Chapter 15 #2
“I know. But if you want to do it all, there’s not much time for anything else,” Harper said.
“You need to teach some of that work ethic to your friend there,” Renata said, turning away as she moved toward the kitchen.
“Really, Mom?” Summer asked.
“Really. You girls want something to eat?” Renata asked.
“You don’t have to do that. We’re not little anymore. We can call for delivery or something,” Harper said.
“Yeah, we can do it,” Summer said.
“I like to cook for you. I don’t get to take care of anybody but Basilio anymore.”
“There is nothing wrong with taking care of your husband!” Basilio called from the living room.
“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it, I said you’re the only one I get to take care of anymore!
” Renata called back. Then she smiled at Harper and Summer.
“How about some steaks? I’ve got some fresh ribeyes, and I can heat up the grill pan real quick, they’re almost as good when we grill them outside. ”
“That’d be great!” Summer said.
“If it’s not too much trouble, it sounds delicious,” Harper added.
“Coming right up. And since you brought luggage and it seems you’re moving in, make yourself comfortable in the guest room. No need to bunk with Summer,” Renata said as she disappeared into the kitchen.
“I just got home from a trip and didn’t want to stay at my house so I had Summer on standby. I didn’t even go inside, just threw my things into her car and here I am.”
“Baby, you’re always welcome here,” Renata said from the kitchen.
“Thank you.”
“Come on, let’s go unpack you and maybe lay out by the pool,” Summer said.
“Oh, that sounds like heaven.”
“Then welcome to heaven,” Summer said, grabbing two of Harper’s bags and taking the grand staircase two stairs at a time.
Harper took hold of the rest of her things and followed, but not running up the steps two at a time. Walking, a single step at a time, was just fine for her.
~~~
“Professor Lonegan?” Clay said, standing just outside an open office door.
Professor Lonegan looked up from the papers that were spread across his desk. “Clay! What are you doing here on a Saturday?”
“I was hoping to catch you in your office. I just got a call from home and I’m needed there. I was wondering if there’s any possibility of taking my final early instead of waiting for Tuesday afternoon.”
“I don’t usually make arrangements for such things.”
“I know. And I wouldn’t ask unless it was an emergency.”
“What are your plans if I don’t allow it?”
Clay shook his head slowly and looked his professor in the eye.
“Honestly, I already have my belongings packed. The absolute latest I can put off leaving is Monday. I’d hate to lose the class credit but my family needs me.
If I have to retake the class at a later date, I’ll just have to retake the class. ”
Professor Lonegan watched the young man standing before him.
He’d taught Clay for the last couple of semesters and in his opinion Clay was a very intelligent, calm, steady, and trustworthy young man.
He was the kind of young man that would be successful at anything he took on.
“Don’t you already have a final on Monday morning? ”
“Yes, sir. I do.”
Professor Lonegan watched him for a few moments longer before speaking. “Come here to my office as soon as you’re finished. I will allow you to take your final at that time.”
“Thank you, Professor Lonegan! You just don’t know how much I appreciate it.”
“Yes, well, not a word to anyone else! Make sure that you keep this to yourself.”
“Absolutely Sir!”
“I’ll see you on Monday immediately after your first final.”
“I’ll be here, Professor!” Clay promised.
~~~
“I just don’t understand why you’re still so worked up over it.
I mean, yeah, the guy’s a dick. And how dare he imply that your refusal of him could endanger the chance for your family to do business with his company, but you’re practically feral in the way you’re reacting.
That’s not like you. You tell somebody off and move on and this is just eating you up,” Summer said, from her place on her favorite pool float, drifting lazily in the water with a frozen pina colada in hand.
Harper pushed the sunglasses up higher on her nose and sipped her own pina colada, before glancing in Summer’s direction.
“I know. It’s like that feeling you get when somebody’s breathing too loudly, or chewing with their mouths open and making that horrible smacking noise, and you just want to knock them out of their chair…
that’s how being around him makes me feel.
From the first time I laid eyes on him, and it just went downhill from there, you know? ”
“Yeah, I do. Not that I’ve felt that way about somebody in particular, but I get it.
I have wanted to smack the hell out of some people for making too much noise when they eat.
I mean, who the hell raised them, you know?
” Summer paused to sip more of her drink.
“So, what are you going to do. You promised your dad you’d be back to work with them tomorrow. ”
“And I will. But I’m very upset with him, too. The only reason I’m going is because I will not break my work — not even in this situation. After that, though, I’m coming back here. And I won’t go home until Joel leaves, and maybe not until I can look at my father without feeling betrayed.”
“Maybe he’ll leave you alone and pretend you’re not even there.”
“My dad, or Joel?”
“Joel. It’s too much to hope for that your dad would ignore you.”
“That would help. It just makes my skin crawl that Joel even wants to try to impress me.”
“It’s kind of weird. I mean, it’s not, but it is. It’s what I would expect if you were mated and someone else wouldn’t take no for an answer, but you’re not mated. Granted you want Clay and think he’s your mate, but the deed is not done, so, that’s why it’s weird.”
Harper had been sipping her drink, and immediately started choking.
“You okay? You need me to do the Heimlich?” Summer asked from several feet away, drifting on a slight breeze.
Harper continued to cough and hack, even sitting up as straight as she could on the pool float.
“As long as you’re coughing, you’re good. I learned that in my First Aid class. If somebody has the air to cough, they have the air to breathe. Give them a second and see what happens.”
Harper coughed for another minute or so before she finally got herself under control. “I could have choked to death!” she said accusingly.
“No. You were coughing so there was air getting in. Did you not listen to me?”
Harper snarled and grumbled a little.
“Sit up a little higher when you drink. Maybe you swallowed wrong.”
“I didn’t swallow wrong! You made me choke!”
“How did I make you choke? I’m way over here!”
“You said I’m acting like I’m mated! Is that the problem? Am I mated?” Harper asked, still sitting up on the float, but now with her legs dangling off the sides in the water.
“Harper, if you’re mated and don’t know it, we have bigger issues to consider than a business associate that thought he could take advantage of you.”
“No, I mean, Clay… we did do the deed, but not the bite or any kind of blood exchange. That I’m aware of. But I felt something. I know I did. Could that be why I got so defensive — I mean, other than Joel being a misogynistic prick?”
Summer sat up on her float and put her legs in the water, kicked her feet below the surface to steer her float across the pool and closer to Harper’s, while drinking her pina colada through her straw like it was the air she breathed.
When she got closer, she turned her float a little more so that she was looking Harper directly in the eye, or at least directly at her sunglasses.
“Are you saying that it’s possible that you not only had the S.E.X. , but that he mated you?”
“Is it possible?” Harper asked.
“Did he bite you? Mark you?”
“No, I made it a point to tell him not to.”
“Did you bite him?”
“No.”
“So, no blood exchange, no mating.”
Harper thought about it. “You know, we got a little wild and I might have possibly scraped up the backs of his arms while we were, you know.”
Summer sat there on her float, imagining what Harper was describing.
“Did you hear me?” Harper asked.
“Yes. I’m trying to decide between needing more info on the deed itself and how Clay performed, or ewww, I do not want to imagine my best friend and one of our best friends doing the deed.”
Harper shook her head. “It was amazing. He was amazing.”
Summer looked at Harper and nodded. “I knew he would be. I mean, the way he’s put together. The slinky smooth way that he moves effortlessly every time he moves. And those intense eyes when he stares at you. Damn. I bet he was good.”
“Summer!” Harper snapped.
“What? You brought it up!”
“Not for you to fantasize about him.”
“Anyway, did you bleed at all?”
Harper canted her head and stared at her.
“Oh, yeah, okay. You did. Of course, you did. That happens the first time. But otherwise, did you bleed other than that?”
“Not really. I mean, I noticed a little bit of pinkish stain in my bra the next day. I know he didn’t bite me, but maybe he sucked or nibbled too hard and it made a break in the skin.”
“Girrrrrlllllll….” Summer said, lying back on her float again.
“What?”
“You’re mated.”
“Nooooo!” Harper whispered.
“Yes,” Summer said confidently.
“That, along with the outrage you should feel about the way, crap wad — is that what your mother called that guy — treated you… that would send anybody into a rage.”
Harper nodded as her mind was off distracted again.
“What are you thinking?” Summer asked.
“That I’m mated. We’re mated. Do you really think we’re mated?”
“Yes. And you should tell him as soon a possible.”
“It’s obviously an accident. What if he’s upset?”
“Anybody would be a lucky male to have you at their side.”
“But what if he’s actually found someone else. I told you he said as much when we went out for pizza after he helped me at the Bigsby’s.”