Saffron and Sam Ch. 08

"You little prick, I think you'd really do that."

"You think I won't, try me."

She just grabbed her robe, turned around, and left in a huff, slamming my door on the way out. I knew my sister and she was relentless, she was never going to just let this drop. I was just as determined not to deal with her over this, so this was gonna be a war of wills. I was determined to win.

*************

We played both Friday and Saturday nights on the fraternity/sorority Row to standing only crowds at parties. The places were packed, but unfortunately for me, the mad pack made both of the parties, distracting me during my performance. I kept a close eye on Barb and CC, both. You could hardly miss them because they always took over the dance floor. Barb was always so distracting because she was absolutely the sexiest person on the dance floor, not outdoing CC by much. During the breaks, I put a lot of effort in to avoiding Barb and Saffron as best I could. I sure didn't want a scene while I was playing. I did okay avoiding Barb, but Saffron was another matter entirely. She kept getting in my face, while I would duck behind someone else and ignore her. Finally she cornered me literally, in a corner of the kitchen. I know it seemed childish at the time, but I was not in the mood for her to keep after me, so I basically ran. I finally avoided everyone by going outside and drinking my usual can of Coke. When it was time for us to start playing again, I walked straight through to the stage and avoided both of the girls. When Gerald started his solo, slow song, Barb just stood there and broke out crying. The rest of the pack, including Saffron, was trying to console her. That's actually the way both gigs went that weekend. I didn't get my usual emotional high out of it because I was still hurting, which manifested itself mainly in anger. Charlie asked me if I wanted take her for a little spin around the bedroom, and I told her no. After we were finally finished, I just took down my drums, loaded up the van, and left in my car for home.

*************

When I got home, although I had trouble sleeping again, I was in bed earlier than normal. Saffron didn't bug me again that night, finally getting the idea she wasn't going to break me. I kept getting calls and texts from Barb that I ignored, just like I was ignoring Saffron.

Sunday morning at breakfast it all kind of came to a head. Saffron came down and sat down beside me and started talking to my mother.

"Mom, tell Sammy he needs to start talking to me, this is getting ridiculous. We live in the same house, he's going to have to start talking to me sometime."

"Sammy, you need to talk this out with your sister, I'm not going to put up with this attitude of yours."

"That's the way it works around here, I get shafted, and I'm the one expected to give in."

"Sammy, it's a sign of maturity, being the bigger man and all that."

"Well that's all right with you, I'll be childish and be the smaller man. You'll just have to settle for that."

"I don't think I like your attitude, young man."

"Well, then it looks like it's time for me to move out, if I'm going to cause this much trouble because I won't speak to her. That way we won't be in the same house, anymore."

"Now son, you don't need to move out, I just can't stand this tension, if nothing else, do it for me."

"I love you mom, but she's not winning this, she hurt me, I didn't do it to her, she may be my sister, but I'm not giving in on this. You'll just have to stand the silence or I'm moving out."

Saffron just started crying and both mother and dad looked pissed. Why is it, that when women don't get their way, they start the tears game? When women cry they strike emotion in people to correct something and if the guy cries he's just considered a wimp. I could tell this wasn't my fault, but I was going to bear the brunt of it.

Then dad chimed in, "Samuel, do what your mother tells you."

"Okay, I'll talk to her, but only about things around the house. We're not talking about this situation. I'm done with it. Saffron, would you like some toast?"

"Yes, Sammy, please."

I passed her the plate of toast and she took a couple pieces and looked at me mournfully. She then asked me to pass the strawberry jam and I complied. This civility was forced on my part, but it seemed to placate the parental units for the time being. The rest of the day, while was home, I forced myself to be civil to Saffron. It wasn't an ideal situation, but was the best I could do under the circumstances.

I went over to Gerald's to play video games, as usual, and he hit me at the minute I walked in the door.

"Dude, Barbara Frankel, came up to me after the gig and asked me to get you to talk to her. What can I say, buddy, she fucked up, peer pressure does a lot to all of us. From what you told me, I think that's what it really was. I don't think there was any emotional attachment in the episode with Saffron. It was just one of those things on the spur of the moment, why don't you cut her a little slack."

"Gerald, no offense, but why don't you mind your own business."

"It becomes my business, Sammy, when she starts crying to me about it. The girl was a basket case last night. She's really broken up over this. I'm just saying it's not like you, not the least try to make amends with somebody. You're the most amiable person I know."

"Amiable yes, idiot no, I don't feel like I want to the give in on this. Not with Saffron or Barb. I'm not going to get myself hurt again. So drop it. If she brings it up to you again, just tell her I'm being an ass hole."

"That won't be hard, I think I could make her believe that, "he said his he punched me on the shoulder playfully. "I had to bring it up buddy, I hate it when girls cry. I can't believe you got somebody four years older than you, crying over you, especially when she looks as hot as Barb does."

"Are we going to play video games, or what?"

We played video games until was time for me to go home for supper.

*************

The week at school was relatively uneventful, as usual, but our band practice, was anything but. Charlie was after me almost the entire week and I kept turning her down. I still didn't feel right having sex with someone else, even though I wasn't with Barb anymore. So I didn't leave band practice too many times that week feeling that great, like I usually did.

On the evenings I got home early enough, Saffron would be down on the couch in the basement watching television. Some evenings I just asked her what she was watching, but ignored her the rest of the time and watched TV. She seemed irritated with my apathy, until finally on Thursday night she exploded.

"Goddammit Sammy, it's not supposed to be this way between us. I fucked up, okay, I admit that, I just can't see why you won't forgive me. I love you and even after all this, I still love you. You can't tell me that this one incident, has destroyed the relationship we've had all of these years."

"I told you I would be civil to you, but I didn't want to talk about this situation, and I'm not going to, leave me alone."

"I can't believe you," she said as she started sobbing away, "And Barb is a wreck, thanks to you. You can't be that cruel, that's not you, dear brother."

"I'm learning to be that way, you two made me like this. Happy now?"

"You know, Sammy, Barb went through a lot of shit over her relationship with you. But she put up with it, because she really thinks a lot of you."

"She sure showed how much she thought of me, by cheating on me."

"She made a mistake, Sammy, if you're not big enough to forgive her one mistake, there's something really wrong with you. Everyone deserves a second chance."

*************

We left it at that for the night and I went to bed to another restless night of sleep. I was beginning to feel bad about the way I was acting, but I wasn't relenting. I was just afraid of getting hurt again, and felt I was too fragile.

We only had a gig on Saturday night at one of the sorority houses, which started at 9 PM. As usual, the mad pack showed up and did their usual thing. The exception to this was that on every break I was getting lambasted by all of them at one time or another. DJ was the first.

"What the fuck's the matter with you Sanderson? What makes you so special, Barb has never been anything but nice to you. You had a chance with a true babe, but you're fucking it up. Cut her some slack and give her another chance. If that was me, I'd just kick your ass and get it over with."

Donna was next in line for the Sammy bashing, saying, "What's wrong with you, you little prick? So special now that you can't give someone a second chance when they make a mistake? I personally don't think you're worth the bother. I'd just tell you to kiss off yo-yo."

"I can't believe you Donna, you're the one that started up all this shit to begin with. What the fuck do you care?"

"She's a friend of mine and she's hurting, that's why I'm saying this. I want to make this right."

Kelly Jo even said something to me that was not quite as nice as the other two had said, being mostly expletives that I won't repeat now. CC kind of stayed out of it, which I appreciated, because you can only take so much man bashing in one night.

I still avoided Saffron and Barb as much as I could at the party. At the end, I turned down Charlie again, packed up my stuff and started to leave.

*************

Things got a little strange, when all the sudden Roxanne walked up to me outside and made some snide comment. I just basically told her to "fuck off." All the sudden she started crying. What was it with all these chicks starting with the waterworks.

"Roxy I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you cry."

"Who gives a shit Sam? Why should you be any different from all the other guys? "

"I'm not like other guys, I have feelings too, right now I'm angry, I'm sorry I made you cry, that wasn't my intention."

"It's okay I guess, Brian broke up with me tonight. I just saw you and thought you would be more gentlemanly like you were the morning you took me out to breakfast."

"I'm sorry Roxy. Why don't we go somewhere and have something to drink and a bite to eat. How does Charlie's Diner sound?"

"That sounds fine to me, you sure it's not a problem."

"It's not a problem as long as you don't bring up Barb. I've basically been called a shit head enough tonight."

"I promise I won't bring up Barb, except to say she's really hurting."

"She's not the only one. Come on, let's go." I took her by the arm and gently led her to my car. We drove to Charlie's Diner and I did my usual routine of opening doors for her and pulling out the chair at the table for her to sit.

"Now you see, why couldn't I get a guy like that, that treats me like a lady."

"I'm sure you have good qualities, you are beautiful, but then you speak. You can be one nasty lady, when you want to be, and I don't understand why you always want to be."

"I've gone to therapy, and they tell me it's a defense mechanism. Have I made you hate me too?"

"I don't hate you Roxy, you just irritate me, I actually enjoyed eating breakfast with you that day."

She gave me a look that I was unable to comprehend. We basically talked about what she wanted do with her life and what I wanted out of mine. I found myself actually enjoying talking with her, when she wasn't trying to hack me apart. She was a pretty good conversationalist, and we had a lot in common. When we finished eating our hamburgers and finished our drinks, I told her I would drive her back to her apartment.

"Sammy, I don't really want to go back to the apartment. Can you just take me somewhere and just hold me. I need that tonight more than anything. I know it's a lot to ask, can we just do that?"

"Sure Roxy, we can go back to my house." I got her settled in my car, and we drove back to my house. Saffron's car wasn't there yet, so I knew she wasn't home. I took Roxy by the hand and led her down to the basement. She had been drinking quite a lot, so as we sat on the couch, I snuggled with her as I had with Saffron before our dustup. Roxy moaned a couple of times and pushed against me tighter. I could feel her rather nice sized melons pushing into me and the smell of her perfume, was driving me crazy. To say the least, I hadn't had sex in over a week and a half now, so it wasn't taking long for me to get hard. She was quickly falling asleep and I was exhausted. I told her she could sleep on the couch, but I needed to go to bed.

"No Sammy, keep holding me, let me go to bed with you. I don't bite, hard."

I led her in to my bedroom and lay her on my bed. I wangled myself down in a spooning position with her and she snuggled back into me.

"Ooh, this feels good. Are we going to fuck, Sammy? It feels like you're just a little bit excited."

"What do you expect, I'm human you know, you're a hot girl snuggling up to me in bed. What do you think, I'm not going to be human? And the answer to your question is no, we're not going to fuck. I'm not over Barb."

"Ought oh, you said to B word, Barb. You nasty boy. It's a shame you don't want to fuck, Barb says you're really good. Especially eating her pussy."

"While appreciate the reputation, it ain't happening tonight, I'm just being a friend to you."

"I appreciate that Sammy, I can always use a friend," she said this as she was dozing off. Nothing happened the rest of the night as we snuggled on my bed. The feeling of having her in my arms, let me sleep soundly for the first time in several nights.

The next morning I woke up and had to pee. I tried to move so as not to wake her, but it didn't work. She woke up and I apologized for waking her.

"It's okay, I need to get out of here anyway. Can you run me home?"

"I'll be glad to, just get ready, while I go to the bathroom, and we'll be ready to roll."

She walked up the stairs right in front of me and I noticed she had a fine ass, not a Barb class ass, but a fine ass anyway. This girl definitely had a great body and good looks to go with it, a guy could do way worse than Roxy. She just needed to be nicer to people.

While we were going up the stairs, she straightened up one time and lost her balance, falling back into me. I caught her and pushed her forward, smacking her on the ass. She started giggling as we ascended into the hallway heading for the front door and my car. As we passed the kitchen, who of all people, were sitting there, but Saffron and Barb, both with shocked looks on their faces. Roxy didn't make it much better, when she giggled and looked at the two of them.

"Hello girls, how are you this morning? I'll see you at home Barb."

The two girls just looked at her stupefied and had stopped talking. When I went by I got dirty looks from both of them. I know what it must've looked like, but I didn't particularly care. I had just done a favor for someone in need to and hadn't done anything wrong.

When I dropped Roxanne off at her apartment, she gave me a big hug and a kiss. The kiss was far from a friend's kiss and I had to admit I felt a little spark there, who wouldn't, after all she was a knockout.

"I think I may have gotten you in trouble back at home, Sammy, I'm sorry for that, but don't regret spending the night with you, although you could've gotten more physical. You're a good man Sam, you are a gentleman to the end, Barb was right about you, although I hate to admit it."

"Complementary to the end aren't you Roxanne?"

"Keep in touch Sam, even if you don't get back with Barb."

"Will do, have a nice day Roxy."

*************

On my way back to the house, I stopped to get gas and a soda and decided to take a little drive. That turned out to be a grave tactical error on my part. When I finally returned home, an hour later, I walked in to the house, to see two very pissed off females. Saffron had her usual steamed look on her face, which I had known for years, and Barb just had a very mean-looking, determined face. I just basically ignored them and went downstairs.

I was just starting to go back into my bedroom, when I heard someone coming down the stairs. I just thought it was Saffron.

"Look Saffron, I'm not going to take any shit off of you about this. I didn't... Oof"

Barb had slapped me so hard across the face, that it about knocked my head off.

"I don't believe you Sam, you can't talk to me, but you can fuck my roommate? What did you do, stop off at the apartment for a quickie?"

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, but the truth is, I didn't touch her. I just held her in my arms, most of the night because she was hurting over her breakup with Brian. And I stopped off to get gas and drink, if it is any of your business. Your actions just now, proved to me that we shouldn't really be together."

"How can I believe that you didn't have sex with her. She was giggling and goofing around just like she does the morning after she has sex. I know Roxy, and I know you couldn't have gotten away with just hugging her all night."

"You must not think very much of me. I've turned down three different women in the last week and a half, including Roxy. I'm still not over you and if you had feelings for me like you said, you would have trusted me, far more than I could trust you."

"You mean you really didn't do anything last night?"

"I'm not like you and Saffron, I have integrity, and don't bow to peer pressure. But I don't get the benefit of the doubt, I get attacked and get my celibacy questioned."

"You know Sam, this is the most you said to me, in two weeks, it must mean that there are still some feelings there."

"Well, if you call hurt and anger feelings, then yes, there are still feelings there."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I meant you still care enough about me that you felt you wanted to defend yourself to me."

"Of course I still have feelings for you, stupid lady, and even an animal defends themselves when they're attacked. I just preferred to do it verbally. I'm a lover not a fighter."

She grabbed my hand, pulled me down to the couch beside her, and said to me, "Sam please talk to me about this, you haven't even given me a chance."

"You and Saffron didn't give me a chance to defend myself. I wasn't there to defend myself. You cheated on me, even if it wasn't with a guy. You still broke my trust, and with my sister."

"I can't defend myself, Sammy. It just suffices to say, that I had a little too much to drink and got caught up in the moment. There was never any intent to hurt you or cheat on you, I didn't really consider it cheating. However, I should've listened to CC, when she told us it was a mistake. That girl is wise beyond her years. I didn't know it would hurt you the way it did."

"Barb, how can someone so smart, be so stupid at the same time. You know I felt insecure about our relationship to begin with. What did use expect your little foray into lesbian experimentation to do to my confidence about our relationship?"

"Sammy, this has taught me how much I lack confidence in our relationship. Maybe I don't deserve you, but I think I deserve a second chance. I think you're a big enough man, inside, to give me that second chance."

I was slowly broken down by her unintentional flattery. What I did know about Barb, was she wasn't that calculating. I looked deeply into her eyes and began my dissertation.

"Okay Barb, you get your second chance, but no more. If there is anything like this it happens again, we're done for good, and I mean it. I can't go through this hurt again."

She began kissing me and hugging me hard as she said, "I promise you sweetie, that you will never regret this. I need you in my life so badly. Now you need to take me to bed. You know how much I need you right now?"