TJM8

After spending the entire week together, Tommy & Sam were falling in love with each other. Neither had admitted the feeling yet to the other, but to everyone around them it was quite obvious. Samantha opened up to Tommy, telling him about her family. He learned that her dad was such a big baseball fan that Casey
was named for the poem by Ernest L. Thayer, Casey At Bat. Tommy also found out that Sam had just gotten out of a bad relationship with a very possessive guy. And although she wasn't ready to talk to anyone about it, he knew it must have gotten really bad towards the end. He was trying to be a perfect gentleman, so he had yet to kiss Sam even though he was dying to.

Sam hated to leave Florida & Tommy just as they were getting to know each other, but she had already extended her weekend to a long weekend & then finally a full week off. She had to get back to the paper if she wanted to keep her job as a reported in the SPORTS department. Lindsay had left 3 days prior for a fashion show in Milan. Sam rationalized to herself that she was staying to cheer up her brother, Casey, who was depressed that Lindsay was going to be away for a month, but deep down inside she knew it was Tommy's beautifully expressive face that made her want to stay. She went so far as to show how much Jeff Metcalf trivia she could answer in order to impress him & that she did. Sam was beginning to wonder if his interest in her was all in her imagination. She couldn't figure out why her hadn't even attempted to kiss her yet.

The drive to the Airport went by far to quickly for Tommy's taste. He wanted to spend more time with Sam before her flight. He was sad to see her leave but understood that he couldn't very well ask her to stay after just one week, after all she might think he was crazy for feeling like he did so soon. They got out of the car & Tommy grabbed her luggage. He wanted to ask her how soon would she or could she be back, but somewhere couldn't find the nerve. He could smell her hair from his seat next to hers in the airport. Good Lord, why did she have to smell so amazing? How was he supposed to hug her & let her go when she smelled so great? He thought to himself. After what seemed like minutes, her flight was called. Samantha went to hug Tommy & gave him a kiss on the cheek. Tommy couldn't let her go without at least a great kiss. He cradled her face in his hands, his mud-green eyes looking into her soft brown ones. He leaned his face towards hers, his soft, full lips making contact with hers. "Sam," he said in barely a whisper just as his lips left hers.

Sam was hardly able to find her voice, "Yes."

Tommy continued, "At the risk of sounding like a complete moron, I can't let you leave without telling you how I feel & I hope that it doesn't backfire & scare you off, but I am falling in love with you." Tommy finally took his lips far enough away from Sam's to see her reaction.

Her eyes welled up with tears, which was very 'un-Sam-like', "Metcalf, I love you too!!"

They announced the final boarding for Sam's flight.