One Summer Read online

  The girl lifted her head, smiled at me, and went back down on Jamie.

  For a few seconds, I considered his proposition. I’d been known to harbor a bit of kink, but this was just too much for me. Watching was even too creepy. The only problem was my feet were glued to the floor. It was mesmerizing watching him writhe and moan as the woman brought him closer to orgasm.

  When I banged my elbow on the door handle, I snapped out of my stupor and backed out of the room. The door snapped shut just as Jamie shouted and came down the woman’s throat.

  By the time I made it to my bedroom, I had my hand down my pants. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I came all over my fingers and boxer briefs. Mercifully, I collapsed on my bed and passed out, only to wake a few hours later with my pants around my ankles, a throbbing headache, and the worst cottonmouth known to man.

  Too tired to even find water, I kicked off my clothes, pulled the blankets over my head, and slept the rest of the day. When I finally staggered out of my room, Jamie wasn’t home, and the usual aftermath of a blowout party had been cleared away.

  In all the years we’d lived together, I always cleaned up after a party. After each one, I’d threatened Jamie, telling him this was the final time for me, and the next party I was going to leave everything until our mummified remains were found buried under a ton of red plastic cups. Once I managed two whole days before I caved and went on a cleaning frenzy. The stench almost killed me.

  It was possible a weird invasion of aliens had swooped into the apartment and cleaned the place. Maybe they’d forced Jamie to pick up everything, and then they’d taken him hostage.

  I stubbed my toe on a large box and swore loudly as I limped the rest of the way to the kitchen, expecting to find a mound of garbage. Instead, it was sparkling clean. The counter had been cleared of all empty beer cans and bottles. There wasn’t even a stack of plastic cups. In fact, the coffee machine and my mug had gone missing, which reminded me that tomorrow we’d walk the path of college graduates. I’d run out of days with Jamie, and soon we’d go our separate ways. He’d walk off into the sunset, leaving me to navigate life alone.

  Now depressed and hungover, I staggered into my bathroom and found a note taped to the mirror. Jamie was out with Emily at the Coffee Hut across campus. I wondered if Emily was the blowjob girl.

  After a shower, I almost felt human, but not well enough to face Jamie. Instead I decided to walk around campus and revisit the past four years of my life. An hour later I was back in bed, listening to music and feeling sorry for myself. I wasn’t exactly sure why I felt so terrible. It was natural to move on from roommates after school ended.

  Jamie finally came home, but I ignored his knocks in favor of rolling over and pretending to be asleep. The more I thought about things, the more distraught I felt, and if I answered his knock, he’d know I was upset and prod me to share my weird feelings with him. Tonight, I was going to wallow in my misery. My life was going to change drastically, and I wasn’t happy about it. Jamie would probably get some fantastic job on another continent and create a fabulous life without me. The major I’d chosen destined me for years surrounded by high school kids. Not exactly the glamorous life.

  Hunger finally drove me from my room and into the kitchen where I found a bag of bagels and several bottles of water. Even after eating my fill, my hangover lingered. I quietly dressed for the graduation ceremony, cursing softly for caving to Jamie and my mom.

  By the time I was fully dressed, I’d convinced myself I was going to end up as the hermit guy who housed sixteen cats, three dogs, and a bird who had a swearing problem.

  “Kellen,” Jamie shouted. “Your mom is coming up.”

  I zipped my gown, grabbed the square hat, and placed it on my head, sneering at my reflection in the mirror.

  “Give me a twirl,” Jamie said when I walked into the living room.

  I obliged and spun around in my goofy gown. In the middle of my fashion show, Jamie pinned me to the wall, pressed his body against me, and kissed me right on the mouth. My brain went fuzzy, and instead of kissing back, I froze and stood there like a pole.

  Before I could come to my senses, Jamie patted me on top of my head and then backed away. I couldn’t remember my name, much less anything I wanted to say to him.

  My mom walked into the apartment and stared at me, immediately asking if I’d been drinking.

  “No, Mom, I haven’t had anything to drink today. But I’d be willing to have a snort if you’re hiding a bottle in that big bag of yours.”

  She narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose, glancing around the apartment.

  “I can vouch for his sobriety this afternoon,” Jamie volunteered.

  My mom smiled, set her stuff on the floor, and tried to sweep Jamie into a hug. Just as she was about to corner him, his phone rang and he escaped into the other room.

  “You’re just postponing the inevitable. I will get you.” Her bubbly laughter filled the room.

  “I’m sure you will, Cheryl,” Jamie yelled.

  I chuckled and let her hug me.

  “You did it. You’re a college graduate. I’m so proud of you.” When she finished squeezing the stuffing out of me, she dug in her bag and thrust an envelope into my face. “Open it.”

  I hesitated for three seconds, then tore it apart and read the card. My mouth dropped open with surprise as the words she’d written sank into my brain. “What does this mean?”

  “Your father and I are giving you the summer off. No bills. No pressures. You can stay at the lake for the summer while we’re in Europe. We’ve deposited enough money in your account for everything.”

  “Really?” I squealed loud enough for Jamie to shout his concern for my well-being from the other room.

  “I thought about asking Jamie myself, but you’d think I was interfering, so I’ll leave that to you.” She winked and looked toward the other room. “But I hope you take this as an opportunity to make things right.”

  She dug in her bag again and handed me a carefully wrapped present. “Give that to Jamie if you want him to join you.”

  “What am I making right?”

  She narrowed her eyes and stared at me like I was a complete idiot. Her shoulders sagged and she muttered something about silly, blind boys.

  “It’s your choice,” she said.

  I glanced at the card again and decided I didn’t care what I was supposed to make right. My parents had given me a free pass where I didn’t have to worry about becoming a full-time adult.

  I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. Hey, where’s Dad?”

  “Waiting in the car. He couldn’t find a decent parking space. You know he thinks everyone will scratch his new car if he leaves it unattended. Especially you college kids.”

  “The last time Dad was on campus, he bumped into—”

  “Kellen.” She raised her eyebrows. “We’re not allowed to speak about that incident.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’m a college grad now, so he can’t include me in the car-scratching group.”

  “Are you going to give the—”

  Jamie strolled into the living room and she immediately snapped her mouth shut.

  “Er, it’s getting late,” Jamie said.

  “I’m so proud of both of you,” she said again. This time she managed to corner Jamie before he could twist away from her hug. Over the years he’d grown used to her show of affection. He never outwardly searched for her attention, but when she managed to give him a hug, he enjoyed it. Today he melted into her embrace, letting her fawn over him for a few minutes.

  He finally squirmed out of her grasp and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Cheryl.”

  “C’mon, let’s get this torture over.” I looped my arm through hers and went to pick up my diploma.

  2

  Lake Living

  After the ceremony, my parents took us out to dinner and toasted our success. No mention of my gift was made. Jamie monopolized m
ost of the conversation by talking about how nervous he was to start the job hunt. My mom spent the meal reminding Jamie how proud she was of him and his tenacity.

  Jamie hadn’t come from the best background, but he’d stayed in school, kept his grades up, and made it to college where he excelled in his studies. My mom managed to get a few questions in about his social life, but Jamie didn’t have anything to tell her. He wasn’t dating anyone at the moment. He really never dated. He did mention my recent breakup, and my mom scowled at me.

  “It’s not a big deal,” I said.

  “I’m sure you’ll both find that special someone. Rob and I met in college, and we’re still together.” She patted my dad’s hand and made him tell the tale of how they hooked up at some wild frat party. I tried not to be embarrassed.

  “Cheryl, we need to get home and finish packing,” my dad said.

  They settled the check, and we followed them to the car. The ride home was very quiet. My mom shed a few tears as she said goodbye and my dad hugged me longer than the normal two-second back slap. Before he climbed into the car, he pressed the keys to the lake cabin into my hand.

  “Enjoy your summer, son. You deserve it,” he said. “And I’m glad you never got those disks in your ears or any tattoos.”

  I chuckled. When I’d moved to the big city, the first bit of advice my dad offered was not to do anything horrible to my body. He was sure my earlobes would be down around my knees when I was fifty if I did a gauge piercing.

  “Tattoos can be easily hidden,” I said.

  My dad’s eyes widened but I let him off the hook and told him I had no secret piercings or tattoos. He shook his head and within seconds fired up the engine. We stood on the street, waving as the taillights of the car disappeared into the dark of the night.

  “Your mom said you might have something for me,” Jamie said.

  “Oh yeah, it’s upstairs.”

  “How come she didn’t give it to me herself?”

  “I don’t know? She does weird shit all the time.”

  Jamie wrinkled his nose and herded me into the building. Instead of waiting for the elevator, we raced up the stairs, pushing and banging into each other all the way up. When we reached our door, Jamie shoved me against the wall, pressed his body tight to mine, and stared into my eyes. He took my breath away, and I didn’t dare blink. For a few seconds, I actually thought he was going to kiss me, but Eddie from down the hall burst out of his apartment, shouting about his passing grade in physics, which officially made him a senior. After a few high fives, Jamie quickly unlocked the door and raced into the living room. I still couldn’t breathe properly.

  “Is this mine?” he asked as he danced around the towers of boxes, holding the wrapped package.

  I nodded. “Happy graduation, Jamie.”

  His face lit up and he tore the paper into shreds. He flipped the lid off the box and a bottle of sunscreen dropped to the floor, almost hitting his foot, along with a fluffy red and white striped beach towel. He scooped it off the ground, unfolded it, and chewed his bottom lip.

  “Does your mom think I’m getting a job as a lifeguard?”

  “Uh, no.” Heat raced up my neck and my ears burned. “My parents are giving you a summer at the lake.”

  “What?”

  “My dad is working in London this summer and my mom’s tagging along, so we can stay at our lake cabin. They’ve given me money to pay our bills and whatever else we need before we have to become adults and earn a living.”

  “Why would they do that for me?”

  “For some strange reason, my parents like you?”

  Jamie punched me in the bicep, making me cringe.

  “This is the best thing ever. It’s going to be a great summer. We can hang out, get laid, and not worry about the real world.” He jumped around the room with the towel, dipping it and pretending to kiss it. “Holy shit. What a gift. No responsibilities for the summer. You’re the best roommate ever.”

  Jamie hugged me, holding tightly, and for a few moments, I allowed myself to enjoy his closeness. We didn’t do this often. It was better for us to have breathing room. We’d managed not to let the lines blur in the four years we lived together. It had been an unspoken rule between us, and I quickly broke the hug before it got too weird. I scooped the towel off the ground, tossing it in Jamie’s face.

  He nabbed it and did a wonderful tango. He finally dropped it on the couch and shot off a text to someone, grinning widely when his phone rang.

  A few minutes later, he bounded back into the room. “What are we doing with all our junk?”

  “My mom arranged for us to put it in storage in the garage at the lake. The movers will be here tomorrow morning.”

  Jamie was so excited, he hugged me again and buried his nose in my neck, which, when I thought about it, really wasn’t all that odd because he didn’t know the meaning of personal space when it came to me. But this time I swore it felt like he brushed his lips against my neck as he whispered a breathless thank you. My entire body lit up, and I had to quickly push him away before he felt my growing problem against his hip. Jamie laughed again, patted my ass, and went to call my mom.

  I was left with a burgeoning hard-on and my hand pressed up against my throat, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Getting an erection when your roommate hugged you was not acceptable behavior in my book.

  We’d never crossed that invisible line and I wasn’t about to start today. I limped to my bedroom to hide.

  The movers arrived early and I could hardly keep my eyes open. But if I didn’t get up, I feared Jamie would stuff me in a box and pack me away. I’d spent a fitful night not sleeping.

  Jamie seemed to be in a great mood and flirted with one of the guys who’d been hired to move our stuff down to the lake. I’d never really paid attention to Jamie when he flirted, but today my eyes were wide-open. Instead of watching what I was doing, I stumbled and managed to twist my ankle, fall down two steps, and dump a bag of clothes all over the sidewalk.

  A couple of girls stopped and helped me chase down my boxers. I tried to laugh it off but I was embarrassed, and my ankle was puffing up like a blowfish.

  Jamie noticed me sitting on the ground and dismissed the moving guy. “What’d you do?”

  “Tripped down the stairs and threw everything on the sidewalk. I may have sprained my ankle. These lovely women helped me collect my underwear.”

  “Thanks, ladies,” Jamie said. “I’ll take it from here.”

  They giggled and handed Jamie a pair of my socks, before skipping down the sidewalk.

  Jamie helped me to my feet. “I can’t leave you alone for ten minutes. Get in the car. I’ll finish the rest. Unless you want to do a final walk-through of the apartment to say goodbye.”

  I grumbled and shook my head. I didn’t need to revisit the past anymore. It was fucking with my mind.

  Jamie put his arm around my waist, and the moving guy tried to shoot daggers from his eyes at us. I felt the urge to smile slyly and then give him the finger.

  I shook off Jamie’s help and hobbled to the car, spending the next forty-five minutes watching my ankle turn into a hot-air balloon as Jamie continued to flirt with the moving guy.

  By the time Jamie put the key in the ignition, I was in massive pain and a bit pissed off. He drove to the store and came out carrying a large bag of ice, two huge cups of pop, and a bag filled with snacks. The ice made my ankle feel better and the drink quenched my thirst.

  “We’re done with school,” Jamie said as he flipped the blinker and turned onto the freeway.

  “Hard to believe.”

  I was going to say something else, but Jamie stopped me. “Let’s make a pact that we don’t talk about the future yet. I need to unwind.”

  I could get behind that. I didn’t want to think about anything but having a good time.

  By the time we arrived at the lake, I was a crabby mess. The bag of ice had melted and my ankle throbbed in time to my heart
beat. I handed the keys to the garage to Jamie so he and the movers could get our stuff unloaded.

  The racket attracted the neighbor Mrs. Jorgenson and her dog, Agnes. She’d been our neighbor my entire life. Today she was sporting a large straw hat with a broad blue ribbon wrapped around the middle. Bright yellow and pink flowers were attached to the ribbon and fluttered in the wind.

  She waved as Agnes dragged her across the lawn.

  “Hello, Mrs. Jorgenson,” I called from the car.

  “Why are you making those boys do all the work?” She opened the door and I almost fell out of the car, shrieking when my ankle touched the ground. The noise had Jamie rushing to my aid.

  “I’m fine,” I said as Jamie pulled me to my feet. I leaned on the car and tried to find a comfortable position.

  “Hi, Carrie. How’s lake life?” Jamie asked as Agnes wove around his legs, begging for a scratch to her ears.

  “Agnes,” Mrs. Jorgenson scolded the dog. “Leave the boy alone. It’s been pretty dull around here. She’s a little excited.”

  Agnes finally sat down on Jamie’s feet and leaned into him.

  “Could you do me a favor?” Jamie asked Mrs. Jorgenson.

  “Depends.”

  “Take care of my Kelley boy until I’m done unloading the truck. He can’t seem to stay out of trouble.”

  “I’m fine,” I protested. “And quit calling me that.”

  “I have a pitcher of lemonade ready and a bag of ice for that ankle,” Mrs. Jorgenson said.

  A drink sounded good, and I needed a little distance from Jamie before I hauled off and punched him in the face. I limped across the yard and sat down at a black metal, round table on her deck. Maybe I could convince Mrs. Jorgenson to add some vodka to my drink.

  About ten minutes later, she appeared with a full spread of food, including sandwiches, lemonade, and donuts. No liquor was in sight, but the homemade donuts made up for the missing booze.

  “I’m waiting for Barbie to come over. She’s going to be disappointed she missed the show,” she said as she filled my glass.