Summer Fling (Love 101 #3) Read online

  Summer Fling

  J. Nichole

  Contents

  Title Page

  J. Nichole Newsletter

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  ✩✩✩✩✩

  Also by J. Nichole

  Grown & Sexy Senior Sample

  About the Author

  Summer Fling

  Love 101

  By J. Nichole

  Not the Last Page

  www.notthelastpage.com

  Copyright © 2017 by J. Nichole

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  J. Nichole Newsletter

  I’d love to keep in contact with you, and if you feel the same, join my newsletter.

  www.NotTheLastPage.com/by-jnichole

  To my college years, and the friends who helped to make those years memorable. To my alma mater, I’ll forever love thee!

  Chapter One

  In a room of more than twenty interns, I’m the one and only black girl. There's a black male across the room. At second glance, he's brown. Maybe Hispanic. The intern coordinator is explaining our assignments for the first week, but listening to her is challenging.

  Going to L.U. has spoiled me with the pleasure of being surrounded by blacks of every shade. “If you have any questions you can email or call me.” The intern coordinator flips her blonde hair over her shoulder and walks around the room, passing out our instructions.

  “She didn’t mention anything about extra-curricular activities.” The guy sitting beside me sits back and smacks his lips. “All work and no play makes for a cranky Timmy.”

  I look at him and smile. His sandy brown hair is combed to the side, and his skin is damn near perfect. He's sitting with a straight back and his legs crossed at the ankles. "At least it's only an eight-week internship."

  He fans his hand in the air and says, "Eight weeks of hell if she expects us only to work." He reaches for my hand. "I'm Timmy. What's your name?"

  I shake his hand and say, “I’m Laila. Laila Jackson. Nice to meet you.”

  We receive our packets and flip them open. Scanning through the instructions, I realize we need a partner for the first assignment. Neither my job last summer nor writing for the school paper required partnering with anyone. This should be interesting.

  Timmy taps my shoulder, grabbing my attention. “Partner?”

  Why not? If nothing else, he will make this entertaining. “Sure. Where do you sit?”

  The intern coordinator dismisses us, and Timmy tells me to follow him. His desk is on the opposite side of the building. The building has a few floors and more than three-hundred people working here. In the first couple of days, I’ve met the few people who sit around me, but I don’t expect to meet many of the employees here.

  Timmy speaks to a few people in passing, addressing them by their first names. He looks at me and says, “What’s your story, Laila? If we are going to be partners, we might as well get acquainted.” He points to his desk and grabs a chair, placing it next to his.

  “I just finished my sophomore year at Lee University.” His face lights up and he looks around the corner.

  “Do you know that fine man that works here? I met him the other day.” He rolls his eyes up as he thinks. “I think his name is Isaiah.”

  I chuckle and say, “Fine man?”

  Timmy smacks his lips. “Girl, as if you didn’t know.”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I smile coyly. “I don’t know an Isaiah. Does he go to L.U.?”

  “I think he said something like that.” Timmy types his password into his desktop, then looks at me. “What else should I know about Ms. Jackson? Are you single?”

  "As a matter of fact, I am. What about you Timmy?"

  “I’m single and ready to mingle. Oh, and I’ll be a senior next year at University of Florida.”

  We discuss our assignment, which is to identify annual summer festivals for the What’s Happening Jacksonville summer edition. The best articles will be published as a feature in the magazine.

  After working for a few hours, my stomach begins to growl, and Timmy insists we visit the cafeteria. The Hispanic guy I saw earlier is in line ahead of us. He turns to us and with a beautiful accent he says, "Hello, I'm Julian. Do you like it here so far?"

  We introduce ourselves to Julian and then order our food to take back to our desks. When I get ready to return to my desk, I hear someone say my name, and I see Timmy waving. He points to the man standing beside him and says, "Laila, this is Isaiah."

  Isaiah and I make eye contact and I faintly remember seeing him around campus. His dark skin and body seem difficult to forget, but when I see him smile, I remember where we’ve met. “We’ve met before. Right?”

  He squints and says, “I don’t think so. Timmy was just telling me you go to L.U.” He pauses then says, “Wait. Yes, I remember meeting you in front of the Econ building at the start of the year.”

  “Yeah.” I lift my bag of food in the air and say, “I don’t want it to get cold, I should get to my desk. Timmy, I’ll stop by your desk when I finish.”

  Isaiah walks beside me. “Mind if I walk you to your desk?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” I admire his fresh haircut and super casual attire. “I didn’t realize you were in journalism.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not. I was an IT major. I work here in the IT department.” He smiles, showing his crooked teeth. “If I remember correctly, you were in a relationship.”

  “Was.” I look away from him. “I’m single now.”

  I stop in front of my desk and look back to Isaiah, who tells me, "You know, this place is a far shot from L.U. so if you need anything let me know." He reaches into his pocket and lays his card on my desk.

  I pick it up and wave it in the air. "Oh. Big shot. I'll take you up on your offer."

  The next few hours I spend researching summer festivals. There are a few new festivals that are noteworthy, but our assignment has a condition to only include festivals that have been around for at least three years.

  “This assignment is the worst.” I look up at Timmy, who is leaning on my cubicle. “Research fun but don’t have fun.” He looks at his watch. “I think it’s beer thirty. Ready to get out of here?”

  Laughing, I power down my computer and join Timmy. “And where will you be getting this beer?”

  He looks at me with a sneer and says, “Honey, I’m twenty-one. I can go to a bar, the liquor store, the gas station.”

  I shake my head as he continues to name
all the places he can get his hands on a beer. “Lucky you.”

  “Don’t worry, Laila. I have no shame in contributing to minors.” He points across the parking lot. “I’m pretty sure your friend there wouldn’t mind me getting you liquored up either.”

  We stop in front of a fire red convertible Mustang. "Is this yours?"

  “Not at all.” He rubs the hood. “But a man can wish can’t he?” He looks up and smiles. “And here comes that fine piece of chocolate now.”

  “Where y’all headed?” Although Isaiah addresses both of us, he is staring at me.

  “Timmy here was headed out for a beer.” I look between the two of them. “I think I’m headed back to my room.”

  Timmy groans. "Such a buzz kill." He takes another look at the Mustang and says, "Catch you two in the morning. Laila, I'll stop by your desk."

  I wave at Timmy and continue walking to my car. Isaiah walks beside me. “It’s still the summer. You should enjoy your time here in Jacksonville.”

  "I should do a little more research on this assignment. It 'd be good to have the choice to return here next summer."

  Isaiah leans on my doorjamb. “What’s the assignment?” I cock my head at him. “I know I’m just an IT guy but maybe I can help you.”

  “Well, we need to find a few summer festivals for the summer edition.” I start my car and blast the air conditioner. Jacksonville’s temperature is nothing in comparison to the Tallahassee heat, but it’s still not pleasant.

  Isaiah taps his chest. "Well, I'm your man. I'm from Jacksonville. Have dinner with me and I can give you a rundown." He points to his car. "Follow me?"

  “Can’t beat a firsthand experience. Lead the way Mr. IT.”

  My phone rings and I answer without looking at the screen. “Hello.”

  “What’s up chick?” Nicole’s voice is laced with enthusiasm. Nicole is back in Georgia for the summer with her parents.

  "Hey, girl. Headed to dinner." I try to maintain a neutral tone to avoid any assumptions on her part.

  "To dinner with who?" Nicole was team Chris while we were dating but when he broke up with me unexpectedly, he was enemy number one in her eyes. Along with my other roommates, she is all for me being single.

  "This guy from work. He's a L.U. grad."

  “What happened to enjoying your new-found freedom this summer?” I’ve told anyone who has asked that this summer I will enjoy being single.

  “Being single doesn’t mean I have to do everything alone.” I turn into the town center behind Isaiah. “What’s happening in GA?”

  “Your girl has a boo. And before you can say anything, it’s serious, not just a fling.” Nicole has been known to run through guys. With a shape most women would die for and features she enhances with expertise, she catches the eye of many guys. With no shame, she doesn’t turn them down.

  “I’m glad to hear that. It’s about time someone calms your fast ass down.” The last guy she claimed to be in love with only held her attention for a few weeks.

  She snickers and says, “Whatever. He’s a cool guy. When you return from your dinner, call me, and I’ll tell you all about him.” We bid goodbye in time for Isaiah to open my door.

  We take our seats at J. Alexander’s and I glance over the menu. Not the most expensive place I’ve been, but certainly not what I had in mind for a weeknight meal. Jokingly I say, “You must have forgotten that I’m an intern making peanuts.”

  “Now what kind of man would I be if I invited you to dinner and expected you to pay?”

  “Helping with my assignment and paying for dinner? Mr. IT you may quickly become my favorite person here in Jacksonville.”

  “Maybe by the end of the summer I’ll be your all around favorite person.” He winks at me as the waiter approaches the table to take our orders.

  Chapter Two

  “The Jacksonville Suns, the baseball team.” Timmy dangles tickets in front of my face. “I mean, I consider myself as American as apple pie but even I don’t want to watch a baseball game,” he tells me. He rolls his eyes at the tickets. “Especially not a minor league baseball team.”

  “Beggars can’t be choosers.” Timmy has insisted that the intern coordinator incorporate more play into our program. Although I’m glad for the change of pace I’m not a huge sports fan. On occasion, I’ve watched college football with my dad. Especially when his Alma Mater takes the field. He is a die hard LSU Tiger.

  Timmy rolls his eyes.

  “I mean, I guess.”

  He sits on the corner of my desk and eyes the staff members walking past. “Think Karen will mind if we have a few beers at the park?”

  I give Timmy the side-eye as he remembers that I’m still not twenty-one.

  “Right. No beers for you.”

  Later, I stroll into the game and find our group sitting a few rows before the nosebleed section. The other interns are interacting with each other and hardly acknowledge my arrival. Timmy has an empty seat beside him, and as he eyes me, a wide grin spreads across his face.

  The game is little to be desired, especially while sober. Being around the interns has made me appreciate going to an HBCU even more. As I watch a few girls flirt with the other interns, I loudly sigh. I turn to my phone and type out a text to Isaiah.

  Laila: I hope the Jaguars are more interesting than the Suns.

  Timmy leans over my shoulder and says, "I thought baseball was all about beers and hot dogs?" He scowls at our intern director. "What's the point of being here if we can't even have a beer? I'll have to clarify my meaning of fun with her.”

  As Timmy continues his rant, I grin at Isaiah’s response to my text.

  Isaiah: Sorry the game is disappointing you. Can I make it up after?

  Laila: I hear baseball can go for 12 innings…

  “Laila…” I turn to Timmy, who has a mischievous grin on his face.

  "Yes?" I am sure he knows I wasn't listening to anything he said. He is more of a diva than all of my roommates combined and is always demanding attention. I can't complain though. He's one of the only interns who isn’t irritating.

  "I was asking if you wanted to get out of here early. Apparently, you're occupied." He rolls his eyes.

  Isaiah: I’m patient. Hit me up when you leave.

  Smiling widely at Timmy I say, “That’s the best thing you’ve said all night.” Looking around, I find the quickest path out of the bleachers and point. “Lead the way.”

  Since Timmy was the mastermind of our exit plan I accept his invitation to dinner. Before I start my car I send a quick message to Isaiah telling him we’ll meet up after the dinner.

  During dinner, Timmy gives me a rundown of his life. Like childhood through adulthood. Getting a word in while he talks is like trying to catch my turn in Double Dutch, but he keeps me laughing.

  “Laila, I’ve just been blabbering away.” He looks at his watch. “And it’s getting late. We should go.”

  I nod my head. “I know all about you now. Next time you’ll have to listen to my story.” I wave to Timmy.

  He yells over his shoulder, “Don’t forget … we have work in the morning.” I hear him laughing as he walks away.

  I don’t want Isaiah to have the wrong impression if I call him this late. Against my better judgment I send a text anyway.

  Laila: Hope I’m not waking you.

  Isaiah: I was just waiting for you. Dessert?

  I should go home and get in the bed, but dessert won’t hurt. We agree to meet at a dessert bar. When I walk through the door, Isaiah is waiting, looking like he’s fresh out of the shower with early morning energy. “Hey there. Let me guess… you’re a night owl?”

  He smiles flashing his crooked teeth. “I haven’t fully transitioned into my working lifestyle yet. Still on my late night study session vibe.”

  “I see.” He leads us to a table in the corner, away from the other patrons. “This place smells heavenly.” I look around at the plates nearby and see everything from pastries to ic
e cream sundaes.

  When the waitress approaches the table, Isaiah orders a double vanilla sundae. “I hope you don’t mind me ordering for you. I think the double will be good for us to share.”

  I eye Isaiah for a minute before responding. “What if it’s the best sundae I’ve ever had? It will be hard for me to share.”

  He laughs and promises he’ll order another sundae if I want it. “What do you like to do for fun?”

  "Well, I love trying new things." I blush. "Especially food." He nods his head in approval. "I am not an outdoorsy person, but I like an adventure."

  “Good, so go-karts and dinner for our next date?”

  I pause, with a lump in my throat as I try to think of the words to tell Isaiah I don’t consider our time together dates. He’s cute. Seems nice. I just don’t think I want to date right now. I finally whisper, “Date?”

  Isaiah cocks his head in my direction. “Maybe date is presumptuous. Optimistic even.” The waitress places our sundae on the table between us. “We won’t give it a name, but our next outing can be go-karts.”

  My body relaxes and I smile. “That sounds like a plan.” We talk about L.U. and try to find out if we have any common friends. Surprisingly, we can’t think of anyone whom we both know. Isaiah pays the check without hesitating and we walk outside. It’s well past midnight and I’m exhausted. I cut our conversation short.

  Isaiah looks at me cautiously before opening his arms for a hug. He gives me a soft squeeze that could easily linger but I pull away. He closes my car door behind me and watches me exit the parking lot.

  “Late night?”

  I slowly turn my head to see Timmy leaning against my cubicle, looking like he had a complete eight hours of sleep. His perky smile is almost bright enough to wake me up.

  I nod my head, then turn back to my desk, trying hard not to lay my head down for a quick nap. Ten minutes is all I need right now.