Page 19 of Villainous Summer

Van reached over me, grabbed the drink, and put his lips to my lipstick stain. His eyes never left mine as he sipped.

He set the half empty glass down. “That was a rhetorical question. You’re coming whether you like it or not.”

Going to a party with this strange man under even stranger circumstances was shaping up to be a bad idea. But I was never one to wallow in my feelings alone. A distraction with a little scheming might do the trick. Plus, free drinks.

“Let’s skedaddle, big guy.”

Before I could fish money out of my wallet, Van had put a fifty down on the bar, then held my hand to lead me off the stool.

I wished I was wearing my wedge heels. He towered over me while I wore my flats.

Those silver eyes bored into mine. He traced the back of my hand with his thumb before letting me go.

My breath stuttered out of me as I glanced away and waved at the money on the counter.

“That’s too much. I get an employee discount and—”

He placed a hand on my back to usher me through the lobby and out onto the bustling Front Street.

Caleb, behind the desk, raised a brow as I passed, but we kept moving.

I should have met Van at a different spot to avoid gossip.

Out in the summer sun, the lines to watch the parade were three people deep, with small children sitting on the sidewalks and their feet dangling into the road, a fortress of lawn chairs, and people standing behind them.

A vendor with light-up wands, bubble machines, and plastic Viking swords zigzagged the street, selling his wares. The parade wasn’t scheduled to start for another forty-five minutes, but viewing real estate was precious on the five-block route.

As we moved through the crowd, dodging children with sticky candied apples and adults with dripping ears of buttered corn, Van paused to allow me to catch up, his strides being larger than mine. After we got separated for the third time, he gripped my hand—more logistical than friendly, but I didn’t mind the tingle of awareness his touch gave me.

On the corner, crowds dissipated as the sidewalk ended in the residential area. As we approached a familiar house, I tugged on his hand, and he stopped to glance back at me. “Wait, who’s your boss?”

“Dennis Haruki.”

I laughed. “Haruki? Really? You could have led with that at The Cabin.”

“Do you know him?”

“You could say that.” I grinned.

At the entry path to the large white house, a small dog rushed toward me.

Taking my hand from Van’s, I bent down to pick it up. “Hi, Momo. Hi, my little momsers,” I cooed.

Van furrowed his brow.

The two drinks had definitely made me a little loopy, and seeing his confusion was priceless.

“You know his dog?”

Still crouched, I smiled at him. “Mr. Haruki is my friend Devin’s grandfather. I practically grew up here.”

The man of the hour came walking down, donning a big smile, his arms wide.

Van

Son of a bitch. Why didn’t I factor in that Summer might have known Mr. Haruki before I asked her to be my date? Standing in the walkway of my boss’s sumptuous yard, I knew there was no going back now.

Mr. Haruki wrapped an arm around Summer’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Summer, my dear girl. You’ve made it. I was so excited when he mentioned your name.”

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