That One Summer: A Collection of Steamy Contemporary Romance

Chapter 2

“I’m going where?” Violetstared down at the blue envelope in Kate’s hand. “But why?”

When Violet’s best friend had showed up at the library demanding a little girl time, she’d thought nothing of it. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, sweetheart. She should have been used to these little spur-of-the-moment outings with her friend; however, she’d grown weary of them. “Is this another one of your get-Violet-a-date schemes?”

“Jesse and I wanted to give you a treat. Besides, what are you doing this weekend that you need to be home?” Kate grinned, sliding the airline ticket and hotel reservation across the restaurant table toward Violet while sidestepping her question.

“Nothing, I suppose. But a date?” Vi asked.

“Yes. It’s time you found a man and had some fun. Explore life. Live a little, Vi.”

Well, Kate’s surprise shouldn’t have fazed Vi after the stunt Kate had pulled at her party. The one where you openly ogled Roman for several hours? Violet had no skills. With a penchant for foot-in-mouth disease, she hadn’t had the wherewithal to endure another laughfest with a side of rejection. In an effort to not embarrass herself any more than she had, she’d left the party discreetly.

Stupid as it may sound, her self-esteem had taken so many hits that even answering a simple question like How are you this evening? made her stomach turn to water and her mouth go dry. She’d become a bumbling idiot, and where would that leave her, especially where Roman was considered? An incurable outsider, destined to live a life of solitary confinement with no possibility of parole. On top of the heaping pile of self-loathing she’d accrued over the years, men in general sort of fell short of her expectations. For someone who couldn’t carry on a conversation like a normal human being, she had overly high standards. Perhaps she kept a checklist to protect her heart, but was it wrong to want someone who’d be devoted to her and only her? Treasure her? Value her?

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m ready to date yet,” Violet answered.

“You’ll never be ready if you don’t make that leap of faith,” Kate said. “It’s only a weekend. Not like you have to see them again if it doesn’t work out.”

Sure she wouldn’t. Knowing her luck, Kate would devise a way to sneak them back together at a party or something. “You should never tell a lie. It’s not becoming.”

“Vi,” Kate grumbled. “Do this for me, and I promise I will never try to set you up ever again.”

“Swear it on your firstborn,” Violet said.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Vi replied. “Swear it. This is the last time you’ll try to set me up on some crazy, harebrained date.”

Kate sighed. “Fine. I swear it.”

Violet sat back in her chair and regarded Kate for a moment. “Do I even know who my date is?” Okay, so, hypothetically, if she were to take up her friend’s offer of a date, shouldn’t she at least know the guy?

“Yes, you do.” When Violet opened her mouth to ask who, Kate cut her off. “No, I won’t tell you. It’s a surprise.” After picking up her glass, Kate took a sip of her wine. “Jesse and I both think you’ll have fun with him.”

“Oh God.” Violet groaned, putting her fork down. Her stomach soured. “Is it one of Jesse’s friends again? You know I have nothing in common with them. They’re Neanderthals.”

“I can’t say,” Kate answered. “I will tell you; he is safe, and I do trust him to show you a good time and protect you. So, you can stop being so damn melodramatic.”

Violet picked up her napkin and dabbed her lips. “So, I’ll leave on Friday morning and go to the hotel and wait for him? What if he doesn’t show? What if I’m not who he was hoping to meet?” She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can do this, Kate. I’m not good at first impressions, and let’s face it, my social skills aren’t the best. And none of his friends like me.”

It was true. All of what she said. She could quote Austen and Keats like it was nobody’s business. She could tell you everything that happened in Pride and Prejudice or in The Prelude, but sports or “guy things”? The subjects eluded her. A good novel, no matter the content, could take you away from the stresses of life. Inane things, or things she didn’t understand, only muddied it. The same could be said for your books, Vi. Aren’t you the one waiting for Prince Charming?

“You’ll be fine. I have faith in you. You need to let your hair down. Have a one-night stand. Be sexy. Have fun.”

“That’s the problem,” Vi muttered. “I don’t know how to be sexy. I only know how to be me.”

A wicked grin crossed Kate’s lips, and her eyes twinkled with mirth. “I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

Of course, Violet trusted her friend. Well, except when Kate got these ideas about going on dates with her husband’s friends. “Right now? No. But I know your heart is in the right place,” she said, a bit of reluctance in her voice.

“Great. Come on. We’re going to knock his socks off and give you a little confidence boost. When Jesse’s friend sees you, he’s going to lose his ever-loving mind.” Kate lifted her hand, signaling for the check. “All you need is a little makeover.”

Violet touched her ponytail and frowned. “What’s wrong with how I look?”

“Nothing. We’re going to enhance it, that’s all.” After signing the check, she reached for Violet’s hand. “We’re going to have so much fun. You’ll see.”

“I should be afraid of how eager you are to change me, but what the hell, right? You only live once.” Violet placed her hand in Kate’s. “Let’s do it before I change my mind and run for the hills.”

“Yay!” Kate exclaimed. “And it’s all on me too.”

* * * *

By the time Violetreturned home, she didn’t even recognize herself. Her long brown locks were completely gone—sheared off to give her a cute pixie cut, then dyed black and highlighted with streaks of purple. The color made her violet eyes stand out but also gave her a feminine edge she never knew hid under all her hair. Her nails and toes were painted a dark purple to match the purple streaks in her hair. And she didn’t even want to think about the wax job Kate had insisted every man enjoyed.

Kate had also bought Violet enough outfits to last her at least two weeks without having to wash clothes. Was her date really expecting her to change at least four times in a day? She pulled the garments out of their bags and laid them on her bed. Violet could understand an outfit for daytime activities and then a nice cocktail dress for dinner, but this...this overwhelmed her.

Running her fingers through her hair, she frowned. Gone were her sneakers and canvas shoes, and in their place were five pairs of heels and a pair of wedges. She groaned. She was completely in over her head, and she didn’t know how to climb out of the mess her friend had piled on her. Anxiety festered in her gut, and she knew she couldn’t go through with any of it. But telling Kate no after everything her friend had done for her didn’t sit well either.

Taking a deep breath, Violet let it out slowly. She could make it through a weekend. She could have a good time. If it meant making her friends happy, then it was worth it. Practically speaking, she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Didn’t mean a million butterflies hadn’t currently taken up residence in her stomach, however.

Nerves were normal. She had told herself the whole way back to her apartment that she was psyching herself out, making the trip bigger than she had to, but what if he didn’t like her? What if he expected someone outgoing and sexually experienced? Her V card, though punched, might as well have do-over written on it. She’d had sex with her boyfriend a handful of times, but it hadn’t been enjoyable. Even wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am was being generous with Taylor. And how did she explain that to the guy? How did she say, By the way, I don’t know how to give a blowjob or fuck? I think I have a malfunctioning vagina, as he’d claimed? Obviously, it hadn’t been because he could go for hours on end or anything ridiculous like that. Nope, she’d been the one with the problem.

Putting the cart before the horse, aren’t you, Vi? What if he doesn’t want to have sex with you? What if you’re not even his type?“I guess I’ll be fucked either way when this little weekend trip is over with, huh?

“It’s not like you’re going to marry the guy. Nor will you be seeing him again outside of a few friendly get-togethers, and at that, it’s not like you have to talk to him either.”

But what if after this date she did want to talk to him? What then? Slow down, chick. One step at a time. You haven’t even met the guy yet. Or, well, you have, you just don’t know which of Jesse’s friends will be meeting you. “Oh God. I’m fucking doomed.”

* * * *

s“You want me to dowhat for you?” Roman couldn’t believe what his friend was telling him. “You can’t be serious.” He lifted the tattoo gun from Jesse’s back and stared at him as though he had grown a second head.

“But I am. Look, you need to find someone besides the groupies. I know they’re an easy piece of ass when you’re in need, but you should consider settling down,” Jesse said matter-of-factly. “I know you’re looking at me like I’ve lost my mind, but it’s time, dude.”

“No, it most certainly is not. I’m kind of enjoying the setup I have right now. I don’t need a date. I can get one whenever I want.” Roman went back to work, shading the remaining area of the ace-of-hearts playing card.

When Jesse had walked into the shop, Roman never expected the conversation of settling down would come up. That’s right, buddy boy. Play hard to get. Meanwhile, in your studio, you have several drawings of the woman you’re always two steps behind. Damn it. In the last week he’d managed a measly four hours sleep a night because the little vixen had eluded him.

“What have you got to lose?” Jesse said. “A free trip to Miami, a weekend with a chick...”

What did Roman have to lose? It wasn’t like his date expected a relationship out of him. And who knew? He might be able to bang his frustrations out as well without having to deal with the deeper issue—Violet.

“Fine, I’ll go.” He sat back and checked his work, then put the gun down. “I think you’re finished.”

“Great. You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t believe you would have fun.”

Yeah, yeah. Fun. Roman knew Jesse’s idea of fun, and he personally didn’t want anything to do with it. “Well, you owe me. Big-time.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll pay it,” Jesse said as he stood up and walked over to the mirror.

“You say that now.” Roman snorted, handing Jesse a smaller mirror so he could see his back. “What do you think?”

“Perfect.” Jesse grinned. “So, your date. You know her, kind of. She’s one of Kate’s friends. And you have to be easy with her. Let her warmup to you because she’s quiet...timid.”

Only one person fit Jesse’s description, but Roman didn’t want to get his hopes up. “I change my mind. You’re going to owe for the next ten years. As in courtside tickets or season passes.”

Jesse laughed. “You’re on. But if you end up digging the girl, you’re not getting shit and I expect a thank-you.”

“Not in a million years, asshole. I don’t do feelings, and I definitely don’t do relationships.” Saying it out loud didn’t change the fact that he’d contemplated a relationship with her more than a couple of times in the last few days.

“Yep, and I’ll be quoting you on that ‘no relationships, no feelings’ shit when you do.” Jesse handed Roman the mirror back. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” Roman started. “Actually, what’s the significance of the ace of hearts for you?” After rubbing some cream on the tattoo, he covered it with plastic and taped it down.

Jesse grinned and patted Roman on the back of the shoulder with a chuckle. “You’ll have to figure it out on your own. I’ll send you the plane ticket and hotel reservation later today. You leave on Friday. I hope you can clear your schedule.”

“Like I have a choice,” Roman quipped. “Fortunately, I have an open weekend. How convenient for you.” He followed Jesse back out to the front of the shop where three women waited their turns. “Don’t fuck up my work.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” With a lift of his hand, Jesse took off, leaving Roman to wonder who his date would be.

“Okay, who’s up?”

For the next several hours Roman tried to put the date out of his mind, but whenever he had an idle second, the idea crept back into the forefront of his thoughts. Could his date possibly be Violet? The idea of spending a weekend with her away from the hustle and bustle of normal life shot a spark of lust down his spine. A weekend to ply her with sex and perhaps work her out of his system excited him. And if it’s not her? Well, he’d cross that bridge when he got there.

“You want to meet after work, Ro?” Cassandra asked, as though the tantrum she’d thrown after Jesse and Kate’s party hadn’t happened. Her eyes were closed as he colored in the hibiscus petal near her groin.

When she’d asked for the tattoo, he’d known it was done purely in a suggestive way. She wanted to put her pussy on display for him, so he’d fuck her while in the chair. For Cassandra it was a game—see how far she could push him before he fucked her. Tonight, after his conversation with Jesse and the party last weekend, he couldn’t muster gumption for a hard-on. Son of a bitch. I’m going to kick your ass, Jesse.

“Nah, not tonight, sweetheart. I got shit on my mind.”

“I can help you with that,” she purred. “Trust me.”

“As much as I would love to have you help me out, this is something different. Rain check?” Damn Jesse and his fucked-up schemes. Damn Violet for messing with his head.

“It’s that girl, isn’t it? The one that moons over you?” Pure venom seeped from her words. “What does she have that I don’t?”

A personality? Appreciation for things around her? Some self-respect? “It’s not like that. I’ve been busy lately.”

“So, are you banging her?”

“What? No.” Roman blew out a frustrated breath and laid the gun down. “Look, we’re not compatible.”

“I like to fuck. You like to fuck. I don’t see the issue with this, Roman.”

Of course she didn’t. “I’ll finish this tattoo, and then you need to leave. I don’t want to see you at my shop ever again.”

“Don’t be silly.” She patted his cheek. “There is no reason why you should have to punish yourself over this little girl. When you’re done playing pretend boyfriend, you know where I’ll be.”

Yeah, he did. She hung out in the bar down from his shop. As a matter of fact, all the chicks he’d banged recently came from that fucking bar. Even more reason to go on this date.

His relationship track record wasn’t one of the best out there. Watching his mother struggle all his life didn’t make the prospect of finding someone any easier. After his dad left them, she’d worked two jobs and never took five minutes for herself. Had he not been born; his mom could have slowed down and had a life.

She now lived in a small apartment with her two cats, alone. What kind of a life was that? But aren’t you on the same path of loneliness? For all your never wanting to fall in love or get hitched, you sure have become what you hate. Roman sighed and shook his head. His isolation was self-imposed; that had to count for something. His mother was alone because his father hadn’t wanted to stick around.

So why did the prospect of actually finding someone, especially if it was Violet, perk him the fuck up? Roman finished Cassandra’s tattoo and checked the schedule after walking her out. His last client would be here in an hour. Good, he needed the time to clear his head.

Stepping out of the shop, Roman took a deep breath and glanced around. The early evening drive-time traffic lurched down the street. Horns blared in the distance, and a stray siren could be heard a few blocks over. Conversations of the pedestrians passing by blended together as the sun dipped low in the sky. In the last ten years his little hole-in-the-wall shop had turned into something more, something he could be proud of. In all reality he had everything he could ever wish for. Stability, friends, family. He didn’t need a woman, not when they were in full supply whenever he had an itch to scratch. Why all of a sudden had it changed? Had he seen his friends settle down and subconsciously wanted the same? Had his little mouse pushed him in the direction of craving something more?

“Okay, asshole. I get what you’re trying to do. I’ll go on this fucking date, and when it crashes and burns, which we all know it will, I’m going to say, ‘I told you so!’” he muttered to no one in particular. A few people shot him curious looks, but he ignored them and stepped back into his shop.