Chapter Six

Sam was still smiling over the conversation with John the next morning when she walked in the office five minutes late.  Her friend Phillip was just leaving a note on her desk when she breezed through the door.

"Hey honey."  Her impeccably dressed co-worker stood up to his full 6' height, not a blonde hair out of place.  "I was just leavin' you a note.  Thought you might wanna meet me at Loca Luna's for lunch."

"Sure, I haven't been to the River Market in months."  Her briefcase hit her desk right before her ass hit her chair.

Phillip's brown eyes twinkled.  "So why is Ms. I've-never-been-five minutes-late-not-even-for-my-period, coming in five minutes late?"

"Reporters, or should I say vultures, on the front steps.  Everybody wants a sound bite for the news about this case," she answered, sliding her chair forward.  "Don't know why 'no comment' doesn't work for them." She grinned.

Phillip snorted as only a gay man can.  "Oh, honey.  In the future, come up with a juicier story."

Sam's throaty chuckle filled the office.  "Even if it's a lie?"

He nodded, then confirmed, "Even if it's a lie."  Spinning on his heel, he tossed over his shoulder, "Gotta run, gotta be in court in ten."

"Oh yeah, 'cause that's totally a juicy story," she called out.

Her briefcase was open, and her files were spread across her desk before the last of her friend's laughter faded away.  She had way too much to do today to waste time.  This case went to trial in two days.

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In New York, Jon had overslept, something that never happened.  Usually, even without an alarm set, his inner clock woke him up by 9 am.  Well, except when he was on tour.  That had caused him to have to scurry around first his bedroom and en suite bathroom, then the penthouse as he tried to get out of the house and in to the BJM offices.

He had been in a great mood all morning, even laughed when he'd seen Richie waiting by the door ready to leave with him.  The guitarist was never up this early if he didn't have to be.  The traffic jam they got stuck in didn't even 'harsh his mellow'.

They were sitting at a dead stop and Richie's cell phone rang.  Jon smiled as he listened to his friend telling his mom that he promised he'd be out to visit her soon.  While Richie went on talking with his mother, Jon's gaze turned to the window.  A music store held his attention for a moment, with a beautiful old Gibson in the window, then he moved on to the next shop, a florist.

A florist.  Hmm.

He threw open the door, meeting the driver's gaze in the rear view mirror.  "I'll be right back."

"Hold on, Ma," Richie said softly.  "Where ya goin', Kidd?"  The guitarist's eyes switched quickly from Jon to the scenery behind him.  Seeing the florist shop, he told his friend, "Don't do it, Kidd.  It's not a good idea."

"Rich, one word.  Nunya."  He grinned to soften the sting of his words, then slammed the door.

When he came back out of the store, the driver had only managed to move the SUV about a block.  Jon ran quickly to catch up, then swiftly slid in the back seat.

"What did you do?"  Richie demanded, no longer on the phone.  He had watched Jon go into the florist shop and had a sinking suspicion as to what it was about.

A smug grin danced across the singer's full lips.  "I said...Nunya."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YAHOO MESSENGER OFFLINE MESSAGE SENT TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE 

FemFBFan4Life: You are just too much! Why in the hell did you send me roses? You just need to be really glad that I'm the only Samantha working here. Otherwise, I'd have let the other woman have them. And what exactly did you mean by the card? "Just showing my affection, and that I could still get to you if I wanted to, John." Who the hell do you think you are? Yeah, you can get flowers sent in here...and you could even walk right in the door...but you couldn't come in here and do me any harm, this place has security that would make the gang at Fort Knox go..."Wow".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost 4 pm when Jon logged into Yahoo from his office at BJM.  When he read the message from Sam, he laughed softly.  He had read on the forum where she posted about working in the Prosecuting Attorney's office.  She'd already said she was in Little Rock, Arkansas.  He put two and two together and for once had arrived at a very safe 4.

YAHOO MESSENGER OFFLINE MESSAGE SENT TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800: 

JerseyCowboy7800: You're welcome 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chin almost on her desk, Sam sat staring at her screen.  You're welcome?  Was he serious?  That was the only response he was going to give after the rant she sent his way?  Quickly, she fired off a response.

YAHOO MESSENGER OFFLINE MESSAGE SENT TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE

FemFBFan4Life: Are you kidding me? You're welcome? That's all you have to say? After convincing me you weren't a psycho so that I would give you my ID...then you send me roses. You don't even know me!

Holy hell, that man had balls!  The clock on her desk said it was just after 4 pm.  She had a little time to kill, even if it meant taking some work home with her, so she logged into the forum.  Reading some of the back posts, she saw where Goddess had said she was going to a thing in the park with friends and going to hear some live music.  Damn, maybe that's what she needed.  A night away from it all.

Yeah right, like she had time for that between now and Friday.

She made a post saying "hi" to everyone, and then a quick post for Goddess.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:15 pm    Post subject:     I need to get a life....Hey Goddess, yours sounds nice...can I try it on for a while...check it out...you know kick the tires...give it a test drive...see if I like it? lmao
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But, no one answered her.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:18 pm    Post subject:     wow...everyone keeps saying "Where's Sam?" and I finally got a chance to stop by and there's no one here!...lmao...just my luck!
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Finally, Lucy responded and that was all it took for a conversation to fly back and forth.

ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:19 pm    Post subject:     nope I'm here Sam how ya doing? Long time no see? Have ya IM'd with Kidd yet? Is he as mysterious in private as on here?
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:23 pm    Post subject:     Hey Lucy. I wouldn't exactly call him mysterious...but I'm beginning to wonder if he's not some kind of psycho! He sent me roses today here at work...it was almost like he just wanted to show me he COULD get to me....IF he WAS an ax murderer.
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She had barely sent the last post when Yahoo messenger dinged with a new message.  

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:25 pm    Post subject:     Hey...speak of the devil! He just im'ed me. I'll be right back!
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ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:32 pm    Post subject:     OMG HE SENT YOU ROSES!!! That's sweet but then again...um...a lil scary. I mean, yea we've joked around on here a lot but...um still...  Let me know what Romeo has to say
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JerseyCowboy7800: Honey, I'm sorry that I scared you. That wasn't my intention at all. I just wanted to show you how much I appreciated the conversation last night. It was a lot of fun. You have such a great personality, and you're so very funny. I love your sense of humor. Please don't think of my little gesture as anything other than that. I'm a bit of a smartass too, and just couldn't resist sending them today. Zan and I were out running some errands and we passed a flower shop, and it was just an impulse. I come from a fine Italian family, and we're very demonstrative. I've always been that way. Please believe me...

FemFBFan4Life: John, I never said you scared me.

JerseyCowboy7800: You didn't have to. I realize now what a stupid thing that was to do. Zan tried to tell me not to do it...but I gotta admit most of the time I don't listen to him. Can we forget it ever happened?

FemFBFan4Life: I can't forget. There's two dozen long stemmed yellow roses staring me in the face sitting on the corner of my desk.

JerseyCowboy7800: So throw 'em away!

FemFBFan4Life: Oh, I can't do that...they're way to beautiful to throw away. And is that a lead crystal vase?

JerseyCowboy7800: Yeah, it's supposed to be. Is it pretty too?

FemFBFan4Life: Yeah, it is. Thank you, I guess. 

He continually surprised her!  How did he get 'scared' from her previous rant?  And, if she was being honest, at least with herself, she had been scared.  In between messages to John, she was posting to Lucy too.

ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:37 pm    Post subject:     Hey Sam ask him where Zan is its been kind of a rough day at work, I could use a good laugh.
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:38 pm    Post subject:     Hey Lucy, yeah, just a little scary. 2 dozen yellow roses in a lead crystal vase. He's just apologized and explained...maybe I won't have to change my name and move to another state after all...lmao
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ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:40 pm    Post subject:     well its nice he apologized but still, what was he thinking? So other than contemplating going into the witness relocation program lol How has your day been?
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362

Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:47 pm    Post subject:     was very busy this morning and just after lunch...but things are starting to slow down a little. But, I think I might have to take some work home with me tonight...still don't have my opening written, and the trial starts on Friday. Can't give details of an ongoing case. But, I can say that it's a murder case involving child abuse of a toddler. I handle child and domestic abuse type cases.

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ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:49 pm    Post subject:     omg Hang the bastard Sam! God ppl can really SUCK sometimes. So you still talking to Romeo?
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:50 pm    Post subject:     oh..and I can say...I'm going to nail that bastard's ass to the wall...and I'm refusing to make any deals. His lawyer called me today and wanted to make an appointment to talk a deal. I told him in no uncertain terms where he could stick it.
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That last post had been sent before she saw Lucy's.  Romeo?  Geez, she was going to have to nip this in the bud!

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 04:52 pm    Post subject:     no, I'm not still talking to KIDD...why in the world are ya'll calling us Romeo and Juliet? He said that he and Zan were working on something...but that he'd talk to me in a little bit.
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ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 05:02 pm    Post subject:     because we were giving everyone nick names and since he is obviously so sweet on you....lol it seemed fitting lmao
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 05:04 pm    Post subject:     Couldn't ya'll have chosen something better than Romeo and Juliet? How about....Samson and Delilah? I always wanted to cut a guy's hair and take away his strength!...lmao
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She'd stated her case rather nicely.  Surely, that would stop the Romeo and Juliet shit.

ChgoBearsFan Miss Fourth of July Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 5142 Location: In LA working on the plans for when I become...MRS ZAN!!	Posted: 29 Aug 2007 05:05 pm    Post subject:     nah we like Romeo and Juliet lmao
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Fuck!