One Hot Summer

by Heidi McLaughlin

  I went to the diner, sitting patiently in the corner booth no one liked. It was somewhat hidden and closer to the kitchen, the smell of the grease from the fryer lingering in the air. The old air conditioner that hung over the door didn’t have the force it needed to reach this far into the room, so it was warmer than the rest of the place and the booth was usually empty.

  Lucky me.

  From my vantage point, I watched Sunny in the diner, filling coffee, scooping ice cream, always smiling and friendly.

  She was so pretty. Her hair was caught up in a high ponytail, the bright strawberry-blonde gleaming under the artificial light. Despite her lack of height, you noticed her. Her smile and laughter, the kindness she treated everyone with.

  She approached my booth, a mischievous grin pulling up one corner of her mouth and her eyes dancing.

  “Hey, Lincoln. Didn’t expect to see you in here today.”

  I winked. “Sunny-girl. I was hungry.” I eyed the way her uniform stretched over her high, tight tits, and the short skirt showed off her tanned legs. I wasn’t hungry for food, but she knew that.

  She set down the menu and glanced behind her. The diner wasn’t overly busy at the moment, mostly filled with locals sitting around, sipping coffee, and gossiping. There was no one sitting close, so she leaned in and kissed me swiftly, then sat across from me.

  “Hi,” she whispered.

  “Hi.”

  “Are you okay?” She frowned. “Was your dad at you again?”

  I passed a hand over my face. “How can you tell?”

  “You always get those lines on your forehead when you’re upset. And your dad always upsets you.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She bent closer, her eyes troubled. “Did he-did he hurt you?”

  “No.”

  The bell over the door chimed, and she stood. “I’ll be back. I get my break in ten minutes, and we’ll talk.”

  My thoughts drifted to the last time my father and I’d had words.

  His fist slammed into my ribs, stopping my breath and causing agonizing pain to ripple through my body. He knew exactly how to hit. To cause me pain without permanent damage, and where to hit so that no one could see.

  “I told you to drop the fucking tart. She has no place in your life.”

  I was on my knees, gasping for air, my mind racing.

  I had fucked up and bought Sunny flowers on my credit card. She’d been having a bad day, and I wanted to do something to make her smile. I’d even had them delivered, remembering she had told me once she’d never been sent flowers.

  My father saw the charge on the card and traced it.

  And now I was taking the punishment.

  He grabbed my hair and lifted my head. The anger on his face was frightening.

  “Drop her, or I will drive her out of town. Her entire family. Got it? Some gold digger who has convinced you she likes you for anything but my money isn’t going to fuck up my plans.”

  Another punch landed, and I was out cold. When I woke up, I was alone.

  It was Sunny who saw the bruises. Sunny made me tell her what happened. She listened with a horrified expression and decided we needed to break up.

  “I’m not worth that,” she sobbed. “Someone needs to stop him.”

  I held her arms, refusing to let her go. “No one can stop him, Sunny. I’m not giving you up. But I’m afraid,” I admitted. “Afraid of what he’d do to you.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t leave me, Sunny. Don’t make me go back to being alone again.”

  She threw her arms around my neck. “I don’t want to.”

  “We’ll have to be more careful. I can’t risk you.”

  She sniffled, and I held her face in my hands.

  “One day, we won’t have to hide. I promise.”

  Her kiss said it all.

  Since then, we’d been so cautious that at times it felt as if we were strangers barely acknowledging each other in town. We sought out private moments, hiding in deserted places. I lived for the hours when we were alone together.

  She returned, carrying a strawberry shake and a piece of pie which I knew were for me. I shook off my dark thoughts. I wasn’t allowed ice cream or sweets at home, so I always got them when I was with her. She set them in front of me and returned a moment later with a sandwich and coffee for herself.

  “Tell me,” she said between bites.

  I told her what occurred. But instead of her looking disappointed, I was surprised when her eyes lit up.

  “Did you hear what I said? I won’t be at the shelter this summer. I’ll barely see you.” I let my fork fall to the plate. “I was hanging on to this. Looking forward to it, and now he’s fucked it all.”

  “Language,” she chided.

  I ignored her. “He somehow constantly finds a way to make me fucking miserable.”

  “Well, he failed this time.”

  “Care to explain that to me? I was going to be right around the corner at the shelter. I could come in here every day and see you since he would be in the city. Now, I’m going to be stuck five miles away at the fucking camp.”

  She leaned forward, her smile never fading. If anything, it got brighter. After another glance over her shoulder, she slid her hand toward mine, entwining our fingers. “I have my own news.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Tell me.”

  “I’m working at the camp too.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “What?”

  She nodded, looking excited. “I’m going to be working in the kitchen.”

  “What about your sisters? Who will watch them?”

  She smiled, although her eyes were sad. “My grandmother’s estate was finally settled. She didn’t have much, but there was a little money left over when it was done.” I nodded for her to continue, squeezing her fingers fast. Her grandmother had been a special person to Sunny, and when she died a year ago, it had hit her hard. Sunny still became emotional when talking about her.

  “So,” she continued, “my mom and I talked, and she decided she was going to send the girls to summer camp. She wants them to have a good summer after the last couple of years. She knew how much I wanted to work there, and she spoke with Gerry—the guy who runs it. It turned out he was looking for another body, so I went and saw him, and I got the job. Harry said I’d still have a job in the fall part time again.” She peeked over her shoulder. “Things aren’t great here, and he can’t really afford me full time this year. His daughter is taking more shifts to help out, and the grocery store hours are being cut back too, so I really needed this to happen.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because you would want to help or give me money, and I don’t need that from you, Linc. I just need you to be Linc. My mom and I would have figured something out.” Then she grinned. “But look how it’s all worked out!”

  Her smile was infectious, and I felt my own grow. “So, you’ll be there too?” I asked, feeling the weight of my father’s words lifting away.

  She nodded. “Six weeks away from this town and all the people here? Without a doubt.”

  Still, I felt a flash of hurt. “You were going to take the job, and you didn’t tell me?”

  She laughed, shaking her head. “I was going to talk to you about it. But when I spoke with Gerry the other day, he said he was getting an assistant. He mentioned the name Lincoln, and I knew there couldn’t be two of you around with that name. Plus, he said your father’s company was sponsoring the camp this year, so I was sure. I said yes right away. I figured you’d be coming and going, but at least we’d see each other in the daytime.”

  “No, my father says I’m staying there.” I barked out a low laugh that was bitter. “I guess he figured it was less he had to see of me, while still keeping tabs on what I was doing.”

  Sunny smiled, looking guilty. “Is it wrong I’m excited at the thought of sharing a cabin with girls my age and not my sisters?” Then she giggled. It was one of my most favorite sounds in the world.
“And now I know you’ll be there all the time? This is perfect.”

  A glimmer of excitement lit my belly and I grinned. “Yeah. He wants me home every Sunday to ‘report in,’ as he calls it, but other than that, I’m free.” It had been the only good piece of news he had given me when he informed me how I would be spending my summer.

  “See?” Sunny smiled, the expression lighting her entire face. “It’s actually great.”

  I hunched over the table. “I wish I could kiss you.”

  “Tonight. Our spot.”

  Our spot.

  The deserted camping ground not far from where Sunny lived. Easy for her to get to, and a place no one would ever look for me. We’d walk through the woods and sit by the water’s edge. Our favorite thing was to build a small fire and sit and talk for hours. On rainy or cold nights, we’d sit in my car. We could be us there with no one watching.

  I winked. “Looking forward to it.”

  2

  Linc

  I pulled away from Sunny’s mouth, my breathing hard. The same with my dick. It was always hard when we were close.

  The day had turned cloudy, the skies dark and the rain intermittent. My car was a warm, private place, and we were taking full advantage of it.

  Sunny’s eyes were clouded with desire, her lips swollen from mine. She followed my movements, her face staying close.

  “More, baby.”

  I groaned. Making out with her was, by far, my favorite thing to do. But we hadn’t gone much further. The back seat of my Honda wasn’t overly roomy, and I didn’t want our first time to be rushed and cliché. There was a lot of touching, groping, fondling, and kissing, but nothing else.

  “I can’t,” I moaned as her tongue traced a path up my neck. “Sunny, you have to stop.”

  I shouted as she ran her hand down my torso and pressed her hand to my cock that was straining against my jeans.

  “I could make you feel good. Let me.”

  She’d been demanding more every time we were together. I couldn’t resist her. I didn’t want to resist her.

  “Only if you let me too.”

  Straddling my thighs, she was every fantasy I had ever had, hovering over me. The sunroof allowed the dim moonlight to filter into the back of the car as the clouds lifted. Sunny’s hair was rumpled from my hands, falling in masses of messy waves down her back. Her loose T-shirt hung off her shoulders, the strap of her camisole pushed away by my eager hands. I loved her soft skin. How it tasted under my tongue. Felt under my touch. I wanted to feel all of it. All of her.

  She bit her lip, then nodded. I pulled her back to my mouth.

  In seconds, we were a mass of fingers and lips. Her tongue on mine was sweet and soft. The sound of my zipper being pulled down was loud in the car—the metal teeth opening, her fingers fumbling on the button, and then the feel of her hand wrapped around my dick. I groaned at the sensation. It was so different from my own hand. Softer, more hesitant.

  Better.

  She began to stroke me. Gently.

  “Harder, Sunny.” I wrapped my hand around hers. “Like this,” I whispered, my cock jumping as she worked me. “Yes. Like that.”

  Our mouths fused together again. Bravely, I ran my hand up the back of her leg, slipping it between her thighs and finding the sweet secret they hid. I dipped my finger inside of her, finding it slick and ready.

  “Fuck, baby, you’re so soft. So wet.”

  “I always am for you.”

  Her words made me harder. Her hand around my dick made me frantic. The feel of her on my fingers made me want more. All of her.

  But for now, I would settle for this. I knew we were both virgins. Learning each other for the first time. I wanted to make it good for her.

  Her hand wrapped around my cock ensured it would be good for me.

  The car filled with low gasps and moans. The windows began to steam up. I stroked and teased, finding her clit and rolling it, listening to her reactions and trying to respond to them. I sank one finger inside her, still playing with her clit. She gasped and stroked me faster, rocking against my hand. Our lips met in long, wet kisses, our tongues deep in each other’s throat. She moved faster. Gripped me harder. My balls began to tighten, and I dropped my head to her shoulder.

  “Not gonna last,” I managed to grit out.

  She gasped suddenly, arching over me, her body taut. I fucking swear I saw stars as my own orgasm shot through me, and I came all over her hand, thrusting hard and not caring.

  She collapsed on top of me, her warm weight welcome. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

  “Holy fuck,” I breathed.

  She slapped my chest. “Language.”

  I pushed her heavy hair away from her face. “I didn’t expect that.”

  She lifted her head, meeting my gaze. “Me either, but it felt right.” She grinned. “In fact, it felt fucking awesome.”

  I burst out laughing at her curse. She rarely ever swore, and if she did it was something mild like hell or damn. Hearing her say fuck was sexy. In fact, it got me hard again. Her lying on top of me didn’t help.

  She glanced at me, arching an eyebrow. I shrugged. “What do you expect? I’m seventeen, and you just gave me the best orgasm I’ve ever had. Of course, I want more.”

  “More than my hand?”

  “I know we’re not ready for that. But whatever you want to give me, I’ll take.”

  She smiled, tracing my jaw with her finger. “Just think, Linc. We have all summer. A whole summer of this. Of us.”

  I grabbed her, kissing her hard. “Yeah. All summer.”

  I braced my foot against the bottom of the deck and pulled at the rotted stump. It finally gave way, and I fell back into the dirt with a groan. I pushed the offending mass of roots and wood off me and stood, dusty, hot, and happier than I had felt in ages. I pulled off my shirt and wiped my face.

  A throat clearing made me look up. Gerry Braun stood, his arms folded over his chest, studying me. I had been at the camp for three days and worked my ass off. This was no cushy assistant’s job. This was a do-whatever-has-to-be-done job, and although I was sure my father thought he was punishing me, I loved it.

  Gerry approached, holding out a bottle of water. I accepted and downed it in long swallows, then pushed the sweaty hair off my forehead.

  Silently, he handed me a brown bag and I looked inside, grateful to see a thick sandwich and an apple. I sat down on the steps and began eating. Gerry sat next to me, placing another bottle of water on the steps beside me.

  “Stay hydrated.”

  I nodded around a mouthful of ham. His wife was a stellar cook, and I was going to enjoy eating this summer. If all my work was like this, I would burn it off fast and my father would never know.

  “I’m almost done here, then I’ll replace those rotted boards of the dock.” I wadded up the wax paper and pulled out the apple, taking a huge bite.

  Gerry turned and faced me. “I owe you an apology, kid.”

  I swallowed before answering him. “Sorry, sir?”

  He laughed gruffly, shaking his head. He pushed his ballcap back and sighed.

  “The camp’s been struggling the last couple years. When your father made the offer to sponsor it and give us some money, I was suspicious.” He side-eyed me. “I know he wants this land.”

  I didn’t deny it. My father had ordered me to keep my eyes open and “find the weaknesses” at the camp.

  “I want to find out what he needs, what makes him vulnerable, and make him an offer he can’t refuse,” he instructed. “Find it and tell me.”

  My father’s words hadn’t surprised me. He didn’t do anything out of generosity, so I knew he would have a hidden agenda for having me here. Aside from creating space between Sunny and me.

  I shrugged. “I don’t plan on helping him with that goal, sir.”

  He nudged my shoulder. “Knock it off with the sir shit. It’s Gerry.”

  I smiled and finished my apple. “Okay, Ge
rry.” I leaned back against the step, and he mimicked my action.

  “I thought you were going to be a lazy, rich little SOB. A brat I was going to have to babysit who would spend the summer lying on the dock and bothering my counselors.”

  I started to laugh. “I don’t blame you.”

  “You’re all right, kid. You’re a hard worker.” He laughed. “The list I gave you were things I haven’t been able or wanted to do myself. Hard, messy shit that, frankly, should have taken you a week, if not more. You’ve knocked it out in three days, and not once have you complained.”

  I looked around. “What’s to complain about? I get to work outside, your wife’s cooking is incredible, and I can eat all I want. I can swim in the lake or the pool and go to sleep when I feel like it.” I couldn’t help but tease him. “Although a bed would be more welcome than a cot in the office.”

  He stared at me for a moment. “You sound as if you’re tired of being told what to do, kid.”

  “I am. I like it here. I work and get rewarded.”

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah, about that. Your father insisted I direct deposit your pay to an account he gave me.”

  I wasn’t surprised. I had to account for every dollar I spent. Every week, I handed over my journal of expenses and receipts. He would top up the cash I was allowed to have on hand and then give me back my credit card. I never had more than a hundred dollars in my pocket or less than twenty. It wasn’t that he felt I should have the money, but he kept up the image of being a good father and provider. That he cared for his son’s well-being and looked after him. He also refused to have his son look anything but well-off. It was all a sham, but I liked to spend his money. It was the only retribution I had.

  Thank god my father thought I was an airhead who smoked dope (no such thing as a receipt for weed), got the munchies (explained all the bills from the diner and grocery store when I visited Sunny), and bought a lot of condoms (an easy cover for treats I got for the girls at the drugstore). Whatever extra I could skim went to much better use than sitting in his bank account. I slipped tens and fives into Sunny’s wallet and dropped twenties into drawers at her mother’s. I was sure they were on to me, but they let it alone. I think they knew how important it was to me to help look after them. They looked after me in return.