Summer
I was having the best time.
The night hadn’t gone at all like I’d expected when I’d gotten ready and left my apartment. In fact, it was even better.
Noah was obviously in his comfort zone. He was smiling, laughing, and dancing his heart out. It was super sweet and a completely different side of him. He was confident in his skin and his skills, and it was well-founded.
At first when he’d asked me to dance the two-step to a slow song, I’d been game, but a little nervous. I didn’t want to embarrass myself by stepping on his feet or stumbling around, but the second his hands touched my body, I’d relaxed.
He was a strong leader and had maneuvered me around the dance floor effortlessly.
I had to admit, it was extremely sexy.
His natural prowess, coupled with the feel of his large, strong hands on me, had made the dance an intensely arousing experience.
Plus, it was fun. Line dancing, two-stepping, and talking over drinks at the bar.
“This is one of the best dates I’ve been on in forever,” I told him happily as we both threw back some water in an effort to stay hydrated. “Maybe ever.”
Noah’s smile was pleased, and I thought his cheeks may have even pinked a bit at my admission.
“Me, too,” he replied sweetly, making my heart turn over in my chest. “You’re really easy to be around.”
“You sound surprised.”
He gave a half shrug and said, “Well, in my limited experience, women like you…”
“Yes?” I prodded when he didn’t finish his thought.
“I don’t want to offend you.”
“You won’t,” I assured him. “I have a pretty thick skin.”
“Why’s that?” Noah asked, his gaze curious.
“Are you avoiding answering?”
He chuckled and said, “Busted. No, I was going to say, women who look like you are often high maintenance and wouldn’t necessarily look at me, and a date like this, and feel satisfied with their choice. Sorry,” he added with a wince.
I laughed easily.
“That’s not offensive at all. Believe me, I have been around plenty of women like that, but I’m not like that. I like to say, I’m the exception to the rule … you can’t judge me by my cover.”
The worry cleared and he nodded.
“I like that a lot,” he said. “Now, I answered … your turn.”
I looked up at him and nodded, then asked, “Want to grab a table? I would kill for some fries right now.”
“Sure.” He grabbed our drinks off of the bar and led me back to the dining area and grabbed the last free table.
Once we were seated and the harried server took our order, fries for me and a burger and fries for Noah, I answered his question.
“I’d say my thick skin is two-fold. I won’t go into too much detail, because I don’t want to ruin what has so far been a super-fun night.” When he nodded, I continued, “I had an older sister, who I don’t remember. She died when I was three … she needed surgery and there was a complication at the hospital … anyway, the next year my father left. He couldn’t deal with the loss of my sister and my mom’s subsequent depression. I haven’t seen him since, and my mom never really got over it, so it felt like I raised her more than she raised me.” I lifted a shoulder and thanked the server for my fries. Once I’d drowned them in ketchup, I picked one up and took a bite. “Yum!”
“I’m so sorry. That’s a lot to go through at such a young age,” Noah said kindly as he dressed his burger.
“Luckily, I had Helen, my mom’s best friend since high school. She was the one who took me back-to-school shopping and talked to me about boys. She’s the reason I fell in love with fashion. I manage her boutique … I guess you could say she was more of a mom to me than my own mother, although I’d never tell my mom that.”
“It’s good you had someone. I’d hate to think of you basically growing up alone.”
“It wasn’t all bad,” I said, suddenly feeling guilty for talking about my mother. “My mom had good days and it’s not her fault her heart was broken.”
Noah nodded, and I think he could sense my guilt and that I didn’t want to talk about my childhood anymore, because he asked, “What’s the second part?”
I sighed, knowing this part often made me look like a bad person, but decided I wanted to be a hundred percent honest with Noah. I really liked him so far, and if he had any chance of getting to see if he felt the same, he needed to know the truth.
“When I was in my mid-twenties, after college, when I was just starting out with Helen, I met Jared. He was older … twenty-years older and seemed to have it all. He was lavish with his attention, and gifts, and he really swept me off my feet. I fell head over heels in love and then when we were on vacation in the south of France, he told me he was married. I was devastated. Not only because he lied, but because he’d made me into a cheater, something I’d sworn to never be. He assured me he was leaving her and that he loved me and wanted to marry me…”
Noah nodded, but I wondered if the look on his face meant I’d lost some of my sparkle in his eyes.
“And he did. Divorce her and marry me … so I convinced myself it was all okay, since we were in love. Sure, I got the look from his friends and their wives called me Jared’s trophy wife, but I thought it would work. Then he told me he didn’t want to have more children. His kids with his ex-wife were now adults and he didn’t want to start over. I was devastated, but loved him, so, I figured I’d get over it. Then he did the same thing to me he’d done to his ex … cheated, divorced me, and married her. Now they’re having a baby.”
I took a sip of my fresh margarita and looked at him to see his reaction. I hoped he wasn’t disgusted.
“Wow,” he said after a few beats. “That’s a lot. I can understand why you’d have thick skin after everything you’ve been through.”
“Thanks. And I know it’s like against first date rules to talk about your ex, but I wanted to be upfront and honest with you. I really like you, Noah, and I hope you’ll like me too, even after hearing about all my baggage.”
Noah’s lips turned up. “Everyone has baggage, Summer. It doesn’t reflect negatively on you, it’s simply what happened to make you into the woman you are today.”
“What’s your baggage?”
He chuckled and said, “Well, embarrassingly enough, I guess I don’t really have any. My parents are still together. They’re both retired. My dad was a professor, like me, and my mom was a curator. My younger brother, Charles, is married and has a baby. I love my work and my family and friends. I guess you could say the fact that I’m still single, even though I’ve always wanted a family, would be the only downside in my life.”
“So, no skeletons then?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“That’s okay. I probably have enough for both of us,” I joked.
We finished our food and decided to call it a night, since it was already after one in the morning.
Noah walked me to my car, and I had a feeling he was going to be a perfect gentleman and not move in for a kiss.
Since my body was still all a-tingle from being in close proximity and being in his arms most of the night, and I loved kissing more than almost anything in the world, I decided to take control of the situation and go for what I wanted.
When he was about to turn to go, I touched his arm to stop him, then launched myself at him. It was a bit like scaling a tree, but once I got my arms around his neck, he helped me out by dipping his head down.
His lips were full and soft, and when they parted and our mouths were fused, magic happened. It was everything I loved about kissing all at once. Soft, warm, excited, and full of spark.
I let a soft moan of pleasure loose, which seemed to be all the encouragement Noah needed. He deepened the kiss, his hands coming to my ass to grab and lift, until my legs were around his waist, and I was braced back against my car.
Ohhhh,
it was fabulous. Sweet turned hot, with a lot of grinding in between.
It went on a deliciously long time, until Noah eventually broke away and gently placed me back on my feet.
“Goodnight,” I said dreamily.
He looked a little stunned, but managed to say, “Drive safe,” before walking in a zig-zag pattern back to his car.
A laugh escaped my lips as I got in my car and drove home, and I didn’t stop smiling until I fell asleep.
Maybe not even then.
10
Noah
“Dear, can you take out the drink cart? Your father asked me, but I need to take these tartlets out of the oven.”
“Sure,” I said, crossing the kitchen to open the door to the butler’s pantry. It was the third Sunday of the month, which meant my parents’ monthly book club meeting. I stopped by when I could, and when they were discussing a book I’d read, which was most of the time.
I pushed the stocked cart out into the formal living room, where my father and his friends were gathered. As soon as they saw me enter, they attacked, as if the bourbon was a fresh kill and they a pack of feral animals.
I got out of the way as fast as possible and went back into the kitchen to help my mother.
It was often the case that while my father was sneaking outside to smoke cigars in between book points, my mother and I would stay in the kitchen and drink tea. I’d always been close with both of my parents, but my mother and I had a special bond.
“Need help with anything else?” I asked as she plated the tarts.
“You can put the sandwiches on the tiered serving stand.”
I moved to the cupboard with the platters and serving dishes and pulled out the stand, then began piling the cut sandwiches on it.
“So, how was your week? Anything exciting happen at work?” she asked as we worked.
“Not really, just the usual,” I said, mentally debating whether or not I should bring up my date with Summer. I didn’t date often, and when I did, I usually told my parents about it. They never got too overbearing about it, like I’d seen some parents do … always asking when their kids would get married and give them grandchildren, even before Charles checked those boxes.
They were simply interested in my life, and I enjoyed discussing everything with them.
But for some reason talking about Summer felt different. Important somehow. And I was uncharacteristically nervous about bringing her up.
We took the food to the living room and arranged it neatly on the oversized antique coffee table. The guys knew to wait until my mother had arranged everything to her liking and got out of the way, before they pounced.
The room was filled with their excited chatter as we exited.
Once we were back in the kitchen, my mother picked up a serving tray filled with snacks and tea for us and took it to the breakfast nook.
When we were both seated and she began serving the tea, she gave me a pointed look and asked, “Well, are you ready to tell me what’s on your mind?”
I brought my eyes to hers, unsurprised by her intuition and forthrightness.
“I met a woman,” I began, pausing because I was still uncertain what exactly I wanted to say … or admit.
“How lovely,” she said as she added two lumps of sugar to her tea. “Did you meet her at the university?”
“No, actually,” I said with a chuckle. “It’s this convoluted story about a dating app Trent signed me up for and a chance meeting at a bar. A meet-cute if you will.”
“Oh, I love that. What’s she like?”
I picked up a fruit tart, my favorite, and thought about Summer.
“Summer is … well, as her name implies,” I began, picturing her as I spoke. “She’s warm, bright, and smells just like she’s been sun kissed. She gives every indication of having a good, kind heart, and she’s quick to smile.”
“You’re smiling now,” my mom said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What?”
“While you’re talking about her. I’ve never seen you smile in quite that way,” she said, her own lips turning up as she observed, “You’re smitten.”
“What?” I asked with an embarrassed laugh. “No, I’m not … I’m not a schoolgirl, after all. I simply find her attractive and enjoy her company.”
“Hmmm, I don’t know. That’s a new expression on you. I hope we’ll get to meet her…”
That had me blinking as visions of Summer left and I took in my mother’s steady gaze.
“I’ve only recently met her myself. We’re not anywhere near the meeting each other’s parents’ stage, if we ever get there,” I protested.
“Why wouldn’t you?” she asked.
“Well, for one thing it’s been ages since I was serious about anyone enough to bring them to family functions.” My mother nodded in agreement. “And for another, she’s different than any woman I’ve ever dated. I’m not sure she’d want to end up with a guy like me, but I’m going to enjoy being with her for as long as I can.”
“That doesn’t sound like you. You’re a wonderful man and any woman would be extremely lucky to end up with you as a husband. It’s also not fair to Summer. It seems you’re labeling her and putting her in a box on a shelf, when you should be open to giving the relationship a chance and seeing where it goes.”
“Mom, she’s gorgeous. Like, out-of-this-world, supermodel gorgeous,” I said, inadvertently smiling again as her likeness popped back in my mind. “She’s in fashion and has a car that costs more than I make annually.”
“I’m an artist who fell in love with a professor, and I made more than your father,” she said, arching an eyebrow at me like she did when she thought I was being foolish. “Opposites attract, you know, and often make the best partners. What do you have in common?”
“Not our families, or the way we were brought up. Not our past relationships … I don’t know, we don’t know everything about each other. But we do both want to have a family, get married and have kids.”
“That’s a great start.”
Eager to change the subject to something besides me and Summer, I asked, “So, what about you? Anything fun happen this week?”
She shot me a look that said she knew what I was doing, but her face blossomed as she said, “I watched Suzy yesterday. It was glorious.”
Perfect. There was nothing my mother loved more than talking about her only grandchild. I was sure she’d regale me with tales of baby smiles and all of Suzy’s stunning attributes until it was time for me to join the men for a rousing discussion of John Grisham’s novel.
11
Summer
Noah hadn’t been lying, he wasn’t much of a texter.
After a few failed attempts to reach him that way, I’d finally bit the bullet and called him. He’d answered on the first ring, and we’d talked well into the night. Since then, I’d made it a habit to give him a call every few days. It didn’t always result in a long conversation, sometimes just a quick hello, but in doing so I’d been able to suggest another date, this time lunch during the week.
We’d both been really busy with work and other obligations, so hadn’t been able to get together any other time. And after the way we’d left things, I’d been dying to see him again and see if our chemistry had been a fluke, or if we’d still have it in the light of day.
I’d agreed to meet him at a place by the university, since his break was shorter than mine, and had been waiting at a table by the window. I was so excited to see him again, I’d arrived about fifteen minutes early.
As I usually did whenever I had extra time, I’d pulled out my sketchbook and began to draw to pass the time.
I’d started fooling around with a few ideas I had for Whitney’s wedding dress and had about a dozen pages so far. I knew she didn’t want anything elaborate, so I’d been playing with simple lines, going for elegant and a variety of tones ranging from eggshell to an elegant champagne.
“Oh, no, am I late?” Noah said, his words coming o
ut in a rush as he sat across from me. “I was helping a student … I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
I put down my pencil and shut my book before looking up at him with an easy smile. I drank him in as I took in his face. He was really so handsome, and I loved the way he brushed his hair off of his forehead as he got settled.
“You’re right on time,” I assured him.
“Good, good,” he replied, seeming ruffled over my beating him to the restaurant. “I’d hate to think I kept you.”
“It’s good to see you,” I said, hoping to ease his worry.
Noah took a breath, and after his gaze landed on my face, he seemed to settle.
“You, too. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to get together before this, but as we near finals, the students in all of my classes start to panic.” Noah chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. “Everyone wants extra study sessions and makeup work and I do my best to accommodate them.”
“That’s very sweet of you. I’m sure most professors wouldn’t be so understanding.”
“Well, I want them to succeed. They’re paying good money to take my classes and I want to do everything possible to help them. Sure, there are those who don’t put in the time or effort to do well, and there’s really nothing I can do for them. But if there’s a student who is willing to put in the time and do the work, then I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
He’s so wonderful, I thought as he took glasses out of his pocket and put them on before picking up his menu.
I mimicked the movement, trying not to notice how sexy he looked in those glasses.
I’d already perused the menu and knew what I wanted, but if I didn’t do something, I’d sit there staring at him like a lovesick puppy, and I didn’t want to do that. As soon as we put our menus down, the server came over to take our orders and then left us to go and put them in.
“What do you have there?” Noah asked, nodding toward my sketchbook as he shrugged out of his jacket.
“Oh,” I started, putting my hand protectively over the cover. “It’s just my sketchbook.”
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