Chapter 1

Summer

“Do you think this looks good on me?” I asked a girl walking past me in the store.

“Yeah, that’s nice.”

“What about blue pumps? That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Oh, my God, can you even imagine showing up at a party with four-inch Christian Louboutin heels? The guys would be dripping off of me trying to ask me out.”

The Dress Market was one of the high-end trendy stores on Michigan Avenue, and I absolutely loved it. I’d shopped there for years and had probably spent thousands and thousands of dollars.

“Um, yeah, it’s nice,” the girl said as she gave me a little snarl.

“Okay, well I’m not really feeling you anymore, so I’m going to go over there,” I snarled right back at her.

Girls these days were so catty, and it was really amazing that women couldn’t just be nice to each other. I was nice to other girls unless they were insanely rude to me – then it was game on. There was no point of being super sweet to a chick who was just going to backstab you for no reason.

“Excuse me, do you have this dress in a size four?” a woman who was definitely not a size four asked me.

“Hmm, this is nice. Is this fabric silk? No, it’s a blend, but wow it feels amazing. How do you think it would look on me?”

“Good, it looks nice with your blonde hair. Might not fit over your, um … those …” the woman said as she motioned to my breasts.

“Oh, yeah, don’t they look amazing. I just had them done recently. You would not believe how much more attention I get with these girls. Hey, want to be on my Instagram? I’ve got over a hundred thousand followers now. I’ll tag you.”

“Sure,” the woman agreed.

“I’m Elizabeth, you are really pretty.”

“Oh, you are super nice. I love that. So I’m going to be honest with you, Elizabeth. This dress is not for you. There are some over in the corner, though, and I think you’ll love those. I’m going to keep this one for myself.”

And just like that, the nice woman turned into a total jerk as she scoffed at me and stormed off to the other side of the store.

“Summer!”

“Do you like this on me? I think I’m going to get it.”

“You’re fired Summer. I warned you about taking selfies and posting on your social media while you are working. And you’re not even helping the customers. You spent the last hour shopping for yourself and not helping a single customer in here,” my grumpy boss Lindsay said.

“Um, I’m advertising your products on my social media. You know some people get paid thousands of dollars for these kinds of advertisements. You’d think you would be a little more grateful that I was helping you out.”

“Summer, I like you. I really think you’re a nice person but retail is not for you. Maybe you should try to get a job as a model or in the perfume section at Macy’s?”

“Lindsay, come on. I need this job. I’ve been fired from my last six jobs … wait, no, seven. I have to work as my father cut me off and isn’t paying for my credit cards anymore. He actually made me move out of the house too. You know how it is? Please, I promise I’ll do better,” I begged.

I couldn’t lose another job. Living with my friend Patrick was a lifesaver, but he was getting sick of me not paying the rent on time. He got so angry last month that I thought he might actually blow a blood vessel in his face.

Working and paying the bills was just new to me. I needed some time to adjust and figure things out. I couldn’t be expected to just jump right in and know how to do everything. My dad was asking a lot and was totally unreasonable.

“Sorry, Summer, but we can’t keep working together.”

“Okay, can I still get my employee discount on this dress, though? It’s adorable.”

“Sure, bring it up, and I’ll get you checked out,” Lindsay said.

She was a nice boss, even though she fired me. But she didn’t dress very stylish for a woman managing a trendy fashion store. I tried helping her out and giving her ideas that would jazz up her outfits, but she wasn’t all that interested. Sometimes people had to learn from their fashion mistakes all on their own.

I finished buying my dress and grabbed my bag from the back. Working was cramping my style and having the day off to shop was just what I needed. Michigan Avenue in Chicago was filled with amazing stores, and with the whole rest of my day free, I was going to take advantage of the time.

When I finally sat down at the coffee shop to rest my toes and admire my purchases, I couldn’t help pulling up my bank account and glancing to see how much money I had left for the month.

“Eighty-seven dollars!” I yelled as I looked at the stupid app. “That’s not right.”

I was about to call my bank and give them an earful about whatever was going on with my account when my friend Amy called. She was actually a friend of a friend, but our mutual friend had run off with a boy and left us to build our own little friendship together.

“Hi Amy, what’s going on?”

“Rebecca and I were going to try this self-defense class this afternoon and wanted to see if you would be off work by five? It’s supposed to be really good and help teach you all the things you’re supposed to do in order to prevent getting assaulted or kidnapped.”

“Wow, that sounds intense.”

“You’d do great. I’m sure it will be fun. Will you be done with work by then?”

“I’ll be free. I’m just not sure I want to be in a gym with a bunch of sweaty hormonal women trying to fight for their lives. Can I meet you guys afterward? We could go for a fresh juice smoothie?”

“Sure, we will meet you after,” Amy said. “Sooner or later you’re going to have to try things that aren’t shopping, you know this, right?”

“Of course, I’m working on some relaxation techniques right now.” I laughed as I put my feet up on the chair across from me. “I’ll see you girls later, and maybe we should plan on going dancing?”

Since Anna and Lilli had stopped going out dancing, Amy, Rebecca, and I hadn’t been going out very much either. It was really hard to go from having a big group of girls hanging out together to a small group of three. And to be honest, Amy and Rebecca weren’t all that fun. They were trying to be responsible and doing their career thing.

Our only close guy friend, Patrick, was gay and probably the most fun to hang out with. But since moving in with him, the two of us were really struggling to get along with one another. He was one of the nicest guys I knew, though, and I honestly wished I could clone him into a heterosexual man so I could date him; well, he’d have to have a good job and a decent car too, but then I’d totally date him.

“Excuse me, I saw you sitting over here, and I just had to come and say hi. You probably hear this all the time, but you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve seen. I’m Kenny,” the man said as he thrust his hand forward in hopes of getting me to talk to him.

“Hi Kenny, I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend,” I lied to him.

“Oh, um, okay,” he said and then scurried back to where he was sitting with his friends.

I really hated to hurt his feelings, but I could tell right away that Kenny wasn’t my type of guy. His penny loafers and button up polo were a dead giveaway that poor little Kenny wouldn’t be able to provide a decent meal for me and certainly couldn’t keep me in the lifestyle I was accustomed to.

With my bank account dwindling, I had to sacrifice one of my angels. Reluctantly, I walked down to the Elite Consignment shop to turn in my beautiful white Hermes bag. It had been a gift from my mother for my sixteen birthday and was the last of my bags I had left after selling all the others in the six months since I’d been on my own.

I didn’t like selling my bags, and I hated that I could only get half of what I knew they were worth. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and with less than a hundred dollars in my bank account, I was definitely desperate.

“Summer Edwards, it’s so good to see you,” Bambi, the clerk at the shop said when I walked in.

First of all, anyone named Bambi really annoyed me. What sort of parents would name their child after a cartoon character? Of course, since my parents had named me after a season of the year, I probably should be complaining, but Bambi was a hideous name. Second of all, I hated how fake and happy this girl was when I came to see her.

“Hi Bambi, how are you?”

“It’s a beautiful day, and I have a happy life. I’m doing fabulous. Is that the bag you’re selling today?” she asked as she started eyeing my sweet Hermes baby.

“Yes, it was a gift from my mother. It’s very special to me. But I’m going to sell it,” I said without going into details about why I had to get rid of the bag.

“I bet it will be hard to part with. Would you like to empty it out so I can take a look and tell you exactly how much I’m willing to pay for it?”

“Sure.”

I slid my things out of my purse and into one of my shopping bags and handed the white Hermes bag over to Bambi. This was the part of life that made me so uncomfortable I could hardly stand there at all.

Only six months ago, I had been in my large home with my Infiniti SUV and a credit card without a limit. I’d been looking for work, but it was hard to find something interesting. My father continued to hound me about being an adult and getting a job, but my mother understood what I was going through.

Life today wasn’t like it was when my father was growing up. Jobs weren’t available like they used to be, and I certainly wasn’t going to work somewhere disgusting like a regular mall or a restaurant. Because I had such high standards for my employment, it took me longer than expected to find work, and my father decided to be a horrible person and cut off all my credit cards. If that hadn’t been enough, he also kicked me out of the house.

I could have been homeless if it hadn’t been for my friends. What kind of father would do such a thing to his little girl? I just didn’t get it. He always said how much he loved me, and I was his little angel, yet I turned twenty-three and suddenly he was over it, and I had to become something that I wasn’t. Obviously, I still harbor some serious resentment toward my father.

“So, I’ve looked the bag over and made a list of its flaws,” Bambi said in her annoying way that she always did.

As if listing off all the flaws the bag had would suddenly make it easier for me to accept her low ball offer to purchase it. I knew how much my mother paid for that bag, and I knew Bambi was going to try and get me to take way less for it than I should sell it for. That was just how her business worked.

“What is your offering price?” I asked as I tried to hold my anger back.

“Three thousand eight hundred dollars,” she said with a straight face.

“Ha! Are you kidding me? Come on Bambi, you know that purse was over ten thousand brand new. You can’t honestly expect me to take that.”

“I’m not the one who needs the money. Look around, do you see any Hermes bags here? No, because I sell them almost instantly. I would love to buy your bag, Summer, but I’m okay if you’d like to keep it.”

“Of course I’d like to keep it. I wouldn’t be here though if I didn’t have a reason for selling. You’re taking advantage of me.”

“Summer, I could offer you four thousand, how about that?”

“That’s less than all the other bags I’ve sold you. I know you can sell it for twice that.”

“Why don’t you try listing it on one of those websites? I’m sure you could sell it yourself if you’d like to get more money for it. Take a few weeks, get some good pictures, and list it for sale.”

Bambi was mocking me. She knew I couldn’t wait a few weeks for the money and that was why I was coming to her. I was stuck in the most horrible position, but I wasn’t going to let this jerk swindle me out of a fair price.

“I’ve probably made you so much money over the last six months that you are swimming in extra cash around here. I need five thousand for the bag, that’s all I’ll take.”

Bambi rolled her eyes, pretended to write down some figures, and for a minute, I thought she was going to refuse my counter offer.

“Fine, five thousand,” she said as she smiled. “You drive a hard bargain.”

It was insane that she felt the need to kick me while I was already down. She always bought my bags for half the retail. There had been no reason to lowball me like she did. But I was a reasonable woman, and I knew it was likely I’d have to come visit her again so I couldn’t punch her in the face like I wanted to.

“Thank you, Bambi,” I said with as much restraint as I could manage.

As soon as she handed me the check, I turned around and was out of there. Hopefully, I’d be able to find a decent job before being forced to start selling my beautiful shoes. I didn’t know if I could stand the idea of ever getting rid of those.

When five o’clock rolled around, I had already landed myself in bed and was in the midst of a nap. After several phone calls, I finally woke up to Amy and Rebecca and had to apologize for sleeping through our juice meeting. It wasn’t unusual for me to forget an appointment or have to cancel, though, and luckily my girls were understanding with me.

“How about we go to the Stage Coach tonight?” Rebecca asked while I FaceTime’d the girls at their juice stop.

“Ugh, then I have to wear cowboy boots and jeans, I hate wearing those.”

“Summer, you can wear whatever you want. You’re not forced to dress like a cowgirl just because we are going dancing at a western bar,” Amy said.

“I know, but I like to be the cutest one in the place, and if we are going there, it means I’ve got to be the cutest cowgirl those boys have ever seen. I’m fine with landing a rich cowboy to date.”

“So yes, you’ll come?”

“Fine, but next time I’m picking the place,” I said grumpily as I hung up and went back to sleep for a little while.

Four hours later, and with the help of Patrick, I was dressed and ready to head out. My snakeskin gray cowboy boots matched my belt, and I was even wearing a little gray eye shadow to tie it all in. I had on my tiny daisy duke shorts with a white tank top and plaid over shirt which I tied tightly in front. I looked like one of those girls right out of a country music video. There was no doubt in my mind I’d get to have my pick of the boys at the club.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I asked Patrick.

“Yeah, I’ve got to work tomorrow. I need my sleep. Plus, I’m not a fan of the country dancing clubs.”

“Me either. I sort of hate it, but Amy and Rebecca love it, and I don’t want them to hate me for never agreeing to go where they want to go.”

“Have fun. And, do you think you’ll have the money for the rent soon?”

“Oh, yes. Of course, I’ll have it by the end of the week.”

“Thanks, I know it’s tough for you right now, and I don’t want to keep pushing you. But I can’t actually afford this place on my own.”

“It’s fine; I’ll see you later,” I said and gave Patrick a hug.

Yes, I had the money at the moment, and I did plan on paying my portion of the rent. I just wanted to make sure I’d finished paying for the other things that I had to do before I threw money at Patrick. I’d get all of that figured out by the end of the week, and then I’d pay the rent.

Paying rent was one of the biggest bummers in adult life. I was hardly ever at home, yet I had to pay for half the rent, power, garbage, and cable. How anyone found the money to put toward those things on a regular basis was beyond me. It really seemed like the apartment complex was making a killing off of poor struggling people like me.

“I’m on my way,” I said in my SnapChat video to Amy and Rebecca as I waited for my Uber.

The two of them quickly snapped me back to show they were already at the club and enjoying a cocktail without me. I couldn’t wait to join them. My day had been horrendous with the whole getting fired thing and trying to negotiate the sale of my Hermes. I really needed a night of relaxation to calm me down and help me focus on what to do next.

When I arrived at the Stage Coach, I didn’t bother waiting in the line and instead went right up to the bouncer. With a quick twirl in my daisy dukes, he moved the rope and let me in. Waiting in line was for the girls who didn’t add value to the club’s atmosphere. I’d never been turned down walking into a club because I always dressed to impress.

“Summer, what are you wearing?” Rebecca said as her jaw dropped.

“My cowgirl outfit. Isn’t it adorable?”

“Where’s the rest of the outfit?” Amy joked.

“Um, I’ve got a tank top under here,” I said as I moved my plaid shirt out of the way so they could see my white tank top underneath.”

“Is that like a children’s tank top or something?” Rebecca asked.

“Oh, come on. I didn’t just pay all that money for these girls to hide them. All the important parts are covered up.”

It was true, my tank top was probably a little small, but I loved showing off my figure, and I wasn’t ashamed of it at all. My style wasn’t good for everyone, but that’s why it was mine and not Amy’s or Rebecca’s. Those two were dressed in jeans and button up cowboy shirts that looked like they were made for their fathers.

“Well, this should be a fun night,” Amy rolled her eyes as a cowboy approached our group.

“Hi, um … would you like to … um … dance?” the cowboy asked me.

“I’m sorry darling; I’m visiting with my girlfriends right now. Thanks, though,” I said and gave him a little peck on the cheek.

“What was wrong with him?” Rebecca asked.

“Don’t get like that. I just wanted to spend time with you guys.” I smiled.

“Nope, it was his teeth. He didn’t have straight enough teeth,” Amy added. “Or maybe his boots. They weren’t expensive enough? Or his fingernails weren’t clean enough. Come on, what was it?”

“Fine, it was his eyebrows; they were disgusting,” I finally admitted.

Amy and Rebecca burst into laughter as they continued sipping on their drinks and left me to go find the waitress so I could order my own. I was used to them making fun of my choices in men, but it didn’t matter because I absolutely wasn’t going to settle for a guy that didn’t have it all.

“Can I get a Martini please?” I asked the bartender as I squeezed my way up to the bar. “Sorry,” I said to the man I just pushed in front of.

“Let me buy that for you,” he offered.

I quickly looked him over, and he definitely passed the first impression test. He had on nice cowboy boots and a pair of high-end designer men’s jeans. His hat could have been a little better, but his body was on point, and his eyebrows weren’t weird, so I could at least keep talking to him.

“Sure, thank you,” I replied as I leaned out of the way and let him pay the bartender.

He handed the bartender an American Express black card, and my heart skipped a beat. Those cards were only given out to people who had a lot of money. There was no limit on them, and it was a tell-tale sign that this guy was a keeper.

“Hopefully, you’ll let me take you for a spin on the dance floor later?”

“I think that might be possible,” I said with a sweet smile.

His eyes lunged up and down my body as he took in my fabulous curves. It didn’t offend me when a man enjoyed the view. I worked hard to keep my figure and, unlike some women, I appreciated the attention when my work was noticed.

“I’m Robert Spin,” he said as I shook his hand.

Robert took my hand, pulled it up to his mouth and gently kissed it. As he smiled back at me, I instantly was turned off. One of his front teeth was clearly yellow. I just didn’t get it – a man who had money should be able to fix his discolored tooth. There was no way I could go out with someone like him. I knew it right then and there.

“I’m Summer, it’s nice to meet you,” I said as I grabbed my drink with the hand he was holding onto. “I see my friends are here, so I’m going to go hang out with them. Have a good night.”

I didn’t stick around long enough for him to say anything else as I rushed across the dance floor and over to Amy and Rebecca. The Stage Coach was a big place, and I hoped I’d be able to just avoid the guy for the rest of the night.

“What was wrong with that one?” Amy asked.

“Nothing, he was fine. He had a black card.”

“Oh, he’s rich. Well then, Summer will totally dance with that guy,” Rebecca teased.

“Actually,” I started to say as I looked around the dance floor and sipped my drink. “He’s got a yellow tooth,” I mumbled.

“What?” Rebecca asked.

“He has a yellow tooth, okay. So no, I’m not dancing with him. That’s gross. Who would purposely leave their tooth yellow like that? If he has money, then he should get his tooth fixed.”

“Oh, Summer, I love you so much, but you’re going to end up an old maid if you don’t stop judging every man you come across.”

“I’ll find the right one. I promise you.”

The rest of my night was spent almost exclusively with Amy and Rebecca hanging out and dancing. I successfully avoided dancing with that Robert guy and only saw him one time right before we left. I gave him a quick wave and continued out the door with the girls.

It wasn’t our best night, but our partying level had declined tremendously over the last few months. Both Amy and Rebecca had jobs and worked five days a week, Patrick worked six and sometimes seven days a week. No one had time for staying out all night drinking and dancing anymore.