I feel awful. What do I even say?
Our waitress approaches the table with her hands behind her back, breaking up our conversation. Sam looks relieved. I am too. I order the chicken for both of us, the meals served family style at this restaurant.
A few minutes later, the waitress returns with our salads. She refills Sam’s wine glass and sets a beer in front of me, and then she leaves us to eat in peace.
Sam lifts the salad fork from the table, clutching it in her hand. “Do you think Jamie will find The Queen?”
“I gave him the e-mail address. He said he would give it a shot.”
“I’m so afraid she will out me if Jamie finds her. She’ll know it was me. Your friends like me now, but they won’t once they know the truth.”
“If it comes to that, I will talk to them. I’ll make them see you didn’t have a choice.”
“But I did have one…” her eyes glisten, “… there’s always a choice.”
I shove a forkful of lettuce into my mouth, speaking between bites. “No matter how this turns out, we’ll figure it out together.”
She cups my knee with her hand as she eats her salad. Just feeling her fingers through my pants creates a deep need inside me. My insides warm from her touch, and heat dances along my skin. I never thought I could feel this way about a woman.
“You think I’ll pass the class?”
She nods with her mouth full of food. “Showing up late didn’t help you, but you did so well on your last assignment that it all balances out. You should end up with a B-, maybe a B if you don’t slip too much.” Sam sets her fork at the edge of her plate and looks over at me. “You know, I’m really proud of you, Tuck. In the beginning, you wanted me to hand you a grade, but you put the work into the class. You deserve the grade you’ve earned.”
I wink. “That’s because I have a good teacher.”
“All I did was keep you on track and made you accountable. You did the rest of the work on your own.”
“Don’t let Preston know,” I joke. “Then he won’t have anything to nag at me about.”
“You should never downplay your accomplishments. You should be proud of the progress you’ve made this semester.”
“My greatest achievement is scoring you.” I press my lips to hers, sucking her bottom lip into my mouth.
“Such a sweet talker,” she breathes.
“You know it, baby.”
I’m under the covers with Sam sliding my fingers into her soaking wet pussy when Jamie busts through the door. He stands in the entrance to my bedroom. His hair looks as if he’s been pulling at it.
“Ever heard of knocking?” I shout.
Sam pushes my hand away, pulling the covers up to her chin.
Jamie enters the dark room and thankfully doesn’t turn on the lights because Sam and I are both naked. Not like I care about me. Everyone in the house has seen my bare ass hundreds of times.
“I did it.” He looks like a lunatic, his eyes bugging out.
“We’re kind of in the middle of something here. What is your deal?”
“I found her.”
Sam and I sit up at the same time, our focus on Jamie. He sits at the edge of the bed, strumming his fingers on his knee.
“I didn’t get a name, but I got an address. It’s owned by a holding company.”
“I don’t get it. A company owns the blog?”
Jamie shrugs. “I’m not sure yet. I have to check it out.”
“You need to get some sleep first. Dude, you look like shit. And maybe get a shower, too.” I wave my hand at the space between us. “You don’t smell so hot either.”
He laughs. “I’ve been working on this all day and night. I didn’t exactly have time for a shower.” Jamie leans forward tugging at the ends of his hair as he rests his elbows on his thighs. “I finally found her.”
“What’s your deal with this girl?”
“I know her code. It’s beautiful. She’s a real architect. It feels familiar but at the same time brand new.”
“That stuff is over my head,” I admit.
“It’s like being an artist and appreciating the painter for each swipe of their brush. She’s a genius.”
“Sounds like you’re in love with her.”
“For all I know, she’s a man hiding behind a screen name.”
“She’s a woman,” Sam says, now realizing she made a mistake. “Or so I heard.”
I told Jamie the e-mail address came from someone on campus. He didn’t push too hard when I told him I couldn’t give away my source. All he cared about was meeting his match. He’s so obsessed with The Queen that he let his relationship with Shannon turn to shit. Maybe once he discovers the truth, he will go back to Shannon and grovel for a second chance.