That Summer

by Michelle Flick

  She wordlessly stood, leaned down to kiss my cheek, and walked over to the handrail. She turned her ass to me and I wanted to groan at the view she presented me, but I kept myself in check. She climbed up as Jared waited for her to get balance.

  I wasn’t wild about Jared being on the railing. It was easily twenty feet in the air, and maybe the fall wouldn’t have killed him, but he could have hurt himself. And now, Remy was up there and my heart jumped into my throat causing me to sweat.

  “Come on Jack!” she called to me. Her blonde hair was even lighter now and flying all around her. Her jean shorts were barely there and unbuttoned at the top, revealing her purple bathing suit bottoms. I swear she did it to me on purpose, to make me focus on her body. I forgot for a moment that a big gust could take out one of my friends.

  “Maybe you should get down,” I said and instantly regret that I sounded more like a parent than a guy trying to impress a girl. Her eyebrow arched again and she saw my concern as a second challenge. She balanced herself and made her way down to Jared, who was waiting for her, with hand extended.

  “Seriously, you two.”

  Jared’s laughter I was sure could be heard at the end of the pier.

  The look, the smirk, on Remy’s face almost wiped my nerves away, but not entirely this time. She said something to him, but the wind and waves prevented me from hearing her.

  I stood to make my way down to them. I had the intention of grabbing them should they lose their balance and needed a steady hand.

  “One!” she shouted.

  “Two!” Jared yelled. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

  They were about to jump. The “no” I wanted to shout at them evaporated before she yelled, “Three!” Before I could get to them to stop this insane stunt, I saw their knees bend as they launched themselves off the pier. I reached the railing and saw her blonde hair and his brown hair submerge in water.

  My breath hitched in my throat.

  But they bobbed up almost immediately. Jared let out a yell of excitement. Remy was in the water, wading, with a smile on her face looking up at me.

  My heartbeat slowed when I realized that they weren’t being swept away by the waves, nor had they hit some unseen obstacle beneath the surface.

  “Those your friends?” a stranger asked me. He peeked over the railing. He must have seen them jump.

  “Yeah,” I responded, not losing eye contact with Remy.

  “You got some crazy friends, buddy.” I could hear the disbelief in his voice.

  “Yeah,” I said to him, but more to myself.

  This is what I’m thinking about. I had told my dad what had happened at Joe’s today with Remy, leaving out the part where I went to go look for her. He had asked me why I was surprised she had found such a loser.

  My answer had been: because Remy didn’t deserve it.

  He corrected me and said nobody deserves what happened to Remy.

  I sift through my thoughts about Remy and it’s because of that memory. She was full of challenge and life and everything that was beautiful in the world. But again, in my life I am thinking only of Remy. Amber wouldn’t deserve this. While maybe she isn’t as vivacious as Remy, she should never be treated in that way either. My dad is the one that makes me see this and I feel like an ass for not considering it, for being near-sighted.

  My dad’s a great guy. He’s always been the type of a guy I want to be; hard-working, good husband, great dad, a fun friend, someone the community respects. As I sit in my parents’ kitchen looking over the books of the business, I wish I was better. If I had been better maybe we wouldn’t be seeing nothing but debt and redlines.

  We are meeting to see if there is anything different we can do.

  He looks worn, like the nights have been sleepless. They would have to be. People aren’t paying their bills. We aren’t landing jobs because we are too small of a business so we can’t offer people a low cost. He has spent years building this business. I am supposed to help him out until he retires, buy it from him to help his retirement and now, I offer him no help. Monroe Construction is sinking fast.

  He is an older version of me. In the silence, I can hear my mom humming in the background. She would know we are struggling, but not once has she said anything to me. I’m sure it is a conversation they had privately.

  “I’ll make some calls tomorrow,” he says. He means the people who owe us money.

  “I already called everyone. Maybe I should go see them?”

  “I’ve already gone and seen everyone, son. Hopefully the meeting next week with those investors goes well. We can hope for the best.” All weak attempts to do what we have already done before.

  We can’t will anyone to have a check for us. And we are walking a fine line. We can ask and be persistent or we can turn into nags and drive people farther away. The only thing we have is we won’t do business again with these people. And now we have a meeting with two investors next week. We have worked up a plan and even thought they would be getting some of our profit, we would come out of the red. We can still be successful if they say yes. We just don’t know if they will or not.

  “Enough worrying for today,” he says. “Don’t you have a softball meeting to go to?”

  I do and it will be a great distraction for the time being until tomorrow at work. I say goodbye to my parents and head to Joe’s. The thought of Joe’s instantly brings back thoughts of Remy and her ex. I try not to dwell on it. But I had all that night, and when Amber had asked me what I was thinking about, I lied and said the business. I was no longer being forthcoming with her. I was no longer being honest and I needed to stop.

  I pull into Joe’s parking lot. I recognize several vehicles: Jared’s, Remy’s, a few other friends, and Steve Carter’s. They are dating. Amber’s friend Melissa had no qualms letting me know she had seen Steve and Remy kissing. Keeping my composure was difficult. They both were watching me for a reaction, like a frustrated scream, a look of disgust, a heartbroken fool, all things I had felt. It was different knowing she had a life away from South Shore; it was like it didn’t exist. Her life in South Shore is a lot to handle. It always seems to be coming up.

  I get into Joe’s and several of the tables are pushed together. All the people’s cars I recognized are there, including Remy. She’s sitting next to Steve and I fight the urge to move her chair away from his as I walk up. There’s a part of me that knows I should sit right across from them, letting them and everyone in the bar see that I don’t care they are dating. It doesn’t faze me. But I don’t. I sit at the head of the table, where they aren’t in my immediate line of vision, but I can still see her. Nothing like a little self-torture to end my really great day.

  Jared, aware of the incredibly awkward situation jumps into a conversation with me and two others, telling me how several people have pulled out this year. That we are short full teams. This means one team will be eliminated, the players dispersed and we play the other teams more often.

  It’s not an ideal situation, but instead of being concerned about it, I notice that Steve grabs Remy’s hand. She gives him a smile that doesn’t show her teeth, or reach her eyes, and after a few minutes she stands to go get a drink. I can’t help it. I watch her at the bar.

  “Right, Jack?” Jared says.

  “What?” I really need to stop paying attention to her.

  “We can do some leg work to get more players.”

  “Yeah. Yeah. We can.”

  I need to be more guarded. I just almost tipped off a bunch of people that I am still attracted to Remy. Several of these guys are better friends with Amber than they are me. So, it will get back to her. But it shouldn’t even be an option. I shouldn’t pay attention to Remmington Crawford, at all.

  “Remy, you still play softball?” Mark asks Remy as she sits back down.

  A big smile is on her face. Of course she would want to play softball. It is clear to anyone who played with her or against her that she loves the sport. She had pl
ayed that summer she was here. I had thought we would play every summer since. Besides looking great in softball pants, she really was a great catcher.

  “Dude, I call her for my team. She kicked my ass last time,” Steve gives her a big, teasing smile that I want to punch of his smug face.

  So now, instead of her being on my team, she is going to play on Steve’s team. He is going to be the one who gets to see her hair messed up from her helmet, her side comments, and just see her on a regular basis.

  I immediately push those thoughts away. It’s a blessing really. It’s enough to see her at Joe’s and if she were on my team again and with Amber coming to the games like she does, it would be strained and awkward for me. She, of course, would smile and make winning plays and everyone would love her and cheer for her and I would have to stay away.

  “Whatever Steve, she’s probably not that good anymore, anyway,” Jared says jokingly.

  “Fifty bucks says I am,” she replies and instantly I remember the first time someone bet her fifty bucks.

  “You play softball?” It was a taunt at her. Like because she was blonde and in a dress made her incapable of throwing a ball or smacking it to left field.

  “I do. College ball.” She smiled tauntingly back at this douche, turned toward me, and gave me a wink.

  The left side of my face curved upward slightly.

  “What position?” Steve scoffed at her. He obviously didn’t believe she could be good enough. I had known her only a few weeks at this point, but I doubted there was much she couldn’t do.

  “Catcher.”

  He snorted at her.

  “Listen, you asked if I could play. I told you I could. If twenty questions is over, do you need me or not?”

  “Shit!” Jared interrupted. “You can’t have her. We want her on our team.” He slung his arm around her shoulder and messed up her hair. “Besides, she catches? I want to see her squat.” He stuck out his tongue playfully and swatted her on the butt. He slapped me on the chest playfully a few times and said, “All for you buddy.”

  Steve clearly still didn’t believe her. He was shaking his head at Jared’s decision to scoop her up for our team.

  “Tell you what, when we play you, I bet you fifty bucks I throw you out.”

  He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. How could she even think she was capable of throwing the great Steve Carter out? But I knew she was now wounding his masculine pride of the softball beer league. He hesitated. He must be realizing she wasn’t joking, that some truth must be there.

  “I’ll throw in another fifty,” I said next to her.

  “If you want to be out fifty bucks, Monroe, far be it from me to disappoint you.”

  “Three rules,” she countered. “A wild pitch doesn’t count. The second baseman doesn’t catch it, it doesn’t count. And three, run hard, I like a challenge.”

  Her last comment was followed by a round of ribbing from the rest of the guys standing around us. I didn’t leave her side though and I thought about how there could be a chance I’d be out fifty bucks. I had no idea if she actually could, but I felt like she needed my support.

  When we were finally alone, she asked me, “Threw in another fifty, huh? What if I suck?”

  “Do you?” I asked, with a simple smile.

  “No. I don’t. I’m really good actually.”

  “See, you just made me fifty bucks.”

  I’m ripped from the memory.

  Jared asks me something. I have no idea what he has said. But it clearly merits a response. What do I say? Sorry I was remembering what it was like to be on Remy’s softball team. That wouldn’t work.

  Jared gives me a funny look and I shrug my shoulders. He seems shocked a little, but shrugs in reply and says, “I guess we won’t swap her.” Wait. What? Swap who? Remy? The thought of her being on my softball team sends a shock of excitement through me. I could see her more. “But it’s cool, Remy, I won’t mind taking your money.”

  And the chance is over.

  People move about as I process what has happened. She is watching me even though her hand is linked in Steve’s. I move away from her and her knowing gaze. I can’t help but feel that she knows what I just remembered, or maybe she remembered it too. I want to ask her, but I can’t. I won’t. I think of Amber, grounding me.

  She was amazing that day. She stood her ground. She made Steve look like a fool and she had been a great asset to our team. We had won the league that year, largely because of her.

  Jared had said I gave her too much credit, that I was infatuated with her and that’s why I was saying that. He was wrong though, I wasn’t infatuated. I was in love with her at that point. And now she sat with Carter five people away.

  Chapter 10

  RC

  I’m taken aback when I see Jack sitting at the bar on a Wednesday afternoon. Mia pushes out past my legs and peeks her head around the bar. She sees him and lopes over to him, familiar enough with him to recognize he’s not a threat.

  I hear him say, “Hey girl,” and pats her head.

  “Taking up drinking on Wednesday afternoons?” I ask him.

  The right side of his face twitches up a little. “Nah, we have a meeting here today.”

  My brow creases as I take Jack in. He’s not wearing his typical uniform of jeans and a t-shirt, but khakis, a collared shirt with Monroe Construction embroidered on it, and dress shoes.

  “Okay. Do you guys need anything from Joe’s?”

  “We’re going to have lunch and beer, I think.” He tugs at the collar of his shirt and sits at the bar. Besides Mia, we are alone in the bar. Maria is in back prepping, but that’s it. We had yet to be truly alone and part of me knows that is a good thing for his relationship with Amber.

  I can see his leg bouncing on the barstool.

  “Need a beer now, Sweetheart?”

  He lets out a nervous breath.

  “I could use one, Rem.” I try not to trip over his use of that particular nickname. I grab him a beer and set it in front of him. He wraps his hands around it, but doesn’t take a drink.

  “So this meeting, it’s important?”

  “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “You want me to lay on some charm to these guys? I can sweet talk the pants off of an 80 year old or make a nineteen year old feel like a man.”

  “I remember, my grandfather still brings you up. He’s still waiting for his shot with you.”

  I laugh.

  “What can I say, Jack Monroe? I leave a lasting impression,” I say with a big smile.

  He finally takes a drink of his beer.

  He takes a deep breath. I wish he wasn’t so nervous. I wish I could help with something instead of implying that I will flirt with anyone he needs me to. I reach for his hand, knowing I shouldn’t touch him, and place mine over it . He stops bouncing his leg.

  “Jack,” and he continues to look at my hand. “Jack, look at me.” He waits a second longer and then looks me in the eyes. I shrug up my shoulders and tell him, “You’re going to do great. You’re going to get whatever you need out of this meeting. Just relax.”

  He nods at me. I squeeze his hand, for reassurance for him, and to savor the feel for me.

  “Jack,” we hear from the door and Jack’s dad’s there.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, Mr. Monroe.” Mr. Monroe, Jack in 25 years, the only difference besides age, Mr. Monroe’s more talkative than Jack. I have no doubt he’ll run the meeting, while Jack continues to internalize his nerves. “Can I get you a beer?”

  “Yeah.” I grab him one and call for Mia to go into Joe’s office and leave them at the bar. No need to be the third wheel in that party. By the time I return from locking Mia in, the Monroe men are at a round table in the middle of the floor and two more gentlemen have arrived. I let Maria know she has a table and find myself cleaning the bar area as the meeting continues and other tables walk in. Within the hour, we get slammed. I take on several tables as Maria runs ragg
ed to keep up.

  “Remy, can you check on my first table. The one in the meeting?” Maria asks as she’s running someone’s card. “They probably just need their plates cleared or maybe a drink.”

  “On it,” I say and head to the table.

  Jack doesn’t look any less nervous than when he first walked in. I smile at him, directly at him. He shrugs his shoulders once.

  “You gentlemen need anything?” I say and smile at the table.

  An older guy says, “Your phone number,” and gives me a wink.

  I laugh, knowing he’s partially serious. “You’re too young for me,” I say and the table laughs.

  “Like ‘em older, huh? I’ll be back in a few years.”

  I laugh and tell him, “I’ll be waiting.”

  I grab the remaining plates and get an order for another round of drinks. I bring them back and set them in front of the gentlemen. When I’m across from Jack, I can feel him watching me. He has been since I walked up to the table. I look at him and give him a wink and turn before I can see his reaction.

  From all I can see, it looks like it’s going well, Jack’s meeting. But what do I know about contractor’s meetings? People are smiling and I think it’s a good sign.

  We’re still busy when Jack’s meeting breaks up. I’m still running around when he sits at the bar again. I don’t know if this is a good sign or a bad sign, but him staying near me makes me hyper aware of him. I wonder if Jared is coming in, but quitting time for most people is still two hours away, at least.

  “Beer?”

  “Shot of whiskey,” he says and while I’ve seen him pretty drunk and seen him throw back whiskey like a twenty one year old, whiskey at two in the afternoon is not as common, for anybody, let alone Jack.