“What do you mean I have to start running? Are you sick or something?” Regina’s screech was loud and clear over the phone. Summer forced the laughter out of her voice and let Regina rant and rave a good five minutes before she interrupted with vital information.
“We’re talking blond hair, dreamy hazel eyes with little gold flecks in them, deep sexy voice, nice personality, and, last but not least, exceptionally tall. I rest my case.”
“Will you go shopping with me?”
“What for?”
“New running clothes, of course.”
“Certainly.” Summer giggled. “And Regina, because I’m such a good friend, I’ll even let you borrow my special liniment.”
It was decided that Regina would spend the night so that Summer could get her up in the morning. She set the alarm for five-thirty, correctly assuming that Regina would need a good half hour to wake up and get with it.
Summer had already finished her warm-up exercises the next morning before Regina appeared at the kitchen doorway.
“I’m warning you, Summer, this guy better be worth it. I’m talking a cross between Leonardo DiCaprio and Chris O’Donnell.”
“He is, he is,” Summer replied. “You look great, Regina, even if your eyes are only half open.”
“Let’s eat and plan our strategy.”
“No,” Summer replied, “you shouldn’t run on a full stomach. Now, let’s get going. We don’t want to miss Luke.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you in the garage,” Regina said, turning.
“Why the garage?”
“To get our bikes, dummy.”
“Regina! The park is only two blocks away. We are going to run to the park. Got that?”
“What? And get all sweaty before I even meet him?”
“If you don’t work up a sweat, he’ll know you aren’t serious about running. All runners take it seriously. Trust me on this. Sweat is a definite asset.”
“Are you making fun of me?” Regina accused in a tight voice.
“Of course not,” Summer protested. “Now, come on.”
On the way to the park, Regina brought up the subject of David. “Is he still coming over every night?” Envy permeated her question.
“He’s coming over this afternoon.”
“Think your parents will let you come to the Pizza Paddle with me and Gregg tonight?”
“Can’t. Grandpa is having poker tonight, and Mom and Dad are going over to the Scanlons.”
“Okay.”
Summer heard the sense of rejection in Regina’s voice and immediately felt a little guilty. “But tomorrow afternoon I could go with you.”
“Good,” Regina said. “I’ll just switch it to tomorrow, then. If this Luke is as good as you say, and he goes absolutely crazy for me, then we can double-date, okay?”
Summer smiled and nodded. Regina certainly did like to plan ahead.
They reached the entrance to the park, and Regina whispered, “Be sure and nudge me when you get a glance at Luke.”
“Regina, you won’t be able to miss him. He’s the only giant in the park.”
A short time later, Luke appeared. Summer and Regina had just begun their run, so Regina gave a fairly good showing. She almost looked like a pro. Almost.
Summer introduced the two to each other, and Luke did seem more than politely interested in Regina. At least that was what Summer and Regina decided after he had waved good-bye and yelled, “See you both tomorrow.”
“This means I’m committed, right?” Regina groaned.
“Is he worth it?”
“Oh, Summer, the things we do for love. Of course he’s worth it.”
“Can I say I told you so?” Summer asked with a great show of smugness.
“Only if you want a fat lip,” Regina teased.
“Now that Luke’s gone, why don’t you take it easy and just jog around the park at a slow pace while I do my four miles.”
“I will. You go on.”
The run was exhilarating. When she finished, she was extremely proud of herself. She had made five miles today instead of her estimated four and felt wonderfully exhausted.
She saw David that afternoon.
He’d remembered that Michael had been invited to a birthday party and that Summer would be on her own for a few hours. He surprised her with a picnic lunch. She was thrilled.
She didn’t have time to get all worked up over the outing or agonize about what she should wear. She opened the screen door in her uniform, cutoff jeans and tank top, but David didn’t mind at all.
“Give me a couple of minutes to change,” she suggested.
“You look great,” David replied. “Just grab some shoes and let’s go. What time do you have to be back?”
“Michael will be home at two,” Summer told him.
“That gives us a little over two hours,” David announced, glancing down at his watch. “Does your grandfather want to come along?”
Summer smiled. David was so thoughtful. “He went over to Mr. Clancy’s house,” she explained. “We should be back before he comes home, but I’ll leave him a note just in case.”
Five minutes later, they were in his car and on their way. They decided to have their picnic in the park and found a nice, secluded spot far enough away from the swimming pool and the crowd. He had gone to a lot of trouble and prepared all the food himself. Somehow, the peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches tasted absolutely wonderful, probably because he had made them.
“Peanut butter isn’t gourmet, but it’s loaded with protein,” he advised her between bites.
“I love peanut butter,” she told him. She finished her second sandwich and stretched out on the blanket. Propped up on her elbows, she lazily crossed her ankles and smiled. “This is fun. Very spontaneous!”
“You like spontaneous?” he asked with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes. When she nodded, he leaned down and kissed her. He tasted like peanut butter and smelled like spice.
“I think I love spontaneous,” she whispered shyly.
He smiled at her, a tender, caring smile. He sat back up then and folded his long legs Indian style. “I’ve got something to show you.” He started hunting through the large grocery sack, and she noticed a little blush creep up his neck. Her curiosity was caught.
He pulled out a small notebook from the bottom of the sack and looked over at her. “Promise you won’t laugh?” he asked a little hesitantly. Before she could answer him, he shook his head. “That was a stupid question. I know you won’t laugh.”
He opened the notebook, closed it again, and handed it to her. She sat up, took the notebook, but continued watching him. He was acting very busy, putting napkins and sandwich bags in the sack. He was nervous, which made Summer want to hug him. Very slowly she opened the notebook, smiling when she saw the beautiful sketch of a unicorn. It was done in pencil, and it was very, very good. “This is wonderful,” Summer said, almost in awe. She didn’t look up at David. Very carefully, she wiped her hands on her cutoffs before she turned the page. A lioness with three cubs nestled around her filled the page. It was as good as the unicorn, she thought, if not better. Without saying another word, she continued to look through the book, both amazed and mesmerized by the drawings.
“Do you have any idea how talented you are?” she asked when she closed the book.
“You really think so?” He looked a little embarrassed and vulnerable, too.
“These are good!” she stated with great emphasis. “You have to know that. Have you shown them to anyone?”
“Just you,” he said. “I’m glad you like them.”
He smiled, and she was reminded of a rainbow after a spring rain.
“Like them! I love them,” she replied. She opened the notebook again. “I think the unicorn is my favorite. They’re all good,” she rushed on, “but unicorns are kind of…mystical and romantic.”
“I think so, too,” he said
“When did you learn to do this?” she asked.
> He shrugged and said, “I just sort of picked it up.”
“Haven’t you taken any art classes?”
“No, but next semester I’m going to,” he explained. “You really like them, don’t you?” He was wearing a grin from ear to ear, and Summer smiled.
“You know I do,” she assured him. “How come you haven’t shown these to me before?”
“I felt kind of funny about it, I guess. I mean, I was afraid you wouldn’t like them, or…”
She was shaking her head with exasperation. “I like them a lot, David. You have talent.”
“Thanks, I’m glad you feel that way,” he said.
“How come there aren’t any people sketches?” she asked. “I mean, the animals are wonderful, but I think you should branch out.”
“I’ve never wanted to draw people, until now,” David said. “How about if I try to sketch you?”
“Really?” She was brushing her hair back over her shoulders and sitting a little straighter. “Now?”
“No,” he said, laughing. “I didn’t bring my pencils,” he explained. “I’m really glad you like them. My dad doesn’t say anything, but I know he would rather I played football all day. He’s kind of hung up on being macho, I guess.”
“Parents can have strange ideas,” she said in a gentle voice. “I bet someday you’ll be rich and famous.”
“I want to have my own comic strip,” he blurted out. “I’d do my own drawings and everything.”
Summer laughed. “So that’s why you tell jokes?” she asked. “To get in practice?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” David admitted.
“I’ve got to tell you the truth,” she said, grinning. “Your jokes aren’t so hot, but your drawings are dynamite.”
“You just haven’t heard my really good jokes,” he protested. He then proceeded to tell her at least five pretty awful jokes and didn’t seem to mind that she wasn’t laughing along with him after the punch lines were delivered.
“Like I said, David, your drawings are great, but your jokes…”
“That’s why I like you so much, Summer. You’re always honest with me. I can count on you. The last girl I went with really turned me off on girls in general,” he said, growing serious.
“Why?” Summer asked, frowning.
“She told me she wanted to go with me and didn’t want me to date anyone else. I was glad…I mean, I really liked her and I was quick to agree. Then I find out she’d said the same thing to two other guys. She had her own little club going.”
“I would never lie about that,” she said. “Sometimes I exaggerate a little bit, but everyone does.” She lifted her shoulders and couldn’t look at David, thinking of her lie about running. Maybe that wasn’t a lie, she considered.
David looked at his watch and frowned. “Much as I hate to, I better take you home. Superman will be finished with his party soon.”
She helped him fold the blanket. They held hands on the way to the car, stopping several times for quick kisses and long smiles.
Chapter 11
The next afternoon Summer met Regina and Gregg at the Pizza Paddle. She wished with all her heart that it would start raining so that David wouldn’t have to work, and he could join them.
The Pizza Paddle was crowded, and the aroma of pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage reminded Summer of just how hungry she was. She sat down between Gregg and Regina and the three of them devoured an extra-large pizza in record time. She was just finishing her Coke when Regina whispered in a furious voice, “Don’t look up.”
The temptation was too great. The look on Regina’s face alerted Summer that something was terribly wrong, and she promptly ignored her advice and quickly turned toward the door. All color drained from her face. David was standing in the doorway. And he wasn’t alone. Ann Logan was right beside him. Her brightly polished fingernails, those tentacles of ownership, were cemented to David’s arm.
“What are you going to do?” Regina’s question brought Summer’s confused gaze back to her. Summer tried to smile.
“I don’t know. Try to act natural, I guess. Got any better ideas?”
“What’s going on?” mumbled Gregg, his mouth full of pizza.
“Summer’s boyfriend just walked in with Ann Logan. Don’t look,” Regina demanded. To Summer she added, “He hasn’t spotted you yet. Want to make a run for the back door?”
“Absolutely not. If David prefers Ann’s company, then so be it. It doesn’t make sense, though. He said he had to work! And I thought I was his girlfriend. I guess I was wrong. I mean, he never said we weren’t supposed to see anyone else, but I thought…after he showed me his drawings…”
“Summer, you’re rambling,” Regina interrupted.
“I don’t care,” she whispered. She said the words with a negligent shrug. Inside, she felt as though she were dying. She prayed that she wouldn’t burst into tears and took a deep breath to gain some control.
“I’ve got an idea,” Regina said. “Gregg, put your arm around the back of Summer’s chair.”
“Why?” Gregg wanted to know.
“Just do it,” Regina ordered. “If Ann is David’s date, then you’re Summer’s date, got that?”
“What?” Now it was Summer who wanted to know what was going on.
“If David is with Ann, then you’re with Gregg. Gregg, act like you’re crazy about Summer. And don’t argue. You still owe me twenty dollars, remember?”
“Does this cancel the debt?”
“Yes. Now, do it. Summer, move closer.”
“Look, we should find out if David has a date with Ann before we—”
“Open your eyes, Summer. That much is obvious,” Regina said. “All boys are slime.”
“Here they come,” Gregg said. “Give me your hand, Summer.”
“What?” She was so miserable she just wanted to crawl into the nearest hole.
“Hi, Summer!” David’s voice sounded so cheerful, and that confused her even more.
“Hi, everyone!” To Summer’s ears, the high-pitched voice of delight sounded just like a fingernail sliding down a chalkboard.
“Hello, David. Hi, Ann.” Her voice was flat and totally devoid of any emotion, but it was the best she could do.
David couldn’t seem to look directly at her. He kept his eyes focused on Gregg’s arm around Summer’s shoulders. And he suddenly seemed very embarrassed. His face got all red and blotchy.
Why, oh, why did it have to be Ann Logan? Summer wailed to herself. It proved that David was no better than all the other stupid males in the city. He, too, had fallen under Ann’s spell. The baser side of Summer wanted to yell and scream at the injustice of it all or, at the very least, growl a little, but she decided to present the picture of serene dignity.
Introductions were made, and Gregg suggested that David and Ann join them. David seemed a little reluctant but finally pulled up two chairs and sat down right across from Summer and Gregg. Regina played the hostess at the head of the table.
“David’s been telling me the funniest jokes on the way over here,” Ann said, giggling.
“Let’s order another pizza,” Gregg suggested. “I’m still hungry.”
“Why don’t we get a jumbo and all split it?” David suggested. “Everyone like anchovies?”
“I hate them. They make me gag,” Summer said before she could stop herself.
“Oh, I just love them,” Ann interjected.
David leaned toward Summer. “I called you, and your mom said you were here, so I…She didn’t tell me you had a date,” he added in a halting voice.
Gregg had just taken hold of Summer’s hand, but she tried to pull away. Gregg was having none of it. A tug-of-war was the result, and Summer lost. She gave Regina a look that demanded help, but Regina was talking to Ann and didn’t notice.
She continued to pull and snapped at David, “But you had one anyway, so what’s the difference?”
David looked so hurt that Summer felt like crying, until Ann r
eturned her attention to her date. Then Summer got good and mad. Why should she feel guilty when he was the one with the actual date? “I didn’t know you were dating Ann,” Summer said as soon as Regina dragged Ann over to the old jukebox.
“Sort of,” David hedged, staring at Gregg’s death grip on Summer’s hand. “Ann’s father needs help with the run. He asked me to head the publicity part. It’s an important job, and I’ve already got it all figured out. Ann and I think we should make at least thirty posters and distribute them all over town. Mr. Logan showed me the T-shirts they’re going to sell, and they’re really great. Since all the money goes to charity, maybe the banks will help us out and put some on display. Ann thought it would be a good idea to sell them at the grocery stores, too. You know, set up a card table outside with a big sign and…” His voice trailed off, and he gave Summer a shrug.
“Would you like me to help?” She couldn’t keep the eagerness out of her voice.
“If you’re not too busy,” he replied. “I thought we could use your dining room table.…It’s so big, and we could do the posters there.” David went on to explain his strategy, and Summer began to feel a little better. When Gregg finally let go of her hand, she was able to lean forward, her chin resting on her hand, while she listened with rapt attention.
The feeling that things weren’t so bad didn’t last long, however. Ann came back to the table and scooted her chair closer to David and proceeded to have a whispered conversation with him.
Summer began to feel quite desperate, so she nudged Gregg. “Talk to David about something,” she demanded under her breath.
Gregg still had one arm draped around Summer’s chair. “If anyone sees me with you, I’ll leave town,” he whispered in her ear.
“Thanks, Gregg. I’m crazy about you, too,” she retaliated. She couldn’t look at him. Her eyes were glued to David, watching the way he smiled at Ann. Summer couldn’t remember him ever smiling at her that way! Ann took hold of David’s hand, and Summer was quick to notice that David didn’t seem to mind.
The pizza arrived, but she didn’t eat any. Her stomach was too upset. She didn’t have the heart to join in the conversation and was almost relieved when Gregg said, “Think we could leave now? One of my friends might walk in.”