by Tiffani Lynn
“Okay, okay. I’m not going to leave you but they need to get to you. I’ll be right here so you can see me.”
I step to the side and let the paramedics do their thing before they finally shift her onto a gurney and stand. The one that was talking to Summer looks over to me. “You can ride over with us. We need her to remain calm until we get her on a fetal monitor, so you being there will help.”
I nod and follow them. I toss my keys to Cliff, one of the movie crew guys I’ve been talking to for the last two weeks, and ask him to bring it to me when I know where we are going. We head north on US-1 and find out en route that they don’t have care for high-risk pregnancies—which is what Summer is considered since she’s 43 years old—in the Keys so they will continue north to University of Miami Hospital.
Glancing down at Summer, I realize she’s heard the whole conversation and is now even more scared than before.
“Summer, listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. I need you to stay calm and strong for yourself and for this baby. You’re already such a good mom, I know you’ll do whatever it takes to protect you both.”
Tears slip from her eyes. “Tommy, I’m so scared.”
“Don’t be. It was hot, you probably just overheated. It’s all going to be okay, but please promise me you’ll think of something fun like the time you and Valerie put purple hair dye in my shampoo and I had to walk around for a week with purple hair. Or the time that Mike and I ruined your date sophomore year so you showed up to one of Mike’s and pretended to be his baby mama. You have a thousand of those memories, draw on those for now. Let’s try to think of every good time we had growing up together. They were some of the best times of my life. They got me through so many scary, lonely nights on deployment.”
“You were scared?” her voice trembles with the question.
“Of course I was. I was in some shitty situations that I wasn’t sure I was getting out of.”
“You’re always so strong. I forget that you’ve seen the worst stuff in the world. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me, too. Now, tell me how you got that purple hair dye in the bottle without me knowing. Was it you or Val who did that dirty deed?”
A final tear slips from her eyes and a little laugh sneaks out. “I got it in there, but Val had to talk me through it. I was making a mess. I was certain you’d walk in and find us with your shampoo bottle and purple smeared everywhere. It wasn’t just you we were targeting. We really wanted to get you and Mike, but your mom was so mad at us she made us clear it all out.”
I glance over at the paramedic who is running an IV line and he gives me a smile and a nod of encouragement.
“Tommy, are you gonna call Mike?”
“Of course. I just want to make sure you’re okay before I do. You’re my primary concern.” She nods like she understands and goes back to looking at the paramedic.
Her focus needs to be on me, not on what the guy next to her is doing. A quick squeeze to her hand gets her attention and I say, “Remember the night Mike and I put 15 frogs in the tent with you and Val when we were camping in North Carolina?”
That got her attention. Her eyes narrow on me. “I still can’t stand the sight of those things. I forgot all about that. We were just little girls. Y’all were so cruel!”
I can’t help but laugh. “At the time that was the name of the game. The boys irritate the girls and the girls irritate the boys. Y’all did your fair share of that. I’m pretty sure that was the same summer you caught Mike getting his first kiss and told Mom and Dad.”
She giggles lightly. “Well, I was a little jealous. There was no way I’d ever admit it and I wasn’t old enough to be kissing anyone anyway. I just knew I didn’t want some girl putting her lips on him. We thought if we told your parents, they would make it stop and we could go back to having fun instead of Mike spending half his days impressing that dumb girl.”
Using my fingers, I gently brush the hair away from her face. “I’m going to call Mike now. We know he’s going to freak out so just stay calm.”
Then I make the most dreaded phone call of my life to my brother, Mike. Summer is his whole world. He’s waited over 35 years to call her his and to start a family with her. Anything that threatens that dream is going to send him into a tailspin.
He picks up on the second ring. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“Don’t lose your mind. Summer’s okay, but she passed out at the end of the shoot and we’re on our way to University of Miami Hospital. She’s looking at me as I make this call. I’m in the ambulance with her on the way so she’s not alone.”
“Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Is she okay? You just said she was. Are you sure?”
“Yes. She’s going to be fine. She probably just overheated but she needs to see a doctor to make sure. Just let me know when your flight arrives. I’ll stay with her at the hospital until you get there. She’s going to be okay.”
“Can she talk? I need to hear her voice.”
“Yeah, of course,” I reassure him as I place the phone to her ear.
“I’m okay, honey. Tommy’s with me. Yes, I promise. Please be careful coming to Miami. I love you too.”
Summer nods and I take the phone back. “Mike, call me anytime, but I’m going to hang up for now. Just head this way. Love you, brother.”
He says the same and disconnects. It’s going to be a long night.
7
Simone
Luci and I haven’t done anything like this in ages and I’m so excited. She and I are complete opposites. She’s short to my tall. Curvy to my slender. Loud to my quiet. Sassy to my sweet. But she is my absolute best friend, my ride or die, the one person I can always count on. We used to go out all the time, especially when she started with this high-class law firm in Miami and got invites to all the big parties and functions. We loved getting all dolled up and strutting our stuff. Mostly we’d drink, flirt and dance until we were too tired to stand up anymore. Then we’d drag ourselves back to her place and sit on her couch in our pretty dresses and eat chips until the bags were empty.
After she met Titus at one of those functions, our outings settled down. We would still go out on occasion. He’s a professional baseball player so he’s out of town frequently, but I also have to juggle Gavin’s schedule, so these girly nights out are fewer and farther between.
When I come out of her guest room in my black wrap gown, I almost laugh out loud because my sassy little Latina friend is in a sequined, floor-length off-the-shoulder red gown that accentuates her beautiful hourglass figure in the best way. Leave it to her to shame all the women in Miami when we go out on the town. If Titus knew she was wearing that out without him he would blow a gasket.
“Holy cow! You look so sexy, chica! I’m guessing Titus hasn’t seen you in that dress or he’d have you locked in the closet until he comes home.”
“You aren’t so shabby yourself. He knows now. I sent him a selfie.” She winks and laughs. “Well, he shouldn’t be on a bachelor party weekend with his sleazy cousins in Atlanta if he’s that concerned about what I’m wearing.”
I laugh, because her sass is her gift and her curse. “I thought he was in New York for games.”
“Nope. He was there all week and flew to Atlanta for this bachelor party. He’ll be home on Sunday.”
We take an Uber to the crazy upscale venue where the gala is taking place. Paparazzi are crawling around the place like rats in the New York sewer, so that must mean the venue is going to be packed with celebrities. That always makes it fun. I’m not a fan girl by any means, but it’s fun sometimes to brush shoulders with the people who grace the covers of magazines, star in our favorite movies, and sing the songs we love.
We garner a little attention as we walk the red carpet, not because we’re famous, but because we are a striking pair entering together. We give each other a knowing smile and cross the threshold and through the doors held open by a man and a woman in tuxedos.
“Thank you,”
I say to the woman on my side. She nods.
We pass through the lobby where there are a few small groups milling around chatting. We head straight for the ballroom. The lights in the elegant ballroom are low. Tall, thin vases with round bouquets of white roses adorn the center of every table. Blush-colored tablecloths cover the tables while matching napkins are set at each spot. Elegant crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling in various places around the room, with one big one over the dance floor.
We follow the tables around the room until we find our seats. This is definitely one of the nicest events we’ve been to and I’m suddenly curious what this is for. Leaning in to whisper to Luci, I ask, “What is this for? I didn’t even think to ask.”
“Splish Splash Water Safety Foundation. They help provide drowning-prevention education and equipment to families and organizations all over Florida. Two couples—a professional athlete and his wife from here in Miami, and a movie star and her husband—both experienced the drowning deaths of their children and started this foundation four or five years ago. Their mission is so important, especially here in Florida with so much water around. Both couples are really nice.”
“Who is the movie star?” I ask, glancing around.
“Morgan Westover and her husband, Nick Landry. They’re both my clients.”
“Damn, girl, what else are you hiding from me?”
“I’m not hiding anything from you. They just end up being normal people to me and I forget that the rest of the world is clawing to get at them.”
“I’d never claw!” I gasp.
“Yeah, I know, but you aren’t everyone. Come on, I’ll introduce you. Grab that waiter with the tray of champagne. I need to loosen up a little.”
“That ain’t gonna happen in that dress, girl.” I laugh as I get the waiter’s attention.
“Ladies, can I offer you some champagne?”
We both take glasses and thank him. Then she searches the room and locks on to a small group standing near the dance floor. The room is filling up quickly now, so I know we will be taking our seats soon.
“Over there. Follow me.”
I follow behind, taking in all the beautiful gowns and handsome men in tuxedos.
When we approach, I recognize Morgan and Nick immediately. One of the two couples they are standing with looks familiar but I’m not sure where I know them from.
Morgan speaks first, a huge smile spreading across her face. “Luciana I’m so glad you could make it!” She leans in to give Luci a kiss on both cheeks before Nick does the same, murmuring, “So lovely to see you here.”
Before Luci can say another word, Morgan turns to the four people on her left. “You know Krista and Joey but I don’t think you’ve met Armond and Rudy.”
Luci shakes hands and exchanges greetings with them before turning to me. “This is my best friend since high school, Simone Sayer.” I go to shake hands with all of them and as I’m shaking Rudy’s hand, Krista gasps and excitedly flaps her hand in front of her.
“Simone Sayer? Like the author Simone Sayer?”
I blush a little. My name gets recognized a little more since they made a movie out of my book but it’s still not a household name.
“Yes, you’ve read one of my books?” I ask, guessing it’s the one the movie was made out of.
“Are you kidding? I’ve read them all. You’re a romantic genius! I love your books. They were one of the things that helped me get through when Matty died.”
My eyes tear up a little, sad to realize she’s the one who lost her son—something I’m not sure I could live through—but I’m also touched that my writing is what helped her get through that time in her life. Suddenly she passes her drink to her husband and pulls me in tight for a hug. It takes a second for me to catch up, but when I do, I hold her tight and she whispers in my ear. “Thank you for making the perfect stories for me to escape to.” Krista pulls away with a small smile and reaches back for her drink. Then she turns to Morgan. “I know you don’t read, but did you see the movie they made out of her book? It was called The Lovely Wings. It was good, but not nearly as good as the book.”
I laugh a little because I hear that a lot, but I don’t want to say anything offensive in front of actors since that is their livelihood.
Rudy speaks up about that time. “We didn’t read the book but the movie was fabulous! Please tell me there’s a sequel. We felt like there could be more with the sister. Is there?”
Luci takes a gulp of her champagne and flags down the waiter hanging nearby to get us all new glasses and then answers for me. “I said the same thing, and yes, there is! Same director, same production company. She signed the paperwork a couple weeks ago. Can you tell I’m proud?” She laughs at herself and we all laugh along. After that, conversation flows easily for the next 15 minutes until Nick finally says, “Well, we’d better have a seat so we can get this thing started. We have a few awards, a few grants to give away, and a lot of drinking and dancing to do.”
We all return to our seats and out of the corner of my eye I see a familiar figure. I turn around further, hoping to get a better look. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I grumble, catching Luci’s attention.
“What? What’s going on? Who do you see?”
“Shit,” I mumble. I didn’t tell her about the one-night stand or the date from hell. I mean, she was the one I texted for safety precaution before entering the hotel room, but I never filled her in more on what exactly happened there. She’s been dying for that information. I won’t be able to avoid telling her now, but I’m going to try.
“Nothing.”
“Damn, who is that tall drink of broad-shouldered water?” Luci asks, staring right at Thomas Wade, who is following behind a very well-known supermodel. Of course he’s on a date with a freaking supermodel while I’m on a date with my best friend. Ugh. How embarrassing. Why can’t I be here with some super-hot guy who is so into me it makes everyone around us sick?
“No one,” I say, not making eye contact with her.
“Oh good. I’m going to go talk to him. Titus and I have been talking about a split for a while and that would be a nice rebound.” She smiles and scoots her chair out. Jealousy hot and wild whips through my system in a way I’ve never felt before. “No!” I smack my hand on her knee to hold her in place and she laughs out loud before scooting back in.
“Okay, who is he?” Her conspiratorial whisper just irritates me more. My crazy best friend was baiting me.
“I’ll tell you later. I don’t want anyone to overhear this. So just wait,” I huff as I adjust my napkin in my lap for the third time so I have something to focus on besides her evil grin.
“Fine, we’re going to the ladies’ room sometime soon for you to give me at least a brief rundown about this. I bet it’s good because you’re really pissed right now.”
Groaning, I nod that yes, I will tell her the basics in a little while. I don’t want to. It was so much better when my humiliation was my own. Right now, the only people who probably know about the date from hell are Summer and Mike, which makes it easier to pretend it didn’t happen.
I glance back one more time and realize he stepped away from the table and is standing back near the wall instead of sitting in the empty seat next to his date. That’s weird. Maybe things are already going south. I can’t seem to help the little bit of happiness at that thought. Damn, I’m such a bitch. I really should be happy he’s found a beautiful woman to date. If I could forget the way his hands felt on my skin, both rough and reverent, or the way his eyes held mine as he moved inside me, like there was no one else in the whole world he’d rather have under him, this may be easier. Ugh. I need to quit. My core is simmering just thinking about it. If I could better remember the details of him being a total jerk while we were on our dinner date that would help.
For the next hour I do my best to ignore him until the breathtaking model he’s here with is announced and he escorts her to the stage, standing off to the side while she
goes to the microphone.
Nick and Morgan join her onstage. The model—I now know as Natalia—has a European accent that adds to her sexy allure and it’s all I can do not to shoot nasty daggers at her with my eyes. When did I become so immature? I’m being ridiculous.
“I’m here tonight to support Splish Splash because it holds a special place in my heart.” She aims a sad smile at a blond woman at her table and the woman touches her chest above her heart and blows her a kiss. “I, too, have lost a loved one to drowning and am committed to helping so others may not have to face what my family has. Tonight, it’s my honor to present a check for $10,000 to Jessica and Sean Barnes of the Cayla’s Coats Foundation.”
A picture of a blond-haired little girl in a yellow dress holding a teddy bear comes up on the screen and a couple in their late twenties or early thirties joins the group on stage. Suddenly I can’t see through the tears that have filled my eyes. The next picture on the screen is of two boys that look almost like the girl, with wide smiles, holding a picture of sweet little Cayla. The third is of a life jacket station with Shawn and Jessica and the two blond boys smiling broadly.
Jessica, the mother, adjusts the microphone so she can speak since she’s a good foot shorter than the model who preceded her. She adjusts her glasses and clears her throat.
“We’re the face of accidental drowning. We are the result of a horrific moment that changed our lives. After we pulled ourselves out of the heavy grief that consumed us, we started Cayla’s Coats. We’ve worked countless hours to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family. Thank you so much for this generous donation. Because we live in Citrus County, a small community away from the big city, we often get forgotten, but we have lakes, rivers, access to the Gulf of Mexico, natural springs and pools throughout our area and plenty of families that need to know water safety and learn how to swim and float. This generous donation will help with our mission. Thank you so much!”