Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Upon taking her roses from the delivery person, Sami promptly comes over to EJ and throws the bouquet at him, which EJ swiftly dodges.

Sami (indignant): "You can't do this, EJ."

EJ (raising his eyebrow innocently): "Do what, sweetheart?"

Sami (angry): "You can't buy me flowers."

EJ (easily): "Oh, I can't, can I? Is there some sort of law against a man sending flowers to the mother of his son? Are you going to have your father arrest me for it?"

Sami (even angrier): "That's not what you meant, and you know it. You sent these to me because you think it will lower my defenses so I'll throw myself at you."

EJ (coolly): "I thought no such thing."

EJ bends down and picks the card up off the floor as Sami watches.

EJ (reading the card): "Dear Samantha, I'm sorry that the love of your life is imprisoned, and you're alone on Valentine's Day. I hope the love of your children can somehow make up for it. EJ."

Sami stares at EJ in surprise as he finishes reading.

EJ (tossing the card to her as he leaves the room): "I know my place, darling."

Sami watches EJ leave as a wave of sadness washes over her.

Sami (regretfully): "Yeah, I guess you do."

Reading the card for herself, Sami deliberates before calling out to EJ.

Sami (sighing): “EJ, wait.”

Having already rounded the corner, EJ turns around and comes back into the living room, waiting for her to speak.

Sami (hesitant): “The roses are beautiful, and I’m sure they weren’t cheap. I shouldn’t have thrown them at you.”

EJ (plainly): “It’s all right.”

Sami (looking away): “No, it’s not. It’s just that…I never expected things to be this way between us, and after everything that’s happened, I…I overreact sometimes.”

Sami (with difficulty): “I can see from the card that you weren’t trying to pull anything. You were just trying to be nice, and it’s not like anyone else bothered to do anything for me today, so I’m sorry.”

Understanding how hard it was for her to acknowledge that she was wrong, EJ simply nods in response.

Sami (awkwardly smiling): “Um, since I kind of ruined your gift, how about I try to make it up to you? I don’t really have anything I can give you, so we could do something together. Do you want to watch a movie on television or something?”

Sami (thinking of the least romantic thing they could watch): “I think I saw a Rambo marathon on cable when I was looking earlier.”

EJ (disbelieving): “You want to watch First Blood?”

Sami (defensive): “Is there something wrong with that?”

EJ (giving in): “Of course not, my dear, although I seem to have misplaced my bandana.”

Sami snickers at the aside until she notices that EJ has moved into the living room and bent to pick up the roses.

Sami (trying to stop him): “You don’t have to do that.”

EJ (shaking his head): “No, I paid for them, so I can clean them up. I think they’re mostly salvageable if I can just get them in some water. Why don’t you find the movie?”

EJ saves the flowers that he can and arranges them in a vase as Sami sits down on the couch and flips through the channels with the remote. She finds what she thought was the Rambo marathon only to discover that she was mistaken.

EJ (sitting down next to her as Sami stares at the TV): “Is it over?”

Sami (glossing over): “Oh, no, I just-”

EJ (looking at the screen): “Ah, I see. Rocky, not Rambo.”

Sami (nodding): “Right. I got the two confused. Both Sylvester Stallone, you know? So we can watch something else.”

EJ (folding his arms across his chest): “Yes, because wanton violence and torture is perfectly acceptable but boxing crosses a line.”

Sami (indignant): “That’s not why I wanted to watch it, EJ.”

EJ (glancing at the screen as he raises his eyebrow): “Well, if you’re such a big Sylvester Stallone fan we might as well watch this. It appears as though the first movie has just started.”

Sami (searching for an excuse): “I’m sure we’ve both seen this a million times already, EJ.”

EJ (hiding a smirk): “Some things are better the second time around, sweetheart.”

Sami (annoyed): “Okay, fine. We’ll watch Rocky.”

EJ (looking at the television): “Whatever you want, darling.”

As EJ and Sami begin to watch the movie, EJ is content with the knowledge of exactly why Sami objected, while Sami wonders if she is destined to be the woman at his side just as Adrian was for Rocky.