The Last Summer, page 14
“How was work today?” he asked. We hit traffic but conversation flowed so easily between us that it didn’t seem to matter. We pulled up at the restaurant right at seven o’clock and were seated immediately since I had made a reservation. I sat across from Everett at the small table for two, one flickering candle between us, and I couldn’t help feeling incredibly lucky to be on a date with this guy. His beautiful brown eyes stayed right on me as we talked and laughed over salad and spaghetti.
Our empty plates had been cleared away, and we were having coffee and brownies when Everett cleared his throat.
“So, what’s the story with you and Luke?”
I’m not kidding when I say I choked.
After drinking half a glass of water, I managed to stop sounding like there was a hamster wedged in my throat.
“Um, what do you mean?”
Everett gave me a look. “I mean, did you guys used to date or something?”
Or something.
I shook my head. “Oh no. We’re just really good friends. You saw that he was with our friend Debra, right? They’re dating.”
“Right. I noticed that. But I just thought … it seemed like you guys have history.”
I looked at the remnants of my brownie. “Well, we’re close friends. We have a lot in common, I guess. But there’s never been anything romantic between us.”
He raised his eyebrows, and I hoped my cheeks didn’t flush. Everett leaned closer.
“Never?”
I sipped my coffee, not quite sure how to get out of this conversation without turning myself into a liar.
“We’ve always just been friends,” I answered. “I dated Jason for a while several years ago.” I threw that out there, hoping it might change the questioning.
Everett nodded. “Addison told me.”
What else had she told him?
“So there’s nothing between you and Luke?” I looked up in response to his lowered, unconvinced tone, curious as to the effect Everett was having on me. Was I just tired of lying about my feelings? Was it the knowing look in Everett’s gaze?
Moisture burned behind my eyes.
“He’s never wanted more than friendship.” I’m pretty sure my voice squeaked.
The restaurant buzzed with conversations, but at our little table, everything went silent. Everett’s hand covered mine.
“Have you?”
“Why are you asking me?” I said just above a whisper.
“Because I like you, Sara. I’d like to continue getting to know you. I think you’re beautiful, and smart, and I like talking to you. I think we both value our faith. Did I mention you’re beautiful?”
I did blush at that and a small smile worked its way to my face. He smiled back but it faded quickly.
“The thing is, long distance relationships hardly ever work. At least, from my experience. Do you hope we stay in touch after I leave?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately. He nodded.
“I’m very happy to hear that. I want that too. That’s why I’m asking … is there anything I should know about your friendship with Luke? And just so you know—you can be totally honest with me. You can trust me, Sara.”
Could I?
“Okay, fine. Yes, there was a time I’d hoped Luke might be interested in me as more than a friend. But he never has. I’ve accepted that—” My words stopped. “Of course, I respect and care about him. But I want him to be happy, and Debra makes him happy. He chose her.” I couldn’t keep my voice from shaking at that point.
Talk about humiliating.
Everett squeezed my hand.
“I couldn’t tell him—we were best friends. I kept thinking one day he’d see how I felt. Maybe I just hoped his feelings would change. Then he started dating Deb, and I realized it was never going to happen. So I just…” I tried to stop rambling, but my thoughts were racing now. About Luke. About Everett. About Debra. I shook my head and closed my eyes.
“Hey.” Everett’s soft response pushed me to open my eyes. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” I said, trying to regain control of my crazy emotions.
“It is,” Everett told me, his tone casual but firm. “I’m glad you told me, Sara. But I have to wonder if…” Everett’s voice trailed off.
“What?” He shrugged at my insistence.
“I can see you were disappointed that things didn’t happen with Luke. I can also see that you’re open to moving on from that.” Everett laced our fingers together across the table. “You are here with me after all.”
“I am.” Even if I’d made the gravest dating mistake possible—talking about your feelings for someone else while sitting across from a prospective partner.
“I like you too, Everett.” I just went ahead and said it. Why not? I’d already said more than I should have. I needed to at least attempt to turn this back into a date.
“So you’re saying I have a chance?” he asked, that boyish grin returning.
“Definitely.” My mood lifted, maybe as a result of the honesty between us. “Now, we have to get going. I have a surprise for you.”
Everett’s brown eyes lit up, confirming my instinct that he really liked surprises. We arrived at the museum just in time. Everett reached for my hand as we walked through the dark parking lot filled with a smattering of cars. I led him to the planetarium, and we found spots together near the front.
“This is the IMAX, right? What is it tonight? Underwater sea creatures or the rainforest?” he whispered. I smiled.
“Neither.”
The lights went out and pulsating music came through the speakers. Different colored light beams filled the screen, in tune with the pounding music.
“What is this?” Everett leaned over and asked.
“Pink Floyd laser light show.” I said the words into his ear so he could hear me above the music, and I will readily admit that being that close to him sent butterflies all through me.
I settled back next to him, and we watched the lights that pulsed to the sound of Pink Floyd music, our hands still connected. Afterward, we walked back to my car slowly, stopping under a streetlight.
“Sara, that was without a doubt the coolest date I’ve ever been on.”
I smiled. “I’m so glad you liked it.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never been to one of those before! It was awesome. Do you think they’d have them at the museum near where I live?”
“Hey,” I complained. “You better not be thinking about taking anyone else on a laser light show date.”
He took both of my hands in his. “Don’t worry.”
I stood frozen, not breathing.
“Thank you, Sara. This was a good surprise,” he said, staring down at me. For some reason, I felt a little lighter knowing I’d told him about Luke. Everything felt honest between us. A tad awkward maybe, but honest at least.
“I should warn you,” Everett said, pulling me a step closer to him. “It’s our first date…”
“I know,” I said, my heart pounding as he leaned down.
“And I’m about to kiss you.”
I stared into the refrigerator and could hear the buzzing of my cell phone on the kitchen counter. Lily had been texting me her interrogation of my date. When my answers were too vague, the phone finally rang. I grabbed a water bottle, then answered the phone.
“Yes, Lily?”
“What the heck does ‘It went fine’ mean?”
I laughed. “It went fine! We had a great time. Dinner was delicious. The laser light show was a big hit. He’s a fun person to go out with.”
“You like him,” she surmised. I sipped my water bottle and turned off lights as I made my way to my room.
“I do.”
“More than Luke?” I set the water bottle on my nightstand and climbed into bed.
“That’s a ridiculous question, Lily. I barely know him in comparison to Luke.”
“Did you feel fireworks?”
I clicked off the lamp by my bed and leaned back against the headboard in the darkness.
“Like it was the fourth of July.”
“Lord, have mercy,” Lily groaned. “Tell me now. Did the boy kiss you?”
I ran my hand across the soft blanket. “It was our first date!”
“Stop stalling. Answer the question.”
Lily was too smart for her own good.
“All right. He kissed me.”
Lily was quiet for a split-second—shocking, I know.
“Impressive,” she finally murmured, and I felt the corners of my mouth lift at her response.
“I thought so.”
After I promised to go into more detail tomorrow, Lily let me hang up. I pulled the covers up to my chin and thought about that kiss.
Alone in the dark, I tried to slow down the rollercoaster of thoughts going through my mind and focus enough to pray but just couldn’t seem to do it. I figured God probably kept up with my random thoughts regardless.
My mind kept reliving the moment in the parking lot. Everett’s spicy, woodsy cologne, his playful brown eyes, his self-assured confidence—everything swirled in my mind, colliding with the moment he pulled me close and pressed his lips to mine—firm, tender, fueled by attraction—without hesitation. His mouth tasted of spearmint. His strong hands circled my waist.
The truth was that, before tonight, I hadn’t been kissed in a really long time, and now, right out of the blue, I’d been kissed. And kissed well, if I would admit it. I’d missed that physical aspect of being in a relationship. This time, rather than feeling lonely at that thought, I let myself revel in the hope that was sparked by my unexpected foray into romance.
I touched my lips and smiled in the dark. Maybe, just maybe, my love story was about to begin.
Chapter Eighteen
Deb wants to work on her tan,” Addison told me Thursday morning. I tried to concentrate both on the computer screen in front of me and the conversation on speakerphone. I scrolled down the screen.
“Sara? Are you listening?”
“I’m working!” I argued, pausing for a moment. “What were you saying?”
“I’m saying that Deb wants to work on her tan. Me too. Lily, well … she wants to hang out with us regardless. We were wondering if you could get us into your parents’ clubhouse Saturday. What do you think? All of us could go to the pool for a couple of hours, before dinner that night at La Velita Blanca? You haven’t forgotten we’re going out for Mexican with Everett Saturday night, right?”
“I haven’t forgotten. Saturday. The pool. My parents’ neighborhood. Sure. That works.”
“I know he kissed you,” Addison said slyly. My fingers halted in midair over my keyboard.
“What? Why did he tell you?”
“Because I’m his twin sister and you’re one of my best friends! I should know these things!”
I didn’t answer for a moment. This could get tricky. “Addison,” I began, feeling again like a teenage boy who is trying to get the family to like him. “You know, it just happened and I—”
“How do you feel about Everett?” she asked, her tone softer.
“I really like him,” I assured her.
“Good. That’s all I’m saying. You guys are adults. What you do is your business.”
“Hmph.” In our circle of friends, my business was only an illusion. I hung up the phone, now distracted again by the not-so-distant memory of kissing Everett. Still, I had tours to run and museum guests to interact with. Thoughts of romance would have to wait. But when Everett texted me at four o’clock, wondering if I wanted to go see a movie that night, the kiss came back to my mind in full force.
YES, I texted back.
Once I actually had a few minutes to check movie times, I realized that there wasn’t anything all that great at the theater. I invited him to watch a movie at my apartment instead, and I enticed him with dinner.
No judgment, please. A girl has to do what a girl has to do.
At five o’clock, I raced to the grocery store, picked up everything I needed to make my mother’s best chicken casserole recipe, along with bread and the makings of a simple salad, and rushed home. I figured we could rent a movie on demand or just watch something I already owned. Thankfully, my apartment was already spic-and-span clean, so I could concentrate on cooking and setting a nice table (two of my favorite things).
Everett ended up borrowing Addison’s car since she had a church thing to attend with Glen. He walked through my door at six thirty, wearing knee-length gray shorts and a black T-shirt.
“Your hair is wet.”
He handed me a bouquet of pink roses. “I just took a shower. I’ve been bike riding with Glen for … I’m not sure. It feels like my whole life.”
I laughed to the point that my eyes watered. His face broke into a smile. I took the flowers, thanked him once I managed to stop laughing, and found a vase. Everett helped himself to a glass of Chardonnay, then sat at a barstool while I finished putting together the salad.
“Bonding over bikes, huh? I suspect Addison will be doing more than her fair share of bike marathons in the near future,” I said, keeping my tone light.
We shared a look of near hilarity, both knowing Addison so well.
“Well, please tell me you have some Tylenol because I have a feeling every muscle in my body will kill me tomorrow.”
I looked up from the salad, and we just smiled at each other for a moment.
Gosh, it was nice having him in my apartment, sitting at my counter, about to have dinner together. I could get used to seeing him shake back that cute, slightly unkempt hair and hearing his laughter fill the space across from me.
I don’t think I’d realized, until that moment, just how lonely I’d been feeling. And here was a living, breathing, adorable pilot—about to eat my chicken casserole. He took a look around the apartment before we sat down to dinner.
“Sara, you realize your apartment looks like something out of a magazine, right?”
I chuckled, setting the casserole pan on the table and going back to the kitchen for salad tongs. “One of those magazines featuring the smallest living spaces imaginable, maybe.”
“At least you have two bedrooms. I’ve got a studio apartment. It serves its purpose but it’s not spacious. But really, this is beautiful. How do you make everything … you know, go together?”
I poured a glass of wine for myself before we sat down. “My mother’s an interior designer, Everett. Making things go together has been ingrained in me since childhood.”
“Even the table!” Everett said. “If we were eating at my place, well, I don’t even have plates that match.” He met my eyes, wanting me to know he appreciated the effort I’d taken. My heart filled, and I smiled back at him. How many guys were so intent on showing gratitude?
Well, Luke, of course. Before he became Debra’s Casanova, I’d always found him to be observant and gracious when we spent time together.
And Jason … despite his fun-loving and joking personality, I’d never known him not to be sweet and appreciative.
So, there was that. I pushed away thoughts of the other men in my life and passed Everett the salad bowl. Our hands brushed as he took it from me and tingles shot up my neck.
“Thanks, Sara. Everything looks delicious.”
Good heavens.
“Everett.” I tore a piece of bread in half. “I enjoy this kind of thing, and I wanted to set a special table for a special guest.”
Over chicken casserole, warm French bread, salad, and two glasses of wine, Everett told me in detail about his day of bike riding with Glen. By the time we moved to the living room to turn on a movie, darkness had fallen, and we’d covered every topic from Glen and Addison’s engagement to the time Everett broke his arm as a sixth grader.
Everett went through my movies. I bit back a smile as he moved quickly past the many romantic comedies.
“Finding anything?” I asked, setting two espressos on the coffee table.
“One that seems acceptable,” he said at last, holding up Star Wars.
Oh dear.
From where she sat on the couch, Yoda just yawned.
I stretched out on the deck chair and wiggled my toes in the Saturday sunshine. It was ten forty-five in the morning but still hot as blazes. The four of us girls were nearly alone at the pool in my parents’ neighborhood.
“This was actually a really good idea, Addison,” I said. Lily just huffed from under the umbrella.
“Maybe for those of us not concerned with skin cancer,” she said.
“We’re all wearing sunscreen, and we won’t be out for too long,” Deb said soothingly while she piled that mass of hair of hers up in a topknot. “I’ve got the cutest white dress to wear to dinner with Luke next week, and I don’t want to look pale.”
For a few minutes the four of us relaxed in silence. The only sound was that of Addison turning the pages of the bridal magazine she was reading.
Lily broke the silence. “So, we all know he kissed you Wednesday. Has it happened again?”
“We ALL know?” I glared at her. Addison and Debra shrugged.
“You can’t leave me out of things like that, Sara,” Debra scolded. “If Lily and Addison know, I need to know too.”
“She asked me point-blank, Sara,” Addison said as if that made all the difference.
“So, did he kiss you Thursday when he had dinner at your place?”
I thought back over the way the night had ended—me watching the familiar Han Solo, with Everett passed out from bike-riding exhaustion on my sofa.
“No. Well, he kissed my cheek before he left. The truth is that he fell asleep on the couch during the movie. I woke him up after and he left, still tired. But I will say that he looked adorable sleeping,” I said, thinking back to the way his brown hair looked a bit crazy when he finally woke up.
“Sam sleeps with his mouth wide open, and he flails about like a catfish out of water. Not adorable,” Lily said, adjusting her hat. I choked back a laugh. Lily’s gaze drifted off to the pool. “But, when he comes home from working all day—usually bone-tired and covered in grass stains, with his face pink and flushed from the sun—he looks so … I don’t even like sweat and dirt! Maybe it’s something about how manly he seems right then. But when he comes home like that, I…” Lily shivered visibly and grinned.
