Chance Encounter

Samantha and Lila sat in Sam's office. It was late. Well after 8:00. Samantha turned her chair around and propped her feet on the window sill. She looked out over Atlanta. It was dark, but the streets were still busy and the night was alive.

"He's cute," Lila said, thumbing through a pile of crime scene photographs.

"Who's cute?" Samantha asked, not turning to face her.

"Brian," she said, looking up at her boss, raising an eyebrow in her direction. "Cute and married."

Samantha dropped her head back against the high back of the leather chair and let out a long sigh.

"Lila, I don't need you lecturing me, ok? I know he's married. I'm not an idiot. But he's not happy with her."

"Ok, I won't lecture you. But listen to yourself, Samantha. He's not happy with her? Next thing you're gonna say is that she doesn't understand him, and he's thinking of leaving her. It's such a cliche', honey."

"Well..." Samantha said, trying to think of a comeback. But she couldn't. So she shut up.

"Ah ha. Gotcha, didn't I?" Lila said, smiling a little.

"Shut up, Lila. Gloating doesn't become you."

Lila laughed. "But I understand the attraction, Sam. I really do. He's cute. Great smile. He's got a really great ass."

"Lila!"

"Sorry. I notice things like that. Just because Mike and I have been married for 28 years doesn't mean I can't look at a cute young guy's ass now and then."

"You're killing me, Lila. You're really, really killing me."

"I try."
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Samantha dragged into her house around 11:00 and threw the bag of movies from Blockbuster on the couch. With Adam gone for the weekend, she was looking forward to some quiet time. Chick movies and sleeping late. That's what her whole weekend was going to be about.  Oh, and she was planning to watch all the Backstreet Boys videos that she had bought that day, too. She had never paid too much attention to them, and she wanted to see what Brian was like when the whole world was watching. She picked up the phone and checked her voice mail.

"Um, hi Samantha. This is Brian. I... uh... I'm sorry. I don't know why I called except I wanted to hear your voice. You don't have to call me back.... Unless you want to. My number is 663-9409."

Samantha stared down at the phone. What if she called and Leighanne answered? No, surely he wouldn't have left the number if it wasn't ok to call. She picked up the phone with trembling hands and dialed the number. It rang six times, and she was just about to hang up when Brian's sleepy voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Um, Brian..."

"Hey!" he said. "I didn't think you'd call me back."

"Is it ok that I called?"

"Of course. Leigh's in New York until next Wednesday. I'm all by myself. Well, me and the dogs."

Samantha laughed. "Yeah, I've heard about you and your dogs. I guess if you put both of them together you might have enough to MAKE a dog. I don't consider Chihuahuas real dogs."

"Why not? They're my babies."

"Now a Rottweiller or a German Shepherd... those are real dogs. Heck, even a Golden Retriever..."

"My dogs are real dogs," Brian said, laughing.

"Ok. I'll let you go on thinking that."

"Samantha, can I come over?" Brian asked quietly.

"I don't know, Brian. Do you think it's a good idea?"

Brian hesitated. "No. But I still want to."

"Ok."

After he hung up, she panicked. Oh God. What had she done? She had invited a married man to her house in the middle of the night. She was going straight to hell. Wait. No she wasn't. It's not like she was going to have sex with him. What would be the point in that? Still, she ran upstairs and took nice hot shower... just in case.
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Brian pulled up to the impressive red brick home in the gated neighborhood. He checked the address to make sure he was at the right place. Yep. It was right. 2245 Buckhead Highland Trace. He made his way up the lighted sidewalk to the front porch, and rang the doorbell.

Samantha answered the door, wearing a t-shirt and shorts. She smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Come on in," she said, opening the door wide.

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