"How'd it go?!" Sam demanded, answering her phone before the first ring had finished announcing itself. Her voice was eager, and he could tell by the low rumble and jarring clink of glasses in the background that she was at work, probably balancing the phone between her shoulder and her ear while she poured a drink.

Spencer didn't like her working at the bar. 'Rodrigo's' drew in a rough crowd, and he worried about her. Sam had banned him from showing up during her shifts after the third time he'd almost got his teeth knocked out attempting to defend her honour.

"Sorry I didn't know you were working.. want me to call you back?" he offered, his jaw involuntarily clenching as he caught the gist of a lewd suggestion on her end.

"Nah its fine, I'm just about to leave. How-did-it-go?" she repeated impatiently, elongating the words of her question slowly to ensure they were heard.

"How'd what go?" Spencer asked innocently, enjoying the opportunity to wind her up, with no immediate violent repercussions.

Sam groaned down the phone, the volume of her voice raising.

"Spence stop dicking around. Its almost 1am I've been waiting on frickin' tenterhooks!"

Spencer glanced at his watch, not quite believing her timekeeping, and found she was right. 12.53 am.

"Wow.. sorry I kinda lost track of time." he apologized. "How are you getting home? Do you want me to pick you up?"

Sam was silent for a few moments. He could hear the whistle of wind, and the creak of the door heaving shut behind her as she made her way outside.

"I want you to put me out of my misery... Spill!"

"It went well... I had a good time." he confided cryptically

"A good time? Like you were a gentleman and gave her a kiss on the cheek good time? Or you spent the last seven hours fucking her brains out good time?"

"What do you take me for?" Spencer laughed.

A muffled voice in the background muttered something about definitely choosing the second option if she was offering, and Spencer's smile slipped.

"You got much more luck with your left hand buddy." Sam spat. "Keep walking."

Spencer was on his feet, in his jacket and clutching his car keys in seconds.

"Sam? Go back inside. I'll come pick you up."

"I'm fine!" she argued "I can look after myse-"

"I already left. I'll be there in ten."

He slammed the apartment door shut, and marched down the stairs into the lobby, too impatient to wait for the lift. He was in his car, and driving faster than he knew he should within 2 minutes of ending the call. It wasn't until he felt a water droplet trickle down his face from his wet hair that he realised it was raining, and turned on the windscreen wipers. He didn't slow down or relax his tight grip on the steering weel until he pulled up ourside Rodrigo's exactly 6 minutes later.

He found her sitting on the steps of the closed club, a bored expression adorning her face, shivering from the cold and soaked though. Thankfully she was alone, and there was no sign of any loitering drunks. He knew that Sam could handle herself, but he worried that sometimes she bit off more than she could chew. His mood still darkened evey time he thought back to what had happened a few months previously. She had decided to walk home from work alone at 1am, and was jumped by a man she had served earlier that evening. His only intention was to swipe her purse, and Sam had managed to put up a good fight before he did just that, but he always feared what could have happed if there had been a different motive to the attack. Afterwards, she had given him her word that she would call him if she was stuck for a ride.

Spencer beeped and Sam hurried to the car. She slammed the door behind her and shook her head like a dog, spraying rain water in every direction.

"Thanks for that..." Spencer said, mildly amused.

She shot him a dirty look, and he couldn't help laughing.

Her long curls were dragged down by the weight of the water, tendrils plastered to her face, mascara threatening to run. Her short jeans skirt was several shades darker than the denim and the grey t-shirt she was wearing was sodden and clinging to her tiny frame, now opaque enough to clearly see the little red lacy bra she wore underneath. He swallowed hard.

He shouldn't be noticing the colour of her bra, or noting how he preferred it to the glimpse of the black one he had seen that afternoon every time Mindy had leant forward. He should'nt be mentally comparing her petite form to the one he had held in arms just hours before in a chaste end of date kiss.

He berated himself, and averted his eyes, as he began the drive to Sam's tiny apartment. He was obviously just relieved that Sam was safe, and the haze of sleep derpivation had morphed it into something else for a few seconds. That was it. That was definately it.

He was unceremoniously dragged from his thoughts when Sam punched him non too gently in the arm. He jumped, slightly startled, and shot her a hurt look.

"Oww!"

"Then stop ignoring me doofus!" she whined. "I just asked you 3 times to enlighten me about this afternoons events."

He rubbed his tender arm with his spare hand, and mumbled an apology.

"Sorry, I must have zoned out.."

"Did you bang her?" She queried, bouncing in her car seat like an overexited toddler.

"Samantha!"

"Did you?"

"Sam, I-"

"Yes or no Spence!"

He exhaled a weary sigh, and shot her a dissaproving glance. He wasn't one to kiss and tell, but Sam wouldn't take no for an answer. He had learned from experience that when she wanted to know something, she wouldn't pause for breath until every detail had been divulged. The girl knew enough about him to blackmail him for every penny if she was so inclined. Luckily for Spencer, he knew that anything he shared would never be repeated to another soul. Unless someone decided to bribe her with bacon, he figured he was safe.

"No." He admitted. "There was no 'banging'"

"Oh..." Sam said, sounding slightly dissapointed.

Then she smacked him in the arm again, in the same spot he could already feel a bruise blossoming.

"Owww!" He yelped again. "Sam I'm driving!"

"If you haven't spent half the day tangled up in flailing limbs, and sweaty sheets, why haven't you picked up the phone?"

Spencer burst out laughing.

"'Flailing limbs, and sweaty sheets'? Have you been reading 50 shades of gray again?"

"I will continue to punch you." She threatened.

"I stayed for exactly an hour and half. I gave her a kiss goodbye, and then I went home and worked on a sculpture. My phones been on silent, I must have lost track of time."

"Oh." Sam said again, the dissapointment clear in her voice this time. "Well that was anti-climactic..."

"I did what you told me to do!"

"Huh... Thats true. Well...Good boy."

Spencer laughed again. He pulled up outside the apartment block that Sam lived in. It was a small run down building, that he was sure she'd chosen purely because of its close proximity to 'Chilli my bowl', but at least the locks all worked, and there was a permanant security guard on duty.

"I was as a matter of fact. I was all mysterious and sexy, and I played it cool. And she's text me 3 times! I haven't replied yet, I didn't want to look too eager."

"I'm impressed! Let me see."

Spencer handed her his cell phone, slightly worried that she'd use her girl skills to read something in them that he couldnt, wand watched nervously as she scrolled through the messages, a look of pure concentration adorning her face.

Spencer watched over her shoulder as she examined the messages. The first 'I had a lovely time today :) Thank's so much for lunch. M x' earned a non comital nod from Sam. The second 'Do you want to do it again sometime? Let me know when your free. M x' earned a smirk. The third message 'I know a lovely little Italian place near to you. Thought we could share some spaghetti bolognaise, 'lady and the tramp' style :P let me know.. M x' had stretched Sams smirk into a full blown grin, a look of parental pride in her eyes.

"You are SO in there, my friend." She said, handling his phone back to him. "She likes you."

"I'm very likeable."

"She wants to bang you."

Spencer shook his head, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Do you like her?"

"Errm.. she's cute, and nice. Yeah. I think so."

"Are you in love with her?"

"What? No!"

Sam raised her eyebrows, looking impressed.

"Good! How'd you kiss her?"

Spencer blinked, confused.

"With my mouth..?"

Sam narrowed her eyes at him, showing no signs of ending the conversation, or getting out of the car.

"Glad to hear it. Show me how you leaned."

"You don't need to see how I leaned." Spencer disputed.

"The lean is important!"

"How is the lean-"

"Just show me."

Spencer sighed, and relented. He leant his head and then straightened his neck, and looked at Sam questioningly.

"You look like a chicken.." Sam giggled, adjusting her position so that she was facing him. "Show me."

Spencer shook his head, and looked down at his lap. "I don't think thats really.. appropriate, I-"

"I think I can resist you Spencer." Sam snorted. She laughed for slightly too long, and he glared at her oddly offended.

He shifted in his seat, and twisting so that he was facing her. Reluctantly he leaned forward a little, and lifted his hand.

"So, I started by saying, 'oh theres a little something in your hair..'"

He hovered his hand over Sams head, before carefully threading his fingers through her damp hair, pretending to pull a piece of fluff from it. He let his hand linger, and twisted a curl absently.

"Then I touched her face..." He anotated, letting his fingers gently brush against her cheek.

He felt her soft skin, slightly cold from the rain, warm to a barely noticable blush.

"Then I gave her 'the eyes'..."

Sam snorted again, and the forced her lips into an unlaughing line. She looked up at him obiediantly, her eyes still glittering with humour. Spencer glanced away, feigning shyness, before meeting her eyes again, his brow slightly furrowed in an expression that he knew made him look a little tentative and vulnerable. He began to lean, slowly, his gaze still fixed on her eyes.

Even in the dark, with no source of light besides a street lamp a few metres from where he had parked, he could see the deep blue colour of her eyes, bright and piercing, as if a source of light themselves. The humour they had held moments before dissapated, and was replaced with something he couldn't quite read. He noticed her eyes were darker around the pupils, lightening to shades of turqiouse, and almost sea green. He had instinctively continued to lean toward her, not catching himself until he was inches from her face. She hadn't stopped him, her blue eyes wide, and focused intently on his. She was leaning too, making the distance between them miniscule.

The smell of her suddenly overwhelmed him, the familar musky floral scent of the perfume she wore, diluted by the rain water, mingled with the faint ghost of the menthol cigarettes she swore blind she had quit.

His eyes darted to her lips, slighly parted, and stained with the remnants of peach coloured lipstick, so close to his own. Just a few centimetres now, just one tiny movement away. All of sudden, he realised how easy it would be to kiss her, and and was shocked to find that part of him wanted to. His heart was racing, his stomach was in knots, and other areas were definately more awake than he would like to admit. His eyes started to flutter closed, and a glint caught his eye. His attention was drawn to Sams handbag, and the battered girly cow keychain that was attached to the strap. The keychain he had given her for her tenth birthday. What the hell was he doing?

He straightened up abruptly, away from her lips, and blurted "And then I kissed her." His voice slightly wooden, and strained.

"I errm.. I dont think you need my help in that department." Sam said awkwardly, refusing to meet his eyes.

There was a long moment of still silence. Spencers heart was still thumping in his chest, and his head felt light. He was relieved when Sam swung open the passendger door, and a sobering draft filled the car.

"Well thank you for the ride." she said quietly, stepping out. "I'll see you later Spence, I'm glad the date went well."

"Goodnight Sam." he managed.

The car door slammed, and he watched her walk the steps up to the apartment block, and dissapear inside. He watched the empty doorway another few minutes, in a daze, shame announcing itself, before driving home on auto-pilot. He didn't remember walking through the apartment, or falling into bed. He didn't turn on a single light, or even get changed out out of his paint spattered clothes, damp from the rain. He eventually fell into an uneasy sleep, haunting by conflicting thoughts of Sam's lips, and the smell of her perfume, and memories of her tenth birthday.