Bungalow 5

Sam stirred in his sleep, waking her. His strong arms were wrapped around her and she silently thought that she had never felt so secure. What they shared last night was priceless. . .The emotion, the passion, their bodies becoming one, all of it was a dream come true for him and for Pam, that neither of them could ever realize would be so powerful.

Pam gently slipped out of his grasp and put on her terrycloth bathrobe. She turned the coffeepot on and the soft dripping was the only sound that filled the Bungalow. She brought out the frying pan, eggs and bacon and started to cook before the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock and wondered who would be over so early. “Please not Jeff… Please not Jeff…” She muttered as she reached the door and opened it. “A-Alex…” She laughed nervously.

“Hi Pam.” He smiled, “get your bathing suit; I’m taking you the beach.”

“Uh…” she chewed on her lower lip wondering how she would break this to him.

He spotted the shirtless young man walking out from the bedroom. “Uh, yeah so, sorry to bother you so early but I just wanted to let you know you had the day off…”

“Oh, thank you Alex.” Her heart racing, she knew he wasn’t taking this well at all.

“No problem. You deserve it after all the hard work you put into the dance last night.” He began to turn, “see you Monday.”

“All right, bye.” She closed the door and turned to Sam smiling softly.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. “Why was your boss just here?”

“Um, well, he gave me the day off.”

“Couldn’t he have just called?”

“He said his cell phone wasn’t working.” She took his hand and led him to the kitchen. “Come on, I’m making you breakfast…” She smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Abigail?” Eddie said, not expecting to see her in the kitchenette.

“Good morning Eddie.” She held a mug in her hand and walking into the living room. “There’s more coffee in the pot if you want some.”

“Yeah… thanks…” He poured the coffee into a mug and added cream and sugar. “Where’s Peter?”

“Not here…” She told him as she sat down on the couch.

“Well, obviously… You two didn’t spend Valentine’s together?” he followed her into the living room and sat in the chair facing the television.

“Of course we did… he, um, Carmen called early this morning, she needed him for something.” She took a long, slow, calculated sip from her mug trying to relax her nerves.

“Oh… I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.” She told him as she picked up the television remote and began flipping through the morning shows.

His thoughts drifted to Carmen and the many times they had shared together… He shook his head. She’s your best friend’s mother… He had to remind himself that daily, it was the only thing that stopped him from storming into Carmen’s house and professing his love to her.

Abigail looked over at Peter and noticed the look on his face, “You’re not freaking out on me are you?”

“What?” he asked as she snapped him out of his day dream.

“Over there shaking your head… It’s kind of weird…”

“I… just need some air.” He rushed out through the door.

“Did he just mean to walk out wearing nothing but pajama bottoms?” She pondered as she sipped her coffee. “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, what will we do with you?”

A moment later the door opened and Peter walked in. “Wow . . . what a body . . .” He said as he walked towards his bedroom.

No doubt he had just seen Eddie. “Great I’m in love with a guy that likes—well—other guys.”

“Come in.” Paula said to whoever was knocking at her door. She applied eyeliner as Legolas walked into the room. “Legolas, what a pleasant surprise…”

He walked over to the chair she was sitting in and leaned towards her staring at her in the mirror. “Opening night is in two weeks. Your big debut.”

“Yes it is.” She said as she pulled the eyeliner wand too far off her eye.

“Feeling a little nervous?” he asked as he studied her movements.

She half-snorted, “of course not, why in the world should I be nervous?”

“Oh… I don’t know…” he said as he motioned towards the blotched eye make-up.

She shrugged, “Legolas, please get to the point.” She then took her make-up remover and began fixing her mistake.

“Kate’s been the leading lady here for ten years. That’s just not something people forget…”

“Oh yeah? Wait until they hear me your little whore will be nothing but a lost memory.”

“Paula, let me just run this by you, you are not Kate Harris and you never will be and when Kate comes out of the coma you’ll be bumped right back to where you belong, a chorus girl.”

She threw the eyeliner at the mirror and rose to stare him in the face. “Legolas, I think you should just get over Kate. She’s not coming back, even if she does come out of that coma she’ll never be the leading lady again. And soon, Legolas, Julian is going to take your place and you’ll be where you and Kate belong, the background. Kate’s a has-been and soon you will be too. Too bad you burnt your bridges in Hollywood, just not a smart move Legolas…”

“I wouldn’t be so confident in yourself Paula, you’re forgetting, I can play just as dirty as you can.” He said leaning close to her.

“Oh, I’m not so certain about that.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to stare him down.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Get out.” She said fiercely, when he did not budge she screamed at the top of her lungs, “get out!”

Jeff was on the phone when Michael walked in. “All right, love you too bye.” He hung up the phone and smiled. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing really.” He slumped down on the leather couch.

“Come on, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Jeff. I’m in love with my best friend.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Karen? No way!” Jeff stared at his cousin, not sure of how to take this declaration.

“Uh huh.” Michael nodded and then looked up at the ceiling.

“Since when?”

“I’m not really sure. Maybe always?” Michael’s body slouched as he tried to think back to a moment when he didn’t love Karen.

“Does she know?” Jeff leaned closer, pushed his glasses up closer to his eyes as he waited for the answer.

“Yeah, I blurted it out during our dance lessons.” Michael looked distressed.

“Uh oh…” Jeff leaned back in his desk chair, shaking his head.

“Yeah and I took her out on Valentine’s and we had a great time—and we went back to her house…”

“Whoa, wait a sec, did you two…” The story suddenly got a bit more exciting for Jeff causing him to once again lean forward.

“No. She got all weird on me and I ended up leaving. I haven’t talked to her since. I don’t know what to do.”

“Does she love you back?” Jeff’s concern was totally genuine.

“It’s hard to tell. She’s still hung up on that guy in Pinõn Hallow.” Michael’s hands balled up into tight fists at the thoughts of the man who held Karen’s heart and didn’t want it.

“Well, while you’re worrying about Karen and the guy in Pinõn Hallow did you forget about your sister in Heaven Beach?”

“Monica? What about her?” Michael looked up again, his eyes widening with worry.

“She’s pretty upset with you, I just got off the phone with her, and Lucas is too.”

“Why?” His wide eyes turned more to that of a lost puppy.

“Oh… I don’t know… maybe because you dissed them for a dance lesson with Karen and you haven’t called since they left, over a month ago.”

He groaned and rubbed his forehead, “great… I’ve just been so wrapped up with the whole Karen thing… I guess I kind of forgot to call…”

“I think you should.”

“Well, well, well.” Jonathan sat down at the table Karen was sitting at. “Long time no see.”

“I know.” She smiled, “how have you been?”

“Decent, darling, only decent. Actually I’m becoming a bit bored.” He told her as he played with a sugar packet.

“Ah? Well, I suppose Ginger Falls is quite different from L.A., you know Jonathan the locals might start to talk about you if you don’t shape up.” She told him before taking a sip from her tea.

“Excuse me?” He asked bewildered.

“You were the only resident not at the Starlight Room on Valentine’s.” She smiled, revealing a bit of mischief.

“Yes, well… Maybe I wasn’t lucky enough to have a beautiful date such as yourself.” He said tossing the sugar packet back on the table, and smiling when it landed right in front of her.

“Oh, do stop.” She chuckled. “Your charm is too much.” After a brief moment she sighed spacing out from their conversation.

“Aw, come on now, what’s that about?” he cocked his head and frowned.

She smiled again, “Nothing. I was just about to leave actually.”

“Won’t you allow me to escort your home?” he held his hand out for her.

“I would love for you to.”

Devon walked in and slammed the door behind him.

Legolas looked at him and looked back to his book. “I suppose you’ve heard.”

“Damnit!” He paced frantically around the room, “I just don’t understand Legolas, is she a damned fool?”

“Seems like it to me…” He said as he turned the page.

“You’ve got to help me.” Devon pleaded before falling to his knees.

“Oh I do?” Legolas asked looking up from the page.

“Please Legolas. Please help me.” His hands were folded into a ball as he begged Legolas.

“Well.” He closed his book and tossed it aside, “I suppose I could fit you into our plan. . .”

“What plan? Who’s involved?”

“Ha, my dear boy, in due time, in due time. Let’s just say—”

“I’m back.” Kate said making her grand entrance into the dressing room.

“Kate is that you?” Devon asked.

“In the flesh.” She said as she removed her wrap and tossed it onto the nearby couch.

“Kate, what in the hell are you doing here? It’s too risky.” Legolas stood and looked at his friend and lover.

“Oh, darling, of course I was careful. Paula nor Julian did not see me.” She informed him before sitting down, and crossing her shapely legs.

“What are you two planning and how does it involve Paula?”

“Oh the impatience of youth, I believe Legolas said you would know in due time.” She smiled wickedly.

“Is he gone?” Alex asked as he once again stood at Pam’s door.

“Yes, come in.” Pam held the door open more and let him in.

He shut the door behind him and walked over to her, pulling her towards him and planted a rough kiss on her lips.

Pam felt herself begin to melt into Alex’s arms again but she had to stop it, “Alex!” She pushed away from him.

“What?” his eyes showed the confusion he was feeling.

“The other day when I came to see you, to tell you we were over—“ she reminded him.

“We can forget all about that.” He took hold of her hand again and pulled her closer only to be pushed away once more.

“I meant it. Alex, we’re over. I won’t do this anymore. The only relationship I care to have with you is a business one.”

“Is this all about the guy this morning?” Alex asked her.

“Yes. We’re in love, and we have been for a very long time. Sam is my best friend in the whole world. He’s been their for me through everything, through things that you could never understand Alex. Besides people in love don’t do this with other people, it just doesn’t work like that. I really like you Alex, but as a friend, that’s where the line is drawn. It was wrong of me to let it go on this long. You have a wife and obviously you’re marriage is in trouble or else—”

“You don’t know a damned thing about my marriage or my life for that matter. If you want just a business relationship fine, I don’t care. But when this guy dumps you don’t come crawling back to me. As you so clearly put it, we’re over.” Alex began to go to the door.

“Alex, Sam won’t dump me. He loves me, can you say that you love me?” She said, not sure why the words came out the way they did or why at all.

Alex stopped for a moment, his hand on the door knob contemplating the words she had just spoken and his own feelings before opening the door and walking away.

They kissed passionately as they headed towards her bedroom. Once in there they crossed to the bed where he fell on top of her, still kissing her as he started to unbutton her blouse.

She worked her hands down to his pants, unzipped them and pulled them off. Working her way back up she took off his shirt and kissed his now bare chest.

“I want to make love to you Karen…”