Feeling her anger soaring to new heights, Brooke wanted to shout at the ignorance of Sam’s parents. Knowing that it would do Sam no good, she decided on a different tactic. She walked over and sat next to Sam, pulling the blonde into her arms. “You and I both know that’s bullshit.” Large hands tried to soothe the body that they rubbed over, “I’m sure she misses you. Sam, look at me…” Brooke waited for Sam to look up into her eyes. “I’m here for you, Darlin’. I love you.”

Sam smiled and closed her eyes, hugging Brooke tighter. “I know…” she whispered, “I know and I love you right back for it.”

They sat there for a few minutes just letting the soothing power of love help to heal old wounds. Brooke glanced at the walls, noticing the lack of posters. She decided that it was time to change the subject. “Hey, you took some posters down.”

Sam sighed as she looked at the mostly bare wall. “Yeah, I guess I’m starting to really feel grown up. Loran doesn’t rule my life anymore.” She paused just long enough to look into Brooke’s blue orbs, “You do.” Sam saw the questioning look in Brooke’s eyes. “You’re someone that I can hold on to…” and she did so to show what she meant by it, “not a dream.”

Brooke smiled as she kissed Sam on her forehead. “Hey…you ready to get out of here?”

Sam shook her head in the negative. “No. I think I need another kiss or two for the road. It’s a long drive to your house.”

The dark-haired woman winked and leaned into Sam. “Now that…I can do.”

The two women drove to Brooke’s house, making small talk along the way. As they were approaching the exit, Sam brought up the subject of dinner. “You wanna pick up some pizza and make it an easy night for us?” She asked as she turned to face the driver.

“Yeah, that sounds fine. Should we pick it up or order in?”

“Well…if we order it now, it will meet us at the door. That way we can get home faster and not have to worry about being disturbed,” Sam finished her statement by running her hand lightly up Brooke’s tanned arm and underneath the sleeve of the T-shirt.

Slowing the 300Z as they approached a red light, Brooke looked down at the hand under her sleeve, then up into twinkling green eyes. With a grin in Sam’s direction, she said, “Great idea.” She handed the younger woman her cell phone. “If you’d like to go ahead and call, press memory, then number 5. Just mention my name and they’ll know what to send.”

Sam took the cell phone from Brooke and pressed the appropriate buttons. “You eat pizza a lot, don’t you?”

Brooke looked over briefly before driving away from the light. Sheepishly, she answered, “Yeah. I guess I do. Is there anything else you would like before we get there?”

“Nothing that I can’t get from you.” Sam laughed to herself and winked at Brooke as she began to place their order. “Yes, I’m calling for Brooke Gordon. She’d like to have her usual delivered. How long will that be?” She looked over at Brooke for her approval as she repeated, “Twenty minutes?” At Brooke’s nod, she answered, “That sounds good. She’ll be there by then. Thanks.”

Sam disconnected the call and placed the cell phone in the console between them. “So, now I get to find out what you’re made out of.”

Brooke arched an eyebrow at Sam. “Oh, you do now, do you?”

“Yep. In more ways that just one,” Sam answered readily.

“Is that a promise?”

“I don’t know…would you like it to be?” The blonde taunted her right back and watched as Brooke’s only reply was a blinding smile. Sam smiled back then turned her gaze to look out the side window. She blushed with the realization that kissing was not the only thing on her mind.

The remainder of the drive was silent, other than the low volume of the radio. Brooke was amazed that she wasn’t uncomfortable with the silence at all. In fact, she was beginning to realize that a lot of things about her growing relationship with the young student were amazing, in a very pleasant way.

Just as they pulled into the driveway and parked, the pizza was delivered. Brooke stepped out of the car and approached the driver. She paid the driver and relieved him of his cargo. Taking off up the steps, she quickly opened the door with her skilled fingers on the touch pad, entering the security code.

Pushing the unlocked door open, she whistled for her pet, Mario.

“Brace yourself…he’s coming,” she told Sam, holding the door open wide for the husky to come flying through to greet Sam.

“Well, if it isn’t my sleeping buddy,” Sam stated as she got down on her knees in the gravel to be greeted by her furry friend. Mario licked her face at the attention he was receiving and wagged his tail anxiously. “How ya doing boy? Are we gonna sleep together tonight?” She smiled as he pawed at her shirt and responded with a quiet bark. “I guess that means we are.” Sam smiled and stood up, brushing the dust from her knees. “I guess he does like me, huh?” She directed the question to the woman in the doorway.

Brooke turned around and smiled. “Yeah, he does. He’s been moping around all week without you here. Sam,” Brooke added with a wink, “What did you do to my dog?”

Sam picked up her overnight bag and walked up the steps to Brooke, Mario prancing right behind her. “I don’t know. I guess maybe he fell in love with me too, just like his owner did.”

“Well, he’ll have to get in line.” She glared at the dog, “And I think he’s got a long wait in store for him.” Brooke turned around and walked into the house, making her way to the kitchen.

“Line? What line? I’m not into multiples,” Sam called out as she shut the front door and followed Brooke.

“Good thing,” Brooke answered. “Because I don’t like to share. Come on, I’m starved!” Brooke placed the pizza box on the table.

Sam nodded her head and scratched Mario once more before washing her hands and grabbing some plates from the cupboard.

“Don’t forget to grab a third plate. Mario gets some, too.” The dark-haired woman opened the box and leaned into sniff the aroma. “Ah…just the way I like it.”

“Brooke, you do know that’s not good for dogs, right?” Sam frowned as she placed two plates on the table while Brooke got down on the floor with Mario, scratching him behind his ears.

“No, Sam…he gets his food on a plate with us, dontcha boy?” Brooke turned her attention back to her furry friend as she scratched him while he basked in all the attention his mistress bestowed on him.

“Oh…you had me scared for a minute.”

Brooke stood up and looked at Sam. “Are you kidding me? Hell, I gave him a bite of pizza once when he was a puppy and he had the shits for two days.”

“I told you it wasn’t good for him.” Sam took on a mocking glare.

The tall woman began to chuckle. “Wanna see something funny?”

Sam shrugged her shoulders, “Sure… what?”

Leaning her back against the wall, Brooke crossed her arms over her chest. “Put a plate on the floor for him,” she directed. “Then open the latch on that bottom cabinet and tell him to get his dinner.”

The blonde looked back and forth between Brooke and the dog. She reached up and grabbed a third plate, placing it on the floor near the dog. Sam looked up at Brooke who smiled and nodded her head. “Mario…” Sam smiled when the husky looked up at her, then she unlatched the bottom cabinet and stood back saying, “Get your dinner.”

Mario pushed the cabinet door open further and sniffed each of the dog food bags inside. After a few seconds, he went back to one bag in particular and grabbed it between his teeth. He pulled the bag out and dragged it to his plate, knocking some food over onto it.

“Okay, Mario, that’s enough,” Brooke said from her position against the wall as Sam’s smile turned into a laugh. Mario picked the bag back up between his teeth and put it back under the counter.

Brooke walked over as he stood waiting for the command to eat. She leaned down and scratched him behind his ears. “Good Boy, go eat.”

“Do you have all the animals trained that live with you?”

“Well, since Mario is the only one who lives with me, then…yes. I guess I do,” Brooke answered as she looked up at Sam and smiled.

“I guess you’re pretty used to each other, huh?”

“Yep. So whatcha wanna do tonight?” Brooke stood up and walked over towards Sam.

“I…I dunno…” Sam stuttered out, nervously, “I was thinking…we could…ah, maybe find something to watch on TV…or maybe…” the blonde finally just gave up. “Gee I don’t know, Brooke…what do you want to do?”

“Well,” Brooke began as she wrapped her arms around Sam and pulled the smaller woman in for a hug. “We don’t really have to decorate for the party until tomorrow, so…” the tall woman’s smile got bigger. “We have the night all to ourselves. I figured that we could use it to our advantage…maybe get a little more in touch with each other?”

The smile on Sam’s face, along with the twinkle in her eye, was all the answer that Brooke needed. Needless to say, the plans were in the making for the rest of the night.

After dinner Brooke walked Sam up the stairs to put away her bag.

“Tell you what…how about I go take a quick shower and then the rest of the night is ours?”

“That sounds great,” Sam smiled as she followed Brooke into the hallway.

“You can use any room up here that you’d like.” The tall woman motioned with her arms to any of the rooms.

“Even though I didn’t actually use a bedroom last time, I guess my bag did. Now go get your shower,” Sam smacked Brooke on her rear as the taller woman laughed and walked down the hall.

She watched Brooke disappear into the bathroom and once she heard the shower running, decided to check out each room. After looking at all the options, Sam chose the room with the large French doors leading out onto a balcony. Figuring out that the doors faced the East, the blonde contemplated the terrific view of the sunrise that she might be able to catch a glimpse of in the morning. That was, if she were to actually awaken at a reasonable hour to do so. Lost in her thoughts for a moment, Sam was pulled back to reality. Someone was talking…no rather singing, and she realized that it was Brooke singing in the shower.