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summer
“You liar!”Sunny stares in disbelief, stunned by my shocking admission. She clutches her burgeoning belly to shield her precious baby’s newly developed ears from the more vulgar details, then waits for me for the rest of the story.
“Are you going to keep calling me a liar, or may I continue?” I nibble on one of her freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and wash it down with a gulp of seltzer, holding out to prolong the excitement. It’s not often I have these types of details. Ever since Sunny married a movie star and began getting her freak on regularly, she’s been the girl with all the stories. She’s baked all morning, anxiously awaiting my arrival and news of my first date with Roman. But she just never expected this much dirt.
“Please continue.” She shoves a cookie in her mouth and waves her hand, mumbling through crumbs. “Sorry I interrupted.”
“As I was saying, we had a lovely evening and made plans to see one another again tonight. He wants to take our relationship to the next level, and I’m considering it.” I slurp my seltzer, straining to swallow the bubbly water through my tight throat, and ruminate over Roman’s words, his hands, his cock---oh dear Lord, his cock---and the many positions we tested out over the evening. I really should have played hard to get, but he’s not an easy man to turn down.
“What do you mean you’re considering it?” Sunny’s eyes nearly fly out of her head. “You’ve waited months for him to ask you out. You nailed him on your first date, and now you’re unsure if you want more? This isn’t the time to play coy. That hour flew by last night.”
She’s right. That time sailed right over my head when I found my ankles neatly tucked behind Roman’s neck. But I wasn’t prepared for declarations of love, marriage, babies, and joint aspirations for our future. His enthusiasm and sensitivity took me by surprise.
“I know I got ahead of myself. We had a beautiful evening ruled by our passions, but I think it’s best to slam on the brakes and shift back into first gear.” Is that how that works---I never learned how to drive a stick.
“But what about...” Sunny tries to bargain on Roman’s behalf instead of siding with her beloved cousin. She can’t help it. She’s a hopeless romantic at heart.
“Enough, Sun. Let me handle it. There’s no denying I’ve got it bad for him. He’s wonderful. Sublime. He mastered my body like Picasso mastered canvas and broke down my walls with his over-the-top schtick. I crumbled like a stale piece of coffee cake and agreed to his demands, but I was under duress. Tonight, I’ll suggest we slow things down. After all, he’s the one who took ages to make his move. I should think he’s comfortable with baby steps.” I tap my fingers to the beat of the song in my head and squirm in my seat, fidgeting under her stern gaze. Sunny is like the sister I never had. My parents couldn’t see fit to provide me with siblings, but Sunny made up for it. She’s my better half, the cream in my coffee, the sunshine in my sourpuss world. But I’m not budging on this one.
Roman is a wonderful, kind man, and I know damn well that terrific men don’t grow on trees. This is New York, and I can’t spit without hitting a self-absorbed loser in the back of the head--- they’re everywhere! But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump into the commitment to end all commitments. That’s serious shit. And frankly, I’m way over my head. I’ve never been in love, and this much emotion right out of the gate scares the hell out of me.
“Are you paying him back for dragging his feet?” She stirs her cup of tea in a hostile manner, clinking every side to deliberately grate my nerves.
I gasp with genuine offense. How dare she accuse me of such outrageous, immature behavior without proof. “Absolutely not, missy! I’m hurt you’d say such a thing!” I hold her hand steady and snatch the menacing teaspoon from her grip. There’s nothing about recent events that scream payback. I agreed to a date on his first attempt. I slept with him after one meal and dessert. Those are not the actions of a woman out for revenge.
Sunny pale face grows red with shame---rightly so. She smooths her hands over her belly as a subtle reminder that she’s currently pregnant and worthy of extra slack. It’s her foolproof escape plan for running her mouth. “Gee, Summer. Don’t mind me. You know how it is...”
I cut her off before I’m forced to hear her tired old speech. “Yes, yes. Pregnancy brain. How could I forget? I hope you know I’ll be using this same excuse if and when someone knocks me up. I’m going to run around town shooting my mouth off and then just point to my belly when things blow up in my face.”
Her lips purse with annoyance before she misinterprets everything I just said, and a surge of excitement blows her hormonal mind. “Oh my God, do you think you’re pregnant? It would be cool if our babies were born in the same year!”
I inhale a sharp breath and clutch my throat, searching for pearls that aren’t there. “Hush your mouth. I don’t need you to put that kind of wish out in the universe. I said baby steps, not babies. Roman needs serious vetting. We need to learn our quirks and bad habits. He needs to see me at my worst and decide if I’m someone he can tolerate forever. Because you know I’m not an easy person to love.” I trip over the last word when I catch Sunny nodding in agreement.
My gaze narrows with disapproval, but I soldier on. “I don’t come from a broken home, and I don’t want my babies to know what that feels like either. Mom and Dad still dance every day!” I pound my fist into the opposite palm to make my point.
“But that’s their job,” Summer interjects and ruins my flow.
“Yes, but they love to dance together. And that’s what I want---someone who wants to dance through life with me. Roman might be the one, but he might just be a deadly handsome, well-endowed sweetheart who’s made me too crazy to think straight. What’s wrong with taking things slow?” I wipe a fake tear out of the corner of my eye---allergies are terrible today---and appeal to her sensitive side.
“Well-endowed?” Her ears perk to the size of satellites. “You skipped that part.”
“That’s neither here nor there, and I believe I owe the man a teensy bit of privacy. I only mention it because I want you to know that I am struggling with my decision. Roman’s the whole package.” I tense at the word package, then stifle a guilty smile. How in the world will I keep from riding that man’s pony after dinner?
Sunny clumsily slides out from her chair and gathers our plates. She shakes her head and then stops abruptly, aware that I’m watching every move she makes. “I apologize if I get ahead of myself. I hoped you two would ride off into the sunset together, and he’d talk you out of leaving for Virginia all damn summer. You know I need you here. We need you.” She strokes her belly to lay on the guilt. “I’ll be eight months when you return. What if I go into early labor?”
I roll my eyes and follow her waddle into the kitchen. “You won’t, but if you do, I’ll drive through the mountains and fog all night and barge my way into the delivery room to hold your hand. I won’t miss it---I promise.”
“But...” She tries to interrupt me with the worst-case scenario, but I won’t have it.
“And Roman won’t change my mind. My parents’ studio will close for two and a half months, and I don’t have a millionaire husband like you. This gig gets me a hefty summer salary, free room and board, and the hours are great. For seven weeks, Summer Luna, the quintessential city girl, will be one with nature. Next time you see me, I’ll be a new person with a killer tan.” I load the dishes into the dishwasher and then twirl towards her. Her perpetual grin fades. She folds her arms over her chest and rests them on her belly.
“You haven’t told him---have you?” She scolds me.
I continue my dance and bump my hips into hers. “You worry too much, Sunny. I’ll tell Roman tonight. We had one date. I don’t think I owe him the farm yet.” I stop moving to consider my words and look to her for guidance. “Does that sound right?”
She shrugs her shoulders and sighs, “You know you like him. Why must you act like you don’t?”
I balk at her insinuation. “I like him. He’s the cat’s meow. But work is work, and my love life can take a seven-week hiatus while I teach a bunch of summer vacationers how to mambo and cha-cha. Roman’s a grown man and a reasonable one. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
She shakes her head and waddles away. “Don’t count on it.”
