Samantha

Next, Lou made a remark. Samantha chuckled. James frowned and cursed.

The bastards were telling jokes, he thought. Knowing Ed, Joe, and Alister, they were probably telling off-color stories. That's about the only kind they knew. No, James corrected himself. Samantha wouldn't laugh at risqu jokes! She might blush. She might even slap the face of a man who told her such a gag. But a lady with as much obvious breeding as Sam wouldn't laugh. She couldn't.

Throughout the rest of his luncheon, James continued to watch Sam. She continued to giggle and laugh at whatever comments the terrible trio made, probably, James consoled himself, only to be polite. Inwardly, Sam no doubt thought their jokes as coarse and uncouth as she found Ed, Joe, and Lou themselves. The hour James spent watching the salesmen entertain Samantha seemed to last forever. Finally, the agonizing spectacle ended. After paying their bills, everyone made his or her way outside, to return to the office.

While they'd been inside the diner, it had begun to rain. James wished he had an umbrella. He could come to Sam's rescue, sharing his umbrella with her. It would be delightful to walk beside her, close enough to prevent the rain from falling upon either of them. He'd walk slowly, to maximize the time he could spend next to her, savoring her perfume, her gestures, her conversation, and, most of all, her beauty. Unfortunately, he didn't have an umbrella - but Lou had one. The obnoxious salesman was the one to come to Sam's rescue, to walk beside her through the downpour, her hero. Bastard! James thought, scowling at him.

The rain had made the streets and sidewalks slippery. Watch your step, Sam, James thought. He'd hate to see her take a fall on the asphalt or concrete.

No sooner had he thought this thought than it happened. Samantha, stepping from the crosswalk, onto the sidewalk in front of the high-rise building that housed their offices, slipped and fell - hard. That wasn't all. She sprawled on the sidewalk, offering everyone who was near enough to her to see, including James, a view of her ass and genitals. Ed, Joe, Lou, and James himself, as well as others, gasped in astonishment.