Breaking The Routine

Sam looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of her hotel room horrified. "I can't go out looking like this," she exclaimed.

"Don't be silly Sam, you look hot," Tabby told her from the other room. She sighed and looked at her reflection again. Her black sleeveless shirt had a swooping neckline that showed off more of her cleavage than she would ever usually think about showing. It was accompanied with a black skirt that ended about mid-thigh; much shorter than she would have ever had worn before. Sam turned to the side skeptically, the outfit did show off her curves well, but that didn't make her feel any more comfortable in it.

"Now let's take care of that hair and makeup," Tabby chirped happily ignoring her friend's discomfort. Sam started to protest, but Tabby held up her hand. "I so do not want to hear it, you promised me, Samantha Isabel Peters! You said you would not complain or back down! I let you chicken out after an hour yesterday but tonight is our last night in New York and I am not letting you get out of it this time," she snapped and commanded that Sam sits down so she could fix her hair. Sam pulled her face into a pout as she flopped down in the chair. Why did I ever agree to this, she thought miserably, but she already knew why. Tabby has been her best friend since she could remember and somehow her friend always knew how to get her to do what she wanted.

When Sam had turned twenty-six, Tabby took on the mission of breaking her out of her isolated life. "If you keep going like this Sam you're going to end up a spinster with a house full of cats," she claimed when they had gone out for Sam's birthday.

Sam merely rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little Tabby," She asked and the blonde shook her head side to side.

"No I am not Sam; your last boyfriend was nearly five years ago! You're so on the spinster path!" The blonde scolded her. Sam shrugged in reply, she didn't really mind the way her life was, yes she did get lonely and wouldn't mind having a bit of romance, but she wasn't about to change herself all around just for a man to notice her. "If a fisherman didn't bait his hook then he would go home empty handed. If you want a guy, you're going to have to bait him with something Sam!" Tabby told her with a sly smile.

"Men aren't fish Tabby, and if being myself isn't bait enough for them then they don't deserve to have me," Sam replied to her friend. "Besides, men aren't the be all and end all of life!"

Tabby gave her a horrified look then the sly smile came back to her lips. "No they may not be the be all and end all of life," she admitted. "But they sure do make it a lot more fun!"

About a month ago Tabby got the crazy idea of taking a trip to New York for them to have a fun weekend. "It'll be cool; you can break with the good girl and go wild! No one in this little town will know the difference so you can go back to your boring wallflower routine if you like," Tabby had told her.

Even though Sam was the exact opposite of wild and she didn't think she could ever break the good girl since it was who she was, the idea of her friend's plan did sound kind of exciting. Stepping out of the routine and forgetting about being shy, nice, and worrying what other people thought about her. So Tabby finally got her to agree and here she was sitting in her hotel in New York being pampered by her friend in attempts to break her out of her quiet good girl routine.

They arrived Friday afternoon and that night went to the first nightclub they had found, Sam didn't like it at all. It was too dark and smoky and the electronic music sounded like something long lost from the eighties. The place in general just made her feel anxious and self-conscious. The only guys that came up to them only wanted to dance with Tabby. They didn't even look at her; she was invisible!

Which honestly made Sam all the happier, the guys just oozed sleaze bag. This afternoon while Sam did some tourism Tabby googled for some good clubs and promised her that tonight would be different. Sam had her doubts and was dreading going out again, she was sure it was going to be exactly the same as last night. Not an experience she felt like reliving.

"There you go," Tabby announced breaking Sam from her thoughts. "Any guy with two eyes would definitely want to shag ya, yeah baby!" She said ending with a silly Austin Powers impression.

"You're crazy, I am talking totally textbook crazy!" Sam told her as she looked herself in the mirror, there was no doubt she had never looked better.

you're Sam the

with a pessimistic tone as

upbeat music. The place was a bit crowded but not to the point that it made her feel like she was in a sardine in a can. "Now let's get some alcohol in you Wildcat! It will help you get out of that shell

me drunk?" Sam asked putting on her best impression of a prude. Tabby nodded yes making them both laugh like school

not get you a boy toy but tonight we are going to have fun," Tabby cheered grabbing her hand leading her in the crowd. Sam had no idea how to dance so she just mimicked whatever

this a private party or can anyone join?" a deep voice asked from behind after they had been dancing a while. They turned to see two

think Wildcat can they join," Tabby asked her and she felt

drowned in the alcohol successfully bringing out of her shell and she attempted her best seductive smile looking both of them over. The one on the right obviously had eyes only

hair came down to his chin where the start of a beard was showing. "Sure why not," she answered

as him would want to dance with her. Her drunken buzz was beginning to wear off allowing the feeling of insecurity start to creep back into her. She felt nervous as remembered she still had no idea how to dance and was terrified of

into a perfect rhythm with him considering she was clueless to what she was doing. When the song was finished, she stepped away from him expecting that he would go back with his friend or with someone else but as the music started again, he pulled her closer to him. A small smile spread across her lips as she looked up at him feeling drawn into his soft brown eyes that appeared never to look away

desperate freak. She gave her attention to her friend trying to ignore the knotting feeling in her stomach that had started gnawing at her. "Bring your hotty over to the bar; I

with a hint of a smile on the edges of his lips. She felt blush burn across her cheeks

said it, not me. That's Wallflower," she told him with a small shrug and made

a brownish drink. She really didn't like the taste but now that her head was clearing she could feel her insecurities coming back with strength and the desire to run to safer waters was growing. Sam was having fun before and didn't want it to end just

with a small

then downed her shot glass and Sam followed suit, it was hot and burned on the way down. She coughed and felt her eyes water as Tabby passed her another one. Just as she started to lift it to her lips, her dance partner leans over till he was very close to

seem to be that much of a drinker," he whispered in her ear and shivers ran through her body as his warm breath brushed her skin. Oh wow, was all she could think at first then she smiled up at him feeling the warmth of the drinks flood her body. She downed the shot glass she

up in other things," she told him with a naughty smile surprising

moving even more closely to her. Sam's heart raced even faster, her breaths quickened and her blood seemed to

fun if I told you that now would it," she replied looking up at him. Oh my god is this really happening, she asked herself silently. Never in her life had she been so forward or even close to it. His arms wrapped around

attracted to her? Sam felt her breath stop as he lowered his face closer to hers. His lips were about to touch hers when she felt a wave of fear attack her and she backed away. She couldn't believe what almost happened. This hotter than hot man almost kissed her! Sam couldn't get over the fact that he actually wanted to kiss her at right now. She looked back up at him and saw that he was still looking at her intently and she felt a

her and she felt relieved and confused at the same time. Why was he looking at her like that, she couldn't help but wonder as he took her hand in his leading her back on the dance floor. He pulled her in close, much closer than they had been before and her whole body responded to his closeness. She fell in perfect rhythm

her stomach twist upon itself as he lowered his face towards hers once more. This time, she felt powerless to pull away from him. Oh wow, she thought yet again as he stopped with his lips closely next to