Page 4 of Be My Summer

“I’m not asking for too much of your time. I’m just not ready to see you go, yet.”

Already, she had the power to dictate my mornings. Whatever she wanted, whatever she desired, I wanted to provide in the short time we had.

“Saul, right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“Are you always this spontaneous? Somehow, I believe otherwise.”

“You have every right to, because I’m not. Not even in the slightest, but when I’m led, I have no choice –and no control.”

“Led? By what?” She leaned forward, resting her right palm on her knee as she stared up at me.

A fucking dream. She was stunning.

“This,” I responded, pointing at my head.

“This.” I pointed at my chest.

“And that.” I tipped my head toward her.

“That?” Her features scrunched in confusion.

“Beautiful face. One doesn't run across this level of intrigue or sophistication often. When you do, you tap in.”

“Tap in?” Summer’s laugh was striking, leaving welts from the whooping she was putting on my heart.

“Come over here. The food is plentiful and the blanket is enormous,” I stated, waving her over.

You feel too far away. Though the words weren’t spoken, somehow, I felt as if she knew they were at the pit of my throat.

Without hesitation, she abandoned her blanket to join me on mine. At her best, she was at least five-seven. As I’d imagined, she was slim from head to toe.

Her perfectly manicured toes remained free and without shoes as she tiptoed over. The plush blue blanket sank under the pressure of her body. I observed her timidness on the way over. But when she finally reached me, she centered and settled. A gush of air left her mouth, deflating her chest and prompting another darling smile.

“I have a place to be in an hour,” regrettably, she informed me.

“Do you go around just breaking hearts, Summer?”

Rubbing the hair of my beard, I waited for an answer. Taking a step backward, she sighed. Magnetically charged, she pulled me a step forward.

“My father– he has– we,” she stammered over her words.

“Shhh,” I suggested, placing a finger to my lips, “There’s no need to explain, love. You have shit to do. Just give me the next thirty minutes of the sixty that you have. I promise I won’t complain.”

“I have thirty-five to spare.”

“I’ll take every one of those,” I spat, lowering my body onto the blanket.

Our space was instantly serenaded with silence, random smiles, head shaking, the gnawing of lips, lingering gazes, flared nostrils, peaked cheeks, tingling jaws, unexplainable giggles, and a thudding heart. Still, I was filled to capacity.

Silence comforted Summer. The pleasure on her face evaporated when words were exchanged. They required thought, and for now, she wasn’t fond of the idea of thinking. Refusing to require anything of her that disrupted her peace, I rocked my stretched legs from side to side, resting on my elbows as we both stared into the park that was brimming with life.

“I’m probably the most boring person you’ll ever encounter, Saul. I’m no fun. Sorry to spoil your spontaneity,” she expressed, breaking the silence. “My world is full of books, art shows, songs, and stillness. They all have a special place in my heart.”

Pulling my eyes from the greenery to meet the brown skin she possessed, I waited for her to continue. Once I realized it was all she had to say, I cleared my throat.

“You speak as if that’s a burden. With boredom, I find the most peace. Stillness… It’s an art in itself. Not everyone can stand to be alone with themselves, their thoughts, or their voices. The ability to do so is a blessing, or at least I feel as though it is.”