Page 59 of XOXO, Summer
“You don’t need to prepare. You arrive with me and smile if you want to. We don’t have to listen to the photographers’ demands. I rarely do. Showing up is enough.” Her gazedrifts out to sea as she appears to mull it over. “Just be you, Summer. That’s all you need to be.”
But then she turns to me and asks, “So $250,000 for a few dates in public? Is that all we’re saying? No other strings, no timelines, no payback. Just my time for the money?”
“Maybe we can rephrase it. You’re not a call girl.”
“Okay, you’re gifting me a quarter of a million dollars to expand my family’s property and to protect it from greedy venture capitalists. In return, I show you the way to play nice when in public. Is that better?”
“Definitely. I sound like a fucking hero who’s saving a small town from demolition.”
“Twenty,” Roman shouts.
“I’m going to go broke with him around.”
“It’s okay,” she says. I hate that her touch disappears. “I think we summarized it pretty well. We don’t need to overcomplicate it.” She sits back, and I already miss her touch. “I’m getting what I want. You’re getting what you want. It’s settled. It’s a win-win.” Although she doesn’t sound like there’s an issue from listening to her tone, she doesn’t sound happy either.
“Yeah, it’s a win-win,” I repeat, closing my eyes. Bothered that she sounds more resolved than relieved, I can’t keep them closed. I gave up on trying to read women’s minds years ago. I sit up and angle toward her. “Why does this not sound settled?”
“Because it’s not. I’m trading a relationship for my dream. It sucks.”
“I don’t understand. What relationship are you trading?” I reach over and cover her hand with mine and give a gentle squeeze. “That’s not what we’re doing here.”
“Explain to me how it’s not?”
“It’s just not.” I glance up at a cloud that’s moved in overhead while my words stumble over my feelings.
She sits forward, bringing her closer to me. “If I’m dating you in exchange for you giving me money to buy the property, that’s not real. That’s a negotiation and a deal.”
I look back at her, knowing she deserves more than a thoughtless answer to appease her. She deserves to know how I feel when I’m with her. “I’m not a wordy guy. I play hockey because I sucked at writing papers. And because I was damn good at it. But if I give this a try, I’d tell you that I like what’s happening between us. It’s not something I’ve experienced or thought I’d have. With you, I do.” I take a breath and just go with the words that want to flow. “You’re not dating me for money, Summer. I hope you’re dating me because you’re on the same page as I am.”
“I am.” Leaning forward, she rests her arms over mine, holding me as close as these large Adirondack chairs will allow. “I was overthinking it.”
“I can see how you got there, but I’m giving you the money. You’re not dating for it. But I appreciate you helping me out.” I kiss her tenderly on the lips, wanting to deepen it so badly. Not the time. Not the place. Not the right circumstances. “And please never bring up puck bunnies again. You’re in a whole different league, baby.”
She laughs. “I think I’m honored.” Getting up, she comes to sit on my lap. With her arms wrapped around me, she says, “Thank you for the gift. It’s life-changing.”
I cup her cheek and slip my fingers into her hair to guide her back to my lips. This time, her mouth parts for me, and our tongues meet, slipping into a breathless caress. I end it before it goes deeper. Although his attention is somewhere else, Roman is near. She licks the corner of her mouth, and whispers, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“The money, the kiss, the way we communicate, for booking this cottage so we could meet.” Her smile is soft, but it’s no less potent.
She’s going to devastate me one day. Whether it’s me leaving or her going, I can already feel it. Though she’d probably argue I’m doing the same to her. Getting so close, so fast comes with a large dose of consequences and a detriment to my weakening heart.
“I don’t have to think about anything from my bills to my meals. Even Mia takes care of Roman most of the time. I just get to be the fun dad. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to be more. More in life other than a hockey player.”
“MVP seven times over,” she says, smirking at me.
“More than that to someone, to matter more than my stats.” I move in closer again, realizing I just can’t stay away from her or those lips. “When it comes to you, Sunshine, I want to be involved, not a bystander.”
I see the breath she takes, the gentle close of her eyes as she soaks in my words. When she looks at me, she says, “I want that, too, but how do you see yourself doing that?”
The conversation with Roman about what love is has come back to me tenfold. This is love. I fell for this woman the moment I met her. “By starting now. I want a relationship with you.”
Her arms tighten around me. “We have one.”
“Officially. Will you be my girlfriend?” Why do I feel like I’m fifteen, asking a popular cheerleader out on a date again? She said yes. Will Summer?
“You want me to be your girlfriend, Daniel?” It’s not teasing, but her tone tells me she’s definitely having fun with this. Good. This should be fun, or why do it?
