Chapter 4
Ridge
I watch Summer walk away, holding her wrist to her chest, her wet clothes clinging to her body.
Three blonde women are tapping their way down the jetty in their heels, exclaiming that they thought I had drowned.
They ignore Summer, moving around her on their way to me and I don’t like that.
Summer is the one who fell. She is the one who is hurt.
I turn on my heel and walk away, heading towards the large stone mansion my family owns here on the lake.
I don’t like that Summer was here at my house last night and I didn’t know it.
Am I that withdrawn that I don’t even notice the wait staff at the family parties anymore?
I’ve gone through life feeling like I don’t quite fit in and there is something in Summer’s defensiveness that I recognise all too well.
But how could anybody miss Summer? With her glorious red hair that shines like fire in the sun? Her freckles that cover her nose and cheeks? Her curves? Her cleavage that makes a man’s hands ache to touch her? The way her green eyes flash when she is angry?
These are the questions that plague me for the rest of the day and well into the night.
The next day I woke knowing I wanted to see her again.
Yesterday I had headed towards the Boathouse Cafe trying to get away from all the women.
Today I go there knowing there is just one girl I want to see.
I can’t explain it. I don’t want to over analyze it.
I just know that I want to see Summer again.
Maybe learn more about her. Maybe see her laugh or smile.
I enter and immediately feel good. I’ve always liked this place. Stuffed full with antiques, it has an old worldy feel that makes you feel at home straight away.
“Hey Ava.”
The old lady smiles. “Hey there Ridge, you keeping out of trouble?”
“Trying the best I can.” I’ve always liked Ava. She’s had this place as long as I can remember and she was always happy to let me sit and draw for hours. And she used to give me extra cookies when I came in on my own.
Ava pours me a cup of coffee without asking. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for rescuing my Summer yesterday.”
At that moment Summer comes out from the back. I notice her wrist wrapped in a bandage. She doesn’t look happy to see me. “Don’t be nice to him. He didn’t rescue me. He almost drowned me. I didn’t need his help.”
Ignoring Summer, I give Ava a winning smile. “It was no problem at all.”
Ava chuckles and reaches over to give my hand a pat. And then she shuffles back into the kitchen. “I’ll whip you up a toasted cheese." She calls out.
“He’s not staying.” Summer says. And then to me in a low hiss. “What are you doing here?”
I should feel insulted or offended, but instead I find her anger charming. The way her green eyes light up makes me feel alive. And that’s a feeling I haven’t had in a very long time.
“I came to talk to you.” I say with my best smile.
She scoffs.
“Actually, I came to hire you.” The idea forming on the spot. “You said that you take on extra jobs during the summer and I need a decoy girlfriend to get my family off my back.What if I hired you to pretend to be my girlfriend?”
She stares at me and I try my best to keep a serious look on my face. Despite the desire to grin like a loon, feeling extraordinarily happy about this idea I have just come up with.
“Your family is not going to believe you are interested in me.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest. A defensive stance she takes all too often.
“Actually, I think they would believe it. But the point is, they will be so overjoyed that I’m showing interest in someone that they will leave me alone.”
“This all sounds like a you problem. What’s in it for me?”
“I would pay you.” I say. Holding my breath, waiting for her answer.
Getting a yes from her suddenly feels very important.She pauses for a long time.
Thinking it over. Her eyes glancing to the old coffee machine and then to the leak in the roof.
“Whatever figure you have in mind you would have to double it.”
“Okay.” I smile. “Three hundred dollars a date.”
She grins and nods. “Deal.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Aunt Ava asks, putting a delicious looking toasted cheese sandwich in front of me.
I smile a thank you and then say, “I thought I better go up and fix that leak of yours. We can’t have Summer here getting hurt again.”
“Such a nice young man.” Aunt Ava says with a sigh.
I see Summer roll her eyes but I also saw the way she checked me out yesterday, so I know she is not immune to my looks. And I am overjoyed at the chance to get to know her better.