Merriton

“John says he has dibs.”

Samson felt the itchy brown ranger’s jacket constrict around his throat. The sight of Kit Kat made his face flush and a red mark appeared in the middle of his forehead like a third eye. She looked so much like Mira, but the way Mira should have looked. Her softer breasts and rounder hips made her sensuous in a way that Samson’s former flame never was.

“He had dibs, so I’m not going to date you. He’s my friend, so I kinda have to leave you alone.”

His tongue had a mind of its own and ran away without him across rivers and streams that would best not be traversed. He stood on the threshold of the Bowen House, unwilling to enter, but urged on by his duty to this woman who reminded him so much of his lost love.

The cold and crisp air of October was warmer than usual, but still cut through his jacket. Soon, it would be time to change to his winter clothes. Last year at this time, he had already changed, but this year it had been warmer. The air from inside the house was warm and beckoned him in.

“Plus I used to date Mira a long time ago, so it would be a really bad idea for me to be anything but friends with you.”

She was smiling at him the way Mira would when she was amused. It made sweat trickle down his back. Just seconds ago, he had felt a chill and now he was was too warm. Why hadn’t he planned for the heat when he dressed this morning? He felt like ripping his jacket off, but left it alone.

“I really just came by to check up on you. The Bowen House can be pretty unpleasant. I lived here for a few months when I first moved to Merriton.”

Kit Kat folded her arms and leaned on the door frame defiantly. Samson recognized that move and cringed at the memories of Mira crossing her arms at his words. How could the two women be so similar? Without a single word from her mouth, Samson knew that he was losing her attention. He struggled to recover his thoughts from tumbling out of his mouth and held out his hand.

“My name is Samson. I work with Roscoe and he’s married to Dora and she’s your best friend, right?”

For the first time, the woman at the door looked unnerved and shaken. Her face twitched a little. The same twitch on Mira’s face would have meant that she was about to cry, but Kit Kat held her countenance. When she finally spoke, even her voice brought to mind the myriad of conversations he had shared with her sister.

“Yeah, I guess she IS my best friend, now.”

Kit Kat took his hand and shook it. Samson willed time to stand still, just so he could enjoy the handshake for a bit longer.

“Then we are automatically friends by proxy.”

He smiled at her and felt the smoothness of her hand slip past his fingers in retreat. He could smell her perfume waft past him. It was a scent he had never experienced before and was instantly bonded in his memory with sight of her.

“Would you like to come in?”

Samson retreated from her at the thought of entering the house. Despite her enticements, he could feel the sinking stink of depression creeping nearer and nearer to him. It didn’t matter how much money he had saved in the bank. It didn’t matter that the Tso Speed Tech was making every ISP in the nation faster. It didn’t even matter that Samson had become the most trusted member of Roscoe’s team. The quagmire of failure was closing in on him and he could lose it all in a moment.

“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t joking about your house. Maybe you could come to Mt. Zen Cafe with me? I’ll buy you an Egg Thing.”

She crinkled her nose and replied, “No way. I’ve known Curly since we were kids. I KNOW what’s in an Egg Thing.”

Samson was tempted to question her further, but then he decided he didn’t want to know how Curly made an Egg Thing. He did, however, want to spend more time with her.

“How about we take a walk instead? Anything to get you out of this house.”

She motioned toward a singular chair. Samson recognized the design. It was the Karlstad armchair from Ikea. He smiled at the planning for his own house that he had done. The chair stood all by itself in the room and her laptop sat upon it, glowing.

“I’m busy outlining a new book, but thanks for the visit. I actually needed a break and didn’t realize it.”

He could tell by the mere tone of her voice that it was time for him to go. He nodded and touched his ranger hat like a hero from an old Western before turning to leave.