Different Forms of Happiness

Part 8

Chapter 7 - Graham

Graham watched Scott smile at Sam while she talked and had to hold back a laugh.  His friend might not realize it yet, but Scott was hooked, line and sinker.  The man didn't stand a chance.  The good thing about this situation was that the longer Graham hung out with Sam, the more he liked her.  Not in the way he should like a woman, but more in a sisterly way.  At first, he had saw her smile, the beauty behind the pinned up hair, and had no choice but to pursue her a little, but now, looking at the expression on Scott's face, Graham knew he either had to back off or risk losing the best friend he'd ever had.

"So," Sam continued, snapping Graham back into the conversation, "they're called aglets."

"Fine," Scott replied with a sigh.  "I need new aglets."

Graham frowned at the two of them.  "What are agl-"

"No!" Scott yelled, making both Sam and him jump in their seats.  He sent an apologetic look towards Sam.  "It's not that it isn't an interesting story," he started.

She began laughing, interrupting whatever it was Scott would have said.  "I'm sorry.  You have to understand, when I'm nervous, I ramble.  Having the two of you here is kinda nerve wrecking."

Graham leaned forward in his seat, a smile crossing his face.  "We make you nervous?"

"No," she said slowly while rolling her eyes at his attempt to charm her, "I find them nervous."

They all looked around the café.  Various groups of people glanced their way, but they weren't the ones Sam locked eyes with.  Sitting across the room was two men.  In Graham's eyes, nothing about them stood out.  They sat in their chairs, appearing to be having a conversation, but Sam obviously knew better.  An idea formed in his head.  He wanted to see just how observant she really was.

"What about them makes you nervous?"

Her eyes flickered towards him before settling back on the two men.  "The way that they are watching the two of you," she answered.  "They either must be your guards or someone out to kill you.  No one pays that much attention to a person without some type of motive."

"Should we tell her?" Scott asked, but his eyes stayed on Sam.

Graham nodded, a smile of his own on his face.  "Yeah, we call them Thing One and Thing Two.  They keep watch over us while were out and about.  I'm surprised you didn't see them at the library."

"They were looking at magazines," she mumbled, turning her eyes back to Graham.  When they crinkled at the corners, sharing him in what felt like a secret joke, he wished that Scott wasn't his friend.  That way, he wouldn't have had a problem getting Sam to do what he wanted. 

Scott cleared his throat, making Sam turn towards him with the same smile on her face.  His buddy froze, not knowing what he was going to say.  The entire situation made Graham laugh.  How could it not?  Scott had wanted an ugly wife, thought that Sam would be perfect.  Who knew that the longer a person was around Sam, the more beautiful she became to them.

"Hey," Graham mumbled, with a wince.  "I just forgot something."

"What?" Scott and Sam asked simultaneously.

His eyes went back and forth between the two of them before settling on Scott.  "Remember that guy from earlier?"  When Scott nodded, Graham continued talking.  "I told him to be at my place in thirty minutes."

Scott shook his head at him.  "And how long was that?"

"An hour ago," Graham replied while looking down at his watch with a wince.  "Man, I really hope he didn't leave.  I completely forgot."

"Nan was right about you," Scott said with a laugh.  "You couldn't remember to put your pants on if she didn't lay them out for you."

He glanced down before narrowing his eyes at his friend.  "I love Nan."

"Who's Nan?" Sam asked, finishing their little argument.

Graham sent one last, little glare his friend's way before smiling at Sam.  "She's my housekeeper."

"She's his keeper."

Sam laughed at the two of them.  "She sounds like a very brave woman, putting up with both of you."

"You must be brave too," Graham mumbled.

"Why's that?"

Scott leaned towards her.  "Because you put up with both of us too."

She smiled.  "That's because-"

"Samantha!"

Her eyes widened, and out of nowhere, a clip entered her hand.  She weaved it in her hair; effectively hiding the hair that Graham thought was beautiful.  "I didn't think he would be here," she apologized with a small frown.  "He wasn't supposed to be back for another couple days, and a neighbor must have told him where I was." 

By the time she finished talking, Graham knew she was speaking to herself more than she was to them.  He glanced behind her, noticing the man weaving through the tables towards him.  The man frowned at both Scott and Graham as he reached the table.  Looking down at them, he turned his eyes towards Sam.  "Who are they?"

She jumped to her feet.  "Friends.  I actually met them today.  It's a funny story."

"You can tell me later," he interrupted, pulling her in a tight hug.  He rocked the two of them back and forth, closing his eyes in the process.  "God, I missed you Sammy.  Do you know how hard it was without you there?"

"Very hard?"

Graham smiled at the question in her voice.  It seemed like she honestly didn't know how much whoever this was missed her. 

"Very, very hard.  Don't do that to me again, okay?" the man said, pulling back from her. 

She nodded up at him, but the small frown on her face let Graham know that something wasn't right.  He heard Scott's chair scrape against the tiles as he pushed back.  Following his friend's lead, he stood to his feet also.  Scott held his hand out for the man to take.  "Nice to meet you; I'm Scott, one of the friends Sam met today."

"Max," the man answered with a smile.  "I'm glad you kept Sammy busy for me while I was gone."  Max turned his eyes towards Graham as he let go of Scott's hand.  "And you are?"

"Graham," he answered, shaking the man's hand.  When Max only tightened his hand a small amount, Graham didn't know whether to start a pissing contest or let it go.  He didn't have a choice though as Max let go of his hand.

"If you don't mind me asking," Scott said, "who are you?"

"Sammy didn't tell you?" Max asked, frowning at Sam.  "I'm Sam's boyfriend."

"Shit," Scott whispered, loud enough for Graham to hear.

Graham sent a sympathetic nod towards his friend.  Graham would put money on the fact that this bit of news put a large ripple into Scott's plans.