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 able to resist

do you want to know about him," Mark asked picking up his beer

         "Do they look you know...close," he asked hesitantly not sure if

Mark was silent for the moment. "Well I only been around for them for a few minutes but yeah I got the impression that they are pretty close," he admitted and David sighed sadly taking a drink from his beer hating feeling so jealous. "Apparently they have been friends since she started going to the University," Mark said

         "University,"

a big fight with her father. From the way Tabby tells it, she finally figured out what a bastard he was and told him to go screw

            Bitter resentment bubbled to the surface as he 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 thought about this friend of hers. Was he the reason she finally left her

always have his arm around her shoulders but I didn't see anything that would make me think that she is lying about them just being friends," Mark explained and David couldn't believe how jealous he felt at the thought of some other man touching her even if it was

        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

apartment, feeling his mood darken by the minute. Changing his clothes, he started to warm up before sitting on the weight bench to start

matter how hard he trained, it simply didn't work. He couldn't keep his thoughts off of

            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

blood heat up seeing the supposed friend of Sam's. What the hell was he doing here and why the hell did Tabby bring him.

Robert you already know all about David," Tabby said introducing the two. What did she mean by he knew all about him, David thought acidly. Sam went around bragging how she had made

doing here," David asked her coldly. She

        "I wanted to ask you about Samantha," Robert told him and

what makes her squirm under the sheets," he smirked with

ass," she said glaring at him and he glared back at her rubbing the

just friends, I did try once to be more than friends though," the man told him with a cool even tone and David clenched his jaw tightly feeling as if the man had reached inside him and was slowly pulling out

        "Really, I didn't

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

from Tabby and she pointed a threatening finger at him and Robert gave a slight smile. God, he really wanted to hit

an eye on the slap happy Tabby, refusing to answer a question that he wasn't sure of the answer. Robert frowned at him looking displeased which pleased

scared of your reaction and losing you all over again to actually come here and tell you so herself," Robert explained but that sounded

     "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 go of his anger, rejection, and indignation towards her

           "Watch it David," Robert warned looking a little upset and David started to smile enjoying seeing the

           "Is

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

         "Will you two stop it," Tabby told them but both of them

            "I will do what I damn well

           "She deserves your respect, you dumb ass," Robert

the things that woman deserves, my respect isn't

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 blaming something on him when that idiot had no damn idea

     "She deserves so much better 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!

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