niping
Undercover Agent
Posts: 281
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Post by niping on Jul 20, 2008 4:49:30 GMT -5
I mean, they just have three months to fall in love and decide who's gonna change lives completely! Darn, there goes my whole plot line Glad you're enjoying it folks and I shuold have the next bit up later today.
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Post by PlainJaneIAm on Jul 20, 2008 14:22:33 GMT -5
oh no! a wedding ring?? i feel like such an awful person, but i hope his wife died or something.. great update!
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niping
Undercover Agent
Posts: 281
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Post by niping on Jul 20, 2008 15:25:47 GMT -5
Hey folks, time for an update.
Just to explain a few things, the main story is of course going to focus on Sam and her adventures but I didn't want to just abandon Jamie completely so there will be several parts featuring her too.
Now, just so I don't confuse people, the parts with Jamie in are taking place before the parts with Sam, New York being several hours behind the UK. So in this next part, for instance, the text that Jamie sends Martin is the one he received in the earlier post.
See what I mean? Hope that makes sense. Anyway, sorry about the majorly long authros note; time for the update.
Part 2
Jamie looked up at the tall apartment building looming in front of her as the taxi pulled away. She looked down at the instructions Sam had given her and read them over, sure that she had managed to follow them correctly. Hoping that she had followed them correctly as she climbed the steps to the building and pressed the buzzer to Sam’s apartment. Sam had said that her friend Elena would be waiting for her to give her the keys and show her around the apartment so Jamie waited with baited breath for someone to answer. A voice eventually crackled over the intercom but Jamie frowned; it was definitely not a female voice.
“Hello?”
“Oh, hi, I think I’ve got the wrong...”
“Is that Jamie?”
Jamie smiled in relief before replying with a light laugh, “Yeah, it is. Who’s this?”
“My name’s Nick, I’m a friend of Sam’s. I’ll just buzz you up.”
“Thanks,” Jamie replied as the door opened and she pushed inside. She looked around the foyer with an appreciative glance before heading for the stairs. Above her she heard a door open followed by a voice calling out,
“Hey, welcome to New York. Do you need a hand?”
Jamie looked up and shook her head, her mind registering his dark hair and eyes as he leant over the banister even from this distance.
“Nah, I’m ok. I’ve only got the one bag.”
“Really?” He asked with surprise as she arrived at his floor.
“Really,” Jamie replied with a smile, “it’s not like I won’t be able to do washing whilst I’m here after all.”
“No, I guess not,” he replied as he stepped forward, his hand outstretched, “I’m Nick. I work with Sam and Elena. Elena had to rush off, some problem with her daughter, so I said I’d stand in for her and give you the tour.”
“Just show me where the bed is, the rest I can figure out when I’ve had some sleep,” Jamie joked as Nick laughed and pushed open Sam’s front door before looking over his shoulder at her.
“I’ll leave the keys here on the sideboard for you so you know where to find them in the morning.”
He led her into the living room and Jamie dropped her bag as her eyes took in for real what they’d seen before on her computer screen. As she looked around her she already felt at home in this place and her delight spilled out of her in a happy laugh.
“I can’t believe it; I’m actually in New York! This is like a dream come true!”
Nick chuckled at her exuberance, “I’m glad you like it. Let’s just hope the rest of the city lives up to your expectations.”
“Oh it will,” she replied quickly, focusing her sparkling eyes on an unsuspecting Nick who swallowed as his heart unexpectedly skipped a beat, “I just know I’m going to love it.”
“Yeah.” Nick replied in an undertone before giving his head a slight shake and clearing his throat. “So, the tour. I’ll just show you the basics; Sam left you a pretty detailed guide so I’m sure you’ll manage.”
He guided her around Sam’s apartment, pointing out a window that shouldn’t be opened because you couldn’t get it closed again and explaining the archaic shower system to her, only just managing to avoid soaking them both. Her smile was infectious and he found himself smiling and laughing with her as he showed her around, in the end showing her more than just the basics. When the tour eventually ended he turned to her as they stood in the front hall and asked on an impulse,
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”
She looked surprised before smiling playfully at him, “Well, I’ve only just got here so as of yet my social calendar isn’t completely full...”
She trailed off and Nick glared at her playfully before asking, “Well, if you’re not busy, me and Elena and the rest of Sam’s team are all meeting up for drinks and you’re welcome to join us if you like.”
“Oh, well, I don’t want to intrude...”
Nick waved away the excuse, “Don’t worry, you won’t be. You can be our Sam for the next three months,” he joked with a smile, watching as her expression turned from tentative to enthusiastic.
“Alright, that sounds good. Where are we going?”
“Thompson’s. There’s a map for it in the pack but just give me a call if you get lost. We’re meeting there at eight.”
“Ok, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night then,” she replied with a smile, holding the door open for him. He turned to her as he stood out in the hall and looked about to say something else but changed his mind and simply said,
“See you tomorrow.”
Jamie shut the door and twisted so she could lean against it, the sounds of the city loud in her ears compared to the relative quiet of home. She closed her eyes and let the memories of the day wash over her, quietly whispering to the empty apartment,
“Hello New York.”
Remembering that she still had yet to text Martin she pulled her phone out of her pocket and thought for a moment, trying to think how to describe Sam. Once that was done she pushed off the door and wandered into the kitchen, her eyes falling on the welcome pack that Sam had spent so long preparing for her. She picked it up and read the note that was tucked inside the front cover.
Dear Jamie,
Welcome to New York! I’m guessing you’ve probably heard that a million times by now but once more can’t hurt. I hope you got here ok and that Elena showed you around the place. I think I remembered everything; I guess you’ll find out as you go. Did she mention that the guy downstairs likes to play his saxophone in the middle of the night? If you bang on the floor he usually shuts up but I’m sure you’ll find your own solution to that particular problem. Actually now that I think about it, I should probably tell you something just in case you decide to explore my place. I don’t know why I haven’t told you this before now, but I work for the FBI. My gun and the spare are both in a box on the top shelf of my closet so don’t go thinking I’m some master criminal if you stumble across it; I’ve got a permit for them both, honest. Anyway, send me an email when you’re settled in; I’d be great to keep in contact and hear about all the things you get up to over the summer.
Sam.
Jamie smiled to herself as she read, momentarily shocked by Sam’s revelation and the thought that she was sharing the apartment with two hand guns when she hadn’t even seen a gun before. She had the strange urge to go and look for them but dismissed it as morbid curiosity, folding Sam’s letter and placing it back in the pack. Taking the pack with her she wandered through the apartment until she walked into the master bedroom, her eyes falling on the double bed in the middle of the room which suddenly looked very inviting. Her plan of getting up early so she was tired later was definitely working and even though it was only just gone ten she decided it was time to call it a night. Opening her case she hummed to herself as she pulled out her toiletries and her pyjamas, handily packed right at the top for easy access and quickly went through her nightly routine before curling up under the covers. Flicking on the bedside lamp she browsed through the pack, laughing at the post-it note comments Sam had added for her before finally putting it aside and laying back against the pillows. Staring at the ceiling she couldn’t wipe the smile of her face even as her eyes slipped shut, wondering whether Sam’s flight had left on time.
****
Martin looked over at the woman fast asleep in the passenger seat beside him and smiled softly at the way sleep made her seem even more beautiful. To say he’d been shocked when he’d turned to find her standing beside him at the airport was an understatement; he’d never in a million years expected her to be anything like this. Which, he thought with a shake of his head, was kind of ridiculous because you really can’t tell much about a person from a handful of emails. Let alone emails which he’d had a second-hand account of from his cousin who was not the most reliable person when it came to details. She shifted slightly in her seat and Martin guiltily tore his eyes away and focused on the road, feeling like he was invading her privacy by looking at her when she couldn’t stop him. He managed to keep his eyes forward but he couldn’t seem to stop his mind wandering back to Samantha; what was it about this woman!? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d even looked twice at someone, let alone found it difficult to get her out of his head. He told himself that it was just because he was curious; she was after all a complete stranger from a foreign land and nobody could blame him for wanting to find out more about her...Could they? Shying away from that particular debate, Martin turned his mind to what else he had to do that day. After dropping Sam off at Jamie’s and making sure she was settled he had to make a quick stop at Sarah’s school before heading off to meet with his accountant. He frowned as he considered that impending meeting; paperwork, especially financial paperwork, was probably the worst thing about running his own business. Pushing those thoughts aside he went through the rest of his schedule; go to Bookers, pop home to check on things there, pick Sarah up from school, help Holly set up the…A voice interrupted his thought process as Sam rubbed a hand over her face and sat upright before asking,
“Where are we?”
Martin turned to her, biting back a smile at her thoroughly dishevelled appearance, although he couldn’t help but ask,
“We’re almost there. What time did you get up yesterday?”
Sam groaned, not caring what he thought of her but somehow knowing that he wouldn’t judge her anyway,
“Seven. I couldn’t sleep, I was too excited.”
“And what time is it there now?” Martin asked as she finally looked at him, her eyes still bright despite her exhaustion.
“Seven.” She replied looking sorry for herself.
“Ouch,” Martin replied sympathetically, “I guess I should get you home so you can get some sleep then.”
“That would be nice, although” she added as she looked out at the clear blue skies, “I’m not sure how I’m going to get to sleep when it‘s so bright.”
“That didn’t seem to be a problem earlier,” Martin pointed out with a smile. She looked at him apologetically as she replied,
“Yeah, sorry about that. I just…” she sighed and gave a light laugh, “I guess I’m getting old. Few years ago I could pull an all nighter and not bat an eyelid.”
Martin smiled on a number of accounts. Firstly, he would hardly describe Sam as “old”; she looked to be about his age and there was no way he was going to class himself as old. And secondly, he smiled because it sounded like whilst she wasn’t the “wild twenty year old” he had feared anymore, she certainly had been at the time.
“I don’t think I’ve ever pulled an all nighter,” he noted with a playful smile, “but then again, Cambridge isn’t exactly the most lively place in the world. I don’t think clubs here even stay open all night.” He added as an afterthought.
“Oh, I wasn’t out partying” Sam corrected quickly before admitting with a self-deprecating smile, “I’m not quite cool enough for that.”
Martin looked at her curiously as he asked, “What were you doing then?”
“Working.” She replied, catching his look and chuckling, “Yeah, I know. Glamorous, huh?”
They shared a smile before Martin took the turning leading them into the city centre. After a few more attempts at conversation he gave up talking to Sam; as soon as the city began to appear she lost all interest in him, her head twisting this way and that trying to take in all the sights. He would have felt the loss more had he not loved this place so much; he really couldn’t blame her for her interest when things still caught his eye after all these years. Sam seemed to remember that there was someone else in the car with her and turned to him with an expression somewhere between awe-struck and enchanted.
“This place is beautiful. It might as well be on a completely different planet to New York.”
Martin laughed lightly as he teased, “Yeah, well, this is England and we do things differently here.”
“And by differently I suppose you mean better?” Sam asked with one brow raised.
“Yep,” Martin averred as Sam shook her head, smiling nonetheless.
“I guess I should be grateful that we managed to get this far before you had a dig,” she replied wryly as Martin smiled contritely,
“Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. But that’s the first and last time, I promise.”
Sam looked at him with a smile as she replied, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I don’t.” Martin replied, looking her straight in the eye.
Sam could feel a blush rising up her cheeks as they continued to look at each other so quickly turned her head to look out the window again. It was mid morning now, people already filling the streets, the bustle more subdued than New York but still there. She smiled at the number of cyclists on the roads; she’d read that cycling was the main form of transport for those who lived in the centre, especially the students, but she still hadn’t expected there to be so many bikes around. She couldn’t actually remember the last time she’d been on a bike but she’d have to get back into it now that she was here. Martin’s voice pulled her from her thoughts as he pointed to a road two streets in front of them.
“That’s where Jamie’s house is. There’s no parking though so we’ll have to park down the next street and carry your stuff.” He turned to her with a smile and added, “I hope you’re feeling up to helping me because we’ll be here for a while otherwise.”
Sam returned his smile as she nodded, “I think I can handle it. I’m suddenly feeling more awake.”
Martin chuckled to himself, “Oh don’t worry, that’ll soon wear off,” he replied, noting Sam’s confused smile and explaining, “There’s something very…sedate about this place. It’s good if you want to just chill out but a pain if you actually need to get up off your arse and do something.”
“Well luckily I don’t have anything to get up off my “arse” for,” she imitated his accent and smiled innocently at him when he glared playfully at her.
“Ok, we’re even now,” he noted with a smile as they pulled over in a quiet side street. She nodded before climbing out of the car, her eyes wandering up and down the street before finally turning back to the man patiently waiting for her to pay attention. He smiled in understanding and nodded his head in the direction of Jamie’s house.
“Come on,” he said, “let me show you the place before we get your stuff out.”
“It’ll be alright here?” Sam asked as she fell into step beside him, New York habits and instincts kicking in.
“It’ll be fine,” Martin replied calmly, understanding her concern. Sam still felt compelled to apologise though and said,
“Sorry; I guess I’m just used to life back home.”
“It’s alright, you don’t have to apologise. And it’s not like you don’t have to be careful here, you just don’t have to be as careful. Especially not at quarter past eleven in the morning,” he added with a smile that Sam returned. Before she could stop herself, and against her better judgement which was telling her to stop practically flirting with him, she added with pretend thoughtfulness.
“Really? Even your thieves are lazy then?”
“Hey,” he stopped and turned to her, trying but not quite managing to keep from smiling as he reminded her, “We said we were even.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Sam replied, not sorry at all and knowing Martin could see it as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“You know, I could have retaliated and said something about the American propensity for crime,” he pointed out as they rounded the corner and entered a little square of small townhouses.
“You could have,” Sam agreed fairly before asking, “Why didn’t you?”
“Because we British have good manners,” he replied pointedly before smiling wickedly at her expression. She laughed in spite of herself but before she could think of a suitable reply he drew her attention to the house they were standing in front of.
“So, here we are at last.” Sam looked up as he added quietly, “Your home from home.”
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Post by Shaniqua on Jul 20, 2008 16:14:26 GMT -5
Sarah? Martin's daughter, yeah? Well looks like Jamie's gonna get some love too. Great update!
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blu
Undercover Agent
Posts: 490
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Post by blu on Jul 20, 2008 16:29:01 GMT -5
Lol great update, love their little banter! Sounds like this is going to be a romantic holiday for Sam and Jamie.....? Update soon!
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Post by cludwig on Jul 20, 2008 23:20:57 GMT -5
Have only read the prologue and have to say that this is a really interesting approcha and I am looking forward to reading the two chapters you have posted now.
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Post by PlainJaneIAm on Jul 20, 2008 23:53:17 GMT -5
that was great.. martin and sam are so cute together with all their flirty banter. and im glad youre putting in stuff about jamie too.. its nice to see how things are going on both sides of the pond
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Post by cludwig on Jul 21, 2008 22:58:59 GMT -5
I really like this story a lot. And I can so relate to Jamie, it has been a long time dream of mine to go to NYC as well and I was so thrilled when it finally happened. I didn't get to stay that long though...
I love the interaction between Martin & 'Sam...antha' already. I hope we find out soon though if Sarah is indeed Martin's daughter or maybe a niece, cousin, godchild... And also I need to know about the wedding ring.
Please update soon.
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Post by sandid on Jul 22, 2008 4:05:24 GMT -5
I have the same questions as cludwig, so another update would be very appreciated.
This is one very interesting fic.
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niping
Undercover Agent
Posts: 281
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Post by niping on Jul 22, 2008 10:46:31 GMT -5
Hey peeps, update time again. Love that lots of you are curious about this fic, that was my plan. I'm only going to give you little bits at a time though so you'll have to hang in there for all the details. Anyway, here's the next part for you.
Part 3
Sam stood looking at the house in front of her, her eyes taking in the features that she had missed in the pictures Jamie had sent her; the gnome collection hidden amongst the flowers in the garden, the mismatched curtains in each of the windows, the stained glass front door with the old fashioned knocker. Jamie had described the place as “quaint” and it was a fitting description; the house looked like something out of a period drama. Finally tearing her eyes away from her new “home” Sam turned to Martin and said with a smile that spoke volumes,
“Shall we?”
“After you,” Martin replied, pushing and holding the gate open for her.
He watched her as they walked up the garden path, her head twisting from side to side like it had done in the car. Reaching into his pocket he drew out his spare key, brushing against Sam briefly as he reached around her and opened the door. She flashed him a smile over her shoulder and, it seemed to him, took a deep breath before pushing the door open further and stepping over the threshold. He wondered what was going through her head as she saw this place for the first time, although the smile she sent his way him gave him a pretty good idea. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and just stood off to one side as Sam wandered from room to room, her expression one of almost disbelief. His suspicion was confirmed when she finally turned to him and admitted,
“I keep expecting to wake up; I can’t believe I’m actually here.”
“Well, you definitely are, but I can pinch you just in case if you like,” he replied, taking half a step forward.
She held a hand out to stop him but quickly put it in front of her mouth as she yawned widely. She shot him a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, I guess I’m still half asleep.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Martin replied easily. He nodded to the cabinet across from him at the pack sitting there. “That’s the welcome pack Jamie made for you, the keys should be with it too.”
Sam nodded as she picked up the folder, noting with a smile that Jamie, like her, had gotten a bit carried away with putting stuff in it. She didn’t notice Martin’s look until he commented with unhidden amusement,
“I don’t know whether that’s a good idea or just plain sad,” he said, looking at the pack and earning himself a playful glare from Sam who hugged the pack protectively to her chest and replied,
“Don’t you dare insult our welcome packs; hours of hard work and preparation went into them. And they‘re not sad, they‘re just a bit…geeky.” She stated with a lopsided smile as Martin chuckled.
“Whatever you say Sam,” Martin replied, shortening her name without a thought and not realising his mistake as he pushed himself upright and nodded towards the front door.
“Come on, we better start getting your stuff in.”
Sam reluctantly agreed, the idea of just sitting down and closing her eyes for a quick nap much more appealing. She followed Martin out the door, tucking the keys from the side into her pocket as she did so, and in two trips all her stuff was ferried into the house and dumped on the living room floor.
Martin smiled as Sam collapsed onto the couch with a sigh, her head falling back against the cushions as she closed her eyes. Glancing at his watch he weighed up his options and decided to postpone the tour until later so she could get some sleep. Reaching out he gently laid a hand on her shoulder, hazel eyes clouded with tiredness opening and looking up at him.
“Come on Sam, you should get to bed. I can come back later and show you around properly then.”
“Are you sure that’s ok?” Sam asked half-heartedly, wanting nothing more than to climb into bed and stay there for the next day.
“I’m sure.” He held his hand out to help her up, “Come on, bedroom’s this way.”
If Sam had been more awake the situation might have struck her as he lead her by the hand to the bedroom, and she probably would have wondered whether he too was aware of the different connotations of his actions. But she wasn’t more awake and all that really mattered to her at the moment was the bed in the middle of the room that seemed to be calling to her. She let go of Martin’s hand and without another thought climbed on to the bed and flopped onto her back, sighing audibly.
Martin chuckled at the sight of her, laughing out rightly when she bluntly told him with a smile to go away and let her sleep. He did as he was told, quietly closing the door behind him and heading back out into the warm midday sun. Glancing at his watch he shook his head at the time, wondering where the morning had gone. Ignoring the niggling voice in the back of his head that told him he knew exactly where the morning had gone, he climbed into his car and, after a quick mental rearrange of his schedule, set off to start the rest of his day.
***
Sam groaned in protest as she rolled over, burying her head in the pillow in the futile hope that she could avoid waking for a few hours more. Knowing it useless she looked at the clock on the bedside table telling her that whilst it was two o’clock here, it was still only 10 o’clock back home. God she hated jetlag; it was going to take her a few days at least to adjust to the difference. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling, wondering what she was going to do now that she was awake. First things first, she thought as she looked down at her crumpled clothes, was a shower. A shower though involved shampoo and soap and clean clothes and a hairdryer and…she groaned again and covered her face with her hands, her brain protesting at actually having to be used when it was still so sleep deprived. She couldn’t even remember where she’d put all those things, let alone gather the energy to get up and find them.
It was only as she remembered that Martin had said he’d be coming back this afternoon that she decided that she really had to get up; she couldn’t let him see her in the clothes she’d been wearing for the past day and a half. As she clambered off the bed, straightening the covers as an afterthought, she resolutely told herself that it was just a matter of principle, nothing more, and went to make herself a cup of coffee.
Coffee was a wonderful thing, she thought after her third cup in the space of half an hour. Her bags were no longer strewed across the living room floor but neatly arranged in one corner of the bedroom and she was halfway through unpacking one of them. She’d also managed to locate her toiletry bag and decided that she should really take that shower now whilst she still had the chance. She chuckled to herself when she realised she didn’t actually know where the shower was but it didn’t take her that long to find it. What did take her a while was figuring out how the damn thing worked. She got thoroughly soaked in the process but eventually had the water running just warm enough for her to bare and quickly stepped inside, the water washing away some of her lingering fatigue and the grime of her long journey. As she stood under the spray, her eyes closed against the shampoo bubbles washing over her face, her mind conjured up a face, a smile and a pair of brilliantly blue eyes. A wedding ring shining in the sun. She bit back a sorry sigh and sternly told herself to stop it. So, he was married; big deal. Even if he was single, she hadn’t come here for that; if anything, she’d come here to get away from that. Away from the heartbreak that Jack had caused when he’d decided to go back to his wife.
Sam could feel the gloom descending upon her and so shook her head to clear it of thoughts of Jack, trying to think of other things, nicer things, only to find herself remembering the easy way that she and Martin had laughed together. She almost stamped her foot in frustration before the utter ridiculousness of this situation hit her and she had to laugh at herself. Deciding to just stop fighting it and accept that she found Martin attractive, she climbed out of the shower and went to get dressed. After all, there was no problem with finding him attractive as long as she only looked but didn’t touch, and that it didn’t go beyond attraction like it stupidly had with Jack. She was never going to make that mistake again, ever.
****
“What does she look like Daddy?”
Martin smiled down at the little girl beside him as she verily skipped her way towards Jamie’s house. His own eyes looked back up at him, full of the innocence and curios delight of a six year old, and her mother’s curls framed a face that people told him was, bizarrely, the picture of a younger Jamie’s. As Martin opened the gate and they walked up the path to Jamie’s door he replied with a smile,
“You can see for yourself poppet; we’re here.”
“Can I knock on the door?” Sarah asked with pleading eyes, fascinated as always with the elaborate knocker on Jamie’s door.
Martin nodded and picked her up, drawing a giggle from his daughter as he took a step closer to the door so she could reach the knocker. He smiled as she enthusiastically put it to good use, crouching as he placed her back on her feet and explained with a smile,
“I think that’s enough; they will have heard that all the way at home.”
Sarah laughed and began to say something else but stopped when the door opened and Martin straightened, looking up at Sam with a smile.
“Hey,” he greeted easily, noticing how well she suited her hair down, the long blonde waves drawing not only his attention but Sarah’s as well as she tugged on his sleeve and said with obvious enthusiasm,
“She has Barbie hair!”
Martin laughed at her observation before placing his hand on her shoulder and motioning to Sam,
“Sarah, this is Samantha.” He spoke as he sighed for Sam’s benefit, knowing that even on the off chance that Sam knew sign language, American and British sign language were completely different. “Samantha, this is my daughter Sarah.”
Sam bent down and held her hand out to Sarah with a warm smile, making sure she spoke slowly and clearly as she said,
“Hi Sarah. It’s nice to meet you.”
Sarah shook her hand, looking delighted to be treated like such a grown up, before pointing to Sam and signing something. Sam looked up at Martin for a translation and he smiled as he replied,
“She says you’re very pretty. She thinks you have Barbie hair,” he added with a chuckle at Sam’s expression.
“Well, thank you Sarah,” Sam replied with genuine gratitude before adding, “You’re very pretty too. You have lovely eyes.”
Sarah blushed at the compliment and Sam instantly fell in love with this lovely little girl with her dad’s eyes. Martin looked at her with new respect as she straightened, impressed at how she had handled the introduction. In the past people had treated Sarah with pity, feeling sorry for the “poor little thing” who couldn’t hear, and it drove Martin mad to see people treat his daughter like that. Sam though had taken it in her stride and he made sure that she could see his gratitude as she looked at him. Sure that she had seen it as she blushed slightly before asking them to come in.
Sarah was obviously very at home here, Sam noted with a smile as she watched the little girl run ahead of her into the living room, throwing herself into a brightly coloured bean bag in the corner by the window. She began signing something and Martin explained as he came to stand beside Sam.
“She and Jamie made that beanbag together a few months ago. They spent the day tie-dyeing the material before Jamie sowed it all together.” He shook his head and looked at her with a wry smile, “I can still remember the look on her mother’s face when I tried to explain to her why Sarah had blue hair and green hands.”
Sam laughed at the image before turning her attention back to Sarah who was now enthralled by two butterflies sat in the hedge outside the window. She could feel Martin’s eyes on her as he quietly said,
“Thank you for earlier on,” Sam looked at him curiously so he explained, “For how you were with Sarah. Most people are a bit funny when they first meet her.”
Sam could hear the underlying anger in his voice and wondered what it must be like for a father to see his daughter treated differently when to him she is perfect just as she is.
“You don’t need to thank me,” she replied quietly, smiling as she looked at Sarah, “I don’t know how people can see her as anything but a lovely little girl.”
Martin’s eyes burned into hers when she eventually got up the courage to look back at him again and he replied, “Thank you for that.”
Sam swallowed and shrugged her shoulders, forcing a smile onto her face in an attempt to escape the moment,
“It’s true.”
In the end Sarah saved her from any further conversation with her father when she ran over and tugged on Sam’s hand. Looking between the two adults she asked,
“Can we give Sam the tour now Daddy? I can show her all the best places.”
“Yeah, I think we can do the tour now,” Martin replied before turning to Sam, “If that’s alright with you that is?”
“It’s fine,” Sam replied a second before Sarah began pulling her across the room.
Martin laughed and followed them, the three of the traipsing through Jamie’s house together. As they walked around Sarah pointed out the things that seemed important to her, like the cupboard under the stairs which was a great hiding place and the handprints on the wall in the spare bedroom which she had made when she was a baby. Martin on the other hand pointed out the things that really were important like how to get the boiler going again if it conked out and how to make the water in the shower run hot. Sam paid them both equal attention, the house seeming to come alive as they added on layer after layer of detail, Jamie’s life here taking on new shape and meaning.
When Sarah was satisfied that she’d shown Sam everything she needed to see (and Martin was too), they sat down together in the living room, Martin and Sam with a cup of coffee and Sarah with her drawing book. As Sam watched the little girl work she turned to Martin and asked curiously,
“So, does she get her artist talent from you or her mum?”
Martin chuckled to himself and admitted, “Neither actually; it’s all her Aunty Jamie’s doing.”
“Jamie does seem to have a talent for decoration,” she replied with a smile, her eyes travelling around the brightly decorated room, loving the way Jamie’s personality seemed to jump out from the walls.
“Well, I’d say that a talent for decoration is a must for any interior designer,” Martin noted ironically, watching as Sam looked at him with surprise.
“Jamie’s an interior designer?” He nodded so she added, “I never knew that. We always managed to avoid talking about work,” she explained when she noticed his look.
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” Martin replied quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, two people who decide to leave their jobs for three months can’t have been all that fond of the jobs they were leaving behind.” Martin pointed out, watching for her reaction to see whether he was right.
Sam smiled weakly at his observation. “Well, I guess that’s true of me, but I can’t speak for Jamie.”
Martin hesitated before revealing the truth, wondering how much he should say before finally admitting, “I think Jamie was just getting tired of waiting for her big break. Interior designing is just a way for her to pay the bills; she wants to be a photographer.”
Sam nodded before asking with sudden realisation, “Those photographs are all hers? The ones in the hall and the bedrooms?”
Martin smiled as he replied, “Yeah, they are. I’ve got a load hanging up at my place too,” he added as he realised that Sarah had stopped drawing and was just sat watching him and Sam talking.
“They’re really good,” Sam said, thinking back to all the photos she’d seen dotted around the house, unable to believe that someone with that much talent was wasting away as an interior designer.
“I know, but the galleries, they just…” He trailed off and shrugged, the motion saying more than words could about his sense of disappointment on Jamie’s behalf. Reaching out he ran his hand over Sarah’s hair and she smiled up at him, the interaction helping him to regain his good mood as he looked at Sam with a smile before turning to Sarah and asking her something. Sam watched as the girl nodded her head enthusiastically before Martin turned to her and said,
“So, Sarah agrees that when you’ve settled in you should let the two of us give you a tour around the city.”
“And what makes you think I need a tour guide?” Sam asked playfully, watching as Martin signed her reply for Sarah and the little girl giggled to herself before signing her answer,
“Because you’ll get lost,” Martin replied on his daughters behalf before adding, “She’s right you know; everyone always gets lost in this city.”
“What if I want to get lost?” Sam playfully replied again, on the one hand wanting to accept their kind offer and on the other wanting to discover the city for herself.
“Why would you want to get lost?” Sarah asked via Martin, confused.
“Because it’s more exciting that way,” Sam replied with a mysterious smile, making Sarah laugh as she accepted that as a perfectly reasonable explanation. Martin though saw the truth and, noting the slightly apologetic look Sam was sending him, smiled reassuringly as he said,
“It’s ok, I understand that you want to explore the city yourself.” He paused before adding, “I tell you what though; when you’ve gotten lost a few times and actually want to see the city properly,” he grinned as Sam glared at him, “why don’t you give me a call and we’ll show you around?”
Sam thought for a moment before nodding, “Ok, that sounds good.”
Martin smiled, “Alright then, I guess we’ll see you around.” He caught Sarah’s attention and said, “Come on poppet, time to go.”
“Oh but…” She began to reply before Martin cut her off, “Ah, not buts, Mummy is going to wonder where we’ve got to.”
Martin stood up and held his hand out for his daughter, walking with her to the front door, Sam following them and feeling strange seeing them out of a house that was much more theirs than hers. Martin turned to her and said,
“Well, I hope we covered anything but if you have any problems just give me a call. My number is in the welcome pack somewhere. And call me when you’re ready for that tour,” he added with a smile.
“I will,” Sam replied, “And thank you for this Martin, I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem,” he replied with a shrugged as Sarah stepped towards Sam and held her hand out. Sam bent and said goodbye before straightening, sharing one last parting smile with the two of them before shutting the front door and heading back to the living room. Glancing at the clock she decided to do some more unpacking before cooking herself some dinner but stopped as her eyes fell on the computer tucked in the corner. Glancing at her watch she figured that she had plenty of time for dinner and decided instead to send Jamie an email to find out things were going over there.
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Post by Shaniqua on Jul 22, 2008 15:04:00 GMT -5
Great update! Sarah seems like a nice kid. Update soon!
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Post by PlainJaneIAm on Jul 22, 2008 21:06:09 GMT -5
that was so good.. martins daughter is so cute. im still hoping that there is no mommy in the picture. what can i say, im always the optimist haha.. update again soon.
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Post by sandid on Jul 23, 2008 2:01:46 GMT -5
It certainly gave me a bit of a shock that you chose to make Martins daughter deaf, but, what a beautiful child she is. The interaction between father and daughter is very loving, it can't help but rub off onto Martin.
Before I ask for another update, I will say that, that was a very well written chapter.
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Post by carol38 on Jul 23, 2008 3:50:45 GMT -5
Great Update, I am loving this story more soon
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niping
Undercover Agent
Posts: 281
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Post by niping on Jul 23, 2008 7:51:38 GMT -5
Yay, here's more for you. I actually wrote a plan for this story (shock horror helen's actually thinking ahead for a change) and it's made it so much easier to update regulary.
Part 4
Dear Jamie,
Well, I’ve arrived. Safe and sound thanks to your cousin but definitely feeling the time difference. Jetlag though is the only bad thing about being here so all in all I can hardly complain. My journey was mercifully uneventful; no delays or misdirected luggage or any other mishaps, thank god. I managed to locate Martin easily as well, your description fit him perfectly, and he seems as nice as you said he was- he’s only made one American joke so far! I met Sarah earlier on as well; she’s such a lovely little girl, you’re so lucky to have a niece(?) like her. They gave me the tour of the house and everything is perfect. I’m not just saying that either; I can see myself living her quite happily for the next three months. So, how are things going over there? You’ve been there almost a day now; been up to much? If you’re suffering like me I’m guessing you’ve taken it slow today but I hope you like the place so far. I also hope that you got a complete tour of my place although I don‘t think Elena would have included all the best hiding places (Sarah has a career as a tour guide ahead of her I think!). I’m not sure what I’m going to do tomorrow yet, although I’m tempted to just go for a walk and see where I end up. According to your cousin that will only result in my getting lost, but the way I see it, I really wouldn’t mind getting lost in a place like this. Anyway, I should go, I haven’t unpacked yet and it’s nearly dinner time so I better get my act together. Hope to hear from you soon.
Sam.
P.S. I love all your photographs Jamie. I may have to steal them and take them back to NY with me.
Jamie smiled to herself as she finished reading Sam’s email, glad to hear that things were going well so far. She clicked reply and set about writing her response, thinking back over her day which had started very early. She’d woken at about ten home time, which was just after six New York time, and sat up in bed looking through Sam’s welcome pack until it was a more reasonable hour and finally getting out of bed. She’d decided to cook herself breakfast, hungry after missing dinner the night before, wasting about an hour on that before showering and unpacking the rest of her things. By two she’d completely unpacked her stuff and then had thoroughly re-explored Sam’s apartment, smiling as she remembered Nick’s jokes and asides as he’d shown her around but forgetting other important details like which window it was that couldn’t be opened.
For lunch she’d decided that she was going to go out and, taking some directions from the pack Sam had left her, had left the apartment to explore the area around Sam’s place, get some lunch and stop at the local shop on the way back to buy some food for the next week. It had taken her two wrong turns and one stop to ask for directions before she eventually located the small restaurant that Sam had recommended for lunch. Walking inside she noticed the subtle differences between here and home as she sat waiting to be served, smiling easily at the guy who approached her table.
“Hey. This is going to sound weird, but can you tell me what’s good around here?”
The guy picked up on her accent and asked with a smile, “As in New York or just this neighbourhood?”
Jamie shrugged and smiled, “Either, I’m not really bothered.”
“Well,” he thought for a moment before replying, “How about the chef’s special? You won’t get it anywhere else in the city,” he added when she looked unconvinced.
“And how “special” is this special?” Jamie asked, not a complete stranger to the workings of a kitchen having helped out at Martin’s place on a number of occasions. She didn’t think that Sam would have recommended this place if it weren’t nice, but Jamie was a tourist whereas Sam was a fellow New Yorker. The guy knew what she was trying to imply but not directly ask and laughed before reassuring her,
“Oh don’t worry, it’s not that sort of special.”
“Promise?” Jamie asked playfully, watching as he nodded.
“I promise. You can ask anyone in here; our chef’s special is legendary.”
Jamie laughed, “Alright, you’ve convinced me.”
In the end the meal more than lived up to it’s name and Jamie knew that she’d definitely be coming back to this place again. The service was great too and she had a long chat with the guy serving her who, once he found out that she was new to the city and here to see the sights, happily told of some of the places that he liked to go himself. Full of all the new information as well as the great food, she had wandered back home, splashing out on more food than she’d ever need on her way, before deciding to email Sam and see how she was doing. She’d found an email already waiting for her though and by the time she’d read it and had finished her reply, the clock had already hit six.
Stifling a yawn, she switched off the computer and pushed back her chair, wondering what she was going to do in the next hour before she had to get ready to go out. Wondering how she was going to stay awake when she already felt tired. She really hated this jetlag but figured that Sam was probably right; it really was the only downside. Deciding to sit and plan what she was going to do tomorrow, she pulled out the pack and settled onto the couch, losing herself in all the leaflets and maps. It was as she was debating whether to go to an art exhibit tomorrow or the day after that she happened to glance up at the clock.
“Oh shit!”
Throwing down the gallery brochures she jumped off the couch and rushed into the bedroom, riffling through her clothes as she tried to find something to wear. Where had the past hour gone she thought as she pulled off her top and undid her hair. She couldn’t believe it was already gone seven; there was no way she’d be able to get ready and be there on time when she didn’t even know how to get where she was going. It crossed her mind that she could phone Nick for help but she pushed the idea aside, wanting to do this alone. She was alone in this city after all, she needed to learn to find her way around. She only hoped that Sam had left easy to follow instructions for her.
***
“Nick, you did say she was coming right?” Danny asked from his seat across from Nick and Viv as they all sat around one of the tables in the bar. Elena was beside him and she glanced at her watch before saying,
“It’s only quarter past, give her a chance.”
Nick took a sip of his drink before adding, “She is in a strange city Danny; there is a distinct possibility that she may have gotten lost.”
Even as he said it, Nick hoped that it wasn’t true. Though he barely knew her, the thought of Jamie being lost in the middle of New York was not one which appealed to him. He reasoned though that if she were lost she would have phoned him by now; he had said to call if there were any problems. But then again, if she were at all like Sam, she’d probably be stubbornly refusing to do that until the last possible moment.
“What did you say she looked like?” Danny asked, his eyes on something over Nick’s shoulder.
“Err…brown hair, blue eyes…”
“Legs from here to eternity,” Danny added playfully, dodging the hand Elena swung at him and wrapping his arm around her waist to show that he was only joking.
“What?” Nick asked, confused.
“I think that may be our girl,” Elena explained, nodding her head in the direction of the door. Nick twisted in his seat and saw that it was indeed Jamie; a slightly nervous and very beautiful looking Jamie, but Jamie nonetheless. He slid out of his seat and headed over to her, catching her eye and noticing the relieved expression that momentarily flashed across her face.
“Hey,” she said as he drew close enough for him to hear her, “I’m sorry I’m late; I lost track of time.”
“It’s no problem,” Nick replied with a smile, taking a moment to look her over before nodding his head in the direction of his team mates. “Everyone is this way.”
They made their way through the crowds, coming to a stop in front of the others as they all tried to look her over whilst trying to look like they weren’t doing just that. Viv as always was the first to react and, realising how uncomfortable they must be making her feel, held her hand out.
“I’m Viv. It’s nice to meet you Jamie.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Jamie replied before sliding into the space Nick indicated for her.
“This is Danny and Elena. We all work with Sam.” Viv added as Jamie shook their offered hands as well.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there the yesterday to show you round,” Elena said after all the introductions had been made.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. You had somewhere to be and Nick managed just fine,” she added with a playful smile at Nick who pretended to look hurt.
“Hey, I thought you said I was a good tour guide!”
“You were,” Jamie replied, patting his hand consolingly as all the others grinned, “But there’s only so much that a guy can know about a girl’s apartment. I spent a couple of hours exploring earlier on today though so I‘m all set,” she added so that he wouldn’t worry he’d let her down.
“So, what’s it like living in a strangers house and knowing there’s a stranger living in yours?” Danny asked, genuinely curious as to what had made Sam and Jamie agree to what seemed to him like a crazy idea.
“I suspect it would be extremely weird,” Jamie replied with a light smile before adding, “which is why I’m glad that I’m not living in a strangers house and there isn’t a stranger living in mine. I mean obviously I don’t know Sam as well as you do, but we’ve been speaking to each other for several months now so I’d hardly say we were strangers.”
“Although saying that,” she added as an after thought, “I didn’t know that she was an FBI agent until yesterday.”
“She never said?” Viv asked, surprised that it had never come up. She wondered whether Jamie knew that Sam’s desire to escape the repercussions from the hostage situation and shooting had been a big part in her decision to leave.
Jamie shook her head as she replied, “No. We seemed to make a silent agreement not to talk about work and focus on our holiday instead.”
“I don’t blame you,” Elena replied with a smile, “I’m so jealous of Sam right now; I would kill for a three month holiday.”
After that the conversation turned, first to Jamie and where she was from, and then to the others and New York. They argued about where was the best place to eat, where to go for drinks on a Friday night, the best place to see a movie, and Jamie felt like one of them as she listened to their banter. If the others noticed that she and Nick frequently stole looks at one another or spoke to each other in a quiet undertone, they didn’t let on, and by the time the night came to a close, Jamie was sorry to see it end. As they picked up their things and headed for the exit, Nick lightly touched her arm and asked in a quiet voice so that only she could hear,
“So, tell me the truth. Did you get lost on your way here?”
She thought about lying but when she looked into his dark eyes couldn’t help admitting with a lopsided smile,
“Only a little bit.”
Nick chuckled as he held open the door for her, “In that case, how about we share a cab back? Sam’s place is on the way to mine.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Jamie asked as the others wished each other goodbye, leaving Nick and her a moment of privacy.
“Of course not, you’re going to save me money,” Nick joked before adding, “But seriously, I want to make sure you get home ok.”
“Did Sam tell you to look after me?” Jamie asked with sudden suspicion.
“She may have asked me to look out for you,” Nick admitted before quietly adding, “but I think I’d have wanted to do that anyway.”
“My hero,” Jamie joked, forcefully lightening up the moment before turning to say goodbye to the others. It didn’t take her and Nick long to hail a cab and they were soon on their way home. In the dark of the cab Jamie could barely make out his face but could feel his eyes on her as he asked,
“So, I guess you’ve already decided what you’re doing tomorrow?”
“I certainly have,” Jamie replied with a smile as she thought about her plans for the day.
“You know, if you ever needed the company, I’d be happy to…” he trailed off, suddenly unsure of himself before Jamie quietly replied,
“I’d like that.”
“Yeah?” He asked, looking up at her hopefully.
“Yeah. Although I should probably warn you, it might be boring for you. I’m a bit of an art buff.”
“Well, we’ll just have to see how it goes.” Nick replied with hidden delight as he marvelled at the coincidence that they both liked art. Before he could comment on it they pulled to a stop outside of Sam’s apartment building and Jamie reached to pay her half of the fare. Nick held out a hand to stop her and said,
“I’ve got this one.”
Jamie looked at him for a moment before relenting. “Then I’ve got the next one,” she replied with a smile as she opened the door.
“Deal.”
She put one leg out before turning to Nick with a smile, “I guess I’ll see you around then.”
“Yeah.” Nick replied quietly. “Goodnight Jamie.”
“Night Nick.”
Jamie climbed out and shut the door behind her, the sounds of the cab pulling away accompanying her as she climbed the steps to Sam’s building. When she eventually opened the door to Sam’s apartment she could barely keep her eyes open; it was almost six in the morning at home! She was too tired to do much more than strip down to her underwear and climb into bed; too tired even to give any thought to her new friends or to the man who’d made her heart flutter every time he’d looked at her tonight.
***
The next few days passed quickly for Sam. The weather had taken a turn for the worse the day after she’d arrived meaning that she was stuck indoors, which as it turned out was probably a good thing because her sleep patterns were still all over the place. She busied herself with unpacking and reading through her welcome pack, unable to decide what she wanted to do first but knowing that she wanted to do more than she’d ever have time for. She and Jamie emailed each other a few times and she was happy to hear that the team had made Jamie feel welcome; she’d told them all to be nice and look out for her houseguest whilst she was there and it sounded like they’d taken her advice to heart. Sam had a slight suspicion that of the four of them, Nick had made the greatest impression on Jamie, but she kept that thought to herself. After all, she may have been reading too much into it and she didn’t want to pry into something that really was none of her business.
By the time the weather cleared up and the sun came out again, Sam was more than ready to get out and see the city she’d heard so much about. She set off early in the morning, a little after nine when it was just the locals and commuters on the streets, and decided to walk to the centre rather than get the bus that Jamie had recommended for her. Luckily for her the day didn’t heat up until around lunchtime because the walk turned out to be much longer in reality than it looked on the map. Happy to take her time, she ambled through the winding streets, resisting the urge to take pictures of the random things that caught her eye but committing them all to memory all the same. She passed park after park, struck by the number of “green spaces” the city had compared to home. There were a lot of other differences between here and home though and her original impression that this place may as well have been on another planet was reinforced with each new sight. As she drew closer to the centre she noticed the architecture begin to change, loving how on the same street there would be Tudor, Gothic and Victorian buildings all side by side. The number of people on the streets also increased, the shoppers and tourists all jostling for space amongst the students and the locals. Not really having anywhere in particular to go, just wanting to see things for the first time, she rambled through the streets, popping into the occasional shop that caught her eye and eventually stopping for lunch at a small café down a secluded side street. Sitting outside at one of the chrome tables she watched the world go by, warmed by the sun and the feeling of adventure. Finally setting off again she asked someone to point her in the direction of the riverside and ended up walking across a huge open field called Midsummer Green that would have been more at home in the open countryside than in the middle of the city. In fact, as she sat beside the river and watched the boats go by, returning people’s friendly greetings with surprise pleasure as they called to her from their boats, it almost felt like she’d left the city behind. It was so quiet here that she knew what Martin had meant when he said this place was sedate; she felt like just lying there in the sun for hours. In the end though she could only stay an hour as the sky clouded over again and she decided it was probably time for her to head home before she got caught in the rain.
She headed out early the next day as well, the weather cooler than the day before but still quite clear. She went in a different direction than the day before, noticing as she walked a number of signs and posters for something called the Strawberry Fair. Making a mental note to look that up when she got home as it was only a few days away and was obviously quite a big deal she carried on walking, aiming for the Grafton Centre. It was the biggest shopping centre in Cambridge and was probably a good place to take shelter if it did decide to rain. She had to walk across another park that connected the two sides of the city, this one more manmade than Midsummer but just as beautiful, a long avenue of tall oak trees cutting through the middle and only stopping when it reached the road before starting again on the other side. She passed a guy selling the Big Issue who managed to seem completely cheerful despite being homeless and she couldn’t help but laugh when he imitated her accent almost perfectly for her when she gave him some money. Walking up the long street that led to the entrance to the Grafton Centre her eye was caught by a stall ahead of her and she stopped to take a look. Gecko Jewellery, the banner above her head proclaimed, Handmade Silver Jewellery Exclusive To Cambridge. The stall was mostly made up of what she’d call novelty jewellery; skulls, spiders, snakes etc, but there was also some nicer stuff that instantly made her think of Viv. One particular pair of earrings caught her eye and she was tempted to buy them then and there, although a part of her thought it was a tad early to start shopping for souvenirs. The woman at the stall must have sensed her hesitation as she politely asked if she needed any help.
“Oh, I was just debating to buy these now or wait until later. I’ve only been here a few days you see and I’ve got weeks before I need to start thinking about souvenirs,” Sam added with a smile as the woman looked at the pair of earrings she was pointing to.
“Well, they’re actually the only two pairs of those ones left but I can keep a hold of them for you if you like, give you a chance to look around some more before you make a decision.“
“Is that ok?” Sam asked surprised.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m here everyday so just come back for them when you’re ready.”
“Ok, I will,” Sam replied with a smile, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay,” the woman added with a smile as Sam turned to walk away.
“Oh, I’m sure I will.” Sam replied happily, knowing that if her time so far was anything to go by, she was going to love every minute of this trip.
Sam went out the day after that as well, happy to just explore her surroundings before getting down to some serious tourism. Everyday was different and when she got back to Jamie’s her head was so full of everything she’d seen that she had to write it down before she forgot it all. One thing though happened everyday that she went out; true to Martin and Sarah’s warning, she always got hopelessly lost and had to ask for directions on how to get home. It was after the fourth day of this that she decided that maybe it was time to give Martin a call; she was bursting to talk to someone about everything she’d seen and she also just wanted to see him again.
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