“Hmmm…just thinking about those eyes of yours,” the blonde said dreamily.

“You want me to pierce my eyes?” Dark brows furrowed, “That might hurt, Hon.”

“No silly, that would be too distracting…” Sam imagined Brooke’s blue eyes. “At least for me,” she confided.

“So, what do you think?” Brooke asked again.

“I like your eyes and the surrounding area just like it is.”

The dark-haired woman smiled, “Well, I like you and all your surrounding areas too.” She looked over at Peter and whispered, “No eyebrow. She likes them just the way they are.”

“I bet, even the ones you haven’t seen yet,” Sam giggled, “little though that they are.” Sam thought about how much more they were finding out about one another, both mentally and in the physical sense.

“I think you’re perfect, Sam.” There was silence for a long minute as each savored the moment. Brooke let a tiny laugh escape as she went to the next subject for the conversation to move in. “So, Peter dared me last night to pierce something.”

“Dared you to pierce?” Sam’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Whoa! Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say he dared you? You didn’t, did you?”

“Yeah, he dared me,” Brooke reiterated.

“Gee Brooke, I’m not sure. I mean what if it gets infected or something?”

Brooke laughed, “Don’t worry, I didn’t do it Honey. Besides, my other piercing didn’t get infected. Oops!” She slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing that she’d just left it slip out.

Running Brooke’s image with a fine tooth comb in her mind, Sam let out a loud sigh. “What other piercing?” the shaky voice came over the phone.

The older woman smiled weakly. “Ah…My belly button. I’ve had it for years. The piercing, that is, not my belly button. Although, I’ve have had that for years too.”

“…And you’ve been hiding it from me for what reason?”

“I haven’t been hiding it. You’ve just never seen me with my shirt off, only hiked up in the back or the buttons opened at the collar.”

“Hmmm…The mental images.” Sam said a little seductively.

“Behave, Sam.” Brooke turned away from Peter’s gaze and whispered into the phone. “Soon, Baby.”

Sam sighed and muttered under her breath. “It’s getting harder by the minute.”

Brooke raised an eyebrow and grinned evilly. “Is it now? Sam, I had no idea.”

The poor blonde found her pulse beginning to race and gulped. “Well, ah…what do you think?”

“What do I think?” Brooke lowered her voice and let the words roll off her lips, “Hmmm…I think…” I think I love you. So, what am I so afraid of? Brooke’s inner voice screamed the lyrics of an old song in her head.

“Forget it, Brooke, just come home soon.” Sam could not believe the need that her body was exhibiting with every word Brooke spoke.

Sensing the torture that Sam was going through, Brooke apologized. “Sorry, Darlin’.” The woman’s eyes shifted to the man across the table from her, “Oh, hey…Petey wants to say hi.”

“Sure, put him on.” She waited to hear the phone exchange hands. ” Hey, Peter. How are you doing?”

“Hey there, Toots. I’m doing okay.” Peter smiled, warmed by her friendly greeting. “How are you?”

“I’m okay, but I’ll be much better when Brooke gets back.”

“Hey, did you hear? I pierced my eyebrow,” Peter said proudly. “And don’t worry, she’ll be home soon.”

Sam laughed, “Yeah, but with how many holes?”

“Just the normal amount and one set more.” Peter teased the young woman. “I dared Brooke to pierce her tongue or her nose.”

“And how long will it take her to get through the metal detectors at the airport?” Sam teased him right back.

“Ah, Sam…she wouldn’t do it.”

“Good woman,” Sam muttered under her breath. “I knew she had some brains.”

“Well, I think it would look good on her.” Peter winked at Brooke, watching as she just shook her head in disbelief of his merciless teasing.

“Anything, Petey, would look good on her. But is the world ready for it?”

“Hmm…Now that is a thought. I don’t know about the nose, but as far as the tongue…” Peter cleared his throat. “Well, that wouldn’t be for me to judge, but you might like it.”

“Hmmm…I’ll have to think about that one…long and hard.”

“Just like her, huh?” He flashed an evil grin at Brooke then giggled, wondering if either of the two women knew what he was referring to.

“You, Peter, are bad.”

Smiling, Peter acknowledged the statement, “That, I am.”

“And you do it so well, too.” Sam laughed, then became very somber with her next thought. “Hey Petey, make sure she gets back as soon as possible. Okay?”

Peter turned a serious eye at Brooke, smiling warmly as he agreed, “No problem.” He could feel the need in Sam’s voice and realized for the first time what a good thing Brooke had lucked into. “So, what about this cousin of yours that I’m hearing about from Brooke? Is she cute? Does she look anything like you? Anything at all?”

“Crystal? Is that who she’s told you about?” Sam shook her head. “Did she tell you about the crush Crystal had on you when we were growing up?”

“She said you had a cousin who liked me, kind of…” Peter played with the cover of the phone, acting shy.

“Well, she’s my mother’s sister’s daughter. So…” Sam drew the answer out. “Yeah, she has a little of my looks.”

“Sweet!” Peter bounced up and down in his chair like a toddler. “Anything else you can tell me about her? Is she single?”

“She’s a couple of years older than me.” Sam decided to let Peter off the hook, “Very single. In fact, she hardly ever dates anyone.” She paused for a moment, then added, “And if you’re wondering…she’s straight.”

“Hmmm…Okay, that’s good to know.” Peter wiggled his eyebrows in jest.

“I believe Crystal still thinks if she waits long enough, she’ll meet you.”

“Really, huh?” Peter’s voice crackled like a teenager’s reaching puberty. “Maybe I’ll have to see what I can do about that.”

“Maybe sometime in the not too distant future.” Sam was already plotting in her mind for the two of them to meet. “Hey, it was nice talking to you, Peter. Can you put Brooke back on?”

“Maybe…” Peter trailed off whispering as he thought. “Ah…We’ll see. Well, Cutes, here’s your girl. Talk to you soon.”

Brooke accepted the phone and held it lovingly to her ear. “Hey, Baby. See, I behaved.”

“Yeah, that’s a good girl.” Sam teased the older woman, “Behave away from home…” Sam paused, finishing the sentence in her head. And save all that badness for me. “Do you think you’ll be home for dinner or later in the evening?” The young woman asked, hoping for the earlier time.

“Tonight?”

“Of course, tonight.”

“Well, the jet is bringing me home. A commercial flight would take too long.”

“So, should I plan on dinner with you or not?” Sam sighed thinking better of it, “Or…are you tired?”

A low rumble gathered then grew in Brooke’s chest as she thought about being tired at the sight of Sam. “I’ll be wide awake when I see you, Darlin’.”

“I’m sure you will be.” The blonde responded with a coyness all her own. “Okay, then I’ll surprise you with something to nibble on.” Sam covered her mouth, wondering what Brooke thought about after hearing that statement. Even though the woman was alone, she could still feel the heat of the blush traveling up her neck.

“I’ll see you soon, Baby.” Brooke’s voice became very soft as she admitted, “I miss you.”

“Miss you, too. Bye Brooke.” Sam didn’t want the conversation to end but she knew it had to.

“I love you,” Brooke said without trying to hide it from Peter.

Sam smiled as she felt the words warm her heart and soothe her aching soul. “I was waiting to hear that. I love you too,” she whispered, knowing their time on the phone was coming to an end.

“Bye, Sam.”

“Hurry home,” the blonde implored one more time, then sighed before saying her last word. “Bye.”

Peter watched as Brooke gazed at the phone for a moment, then slowly ended the call by hitting a button. He didn’t want to disrupt her thoughts, but after a few minutes, seeing his old band mate drinking in all the love that had been sent her way by one small blonde, he just couldn’t keep from saying it. “Man, Brooke. You got it ba-a-a-ad,” he drew out the last word.

Brooke turned to look him directly in the eye. “Yes, I do.” She tried to hold back the smile that was straining to come to her face.

The man studied her for a moment, then nodded. “It looks good on you…love, I mean.”

The woman got up and moved over to the mirror above the dresser in the motel room, staring into it at her reflection. Nodding her head approvingly, Brooke turned back to Peter. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Peter flashed her a knowing smile but remained silent.

“Come on,” Brooke grabbed her jacket and went to stand by the door. “I’m starving,” she smirked, finishing the thought in her head, And not only for food. Green eyes and golden hair filled her mind. “We got a few hours to kill before I leave. Let’s go eat and see what goodie I can find to take home to my girl.” Brooke winked, knowing that the best treat would just be getting herself home and showering her girl with kisses.

Sam stepped back from the suitcase that she was packing and took a good look around the room. Nope, can’t think of another thing to take. She shook her head and then bent over to zip up the case.

The excitement of seeing Brooke again was mounting as she felt the butterflies coming to life in her stomach. They had only been physically away from each other for three days, but it seemed more like three years. Sam’s thoughts drifted and she found herself thinking about her next semester coming up. God, how will I ever make it through four months without her? I just have to get an internship closer to home. Sam’s lips curled into a smile at that thought. Home…I’m already thinking of her as home. Okay, Sam, you know what you have to do. No time to start chickening out now. Just think of how good it’s going to feel being in her arms…feeling her kisses and her loving touch.