Before the end of Summer

Chapter One

One

   "Liz!" My mother calls. I groan and put the pillow over my head. I was trying to drown out the sound of her voice. I didn't want to wake up. It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and not just any Saturday. It was the first Saturday of the summer. Wouldn't you be sleeping right now? Probably, but it is actually normal for me to be getting up around this time. Ever since my father died when I was 14, I had to take a job in his landscaping business with my two older brothers. They do the manual labor, and I do the clerical work. At 17 years old, I have nothing better to do with my summer than schedule appointments and mow some rich family's lawn. Spectacular! "Elizabeth Anne Lawson, you get up right now! Your going to be late!" My mother yells. She never gives up does she? Reluctantly, I roll out of bed, and wipe the sleep from my brown eyes. I decide not to worry about the shower since I would probably come back sweaty and dirty anyway. I throw on a t-shirt and shorts and pull my blonde hair back into a ponytail.  I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. Instantly, I smell the food she was cooking. I reach my hand to grab a piece of bacon, but it gets slapped away.

   "Mom," I whine, "can't I have just on little piece?" I ask politely. I make a cute little face. She has to say yes. She can't resist this face.

   "No. Maybe if you'd gotten up earlier." I can't believe she resisted the face! That has never happened before. I must be losing my cuteness. I start pouting at her. "Oh, alright. Take one piece." I smiled. I still got it. "You have to get going now. You don't want to make a bad impression on your new clients." She added. New clients? This should be fun. I give her a kiss on the cheek and head out the door. 

   I walk out the door and see my two brothers, Ricky and Johnny, loading the truck. They were the ones that helped me out. Okay, maybe it was the other way around.  They did most of the work, and sometimes I would join in as well. I finish helping them load the truck, and we're on our way. 

   Our drive to the place is only a few minutes. It is a little far, on a side of town that I'd never been to before we started working on it. It's a nice quiet neighborhood. We pull up to a nice two story house, with a huge driveway, about two times the size of our house. We all get out of the car and unload the tools. I'm in awe.  We've had some clients with deep pockets, but nothing like this.  No doubt, the owners of the house are very wealthy.  We would have to do a good job in order to keep them.

   "Lizzy, could you tell them that we're here?" My brother Ricky asks. I shrug, and grab a contract from the back of the truck.

   "Sure." I got the easy job. All I had to do was knock on the door, get them to sign the contract, and tell them not to let out their pets or small children. At least the family is home this time.  We have been taking care of the yard and the house for a couple weeks now, and no one has ever been home to sign the stupid thing.  I walk up the steps, ring the doorbell and knock twice. There's a small fountain to the left of the porch and a flowerbed surrounding it. I'm proud of my work.  The daisies are growing nicely. 

   "Can I help you?" A voice said. I turned around and was speechless. Standing in front of me, is the hottest guy I've ever seen. He skin is perfectly tan, his dark brown hair a little messy on his head, and his eyes.  They're a crystal color of blue.  My God, I could stare at them all day. The best part is that he is shirtless. Man-oh-man is he built. My voice is suddenly missing, and I can't say anything. Why did he have to be so hot? "is there something wrong?" I must look stupid. 

"I-I'm h-here from the landscaping company." Stuttering, I manage to get out. His chest is glistening with sweat, he's obviously been working out, or doing some really intense internet surfing. I hear some sort of buzzing noise. Oops! That's him talking again. "I'm sorry what did you say?" I ask embarrassed.