Then Summer Came Read online

  “Oh, okay,” he said condescendingly. “I see what you’re doing.”

  “No, it’s just so crazy to have you around because you look just like him. I mean, except for your tattoos,” I said patting my fingers against his arm where his tattoo swirled out from his shirt sleeve. I tried to make out the words, but they were out of focus.

  “No, I get it,” he nodded and patronized me further. “You are attracted to me. You’re attracted to the feeling of having my brother around, even when he can’t really be around, hu? You’re using me.”

  I narrowed my eyes, trying not to laugh at how cute he was when he was so full of himself.

  “It’s just a joke,” he threw his hands up in submission.

  “Hey,” I blurted out a random, drunken thought that surfaced. “We can go see the hockey game at the Staples Center next week, if you want.”

  “What?” He drew out the one syllable for a second or two. “Scotch and hockey? I can see why Derek wants to marry you.”

  I turned over onto my back, and he looked down at me. The silhouette of his face in the dark coated me in nostalgia; I missed Derek. “We used to go watch a game together like every week,” I told him, “but we haven’t been in a really long time.”

  “That sucks,” he said more serious and used his index finger to slide a wet lock of hair off of my sticky forehead. “He really just doesn’t come around?”

  I shook my head, gazing up at him. “Not anymore…” I took the opportunity to stare up at him. He’d hit the nail on the head: I was attracted to the feeling of having Derek around. So, I guess I was using him, in some sense. I felt like I was looking up at Derek right then, and my drunken, blurred vision kept me form even noticing their differences, and the dark didn’t allow me to see the different shade of his eyes. Hell, for all I knew, he could’ve been Derek.

  We stumbled out of the cab and into the elevator. I laughed at him as he tried to figure out the buttons, and he laughed at me as I tried to maneuver my intoxicated legs in five-inch pumps.

  I decided to just stay at Derek’s apartment with him, rather than heading up three more floors. I just wanted to lie down. We both barely made it to the sofa before we collapsed, his head on one end and mine on the other.

  

  I woke up and peeled my cheek from my forearm. My jeans were twisted uncomfortably, and my legs were entangled in Beck’s. I looked down at his face squished up against the arm of the sofa and giggled quietly.

  For the first time in a long time, I had a slight hangover pecking at my head, and I just lay back down. He stirred, and I looked back to see him blinking rapidly—and comically. It looked like he was trying to place his surroundings.

  He looked at me, perplexed. “H-hey…” he said sleepily. He kept looking around and then back to me. He must’ve been as surprised as I was that he’d come home alone.

  “Morning,” I laughed.

  He sat up and pulled his ankles under him. “Oh, I need a shower,” he complained.

  “Yeah,” I agreed, pulling at my stiffened blouse. “Thanks for hanging out with me last night. You kind of saved what could’ve been a really boring, shitty night.” I sat up, straightening out my day old outfit.

  “Absolutely, I had a good time with you,” he said over his yawn.

  “Me too.”

  “Well, I know you had a good time,” he eyed me seriously.

  What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “You know, because you were just daydreaming about Derek the whole time.”

  I shook my head. This again?

  “Well you were glowing…”

  “No,” I retorted, “there was no ‘glowing’.”

  “Jokes, I tell you! Just jokes.”

  He said he was kidding, but I was beginning to wonder if he really did believe that I was attracted to him. I mean, I kind of was…but he didn’t know it. Even if he did, like he said, it was because he looked like Derek. I was attracted to the thought of Derek.

  He slugged my shoulder, “Lighten up,” and then he ran upstairs to the shower.

  Chapter Five

  A few hours later, I was gathering up the models at Mom’s show. Luckily, I’d chugged enough water that I was sobered, clear-headed, and ready to go. Normally I wasn’t so irresponsible when it came to my job, but I couldn’t pass up a fun night with a new friend. Especially since Derek had shut me out and Em was busy studying.

  I searched around for my mom; I needed to get the floor plan and the runway list. Mitzi found me, and threw it in my face—not rudely of course, nervously. She was running around like a circus animal, as usual.

  “Hey, thanks for the ticket,” Beck whispered into my ear, his hand on my elbow.

  “Oh, hey.” I turned and threw an arm around his neck to hug him, and he kissed my cheek. He smelled so good, and it made me feel a little weak in the knees.

  “You look smokin’ hot,” he added. “Derek’s a lucky man.”

  I chuckled. I’d become mostly used to his puns and flirtatious attitude towards me—and every other breathing, warm-bodied woman.

  “Thank you for coming,” I said as he pulled back, even though he wasn’t there for me. He was there for the “Grade-A, model ass” that was strutting around everywhere, but I was still really glad he’d come. I’d invited Derek, but wasn’t sure if he’d actually show or not. But I was glad Beck was there.

  He scurried off, and I spotted him later on in the back row of chairs with a busty blonde on each side of him. I shook my head at the sight and scanned the room for Derek again. I’d still yet to see him.

  I tried, on and off, all afternoon to find Beck so I could introduce him to Emily—since I finally had them in the same place—but the show room was huge, and when I found one, I’d lose the other.

  “Where’s the bohemian line?” Mitzi ran up and shouted in my face. “Have you seen it? It’s gone!”

  “Calm down. You gave it to Emily. That’s the line Mom wanted her to wear.” Geez, she was a freakin’ spaz.

  “Okay, well, are the shoes ready?”

  “Yes, Mitzi. Go get some water and I’ll take care of it.” How could “the best in the business” be so spastic during such a large and important event? Maybe she just really shined in the office?

  We took our places as Mitzi called out our five minute warning, and the hair and makeup crew did our touchups. I was always happy to model my mom’s designs, but I hated to model my own shoes. It felt a bit arrogant of me.

  Emily and I walked the runway together, her in Mom’s bohemian line and me in the colorful spring line. Mom always loved me in “The Color Pops” as she called them. As, I made my way down the runway I scanned the room for Derek again, and I saw him sitting in the front row next to my mother. I couldn’t control the giddy excitement that rose within me. He actually came.

  The show went off without a hitch. The ladies all looked stunning and Mom’s designs were flying out the door. She’d already sold well over half of the new releases, and my shoes went just as fast, and we had enough orders to keep the company busy for the next two months.

  I spotted Derek beside the door, talking to a group of women that I recognized from my mother’s office. I eyed his custom-fitted, gray suit as I approached him, and he smiled at me the whole way.

  He leaned down to kiss me, and I whispered in his ear, “You look so sexy.” I felt him smile against my cheek and his lips brushed my neck.

  “Are you kidding me? You could sell everything your mother designed. You look amazing.”

  “Well that’s two compliments for me,” my mom said, pulling us in for a group hug. “My beautiful daughter and my beautiful creations.”

  “Well you are quite a creator of DNA and fabric, alike, Mrs. Auburn,” Derek added to her strand of compliments.

  “Good to see you, Derek. Let’s make it a regular occurrence, hmm?” She kissed his cheek and danced happily away to thank the rest of her guests and buyers.

  “Thank you for comi
ng to support me and my mom.” I smiled up at him. He beamed down at me, his white teeth gleaming. He seemed to miss me, too. I was glad because sometimes it felt like he didn’t even notice I was gone.

  “Do you think your mother would mind if we used one of her designs somewhere more private? That dress is doing something to me that I can’t explain here?”

  I raised my eyebrows at him suggestively, and he pressed his soft, warm lips back into mine. The desire surged through me, and I suddenly didn’t care that we were at a public event. He, of course, did. A deep, throaty noise escaped his lips, but he gently pushed me back. “Are you trying to rile me up in front of all these people?”

  I sighed. “So let’s go somewhere more private then, like you said.”

  He nodded and grabbed my arm. I smiled and waved at the guests as we left hurriedly.

  “Where are you going?” Emily stopped us at the door with her shrill question. “Your mom said the buyer from BR wants to meet you!”

  “What? Now?” I asked, peeved.

  “Yes,” she said and grabbed my arm. “I’ll bring her right back, Derek.”

  He smiled kindly, kissed my forehead, and let my arm loose.

  I followed Emily to where my mother was waiting for us. The rep for BR was a nice lady, but she had more questions than a trivia game. I answered each animated one, trying to match her interest in my shoe line, but I had a fiancé that I’d not seen in over a week and I just wanted to see him and fuck his brains out. Is that too crude? You go that long and you’ll know exactly where I was coming from.

  After she questioned my ears off, I went to find Derek. I couldn’t find him anywhere, though. No one had seen him, either.

  I changed into some jeans and a blouse and grabbed my phone from my purse. I had a message from Derek.

  “Sorry babe, I had to go. We’ll talk later.”

  I scoffed and stamped my foot. He made me so mad. I guess I couldn’t be too mad, though; it’d been my job that had gotten in our way this time.

  Beck waived at me from across the room. I sighed for a second thinking it could’ve been Derek. I walked over to him and his random, blonde companion. He whispered in her ear, and she let his arm go and wandered off.

  “You walked the shit outta that runway, Auburn,” he said biting his bottom lip provocatively.

  I shook my head, blushing a bit. Why did he always find a way to embarrass me? There was something about him saying that stuff. It just got to me. If Emily had said it, I’d have just laughed and comically but sexily demonstrated my strut. But he just made me feel nervous.

  “Seriously, you ladies looked sexy,” he almost growled.

  “Thanks…where’d your date go?”

  “Not far,” he assured me. “She wants a piece of this later.”

  I shook my head. “Uh…conceited much?”

  He motioned at his body. “Wouldn’t you want a piece?” My eyes widened at his ever-forward comment. “Oh, you already do, hu?”

  “Beck—”

  “We’ve been over this! I’m fucking with you, Lissa.” I liked when he said my name. Oh my God. No, I liked when Derek said my name.

  “I’ll see you later.” I excused myself and gathered my things so I could leave.

  Beck shouted after me, “Sorry, I really was just kidding around.”

  I waived him off to let him know it wasn’t a big deal, I just had to go.

  I tried calling Emily the whole way home, but she didn’t answer. I thought she could accompany me in a pajama night, and we could curl up and watch old movies, but she was apparently preoccupied.

  Assuming Beck would be out with his random all night, I decided to stay at Derek’s. His bed would be more comforting than mine.

  When I got to the apartment, I went to grab a bottle of water. When I opened the fridge, I had to double take at the stock of beer and food. I eyed the sandwich meat and bagels and then opened the freezer to find the same thing: it was stocked with dinners, fries, and ice cream.

  Completely thrown off by the sight of life in Derek’s apartment, I couldn’t help but check the cabinets, and to my surprise, my cereal cabinet was not the only cabinet housing food anymore. It was different, but it was nice to feel like someone was there, other than just me.

  I nabbed one of his single-serving ice-cream tubs. It was the only Moose Tracks he had, and I hoped he wouldn’t mind. I headed to Derek’s bed for a movie night by myself. I had to work the next morning so a little ice cream and an old flick would be the extent of my night.

  

  The next morning, I was on the sofa munching my dry cereal when I decided to call Derek. He’d had to fly out to Chicago for the day, and I wanted to steal his evening plans before work did.

  He picked right up, “Morning, Babe.”

  “Morning,” I smiled at the sound of his voice. “Are you too busy tonight? We could go to the beach?”

  “That sounds amazing, but I can’t get back tonight.”

  The apartment door slammed and I turned my head and nodded at Beck.

  “I look awfully cute in my new swim suit,” I bartered, trying to keep my voice low.

  “Don’t do that to me, Lis. You know I’d much rather be there.”

  “Then you should take the night off,” I suggested.

  “I can’t tonight, babe,” he complained, “but keep the tags on that new suit, and you can show it to me later, okay?”

  I huffed and asked him to reconsider.

  “I really want to, Lis, but I have to go. I love you, and I’ll see you as soon as I can get away.”

  “Alright,” I moped. “Love you, too.” I dropped my phone into my lap and threw my head back onto the sofa.

  “Guy troubles?”

  I jumped. I hadn’t realized Beck was still standing behind me.

  “Ugh, men are the worst,” he mocked me as he sat down beside me. “You should put that bikini on and go to him anyway. I know that’d get me away from work.”

  “Psh,” I scoffed. “He’s too busy. It’d take a full day to get through all of the secretaries and assistants.”

  “So, when are you two tyin’ the knot?”

  “I don’t know…” I shrugged and picked through my Cap’n Crunch.

  “You don’t know when you’re getting married?” he asked, his face scrunched. “Haven’t you been engaged for over a year?”

  I nodded, chewing my lip nervously. “He…can’t find the time.”

  “Hey, man, have you seen—” The apartment door slammed, and a guy I’d never seen before was standing next to the door. He was staring at me, which was the obvious reason for his frozen question. “Oh, hey!” he smiled cheerily. His green eyes were sparkling and seemed to glow under his messy, jet-black hair. “Are you Lissa?” he asked. He was heading toward me, his hand extended, smiling.

  “U-uh, y-yeah,” I stuttered and reached for his hand. “Yes, I’m Lissa. Are you Beck’s friend?”

  “Yeah. I’m Mik.”

  I shook his surprisingly gentle and warm hand. Seeing him closer now, he looked more boyish than before. His face was round and his cheeks puffy from all of his smiling.

  “Nice to meet you,” I smiled.

  “Yeah! You, too. Beck’s told me—”

  “Hey, Mik,” Beck interrupted. “You were asking something when you came in?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Mik recalled. “I was looking for Clay.”

  “Oh, no, I haven’t seen him today.”

  “Well, I’m going to take a shower,” I excused myself. “It was great to meet you, Mik.”

  “You too, Lissa.”

  Lidia was cleaning up Derek’s bathroom, so I headed back to the living room to ask Beck if he minded if I used the guest shower.

  “No, go ahead,” he offered, and I headed up the stairs. “Hey,” he stopped me. “Did you, by any chance, eat my only tub of Moose Tracks?”

  I felt my face heating. “Uh…yeah. I’ll buy you another…sorry.”

  “No, it’s fi
ne, I just noticed you put half of it back in there.”

  “Yeah,” I nodded, “Ice cream is my weakness…I try not to eat very much of it.”

  He and Mik shared a snicker, and Beck shook his head. “Women…” was all he said.

  I turned on the water so it could warm up and laid out my clothes for easy access once I was done showering. I turned to look for a towel, and I saw a damp towel hanging from the hook on the wall. I remembered when I’d first started staying the night with Derek and he with me, and I always liked when he left his towel in my bathroom. It was a reminder that he was planning on coming back to shower and use that towel again. Plus the scent from his soap and shampoo left me wanting him.

  I absentmindedly pressed the tip of the fluffy towel to my face and inhaled its damp scent. The smell was thick but mellow. It smelled better than any cologne, soap, or body spray I’d ever smelled.

  I dropped the towel. I was like a horny teenager sometimes. It was out of control.

  After I was cleaned up, I bounced back down the stairs. Beck had also cleaned up, and he looked like he was heading out. Beck’s friend, Mik, had already left.

  “Hey, what about that game at the Staples Center?” he asked. “You still wanna go?”

  “Oh yeah, I bought tickets, but forgot all about it. I, uh, I have plans with Derek. Maybe…next game?”

  “Yeah, just let me know.”

  I smiled and he slipped out the door.

  I spent the next hour on my bed, painting my nails, and talking to Emily.

  “So, how’s the twin?” she asked. I could hear her wicked grin through the phone.

  “He’s fine.”

  “I bet he is,” she snickered.

  “You’re ridiculous. Anyway, he bought food and it’s all in the kitchen, and his towel is hanging in the bathroom.”

  Her end of the call was quiet for a moment. “Oh, he puts things in the rooms they go in? How weird…?”

  “No,” I exclaimed. “I just mean, it’s weird that there is food in the house, and his shit is sitting everywhere. I’m just used to the cold quiet of the apartment. It’s just different, that’s all.”