Ripped at the Seams by Nancy Krulik Page B

for leaving Elk Lake. Everyone in town knew it. Even before she left, Mac wasn’t shy about sharing his frustration with Sami with just about everyone who walked into his coffee shop. No, Sami wasn’t wrong for not calling her dad just yet.
    â€œDon’t worry, Sam, he’ll come around,” Celia said finally. “And when he does, I’ll make sure he calls you.”
    â€œThanks.”
    After giving her best friend her new phone number and address, Sami hung up the phone and walked into the darkened bedroom. She could hear Rain snoring softly from her bed on the other side of the screen. Moving quietly so as not to wake her roommate, Sami set her alarm for 6:30 and climbed into her very own bed in her very own apartment.

Six
    When the downstairs bell rang Saturday evening, Sami’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s Bruce,” she called out to Rain from the bedroom. “Could you buzz him up? I’m not ready yet!” Sami’s tone was filled with excitement that had been building for quite a while. She’d been working at Ted Fromme for almost three weeks now, and this was the first time Bruce had made good on his promise to take her out and introduce her to the New York club scene.
    â€œYou’re kidding,” Rain called back. “You’ve been getting ready for this date since this morning.”
    â€œIt’s not a date,” Sami reminded her asshe walked out into the living room. “Bruce just volunteered to show me a little bit of the New York nightlife.”
    â€œUh-huh,” Rain replied, sounding completely unconvinced. “I know I always spend an hour on my hair and makeup when I’m just hanging out with a friend.” She pressed the button by the buzzer to let the front door of the building open, then she opened their door to the hallway a bit. “He’s on his way,” she warned Sami as soon as she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
    â€œOh, no! Do I look okay?” Sami asked nervously.
    Rain laughed. “Why? Does it matter? I mean this isn’t a
date
or anything, is it?”
    Sami rolled her eyes, stuck her tongue out playfully in Rain’s direction, and then ran back into the bedroom for one last check in the mirror.
    â€œOh, very mature,” Rain teased. She looked out into the hallway, where Bruce was making his way to the apartment. “You must be Bruce,” she greeted him.
    Bruce smiled as he approached the door. “That’s me,” he replied. “And you must be Rain.”
    â€œThe one and only. Come on in. Sami’s almost ready.”
    Bruce walked into the apartment and looked around. “I used to live in a place like this when I first moved to the city.”
    â€œReally?” Rain said. “But you don’t anymore?”
    Bruce smiled. “I’ve moved on. Now I’m in an elevator building on Eighty-second and Riverside, just off the park. Good thing, too, since I’m on the fourteenth floor.”
    Rain nodded with recognition but didn’t say anything. She knew the neighborhood Bruce had mentioned—small, overpriced apartments in prewar buildings. People paid for the address, not the accommodations. “I’d offer you a snack, but the refrigerator’s kind of empty,” Rain told him. “I’ve been teaching Sami the fine art of take-out.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Bruce replied. “I grabbed something on my way here.”
    â€œSo where are you guys going?” Rain asked, flopping down on the couch and folding her legs into a long pretzel.
    â€œI thought we’d hit Promise for a while.Sami’s never been to a club in the city, and I figured that’s a good place to start.”
    â€œIt’s certainly one of the big names in New York nightlife,” Rain replied. “Me, I like the smaller places. You know, neighborhood bars, local clubs.”
    â€œWell, to each his