Breaking The Routine

            David sat on the sofa looking out at the city sky line with an untouched beer in his hand. It had been two months since he stopped using women as a distraction. Seeing the hurt on that woman's face the day he told her the bitter truth so bluntly made him realize the horrible person he was turning into, exactly the type of person he didn't want to become.

            With a new found determination he made himself forget about Sam and he thought he had successfully done it until he had accidently heard Tabby talking with Mark. She was sounded so excited that David couldn't help but listen in. He couldn't believe how those few simple words, "Sam's coming to New York," had affected him.

            David came to realize he hadn't even come close to moving on. Despite his anger, he couldn't help but feel a small hope that she was coming to see him too. But as always with Sam, she was nothing but betrayal and pain he realized as Tabby mentioned the friend that was coming along with her, her male friend.

            David shook his head with irritation. How she could still affect him so badly after all these months, he wondered furious with himself and her. He knew Mark and Tabby had left already to meet Sam and her friend at the airport, just thinking about him made David seething with unwanted jealousy. "Damn you," he cursed finally taking a drink from the bottle. He set down the bottle refusing to drown himself there and decided to get out and take a walk.

            He walked around the large city in no determined direction. David just couldn't get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. Did she think about him at any given moment, did she feel sorry, any remorse? Any regret at all? Did she even care, if only a little?

            "You haven't been waiting on us have you David," Tabby teased from somewhere behind him. He turned and saw her and Mark getting out of a taxi and he realized he was right in front of their apartment building.

            "I actually just got here. I was taking a walk," he told her and noticed Mark looked extremely pissed. "What's up man," he asked his friend.

            "Oh he is just jealous because I think Robert is a nice guy," Tabby said waving him off.

            "Wrong! It's not because you think he is a nice guy...and I am not jealous," Mark snapped at her and she waved him off again. "Don't you do that to me Tabs! You were all over him," he told her and David looked at them nervously.

            "So this is your friend?" Mark started imitating Tabby's way of talking. "Oh Robert do tell me how you two met? Oh however did you get Sam to let you call her Samantha? Oh Robert you such a great guy! Oh Robert this, Oh Robert that," Mark went on with his imitation and Tabby frowned. David was suddenly uncomfortable as Mark mentioned this Robert and Sam's names together and jealousy crept upon him too.

            "You're such a jerk when you're jealous," Tabby told him furious.

            "And you're such an irritating and crazy woman when you throw yourself at other men," Mark snapped at her again and they both glared at each other for a moment.

            "Well I guess you won't be coming for lunch then," she asked him coldly.

            "Like hell am I going to watch you drool of Professor Nice Guy," he replied bitterly.

            "Whatever," she told him with another wave of her hand turning to enter in the building. David stood there not sure what to say or do as he witnessed them have their first fight. Mark's jaw was locked and his fists were balled into to fists so tight his knuckles were white.

            "You should have seen how she was around that ass! Acting like he was the next best thing since sliced bread," Mark said slowly and David gave him a weak smile.

            "I am sure you're just over reacting. She's been crazy about you since I've known her," David said reassuring his friend but felt a little worried. He had never seen Mark get jealous or have any signs of insecurity that he was showing now.

            "Yeah you're right, I am being stupid," Mark agreed loosening up a bit. "I bet the guy is boring as hell anyways. He is a philosophy teacher for God's sake! Let's go have a beer. I don't know about you but I need one," he said still angry and David nodded, not really in the mood to drink but he wanted to accompany his friend.

            Once they were in the apartment Mark went over to the fridge and handed David a beer and they both sat at the kitchen island. "Oh my God, you two look like a couple of big babies," Tabby said coming out of the bed room looking at Mark and David sitting there both obviously in sour moods. Mark glared at her and she just gave him a playful smile.

            "Oh how I love my silly jealous man," she told him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and Mark suddenly brightened and kissed her back.

            "I love my frustrating and crazy woman too," he told her and David watched them with longing for a moment then returned his attention to his beer. Mark frowned slightly watching Tabby leave the apartment.

           "So..." David started not being

      "What do you

           "Do they look you know...close," he asked

around for them for a few minutes but yeah I got the impression that they are pretty

the way Tabby tells it, she finally figured out what a bastard he was and told him to go screw himself then sold her house, left town, and hasn't spoken to him since, "

wondered why the hell she couldn't have done all that only six months ago. Obviously, I wasn't worth it to her, David thought then

he felt at the thought of some other man touching her even if it was just an arm. He wanted to be the only man that ever touched her, he thought darkly. However that only made him even angrier. He didn't want to feel jealous or want to be the man who was with Sam. David wanted

    Damn you Sam, damn you! Haven't you done enough, David cursed silently then pushing away the beer sitting in front of him. "Thanks Mark but I think I am

he started to warm up before sitting on the weight bench to start his daily strength training routine, it was the only thing he found

to improve his mood any since the afternoon. No matter how hard he trained, it simply didn't work. He couldn't keep his thoughts off of Sam and her friend. He couldn't help but play out in his head several scenarios where both of them were together romantically and making him feel so angry that he felt like he would explode at any

           A knock out of the door broke him away from his dark scenarios David looked at his wrist watch as he walked towards the door. It was nearly ten o' clock; he wondered who would be at his door this hour of the evening. David opened the door to find Tabby with some guy standing behind her. You have got to be kidding me; he thought bitterly hoping to hell that guy

she told the man behind her and the man gave her a slight smile. David felt his blood heat up seeing the supposed friend of Sam's. What the hell was

them in not taking his glare off of the man. "David this is Robert, Sam's friend and Robert you already know all about David," Tabby said introducing the two. What

      "What are you doing here," David asked her coldly. She rolled her eyes at him but he ignored

        "I wanted to ask you about Samantha," Robert told him and David clenched his fists

         "What about her? Want to know what makes her squirm under the sheets," he smirked with a cold smile

be an ass," she said glaring

          "No I don't, I don't need help in that area. Samantha and I are just friends, I did try once to be more than friends though," the man told him

         "Really, I didn't know that," Tabby chirped

she said no, we decided to stay friends and end of story," Robert explained and then turned to David. "I came here David because I wanted to know if you still love Samantha," he asked. David glowered at him feeling himself getting to a very dangerous level of pissed

       "Why the hell do you care," David snapped receiving another slap upside the head from Tabby and she pointed a threatening finger at him and Robert gave a slight smile. God, he really wanted to hit that jack ass

      "So...?"Robert asked and David

            "Why the hell do you give a damn," He barked angrily keeping an eye on the slap happy Tabby, refusing to

"Unfortunately she is too scared

         "So basically she is a chicken shit coward and sent her boy toy to do the dirty work," David sneered nastily not willing to let

          "Watch it David," Robert warned looking a little

           "Is

       "She is my friend and I won't stand you talking about her like that," Robert warned

    "Will you two stop it," Tabby

        "I will do what I damn well please in my damn house," David told both of

      "She deserves your respect, you dumb ass," Robert shot back at

          "Out of all the things that woman deserves, my respect isn't one of them," he shot and Robert was clearly pissed which made him all the

         "This is your fault you know," Robert told him coldly. "You pushed her too hard when she only needed your patience," Robert finished and David flinched only stopping himself from hitting the guy by a thread. Who the hell did this guy think he was, coming over to his apartment

than some punk ass jerk like you," Robert shot. "It doesn't take a genius to see that Sam isn't like other women, she need to be treated differently! Now thanks to you! She won't give any other man a chance,"

shouted, the thought of this man or any man with her pushed him off the edge of control