Chapter Thirty-five, Spark Down Inside
Posted by DiF on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Title: Midnight Shift: Chapter Thirty-five, Spark Down Inside
Rating: PG-13 [language, drinking]
Summary: Summer and Cameron spend another day in New York together. Jimmy tries to spend the day alone.
Wrapped in a fluffy robe, Summer stepped out of the bedroom. She sat on the couch next to Cameron and snatched a pastry off the plate on the coffee table. Queenie suddenly noticed her and barked, wagging her little tail. Ignoring the dog, she turned on the sofa to her friend. He smirked and reached forward, wiping up a drip of jelly filling from the corner of her mouth.
“So what are we going to do today?” she asked, smirking when he licked his finger clean.
“Well… I figured we would work some more on your self-discovery.”
“What do you mean by that, Cameron?”
He smirked, “Well we have to find that spark down inside you.”
She paused for a moment to finish her pastry, “We’re going to have sex?”
His eyes widened and he coughed, turning red, “Um, no. I thought that perhaps we could go to the Natural History museum. Maybe you like science and don’t know it.”
“Oh, okay. What should I wear?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Hmmm, okay. Well I’ll just see what I can find on my own. Do I need to walk Queenie first?”
Cameron shook his head, “No. I already did that.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet,” she smiled, getting back up. “I’ll go get dressed and we can go see if I like science then.”
Layering on a skirt and long shirt, Summer knelt in front of the closet to dig for a different pair of shoes. As she leaned to the side to let the light from the nearest lamp to filter in, her eyes widened slightly. Jimmy had left the black box behind; the very one he would not tell her what it contained. She glanced into the living room, but did not see Cameron. Deciding she was safe, she pulled the black box out of the closet and sat back on her feet. Biting her bottom lip briefly, she turned the box around and pressed the buttons to release its clasps.
Stepping into the bedroom, Cameron stopped, “What’s that?”
“I don’t know. It’s Jimmy’s,” she responded.
“Do you think you should be opening it then?”
“He doesn’t need to hide anything from me. It won’t change how I feel about him,” she lifted the lid slightly.
Cameron rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t know about this, Summer.”
“He left it here. It can’t be that big of a deal,” she stated.
“But it’s his.”
“And he says everything of his is mine. I’m opening it.”
Cameron sighed, “Okay…”
Cracking it fully open, Summer let the lid fall backwards. Both pairs of eyes dropped to the contents of the box. Completely confused, she reached in and pulled out a silken blindfold. Not truly interested in it, she handed it to Cameron and reached in again. Her fingers closed around a short whip. Running her fingers through the short fringe spouting from the end, her eyes went to Cameron’s.
“What is all this for, Cameron?” she asked innocently, still playing with the fringe of the whip.
“Um… I think you should put it back and ask Jimmy,” he dropped the blindfold back into the box.
“But, Cameron–”
He stepped towards the door, “Ask Jimmy. Really. I’m gonna… go to the bathroom and then we can go.”
Watching him dart from the room with more confusion in her eyes, Summer dropped the whip back into the box and leaned back in time to watch Cameron disappear into the other bathroom. Shaking her head, she latched the box again and returned it to the closet. She did not get for a moment why he had been so awkward and embarrassed by the box’s contents. She certainly would ask Jimmy about it when they spoke sometime that day.
After pulling on her shoes, she entered her own bathroom and finished getting ready. Summer returned to the living room and glanced around. Seeing the door to the bathroom still closed, she sat on the floor and played with her puppy while waiting on Cameron. She jumped to her feet when he stepped out a few minutes later.
“Can we have pizza today, Cameron?” she asked, picking up her leather purse and heading towards the door.
“Of course we can,” he responded, pushing the dog away so she could slip out. “I know a good place not far from the museum. Do you want to go before or after?”
“Before,” she waited in the hall as he barely managed to get out without the dog escaping. “I’m starving this morning.”
Cameron pressed the elevator button, “No more morning sickness?”
Her eyes flicked to him, “Not much. At least not today.”
“Good,” he smiled briefly. “You’re keeping the baby, right?”
She stepped into the lift, “Of course I am. What else would I do? Leave it on someone’s doorstep?”
“Well… you could give it up for adoption, yes. But you know, you could also not have it,” he responded softly.
Her eyes went to his, “What do you mean?”
“Well… um… you could always terminate the pregnancy.”
“I don’t understand.”
Cameron sighed. He knew she was fairly naïve but he had never expected needing to explain what abortion was to anyone. Perhaps being Summer’s friend was going to be far more challenging than he ever expected. However, the longer he thought about it as the elevator descended, the more he realized he had been looking for a challenge. He could do it. He could be the friend she needed and the tutor.
“Well, you see… actually, let’s talk about it later,” Cameron said as the elevator doors open. “It’s a more serious conversation than is worthy of pizza.”
“Okay, but don’t think that you can get out of explaining it to me by feeding me or distracting me. I’ll remember you didn’t explain something,” Summer claimed, stepping into the lobby.
He chuckled, “Don’t worry. I’ll explain anything in the world you want me to, Summer.”
“Except Jimmy’s black box,” she pointed out.
Cameron pushed open the hotel door for her and agreed, “Except Jimmy’s black box.”
Sipping a cup of tea, Jimmy casually browsed the newspaper. During the earlier practice, they managed to iron out one part of the performance, only to find more problems. They broke for lunch and tea, but Jimmy did not intend to return to Earls Court. The techs would not have figured things out anyways. He intended to enjoy his tea and return to the hotel to ring Summer. It would be a nice and relaxing evening. Perhaps he could even get her to…
“We need to talk about what to do about Grant,” Robert announced as he sat at the table without invitation.
“Hello, Percy. How did you know I was here?”
“Because you are predictable in your tastes, especially when it comes to tea time,” he declared, motioning for the waitress. “So what are we going to do?”
“Nothing.”
Robert stared across the table, “Excuse me? He kept Summer from–”
“I understand that. And I did tell him that I would sack him if he did not see that she was here promptly,” he responded coolly. “However, I do not think even he could unravel his mess that quickly. Therefore, I will give him until the end of the week before deciding on a suitable response.”
“Thank you,” he nodded to the waitress before returning his attention to Jimmy. “You cannot be serious.”
“I most certainly am,” he responded without emotion. “And it matters not to you. Summer is none of your concern.”
“Oh bullshit. You know I love her.”
Jimmy sipped his tea, “You have a wife to contend with. Summer is no longer your concern.”
“Ah, but I have filed for legal separation from Maureen,” he stated.
“Oh? What of your children?”
“I’m confident that we will come to an agreement regarding them,” Robert claimed.
“Hmmmm,” Jimmy picked up a finger sandwich.
“What does that mean?”
He dabbed his mouth with a napkin, “Do you really think that she is going to allow you to have the children at all? Especially as you are leaving her for a girl you met while on tour.”
Robert paused for a long moment, “You think she will keep my children away to punish me?”
“I think she has a case to keep them from you because of your… lifestyle.”
“Our lifestyle,” he corrected.
Jimmy nodded once in concession, “You should think this through very carefully, Percy. You would not want to lose your children, I presume.”
“Perhaps you’re right…”
“It is your choice, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” he nodded. “So what are we going to do about Summer?”
“We are not going to do anything. I will discuss matters with Peter. That is all,” Jimmy declared.
“But–”
“That is all,” he repeated.
Plopping down on the couch, Summer pivoted quickly and laid her head in Cameron’s lap. He chuckled and set aside his article. Looking down at the blond girl, he smiled and patted her head. She rolled her eyes.
“I’m not a dog,” she declared.
“You did plop down in my lap like Queenie does,” he teased.
Summer sighed dramatically, “Cameron.”
“Yes?”
“I’m bored.”
He smirked, “Well, sweetheart, I’m just about done with my work. Then we can go do something fun.”
“Like what?”
“Hmmmm… I don’t know. What would you like to do?”
She wiggled her nose in thought, “Can we go to the Statue of Liberty?”
“Of course we can. Why don’t you go and get ready and I’ll finish this up?” he suggested.
“I can’t stay here?”
His fingers dropped down and messed her hair, “Go get ready, Summer. I can’t think with you right here.”
“How come?” she asked.
Cameron stared down at her, saying nothing.
“Ugh, fine,” Summer sat up. “I’ll go take a loooooong shower so you can finish your article and then we can go see the Statue of Liberty.”
Taking the subway an hour later, Summer sighed again. Cameron nudged her, trying to get her to smile. She glanced at him but did not smile. He made small jokes, but still got nothing from her.
Waiting until they stepped off the subway, Cameron pulled her out of the way of general traffic, “Okay, spill it.”
“What?”
“What’s wrong, Summer?”
She frowned and looked away.
“Summer,” he warned.
“I miss him,” she mumbled.
Cameron quickly embraced her, “He’ll be back soon, Summer.”
“I… I…”
He kissed her forehead, “It’s going to be okay. He’ll be back soon and everything will be okay.”
“You promise?”
“Of course,” Cameron nodded. “Now let’s dry those tears and go visit a lovely lady.”
Summer squeezed him tightly, “Thank you. You’re a very good friend. I’m so glad I met you.”
“Me too,” he hugged her once more before pulling away.
Snacking on the ferry to the island, Summer’s mood improved. By the time they reached the base of the Statue, her eyes went wide. She stood still, staring up at the large green statue. Her fingers reached for Cameron’s, squeezing them gently.
“It’s so… big,” she muttered.
“It is. But wait until you see the view from the top,” he commented, tugging her towards the statue.
“From the top?” she asked meekly.
“Yup. Come on.”
Distracting herself from the height of the monument by focusing on the guide’s history lessons, Summer wide eyes shifted from fear to awe. She had never heard such stories before and kept whispering to Cameron to confirm what the guide said was true. Though he teased her, he encouraged all of her questions, even explained some things in more detail for her. She was completely enraptured with the history of the statue by the time the lift stopped and eagerly took to the steps to the very top of the statue.
“Cameron,” she breathed, leaning out over the banister, “it’s beautiful.”
Leaning next to her, he smiled and pointed, “It is. That’s Ellis Island over there.”
She remained silent for a few seconds, “What’s Ellis Island?”
He struggled to not react to her question. Instead, he softly explained the history of the area to her, further connecting the dots of comments the guide made. Nodding in understanding, Summer’s eyes focused on the island, trying to imagine what the past had been like.
“This is all so… interesting,” she uttered.
“Ah, there it is,” he grinned and nodded.
“What?”
“I think we found something.”
“Huh?”
“History might be your thing.”
“Really?”
He nodded, “We’ll go to the library and get some history books. I’m betting that you’ll like them.”
“Um…”
“What?”
She looked away and muttered, “I can’t read.”
“Excuse me?” he reached over, touching her shoulder to get her to turn towards him.
Her eyes flicked briefly to his before casting down, “I can’t read.”
Unable to hide his surprise, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, “You can’t…?”
She shook her head, unable to look at his face because of her shame, “I… I wasn’t ever taught how back at the farm… I mean I was taught from books, but I just memorized the stories. There’s… there’s very few words that I can read from sight. I used to… I used to sit with the books I was supposed to be learning from and stare at them, not able to make out even the title of whatever I opened too. I’m sorry.”
Cameron reached forward and tilted Summer’s face up, so that she would look at him again, “You don’t need to apologize for the failings of others. How about I help you learn how to read?”
“I guess…”
“Give your girlfriend a kiss,” someone randomly declared, holding a camera up.
“She’s not my gi–”
Summer interrupted his statement by quickly kissing his cheek. The Polaroid picture popped out of the camera and the random stranger handed it to them. She smiled and winked at Summer before walking away. Shaking the picture, Summer turned it to Cameron.
“We better destroy that.”
“Why?” she asked.
He stared at her, “Because if Jimmy sees that, he’ll place a curse on me or something.”
Summer rolled her eyes and dropped it into her purse, “Jimmy isn’t going to curse you, Cameron. Come on. I’m hungry.”
After spending the entire day avoiding Charlotte and the evening avoiding the band, save for the run in with Robert at the teahouse, Jimmy returned to his hotel suite laden with a dozen packages. While a majority of his purchases that day had been for himself, the rest had been for Summer. From jewelry to clothing to another guitar, he was set to lavish her with gifts upon his return.
He was certain Grant was not going to come through with bringing her to London. Jimmy was not entirely sure what he was going to do. Grant was integral to the band’s actually business. He could not see how they could function without the rotund gangster.
But that was not entirely what he wanted to worry about that night. Instead, he poured himself a glass of wine and sat in the armchair near the window. His long fingers gently swept the sheer curtain aside so he could look out over the city. He sipped the wine for a moment, glancing over the twinkling lights of London at night. Releasing the curtain, he set his wine glass down and moved to the bed. Jimmy kicked off his shoes and reclined on the empty bed, wishing Summer was by his side.
He reached for the phone and counted the minutes for it to ring through to New York. No answer. Sighing, Jimmy hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. Mentally counting the hours between, he presumed she was at dinner. He would try her again in a few hours.
Showering, playing guitar, and drinking wine, Jimmy filled the hours waiting to call her once more. When he picked up the phone for a second time, certain she would be back in their hotel suite, he once more lounged on the bed. However, this time he only wore black silk boxer shorts and nothing else.
The ringing stopped and the most glorious, beautiful voice chirped, “Jimmy! I miss you!”
“Oh, Princess, I miss you too,” he smiled. “Tell me what you did today.”
Though he could not deny that her tales made him jealous of Cameron, he was relieved to hear happiness in her voice. If he could not show her all that New York had to offer, he could accept that someone else was. Cameron was… a safer choice than many young men that age. He could deal with it.
She then asked what he had done all day. Rather than bore her with stories that would not be half as entertaining as hers, he merely told her that he spent most of the day thinking of her, missing her. He spoke sweet nothings to her, grinning as she giggled softly.
“Summer… I need to kiss your beautiful face,” he muttered, his free hand resting on his bare belly.
“I need that too, Jimmy.”
“Oh, princess…”
“Jimmy, can I ask you something?”
His hand moved down past his waistband, “Anything, my princess.”
“What do you use all those whips and blindfolds and things in the black box for?”
His eyes widened and his fingers moved away from the half-erection in his shorts, “What did you say?”
“I opened that black box this morning. What do you use all those things for?”
He fell silent, his mind racing to find an acceptable explanation to give her. Try as he might, Jimmy could not find an answer for her. His sweet and innocent princess clearly did not understand the role that box could play in their sexual play and he did not have any desire to merely explain it to her.
“Summer, princess, it would be much easier if I just… show you, rather than tell you.”
“I can get the box out right now.”
“No!” he responded quickly. “It would just be better if I showed you. I promise to do so when I get back to New York.”
“Well… okay. But I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
He smirked to himself, “Have you now…?”
Rating: PG-13 [language, drinking]
Summary: Summer and Cameron spend another day in New York together. Jimmy tries to spend the day alone.
Wrapped in a fluffy robe, Summer stepped out of the bedroom. She sat on the couch next to Cameron and snatched a pastry off the plate on the coffee table. Queenie suddenly noticed her and barked, wagging her little tail. Ignoring the dog, she turned on the sofa to her friend. He smirked and reached forward, wiping up a drip of jelly filling from the corner of her mouth.
“So what are we going to do today?” she asked, smirking when he licked his finger clean.
“Well… I figured we would work some more on your self-discovery.”
“What do you mean by that, Cameron?”
He smirked, “Well we have to find that spark down inside you.”
She paused for a moment to finish her pastry, “We’re going to have sex?”
His eyes widened and he coughed, turning red, “Um, no. I thought that perhaps we could go to the Natural History museum. Maybe you like science and don’t know it.”
“Oh, okay. What should I wear?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Hmmm, okay. Well I’ll just see what I can find on my own. Do I need to walk Queenie first?”
Cameron shook his head, “No. I already did that.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet,” she smiled, getting back up. “I’ll go get dressed and we can go see if I like science then.”
Layering on a skirt and long shirt, Summer knelt in front of the closet to dig for a different pair of shoes. As she leaned to the side to let the light from the nearest lamp to filter in, her eyes widened slightly. Jimmy had left the black box behind; the very one he would not tell her what it contained. She glanced into the living room, but did not see Cameron. Deciding she was safe, she pulled the black box out of the closet and sat back on her feet. Biting her bottom lip briefly, she turned the box around and pressed the buttons to release its clasps.
Stepping into the bedroom, Cameron stopped, “What’s that?”
“I don’t know. It’s Jimmy’s,” she responded.
“Do you think you should be opening it then?”
“He doesn’t need to hide anything from me. It won’t change how I feel about him,” she lifted the lid slightly.
Cameron rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t know about this, Summer.”
“He left it here. It can’t be that big of a deal,” she stated.
“But it’s his.”
“And he says everything of his is mine. I’m opening it.”
Cameron sighed, “Okay…”
Cracking it fully open, Summer let the lid fall backwards. Both pairs of eyes dropped to the contents of the box. Completely confused, she reached in and pulled out a silken blindfold. Not truly interested in it, she handed it to Cameron and reached in again. Her fingers closed around a short whip. Running her fingers through the short fringe spouting from the end, her eyes went to Cameron’s.
“What is all this for, Cameron?” she asked innocently, still playing with the fringe of the whip.
“Um… I think you should put it back and ask Jimmy,” he dropped the blindfold back into the box.
“But, Cameron–”
He stepped towards the door, “Ask Jimmy. Really. I’m gonna… go to the bathroom and then we can go.”
Watching him dart from the room with more confusion in her eyes, Summer dropped the whip back into the box and leaned back in time to watch Cameron disappear into the other bathroom. Shaking her head, she latched the box again and returned it to the closet. She did not get for a moment why he had been so awkward and embarrassed by the box’s contents. She certainly would ask Jimmy about it when they spoke sometime that day.
After pulling on her shoes, she entered her own bathroom and finished getting ready. Summer returned to the living room and glanced around. Seeing the door to the bathroom still closed, she sat on the floor and played with her puppy while waiting on Cameron. She jumped to her feet when he stepped out a few minutes later.
“Can we have pizza today, Cameron?” she asked, picking up her leather purse and heading towards the door.
“Of course we can,” he responded, pushing the dog away so she could slip out. “I know a good place not far from the museum. Do you want to go before or after?”
“Before,” she waited in the hall as he barely managed to get out without the dog escaping. “I’m starving this morning.”
Cameron pressed the elevator button, “No more morning sickness?”
Her eyes flicked to him, “Not much. At least not today.”
“Good,” he smiled briefly. “You’re keeping the baby, right?”
She stepped into the lift, “Of course I am. What else would I do? Leave it on someone’s doorstep?”
“Well… you could give it up for adoption, yes. But you know, you could also not have it,” he responded softly.
Her eyes went to his, “What do you mean?”
“Well… um… you could always terminate the pregnancy.”
“I don’t understand.”
Cameron sighed. He knew she was fairly naïve but he had never expected needing to explain what abortion was to anyone. Perhaps being Summer’s friend was going to be far more challenging than he ever expected. However, the longer he thought about it as the elevator descended, the more he realized he had been looking for a challenge. He could do it. He could be the friend she needed and the tutor.
“Well, you see… actually, let’s talk about it later,” Cameron said as the elevator doors open. “It’s a more serious conversation than is worthy of pizza.”
“Okay, but don’t think that you can get out of explaining it to me by feeding me or distracting me. I’ll remember you didn’t explain something,” Summer claimed, stepping into the lobby.
He chuckled, “Don’t worry. I’ll explain anything in the world you want me to, Summer.”
“Except Jimmy’s black box,” she pointed out.
Cameron pushed open the hotel door for her and agreed, “Except Jimmy’s black box.”
Sipping a cup of tea, Jimmy casually browsed the newspaper. During the earlier practice, they managed to iron out one part of the performance, only to find more problems. They broke for lunch and tea, but Jimmy did not intend to return to Earls Court. The techs would not have figured things out anyways. He intended to enjoy his tea and return to the hotel to ring Summer. It would be a nice and relaxing evening. Perhaps he could even get her to…
“We need to talk about what to do about Grant,” Robert announced as he sat at the table without invitation.
“Hello, Percy. How did you know I was here?”
“Because you are predictable in your tastes, especially when it comes to tea time,” he declared, motioning for the waitress. “So what are we going to do?”
“Nothing.”
Robert stared across the table, “Excuse me? He kept Summer from–”
“I understand that. And I did tell him that I would sack him if he did not see that she was here promptly,” he responded coolly. “However, I do not think even he could unravel his mess that quickly. Therefore, I will give him until the end of the week before deciding on a suitable response.”
“Thank you,” he nodded to the waitress before returning his attention to Jimmy. “You cannot be serious.”
“I most certainly am,” he responded without emotion. “And it matters not to you. Summer is none of your concern.”
“Oh bullshit. You know I love her.”
Jimmy sipped his tea, “You have a wife to contend with. Summer is no longer your concern.”
“Ah, but I have filed for legal separation from Maureen,” he stated.
“Oh? What of your children?”
“I’m confident that we will come to an agreement regarding them,” Robert claimed.
“Hmmmm,” Jimmy picked up a finger sandwich.
“What does that mean?”
He dabbed his mouth with a napkin, “Do you really think that she is going to allow you to have the children at all? Especially as you are leaving her for a girl you met while on tour.”
Robert paused for a long moment, “You think she will keep my children away to punish me?”
“I think she has a case to keep them from you because of your… lifestyle.”
“Our lifestyle,” he corrected.
Jimmy nodded once in concession, “You should think this through very carefully, Percy. You would not want to lose your children, I presume.”
“Perhaps you’re right…”
“It is your choice, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” he nodded. “So what are we going to do about Summer?”
“We are not going to do anything. I will discuss matters with Peter. That is all,” Jimmy declared.
“But–”
“That is all,” he repeated.
Plopping down on the couch, Summer pivoted quickly and laid her head in Cameron’s lap. He chuckled and set aside his article. Looking down at the blond girl, he smiled and patted her head. She rolled her eyes.
“I’m not a dog,” she declared.
“You did plop down in my lap like Queenie does,” he teased.
Summer sighed dramatically, “Cameron.”
“Yes?”
“I’m bored.”
He smirked, “Well, sweetheart, I’m just about done with my work. Then we can go do something fun.”
“Like what?”
“Hmmmm… I don’t know. What would you like to do?”
She wiggled her nose in thought, “Can we go to the Statue of Liberty?”
“Of course we can. Why don’t you go and get ready and I’ll finish this up?” he suggested.
“I can’t stay here?”
His fingers dropped down and messed her hair, “Go get ready, Summer. I can’t think with you right here.”
“How come?” she asked.
Cameron stared down at her, saying nothing.
“Ugh, fine,” Summer sat up. “I’ll go take a loooooong shower so you can finish your article and then we can go see the Statue of Liberty.”
Taking the subway an hour later, Summer sighed again. Cameron nudged her, trying to get her to smile. She glanced at him but did not smile. He made small jokes, but still got nothing from her.
Waiting until they stepped off the subway, Cameron pulled her out of the way of general traffic, “Okay, spill it.”
“What?”
“What’s wrong, Summer?”
She frowned and looked away.
“Summer,” he warned.
“I miss him,” she mumbled.
Cameron quickly embraced her, “He’ll be back soon, Summer.”
“I… I…”
He kissed her forehead, “It’s going to be okay. He’ll be back soon and everything will be okay.”
“You promise?”
“Of course,” Cameron nodded. “Now let’s dry those tears and go visit a lovely lady.”
Summer squeezed him tightly, “Thank you. You’re a very good friend. I’m so glad I met you.”
“Me too,” he hugged her once more before pulling away.
Snacking on the ferry to the island, Summer’s mood improved. By the time they reached the base of the Statue, her eyes went wide. She stood still, staring up at the large green statue. Her fingers reached for Cameron’s, squeezing them gently.
“It’s so… big,” she muttered.
“It is. But wait until you see the view from the top,” he commented, tugging her towards the statue.
“From the top?” she asked meekly.
“Yup. Come on.”
Distracting herself from the height of the monument by focusing on the guide’s history lessons, Summer wide eyes shifted from fear to awe. She had never heard such stories before and kept whispering to Cameron to confirm what the guide said was true. Though he teased her, he encouraged all of her questions, even explained some things in more detail for her. She was completely enraptured with the history of the statue by the time the lift stopped and eagerly took to the steps to the very top of the statue.
“Cameron,” she breathed, leaning out over the banister, “it’s beautiful.”
Leaning next to her, he smiled and pointed, “It is. That’s Ellis Island over there.”
She remained silent for a few seconds, “What’s Ellis Island?”
He struggled to not react to her question. Instead, he softly explained the history of the area to her, further connecting the dots of comments the guide made. Nodding in understanding, Summer’s eyes focused on the island, trying to imagine what the past had been like.
“This is all so… interesting,” she uttered.
“Ah, there it is,” he grinned and nodded.
“What?”
“I think we found something.”
“Huh?”
“History might be your thing.”
“Really?”
He nodded, “We’ll go to the library and get some history books. I’m betting that you’ll like them.”
“Um…”
“What?”
She looked away and muttered, “I can’t read.”
“Excuse me?” he reached over, touching her shoulder to get her to turn towards him.
Her eyes flicked briefly to his before casting down, “I can’t read.”
Unable to hide his surprise, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, “You can’t…?”
She shook her head, unable to look at his face because of her shame, “I… I wasn’t ever taught how back at the farm… I mean I was taught from books, but I just memorized the stories. There’s… there’s very few words that I can read from sight. I used to… I used to sit with the books I was supposed to be learning from and stare at them, not able to make out even the title of whatever I opened too. I’m sorry.”
Cameron reached forward and tilted Summer’s face up, so that she would look at him again, “You don’t need to apologize for the failings of others. How about I help you learn how to read?”
“I guess…”
“Give your girlfriend a kiss,” someone randomly declared, holding a camera up.
“She’s not my gi–”
Summer interrupted his statement by quickly kissing his cheek. The Polaroid picture popped out of the camera and the random stranger handed it to them. She smiled and winked at Summer before walking away. Shaking the picture, Summer turned it to Cameron.
“We better destroy that.”
“Why?” she asked.
He stared at her, “Because if Jimmy sees that, he’ll place a curse on me or something.”
Summer rolled her eyes and dropped it into her purse, “Jimmy isn’t going to curse you, Cameron. Come on. I’m hungry.”
After spending the entire day avoiding Charlotte and the evening avoiding the band, save for the run in with Robert at the teahouse, Jimmy returned to his hotel suite laden with a dozen packages. While a majority of his purchases that day had been for himself, the rest had been for Summer. From jewelry to clothing to another guitar, he was set to lavish her with gifts upon his return.
He was certain Grant was not going to come through with bringing her to London. Jimmy was not entirely sure what he was going to do. Grant was integral to the band’s actually business. He could not see how they could function without the rotund gangster.
But that was not entirely what he wanted to worry about that night. Instead, he poured himself a glass of wine and sat in the armchair near the window. His long fingers gently swept the sheer curtain aside so he could look out over the city. He sipped the wine for a moment, glancing over the twinkling lights of London at night. Releasing the curtain, he set his wine glass down and moved to the bed. Jimmy kicked off his shoes and reclined on the empty bed, wishing Summer was by his side.
He reached for the phone and counted the minutes for it to ring through to New York. No answer. Sighing, Jimmy hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. Mentally counting the hours between, he presumed she was at dinner. He would try her again in a few hours.
Showering, playing guitar, and drinking wine, Jimmy filled the hours waiting to call her once more. When he picked up the phone for a second time, certain she would be back in their hotel suite, he once more lounged on the bed. However, this time he only wore black silk boxer shorts and nothing else.
The ringing stopped and the most glorious, beautiful voice chirped, “Jimmy! I miss you!”
“Oh, Princess, I miss you too,” he smiled. “Tell me what you did today.”
Though he could not deny that her tales made him jealous of Cameron, he was relieved to hear happiness in her voice. If he could not show her all that New York had to offer, he could accept that someone else was. Cameron was… a safer choice than many young men that age. He could deal with it.
She then asked what he had done all day. Rather than bore her with stories that would not be half as entertaining as hers, he merely told her that he spent most of the day thinking of her, missing her. He spoke sweet nothings to her, grinning as she giggled softly.
“Summer… I need to kiss your beautiful face,” he muttered, his free hand resting on his bare belly.
“I need that too, Jimmy.”
“Oh, princess…”
“Jimmy, can I ask you something?”
His hand moved down past his waistband, “Anything, my princess.”
“What do you use all those whips and blindfolds and things in the black box for?”
His eyes widened and his fingers moved away from the half-erection in his shorts, “What did you say?”
“I opened that black box this morning. What do you use all those things for?”
He fell silent, his mind racing to find an acceptable explanation to give her. Try as he might, Jimmy could not find an answer for her. His sweet and innocent princess clearly did not understand the role that box could play in their sexual play and he did not have any desire to merely explain it to her.
“Summer, princess, it would be much easier if I just… show you, rather than tell you.”
“I can get the box out right now.”
“No!” he responded quickly. “It would just be better if I showed you. I promise to do so when I get back to New York.”
“Well… okay. But I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
He smirked to himself, “Have you now…?”
blog comments powered by Disqus