The Ideal Deal

29

I smiled as Summer laughed at something Vivian, one of Summer's friends, said. I didn't even know what Vivian had said, but I enjoyed seeing Summer happy.

"Look at the way he smiles at her," Vivian gushed, causing me to straighten my face and take a sip of water.

Anthony, another friend of Summer's, asked, "Why haven't you ever told us about him if you felt so strongly about him?"

Summer looked at me before looking at Anthony and shrugged, "I thought what I was feeling was a one way street, so I didn't feel the need to bring him up. I'd be setting myself up for disappointment, and I hate doing that."

Anthony nodded in satisfaction of her answer and sipped his tequila, so I focused my attention on Summer, who seemed to be getting a bit drunk. She wasn't as attentive as usual, and her body was in a more slouched posture as she swirled her straw in her glass.

"What's your favorite part of her body and why?" Andrea, another one of Summer's friends, asked, and I tried to search my brain for an answer.

Summer looked up from her glass and connected eyes with me, and I was once again captivated by them. As I stared into her eyes, I stopped thinking, and began speaking from my heart. I answered, "Her eyes."

Vivian frowned, "Of all the places on her body, your favorite is her eyes?! Summer's a very curvy girl, you know."

"I know," I nodded. "She has a beautiful body that complements her beautiful face and personality, but I favor her eyes the most because they're absolutely mesmerizing. They have a level of depth that cannot be found in any other pair of eyes, and when she looks at me with those beautiful eyes of hers, I feel as if she is looking into my soul. She looks deeper than the shallow level and pass my masks. She doesn't look at me- she sees me. Her eyes are captivating, and I can't seem to tell her no or not do as she wants me to when I stare into them. It's a spell that I wouldn't want broken."

Summer shyly smiled while blushing and staring at her drink. She then went back to swirling her straw around in her glass before taking a sip of her alcoholic piña colada.

Andrea teased, "Aww, look at the lover boy. So when are you two planning on having children?"

Summer sighed and rolled her eyes, causing her friends to chuckle, but I didn't understand her reaction.

"What?" I frowned, and Bane, another friend of Summer's, frowned at me.

"You don't know?" Bane frowned. "Summer doesn't-"

Summer cut him off and said, "Dom and I never spoke about having children, so he wouldn't know that I don't want any."

That actually took me by surprise because family meant a lot to me. I always fantasized about having a wife and two children. I felt that a strong family would be perfect because I would have people that I could entrust my business to and continue the family legacy. I also wanted to be able to spoil my children and make sure they turned out ten times better than I did. I wanted to take turns with my wife driving our children to and from school. I wanted to go see school performances or games and support them. Heck, I even wanted to help with the school projects and help them practice for spelling and math bees and study for exams. I wanted to be a role model for them and raise them with good characteristics. I most definitely wanted a family.

"Why don't you?" I asked calmly, even though I was freaking out in the inside. I really thought Summer was the one for me, regardless of the fact that we weren't actually together, but if she didn't want children and wouldn't be open to having them in the future, I wouldn't know what to do.

She shrugged, "Yeah, they're cute or whatever, but I know I probably won't have the patience for them. You know how easily frustrated I get sometimes. I honestly don't know if I would be able to deal with them, especially when they're infants and won't stop crying. Then, they're gonna get older and start thinking they know everything there is to know, and I just really don't have the time to be screaming my lungs out disciplining them. It's too much. My parents got lucky with Autumn and me, being that we never really gave trouble or anything. We were good and quiet when there was nothing to be loud about, but we still probably gave them hell when we were infants."

"It's not like you'd be dealing with all of that by yourself," I argued, trying to change her mind, but it seemed a bit fixed already.

She shrugged, "I don't want to deal with it at all. I don't even want to get pregnant 'cause the idea of me pushing a child out and my body possibly stretching during the pregnancy is a big no as well."

"Would you adopt then? They could be adopted at an age you feel comfortable with," I tried to persuade, but she shook her head and sipped some of her drink. I couldn't help but feel disappointed, but it was her choice that I had to respect.

Bane stared at me and offered an apologetic smile. He must've seen my disappointment. Summer looked over at me, and I avoided eye contact with her because she was good at reading my emotions, only she could never read how much I truly loved her. I frowned to myself at the foreign word I used. Did I...love Summer? Was I...in love...no. No, I loved Summer, but I wasn't in love as yet. I knew I wasn't because even though my feelings for her were magnifying, they weren't that deep. I knew that if we were to actually be together, I could possibly get there.

Summer sighed, "I'm ready to go."

"So early?" Anthony frowned while checking the time on his watch. "It's only eight."

She smiled, "I know, I know, but I have work tomorrow and don't wanna get drunk. I already feel a bit tipsy, so I'm going to be wise here and stop. Speaking of work, though, I have a fashion show coming up in maybe three or four weeks- if I can finish my designs and have the outfits ready by then. I'd love for you all to show up, as well as the others that weren't able to come out tonight. I'll send proper invites once I'm organized, but I just want you to be aware from now." They all smiled and nodded, and I was happy that she had people supporting her. I knew how hard it was losing her family and having to change her life in the matter of a week to prioritize her family's priorities. "And you, Prince Charming," she smiled while looking at me, "I want you to model one of my designs, if that's okay with you? I know you professionally model, so it's okay if you can't."

"Nonsense," I shook my head. "As long as your outfit isn't absurd, I'll model for you, and if you need extra models, I can make some calls."

She eagerly nodded while jumping off her stool. She then distributed hugs to her friends, and I said goodbyes before we left.