Lusting After Sam
Part 1
Jae Kayelle
"Sam!"
Reacting to Josh's bellow Sam involuntarily dropped the pen he was
holding, and watched it roll away from him. He grabbed it before it
could reach the edge of his desk.
Josh appeared in the office doorway waving a magazine and grinning.
"You're in the latest issue of _D.C. Male_. You didn't tell me they'd
interviewed you."
Sam glanced at the magazine. "Yeah, I did it about three months ago.
Didn't think you'd be interested."
Josh came further into the room and parked his hip on the edge of Sam's
desk. He flipped open the pages of the publication. "It's a good piece
on you."
"It's fluff," Sam said dismissively.
"Well, yeah, but it's good fluff. Raises your public profile. Gives
the White House a better image. Way to go, buddy." He grinned at Sam,
leaning over to lightly punch him on the arm.
The colour in Sam's face rose a little and he struggled to look
nonchalant.
"It says here you like to sail, jog, and play a little basketball in
your off hours," Josh snorted, "What off hours? Today's Saturday and
you're here working. It'd be a good time to play some B-ball."
Frowning, Sam made a grab for the magazine, but Josh held it out of
reach and kept reading. "Apparently, you are 37 years old, but you don't
look a day over 23."
"It doesn't say that!" Sam grabbed again for the monthly.
Again Josh prevented him from getting it. "No, I'm saying it. I've
always hated that about you. You haven't aged an hour since we met."
"Sure I have," Sam protested feebly.
"Have not. You are freakishly mutated. You're Dorian Gray, and now
you've got the most popular magazine in the D.C. area proclaiming it to
the masses complete with glossy colour photographs that prove it. They
probably have your aging picture locked in a vault at their offices.
Look at your pretty face. You're on the cover, for Pete's sake! Cover
boy." He held out the picture for Sam to see, but not close enough for
him to get his hands on it.
"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful." Sam was finally getting into the
spirit of being an adored celebrity even though Josh's reaction was
weirding him out.
Josh glared at him. "Yeah, right. Pretty boy."
"I thought you were happy for me. When you came in you sounded happy."
"I am happy, but I still hate you -- Fancy Face."
"I have work to do. Go away."
Josh hopped off the desk and headed for the door. "'Kay. Should I tell
Bonnie and Ginger to field the calls you're going to get from your
admirers? Maybe we should hire extra staff?"
"Leave, Josh."
"I'm gone." He disappeared out the door.
"Yeah, you are," Sam muttered.
"I heard that!"
Shaking his head, Sam tried to concentrate on the speech he was supposed
to be writing. After awhile he leaned back in his chair and put his
feet up on the desk. Lost in thought with the tip of his pen resting in
the corner of his mouth, he did not see Toby arrive until his boss
spoke.
"Posing for another picture, Sam?"
Startled, Sam jerked forward and his feet slipped off the desk, hitting
the floor with a double-beat thump. "I'm sorry?"
Toby was carrying a copy of _D.C. Male_.
"Oh. That."
"Yes, that." Toby's gaze dropped to the page opened before him. "Your
favourite restaurant is Chantarelle? Not smart, Sam."
"Why? It's a good restaurant."
Toby nodded in agreement. "Sure it is. But now all of your groupies
will be camping out there hoping to catch a glimpse of your," he paused
to consult the magazine, "five foot ten, one hundred and seventy-five
pound, hard body self."
Sam looked shocked. "Hard body? I've never heard you use those words
before let alone in reference to me, and I know that's not how it's
written there because I read my copy of the magazine."
Shrugging, Toby said, "You told the interviewer you like to work out."
"Well, yeah, but..."
"But nothing. If the shoe fits, wear it." Then he winked at Sam, and
gave him a slight smile before going back to his own office. He left
Sam with his mouth open.
His next visitor arrived almost immediately. CJ wandered in and sat on
Sam's desk right in front of him. Of course, she held the magazine in
her hands. "What's shaking, Sweet Pea?"
Sam leaned back in his chair as far as he could go, looking at CJ in
alarm. "Why?"
"Why?" she repeated, laughing. "That's a weird response."
"Why are you asking?"
"Just curious to find out how my favourite guy is. How is your day
going, cutie?"
Sam eyed CJ with concern. "You do know that you sound like you're,
y'know, putting the moves on me?"
"Oh, Sam. Dear Sam. Sweet Sam."
"Now you're scaring me."
CJ leaned forward, resting her hands on the arms of his chair. She
closed in until their faces were inches apart.
"You have the most beautiful blue eyes. It must be that sweater you're
wearing that brings out their colour."
Despite himself, Sam looked down to see what he was wearing. He had on
a light blue cable knit sweater over a white t shirt.
"And those jeans, oh my!"
Again his eyes dropped to his attire. He wore black jeans faded after
many washings to a charcoal grey. Admittedly, they did tend to cling in
places. He liked how they moved with him like a second skin. If that
made him somewhat vain, so be it. These were his favourite jeans that
were not so full of holes that he couldn't wear them to work on the
weekends.
Sam raised his eyes to CJ's face, saw the spark of interest in her eyes
and was confused. While flattered by the reaction, they were co-workers
and friends, and he wanted to keep it that way.
"CJ, please."
"Anytime, sweetie." She twirled her way out of his office, pausing to
give him a broad wink before leaving.
Sam put his head down on his desk.
"Are you perhaps, contemplating taking a nap, Sam? Because I just wanted
to quickly tell you that your interview in _D.C. Male_ was excellent.
Although, it should be mentioned that offering up so much personal
information could leave you open to potential lawsuits, exaggerated
romantic interest, and possibly unwanted advances. The latter two could
be misconstrued as the same thing but since one is romance and the other
sexual they aren't really the same thing."
He lifted his head. "Hello, Ainsley. So good of you to drop by."
The assistant to the White House Counsel held the dreaded magazine in
her hands. "Hello, Sam." She smiled at him.
"Is there something I can do for you?"
She looked thoughtful. "No. I only wished to provide a voice of caution
for you. That, and ask if perhaps you would be open to accompanying me
on a purely social occasion?"
"You're asking me out on a date?" At her look of annoyance, he added,
"Just clarifying."
"Well, technically I am asking you to escort me to my parent's
anniversary party next weekend. That's not quite the same thing as a
date."
"Where is the party?"
"Charleston."
"Ah. I'm pretty sure I have a prior commitment that weekend, but thanks
for asking. Why, may I ask," mentally he cursed himself for picking up
on her unique speech patterns, "are you inviting me at this particular
time? Does it have something to do with the article?"
"No, of course not."
"I apologize then."
"Well, yes. Yes, it does. I've often thought of you as a handsome man,
Sam. Not often as to say that I spend a lot of time thinking of you in
that way, but often in that when I do think of you that way I think
you're good looking. However, the cover photograph did prompt me to
leave my office in the bowels of this White House and come up here to
extend the invitation. Now that I have, and you have politely declined I
shall return to my office." That said, she spun on her heel and vanished
out the door.
Sam blinked. Maybe he'd fallen asleep and was dreaming this day. Maybe
he had eaten magical mushrooms and was on a trip inside his head, or
possibly out of it. Maybe he should leave his office before another of
his colleagues arrived to act in an uncharacteristic manner. Only Josh
had seemed like the Josh he had always known, except for the unexpected
streak of envy about his ageless beauty. Sam stopped and reviewed that
last thought. Then he sighed.
"Tough day, Sam?"
"Oh God." Sam gulped. "Hi, Charlie."
Part 2
HOME | TITLE |
AUTHOR | CATEGORY