Sam and Polly
This is Mitch Morgan's exclusive interview with Sam and Pauly, real life characters from 122 Rules, the debut novel by Deek Rhew. With cameo appearances in the follow-up novel to 122. After reading the interview, go back to the main page.
Mitch: So this is like the final curtain call, and last but not least the main two characters come out on stage for their bow. It feels like I should have brought a bouquet of flowers or something, Pauly. That is the usual tradition.
Polly: I wouldn't mind getting flowers, but the story is about everyone.
Sam: Trust me, she loves getting flowers, that's for sure, but I think she's right. The story is about a couple of people trying to find their way, but without everyone else it's like pouring crushed tomatoes on your spaghetti instead of a marinara sauce. That's just bland and tasteless.
Mitch: So, with Lindsey and HeySuese getting their own book, you two are the main love characters in 122. Sam and Abby, Jake and Reese all "get together" but in the end it is about your relationship.
Polly: Our relationship is part of the story, but it's kind of something that just happens along the way. We both, more or less, just accidently fell into it.
Mitch: I don't know about that. When I read the book, it seemed to me like I could feel the energy, the attraction from the first scene in on the ocean.
Sam: I think that was just me. Polly was just being her usual social self, okay, I guess she had an ulterior motive at the time. But she's that way with everyone. My reaction to her was pretty much everyone's reaction. Everyone loves her.
Polly: That's not entirely true. First of all not everyone loves me, I think that's an exaggeration, but I have to admit that I thought you were really cute with your mouth hanging open like that. You kinda looked like a guppy! (laughing)
Mitch: From what I read, Sam, you were stunned. I think you were smitten from the first page.
Sam: Yes, it's true. But I had so much inner turmoil to deal with there was no way I could just go with it. Maybe if everything that had happened, hadn't, you know if I was just another regular person instead of this person who lives on the outside, I could have just gone with it instead of fighting it so hard. Then again, if I hadn't gone through what I had, I wouldn't have been there in the first place, so the whole thing would be a moot point.
Polly: And I have to admit, I'm kinda a sucker for hard-luck cases.
Mitch: I know you had a job to do, Pauly, but it did seem like you were going above and beyond.
Polly: I tried and tried to keep my distance, but in the end....well you know. I just can't stand to see someone in pain, and with Sam there was just so much of it. He had a lot of history, and each layer we exposed, I realized there was yet another layer and another. I never thought we'd get to the heart of it.
Mitch: And have you?
Sam: For both of us, for that matter, for everyone really, there is always more, something to explore. That's what this is all about, your journey. Not just mine, but her's, and your's too.
Mitch: So, I heard that you have set a date.
Polly: Yes! So excited. It's been a long time coming, but worth the wait. Just another month now.
Sam: We aren't in a hurry. We've invited our friends of course, but we are having a small ceremony at Settler's Peak and staying here in town. Rodger has a second house he sometimes rents to out-of-towners, and he has offered to let us stay there. It's way up on the cliff and totally isolated.
Mitch: There are some pretty steamy scenes in the book. How was it to open up your bedroom door so-to-speak and let the entire world watch.
Polly: Well, it isn't anything I ever would have dreamed of doing. But when I read the book, it felt real. So I don't mind.
Sam: Who knew I'd be an exhibitionist? But it was part of the progression. In a lot of ways what you had seen up to that point was more personal than getting naked in front of everyone. To not tell you about that too would have been dishonest.
Mitch: You met because of Josha. Sam, he sent you to Alabaster Cove on the premise of finding Monica's accomplice, but really because he wanted test you to see if you could do his job. Pauly, you were the one who was supposed to evaluate and make the determination if Sam was up to the task. As seeing as how you both kind of owe him for getting you together, are you going to invite him to the wedding?
Polly: (laughing) Oh, my god. Can you imagine that stodgy guy here in The Cove?
Sam: Jake can teach him to surf! Deek would have to build a custom board for his wheelchair, but, I think he's up to the task.
Polly: I kept his number even though I wasn't supposed to, and I called and invited him. He didn't seem surprised, and said he'd think about it, but he was pretty busy running the department.
Sam: For him, "thinking about it," is progress. Maybe someday he'll do something besides work 24/7.
Polly: Don't hold your breath. But then again, people can change, huh?
Mitch: I can't let you go without asking about Monica. Sam, have you talked to her and if so, have you smoothed things out?
Sam: Well, Pauly did a lot towards that, but yes, I have talked to her a couple of times. She will probably never completely forgive me, but she understands the position I was in. I wanted to help her, but she refused, saying she would do it on her own. She went back to school, had her scholarship and a stipend from the government, part of what she got for helping them, then she graduated, passed the bar, and is doing just great. She's a lawyer now, for some big shot firm in New York. She said if I wanted to help her, then to help Angel.
Mitch: What did you do?
Polly: He's paying for her school. He found out how much she owed in loans and paid them off, and every term pays ahead so by the time she's done she won't owe a dime. Her job with the FBI is secure when she gets out, and working for the Feddies does pay well, it doesn't have to though because she won't have any debt.
Mitch: Does she know?
Sam: Only if Monica told her.
Mitch: Did Mr. Rhew say why this wasn't in the epilogue?
Polly: Exactly how long do you want the epilogue to be?
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Mitch: So this is like the final curtain call, and last but not least the main two characters come out on stage for their bow. It feels like I should have brought a bouquet of flowers or something, Pauly. That is the usual tradition.
Polly: I wouldn't mind getting flowers, but the story is about everyone.
Sam: Trust me, she loves getting flowers, that's for sure, but I think she's right. The story is about a couple of people trying to find their way, but without everyone else it's like pouring crushed tomatoes on your spaghetti instead of a marinara sauce. That's just bland and tasteless.
Mitch: So, with Lindsey and HeySuese getting their own book, you two are the main love characters in 122. Sam and Abby, Jake and Reese all "get together" but in the end it is about your relationship.
Polly: Our relationship is part of the story, but it's kind of something that just happens along the way. We both, more or less, just accidently fell into it.
Mitch: I don't know about that. When I read the book, it seemed to me like I could feel the energy, the attraction from the first scene in on the ocean.
Sam: I think that was just me. Polly was just being her usual social self, okay, I guess she had an ulterior motive at the time. But she's that way with everyone. My reaction to her was pretty much everyone's reaction. Everyone loves her.
Polly: That's not entirely true. First of all not everyone loves me, I think that's an exaggeration, but I have to admit that I thought you were really cute with your mouth hanging open like that. You kinda looked like a guppy! (laughing)
Mitch: From what I read, Sam, you were stunned. I think you were smitten from the first page.
Sam: Yes, it's true. But I had so much inner turmoil to deal with there was no way I could just go with it. Maybe if everything that had happened, hadn't, you know if I was just another regular person instead of this person who lives on the outside, I could have just gone with it instead of fighting it so hard. Then again, if I hadn't gone through what I had, I wouldn't have been there in the first place, so the whole thing would be a moot point.
Polly: And I have to admit, I'm kinda a sucker for hard-luck cases.
Mitch: I know you had a job to do, Pauly, but it did seem like you were going above and beyond.
Polly: I tried and tried to keep my distance, but in the end....well you know. I just can't stand to see someone in pain, and with Sam there was just so much of it. He had a lot of history, and each layer we exposed, I realized there was yet another layer and another. I never thought we'd get to the heart of it.
Mitch: And have you?
Sam: For both of us, for that matter, for everyone really, there is always more, something to explore. That's what this is all about, your journey. Not just mine, but her's, and your's too.
Mitch: So, I heard that you have set a date.
Polly: Yes! So excited. It's been a long time coming, but worth the wait. Just another month now.
Sam: We aren't in a hurry. We've invited our friends of course, but we are having a small ceremony at Settler's Peak and staying here in town. Rodger has a second house he sometimes rents to out-of-towners, and he has offered to let us stay there. It's way up on the cliff and totally isolated.
Mitch: There are some pretty steamy scenes in the book. How was it to open up your bedroom door so-to-speak and let the entire world watch.
Polly: Well, it isn't anything I ever would have dreamed of doing. But when I read the book, it felt real. So I don't mind.
Sam: Who knew I'd be an exhibitionist? But it was part of the progression. In a lot of ways what you had seen up to that point was more personal than getting naked in front of everyone. To not tell you about that too would have been dishonest.
Mitch: You met because of Josha. Sam, he sent you to Alabaster Cove on the premise of finding Monica's accomplice, but really because he wanted test you to see if you could do his job. Pauly, you were the one who was supposed to evaluate and make the determination if Sam was up to the task. As seeing as how you both kind of owe him for getting you together, are you going to invite him to the wedding?
Polly: (laughing) Oh, my god. Can you imagine that stodgy guy here in The Cove?
Sam: Jake can teach him to surf! Deek would have to build a custom board for his wheelchair, but, I think he's up to the task.
Polly: I kept his number even though I wasn't supposed to, and I called and invited him. He didn't seem surprised, and said he'd think about it, but he was pretty busy running the department.
Sam: For him, "thinking about it," is progress. Maybe someday he'll do something besides work 24/7.
Polly: Don't hold your breath. But then again, people can change, huh?
Mitch: I can't let you go without asking about Monica. Sam, have you talked to her and if so, have you smoothed things out?
Sam: Well, Pauly did a lot towards that, but yes, I have talked to her a couple of times. She will probably never completely forgive me, but she understands the position I was in. I wanted to help her, but she refused, saying she would do it on her own. She went back to school, had her scholarship and a stipend from the government, part of what she got for helping them, then she graduated, passed the bar, and is doing just great. She's a lawyer now, for some big shot firm in New York. She said if I wanted to help her, then to help Angel.
Mitch: What did you do?
Polly: He's paying for her school. He found out how much she owed in loans and paid them off, and every term pays ahead so by the time she's done she won't owe a dime. Her job with the FBI is secure when she gets out, and working for the Feddies does pay well, it doesn't have to though because she won't have any debt.
Mitch: Does she know?
Sam: Only if Monica told her.
Mitch: Did Mr. Rhew say why this wasn't in the epilogue?
Polly: Exactly how long do you want the epilogue to be?
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