The Last July: A New Adult Romance

by Breanna Mounce

  “So, when are you leaving?” he asks, coming up behind me and playing with a strand of my hair with his hand that’s not covered in paint.

  “Probably tomorrow afternoon, though I would stay here forever if I could. I’m kind of dreading going back home.”

  “Your parents still…” he begins, but doesn’t seem to know which words to use.

  I nod and move away to dry my hands so he can wash his. “Yeah, dad has pretty much moved out, I think. He’s probably not moving back in, ever.”

  “I’m sorry,” he says as he scrubs his hands.

  “Me too, we’ll see what happens…”

  The next morning I have one final meeting with Mr. Garreth before I head home. My car is already packed up with my stuff, and I’m amazed how I acquired more items when leaving than when I showed up here, possibly from grabbing extra clothes when I went home for visits. I have the keys to the cabin in my pocket, ready to hand them over to Mr. Garreth.

  “Come on in, Penelope,” he says when I arrive at his office. His desk is a mess. I assume he has a lot of end of the summer paperwork to go over. “I think I need to consider hiring a file clerk for myself next year. I’m losing my mind with all these papers.”

  “Your receptionist doesn’t file for you?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

  He rolls his eyes. “She’s supposed to…”

  “Yikes,” I say, taking a seat in the only other chair that’s not piled up with files. I remember the first day I checked in and how the receptionist didn’t seem to care about her job. “Good luck with that.”

  “Yeah, it’s not just you counselors that I have to keep an eye on,” he says as he adds another file to his pile, which, at any moment, might just topple over. “So, did you have a good summer for the most part?”

  I smile and place the key to the cabin on his desk before I forget and walk off with it. “Yeah, I had a blast with my campers. It was obviously different from being a camper, but I’m so happy I was given the chance to work here this summer.”

  “I love to hear that,” he says with a smile. It amazes me how well Mr. Garreth can switch to a businessman’s persona versus Sampson’s dad who I’ve had dinner with a few times this summer. “What are your plans for the rest of the year? You’ll be going to Maryville, correct?”

  “Yep, I’ll be going there, studying, and that’s about it,” I say with a chuckle.

  Mr. Garreth laughs. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to have a social life. What about a job? Are you planning on finding something near campus or taking it easy for a semester or two?”

  “Honestly?” I ask. “I hadn’t thought about it. I know I need a job, but I haven’t had the time to look into finding one, and I’m sure the jobs will go fast around there once school begins.”

  “Well,” he says. “I was thinking, I could use someone around here to help me get this stuff organized. I’ll need to move a ton of files across camp to the storage unit, and they’ll also need organized. You know, camp is only about a forty minute drive from campus… It would only be weekends however, or whenever you can get here. I’m sure you might have certain days where you don’t have to go to class.”

  I nod. “Yeah, I’m free on Thursdays and Fridays actually.”

  “Four day weekends? Good for you!” he says. “What do you think? Of course, there would be way more things for you to do. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we do try to keep some stuff going at camp year round. I believe I told you, we have some businesses come in for team building weekends and a few church retreats as well.”

  “Can I think on it?” I ask.

  “Of course! I’ll shoot you an email tonight with all the information on the job. I’ll just need an answer before Friday,” he says. “But I’d love for you to take this position. I won’t be mentioning it to anyone else. I’d have Sampson do it, but he has his own on campus gig during off season.”

  “Alright,” I say. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can, Mr. Garreth.”

  He stands up and I do also, reaching out to shake his hand. “Good luck with your classes, Penelope,” he says with a smile. “Be safe on your drive home.”

  “Will do,” I say. “Thanks for everything.”

  I exit his office just as his next meeting arrives at his door. Casanova… I imagine that meeting won’t be going as well as mine. He gives me a sly grin as he passes me on his way into the office. I hear Mr. Garreth ask him to close the door behind him. Yep, that one isn’t going to end pleasantly.

  When I make it to my car, the interior is practically burning with heat. I’ve only driven it once a week this summer and it was usually in the morning or evening. I immediately roll down my windows to let a breeze in when I start the car. I back out of the spot and start heading toward the exit. I can already feel my heart breaking from leaving this place.

  I said my goodbyes this morning at breakfast, so I’m good to go. As I approach the lake, I see a figure sitting on the dock and my heart swells. I know it’s Sampson even though I only catch a glimpse of him. I’ve memorized the back of his head over the last two months, he’s still sporting that flower headband.

  If I wanted to, if I thought it would make the goodbye easier, I could just continue on, but I know I can’t. I need to speak to him one more time. It’s silly, it’s not like I’m never seeing him again, it’s just not knowing when the next time will be that makes me pull over to the side of the road.

  I bring my car to a stop on the edge of the gravel road and I turn it off, leaving the windows down. I shut my door and head over to the dock, carefully avoiding some mud. This feels like it’s coming full circle from one of our first conversations, I smile at the thought.

  “Fancy seeing you here,” I say, echoing his words from my first day.

  He turns and gives me a smile. “You following me?”

  I join him on the dock, sliding close to him, way closer than our first time sitting here together. He reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together.

  “Heading out?” he asks, staring at the lake.

  “Sadly,” I say.

  He squeezes my hand a little. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” I ask with a nervous smile.

  He rubs a finger over each of my knuckles. “For this summer, if it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be a poor ole’ sap following Viv around and letting her treat me like a doormat.”

  “A very cute doormat,” I correct him.

  “Seriously, Penelope,” he says. “Thank you. You’re amazing. You have been such an awesome person this summer, a great friend.”

  “Wait…” I say. “Is this where you friendzone me, and I find out that you actually never liked me at all? That you were just pretending because you didn’t want things to be weird between the two of us?”

  “No!” he says defensively. “Hell no, I still like you! Don’t you dare think otherwise.”

  “Okay, good,” I say. “Because that would have been awkward. I would have to head back to the office and turn your dad’s job offer down immediately.”

  “What job offer? For next summer?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “He didn’t tell you?”

  “No, you should fill me in,” he says, staring at me intently, his eyebrows tugging inward with confusion.

  “Your dad wants me to work here some weekends as a file clerk and possibly a person who helps with the team building stuff.”

  “No way!” Sampson says a huge smile breaking out across his face. “I heard him discussing with mom that he might need someone for the winter, but I didn’t hear who he was choosing. Did you accept it?”

  “I’ll think it over on my drive home. I’m sure he’ll tell you my decision.”

  “Nah, he keeps most of his employees’ business to himself. He’ll probably tell my mom though, and I’m sure I’ll be able to get the scoop from her. That’s awesome though, I hope you take it.”

  “Do you still want me around a bit longer?” I ask.

  “
A lot a bit longer,” he says, leaning in to press his forehead against mine. “But I want you to make this decision for you, no one else.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I whisper before pulling away. “I should go though. Walk me to my car?”

  He nods and stands up, reaching down to give me a hand, and pulling me up into a hug. Just like before. This time though, I let him hold me longer, savoring his scent, his touch, the feel of his heart beating.

  He holds my hand all the way to my car, and even opens the door for me. Before I slide in, he gives me a soft kiss on the forehead and tells me to drive safely.

  I turn the car back on and pull away, kicking up some dust from the gravel and finally making it to the exit. When I make my left turn out of camp, the tears start to stream down my face, just like every summer when I leave my home away from home.

  There’s no way I will turn down the job. I don’t need a three-hour car ride to figure that out.

  There’s something nice about sleeping in your own bed after being gone for a while. I try my best not to get used to it though. In one more week I’ll be sleeping on an uncomfortable plastic extra-long twin bed surrounded by four off-white walls. I hope my roommate is good at decorating. I haven’t gotten a call from her, so I have no idea if she’s wanting to go with a color scheme or theme.

  I open my phone again to read over my e-mail with Mr. Garreth about the job offer. On the way home yesterday when I stopped for gas, I responded to his offer, telling him I would love to do it for him and that I look forward to getting back to camp as soon as he wants me to start.

  A knock comes on my door and I stretch out a little and pull the covers up to my chin, snuggling in with no intent on leaving my bed.

  “Come in,” I say.

  My mom opens the door and leans against the frame with a smile. “It’s so good to have you home, kiddo.”

  “It’s nice to be home,” I say.

  She walks over and sits on the edge of my bed. “What do you want to do today? I was thinking I could go buy you some new outfits for school and get you some school supplies and dorm items.”

  I point to the pile in the corner of my room to two laundry baskets full of laundry detergent, cleaning products and some snacks. “I think I’m good, but I’m starting to feel like you’re trying to buy my love.”

  “Is it working?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

  “Maybe,” I say. “Can dad come with us?”

  Her smile slips away and she doesn’t look at me. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

  “Can I at least see if he wants to get some lunch or dinner tonight?”

  We stare each other down for a moment or two before she finally breaks under my gaze. “Fine, but only if we go for ice cream after. Me and you that is; it’s been forever since we have gotten ice cream together, and the little shop we like will be closed for the season once you come home for Thanksgiving.”

  “Deal,” I say, jumping up to hug her tightly. “Love you, mom.”

  “Love you too, dear.” She gets up to leave my room, but stops short. “Oh, the mailman dropped off a package for you, did you order something?”

  I shake my head. “Not that I know of. I’ll check it out after I shower. Is there a return address or anything?”

  “It said it was from an address in Maryville, but no name.”

  “Hmm, maybe it’s school sending me something. Just leave it on the kitchen counter, I’ll get it. Give me twenty minutes.”

  “Twenty?” my mom asks loudly. “I thought camp trained you to take five minute showers?”

  “They did,” I say, getting up to grab some clothes to wear and my toiletries I hadn’t unpacked yet. “But I haven’t had a good scrub in months. I need to get all this caked on sunblock and bug spray off my skin. I feel like I will smell like camp for another month or two. Just wait until I take my hour long bubble bath tonight.”

  She smiles and shakes her head, leaving me to detox the camp life out of my body.

  I walk down the stairs and my mom is currently brewing herself some coffee when she looks up at me and chuckles.

  “You can take the girl out of the camp,” she says. “But you clearly can’t take the camp out of the girl.”

  “What?” I ask, and she looks me up and down. “I like this shirt.”

  I’m pretty sure all of my t-shirts are from Camp Arthur.

  “Honey, that shirt is from four years ago. It has a hole in the armpit, trust me, I know. I’ve tried to throw it away a dozen times now and you keep getting it out of the trash.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you’re taking me shopping. I wouldn’t want to show up to college with a bunch of holes in my clothes.”

  “Smart ass,” my mom says, putting a lid on her travel mug. “Open up your package so we can go.”

  “Okay, bossy pants,” I say as I grab a knife from the butcher block and take the package to the table. I inspect the handwriting, but it doesn’t give anything away and there’s not a name with the unfamiliar address.

  Mom peers over my shoulder as I cut through the packaging tape carefully. “The suspense is killing me, seriously, what if it’s a head? Didn’t you and your dad make me watch that movie where the head was in the box?”

  “It was Seven, and I’m pretty sure you fell asleep and only woke up to see that scene,” I say rolling my eyes. “Maybe I should just open it when we get home.”

  “You’ll open that box right now, young lady. It’s been here for hours bothering me. It could be time sensitive material… like a severed head.”

  “I’m pretty sure it would say so on the box if it were perishable,” I reply, putting the knife down and opening the box. It looks like a care package of goodies, and I pull them out one at a time.

  Inside, there’s a Maryville College t-shirt, some Maryville sweatpants, some notepads, pens and pencils, along with a gift card to the coffee shop on campus and a map of the city with some places circled with a marker and a note at the bottom that says ‘Welcome’, but there’s no name signed to it.

  “Who do you think it’s from?” She asks.

  I shrug and put all the stuff back in the box. “No idea, maybe it’s from my roommate or something.”

  “Seems like a generous gift from someone you’ve never met before, and they even know your sizes.”

  “Weird,” I say. “Oh well, let’s head out. I’m ready to spend all of your money on stuff I’ll probably never use.”

  She grabs her purse and mug and pulls me into a side hug. “That’s my girl. I knew there was some girlish personality trait you had to receive from me in there.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” I tell her. “You know I hate shopping for myself.”

  “Well, just think of it as I’m shopping for you, but you’re with me so you can tell me what you want and don’t want.”

  “We better go, the more we discuss shopping, the more I’m starting to regret going with you.”

  “How about this?” my mom asks, holding up a tacky pink crop top with a pair of high waisted shorts.

  “I’m pretty sure the last time I wore pink was when I was four and you were still dressing me. Also, you’re my mom, shouldn’t you be constantly making sure I cover as much of my skin as possible?”

  “That’s your dad’s job,” she says, refusing to put the outfit back. “Will you at least try the shorts on? I think they’d look so cute on you. I haven’t seen you wear anything but gym shorts in so long.”

  “Fine,” I say, taking the shorts from her and putting them in our cart that’s already full of some items that I know I won’t be getting. “But for every item I get that you pick out, I think I should be able to get a clothing item of my choice.”

  “Deal,” she says, searching for more clothes she can dress me in.

  “I’m going to take some of this stuff to the dressing room and start trying things on,” I tell her, picking out six tops and bottoms.

  “Okay, but take pictures of each
outfit, I want to be your second opinion.”

  I leave her in the aisle and pull my phone out when I feel it vibrate once indicating a text message. I unlock my phone and open the message, and my heart speeds up when I see it’s from Sampson. I’m tempted to delete it. He knows I wanted to take a breather and just see what happens. I read the message anyway.

  “Did you get my package? The tracking number said it was delivered.”

  The text brings a smile to my face. I never thought Sampson would send me a gift. I stop short of the fitting rooms to send my response. “We’re not supposed to be talking. Serendipity, remember?”

  “Screw serendipity. So you got the package then?” he sends back right away.

  “Thank you,” I send and then add onto that, “The package was very thoughtful. What were the places that were circled on the map?”

  “The places I plan on taking you on dates when we’re reunited,” he says not missing a beat.

  “Penelope?” says a female voice.

  I look up from my phone with a huge smile from what Sampson just said, but when I see that Janine is standing in front of me, my smile fades. I didn’t want to run into her.

  “Hey,” I say, shoving my phone into my pocket. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” she says. I look at her clothes, she’s wearing sweats and a hoodie, and I’ve never seen her dressed so casually. She’s usually wearing something like what I’m about to reluctantly try on. “Did you just get back from camp?”

  “Yeah, I got back last weekend. I’m shopping with my mom for some school stuff.”

  She nods and glances down in her cart and I also look down in it, taking note of the items. She quickly tries to bring my attention back to her, but I’m staring at the diapers, newborn onesies, and stretchy jeans.

  “Are you excited to start school?” she quickly asks.

  “Um, yeah,” I say, trying to look at her, but I can’t take my eyes off those diapers. “Are you going to a baby shower? Who is expecting?”

  Her cheeks blush. “I’m an idiot,” she says as a tear streams down her cheek.