A Lot Can Happen In One Summer

Player at the Park

        "S-sorry." I blushed, and looked up to meet his ocean blue eyes with mine.
"M-my name i-is Emily." I stuttered, hating myself for my nervousness.
"Hey babe, I'm Ryder." He said, and I flinched.
One of my exes called me that, and it has been hard to hear that nickname, babe, ever since.
"Please don't call me that." I told him.
"Why not babe? Did you have a bad night with your boyfriend?" He smirked at me.
"I don't have a boyfriend." I answered slowly, unsure of what he would say next. He seemed quite cocky.
"What's a beautiful girl like you doing without a boyfriend?" He gave me a smug grin.
"Well--" I began to reply but his mother walked out the door.
"Hello! I'm Mrs. Lynn but you can call me Susan. What is your name honey?" Susan asked me.
"Hi um Susan. My name is Emily Miller. I came over to say hi. My mom and I are vacationing just next door to you guys for the next two weeks." I pointed to the house that was just a few yards away.
"Well it is very nice to meet you! We are staying here for 2 weeks also. Would you and your mom like to come over for dinner?" She asked.
"Yeah sure that would be really nice. When should we come over? My mom ordered some pizza, we can bring some if you'd like." I told her.
"How about 6:00? And that would be wonderful if you brought some pizza. I didn't get a change to cook anything." She said. "Awwww!! What's your puppy's name? And can I pet her??" She questioned me, looking at Daisy.
"Daisy. Of course you can pet her! She loves people!" I smiled at her.
"She's very cute. You can bring her to dinner if you'd like!"
"Okay, we will see you at six then. Bye Ryder." I smiled at him and his mom and headed back to our cottage to tell mom.
"We were invited to dinner by our new neighbors. We are bringing some pizza to share with them." I told her.
"Sounds good honey! It's causal right?" She asked.
"Yeah mom. I'm gonna head upstairs and relax for a bit okay?" I said.
"Alright I'll clean up a little and unpack a few things, come down when you're ready." My mom answered.
****
"Okay mom it's almost six we should go." I called and a minute later she was coming down the stairs. I grabbed Daisy and clipped her to her leash.
We walked to their house and rang the doorbell. Susan answered the door and my mom introduced herself and Susan did also.
        "Hello! I'm Susan and this is my son Ryder, and my daughter Grace. Nice to meet you!" Susan said.
"Hi! I'm Linda, it's so very nice to meet you and thank you for inviting us to dinner! Oh and I know you've already met Emily here. " My mom greeted her back.
        "Well come on in! We can start eating in a few minutes." Susan told us.
Much to my disappointment, Ryder actually had a shirt on when I walked into the house, but he was carrying his little sister which was very adorable and attractive.
"Emily, this is Grace, she is four years old." Ryder told me, and I smiled at Grace.
"Hey Grace!" I said to the adorable little girl perched on Ryder's hip. Mmm he smelled good. Damn, I shouldn't be thinking about that right now. Grace ducked her head into Ryder's shoulder so I'm guessing she's a shy little girl but I'll get her to come around to me.
"Let's head in. Oh and Ryder," my mom said, " you can call me Linda."
Ryder nodded and smiled at my mom, "Will do, Linda!"
My mom nodded in approval and turned on her heel and walked off.
Finally I can eat some of that delicious smelling pizza. I got to the table and the second I got there I grabbed a huge slice. I bit into the warm slice and moaned. This was the best pizza I've ever had. Ryder happened to be sitting next to me because our moms were sitting next to each other getting to know one another, while Grace was in her booster seat happily eating away at her food.
Ryder leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I could make you moan like that." And leaned back with a smirk.
I shivered because of his whisper against my ear and glared at him, and continued to eat my pizza.  A little while later we all finished our meals and our mothers were talking up a storm and not paying any attention to us until Susan noticed our awkwardness at the table.
        "If you want you guys can go up to Ryder's room, it is probably boring listening to to us talk." Susan laughed.
        "Okay mom, see you in a little bit." Ryder answered back, and I followed behind him as he went up his stairs.
        We turned into his room, which was blue like mine and was also a master bedroom. Although his seemed a little bigger than mine with a huge king bed and a giant flat screen. The houses in this street were all fairly similar, but with a few differences like color.
        "So, before were so rudely interrupted, why doesn't a beautiful girl like you have a boyfriend?" Ryder smirked at me.
        "Um... Well it's sort of a long story, and I don't think you need to know. I barely know you."
"Ooooo feisty one. What crawled up your ass and died?" He questioned me while smirking.
        We stood there in silence while I glared at him before his face lit up with an idea. "Hey why don't we go for a walk to the park? I hear it's just a block away from here." Ryder asked me, and honestly, with a guy like him asking to go somewhere with you how could you say no.
        "Yeah sure we can tell our moms on the way out." We started down the stairs, and I decided to leave Daisy because she seemed content with our mothers.
        "Susan, mom, is it okay if we go for a walk to the park?" I asked them, pretty sure all we would get was a nod.
        "Yes kids, just be back at 8:00." My mom told us and we walked out the door.
        A few minutes later when we reached the park, I started over to the swings and started to go really high. I heard Ryder laugh under his breath but follow me none the less. After a few minutes of swinging I slowed down once Ryder reached the swings.
        "Hey, you said we didn't know each other that well.... How about we fix that." Ryder said
         "I don't know.... What are you implying?" I questioned him
         "20 questions. Wait what did you think I was gonna say?"
        I blushed and looked away  and said, "20 questions is fine with me."
        He smirked once he noticed I didn't answer his question but nodded anyways.
        "How about you start?" He suggested.
"Okay, favorite color?" I asked.
"Easy, blue. How about you?"
"Definitely light blue. Favorite show?"
"Uh... Modern Family."
"Same!" I told him and we laughed. This continued for a little bit more time until we had to go back. Another thing I learned is he is definitely a bad boy.
To say the least I am attracted to him, but it would be nice to have him as a friend as well. If he would even tolerate that. Maybe I'll introduce him to my friends at Salisbury, I considered. Maybe we'll actually be close friends by then, I wanna change him for the better... And have a really close guy friend of course. Anyways Salisbury Beach is where my mom and I go on (a little later on in the summer) a short vacation. A little while later, after we were finished talking some more we decided to head back.
Once we got back to the cottages, Ryder called out to me.
"Bye babe, see you tomorrow." Ryder said to me and winked as he headed toward his cottage.
"Ryder! Don't. Call. Me. That. Call me Emily. Hell call me Em, just not babe." I said the word with disgust.
A flash of consideration went past his face but he quickly covered it up... Little did he know that I could easily read people.
"No can do, babe. Goodnight." He smirked.
"Bye Ryder." I sighed but answered back and walked into my cottage. He's never gonna stop calling me that is he. I went to my room and threw some short shorts and a tank top on and climbed into bed. Ryder was definitely a bad boy but I think he has another side, and I intend to bring it out because who knows maybe he's just a big sweetheart under that bad boy exterior.