"Ready to go over the rules for tonight?" Sam asks.
Thewhatnow?"What rules?"
"For the bars. I want you to stick close to the girls and make sure you don't get separated from the group. If they go pair off with their guys, which they will, make sure you find me first. Don't let them go off without first-"
"Why do I getrules?It's spring break, it's supposed to befun -you've been saying so for weeks! Why doesn't anyone else get rules?" I grumble.
"They've all been out to clubs and bars in the city a hundred times, Rory. How many have you been to before?" he asks.
I purse my lips. "None."
Sam smirks. "Don't pout, you're too adorable like that and we need to go over the rules."
"Fine," I huff like a preschooler.
"First, don't accept any drinks from someone you don't know... In fact, don't take any drinks from people you do know either. I'll get your drinks for you," he decides.
"And what if you're off workin' on some random hookup when I want a refill?" I push down the flare of pain at the thought.
I don't know what would be worse, him flirting with some stranger right in front of me or him not doing so because he's being faithful to Kendall. I think the idea of him being committed, exclusive, maybe even in love... I think that'd be far worse.
I'm an awful friend.
"Don't worry about that, I'm not going to abandon you, okay?" he says meaningfully.
I've heard that before, too. But people don't always have a choice. Sometimes they don't mean to abandon you, but they do anyway. Even when you need them the most.
Like when you're out at a bar dressed like a hussy with more makeup than a call girl and all your friends have paired off to go hook up...
Maybe this whole night was a bad idea.
"Hey. Ror. I mean it, it's going to be fun. We'll stick together, okay?"
I nod hesitantly. I don't want to ruin his night either.
"Okay, so drinks only from me, and don't put it down once you get one either. Keep an eye on it at all times. If you need to put it down, don't pick it back up, I'll just get you a new one."
"You sure I'm not gonna be attacked by some random girls jealous that I'm bogartin' all of your attention?" I tease.
He really is something to look at. Carl joked that I'd be getting attention tonight, but Sam doesn't go anywhere without every female head turning in his direction, including mine. And some male ones, too.
We walk out of the elevator and head to the lounge off of the lobby where we're meeting everyone. "Don't be ridiculous," Sam says dismissively.
"Ridiculous?Chelsea came after me in a bathroom stall because you spend time with me. Kendall tried to pimp me out to her own brother to keep me away from you! I'm not bein' ridiculous. They all think-"
"Rory, you have no idea what you're talking about. Kendall doesn't like me like that. That's not what that was about," he argues.
"Oh, really? Then what was that about? She sure seemed eager to set me up with... Randy, was it? You can't really think she just met me for two seconds and immediately thought I'd be perfect to 'settle down' with her brother..."
Sam takes a gentle hold of my elbow to halt our progress through the lobby. I see our friends over by the bar, but we're still far off enough that they haven't seen us yet.
"Kendall wasn't being possessive, Ror. We're really just friends. She was just messing with me," he explains, explaining nothing at all.
So the idea of me dating the "super hot" Randy was a joke? She wasmessingwith him? I know I'm scowling, but I can't help it, I'm offended.
"No, Ror, you don't get it," Sam says, exasperated. He shoves his hand through his hair and sighs, as if deciding something. "She was just trying to make me jealous, okay? Kendall, she's a good friend -justa friend. But she thinks she knows everything, and she thinks that you and me... she just thinks I should, you know, make a move or something. Withyou.See if we might be more than just friends - because we've gotten so close and whatever. But I've told her you're not looking for that. The thing with Randy - she was trying to light a fire under my ass, so to speak. Push me to make a move, that's all."
That's all?I'm about to ask him why Kendall would think he should make a move on me - what he meant by "and whatever", but I stop myself. It's no different than Carl seeing all those little things she took as evidence of some secret love affair. Or crush. But Carl turned out to be right, at least about my feelings for Sam.
