A Summer to Remember(32)
I looked towards her as a gentle breeze caressed our faces and I pulled strands of my hair from my face. “Well your parents would certainly love him, that’s for sure. I can practically see your mother frothing at the mouth about him being her potential son-in-law.”
“Jesus, Jerrica, who am I kidding? I can’t marry anyone at the moment and I can ill-afford to be involved especially with someone who doesn’t possess an artistic bone in their body. I take that back, Gerald learned both the piano and the cello when he was an adolescent but it was just to keep him well rounded. He broke his right wrist playing tennis and there went any kind of serious music career, not that he cared because his head was firmly placed in the business world. I think he would be able to understand me though and maybe…he can help me finally forget about Seth,” she explained in a husky voice.
I knelt down on the sand and grabbed a beautiful seashell that had washed up along the shoreline. “You know I have always supported you in your decisions and I think it is great you and Gerald are getting along. You don’t plan to do anything with him this weekend, do you?”
“Of course not.” Talia knelt down beside me and grabbed the seashell from my hands to study it. “That wouldn’t exactly endear him to me, now would it? He’s a great conversationalist and we talk about everything. Pop culture, art, film, music…he’s a huge fan of Scarlet Fever and was quite shocked to find out I co-wrote their biggest hit to date. Other than that, there is always finance to talk about but I am completely hopeless on that front.”
“Perhaps he can give you some pointers,” I remarked before we both burst into girlish laughter.
“Oh and I suppose all your talk with Paul is about financial bullshit as well?”
“No, not really.” I paused as we both stood and I dusted the sand off my knees. “The only time he has ever mentioned the subject was because of Kevin’s issues…turns out the bastard was doing a little insider trading. He and Jude found out about it but didn’t know what to do because they weren’t sure if we were still close or not.”
Talia glared at me with pale green eyes. “I hope you told them they could stick it to him as much as possible. Fucking *. After everything he put you through and with what happened in the Hamptons, you don’t owe that bastard anything.”
We began to walk again. “Of course I told them both as much and Kevin is no longer an employee at CDG. In fact, he’s about to be brought up on charges and these are the kind he can’t wriggle out of so easily.”
“There you two are!” a female voice exclaimed and we both turned at the same time to see Autumn and Savannah walking towards us.
It was absolutely so cool for it to be the four of us again and I smiled at them both as they joined us.
“How wonderful is this weekend? Did you check out some of the eye candy on offer?” Autumn inquired as she threw a loose strand of her platinum hair over her shoulder. “Seriously, girls, it doesn’t get much better than this. Martha’s Vineyard and a house full of hot men. What is a girl to do?”
“Uh oh,” Savannah murmured. “Do tell who you have your eye on?”
“Cyd Campbell is hot but I don’t think he’s interested in me. He keeps giving Ashley ‘the sexy eyes’ look which certainly doesn’t sit well with Jude. They have been bickering since you two left and we just had to get away. Jesus, you’d think she was some freakin’ goddess or something. First she was with Paul and now Jude. I don’t see that being a long term relationship built to last.”
“It won’t be,” I cut in. “Jude gets bored easily. I am surprised he’s been with her as long as he has but…things just might get sticky after this weekend.”
“I hope they do,” Autumn replied. “I’ve always had a soft spot for your brother you know.”
“God knows why…he’s such a player, Autumn,” Savannah interrupted.
“I think I smell a bit of jealousy,” Talia sing-songed. “Please do not look at me that way and tell me you don’t have a thing for Jerrica’s brother—”
“Gag alert!” I exclaimed. “Seriously, if any of you like my brother like that, I sure as hell don’t want to know about it.”
“Then maybe you can understand how cool he’s being about you and Paul and go easier on him,” Talia suggested in an even-handed tone. “Seriously, Jerrica, I think your brother is being as cool as he can be and you haven’t been exactly one hundred percent behind him. Think about it: Paul is like his brother and all the sudden, he finds out you two have feelings for one another? How squeamish must he be feeling right now?”