"Sam's Secret" (some sex, fraud, arrest)

Natalie and Judith saw themselves as independent college students aiming to be more than just girls. Natalie dreamed of becoming a talented writer and a skilled artist. She was determined not to fall behind like many talented women who wanted passionate romance and a carefree attitude.

A blond-haired man approached her at a club and asked her to dance. He was slim and occasionally clapped his hands. When the song ended, he said, "Dance another one. That was too short," and so, they did. He pressed against her, and she felt his arousal, then he moved away as it quickened. At the end of the dance, the lights started blinking rapidly as the beat slowed down. When the song ended, he said, "How about dinner one night?"

"I just met you," Natalie answered.

"Please. I'm a good guy named Sam, and I'm in business."

"I don't know."

They parted, and she thought she would never see him again.

But she did, because he called her. "You found me," she said after hearing his baritone voice.

"Yes, I'm good at that."

"How'd you get so good?" "I like doing research."

She laughed lightly.

"Are you busy next Saturday?"

"I don't think so."

"I'd like us to get to know each other," he said.

"Well, that sounds nice."

"Any special place you want to go?"

"No, I like most foods, except Japanese."

"I know a steak place near the club where we met, named The Forge."

"I know where that is. Sure. What time?"

"I'll make a reservation for 7 P.M."

"Sounds good."

He took her to dinner and said he was a regular guy.

"I grew up in New York, my parents were from Europe, my brother is an artist, and I was in honors Math."

"Tell me more."

"My dad was a stockbroker, and he was only in a good mood when he was making money.

"He's like a lot of men. Have you been married?"

"I'm divorced."

"What happened?"

"The usual stuff," he shrugged.

"Kids?"

"No."

She hesitated to ask more, and Sam liked how the light cast a shadow on her skin. He breathed in her scent, which was something Oriental.

"I grew up in a small town and was eager to move to a big city. My father is strict, and my mom works as a teacher's aide. My brother is a jerk, " Natalie said.

"What do you do?"

"I'm in my second year at the university. I live with my friend Judith, and I will probably major in political science or journalism."

He ordered a steak; she had salmon. When they finished, he walked her to the subway station, where she caught a train.

They went shopping one day, and he bought her a new novel by Norman Mailer. Afterward, they had lunch by the river, and on a warm day, they stopped for a sundae. He courted her. Finally, after about a month, they grew closer. Sam took Natalie to the outlet malls, where luxury stores offered discounts, and they explored the shops that caught their interest. Natalie noticed a dress store called Sweet Gal and wanted to take a quick look, so they went inside. The clothes were quirky and fun.

"Why don't you try this on?" Sam said, holding a blue knit dress. Soon, they had several dresses in the dressing room, and Natalie was trying them on for him. He entered, closed the door with a click, and sat on a small chair, watching her slip into each one.

He said, "Oh, I like that on you, Nat," as she pirouetted in front of the three-way mirror.

He suddenly got up and began touching her; flashes of Professor Bernstein popped into her head, but she dismissed this and knew this would be different. It would be her undoing, but she didn't care. Sam ran his fingers through her hair, his mouth was full, and there were flecks of gold in his irises, and she slid her hands under his shirt. Time seemed to slow, and her eyes were heavy with longing.

Her back was against the wall, and he lifted her leg around him. She had never felt such intense desire. She opened her mouth, grew wetter down below, and he slid into her. They held each other tighter. Her movements intensified, and her head tipped back. Time stopped. Natalie was somewhere else.

Then he lowered her down and said, "I adore you," as tears slid down her cheeks. She straightened her skirt, and his breathing became more regular.

She began to fall in love with Sam. Smiling at him, she hoped her megawatt smile would catch his attention. They felt drawn to each other. He grinned back at her. He reminded her of some movie star, though she couldn't remember which one. It didn't matter. He was a handsome, chiseled, tall man who carried

an air of sadness. Imagining saving him and making him whole, she thought he would need her — only her — that was her fantasy —and she envisioned receiving his undivided love, no one else. She would do anything for that kind of devotion. She would let him express his desires and position her--nothing gross; she would trust him, but it would be very intimate. She would open herself fully to him, and he would love her. His eyes and mouth made her want to kiss him forever.

***

"I have a fellow. His name is Sam," Natalie shared.

"Oh, that's nice. Will I get to meet him?" Bertha, her ill mother asked.

"He's coming out to see me tomorrow, so you will."

"Take the new green and white tablecloth out from the lower kitchen drawer and put it on the table," Bertha said.

Sam arrived the next day and looked at the small house, scratching his head. Natalie had told him she came from modest beginnings, but seeing the small home, her Sears and Roebuck furnishings, and its surroundings made the reality clearer. He was polite and happy to see his girl.

"Sam, I've missed you," Natalie said as they embraced in the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with delightful aromas because Natalie had baked an apple pie for dinner.

"Did you bake that all by yourself?" Sam asked.

"Oh, yes, I did !"

"You're such a talented gal," Sam said. He kissed her again and whispered, "I love you, babe."

When her father came home, Natalie introduced them. "Nice to meet you, son," Harold said, looking shy.

"Same here, sir. Natalie's told me a lot about you."

Natalie served dinner, and Bertha joined them at the table. She sat on a pillow and wrapped herself in a shawl. The table looked pretty with the new tablecloth and flowers.

"Sam, tell me about yourself," Bertha said, making her best effort.

"I'm in the wholesale clothing business. I work hard, and I really like your daughter," he said, laughing softly.

"That's so nice," Bertha replied.

Natalie's father kept eating his soup and said little. He asked, "Could you pass the rolls, please?"

"What type of wholesale business?" Bertha asked.

"Preteen clothes; I sell to Macy's, Sears, Jordan's, places like that,"

"That sounds interesting," Bertha said.

"Sometimes you'll see an ad in Seventeen Magazine featuring some of my merchandise. "

"No kidding," Bertha said, smiling.

Natalie felt proud. The dinner ended awkwardly because no one could hold a long conversation. It was uncomfortable, but Natalie felt relieved that it didn't last too long, since she was so uneasy.

Sam drove to Crow Lake every few days to visit. He would sit on the porch when he arrived and do some work with him. "Time is money," he kept repeating to himself. Nat was busy with her mom, who wanted to see the tulip garden in full bloom.

After Bertha saw the tulips, she died. Sam asked Natalie, "When will you return to the city?"

"I'll come in a day or two after I get the house in order."

"I have a new apartment for the two of us, and I can't wait to show it to you," he said, smiling.

Natalie told Judith that Sam had rented an apartment for both of them.

"Not to worry. I've found a replacement. I have to sleep with her, and she's not as small as you, so it's a tight fit. But that's life," Judith quipped.

Natalie was happy about living with Sam. She kissed him. "A new chapter in our book," she said.

When Natalie got pregnant, she and Sam went to City Hall and got married. They had a set of twins, one boy and one girl.

Judith came to visit.

"Nat, I've been doing some digging. I found a few things you should know," Judith said.

"Tell me," she said, with some trepidation.

"Sam almost went to prison once."

"How do you know this?"

"I have a friend in the criminal law field, Uncle Steven Finberg, a very successful criminal attorney. He said that Sam and his cousin, Tom, were scamming people with fake credit cards. They were eighteen and twenty, and this wasn’t a petty crime. They duped many people out of their money and were finally caught. They could have gone to jail for two years, but their family had influence. They wore electronic ankle bracelets for two years."

"I never knew this. Oh, God."

"He should have told you this before you got married, Nat."

"I'm calling my lawyer," she said, putting her hands over her face.

"Please let me know what he says."

She found some small comfort in the fact that Sam was a different man now. She recognized she had made a poor choice by marrying him and was probably overreacting to her mother’s death. He visited the twins once a week, taking them to the park, bringing them to a diner, and feeding them their favorite foods: hot dogs and fries. He also brought them a small toy from the Corner Shop to make them feel special and took them home. They adored their father, but Sam was less energetic and, in some ways, a broken man. He had lost his spark, but when he was with the twins, he behaved lovingly.

She wanted to finalize the divorce, but Sam couldn't decide. Judith advised her to wait it out, and he would agree.

"When you want to remarry, you'll stand your ground. For now, Nat, let's focus on our work and enjoy our careers," Judith wisely said. Judith and Natalie ran a high-end secondhand clothing store. With the twins and her new retail venture, Natalie was busy.