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“We’ll see you later then. I’m sorry we intruded on your time,” she kisses Summer’s cheek and leaves Richard while he continues to glower at Summer and me.
“Father don’t say something that can’t ever be taken back or that I can’t forgive. I’ve done a lot for you in the past year,” Damn, this woman. She makes me proud, she’s not giving into her Dad, something I know she’s done a lot of in the past.
“Well, we’ll see about that. Watch your back Rome Carter,” I grunt, because what else is there to say to the way he handled that situation.
Once he leaves, we close the door. Summer is talking to herself as she paces back and forth in her living room, “I can’t believe him, and who was that woman? That’s so unlike her, they have to be up to something,” she prattles on.
“Baby, I hate to interrupt, but I don’t think the airline will hold the plane up for you and as much as I don’t want you to leave, I know this is your job,” she looks up at me and the disdain she once had written all over her face softens.
“Promise we’ll talk or FaceTime?” she asks me.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried,” I state.
“Alright, I guess we should lock up and leave then. I hate that I’m leaving you too, though. You know?”
“I know, but it won’t be too long, and you’ll be back where you belong,” I tell her as I kiss the tip of her nose.
“You could make a girl fall in love with you, Rome Carter,” she replies.
“That’s the plan,” I say, but she doesn’t hear me. I’m okay with that, for now.
24
Summer
3 weeks later
When I left Rome at the airport, tears were threatening to come down my cheeks. He held me until I got myself together, leaving me with a lingering kiss, one that was so powerful. I knew he meant every word he’s said the whole way here.
We made a pact to talk to each other every single day. What we didn’t account for is this shoot to take this long. I absolutely hate it, living out of a suitcase is not for me, not being home is another tick in the negative category, and being away from Rome is really getting me down.
Sure, we’re still new, I shouldn’t want to be around him twenty-four-seven, but I do. And, the best part is so does he.
Rome grumbled on the phone today, if I wasn’t home by this weekend, he’d be on the next plane to Atlanta and would come to me. That was yesterday, today I’m giving him the shock of his life. We finished around two o’clock this morning. I rushed back to the hotel, booked my flight and am leaving in the next hour. I barely had time to shower and pack.
Since, my father knew so much about Rome’s mom, I did the next best thing, I called my mom asking for her phone number. It was different at first talking to Mrs. Carter, but she put my mind at ease when I called her. She said, “Thank goodness, you’re coming home. I don’t think Rome could take much more, not to mention his secretary is ready to pull him down by his earlobe and wallop him a couple of times.” I laughed. I couldn’t imagine anyone doing that to Rome or Rome being that much of a grouch.
But I was glad I wasn’t the only one affected. As much as I would try and rush the shoot along, the director was having none of that. He was even having me edit each and every photo at the end of the day, leaving me with a minimal amount of time to correspond with Rome, let alone sleep.
I grab my bags off of the conveyor belt in the airport and walk out the door to meet Tina. She wouldn’t allow me to call her Mrs. Carter and stated, “That’s my mother in law, bless her soul. I loved her, but girl, I am nothing like her.”
We were fast friends after that first phone call, she would check in on me from time to time during this trip and even help me put everything into place.
“Summer!” I hear my name being called as I exit the airport. There she is, her hair is blonde and in a classic bob style. What sets her apart though is how she carries herself. She’s in jeans, a basic teal shirt, and shoes that have jewels on them. Her and I will get along seamlessly.
“Hi, Tina!” I say, dropping my bags into her truck and then she’s swooping me in a hug.
“Summer, it’s so good to finally meet you in the flesh, girl,” she states.
“The feeling is likewise,” I reply and then we get into the car and start in on our real surprise.
