by Silke Ming
“Why don’t you we meet by Filene’s Department Store?” she finally said.
With joy in his heart, Seamus headed straight for the highway. He called Millie to let her know where he was and when he would be back. Three and a half hours later, he was in downtown Boston frantically searching for a parking spot. Finally finding one, he now had to find the department store where they were going to meet. He was on the other side of the street when he saw her, but she hadn’t seen him. He crossed the street and stood behind her. He was afraid to touch her.
“Summer,” he said.
She turned around and stared at him. It was awkward for both of them.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Would you like to eat something?” he asked, wanting to touch her.
“You must be hungry,” she replied. “How long was the drive?”
“About three and a half hours. Have you any suggestions where we can go to eat?”
“No, but if we walk along here, we will probably find a restaurant.”
At that hour of the afternoon most of the restaurants were closed, and the only thing which they found appealing was a hamburger. He had a double and she a single, all washed down by iced tea.
“Tell me about the interview,” he said.
“There isn’t much to tell. I thought they would’ve made a decision this week and gotten back to me.”
“Do you really want to do this, Summer?”
“Yes, I must.”
“There is something I must show you,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
“What do you want to show me?”
“It’s in the car,” he replied.
He opened the door to the SUV, and she climbed in. He went to the other side, and before turning on the ignition, he unlocked the glove compartment, took an envelope out, and handed it to her.
“What is this?”
“Open it,” he said, turning on the ignition and driving away.
She stared at the document.
“Is this a joke?”
“Do you think I would be making a joke at a time like this?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“Why would you do something like this?”
“I wanted you to know that I am serious about you and about our relationship. What’s mine is all yours, Summer, and when I am free, I hope you will consider my proposal.”
“What proposal is that?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
“I want you to be my wife, Summer,” he said, afraid of what her next words would be.
“I just can’t trust you, Seamus. Each time you make me a promise, you break it.”
“I promise I won’t hide anything more from you. My life will be an open book from this day on,” he replied.
She did not reply but kept looking straight ahead.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“I don’t want your money, Seamus,” she said. “I can’t be bought.”
“I’m not trying to buy you. I love you, Summer.”
“I cannot give you an answer right now. Each time I open my heart and let you in, you break it.”
“Please give me one more chance, Summer. Let’s make a deal,” he said. “If I do one more thing to hurt you, I will pay you one million dollars.”
“There you go again, thinking that material things are the answer to all our problems. I don’t want your million dollars, Seamus.”
“Tell me what I should do, Summer. I promise I’ll be honest with you from now on.”
“Only time will tell, Seamus,” she replied.
“I am really sorry to bring this up, but why didn’t you come to me when you heard their discussion in the bathroom?”
“What would you have done?”
“I would’ve confronted them.”
“In front of the guests at the show?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“I guess you’re right, but I did find a way to level the playing field with Lana.”
“What did you do?”
“Now I don’t want you to get angry with me.”
“I would only be angry if you slept with her. What did you do?”
“Promise me you won’t be angry, Summer.”
“I won’t make you any promises. Tell me what you did.”
“She called on Saturday evening and invited herself over. I was going to hang up the phone on her when I thought it was time to get even. I was really depressed when she got there. She started to tell me that she could make me feel better. All I could feel for her was hatred, but I played along with her game. I let her touch me.”
“You said you didn’t sleep with her.”
“I didn’t. Please listen to me. I took her up to the secret room and made her undress. Then I put her in the contraption. You remember the contraption, don’t you?”
“I remember.”
“I guess the thought of being there all bound up turned her on.”
“What did you do?”
“I timed it and kept her tied up for almost two hours while I sat and stared at her. She begged and begged me to make love to her, but I didn’t. She almost went out of her mind. After the time was up, I released the straps and she was still hoping to get me into bed. I picked up her clothes and took her down the stairs. Then I shoved her out the door naked and threw her clothes after her,” he said, glancing at her to see her expression.
“Are you trying to tell me that in all that time you didn’t touch her in any way?”
“Yes, I did touch her. I had to get her excited and hopeful.”
“What did you do?”
“I touched her between the legs, and I touched her on her breasts.”
“Is that all?”
He thought for a while before he spoke.
“No, I came in her mouth. I felt it was the only way to get my revenge.”
“You call that revenge, Seamus? You speak as if you didn’t get any pleasure from it.”
“She didn’t.”
“Was that all, Seamus?”
“That was all that happened, I swear to you.”
“And what did she do after you threw her out?”
“She shouted at me and said she would get even with me.”
“Is that all that happened?”
“That was all, Summer. I won’t risk losing you by lying to you again.”
“We’re almost there,” she said. “I can see the lights of Whitney.”
“I don’t know if you are still angry with me. I just don’t know where I stand.”
“I did not leave because you did anything to hurt me. I left because Lana Podesta thought that I was not good enough for you. I left because she was a constant presence in our lives and I had had enough, and when I realized what she had done, I thought I would take myself out of the picture.”
“Were you willing to let her win?” he asked.
“It was not a matter of winning or losing, Seamus. She wants to possess you. She has an obsession with you. Don’t you realize that?”
“I am not hers to possess,” he said. “I guess much of it was also my fault.”
“I want you to call her and be firm with her. I will not share you with anyone, Seamus.”
“And I won’t share you either,” he said. “Does that mean that I’m forgiven?”
“I wouldn’t have allowed you to come to Boston if I hadn’t forgiven you.”
It was dark when they turned into the driveway at 43098 Port Collier Road. He turned the ignition off but did not get out. He reached for her hand and held it. She could not see it, but tears were rolling down his cheeks.
“Are we going to sleep here in the car?” she asked.
“No, Summer. It’s not comfortable here. I want you in my bed where I can hold you tonight while we sleep.”
She walked in and looked around the room and, glancing up, looked directly into the eyes of his father.
I hate that painting,
she thought.
“I would’ve known she was here even if you hadn’t told me,” she said as she sat down on the sofa.
“Really?” he asked.
“I can smell her perfume.”
“Let’s not talk about her. Let’s talk about us. Do you know how much I love you, Summer?”
“I think I do.”
“Do you love me half as much as I love you?”
“You know I love you, Seamus. I just don’t want to be your puppet,” she said in a chastising way.
“Will you sleep with me tonight?” he asked, hoping she would say yes.
She nodded.
They did not make love that night. They lay together spooning, while he held her tightly. He was afraid to let her go. Whenever he turned during the night, he held her even tighter.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Summer was on her way down the stairs the following morning when she heard Millie’s voice.
“You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was,” she was saying to Seamus.
They were Irish words of chastisement, and Summer wondered how she always got away with it. He looked at her like a mother and probably because she was Irish.
“One day I’m going to fire you,” he said, laughing.
“Is it because I always tell you the truth? You’ve got a beautiful lady and you keep messing up. Don’t you think it’s time you married her?”
“When I make that decision, you will be the first to know, Mammy.”
“Don’t be cheeky now,” she said to him.
“I love you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before running up the stairs.
“Summer, I am so glad you’re back,” the woman said as she appeared in the kitchen. “I was just telling Seamus it was time he made an honourable woman out of you.”
She laughed and sat down at the kitchen table.
“What can I get you for breakfast?”
“Just a cup of tea.”
“Are you sure? When was the last time you had a good meal?”
“I have forgotten,” she replied, playing with the sugar bowl.
“I am going to make you a real breakfast. You need your strength to deal with that Irishman,” she said, laughing.
In a matter of minutes, there was toast, strawberry jam, scrambled eggs, and coffee sitting on the table.
“Are you all right?” asked Millie, staring at her.
“I am fine, Millie. We have straightened everything out.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Millie replied. “What about the birthday party you were planning for him?”
“Millie, I forgot all about that. What am I going to do?”
“When is his birthday?”
“On the tenth of December. What should I do, Millie?”
“Surprise him. Show him you love him. I think he needs love and lots of it. So what are we going to prepare for the party?”
“It would be too much work for the two of us,” Summer said. “I think I’ll call the caterers.”
“Will you need my help?”
“No, but I would like you to attend as a guest. I know that Seamus would love that.”
And so a party was planned for the tenth of December. There were twelve invited guests, all Seamus’s friends whom Summer had met during the past two years. She invited the model Rachel, who now understood there was no place for her in Seamus’s life and accepted it. An invitation was sent to Fred Podesta, and Summer, trying to get the message across, addressed the invitation to Fred Podesta only.
“Do you think she will get the hint?” asked Millie.
“I wouldn’t put it past her to show up here, but if she knows what’s good for her, she will stay away.”
“That’s more like it. You tell her where to go,” said Millie, laughing loudly.
The invitations went out to the guests, and the two women became excited at the thought of seeing Seamus’s face on the night of his surprise party. One week before the big day, she called her friend Toby to remind him.
“May I bring someone?” he asked.
“Of course. You don’t have to ask me that. Who are you bringing?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise. Your mouth will water when you see him.”
“I can’t wait. I’m sure the suspense will kill me.”
“Please don’t do that. I really want you to meet him. How are you, Summer, and how are things with Seamus?”
“I have so much to tell you, Toby.”
“Why don’t we meet for lunch or something, where we can have a good old gossip?”
“That’s a good idea. You won’t believe what he did.
“Don’t tell me. What did he do this time?” Toby asked, expecting the worst.
“Nothing like that,” she replied. “Let’s meet tomorrow?”
“You are still punishing me, Summer,” said Seamus, staring hungrily at her.
“No, I am not,” she replied.
“Then why won’t you let me make love to you?”
“Think of it this way Seamus, when we do make love again, all the glass in this house will shatter to bits.”
“I can’t wait for that day, Summer. Millie is off tomorrow. Why don’t we start tonight? I love the sound of glass when it shatters,” he said, drawing close to her. “Should I ask George if he will be available?” he asked, laughing.
“Don’t rush me,” she said coldly.
“Sometimes I don’t understand you, Summer.”
She laughed.
“You don’t have to understand me, Seamus.”
“But I want to understand the woman I love,” he said.
“I think you understand me very well.”
“Would you go away with me for my birthday?” he asked.
“I forgot about your birthday, but I don’t want to go anywhere, Seamus. I would prefer to spend the time here with you and give you your gift here at home.”
“I can’t wait,” he said. “Am I allowed to guess what it is?”
“Go ahead,” she said. “You will never guess.”
He stood behind her and held her. All the talk about sex had really turned him on. He rubbed himself against her, and she could feel his hard prick moving against her thighs.
“Will this be a part of it?” he asked.
“Perhaps.”
“I love that. Can I have a small sample now?” he said, reaching in front of her and fondling her breasts.
“Just be patient,” she said.
“How much more can I take? How long am I expected to wait? It has been more than two weeks, Summer.”
“You are behaving like a child,” she said.
“It’s nice being a child,” he said, spinning her around and sucking her breasts through her blouse. “You want it as much as I do, don’t you?”
He hoisted her onto the kitchen counter and stood between her legs. He pushed his warm tongue into her mouth, and her body was consumed by mindless ecstasy.
“You’re tormenting me, Summer. I miss you,” he said, running his tongue over her lips.
She gasped.
“Let’s go to bed,” he said as the passion boiled in his loins. “I want you so much.”
He lifted her off the counter and led her to the upstairs bedroom. He was very nervous. He slowly unbuttoned her blouse, staring at her soft, supple skin. His hand moved under her bra and caressed her nipple. She groaned and placed her hand over his. The bra and the blouse soon lay at his feet as he attached his lips to her erect nipples. Every nerve in his body was on full alert as he continued to remove her clothing. Her gaze was hypnotic. Pushing her jeans down her legs, he delighted in the sight of her naked body, but was still very afraid to touch her. He started to kiss her ears and her eyes, and the trail continued down her body. Ripples of delight trickled through her as he squeezed her breasts together, his tongue taking turns titillating each nipple.
“So beautiful,” he said as he lay down beside her. “I just want to feel you and to touch you.
”
He ran his fingers gently between her legs and her body bucked. She could feel his erection lifting against her thigh and her body started to quiver. Even though she hadn’t allowed him to touch her for more than a month, she now realized how much she missed him and wanted him deep inside her throbbing sex.
“Let’s go upstairs,” she whispered.
“Where?” he asked.
“To the secret room,” she said, as her muscles closed tightly around his fingers.
It had been a long time since she had denied him access to her body, and he was afraid that once he touched her, he would come too quickly. He knew he had awakened her and a storm was quickly brewing inside her body. He was relieved that she had made the first move, and he was eager to please her.
“It’s your turn,” she said, passing the back of her hand over his erection.
“My turn for what?” he asked.
“Let’s go upstairs and I will show you,” she said.
He pulled her up from the bed, kissing her while his fingers caressed her wet pussy. They made their way up the stairs, through the studio, and into the once secret room. She sat down and beckoned him to her.
“Kneel and kiss me!”
She spread her legs, and he stared at her inviting sex. He pinned her legs to the sides of the chair, and she squirmed as his tongue circled her clit. Her body felt as if it were about to erupt. She squeezed her eyes shut as his tongue invaded her body and she groaned as if in agony.
“Suck me, Seamus. Love me,” she called out.
“I will love you all night,” he said, almost incomprehensibly.
He continued to devour her, taking her clit into his mouth. She slid down the chair, and he threw her legs on top of his shoulders. He stuck two fingers into her and she came loudly, calling out his name. In the heat of the moment, she squeezed her legs tightly around his neck, almost suffocating him.
“Let me go, Summer,” he said, wriggling out of her headlock.
She lay spent while he continued to assault her body. She opened her eyes and stared at him. They gazed at each other, neither one of them speaking, as he massaged her breasts.
“Stand!” she suddenly said, getting to her feet.
He followed her.
“Spread your legs.”
“What are you going to do?” he asked, hesitating before he complied with her instructions.