Summertime Sins
Chapter 4-1: A Walk
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 3.5 | Chapter 4-1 | Chapter 4-2 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
I had gotten used to being a soul destroyed
She comes in apparently to fill the void
Lie, Dream Theater
“Mind if I join you?”
Jake Riley turned to see Kate Bennett gazing wistfully at him as she leaned on the porch railing of her elegant three story abode. Like many of the houses in Bayport, hers was of late 1800s Victorian design. It was one of the grandest homes in town, and, before the two were acquainted, he'd often wondered if the inside matched the edifice's magnificent exterior. His heart began to ache as he recalled the days and nights they spent entwined together in the decadent dwelling.
It was Sunday morning, and he was on his way to get breakfast at his favorite riverfront café. Though Jake had known his route went right in front of Kate’s house, he’d hoped he would have been able to avoid her. He sighed internally: it was not to be.
“What about your boy toy?”
Kate frowned distastefully. “He’s been cavorting with those two blonde trollops all night. He won’t be up anytime soon.”
“Wow, that’s…gross. Sorry I asked.”
Kate casually slid her hand into Jake’s as she gracefully descended the porch steps. “That just means I get to spend the morning with you instead.”
“Won’t he be mad that you’re with me?”
“He’s going to be mad no matter what, so I might as well spend time with my favorite person in Bayport.”
Jake’s heart skipped a beat and he cursed inwardly. Damn, she still knows how to play me. Outwardly, he shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. Kate smiled knowingly. Jake always prided himself on being mysterious and enigmatic, but Kate easily saw through his mercurial façade. Arm in arm, they strolled in companionable silence beneath the gnarled boughs and swaying branches of the innumerable oaks overhanging the sidewalk.
News traveled fast in Bayport, and the couple received several indiscreet glances from curious passersby. No doubt the commotion from the night before had already caused a stir among the local gossipmongers. Kate seemed blissfully unaware of the gawking, content as she was to be basking in the presence of the one man on Earth with whom she felt complete contentment. Jake, on the other hand, was more aware of his surroundings: an instinct he acquired as second nature from his day job as a land surveyor.
Normally, Jake couldn’t care less what people thought of him, but holding hands with a troublemaking outsider’s girlfriend, in a place where he was popular and well known, was not a normal circumstance. He surreptitiously tried to retrieve his captive appendage, but Kate’s affectionate grip tightened.
“Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily.”
“Kate, everyone’s staring at us.”
“So what? The Jake I knew never cared about what anyone thought.”
“Yeah…but that was before.”
“Before?” Kate’s tender expression hardened as realization dawned. “You mean before you found out I was a slut?”
Jake winced. “It’s not that. Nobody else knows about that. I mean, I imagine some people here know, but not your average person going for a stroll before 9 a.m. on a Sunday.”
“Then what is it? What could possibly be the problem with us being seen together?”
“Ethan,” Jake stated bluntly. “Everyone here knows you’re with him. Especially after that scene he caused at the bar last night.”
“To Hell with Ethan!” Kate declared passionately, startling him with her vehemence. “To Hell with the busybodies in this town! And to Hell with you, Jake Riley! I’m not going to let you all spoil what could be the best day I’ve had in months.”
With surprising alacrity, she pushed Jake up against the nearest tree and kissed him. He resisted-weakly-at first, but soon succumbed to her passionate, roving lips. After several moments of the vigorous necking, and more than a few onlookers who’s gaping obliterated the boundaries of politeness, Kate pulled away. Still clinging tightly to Jake’s hand, she led him jubilantly towards the riverfront as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever occurred.
Afterword: To enhance the impact of this story, listen to the song below after you read.
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Alacrity is one of my favourite words. I'm glad you got it in there 😀 looking forward to the next part. Chapter 1 dropped my jaw 😂 honestly. I was as shocked as Jake.
As a reader who finishes books in a few days, if not in a few hours, it is punishing to read a story part by part - especially a story so gripping and well narrated. Waiting for the next part, Josh!