Page 69 of XOXO, Summer
“Thank you.” I hang up and return to the bedroom, where I find Summer sitting cross-legged in the middle of the mattress, staring out the picture window. “Hey there.”
She looks over with a smile blooming as soon as she sees me. “I’d never turn on the TV if I lived here. There’s so much to see.” She climbs off the bed. “Do you sleep with the shades open?”
“No. I don’t want to get up with the sun,” I reply but realize she never closes the blinds on the small window in her room. And it hasn’t bothered me at all. I’ve pulled her back into my arms at daybreak when I found her awake. “We can leave them open if you want.”
“I’d like that.” She slips off the bed and comes to me. Fisting my shirt, she lifts on her toes and asks, “So what are we doing about the attire?”
My phone rings. Holding it up, I reply, “We’re about to find out. Hello?”
“It’s Ray, Mr. Sutton. I have great news. I’ve organized a car to take your date to A La Maison in Soho. They’ll have makeup and hair ready to receive her as well. How much time will she need before she leaves?” I look at her, wondering if this is more than she’d want. Covering the phone, I ask, “There’s a shop that has dresses. They’ll do makeup and hair unless you prefer to do it yourself.”
She hops up. “Sign me up. Do I have time to shower first?”
I nod, still covering the phone. “Yes. Twenty minutes?”
She hustles toward the bathroom. “I’ll be ready.”
“Twenty minutes. Thank you, Ray.” When she closes the door, I lower my voice and add, “Make sure everything is charged to my card. She’ll try to pay. Don’t let her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you again.”
“My pleasure, Mr. Sutton. Have a good evening.”
“You, too.” He more than earns a holiday bonus every year because he never lets me down. With everything set up, I pour a glass of bourbon. I don’t like events that require a tux, but since I’m not driving and have no clue what the plan is tonight, I need a drink.
Summer pads down the hall with bare legs and feet, a “fresh from the sea” tee that I have no fucking idea what that means, and looking fucking gorgeous. I don’t see the woman I’ve been falling for from a small town where I found myself spending the summer. I see my tonight, my tomorrow when I wake up, and my future.
My chest tightens as she comes to me and climbs onto my lap. “Thank you for setting this up for me.” The image of my future wrapped up in this woman still has me in a chokehold, and I struggle to speak. She bends and kisses my cheek. A burst of excitement bubbles up, sending her to her feet. “I’ve got to run, but I’m so excited about tonight.”
“So am I.” I follow her back to the bedroom as she pulls on a pair of shorts. “I’ll pick you up from the store.”
She slips on her sneakers. Looking up at me, she nods. “I don’t know what time I’ll be ready.”
“Don’t worry. It’s handled.” I walk with her to the door. “You just enjoy yourself.”
Turning suddenly, she takes my hand. “I will.” Lifting to kiss me again, she says, “Miss me, okay?”
“I already do.”
Holding hands, we walk to the elevator. I push the button. “Select the lobby button. Ray will help from there.” The door opens since it waits where it was left. I grab her and kiss her like it’s the last time, but when our tongues mingle, it still feels exciting and new.
She pulls away, leaving me breathless as I watch herback into the elevator. She pushes the button and looks back at me. I shove my hands in my pockets, the emptiness of my arms reminding me how I was lucky enough to hold her. “See you later, Sunshine.”
Lifting her hand, she waves. “I’ll see you later, Sutton.”
The door closes, cutting between us, and leaving me staring at a silver door instead of her beautiful face.
I turn around, the air shifting in her absence in an apartment she has only inhabited for less than an hour. Or is that me who’s shifted? I retrieve my drink and finish the small pour when my phone buzzes with a message from Ray, letting me know Summer is on her way and confirming the pickup time.
It doesn’t take me long to get ready: a shower and shave, getting dressed, and then time to hang out, waiting until I can see her again.
When the car finally pulls up to the curb outside the shop, I get out, straighten my jacket, button the front, and wait outside the door. Those earlier nerves are back. I stare at my shoes, seeing a spot that was missed when shining. The door opens, and I look up.
“Oh shit,” I whisper.
The black dress fits like a custom-tailored glove around her torso and chest. The skirt flares out from her hips, with the fabric longer in the back than in the front. Her shoes give her a good four inches from her usual height. The red lips are showstoppers, but it’s her eyes I can’t stop staring at. Brighter than I’ve ever seen. She slightly leans on her ankle, her face scrunching. “Do I look okay?”
