One Golden Summer(65)

Percy’s hair falls in tousled waves to her shoulders, parted in the center, with curtain bangs framing her lovely brown eyes. Her makeup is rosy and natural looking, but I bet it took ages to get right.

“I’m sweating like you wouldn’t believe,” she says.

“One of the perks of being pregnant is that we call it glowing.”

And she is. Her dress is a pretty periwinkle blue with a square neckline, a fitted bodice, and a skirt that’s draped over her waist, falling elegantly to the middle of her calves. She’s wearing sandals similar to my own, with a solid heel that won’t sink into grass, except they’re silver and even higher.

“Anything you can do to make sure I’m not excessively glowing in the photos would be much appreciated,” Percy says as I take my cameras out of my bag. I’ll shoot mostly digital, but I’ve also brought my Pentax and rolls of black and white, my preference for parties. You can strip away the noise of color and the busyness of the room and focus on the action and emotion. Hopefully there’ll be enough light to work with.

“Don’t worry about that,” I tell her. “Just have fun. Pretend like I’m not even here.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Oh, I don’t think so. You and I haven’t spent nearly enough time together.” She walks toward the kitchen, gesturing for me to follow. “Come on. I think he’s been waiting for you. He keeps looking at the door.”

We squeeze our way through the kitchen to the deck. My eyes find Charlie immediately. He’s leaning against the railing, a bottle of beer in one hand, gesturing with the other, holding court with Sam in a large group. He’s clean-shaven, dressed in a crisp white shirt and a pair of black dress pants. His dimples are showing off. I fiddle with my Pentax because he looks incredible, and I need to find calm.

We’re a few feet away when he glances at me, and then does a double take. I raise my camera on instinct, before I can unpack the look he gives me.

Click.

Through my lens, I watch his mouth break into a dazzling smile, as bright as late July sun.

Click.

“I told you,” Percy says.

Sam wraps his arm around her when we reach them. He whispers something into her ear that makes her chortle. Charlie tugs on my ponytail by way of greeting.

“This is different. The glasses. The lipstick.”

“It’s my work uniform.”

“I’ve always loved a woman in uniform,” Charlie says, giving me a wink. I shake my head. The man can’t help himself.

He leans into my ear close enough that his lips brush my skin. “You look unbelievable. Like always.”

If anyone else sees the way he’s staring at me, they’re going to figure out just how much we’re benefiting from our friendship. Charlie clearly doesn’t care, and the feeling of holding his attention in such a large crowd is almost drugging. It’s all I can do not to turn my cheek and kiss him. But I pull back and give him a once-over. “You look fine, I suppose.”

“I look damn fine.”

I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. My nerves have evaporated. I’ve coated myself in all my protective layers, but they aren’t what makes me safe. It’s Charlie. I don’t need to be in-command photographer Alice or obliging daughter Alice or perfect girlfriend Alice. I can just be me. A woman at a party, trying to figure out her shit like everyone else.

I’m introduced to Julien, a longtime friend of the family and the chef and owner of the Tavern. I meet friends of both Charlie’s and Sam’s and their partners. I meet Percy’s parents. When Harrison joins the group, I notice Charlie takes a step closer to me.

At one point, Percy lets out another loud laugh, and Charlie and I turn to see her and Sam cracking up about something. I glance at Charlie, and I’m hit with a sense of déjà vu. It takes me a moment to figure out why, to place the familiar expressions: Percy’s big smile, the way Sam is focused on her, and Charlie, watching his brother with a delighted smirk. It’s how they were in my photo.

I snap frame after frame, and then Percy pulls me over to ask me what shade of lipstick I’m wearing. And soon we’re talking about makeup and magazines and art directors we both know. I glance at Charlie when I hear his laugh, and I see him and Sam sharing some kind of inside joke.

And it dawns on me.

This is exactly where I wanted to be when I was seventeen, but it’s also exactly where I want to be now.



* * *





Percy, Sam, and I are deep in a conversation about the manuscript she’s working on when I feel a hand on my back.

“What can I get you to drink?”

I pause and look up at Charlie.

“And why are you smiling like that?” he says.

Because for once in my life, I don’t feel like I’m on the sidelines. For once, I’m in the photo.

“I’m having a good time,” I tell him. “Sparkling water would be great, thanks.”

“Really? I hired a bartender. She’ll make anything you want.”

“I don’t drink while I’m working.”

“All right,” he says. “One sparkling water, coming up.”

“What do you think of the tree house?” I ask Percy and Sam once he’s left.

“We haven’t seen the finished product,” Percy says.