Chapter 19 - Samanta

“Samanta?” The man's voice resonated in Sam's mind and she turned to stone in that very spot. “Hello. Samanta, can you hear me?” Insisted Dominik.

“Yes” she shook her head hard, “I'm here” she whispered.

“I could not call you before because...” Dominik hurried to let her know everything that had occurred since her number was mysteriously vanished from his mobile.

Samanta, however, did not hear a single word he said. Her mind was focused on something entirely different: He called.

«Oh my God! It's him», The little voice in her head kept repeating ad her hear started racing.

»I was wondering if you would like…” Dom hesitated. He was about to say something he was not sure of. He didn't know it was the most thoughtful thing to say, but he still took his chance, “to go out with me somewhere?”

“What?” Sam asked to make sure what she heard was true.

“Yes. Talk, take a stroll…

“I would like that very much” she responded not thinking about it even once—. I'll be off at 4:00 pm” she muttered.

“Good! Is it okay if I come get you at 10 past 4?”

“Great! It's fine!”

“Amazing! So… See you in a couple hours?” asked Dom, Making sure Sam wouldn't back off.

Samanta nodded in silence like the man on the other side of the line could see her.

“Alright” she finally agreed.

“Alright” he too, agreed.

The phone went silent.

«What just happened?», she asked herself. Samanta could not fathom how she agreed so easily to the invite from a man she had barely met and, could not help but to question herself. «Is it because he's famous?», She asked like and other worldly being would answer. «What if I don't go? If I tell him I have to do overtime?». For a minute, she felt tempted to push aside the stupid idea of going out with this man, but a part of her was begging to go. «Screw it, I'll enjoy myself, You don't get to go out with a celebrity every day». She dove into her own thoughts once again, considering standing him up, just out of fear of not knowing what to say when they met. «What if I bore him? What could I talk about with him?». And this is how the whole day went by for Samanta, submerged in an internal soliloquy. She was so focused planning every step she would give as soon as she was with Dominik, she started acting weird to everybody around her. She ignored Carlos a couple times and she made a few other customers wait a little longer than necessary.

When her shift was over, Sam was at the back of the store, putting her belongings in her bag. She looked to the sides to make sure she was alone and she started changing, taking off her work shirt to put on her own. As she pulled her top from her bag, the door slammed open.

“Could you tell me what exactly is the matter with you?” Carlos yelled as soon as he came in.

Samanta startled and screamed.

“Can't you see I'm changing here?” She grabbed her top and put it on in a hurry.

“Sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry” her friend turned around, blushed and stared directly at the floor.

“It's fine, it was my fault” she said as she came up to him. Carlos kept his eyes on the floor. “I shouldn't be changing here” she held her friend by the shoulders, but Carlos could not manage to take his eyes off the floor. “What did you say when you came in? I couldn't hear you.”

“What is the matter with you? You've been all crazy today.”

“Uhmmm, I… I just…” Sam tried articulating.

At that instant her phone rang and she answered without even looking at the screen.

»Hello?”

“Hello. Dominik here. Are you ready yet? I'll be there in five minutes.”

“Eh, hi” she mumbled. “Yes, I'm ready. I'm on my way out.”

Carlos rose an eyebrow to her friend's nervousness.

“Perfect, I am almost there. See you shortly.”

“Ok.”

The call ended.

“Alright, either this is a national secret or you just won't tell me what's going on. Who was that?” Samanta's curious friend inquired.

“I… uhmmm…” she stuttered.

She could not manage to process what was happening, and she herself could not understand why she was acting like this. She never kept a secret from her friend, but right now, she felt the imperative need to stay silent about her … date?

Carlos' inquisitive stare kept glaring at her and she felt awful not telling him, so she finally came clean.

»It's Dominik” she snapped.

“What?” Carlos had his eyes open in awe. “And when were you planning on telling me you have a date with The Bullet?”

“It's no date” Sam let out, defensively.

“Excuse you? Where I'm from, we call that a date” he refuted.

“We're just hanging out, some light conversation and that's it.”

“Really? Carlos rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to keep you out of this, it just happened.”

“Sure! I think I may have overstepped a little” Carlos tried to calm down. “When are you seeing him?”

“Now” muttered Sam biting her lower lip.

“What? Now? Right now?” Carlos' heart stopped. “But, bu-bu-but…”

A weird feeling came over Carlos. Was it sadness? Why was he feeling like this? Thinking about his friend going out with a celebrity, handsome and rich made him feel unhappy.

Sam gave her friend a hug and a peck on the cheek.

“Promise to fill you in on it later” she said.

«I'd rather you don't», he thought.