Brooklyn Summer

by Maggie Cummings

  Kellan smiled as she keyed in her number. “Honestly, what interests me is that there’s an itinerary.”

  Ashleigh felt like she had to defend herself. “I like to have a plan.”

  “And I am not knocking that. At all,” Kellan added as she handed the cell back.

  Liam finished shaking up a fruity red concoction and filled three shot glasses.

  “What’s this?” Ashleigh asked.

  “Just a little something I whipped up to commemorate the occasion. To old friends,” he said, acknowledging Ashleigh and Kellan with a raised glass.

  “And new ones,” Kellan responded, smiling big at Ashleigh.

  Ashleigh couldn’t help but join in. “To summer,” she said, clinking their glasses in unison. “Let the adventure begin.”

  Chapter Four

  How do you want to do this?

  Should I come to you?

  Did you want to swing by my place?

  Meet somewhere in the middle?

  The string of texts came in succession, the chime of the first one dulled by the others that followed. Ashleigh had been up for an hour, lying in bed in a daze of half sleep, too tired and hungover to move yet.

  The enthusiasm in Kellan’s messages implied she was not as similarly affected.

  How do you have so much energy? Ashleigh typed back.

  A split second passed before Kellan’s response appeared. I’m so sorry. Did I wake you up?

  No. Technically, it was the truth. She’d even gotten out of bed at seven to take some Motrin, which were finally doing their job of keeping her headache at bay. I’m just slow moving today. She threw back the covers and slipped into a sweatshirt and slippers as she headed downstairs.

  “Morning, Gran.” Ashleigh deposited her phone on the kitchen table next to her grandmother. “Where is everybody?”

  “Billy is golfing with your uncle Jack.” It was cute that she referred to her dad as Billy, as though he was a still a little boy, not a grown man in his sixties. “Your mom went to the farmers’ market.”

  “Everyone’s off to an early start today.” Ashleigh checked the coffeepot for signs of life, but it was empty.

  “It’s beautiful outside. The water’s still hot if you want tea.”

  “Thanks,” she said as she reached for a mug, reigniting the burner under the kettle. Tea wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t want her grandmother to feel bad, and she was too lazy to brew coffee.

  “How was your night at Liam’s?” Granny closed The Daily News, clearly ready for gossip.

  “Fine. Nice.” Ashleigh poured the boiling water over a tea bag of Barry’s Gold Blend as she took the spot kitty-corner from Granny at the kitchen table. She pulled her legs up onto the seat of the chair, then twisted the handle of her mug, encouraging her tea to steep. “Liam’s place looks great. He redid the back courtyard. It was a lot of fun. I have pictures—do you want to see?”

  “Oh yes, that’d be lovely.”

  Ashleigh scrolled through the pictures on her phone, but they were mostly group shots of her colleagues, making it hard to see the remodeled look of Connolly’s Public House.

  “Hang on, I have an idea.” She opened Instagram and went right to the bar’s account. She scrolled through promo photos and was surprised to find that Liam had already posted a ton of pics from last night. She backed up a little so her grandmother could get a feel for the change.

  “It looks wonderful.” Granny enlarged a picture to get a closer look. “That’s a pretty dress you’re wearing. Tell me, who are all these people?”

  Ashleigh leaned forward. “Mostly friends from work.” She pointed closely. “There’s Shauna. The tall guy behind her is her fiancé, Mike.”

  “I love weddings.” Granny beamed.

  Ashleigh had too, once upon a time. The fact that she had to help her best friend prepare for her mid-August nuptials was dulling her enthusiasm over the institution. Not because she wasn’t happy for Shauna and Mike, but all the preparation was a constant reminder of how she had failed at her own so miserably.

  She blocked it out for the moment, focusing instead on the picture from last night. Immediately her eyes went to Kellan standing next to Lisa at the end of the group. Even in the grainy cell phone shot, Kellan’s green eyes popped. She tilted the phone to get a better look, mildly irked to see how close Kellan and Lisa were standing to each other.

  “What about you?” her grandmother asked.

  “What about me?” she responded, even though her grandmother’s tone told her exactly what she was angling at.

  Granny peered over the rim of her proper teacup. “Any new suitors?”

  It was sweet that she asked, but Ashleigh hated feeling the pressure of letting her down with the truth. Still, she couldn’t lie.

  “Sorry to disappoint you.” She stood from the table to get the milk and sugar. She touched her grandmother’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as she passed. Granny patted her hand in return.

  “There’s plenty of time, dear. You’re so young still.”

  “Thanks, Gran.”

  Ashleigh sat down and squeezed out her tea bag, hoping for every last drop of caffeine, before she placed it next to Granny’s on the saucer in the center of the table. Her phone dinged with two new texts from Kellan.

  “Kellan Dwyer,” her grandmother said as if making an announcement. She widened her eyes in implication. “That’s a name I’ve not heard before.”

  “Look at you, trying to get the scoop.”

  “I’m an old lady. Amuse me. Texting at eight thirty in the morning seems full of potential.” Ashleigh loved the way her grandmother delighted at the thought of a little scandal. “But why did you do that whooshy thing with your finger that makes it disappear, instead of reading it?”

  She burned her tongue as she laughed into the scalding tea. Her grandmother was still sharp, no worries there. Swallowing a grin, she opened the text from Kellan.

  Not trying to be a pest. Just wondering if we’re still on for today. A second message followed. No pressure.

  What had they decided on last night that had Kellan champing at the bit? For the life of her she couldn’t remember the specifics of their conversation. All that came to mind was a vague memory of almost leaving before Kellan stopped her by the door. But damn if she didn’t have a clue what they talked about. The only thing that was perfectly clear was the spirit in Kellan’s eyes, a sprinkle of freckles dotted across the bridge of her nose, the way she wet her lips with her tongue as she spoke. For fuck’s sake, she needed to get her shit together. Fully aware the mature thing to do was simply ask, she started a response.

  Yes, she typed, feeling the need for control. Just getting moving over here. I’ll come to you. Somehow admitting she was lost felt embarrassing. At least this stall tactic bought her more time—maybe caffeine and a hot shower would jog her memory. Text me your address.

  111 Furman Street.

  Ok, how’s 10:00?

  Looking forward to the spontaneity ;)

  What was the joke she was missing? Was Kellan being sincere or making fun of her? Either way she didn’t like it. She was doing a favor here. She was being put out. The fact was she had zero reservations about exploring the city by herself. She didn’t need a companion. There was even a small part of her that had been looking forward to the alone time. Ignoring the text, she stood up, crossed the kitchen to the sink, and dumped her full tea out.

  “Well?” Her grandmother was clearly waiting for the lowdown as she nursed her tea. “Who has you so frazzled this early in the day?”

  “I’m not frazzled.” Annoyed was more like it. She willed some details to surface. Preferably ones that would shed some light on Kellan’s last text message. Nothing came.

  “Is it one of the girls in the picture?”

  “No. I mean yes.” Ashleigh fought for composure despite the butterflies she felt zipping around her belly. “Yes, she’s in the picture. No, it’s not like that.”

 
“Show me.”

  “Uh-uh.” She could get away with baiting Granny for a few minutes. “I’m getting in the shower.”

  “Oh?” Her grandmother had game too. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “I’m going to meet Kellan. She’s a friend of Liam’s in town for the summer. That’s all. I told her I’d show her around a little.”

  “That sounds promising.”

  “Keep this up and you’ll be walking yourself to the senior center.” She bent down and placed a kiss on her grandmother’s soft cheek. “Be ready to go in an hour, okay, old lady?”

  “Oh good. Plenty of time to put my face on!”

  * * *

  On the walk to the center, Ashleigh indulged Granny with additional details of the previous night, or what she could remember anyway. She played up Liam and the bar, the crowd, her teacher friends. For a thrill, she made her grandmother’s morning by pulling up the Insta pics and pointing out Kellan. On this second viewing, Ashleigh found herself far less affected by Kellan’s appearance, and that relaxed her. Granny simply nodded and said very nice, but Ashleigh wondered what she really thought. Kellan’s style couldn’t be more opposite her own conventionally feminine appearance, and that of her ex too. Ashleigh was fairly certain she and Reagan made up the sum total of lesbians Granny knew personally. But if she had an opinion, her grandmother kept it to herself, simply squeezing her arm and wishing her a fun day as she headed into the Park Slope Senior Center to spend the day with her peers.

  Ashleigh ordered a rideshare to take her the rest of the way to Kellan’s place. It wasn’t far, only about two miles, but she was still low on caffeine and didn’t want to be late. As the driver navigated the way, she pulled up her summer itinerary on her phone.

  There it was. Splashed across the top of the spreadsheet she’d created was the title in bold: Spontaneous Summer of Fun. It came back like a flash. She’d sent it to Kellan last night after she’d left the bar. She wanted to die and felt herself get infinitely smaller as she sank into the leather of the back seat. Why did she have to be such a total dork?

  Her phone vibrated with a text from Kellan. Hey, I’m at the Brooklyn Beanery. It’s a coffee shop right near my building. Do you want anything?

  Coffee, desperately. But she didn’t want Kellan to buy it for her, and she wanted to doctor it herself. I’ll meet you there. She glanced at the navigation app on the dash. Three minutes.

  Cool.

  As she followed the cobblestone walkway to the coffee shop, it occurred to Ashleigh that she hardly frequented this area. There were outdoor movie screenings at night, if she was remembering correctly, and she had a flash memory of reading something about a beach volleyball event. Kellan might be interested in those things. Perhaps she should add it to the schedule.

  “Hey.”

  “Oh, um, hi.” Even though they had discussed meeting at this very spot, Kellan’s husky voice behind her caught her off guard.

  “Do you want coffee?”

  “Yes. Yes, I do. Did you get some already?” Kellan’s hands were empty. “No, I guess.” She laughed anxiously. Oh my God, why was she having nervous giggles? She wasn’t a teenager on a first date. In fact this wasn’t a date at all. It was simply coffee with a new friend. One who happened to be incredibly attractive in the most unconventional way, but still.

  “I waited for you.” Kellan opened the door to the coffee shop, and Ashleigh refrained from staring at her toned biceps as she passed through the opening.

  “Thank you.”

  They ordered their coffees individually and Ashleigh was glad for the separation. She needed a tiny bit of space to get her act together. Plus she didn’t want any awkwardness over payment. Side by side as they prepped their drinks, Kellan spoke first.

  “Should we grab a spot outside?” Kellan gestured with her chin. “Those two look like they’re leaving.”

  “Yes, that’d be perfect.”

  Ashleigh smoothed her cotton skirt over her thighs as she sat down. Kellan planted herself firmly in the rickety iron chair on the other side of the small table, leaning her tattooed forearms on the table.

  “How gorgeous is it out here?” It wasn’t a question so much as an observation, but Ashleigh agreed with a nod.

  She took a sip of her Ecuadorian roast and almost melted into a puddle right on the spot. “Oh my God, this is good coffee.”

  “Right? I stopped here yesterday. Plus, the view.”

  “It is beautiful,” she said. She took in the sun reflecting off the skyscrapers and the body of water between the two boroughs, pondering whether it was technically part of the Buttermilk Channel or the East River. “I haven’t spent much time over here,” she said.

  “How come?”

  “No reason, really. This area has only been built up in the last ten years or so.” It wasn’t an explanation so much as a fact. God, she sounded like an idiot. “Anyway, I’m sorry it took me so long to get over here. I hope I didn’t mess up your morning.”

  “Not at all. I’m sorry I texted you at eight.” She laughed a little. “It’s just…you said you wanted an early start.”

  “I did?”

  “When you were leaving last night. You said you were a morning person and I’d have to keep up if this was going to work. No big deal though. I’m an early riser too.”

  “I didn’t really say that, did I?” This was exactly why she didn’t drink. She liked having inhibitions. They made her feel safe. In control.

  “Maybe not those exact words. But something to that effect. You don’t remember?”

  “I don’t really drink that often. Last night is kind of fuzzy.”

  “Well, in that case, you also said all sorts of flattering things about my looks, my buff body, my charming personality.”

  “I did not.” She blew into her coffee, using the action to mask her smile at Kellan’s teasing. The drawn out moment gave her time to regain some composure.

  “No, you didn’t. That was Lisa.” Her smile was marginally irresistible, tainted only by the overabundance of self-confidence she possessed. “Seriously, though, you did say that you wanted to get going bright and early. So I got up at six and got my run in. I didn’t want to slow you down.”

  “You already went running today?”

  “Just a few miles. Exercise helps me stay focused. Otherwise I tend to have too much energy. I can be a lot to take, I think.”

  Ashleigh was moved by her forthrightness. It seemed genuine.

  “Anyway, I realize that I’m totally tagging along on your thing. And you know…” She made eye contact and Ashleigh burned her tongue for the second time at Kellan’s serious expression. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Liam kind of backed you into a corner yesterday.” She spun her to-go cup in her hands and removed the lid, the steam drifting toward her chiseled jaw.

  “No, it’s fine. Honest.” She reached out and covered Kellan’s hand with hers, surprising herself with the familiarity of the gesture. “It’ll be fun.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am,” she lied. She was certain of nothing. Not how the summer was going to go, or how she would get along with a virtual stranger day after day, if she’d be able to stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss her.

  “Okay, but if you change your mind, you have to promise you’ll tell me. I have thick skin, I swear. I get that you have a whole plan figured out. One that did not include company.”

  She actually found herself endeared by Kellan’s honesty at acknowledging the situation for what it was. It reminded her that Liam surrounded himself with good, kind people. Kellan was probably as decent as they came. Without even contemplating it further, she felt her defenses drop. “What did you think of the itinerary?” she asked.

  “It was good.” Kellan paused before adding, “Detailed.”

  Ashleigh detected sarcasm, and her face must have showed her resentment at the judgment.

  “I’m just teasing,” Kellan said, readi
ng her expression. A playful smile lit up her face as she continued. “It’s just that, usually, spontaneity involves less planning.” She winked.

  “Fine. I get it. Make fun of the geek.” She took a swig of her coffee. “Have Lisa show you around the city. Be prepared to do a lot of shopping. Hope you’re into the outlets.” She lobbed a fake smile at Kellan. Two could play at this game.

  “Ah, Lisa.” Kellan leaned back into her chair, seeming to reminisce. “She was very nice. In fact, all of your friends were. Everyone was very welcoming. Thank you for that.”

  “For what?”

  “Including me in your party yesterday. Not making me feel like an outsider. I appreciate it.”

  How did she do that? Bounce from snarky to sincere in an instant. It was hard to keep up with.

  “You’re welcome, I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  “I didn’t really do anything.”

  “I think you did. Your friends associated me with you, and they were nice to me. Accepting.”

  “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but Lisa is that nice with everyone. Just so you know.” Ashleigh covered her smile with her coffee cup as she drained the last sip. Her eyes met Kellan’s sexy smirk.

  “Touché, Ashleigh. Touché.” Kellan nodded at her empty cup. “You want another one?”

  “No. I’m good. Do you?”

  “Nah.”

  Ashleigh followed Kellan’s gaze across the expanse of the water to the skyline of Manhattan, wondering where things went from here. Her itinerary kicked the summer off in two days, on a Monday, naturally.

  As if Kellan was reading her mind, she said, “Let’s do something.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. I know your schedule has the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island slated for Monday, and this meet-up was just to see if we’re compatible, but I’m kind of itching to get into the city. This is my first time in New York. I was thinking…Central Park.”