The Last Summer Girl: A Coming of Age Love Story

by S. C. York

  Kittens is the hot spot at night, with live bands playing until early morning, I’ve spent many summer nights there having the time of my life.

  Trying to decide what to wear out, I rifle through my bag.

  The yellow sundress mocks me; I haven’t worn it since the night I met Ryan. I had to pack light since no one carts suitcases around on Block. It’s a flip flop casual place. Sighing, I pick up the dress and hold it up to the mirror. The color’s very flattering with my tan and highlighted hair. I put it on and apply clear lip gloss. A few coats of mascara, some coconut lotion on my arms and legs and loosely curling my hair into beach waves, I am ready to celebrate the Fourth of July.

  “Isn’t that dress jinxed?” TJ asks.

  He comes into our room wearing a green polo shirt that complements his eyes and loose fitting jeans with Teva sandals.

  “The yellow sundress lives for another day,” I answer with a wink. “But I am wearing boy shorts underneath this time. Just in case. I’m paying off my ambulance bill, and I can’t afford new clothes,” I tell him.

  “I would’ve burned that dress in the fire pit,” Eva chimes in.

  Whoa. She’s emerged from the bathroom looking like someone else. I haven’t seen her wear this much makeup since prom. Her outfit makes my old dress seem even more outdated.

  She’s wearing a tight, white halter dress and matching wedge sandals. A chunky turquoise necklace and matching earrings complete her outfit. Her long, dark, wavy hair styled like mine, and her skin glows with vitality…she looks radiant.

  “Eva, you look stunning, but Block is so low key, why are you so dressed up?”

  She turns away, but I see her bottom lip quiver. I move in front of her and put my hands on her shoulders gently. She finally lifts her head, a few tears slide down her cheeks. TJ leaves giving us some privacy.

  “Eva, what is it? You can tell me, I’m your best friend.” I’m concerned. I’ve never seen her cry before.

  “I’ve been spending more time with Blake outside of work. I didn’t want to mention it because he’s Ryan’s best friend. He took me to dinner at MYC last week. It was going well until a girl cornered me in the bathroom. She was awful, saying I looked like a fat burrito stuffed into my dress and that Blake would never be serious with a stupid townie like me.”

  “What? She’s crazy.”

  “It gets worse.” Eva tears up again but manages to choke out a few words. “She said I didn’t belong in the club unless I was scrubbing the toilet she just pissed in, then pinched me when she walked out.”

  “What? Eva, it’s not like you to take shit like that, you should’ve done something.”

  “Like what? I was stunned, I froze. I know I act all tough, but sometimes I can get insecure, too. Anyway, she pinched me so hard it left a bruise.”

  “Eva, that’s unacceptable. Did you tell Blake?”

  “No. I just—I want to fit in, not cause trouble or embarrass him.”

  “Eva, that’s assault. We need to find out who she is.”

  “Please, Vanessa, just let it go. I have. I just want to have a good weekend, okay?”

  “If that’s what you want, but I need you to know that I’ve always looked up to you. Hold your head up high and don’t think you need to take crap from country club princesses, like her.”

  “Thanks, Nessa, but her words still sting. I’ve lost some weight since the incident, and I just want to feel better about myself.”

  “Well, you look great in that dress, no need to lose any more weight.”

  “Thanks, I just bought it at the new second-hand boutique store downtown.”

  “Dresses to Jeans?”

  “Yes, that’s the one. We should go next week, get you something besides that same old sundress.”

  “I’d like that,” I tell her, pulling her in for a big hug. I grab a tissue and help her clean her tear-stained makeup. TJ walks in interrupting our heart to heart. I’m so glad she confided in me, it feels good to have her lean on me for once.

  “Ladies, let the festivities begin!” TJ hands us each a Corona Light and takes us by the arm, escorting us both out into the night.

  The line to get into the Yellow Kittens is around the block but TJ leads us straight to the VIP line since Dex put us on the list. The Sugar Daddy band is playing inside. They always draw a large crowd, and I can’t wait to get in.

  TJ cuts through to the bar where Dex hooks us up with drinks. Thinking of my mom, I vow to go easy tonight.

  TJ starts flirting with a petite brunette. Eva and I share a look and weave around the crowded dance floor to the stage.

  Eva keeps staring at me.

  “What?”

  “I’m not looking at you. I’m trying to see behind you. I thought I saw someone I know, but there are too many people in here to get a good look,” she yells.

  I can barely hear her over the noise.

  “Oh, shit.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t turn around, just keep dancing.”

  “He’s here, isn’t he?

  “Yep.”

  “Sean’s a damn stalker—he’s going to ruin my weekend.”

  “It’s not Sean.”

  “Ryan?”

  “Yep.”

  A shot of excitement races through my body. I was hoping something like this would happen even though I pretended not to care.

  “So who were you checking out?”

  “Blake.”

  “Blake?”

  “We’re friends. I’ve been exchanging texts with him every night after work.”

  “Eva, please tell me this isn’t another ambush?”

  “No, I swear. I didn’t know they would be here. Last I knew, Blake was taking the boat out to the Hamptons. Don’t turn around. I think Ryan’s here with someone.”

  Mike from the band sees us, and he waves us up to the stage. I don’t hesitate for a second.

  “Come on, Eva. Let’s show the Kings of Mystic what they’re missing!”

  The band start’s playing Uptown Funk and I can’t believe my luck. Eva and I still know our routine to this song by heart.

  Out on stage at this moment, I block out everything. Eva and I can put on a show no one in here will forget anytime soon.

  I ignore the corner of the bar where Eva said Ryan was drinking with Blake and some girls. Running my fingers through my hair, I grab the microphone and belt out the lyrics. Thank God we joined the pop star club at school; it’s totally paying off now.

  The crowd’s going wild. When the song ends, we all laugh and high five.

  I finally look across the floor and lock eyes with Ryan. He’s zeroed in on me, totally oblivious to the bottled blonde girl pressed up against him. He says something to Blake, who’s also staring at us and they start cutting through the crowd to the stage.

  “Hey, girl…nice moves.”

  “Hi, Blake. What’s up?” I give him a polite smile.

  Before he can answer, Ryan pushes him aside and puts an arm around my waist, possessively.

  Blake turns to Eva. She’s pretending to ignore him and flirts with a few boys salivating at her after witnessing our performance.

  This is going be interesting, she’s trying to play the ultimate player.

  “Hey, stranger danger,” I say nervously.

  “Stranger danger?” Ryan asks with a wink.

  “God, you’re cute. Weird, but still cute,” Ryan says, tweaking my nose. Still holding me by the waist, he nods over to Dex and offers to buy us another round.

  “Just a bottle of water for me.”

  Ryan looks at me quizzically.

  “What? A full moon is still not in the forecast.”

  He leans over and whispers in my ear while gently playing with the straps of my dress.

  “Seeing you up there on stage in this was all the reminder I needed,” his warm fingers slide up and down under my strap, caressing my bare skin.

  I tip my head back to stare up at him. The world disappears, and we�
�re the only ones left.

  Our faces are inches apart, our mouths almost touch. Ryan leans his forehead on mine.

  “Just because I haven’t called, doesn’t mean I didn’t think about you.”

  “I never called to thank you for sending me flowers, either.”

  “Forgiven?” he asks.

  “Forgiven,” I say.

  “What are you both doing here anyway? I thought you were taking the Majesty out to the Hamptons?” Eva asks.

  “That was the plan until Ryan here found out his little sweetheart was going to be on Block. He insisted we change course. It wasn’t my first choice for the holiday weekend, but heck, he’s my brother, I had to make him happy,” he pats Ryan on the back and hands Dex a credit card.

  “Open up a tab for me.”

  “What’s wrong with Block?” I ask Blake. He seems uncomfortable with my question, trying hard not to be impolite.

  “Nothing. The harbor here is too small and can’t accommodate the Majesty, especially with all the ferry traffic.”

  “Oh, my God, did Blake Foster ride a public ferry?” I finish dramatically and place a hand over my heart.

  He laughs, “Of course not.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Blake. I know this isn’t as swanky as the Hamptons but Block has a certain charm that’s almost magical.”

  “To a magical weekend,” Ryan toasts as our drinks come. He grabs my hand and leads me back to the dance floor, and Eva and Blake follow. She’s in full sexy mode, tousling her hair and seductively looking at Blake.

  This is going to be a sweet romance or an epic disaster.

  She loves her job working for his father, if this ends badly for her, it’s going to be awkward at the office.

  After a few songs, I catch her eye, and we excuse ourselves for the ladies’ room.

  “Eva, are you sure about pursuing Blake?”

  “I know there are risks but I’ve had feelings for him for a while now. I need to make my move now—this summer.”

  Washing our hands in the sink, I stare at our reflections side by side in the mirror. I shake my head at the two of us making risky choices, but hey, you want who you want. I’m not going to judge. We finish primping in the mirror and Eva tells me Blake has invited us both back to Her Majesty. The yacht was too big to dock, so they had to moor offshore on the other side of the island. No wonder why we didn’t see her from the ferry.

  “So…do you want to go?” she asks me.

  “Yes. But we are not doing the walk of shame back to Dex’s. Pinky promise?”

  “Pinky promise.”

  As we make good on it, the other women in the bathroom laugh at us.

  We make our way back to our boys, then to TJ and tell him our plans.

  “Are you sure about this? You know what they’re probably expecting, right?”

  TJ breaks away from the girl he’s dancing with, his eyes conveying worry.

  “We’re big girls, TJ. Vanessa and I know what we’re doing.”

  Do we?

  “She’s right. And you’re coming with us,” I inform him.

  “I am?”

  “Yep,” Eva answers, placing her hand on his arm leaving him no choice.

  He ends up convincing the Lisa, brunette he met, to join us.

  Looking up I meet Ryan’s anxious eyes as we prepare to leave.

  What have I committed to? Isn’t this what I wanted?

  Our group walks out into the night, toward New Harbor where Blake’s Zodiac will take us to the Her Majesty.

  Ryan puts an arm around me pulling me close to his side. Neither of us says anything; our truce is only an hour old.

  The bars are closing shortly and the night’s winding down. Crowds of people spill out of the bars walking back to wherever they are spending the night. There are few cars here since everything’s located within a quarter mile, except the harbor where Blake had to moor his lady. I just found out we have to walk a mile in the dark.

  Blake grabs Eva bending her back over one arm and kissing her wildly. Taking my phone out of my wristlet, I capture the moment.

  “How much longer? I’m getting blisters,” Lisa wails.

  Looking at her shoes, I can tell she’s a Block Island newbie; her high heel sandals look painful.

  “It’s not much longer to the dock where the Zodiac is—maybe a quarter mile?” Blake says.

  “What? I’ll never make it,” Lisa replies, dropping down in the grass.

  “I’ve got ya,” TJ tells her as he holds down a hand to her. She takes it and climbs onto his back for a piggy ride and he gallops down the street.

  Eva jumps onto Blake’s back, and they recreate some weird horse race.

  Yep, my friends are wasted.

  Ryan and I walk behind them and he grabs my hand, holding it tight.

  When we arrive at the docks, both couples are making out, oblivious that we’ve arrived. Ryan starts untying the ropes to the Zodiac and steps in. Wordlessly, he holds out a hand to me, helping me climb in.

  “Blake, let’s go,” Ryan says, frustrated. He’s in charge of herding our drunken friends safely into the watercraft.

  Finally, everyone’s in securely and Ryan starts up the powerful engines. The boat cuts across the dark water, racing away into the night.

  What the heck am I doing? I’m having second thoughts about the situation I’ve put myself in. I’m sober, and it’s very clear what he might be expecting.

  Ryan pulls up alongside the stern and ties off to the launch.

  I’m stuck in my seat. The impressive size of the Majesty looms above me, and I suddenly feel way out of my element. It’s just occurred to me that once we board, we’re stuck here for the night. There’s no chance I can make my way back to Dex’s now.

  “Vanessa?”

  Ryan holds out his hand to me. The lights from the Majesty illuminate the night behind him. With every light on and string lights hoisted above the top deck to the bridge, she looks prepared to host a ball and Ryan’s staring at me as if I’m his Cinderella.

  Letting out a quick breath, I give him my hand and stand on shaky legs. I force a small smile and let him lead me aboard. TJ knows his way around the ship, and he gets permission to give Lisa a “tour.”

  “Come on, Eva—feel like getting in the hot tub?” Blake asks.

  “I don’t have a suit, Blakie.”

  Blakie?

  “Who cares?” He laughs, taking her hand and leading her up to the top deck. Ryan and I stare awkwardly at each other, suddenly left alone.

  “I’ll be right back,” he says to me.

  “What? You can’t leave me here. They are practically right above us. I can’t listen to them. It’s just gross.”

  He smiles, amused at me for being so uncomfortable.

  Blake’s shirt falls at my feet. Eva must’ve just ripped it off him and chucked it below just for the hell of it. I hear her giggles followed by splashing water and shake my head.

  “What? You’re not into voyeurism, Lyman?”

  Glaring at him, I hit the button that opens the glass door, entering the bar area where three weeks ago I sat in a heap on the floor.

  “Wait in here, I’ll be back in five.” He walks through the main salon toward the bow. He’s gone for a full ten minutes, and I don’t want to sit here alone waiting any longer.

  I open a side door to a deck rail. I never thought I’d be here again, onboard Blake Foster’s boat in the middle of Block Island harbor. The sea matches the sky all the way out to the horizon, inky black and dark blue. A thousand stars are out. The breeze comes across the water chilling my skin.

  “Vanessa, you’re freezing.” Ryan’s hands briefly touch my shoulders, and he turns to open a bench where life jackets and blankets are stored. He drapes a thick, plaid blanket around me.

  “Come on, I have a surprise for you,” he leads me along the deck rail to the impressive bow of Her Majesty.

  He’s taken a sail and tied it across the bow, making a smal
l tent. Outdoor cushions are strewn underneath creating a cozy spot for lounging. A hurricane lamp sits in the middle of a blanket functioning as a table cloth. A bottle of wine, cheese and crackers, with a few bunches of grapes are on a small tray.

  “You did all this for me?”

  He takes the blanket off my shoulders and sits, then holds out his hand for me to join him.

  I don’t hesitate to climb under his makeshift tent and lie down next to him. He tucks the blanket around us, and we just lie here in silence, staring out at the night sky.

  A shooting star streaks by so fast I almost miss it.

  “Did you see that?’

  “Yes, make a wish.”

  I snuggle into his side, the yacht gently sways, and the ship’s flags rustle in the wind. I sigh in contentment and start to relax. He’s so sweet and romantic and I couldn’t be happier about it.

  “I think this is a record.”

  “What?”

  “You haven’t done or said anything crazy or called me, ‘sweet cheeks’. I like this side of you very much.”

  He kisses the top of my head and pulls me closer.

  We’re like magnets, the pull is too strong, and I can’t pull myself away. But I need to know what happened with his ex, Emily. What Anna told me weeks ago still bothers me, and it wouldn’t be fair to him to pretend to be oblivious about his past.

  “So, Ryan, you know I wanted one last summer at home before my job starts in Manhattan?”

  “Blake mentioned you received an offer from Diageo, right? It’s a stable company, great portfolio.”

  “Yes. I’ve worked at The Wharf Inn every summer since I started college, Diageo wanted me to start in September, something about fourth quarter budgeting. So I went back to the Inn as a placeholder and honestly, I’m relieved. I wanted one last summer living on the coast.

  “Anyway, the Inn only employs about twenty workers during peak season, so you get to know everyone. We’re like family. We hired a new girl a few weeks ago to help for the next few months until the height of the season is over. She said she knew you.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Anna Caldwell.”

  His body stiffens, and there is complete silence.