Perfect Summer (12 page)

As
much as I disliked the guy in the beginning, thought he was some kind of
spoiled overindulgent wuss pretty boy actor, Astor Fairway actually impressed
me with a brilliant plan. He was going to have a press conference that day at
the Open House, where he would make a dramatic announcement to the press and
his public. The press and paparazzi came out to the Academy in droves, hoping
to find out more about the top secret film project he was working on as an
actor and possibly as a producer. Astor was planning on talking a little about
his upcoming film, which his fans wanted to know all about. A film he actually
read the book series for, while on plane rides flying back and forth between
home and location shoots.

The
theater and classrooms were jammed packed later that afternoon as the press
filed in with their large cameras and equipment. Word got out that Astor
Fairway was teaching a special class at the school, and was planning on teaching
there permanently when he finished filming his latest film, Fade.

Having
high hopes for Fade, as a career-making acting role for him, Astor told the
press, he was hoping to take some time after filming to go back to school to be
a filmmaker, yet still be in touch with the public by teaching classes at Aunt
Sookie’s Acting Academy.

Fade,
a dystopian young adult film set in a future Nevada desert was based on a bestselling
young adult book series. Astor was to play the leading man, Jack Simple, a sophisticated
James Bond-like hero, who was assigned to protect a mysterious beautiful young
woman named Celestra Caine. Celestra appeared to be a normal high school senior
who was involved in track, had a boyfriend who adored her, and a typical family
in the suburbs of Virginia. Little did she know, when she returned from school
after track practice one day, the world that she knew, was about to change
dramatically, and everything she thought was real turned out to be something
else entirely. What did she know, and who was Celestra? Why were the
government’s top secret agency after her, and why was there a strong connection
between her and Jack Simple?

There
wasn’t much in the press about Astor’s latest film since the producers wanted
to keep spoilers from leaking. But there were buzz from the fans of the series
that helped put the project in front of Astor and his agent. 

“It’s
the role of a lifetime!” Astor’s agent told him, although the film didn’t have
a major studio attached to it yet. The role of Jack Simple was complex enough
to challenge any young actor’s acting talents, yet sexy enough to still bring
out the sex appeal of the leading actor. Jack Simple was a man’s man and a true
cool badass, while also being a ladies’ man. Astor liked that the script was
actually written by the series’ author, which would appeal and appease the fans
of the book series. When he first read the script, he enjoyed the appeal to all
audience members – men would love the rapid-fire action, women would love the
swoon-worthy romance and hot love triangle between Jack Simple and Celestra,
and Celestra and her ex-boyfriend Greyson.  

The
storyline was huge and dramatic, and complex enough to appeal to a wide
audience, and with four books in the series, Fade would be ideal to adapt into
a franchise. It was the first film Astor was actually excited about acting in
since he could appreciate the storyline and thought the positive message about
love and life, was something worth telling through film.

“I’ll
finance part of it if I have to,” Astor said to the media. “It’s a great story
with a compelling plot. I would love to be a producer for this film. It’s going
to be hot.”

Was
there funding?

“A
private equity and a group of investors had stepped in to fund the film. It’s
got great international range, too, and I think international distributors were
already being secured.”

Afterwards,
when everyone left, I went up to Astor and thanked him.

“What
for?” Astor asked.

“For
using your fame and influence for a good cause. That was quick-thinking getting
the press here for your conference to talk about upcoming films and plans. I’m
sure that extra would help Summer and this school out.”

“Well,
that’s the goal,” Astor said. “I think that’s everyone’s goal, anyone who cared
for Summer…to help and support her in every way.”

I
nodded in agreement. “You know, Astor, you’re not that bad, after all.”

“You
should know, I’m now one of your clients at Donovan Dynamics.”

“Right,
and that extra security you asked for Summer, we were already planning that.
Plain-clothes men still looked suspicious on campus, especially if they’re in
their late 30s, which most of our security staff were. We’ve started hiring
college-aged looking security, but they’re going to take some time to train.
Right now, Astor, we have to count on Drew being there on campus with Summer.
He had already taken it upon himself to watch her, but he’d been going through
some issues of his own, which would make it hard for him to be with her all the
time.”

“As
long as Summer has someone there,” Astor said.

“Don’t
worry, Drew won’t let anything happen to Summer,” Nat said. “He’d probably give
his own life for her.”

“All
of us would,” Astor said drily. “Between all of us watching out for her, Sloane
and his group of sick perverts won’t be able to find her alone like he did that
night.” 

“He
is a sick fuck, isn’t he?” I said. “First his obsession with Aunt Sookie, and
now with Summer. It’s a crying shame our justice system allowed a sicko who
attacked girls and mess with their minds like that can be left walking freely,
capable and free to do it again or to another girl. Sorry there wasn’t enough
for them to lock up Sloane, this time. But we’re still working on it. The
asshole is smarter than he looks. We suspect he may be connected to something bigger
than being a stalker, but all the evidence we’ve found had been tampered with
so it’s taking a while for our team to find something on him.”

“As
long as they’re working on it,” Astor said seriously. “Well, the good news for
Summer is that I’ll be taking some classes, auditing them at USC so if Drew
can’t be there for her with his issues, at least I can.”

I
gave him a dry smile. Good news for him and Summer, of course, but I also knew
the golden boy wasn’t over his feelings for Summer. I should be glad Summer had
so many devoted guy friends, but it also made me jealous as hell, because I
knew what those guy friends wanted from her, and it wasn’t just being friends.

I
was jealous about Drew being on campus with Summer, but had to live with it
since she needed all the protection she could get. And I couldn’t personally be
there to protect her. While she and I had grown closer since I finally allowed
myself to be with her (the dumbest mistake I’ve ever made was to push her away
all those years!), we still weren’t officially committed as a couple.

But
I wanted to be…and we were getting there, with my weekends spent with her, and
every single chance I could get to fly out to Malibu, I took it. I was
committed to making this long distance relationship between Summer and I work.

And
as far as I knew, Summer was, too…but it seemed every time Drew was around,
there was this chemistry between them that I couldn’t even deny. It was what
made them such good friends growing up, and now that they were grown up, there
certainly was this attraction they had.

I
wasn’t going to push the issue. I wanted to give the chance I have with Summer
my all. And I did, especially when it came to making love to her.

That
part came all too easily. It was like a dam burst of passion between us. Like
we’ve been holding back all this pent up emotions and sexual wants between us
for years, and it finally came out. Every time it got better and better. Now
one look at her or even a slight touch from her can give me a massive
hard-on…like my body can’t react otherwise when I’m near her or in her
presence.

I
could tell she felt the same way. The body doesn’t lie. Her response to my
kisses, her moans and the pleasure she took in my touch, told me she enjoyed it
as much as I did. Her nipples are always already hard when I take off her bra
and begin licking them, and by the time I stick my fingers into her, she’d be
wet and ready for me.

I
haven’t seen any of that kind of chemistry between her and Astor. I had him
beat there. But Drew…he had that natural charm and appeal women could not get
enough of. I know it worked on Summer, but because of her devotion to her
lifelong crush on me (thank God!), she held back.

I
don’t know. Maybe she did love me more than Drew or thought I would be better
for her but all I knew was that this was that I was having the best time of my
life being with her. The happiness she brought me being with her was something
I couldn’t even thought possible. I loved her so much more than ever.

But
I was also aware that Drew was there and would always be there between us. Even
when he told me he was backing down to let me have my chance with Summer again
so he could move on and start dating other girls, even when he told Summer that
he no longer cared for her that way; again the body doesn’t lie. He still wants
her.

The
question I have and that I was more concerned about was:  how much did Summer
want him?

Chapter
11

Summer

I
was on cloud nine the rest of the week,
thinking of how well the Open House went, and how the boys, including Astor got
along so well at the event. It made me think that maybe one day when I finally
did settle down with one of them or maybe someone else entirely, they would be
fine with it, that they would not go crazy and do something stupid. We were all,
somehow or another, brought together by fate. Or the karma of Aunt Sookie. To
see everyone getting along and not fighting, was the most amazing and
heartwarming feeling for me since I cared for all of them so much.

Although
I was on a high, getting Nat to me all weekend long, and continuing on with his
passionate lovemaking; I was happier knowing that Drew did have feelings for
me. It was clear as day, the way he looked at me throughout the Open House, and
the way he tried to find an opportunity to brush against me or to touch me.

Then
why did he tell me that he never had any feelings for me, that they were never
strong? Why did he acted like I was just another one of his sexual conquests
and that our relationship meant nothing more than a night of casual sex?

He
said he was over me, that he realized what he felt for me was just a childhood
fantasy. He was over it, and it was time he grew up, start sampling more of the
offerings readily available to him on campus.

Was
that how he felt? Did he truly just act like he cared about me, just to fulfill
his lustful needs?

The
Drew I saw at the Open House, the Drew that surprised me in the showers, was
the one I thought I knew.

Then
seeing him again with those girls in front of the class during Classical
Literature and Drama, brought all the sense of insecurity and jealousy back. They
were all over him, touching him, whispering in his ears, and even massaging his
neck and back.

Drew
was relishing the attention, the sex god with his harem of pretty and easily
available girls.

One
of the girls kissed him fully on the mouth, and proceeded to inch her way
almost onto his lap.

“Oh
brother,” I muttered. “Isn’t that pure shameless?”

“What?
Trying to fight over that football star?” Trish said, looking through her
librarian-style glasses at Drew.

“It’s
so comical,” I said. “They’re practically elbowing each other out of the way to
get his attention.”

“Who
is he?” Trish asked. “I mean, he looks like he’s used to all that attention,
like he’s famous or something.”

“He’s
Drew,” I said. “We’ve known each other since toddlers. He got a scholarship to
play football here at USC.”

“No,
besides that,” Trish said. “I’ve seen him somewhere before…” 

“San
Francisco?”

“No,
he’s quite a hottie, isn’t he? I bet he’s been on television or have modeled
before,” Trish said, taking out her phone and typing in it.

“He’s
grown up better-looking than I expected,” I said.

“Oh,
there he is…Drew Donovan, from the Donovan Family, models the latest Dolce and
Gabbana underwear at the Nob Hill Society Annual Charity.”

I
practically grabbed the phone out of her hands, and stared open-mouth at a
photo of Drew all sweaty and gleaming, without a stitch of clothing on, except
for a black tiny brief that barely covered his groin area. He was rippled,
smooth-skinned, tanned, and incredibly hot. Those clear blue eyes looked
dreamily into the camera, and his expression was blissfully tortured and
heart-wrenching. Every woman who had a heartbeat would be hot for him. Every
woman would want to soothe him, plunge their fingers into his thick wavy black
hair and kiss away that pained expression in his eyes.

“Gulp,”
I said. This was another Drew I haven’t really gotten to know. This God sent to
women. Besides Nat, he was probably the most gorgeous male species on Earth. I
swallowed. He was right about what he said to me…he did have his pick of girls,
especially during college. Why should he care about me, wait for me to give
into him?

I
was feeling so insecure about Drew, yet now highly aroused by looking at his
photo, I barely saw the text that flashed across my phone: “Hi – I’m here!” until
I saw a familiar friendly face belonging to a crown of golden hair enter the
room from one of the front side entrance. I smiled.