Chapter Nine
Summer
I didn’t want to feel this way but I couldn’t believe what I’d just done—what I’d almost just done. I’d basically invited Tom into the shower with me and we’d very nearly had sex. I’d nearly just lost my virginity to someone I barely knew! What the hell was wrong with me?
I had no desire to go after this guy. I didn’t. I knew that if something happened between us, he’d soon discover how truly messed up I was, and that would be that.
But that shouldn’t even be a thought in your head right now! I berated myself. You have an interview to get ready for and you should be focused on that!
And then I remembered who would be driving me there and I felt my heart drop all over again. God, what had I been thinking by basically inviting him into the shower with me? Where had the cool and levelheaded me gone? The one who had a plan laid out for her and one that didn’t include blue-eyed men with the devil’s smile?
Focus on your interview, Summer! I yelled at myself. That’s the only thing you should be thinking about right now! Not Tom or his enormous…
Looking at my clothes bunched together in the tiny closet, I didn’t know what to wear. I had plenty of clothes. Most of them with designer labels on them, which now kind of embarrassed me. I used to think that having a Tory Burch belt, or a pair of Chanel sunglasses, or a Kate Spade bag meant I was something or somebody. And yet that was so far from reality for me now. It just seemed stupid. An image of my dad flashed through my mind and I pushed it aside. I didn’t want to think about him right now.
I picked out a plain, white, quarter-sleeve blouse and a clean pair of jeans. I wondered though if maybe it was a little too casual for a job interview. So, I decided on a simple black pencil skirt and a pair of low-slung heeled sandals. I dried my hair, put on a bit of makeup and I was out the door. As I closed it behind me, my heart started to beat a little faster.
Tom was waiting out front, tossing a ball for Bob who was running back and forth, looking happy. As soon as I saw him, my stomach sunk. Images of him touching me returned anew and I felt my cheeks heat up. What had I been thinking, leaving the shower curtain open? And as soon as I’d noticed him noticing me, I should have stopped it right there. And yet, I’d perpetuated the whole thing. I’d led him on. I’d wanted him to do what he had. God, what had gotten into me? And what was it about this guy? Besides his good looks, charm, and the fact that he adored his dog?
He smiled as I stood at the bottom of the porch. “Ready?” he asked, acting completely nonplussed, like what had just happened between us had never really happened.
“I think so.”
“You look ready. You look, uh…”
I felt my face go red as I glanced down at myself. Was there something wrong with the way I was dressed? “Is this okay?” I smoothed my hands over the top of my thighs.
“I think it’s great,” he answered and seemed like he was at a loss for words, a role I had yet to see him in. He cleared his throat as his attention settled on something in the distance behind me. “I think you look great.”
I turned around to see Brady walking toward us. “What’s going on?”
“I was just taking her into town so she can talk to Sharon, and Rue asked me to grab some things at the store,” Tom answered quickly.
Brady nodded. “I see.”
I couldn’t help but notice that Brady was eyeing Tom and if I wasn’t mistaken, it was with suspicion. On top of that, Tom seemed a little anxious.
“Well, you two better get going,” Brady said as he watched Tom narrowly. “Just remember what I told you.”
“It’s stuck up here, in stone,” Tom replied as he pointed to his head. “Come on, Bob, Summer.”
I followed him to his truck. We climbed in and I had to ask. “Everything okay between you and Brady?”
“Yes.”
“What did he mean when he told you to remember what he told you?”
Tom sighed heavily and turned down the dirt drive that led to the road. “Everything is fine.”
“Didn’t seem fine.”
“It’s fine,” he repeated curtly, then turned on the radio. I took that as a cue that he didn’t want to talk. I turned and stared out the window, wondering if what we’d done in the shower was going to come back to haunt me. And then I wondered if it was already haunting him.
***
We drove through town and if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I’d been thrown back in time, or was in some Twilight Zone-type warp. Everything just looked so… old. Like ghost town old, but with people. Well, a ghost town with a modern grocery store plopped right in the center.
Tom hadn’t said a whole lot on the drive in but just faced forward like he was wholly consumed by his thoughts. He pointed out a few things, like the grocery store, the laundromat, a house the locals claimed was haunted, but that was about it. He’d definitely lost his earlier fervor he’d had when he’d offered to take me into town. My gut said that his sudden quiet had something to do with Brady’s comment, which had me curious, of course. But since Tom seemed genuinely irritated since we’d left the ranch, I figured I’d better just leave it alone for now.
“Here we are,” he said, pulling up to a rectangular building which looked like a train caboose since it was so narrow and long. It had a row of large windows and I could see patrons sitting inside. The outside of the building didn’t look very special, it was a plain old beige color with a big sign on top in bright red bold letters that read Sharon’s Place.
“See you in about an hour.”
“Okay,” I climbed out of the truck and started to shut the door. “Thanks, Tom.”
“You’re welcome,” he fired back immediately. I smiled at him and then turned to leave. “Hey, Summer,” he started as I turned back to face him. He took a deep breath and forced a smile.
“Yeah?”
“You’ll do great. And, for the record, you look beautiful, Posh.”
“Thank you,” I replied quietly, a little in shock. Two seconds ago, he refused to talk to me and now it seemed he was flirting with me. Tom was an enigma, that was for sure. And he was an enigma that I couldn’t bother myself with at the moment.
I shut the door and turned around to face the restaurant. Then I took a deep breath and walked through the front doors and into the diner.
The golden strains of a jukebox and the smell of comfort food mingled together and winded around me, drawing me inside. I smiled easily as a tall Reba McIntyre look-alike grinned from a table a few feet away from the door.
“Hi, ladybug. Be right with you.”
While she loaded her arms with plates and empty dishes, she chatted up the occupants of the nearby tables and I tried to shake off my nervousness so I could at least pretend to have the skills for waitressing. This woman seemed like a natural. She breezed past me with a wide grin and inclined her head toward the back.
“You must be Summer?” she asked and I nodded. “Come on over here.”
I followed her and was more than a little intimidated that she knew every single person at all of the tables we passed.
I will never be this good at this job, I thought to myself as I fought the panic surging up my throat. I’d never been good at any job because I’d never had one.
She stowed the dirty dishes in the back and wiped her hands on her apron. “Now that I put those down, I can give you a proper introduction,” she said with a wide grin. “I’m Sharon and I’m really glad you could make it. Thank you.”
I smiled and held out my hand. She grabbed it between both of hers and squeezed it with a big smile. “I’m Summer and thank you for the opportunity,” I said, feeling immediately relieved because there was something about her that just spoke to her friendliness and good nature.
“So, this is a pretty standard evening crowd for us,” she continued as she glanced around the place, looking proud. “We’re the closest restaurant for a lot of the ranchers, so most everyone you see is a regular.” She looked over my shoulder and waved energetically to a couple leaving. “G’nite, y’all. Tank, you better let me know when the girls are having their recital.” The man—Tank, I assumed—nodded and laughed as he held the door open for his lady friend.
“Good people.” She smiled at me and seemed to read my insecurity because she patted my hand encouragingly. “Brady said you were from back east.” She moved behind the short bar and filled two water glasses with soda and set one on the bar a few feet away from her and the other one in front of me. “Have a seat,” she said.
“Yes, I’m from Connecticut.” I slipped onto the stool and sipped the soda. “I’ll be here at least until fall.”
“Great.” She leaned her elbows on the bar and leaned in close. “We can definitely use the help. Brady will probably keep you busy on the weekends so you’ll miss out on those big tip days, but you’ll still be able to make money during the weeknights and whatever weekend nights you can.”
“So that’s it?” I asked, confused.
“What’s it, bug?” she asked, equally lost.
“I’m hired?” I asked as I frowned and wondered how that could be. “I mean, aren’t you going to interview me or something?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I don’t need to interview you to know you’ve never done a day of waitressing in your life. But it’s okay, bug. I can tell you’re a good soul and that goes far around here.”
“Oh,” I answered, surprised. “Thank you.” Then I took a big breath as excitement surged through me. “When can I start?”
“Whenever Brady can give you up,” she answered with a laugh. “I’ll have you trained up in a flash.” She winked. “Waitressing is all about the flirt, and you look like you’ve done your share of that.”
I laughed even though it was as far from the truth as it was possible to be. “I can be friendly.”
“Well, why don’t you swing by whenever you can escape. The more nights you can be here, the faster you’ll learn, and the more money you’ll make. I’m here every night.”
I stood up and extended my hand. “Thanks, Sharon. Really... I needed this.”
She came around the end of the bar and folded me in a quick hug. “Glad to have you, ladybug.”
Another couple came in and I waved goodbye. Even though Sharon was a close-talker and hadn’t left my personal space since I’d come in, I was oddly at ease with her, which was totally strange for me. First Rue, and now Sharon... I didn’t want to get overly excited about nothing, but I was almost skipping as I pushed open the doors and walked outside. I was surprised to see Tom’s truck parked in front and even more surprised to see him in it.
I opened the door and climbed up onto the seat as I glanced over at him. “I thought you had stuff to do?” I asked as I faced him.
He shrugged. “Figured I’d wait for you to see how it went.”
“Well, it went great!” I responded with a big, happy smile. “She hired me, just like that!”
He smiled and I felt my knees go weak because he was so handsome. “I’m glad to hear that, Summer.” His warm gaze slid over me and butterflies started popping up inside of my stomach. I suddenly wanted to lean over and grab his face so I could kiss him but I kept myself under control. Tom and I needed to go back to having nothing more than a friendship. Hopefully, the situation in the shower hadn’t ruined our chances.