Sam opened her eyes slowly, confused about her whereabouts. She quickly realized where she was when she heard someone breathe softly next to her. She looked to her right side and saw Luke's face a few centimeters apart from hers. He was sound asleep. Sam gasped and slowly slid her body further away from him when she knew that she was the one crossing the borders.
"I thought you were going to attack me last night." Luke mumbled and opened his eyes. "Good morning," he smiled.
"Oh," was all Sam could say.
"You're cute in the morning," he said and messed Sam's hair softly.
"Thank you for not letting me attack you." Sam woke up and stretched her body
"I didn't, but it seemed that you changed your mind." he replied lightly, jumping off the bed and started doing his push-ups on the floor.
"Good."
"I was hoping you didn't," came his reply from the other side of the bed.
"In your dreams, Luke."
Sam finished her shower and walked downstairs to the dining room, which had been renovated into an open plan area and was connected to a very modern kitchen. She was quite familiar with this mansion as Luke took her here often to visit Tony and his Pops. She could smell coffee brewing and heard people chatting.
The room was bright, filled with morning sunlight from the opened sliding door. Sam saw Tony and Pops sitting opposite each other in a classic solid wooden twelve-seater dining table with coffee in front of them.
"Ah, here's the bride." Pops greeted Sam with his big hug then guided her to her seat. "Jan, get her coffee and some breakfast." He gave Jan, the cook, an order.
"Where's your husband?" he asked.
"He's in the shower," answered Sam and smiled at Jan who brought her coffee.
Sam was sitting quietly while Pops and Tony had small talks.
"It's a bit quiet down here." Luke appeared in the dining room and sat next to Sam after kissing her on the cheek.
I can get used to this, Sam thought unconsciously.
"Are you okay?" he asked when he saw Sam sitting quietly without a word.
"Yes, I am fine, just not used to having breakfast with family. I lived alone for way too long." She smiled slightly before popping scrambled eggs into her mouth.
"We have breakfast every weekend with family. Tony, Anna," Pops sighed slightly and continued, "and Luke . . . before he decided to leave us and lived by himself."
"Come on, Pops. I was looking for an adventure. Life is good. I need to be out there," Luke replied.
"Yes, I know, kiddo, but you're here now, I am very happy." Pops smiled brightly and sipped his coffee.
"What do you want me to do at work on Monday? Dad, you haven't told me anything about it," Luke asked carefully. He wasn't sure what his dad was going to do with him.
"I have a good position for you. Your wife asked me," Tony replied with a smug smile.
"Sam?" Luke looked at Sam who sat beside him with surprise. Sam pretended to ignore him and busied herself cutting her bacon.
"She came to our office last Tuesday with her fashion team for her corporate annual sales deal. She told me if you're not ready to help me out on the management side, you could work in the marketing department instead." Tony smiled and looked at Sam.
Sam ducked her head, embarrassed. "I told you not to tell Luke about this," she said in a low voice.
Pops was laughing loudly. "She's worried that you will go crazy if you're stuck at your desk next to Tony whole day doing all the management stuff. So your dad created the position in the marketing department and decided not to outsource our ads design anymore. You will be the one in charge."
"But . . ." Luke tried to explain that he doesn't like the way he got the job so easily.
"No buts! My HR team spoke to your ex-boss to ask about your performance, and he told them that you did a great job, so you earned this position fairly, my son." Tony squeezed his shoulder lightly then stood up. "I better get going. I don't want to be late for the meeting."
"But it's Sunday, Dad," Luke protested.
"It's okay. I won't be long. It's just some emergency meeting. We have a problem with the wine shipment in Perth. Besides, you enjoy the day with your wife. You'll have to start your new job on Monday. I still don't believe you don't want to go on a honeymoon . . . ," Tony mumbled the last sentence and tugged his chair in. He kissed Sam on the cheek and waved to Luke and Pops.
"Ciao, my son, hope everything is okay." Pops waved his hand back to Tony. "Oh, I have something for you, my dear." He looked at Sam and pulled out a car key from his pocket.
"A wedding present from me." He smiled.
"What is that, Pops?" she asked, eyeing the key suspiciously.
"An Alfa Romeo Spider 8C convertible, and it's red, just how you like it." Pops smiled proudly.
"I . . . I . . ." Sam was still stunned and couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Geez . . . nice one, Pops. Did you import this one in?" Luke whistled softly and picked up the key from Pops's hand.
"Yeah, took a whole month to get it in. As soon as I knew you were going to marry this beautiful lady here, I went to see Bob to get a car for her. I actually pointed to the poster on the wall. I thought it was prettier than all the cars in the showroom combined. I hope you like it, Sam. If you don't, you can swap for something else. I'll give you the salesman's number."
"Ah . . . I will like it, Pops, thank you," Sam whispered, her hand shaking while accepting the key from Luke.
"Good. It's in the garage, go on and try it. I guess a beautiful daughter-in-law of the Russo family deserves a good car. And for you kiddo, you can drive Sam's old car and just throw away your old junk, okay? I hate that rubbish. That goddamned car made you late on most of our family events! Besides, I am sure you will come to work tomorrow as a newbee, okay? Not as Tony's son with a fancy car." Pops winked at Luke. He knew that his only grandkid would not like to show off his family wealth.
"Sure, Pops," Luke smiled.
"Come on, Sam, let's check out your new present." Luke stood up and took his wife's hand.
Sam touched the car's roof lightly and admired the interior from the glass window. She still couldn't believe that it is hers. "Luke, I . . . I don't deserve it," she said.
"Pops thought you deserve it and so do I. And don't worry, he used his pocket money to buy you this car," Luke replied lightly. He opened the driver door and signaled Sam to get in with his head. "Go on, let's test drive it."
Sam slid herself into the driver seat, placed her purse on the dashboard, put on her seatbelt, adjusted the mirrors and the seat until suited her view to the road, then she started the engine. It purred softly, way too soft compared to her old car. Luke smiled brightly, looking at the amazed expression of his wife.
He knew that Sam came from a simple family that lived simply her whole life. She worked in a small boutique while studying fashion design, and now she's working in a prestigious clothing manufacturer as a fashion designer. She gave a huge part of her salary to her family who lived in small town, most of her salary went to her sick father medical expenses. She lived in a small apartment in the middle of the city, sharing it with her two girlfriends, Mandy and Rosa, to cut the rent cost. Luckily for Sam, the girls worked night shifts. She had the place to herself most evenings.
Luke pressed the remote control to open the garage door. The sun slowly brightened up the whole garage, which was twice bigger than their bedroom. She could see her old car parked on the right at the far end of the room, next to a black jaguar belonging to Pops. On the left side of the garage, there was an empty space for Tony's car and the newest BMW was parked next to it. It must belong to Anna, Luke's mom.
"Where to?" she asked, trying to start a conversation while waiting for the engine to warm up.
"Hmm, let's see . . . I need a new outfit for tomorrow, let's go to the mall," Luke ordered.
"Aha . . . new outfits, finally you understand the importance of wearing nice outfits to work," Sam teased.
"Well yeah, I will be the person in charge and I will drive a better car, so I think I will have to improve myself."
Both laughed.
Luke finally stopped laughing and his face turned serious. "Thank you for talking to my Dad," he said.
"No problem, you sacrificed a lot for him, so this is the best I can do to help you. At least you will enjoy your work while you have to bear living with me for a few months and not being able to walk around with girls freely as before," Sam replied with a slight smile on her lips.
"Very cute, Sam, you know you are not a burden at all. I enjoy every second we're together, you know. You are my best friend, the only person I trust in this world after my parents and Pops. And I am done going out with those girls. They're actually no fun."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, they talk silly. I couldn't understand most of them." Luke took a deep breath.
"Um, then why did you go out with them?" Sam asked, frowning.
"I . . . I guess I was trying to forget someone I love because I know that I won't have her heart for the rest of my life." He sighed.
"You? Falling in love with someone? Really? You?" Sam chuckled.
Luke pressed his head to the headrest and looked at her without expression on his face.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just that . . . I am sorry," Sam said softly and squished his hand. "You never told me anything from your past, so I never knew any love stories you had."
"I have none. Just a few crushes when I was in uni," he replied shortly.
"Really? Never fell in love and had a serious relationship? Not even once?"
"Nope." He sighed.
"So this is your first love?"
He nodded.
"For twenty-seven years?" Sam mused.
He smiled, his head still resting on the seat.
"Wow . . ."
"I am not easily impressed. I want a woman who cares about me for who I am, not how much money I will get when my parents die. A woman who feels comfortable and confident enough around me without makeup and pretence. Someone smart and has her own opinion."
"This princess of yours is really hard to get these days, Luke. Have you ever told her how you felt?"
He smiled at the nickname that Sam just created for the love of his life. "No, I didn't have the courage. You know I am not good at telling people about how I feel."
"Why not? She probably feels the same toward you. You're a good man, good looking, funny, wealthy." Sam was eyeing him in disbelief.
"It's my Pops's wealth, not mine," he answered quietly.
"Still, you're a great man. You're a bit wild like Pops said, but generally you're a gentleman, Luke. Anyone will love you."
"Will you?" he asked and held her eyes.
"Yes, I love you, Luke, you're the only best friend I have." Sam smiled reassuringly.
Luke sighed.
"So tell me, why didn't you tell her?"
"Because I know she doesn't love me," he replied softly. He busied himself checking the empty compartment in front of him.
"How did you know?" Sam became more curious about this mystery woman.
"I just know. "
"You're being ridiculous. Do I know her? Maybe I can tell her for you," Sam offered, but she suddenly felt a pang in her heart, and she didn't know why.
"I don't want you to." He smiled.
"Fine, at least tell me. How come you never took her out?"
"I did, many times, weekdays, weekends . . ."
"Oh." Sam suddenly lost interest in that question. "How long have you been in love?" she asked the next question fast.
"Three years."
"What?" Sam twisted her body toward him and looked at him in disbelief. "You? Of all the men I know, who go out with different girls all the time, have been in love with a woman for three years? The same woman?"
"Uh-huh."
"You really need to introduce me to her, Luke. I want to see this person. She must be an amazing woman."
"Yes, she is. She's beautiful, smart, independent, loyal, funny, brave, and her body is amazing." His eyes were dreamy.
Sam felt another pang in her chest, "She's perfect," she said coolly.
"Yes, she is."
"You're so in love right now. What are you going to do if you don't want to tell her?"
"Keep it quiet, stay friends," Luke said simply. "I can't bear losing her. At least right now we're friends."
"Right, what about if she falls in love with another man because you never told her?" challenged Sam.
"I'll jump off a cliff!"
"Don't you dare!"
Luke laughed at Sam's mad expression.
"That's not funny, Luke!" Sam said, her eyes suddenly wet. She couldn't bear thinking about him brokenhearted and suffering from losing the woman he loves.
"Hey, don't cry, please don't cry . . . I am sorry." Luke held her head in his chest and kept apologizing to her.
"Don't . . . say . . . that again . . . please . . . I can't . . . lose you . . ." She mumbled in his chest.
"I won't. I am sorry, okay?" He tilted her chin up and kissed her forehead. His thumb rubbed away her tears and he smiled. "Will you forgive me?"
"I guess.." Sam sniffed and wiped away more tears from her cheek.
"But promise me one thing," she pleaded
"Anything," Luke assured her.
"Promise me you will tell her one day, before it's too late." She could feel her chest hurt so badly when she said those words but she knew that she had to make sure Luke will get what he wanted and be happy.
Luke stared into her eyes for a long time before smiling broadly and nodded.
She smiled back in relief. "I guess we better get going." She pushed down her hand brake and drove the car out from the garage.
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