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12. Revelation
The rather awkward introductions out of the way, and despite Keri’s protestations that he was a guest and he shouldn’t, Sam insisted on helping to bring in and serve the food at the dinner table. As the meal progressed Victoria somewhat graciously had to admit that it was all delicious, and she complimented both of them. With the ice then somewhat broken she began asking him questions, most specifically about what he did for a living.
“I mostly buy and sell stocks.” he told her. Momentarily impressed that he was a stock broker, she asked for whom he worked.
“I’m kind of self employed.” he replied. “I mostly buy and sell for myself.”
“A day trader.” she snorted. “It’s surprising that you’re able to keep your head above water. Most people eventually lose money trying to play the market. Even the pros, but at least they get commissions to keep them going, rather than gambling and losing your own money.”
Sam could only shrug. Victoria wasn’t far wrong in her generalized assessment. And he of course had had his share of losses along the way, as did everyone, particularly when he was learning his craft. But he had learned to become very careful, cautious and meticulous in his analyses, and he now consistently selected far more winners than losers in his constantly changing portfolio. The trick, he felt, was to never go for the big hit and risk the devastating fall. Far better to have a large number of small but solid gainers that would more than buffet the occasional unexpected but still small bust. It may not be the way to make a spectacular fortune, but he had built up a rather substantial reserve over the last few years, and was now worth far more financially than the lifestyle and level at which he was living would suggest. He just didn’t feel competent enough however to try to explain this, and defend himself, to Victoria. She was a lawyer after all, and likely understood his relative standing in the world far better than he.
Keri on the other hand seemed far more enthusiastic about his trade, peppering him with questions, and her clear fascination with his replies encouraged him to be far more verbose about himself and what he did than he had ever been with anyone else before. Far too quickly for him the dinner came to an end. Victoria had some important phone calls to make, and when Keri began to clear off the table and clean up, Sam immediately got up to help.
“No Sam, please. I can take care of all this. You’ve already done so much today. And you are our guest.”
“I’d really like to help if you let me ... I ...” He was completely tongue tied and almost paralyzed with fear that she would refuse his plea, and his once in a lifetime afternoon and evening would be over. Keri stopped and looked at him intently, then seemed to make a decision, and her smile returned once again.
“Sure Sam. I’d love the help. Vicky’s not much of one for housework, and I cut her a lot of slack because she’s always so busy with her lawyering. Working together I bet we can get this all done in less than half the time.”
Sam truly was in no hurry to get everything done, but before very long the table was cleared, the pots, pans and dishes were all washed and dried and put away. When Keri handed him back his wok to take home, she complimented him on what a handy utensil it was.
“Please keep it.” he immediately responded. When she appeared startled by his unexpected offer, he rushed ahead. “I’d like you to have it, I guess as a kind of housewarming gift. I know it’s not new or anything, but it’s well seasoned, and I’ve got a lot of others.” He paused, not knowing what else to say. Then, “Please.”
Keri slowly took the wok back. “Well, if you put it that way Sam, of course we’ll accept it. It’s a wonderful housewarming gift. Thank you.” She looked up at his now beaming face. “This has been a really delightful day, and it’s been great to meet and get to know you, and thank you for all that as well. I hope you won’t be a stranger.” she concluded.
Sam realized that his glorious night was now finally coming to an end, and he was suddenly panic stricken that he would never have an opportunity like this again. Grasping at a thought that he had been fantasizing about much of the evening, he took a chance that he would never have thought himself capable of before.
“Keri, I was wondering ...”
“Yes?”
“Well, you’ve said that you and Victoria are so very busy with your jobs that you’re having trouble getting unpacked and settled in, and I work at home and everything, and often have a lot of extra time on my hands, and I ... well I ... I would be more than happy to help you unpack and put things away for you while you’re at work.”
Keri was silent for several long moments.
“Gee Sam, I don’t think we could impose on you like that.”
“No really. It wouldn’t be imposing at all. I’d love to do it, and I’m good at that sort of thing.”
Keri gave him a long searching look, and again seemed to come to a decision.
“Well sure then Sam. If you really do have the time it would be a tremendous help. This stuff is just piling up, and it’s seemed like we’d never get to it and get it all done. I do have an extra key that you can use. Let me just touch bases with Vicky on this.”
They found Victoria back in the living room, off the phone, but going through her mail.
“Vicky,” Keri began, “Sam has offered to come over the next couple of days while we’re at work to help us unpack and finally get things put away.”
Victoria looked up with a slight scowl.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” she retorted. When Keri didn’t immediately answer, she continued. “You want to let a complete stranger into our apartment, poking around all of our things when we’re not even here? What are you thinking?”
“It’s not like that at all. I think it’s really sweet, and neighborly,” she emphasized, “of him to offer.” She glanced over and smiled at Sam, who was standing there, mortified inside. “And he’s not a stranger. I’ve gotten to know him quite well today and already really appreciate his friendship.” She paused, and then continued more firmly, with real steel in her voice. “I’d really like his help with all this, Victoria. This mess is starting to overwhelm me, and I think it’s really very rude of you to make him feel unwelcome when he’s been so very nice to volunteer to help us out. And maybe if he ‘s able to he can even be here when the plumber comes to fix the shower head and I won’t have to take any time off from work for that ... if that’s not asking too much of you Sam.” she said looking back at him a bit sheepishly.
`’You’re having trouble with your shower?” Sam asked impulsively
“The spray barely comes out and we need to get it fixed” she replied.
“I can take a look at it. I’m pretty good at fixing things like that.”
“That would be fantastic if you could” Keri enthused. “You really are a handy man to have around. See Vicky, he may even save us a big plumbing bill.”
Victoria rocked back a bit in her chair, and then half smiled wanly, appearing a bit bemused “Okay Keri, okay. I guess we have let things fall behind here and pile up. We’ve just been so busy. And I don’t want to seem rude” she added. She then directed her gaze to Sam, and her half smile became more forceful. “Sure Sam, if you want to spend your time unpacking us, and cleaning this place up, and fixing our plumbing, then be my guest. It’s not like we don’t know where you live if anything goes missing, or the shower gets completely broken” This last comment drew a sharp glance from Keri. “Just joking.” she continued, but then became more serious. “I do want to make it clear, though, that I don’t want you ever going into my room there.” she said, indicating the closed door in the hallway off the living room. She then half smiled again. “You understand that, don’t you Sam?”
Keri sighed and rolled her eyes at Victoria as Sam meekly responded. “Of course. I’d never do anything without your permission.” Satisfied, Victoria nodded.
“Great then. It’s settled.” Keri enthused. “Here’s the extra key, Sam. Please don’t over extend yourself. Whatever you have time to do will be greatly appreciated. By both of us.” she assured him.
As Sam left their apartment to return to his own, he felt as if he was walking on air.
********
Over the next few days, Sam spent the mornings doing his own work on his home computer, and the afternoons unpacking, sorting, and neatly arranging all of the items in the many still filled moving boxes. When it was obvious where things should go he put them away. When he wasn’t sure, he waited for the evening for them to tell him, which Keri did happily, and Victoria grudgingly so. He made certain never to go into either of their bedrooms, even though Keri had not specifically prohibited him from hers. He also easily fixed their shower problem the first day by installing a new multi spray shower head, to their great delight.
Giddy with the opportunity with which he was so unbelievably presented, Sam decided to take another chance the first night, and he had a sumptuous dinner prepared for them all before they arrived home from work. Despite some initial misgivings by Keri that he was doing far too much for them, the meal was so delicious that she quickly forgot those concerns and praised and thanked him profusely. Even Victoria pleasantly acknowledged how much she enjoyed it.
Emboldened by this success, Sam made dinner again for them the next night. This time Victoria had to stay late at work, and it was just Keri and he that were able to share it together.
“This was another fantastic feast Sam.” She declared when they were done. “But we really can’t have you making us dinner every night.”
“But I like doing it.” he hastily replied. “I really love to cook, especially for other people.” which he had actually never done before. With a lowered voice, he added, “And it sure beats eating alone.”
Keri took a few moments to let that sink in.
“I’ll tell you what, Sam,” she finally offered. “I’m a mediocre cook at best, and Victoria can barely boil water. If we pool our resources to buy all the food, and you agree to let me help, and then teach me all the tricks of your culinary trade, I think we can all benefit by sharing our evening meals together. What do you say?”
It was an offer that he could not refuse, and one that he would never have done so under any circumstances.
And so, even as he completed all of the unpacking for them by the third day, Sam still found himself with an excuse and reason to continue to spend large amounts of time with his two new neighbors on virtually a daily basis. He spent most of his time, of course, with Keri, as they made all of the dinners together. They would laugh and joke and have a grand time doing so. As he still had the extra key, he began coming over even earlier, before the women arrived home, to help clean and tidy up the apartment for them, which they had also both found increasingly difficult to find the time to do themselves. He still however completely avoided the taboo bedrooms.
While Victoria had to admit again that she fully enjoyed the meals that Sam prepared, even those left over for her on the many nights when she came home from work late, and she did find his increasing cleaning efforts useful, she began to be irritated by the amount of time he was spending with them. Still, her job was getting more and more demanding as she was striving to be made a partner in her law firm, and she was getting home later and later. And Keri seemed to really like his company and would otherwise often be alone in the evening. So Victoria kept her developing annoyance at his frequent presence mostly to herself. She owed Keri that. Only if it really got out of hand would she take steps.
For his part, Sam was beside himself with his still unimaginable good fortune. He did sense Victoria’s reserve, and even coolness at times toward him. It was the way most people had always reacted to him, but this time he attempted to overcome it by trying to do more and more for her around the apartment. Despite this, she remained at best superficially pleasant, although rarely, if ever, did she thank him for his efforts.
It was with Keri, though, that his time was most devoted, and not just because she truly seemed to appreciate it, but also because she seemed to appreciate him. He loved to listen to her talk about anything and everything. And she did, but he also found himself able to tell her things as he had never done so with anyone before, and she seemed genuinely interested, as no one had ever been before. She was becoming a true friend, which he had never had before, and certainly not with someone of the opposite sex.
As the first few weeks became a month, Sam began to harbor previously impossible hopes. Could this relationship with Keri ever possibly move beyond friendship? With more and more fervor he began to dearly want it so, but he was petrified that if he made any move in that way she would be horrified, and he would lose everything he had gained. Still, as he grew to know her better he came to understand that even if she didn’t want to proceed in such a direction with him, she would rebuff him very gently, and redouble her efforts to maintain their friendship. This belief gave him the confidence to at least make the attempt, even as he prayed that it wouldn’t end that way.
It still took him over a week, rehearsing over and over in his mind the scenario of how he would ask her to go out on their first date. Finally, one Friday evening, after he had prepared an especially splendid meal for the three of them, he decided to take the anxious plunge. With Victoria excusing herself to go to review some legal briefs that she needed to revise, he and Keri, as they almost always did together, began to clean up in the kitchen. Keri almost immediately sensed that something wasn’t quite right with Sam.
“Sam, is everything alright? You seem very tense.” she asked, very concerned.
“No I’m fine Keri really.” he responded too quickly. “It’s just that I ... well, ah ...I, ah ...was wondering ... “ he was really struggling to get it out.
“Wondering what?”
“Well, if we could, ah ... tomorrow night, maybe not make dinner here ... ah, and maybe I could take you out to dinner ... and after we could maybe go to a movie or something.”
“Oh this is just priceless!” a voice said from behind at the kitchen door.
Sam whirled around to see Victoria standing there.
“This is really beyond belief. You really are asking her out on a date, aren’t you.” She continued.
“Vicky, please.” Keri pleaded.
“He really is more of a buffoon than I thought.”
“Vicky, Stop.” Keri demanded.
“Well, he is.” She turned her attention fully to Sam. “You really were stupid enough to think that under any circumstances she would ever want to go out with you.”
“Victoria. Enough,”
“Go on, ask her again then. I’m dying to hear what she says.”
Sam was absolutely frozen with fear. Why was Victoria so sure that Keri would reject him so blatantly and callously, just for asking her out for a date? Had this all been a game to them? Had they been secretly laughing at his bumbling efforts the whole time? Previously he would have been convinced that this was so. But he couldn’t now believe that of Keri. She wasn’t like that at all. He was certain of that, if he wasn’t of anything else. He turned to her and saw that her eyes were glistening. All he could ask was “Keri?”
“Oh Sam. I really didn’t realize, but I should have. I’m so sorry.”
He continued to gaze at her, totally bewildered. She took another moment to compose herself.
“Sam, Victoria and I aren’t roommates. As hard as I find it to believe at this moment,” she looked sharply at Victoria, who continued to stand there smugly. “Victoria and I are partners ... ” Sam continued to look at her quizzically. “ ... Life partners, Sam.”
Sam’s eyes widened, “But you have separate bedrooms.” was all he could think of to say.
“That’s my office and computer room, you idiot. OUR bedroom is next door.” Victoria smirked.
“I Said That’s Enough, Victoria.” Keri practically screamed.
“Well he has to know. Here he is, hitting on my mate, my LOVE, and he thinks he’s going to get away with that.”
“HE DIDN’T KNOW! And That’s my fault. MY fault. Not His.” She turned back to Sam. “Sam,” she began to plead.
“No.” he whispered. “She’s right. I’m a complete idiot. A stupid, stupid idiot.”
“Sam, no ...”
But Sam was beyond hearing. He twisted around, and without a second look stumbled past them both, wobbled through the living room, and out their front door.
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