.”

“I didn’t know. You just look like that carnivorous kind,” Sam replied with a wink.

“You have no idea.”

Sam smugly dug into her potatoes, spearing one on her fork. Oh, I think I do.

“Would you like something to drink?” Brooke offered as she opened the refrigerator once more.

“Sure, what do you have?”

“Pretty much anything you could want,” Brooke replied as she bent over to look on the bottom shelf, giving Sam the perfect opportunity to admire her backside. “Sam?”