Summer and May

Chapter Six: Summer

Jeremy walked a little too slow for my liking, but my arm was wrapped around his, and he seemed to be enjoying the tour, so I didn't mind. I purposefully took my time on the main floor, but it was becoming too crowded. I led him up the stairs, stopping at the top.

"There's not much to see up here, it's mostly just bedrooms. But, we have an at-home theater. Would you like to see that?"

"Yeah, sure." he said softly. He seemed overwhelmed. 

I flipped on the lights and said "ta-da!" when he walked in. He chuckled, which made me feel better about sounding like an idiot. Who says ta-da anymore?

"This is nice," he ran a hand over the white leather couch. "do you spend a lot of time in here?"

I scrunched my nose. "Not really. I usually spend it... well, I'll just show you."

I shuffled down the hallway to my bedroom, peeling open the door. Mine and May's clothes were spread out all over the place, but I didn't care. Having him in my bedroom was doing something to me... to my chest. It felt weird.

"I spend most of my time in here. It's peaceful, and quiet."

His eyes scanned over every inch of my bedroom, and my stomach did a loop when they passed over my bra laying on the floor. Oops. He grinned when he saw an old photo of me from when I was nine.

"This is cute," he smiled, a dimple digging into his cheek. He rested a muscular arm on my dresser, pointing at the old frame. "Who are these people?"

My fingers were knotted behind my back, and I didn't know why. The longer I was alone with him, the more nervous I felt. My heart was pounding and I was scared I'd trip over my words and lose my confidence.

"That's, um..." I came closer, and instantly regretted it. He smelled so unbelievably good. Like mint and cologne and a fresh field of cotton all at once. "That's me, and my mom." I pointed at the little bleach-blonde version of myself, and my mother who hadn't aged one bit. "And that's May, and her mom." May's eyes had the same brightness that they do now. Her cheekbones were more defined now, her chin still pointy, and her nose was scrunched from her smiling so big in the photo. Her mother was somehow even more beautiful, and it tugged at my heartstrings.

"You guys were so cute." he said.

"May was." I teased. "I had a churro in my mouth for the picture."

That caused him to laugh. And really laugh. I joined in, and for the first time tonight, his eyes met mine. It was like he was hiding from me until this very moment.

"You were cute, too."

The air just about left my lungs. It felt good to hear him say that, but I couldn't let him know that. I reached for his hand.

"Let me show you my favorite part of this house." I challenged. I swung open the door to my balcony, where my lounge chairs sat perfectly in place. The string lights I'd hung last summer glimmered above us, and the party beneath us didn't seem so loud up here. "I suppose I spend most of my time right here."

The sun had gone down, and the warm lighting brought out the iciness of his blue eyes. They were downright enchanting. His lips formed a smile once more, and my stomach did a dance.

"I think this is my new favorite, too." He leaned over the balcony, watching the partiers below. I joined him, giggling at all the splashing in the pool and the conversations of my classmates. It's crazy to think we'll all be gone from here in a few short months.

"I see my cousins." he pointed. Alex and Noah were doing a keg stand near the bonfire. That didn't seem like the best idea.

"And there's May." There she was, talking to Brooks near the dining room door. "Looks like she forgot about your drink."

His eyes did a little dance. "I don't think so. She's got it in her other hand. Who's that?" he pointed to Brooks. Jeremy was observant, to say the least.

"Oh, that's Brooks." I waved a hand. "He's like, May's best guy friend. But he's been obsessed with her for ages."

"I see," he said just above a whisper. He turned to face me, placing his arm on the railing. "Thanks for the tour, Summer. Your home is... immaculate."

"Thanks. Let's go get you that beer."

He seemed satisfied with my answer, following me down the stairs until we ran into May in the dining room.

"Just the people I was looking for." she held up two beers. "Here you go."

Jeremy smiled in return, and the moment of silence to follow was palpable. "So! Jeremy, what are you doing in town?"

"I'm taking care of my grandpa. He's a fisherman, but he's getting older and not doing too well."

My brows pulled together. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. I'm taking care of him and the house, and helping his business on the side."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. "I help my father sometimes, too. He's in the finance world. He works with investments, and stuff."

Jeremy nodded. "I'm not well-versed in that arena. I guess I like to work with my hands."

I licked my lip, unconsciously. I hope he likes to work with his hands. I waited for May to chime in, since she was like that too, but she just stood there with a residual smile on her lips.

"What else do you like to do?" I mused, grasping at straws.

He shrugged, taking a gulp of his beer. "I've always been interested in fishing, because my grandpa and I liked to do that together. I took up surfing last summer, too. I'm kind of into history. I like a good book. I'm fixing up my grandpa's old Harley right now." I forced a smile. Jeremy and I were nothing alike, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Summer flings don't last forever, and that's all I really wanted. Once again, May could have included herself and said I like books too, or I've always wanted to learn how to surf, but nothing left her mouth. 

"Wow, I just made myself sound like such a nerd."

The comment broke the tension in the air, and we all laughed. I could see the wheels spinning in May's head just before she spoke.

"You know, Summer and her grandfather are pretty close. He lives in Southern California, on a vineyard. He taught May the whole business, but didn't you learn to surf there, too?"

Points for May. She found a commonality between Jeremy and I that I didn't think about. I started gushing, thinking about all the summers I spent in SoCal. I silently thanked May as she slipped away, allowing Jeremy and me to have a better conversation. Things just picked up from there, and while he smelled like Miller Light, I wanted his lips on me right then and there.