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“It suits you.” I stared into her eyes and felt like I was getting lost there. “It’s not cheesy.”
She frowned. “Summer Meadows? My parents must have been in a hippy stage when they named me.”
Summer Meadows. Shite. Even her name turned me on. “Ah, I get it now, but I think it’s very pretty.”
She sized me up and then shrugged. “I guess it’s no worse than Scotty from Scotland.”
I froze. Now was my chance to come clean and tell her that Scotty was a nickname my mates called me. And, to tell her about the band and our success, but I hesitated a few seconds too long, and then the opportunity was forgotten.
“Okay, let’s do this!” Her eyes were sparkling. “Let’s go on the spa trip together. For my mom.”
A smile spread across my face. “Really?”
“Yeah, but don’t think we’re going to sleep together. There will be no sex or anything remotely like it. Just so you know.”
I sure as hell wasn’t going to force her into anything, but I think we both knew that it was going to happen. There was too much smoldering chemistry between us. I wanted her more than I’d wanted any other woman in a long time. Maybe in forever.
I nodded. “So, we’re going as friends. Got it.”
She bit into her bottom lip. “I’m going to regret this. I just know it.”
There was no way I was going to let her back out now. “What’s there to regret? It’ll be a low-key weekend of pampering and massages. Pure zen relaxation. It’s exactly what you and your mum need. Don’t worry, you won’t even know I’m there.”
She rolled her eyes at my last statement. “Somehow I doubt that.”
I’d take the win and move on before she changed her mind. A prickle of unease stirred in my gut over how much I wanted to do this, but I shook it off. Why the hell not go? I wasn’t doing a damn thing next weekend, and I wanted to be around this girl that made me feel something.
Before we parted for the night, we exchanged information so that we could coordinate the details of the trip. Then, I’d tucked Summer into a taxi before heading home myself.
I inhaled the cool night air. I felt settled. Less antsy. Maybe it was because I had something to look forward to.
Summer Meadows.
Chapter 8
Summer
Witheachannouncement,Igrew more anxious. First, they called the customers with special needs, then the first-class ticket holders, families with young children and strollers, and military members to board. Next came the long list of frequent fliers, premium members, and award cardholders. Ten minutes later, general boarding began with the back of the plane. By the time the front section was called, the waiting area at the gate was empty.
The lady behind the desk lifted the microphone to her mouth and looked directly at me, one hand on her hip as she challenged me with a raised eyebrow. “All remaining passengers on flight 252 to Boise may now board.”
I reluctantly grabbed the backpack that was leaning against my foot and stood. It was a good thing my backpack was small enough to stow under my seat because I’d never find room in the overhead bins at this point. The flight was packed. Why the hell were so many people going to Boise, Idaho, on a random Thursday morning?
I couldn’t deny the disappointment I felt as I headed down the jetway toward the plane. He didn’t show.
It wasn’t surprising. Even though he’d been slightly flirty over text when I’d initially sent him the information for today’s flight, he hadn’t reached out to me in the three days since. Worried that I hadn’t heard from him, I’d sent him a text this morning — see you at the airport. I waited for an answer with bated breath, but nothing.
I didn’t blame him for not wanting to come on this trip. After all, it was a spa weekend accompanied by my parents, hardly a guy’s fantasy vacation. Plus, we barely knew each other, and he certainly didn’t owe me or my parents anything.
Rationally, I understood it — I even thought it was for the best. Never mind that I’d been fantasizing about him all week. Why did he have to be so hot? There was this running fantasy that looped over and over in my head. We’d show up at the spa hotel and discover that my mother only booked one hotel room for us. Oh, my gosh! And there were no more rooms available — the hotel was booked solid. Oh no! Now what? We’d have to share a room. Gasp. Of course, there was only one bed in the room. Heavens! But I wasn’t a cruel person, and we were both adults. We could share the bed as long as no one crossed the giant pillow barrier I’d erect down the center of the bed. Quite sensible! Of course, I would be too irresistible for him to withstand and during the night...
The fantasy always ended the same way with crazy-hot sex replete with mind-blowing orgasms. Plural. Too bad I only knew about multiple orgasms from raunchy novels. In reality, they were as fantastical to me as unicorns.
Thinking about orgasms and unicorns, I headed down the aisle of the plane until I reached row 12. A woman with close-cropped gray hair whose nose was buried deep in a paperback novel occupied the window seat. She didn’t acknowledge my presence; she was giving off ‘don’t talk to me’ vibes, which was fine with me.
I dropped my backpack into the empty middle seat and plopped down onto the aisle seat in a huff. My ticket was for the middle seat, but since I knew no one would be showing up for it, I gladly took the aisle. The empty seat next to me was just a bitter reminder that Scotty didn’t show.
He should have texted me that he couldn’t make it. He was so rude. Even if his excuse was lame, or an obviously fake one, it would have been better. But he didn’t even bother. He ghosted me. I was ghosted by my fake boyfriend.
