Not Another Summer Love Story

Chapter 12 - He's Too Stupid

"So what do I do now?" I asked him. We were nearing the front gates to my house, walking home in the muggy summer air.

"Hmm?" Alastair appeared to be tugged away from his thoughts as he shifted his neck to look at me. It was two in the morning, we were tired and the music had left a distant ringing in our ears.

"About, you know... Logan." I whispered his name, maybe I was scared that saying it too loudly would alert the sleeping houses around us off our deal.

"Oh, right." Alastair shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing I guess."

"You mean no more deal?" I pressed. At the front of my house I cringed as I pulled open the rusty hinge of the gate which gave a protesting whine. No more deal. No more having to embarrass myself in front of Logan. No more conflicting feelings.

"I guess."

"Why are you suddenly acting as if this is no big deal?" I crept inside my gate and shut it behind me, leaning against the metal to continue my conversation with Alastair as he stood on the footpath. "You were adamant about all of this a few days ago."

Alastair hesitated. It was dark, the streetlights nearby cast a ghostly light nearby but it was only enough to frame his broad shoulders and sculpted hair. I might have been imaging it but I still thought I could make out the twinkle in his jade eyes.

"I was adamant," he began. "Because I had this crazy idea that the whole thing could be good for someone like you. I still think it would, but he's either too stupid, or unable to take you seriously enough. What's the point of continuing it?"

I was baffled, not because of Alastair's easy way of summarising Logan's disinterest in me but because of the contrast between the dismissive figure before me and the enthusiastic guy from the pub making me go up and ask for a drink.

"I guess you're right." I nodded. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

"See you, Valerie," he said softly as he stepped further away. "Happy New Year."

"You too," I said to the darkness quietly, but Alastair had already disappeared. I think the only thing that heard me were the crickets humming into the silence of the night.

I hadn't been aware of how tense I had been growing with the weight of the deal on my shoulders until it was eliminated.

You may have heard the old saying, 'if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is'. Well, this was an accurate expression of my feelings. It was almost too easy to ween my way out of the deal, especially when everyone around me was always so adamant on my need to date. No, this definitely wasn't the end of all of it. I remained suspicious.

"If you scoop that ice cream out any harder you'll turn it all to mush, dear. Maybe take your troubles out on something less helpless."

I glanced at Susan as she gave me her characteristic twinkly smile. It was the kind that warmed you, as if she understood your deepest worries. It was reassuring.

"Sorry," I said. "You are working me on a public holiday though, you have to give me some slack."

Working on New Year's Day was both a blessing and a curse. It meant I could take advantage of huge penalty rates and increase my earnings but it also meant I was scooping out ice-cream with a mild hangover and cluttered thoughts.

"Well, I did ask the others before it came to you, it's a pity they were sleeping in and didn't answer the calls."

"It's New Year's Day," I reminded her again. "How could we have expected that you would have the urge to open up? With no notice?"