Page 3 of Be My Summer

Chuckling, I stood until my six-foot frame was completely upright and then jogged toward the building that housed my loft. Within four minutes, I was inside the elevator tapping my fob against the motherboard so I could gain access to my unit. I closed my eyes and pressed my back against the cold steel, relying on it to regulate my temperature as visions of smooth, flawless umber skin flickered behind my lids.

Ding. The elevator sounded, confirming I’d reached my destination. Immediately, I stripped myself of the shirt I’d sweated through and tossed it onto the back of one of the barstools that rounded the kitchen island. I moved through the openness in search of everything and nothing at once.

Honey-roasted turkey. Crackers. Goat cheese. Grapes. Pineapples. Nectarines. Oranges. Low-calorie bread. Glasses. Chilled wine.

One by one, I piled the items onto my counter before rushing through the hallway where the linen closet rested at the very end. The largest, softest blue blanket filled the gaps between my fingers as I pulled it from the shelf and closed the door behind me.

It’ll work, I promised myself. Determination spiked my adrenaline.

The closet in my bedroom was my next stop. Inside, I searched the top drawer for a crisp white tee from the array of colors piled inside. It didn’t take long for the discovery.

White shirts in my wardrobe were plentiful, while there was only one of every other color of tee I owned. I tossed it over my head and pulled it down onto my body, eventually freeing my hands to grab the deodorant from my dresser and swipe it down my armpits. A shower would have to wait, but concealing the scent my daily run covered me with was the priority.

With everything piled into the largest tote I could find, I stepped out of the elevator and back into the open air. My legs assisted my efforts, swiftly moving along the pavement until I reached the beautiful greens of the park. It wasn’t until my chest deflated and I began to breathe again that I realized I was holding my breath.

Not much had changed in my absence. A book was still hoisted in the air. Dark brown eyes were still hidden behind the pages. And, the prettiest girl I’d ever laid eyes on was planted on the lawn, still. God was truly the homie. Her presence convinced me of his realness for the millionth time since the day I’d learned of his existence.

She stayed. Relief washed over me as I descended the small hill. The hump kept her hidden while my heart raced, wondering if she’d run off the second I disappeared behind it. Thankfully, she hadn’t. She was still in the same place I’d left her.

With her face buried inside her book, she was oblivious to my return. I squatted in front of her, completely taken by her appearance. The fact that she wasn’t in a rush to dismiss me only made her prettier.

Once she realized she wasn’t alone, she pressed the pages of her current read together and lowered it slightly. A tilt of her head revealed dark pink gums and gorgeous white teeth. The very tiny imperfection at the bottom of the two biggest ones revealed pieces of her past that she hadn’t yet.

It meant one of a few things. She wouldn’t give up her pacifier, clung to her bottle after the suggested age, sucked her thumb, sucked her tongue, or was simply blessed with the cutest set of teeth naturally. Either way, I adored the tiny detail.

“Hi,” she spoke, cheeks sharpening at the peaks as she smiled.

“You stayed,” I responded with a shake of my head, still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that she had. It wasn’t unfathomable, but it was a bit difficult to believe.

I am a stranger. I reasoned.

“I stayed,” she confessed with a nod, “I’m not sure if it’s out of curiosity or my tendency to get lost in the words on the pages of my books.”

“Whichever it is, admittedly, I’m grateful.”

These fucking lips.

So large, they covered a quarter of her face. With their boldness front and center, it was hard to focus on much else. I wanted them to stain mine red as I nibbled on her tongue and explored parts of her mouth that only food had visited. Shortly after, I wanted them wrapped around the skin of my…

Chill, I warned, redirecting my thoughts.

Wordlessly, we remained as our orbs aligned, determined to discover parts of one another that weren’t visible to the naked, untrained eye. Her humbleness was my first find. Secondly, there was her pain. And, then, there was her loneliness.

Knowing that it was an issue of hers that I could easily and quickly solve, I stood to my feet. Her head lifted as her eyes followed me. Right beside her blanket, I laid mine. It was twice the size of hers, allowing space for the food that I removed from the bag and sat as neatly as possible in the center. She watched, finding humor in my effort.

“What?” I asked, her infectious smile making me a victim.

“Did you really just–”

“Yes. Hoping this whole little setup would convince you to stay a little longer and shit.”

“Oh,” she chuckled, nodding.

God, heaven’s gates were wide open. She’d fallen right from the sky and into the grass–book in-hand.

“Did it work?” I wondered out loud, folding my arms at my chest.

“Hmmm. Maybe so. However, I’m afraid I don’t have too much time to spare this afternoon.”