Summer

Summer Part 3

      Two weeks passed and Luke hadn't heard from Max or Steve apart from a text message from Steve a few days earlier suggesting they all get together for dinner one night. Apparently Steve still had no idea of his wife's extra marital activities. Luke was glad he and Max had both resisted Summer that night at Max's flat. She hadn't been very happy about it and had stormed out. It seemed she wasn't used to guys rejecting her.

Luke was preparing to go out on a date. He had run into an old friend from his university days. She was single, so he had asked her out to dinner. As he stood in the bathroom splashing on aftershave there was a knock at the door.

He swung the door open and gaped in surprise. Summer stood there holding a suitcase with tears in her eyes. "He threw me out," she sniffled, "We had a big fight. He accused me of playing around and he told me to get out, our marriage was over. Please Luke, can I stay here tonight with you? I have nowhere else to go."
"Well, I..I.." Luke stammered.
"Thanks, you're a good guy, Luke," Summer said as she pushed her way past him and took her suitcase into the bedroom. She looked at him coyly. "Are we going to share your bed tonight?"
"No," Luke snapped, "You can have the bed and I'll have the couch. But I have to go out now. I have a date. You can stay here and watch TV. I'll be back later."
Summer looked disappointed. "You have a date? Oh all right Lukey. I'll be waiting here for you when you get back."

Luke arrived late at the restaurant where he was meeting Sue. She was a petite woman with shoulder length wavy brown hair and a beautiful smile.

They made small talk through the main course, and while they were waiting for dessert to arrive she reached across the table to hold his hand. Under other circumstances Luke would have been very attracted to her, but his mind wasn't on his date or dinner, all he could think of was what awaited him on his return home to his flat.

Halfway through dessert his phone buzzed. It was Steve. Luke excused himself and stepped outside to take the call. Steve sounded frantic. "Luke, I think she's left me. We had a big fight. She told me she was bored with me, I was no fun anymore, and she admitted she's being having an affair for the last couple of weeks." He sounded like he was about to cry. "Luke, she's everything to me, I couldn't live without her. She packed a bag and walked out, said our marriage was over, she was going to be with her lover." His voice then became bitter and angry. "She must be with him right now. When I find out who he is I'll kill him! I'll kill him with my bare hands! No one screws my wife and gets away with it."

"Steve, mate, try to calm down," Luke said.
"Sorry, Luke. I just can't think straight. I've been calling all my friends and her friends. No one has seen her. What about you, have you seen her?"
"Umm, no I haven't," Luke hated himself for lying, but if Steve knew Summer was at his flat it could prove very awkward to say the least.
"Well I'm going to go down to that bar she likes," Steve continued, "Maybe she's gone there. Maybe she's there with her lover, the dead man! Luke, let me know if you hear from her." The call disconnected.

Luke walked back to the table in a daze. Summer had lied to him. Steve hadn't kicked her out at all. She left of her own accord, telling him she was going to be with her lover. And now she was at his flat. Hell!! What a mess! Was he going to do?

He finished his dessert, and Sue held his hand as they left the restaurant. As they got into his car she whispered in his ear in a husky voice, "Why don't we go back to your place for coffee?"
Mentally he cursed Summer for ruining his evening and a chance to start a relationship with Sue. It would obviously be a disaster if he took Sue back to his place tonight. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I'm very tired and also my flat is a real mess."
"Okay," Sue replied in a cool voice, "Either you don't like me, or something is really on your mind that's more important than our date. You seemed very distracted all night. Which is it?"
"I do like you, it's just that I am really very tired. I'll take you home, and I'll call you soon, I promise. I'd love to go out with you again."

Half an hour later Luke arrived home. The lounge room light was on, but the TV set was turned off. He quietly opened the bedroom door. Summer was lying in the bed sound asleep with the blankets pulled up around her. He couldn't help lingering for a moment. She had such an angelic face, almost like a child, with her long dark hair spread out across the pillow. He resisted the urge to slip into the bed with her. He went out and closed the door.