Always Summer (39 page)

Summer.

I was lying
on my right side, and had a pillow between my legs preventing the cramps and
knee rubbing that I hated having; I had another pillow under my right arm,
supporting my torso and heavy breasts... and then there were the two pillows
under my head supporting my fatigued brain inside my tired skull.
 
Blake was using the handheld vibrating
massager he gave me for Christmas on my lower back.
 
It made me smile... anyone outside the
bedroom hearing the hum of the device may confuse it with a vibrator used for
sexual purposes; coupled with my groans and moans, they’d definitely think we
were in the process of something a little naughty.
 
I began to giggle.

“What are
you laughing at?” Blake asked behind me.

I told him
and he laughed to.

“You have a
dirty mind... not everyone thinks like you do.” He reasoned, chuckling.

“Yeah...
right... aha!” I said sarcastically.

“I’m glad
you do though.” He said huskily, up close to my ear.

I’d gotten
rather uncomfortable and large... most people were shocked that I was having
twins, since they reckoned I was about as big as a single pregnancy, but since
I had an extra thirty-five pounds on my frame, and all around the middle
section, I felt like a blimp.
 
This had
caused some serious changes in our sex life.
 
I was astounded that Blake still found me attractive... not that I was
complaining... I was horny right up until a couple of weeks ago... but now I
was just
tired,
cramp ridden and sore.
 
This last week had merged into a no go for
strenuous sex... I had kind of put a stop to anything past heavy petting, and
blow jobs.

I could
feel Blake’s hand snake around my hip and reach down to the front of my
panties.

“One for
the road?” he whispered in my ear.
 
I
felt my smile spreading across my face at the same time I felt his fingers
slide into my panties.

*

Blake was
gone a little later that morning.
 
It was
Sunday, and Mom and Dad were pampering me.

The heat
had started earlier this year, so I was wearing the bare essentials... bra,
panties and a long t-shirt.
 
I didn’t
care that my Dad could see my ass... he was respectfully ignoring my level of
dress... and Mom was wonderful... bringing me cool drinks of iced tea, and
forcing me to put my feet up.

I was glad
that I had come to stay with them, although I’d be on my own during the day
this week, since they’d be going to work.

Mom had
wasted no time in returning to work after I had left for college... she was one
of those people that desperately had to be busy all the time... and it was good
to see her have something to do that was making her happy, especially after
being the one to find Sally dead... she needed focus.

Summer.

“So we’ll
be late coming home tonight darling.” Mom said over the phone.

“That’s
okay.” I replied.

Mom worked
in the same offices as Dad, although not for him... and a setback with one of
her boss’s clients had meant that she needed to work back another hour.
 
Dad would be waiting for her, catching up on
some of his own work, since they travelled to work together in Dad’s car.

“What do
you want us to get for dinner?” Mom asked... her voice apologetic.

“Um... you
know what?” I said

“What?” she
asked back.

“I’m gonna
cook something... I’m over take out!” I explained.
 
“Do you mind if I drive your car to the
shops?” I asked.

“I don’t
know...” she said nervously, “You shouldn’t be driving.”

“Oh, come
on... It’s just to the food store... I’ll be back in a jiffy, and Blake won’t
ever have to know!” I argued.

“Blake will
kill me if he found out!” she said.

“Look...
I’m taking your protests into consideration, and I’m doing it regardless... I’m
still a teenager... 19 remember?” I argued chuckling.
 
“I’m meant to be irresponsible... and I feel
fine today... it’s been a bit cooler, so I actually feel a little energized.” I
reasoned.

“Well I’m
saying no, and if you choose to stay home, we’ll order in when we get there.”
She replied, only a slight scolding detectable.
 
She’d been pregnant before, she knew the incredible restlessness
pregnant ladies felt when they were bored.

“Okay...
your opposition is noted... I’ll see you both when you get here.” I said,
before we both said goodbye and hung up.

*

I just
needed to get some French bread sticks and some minced meat for
a lasagna
.
 
All the
other ingredients were in the pantry.
 
I
planned on making a fresh green salad for the side, and since there were still
plenty of ingredients left from Sunday, I didn’t require anything else.

I parked in
a space two rows back from the store, as it was nearest to the front doors of
the store that I could possibly get.
 
I
noticed that hellishly dark clouds had built up overhead and their impending
release was imminent.
 
I needed to get in
and out as quickly as possible, so that I didn’t get caught in the deluge;
easier said than done, once you considered my uncomfortable state.
 
I edged my way from behind the steering
wheel, and lumbered up from the car seat, closing the door behind me, and
leaning heavily on the side of the car, while I locked it with the remote.
 
I ambled into the cool confines of the food
store, making my way directly to the ingredients necessary, before returning to
the front of the store to pay for the groceries at the checkout.

I was
standing in line behind a man in a motorized wheel chair, who joked warmly with
me about how he should be a gentleman and give me his seat; when Jordan walked
through the front doors of the store.

My eyes
locked on him.
 
He looked good... I was
surprised!
 
He was still his handsome
self, and he’d muscled up even more.
 
He
was wearing khaki cargo shorts and a white, sleeveless muscle shirt, which
outlined his torso perfectly.
 
On his
head, hiding his hair was a ‘
Boston Red
Sox
’ cap.

I had last
heard about Jordan when Blake had refused to go ahead with any charges.
 
It had been an infuriating time, for the
police and his parents... it made me feel better though, and I knew Blake kind
of understood why Jordan had done what he did, and on top of it... Blake didn’t
want to cripple his former good friend’s chances for a future.

I expected
Jordan to walk straight past and completely ignore me... or even turn around
and walk quickly back out the doors.
 
I
didn’t expect him to stop dead in his tracks and stare at me... deep in the
eyes with a pained expression, before stumbling out of his shock and moving off
towards the back of the store.

After
paying for my groceries, I walked out of the store towards Mom’s car, unlocking
it remotely as I neared it.
 
Looking down
at the door handle to open the driver’s side door, I notice the front tire was
flat... and not just slightly down, but completely flat... the rim was down to
the bitumen.

“Shit!” I
shouted... not really caring who heard me.
 
I couldn’t change a tire in my state, and I couldn’t drive it home like
this.
 
I slammed the door and walked
around to the passenger side, with the thought to go through the glove box and
get the details for roadside assistance.

“Summer?”
I heard from nearby.
 
It was Jordan, I
knew his voice anywhere.
 
He’d probably
come out of the store and been privy to my verbal outburst.

I looked
heavenward, then swiveled my head around to see him with a grocery bag in one
hand, cautiously approaching.

“Can I help
you?” he said, slowly inching forward.

I sighed...
“Flat tire, but
it’s
okay, I’ll call roadside for
help.” I replied.

“Don’t...
um... I’ll change it for you.” He said, coming up and looking down at the tire
nearest me, before heading to the other side and checking the driver’s
side.
 
He stood back and whistled.

“Did you go
through a set of spike strips?” he chuckled.

“No...” I
said, cautiously.
 
If Blake knew I was
talking to him... heck...! If any of my family knew I was talking to him... I’d
be chewed up, spit out and then yelled at!

“I thought
you were going to ignore me.” I said.

He winced,
“Um... I can’t have you standing there... helpless... like that!” he said,
waving his arm in my general direction.
 
But he wouldn’t look at me.

“Oh...” I
trailed off.
 
He was trying to be nice...
a
one off type of nice.

“Okay...”
he said,
expiring
a gush of air simultaneously.
 
“Let’s pop the trunk.”
 
He said.

I nodded
and placed the groceries and my purse on the passenger seat, and propped my
phone on the dashboard, while he opened the driver’s door and pulled the latch
for the trunk.

While
Jordan rustled around in the boot, I stood beside the rear of the car watching
him.
 
Then finally, after all the
warning... the clouds began dumping their burden down on us.

‘God Damn
it!” I shouted, about the same time as Jordan shouted,

“Ah crap!”

The rain
was an absolute deluge.
 
Jordan slammed
the trunk, closed the driver’s door and came back around to me.

“Grab your
groceries... I’ll drop you off.
 
You can
come back for the car in the morning, or get Max to get it later after the rain
eases.” He shouted over the noise of the pouring rain.

I just
nodded... it made sense.
 
I’d have to ask
him not to mention any of this to anyone though... it could get me into some
serious trouble.

I grabbed
the grocery bag and my purse, closed the door and pressed the remote to lock
the car up.

Jordan
gently held my elbow and steered me through the pouring rain to a dark blue SUV
parked in the next row, visible from my Mom’s car.
 
He assisted me up into the passenger’s seat,
before closing the door and running around to the driver’s side door, and
jumping in.

“Phew... what a storm!
 
Must be making up for all that
stinking hot weather we had for the last week.” He said, smiling.

I smiled
back... he was being regular Jordan... the Jordan I’d thought I fell in love
with years ago... but not enough to eclipse the love I’d always harbored for my
best friend and now husband
 
Blake.

“Okay...
let’s head off!” he said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them before
placing the keys in the ignition and turning his car over.

He looked
over his shoulder and backed out of his space, before changing gears and
driving off, his wipers swishing fiercely across his windshield.

“So what
are you doing now?” I asked, softly.

“LIU...
Football scholarship.”
He said, shrugging.

“Wow...
that’s so good!” I replied, but I could sense his unease.
 
He’d had better offers.

“Thanks.”
He mumbled, but quickly turned a smile on me.

“What are
you doing here?” I asked.

“I came
home for a few days, but I’m on my way back now.” He said, distractedly...
checking the traffic.

“Oh... good!”
I said.

We lapsed
into silence.

*

I realised
something wasn’t quite right when Jordan didn’t slow down for my turn.

“Oh
Jordan... you’re gonna miss my turn.” I said, watching the turn come up and
then retreat behind us.

“Jordan?” I
asked nervously.

“
It’s okay... just relax
!” he said, busily watching the
traffic as we drove through the pouring rain.

I couldn’t
relax... I was beginning to panic.

“Jordan...
what’s going on?” I said breathlessly.

“Summer!
 
Relax!” Jordan stated, as though we were
discussing non-consequential matters.

“Jordan...
I can’t relax... I need to go home!” I argued.

“I’m taking
you home!” he said.