Beach Blondes: June Dreams, July's Promise, August Magic (Summer) by Katherine Applegate
Authors: Katherine Applegate
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Stonehenge.
“You must have the only fireplace in this state,” Summer said.
“Certainly the only one in use when it’s in the high eighties outside,” Adam agreed. “My dad likes fires. So the staff lights it every night, whether he’s here or not, no matter how hot it is outside.” He laughed. “Seems slightly absurd, right?”
“Maybe. But I’m starting to get the feeling that it takes an awful lot to seem absurd around this place.”
Adam laughed his easy laugh. “Ah, you’re starting to get the picture. See, I know what you mean. I guess New Hampshire is similar to Minnesota in a lot of ways. It makes you slightly schizo going back and forth between the ‘normal’ world and this island.”
“Seth said something kind of like that,” Summer said. She instantly regretted mentioning Seth.
Adam just rolled his eyes slightly. He pointed to a small door, almost invisible in the paneling. “There you go. At least I think that’s a bathroom.”
“How many are there in this house?”
“Twenty-one, I think. We have like twenty-six at the New Hampshire house. We thought that many would be too ostentatious for Florida, though.” He laughed to show that he was just kidding.
But somehow for Summer, the fact that this one family had a total of forty-seven bathrooms (possibly more because who knew if they owned other houses?) was deeply impressive. Forty-seven bathrooms. Forty-seven rolls of toilet paper. They must buy it in truckloads.
When she came back, she found Adam standing a few feet from the fire. It made a dark silhouette of his body, accentuating the heavy shoulders, the muscular torso. Even in silhouette he exuded easy confidence, something bred in him, something that announced to the world that here was a person without self-doubt, without awkwardness, without self-consciousness.
It drew Summer to him, and yet frightened her just a little. He was so different from other guys her own age. He could easily be twenty-five, or even forty.
Maybe being rich made it possible to just sort of glide by all the little tortures of teenagehood. After all, Summer realized, Adam didn’t worry about getting work, or getting accepted to college, or paying for college, or whether he could afford to buy cool clothes, or if his folks would get him a car. If he ever got a zit, they probably flew in a whole team of dermatologists to get rid of it.
He noticed her and turned. “Was it a bathroom?”
“No, it was a closet, but I went anyway,” she said, and he laughed. She wasn’t going to act all impressed and inferior with him. Just because he could probably buy her entire family with his weekly allowance.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“I don’t drink very much,” Summer said.
“That’s probably good. Booze is our favorite family vice. I don’t drink because it makes me break out in hives.” He laughed. “Seriously. It’s not a pretty sight.”
“I guess I should get back outside and see what Marquez is doing,” Summer suggested.
“Marquez can take care of herself.” He shook his head slowly, amused. “She’s very cool. Just don’t ever make her mad. The girl has a temper. One of those ice-cold tempers, you know?”
“She’s been really nice to me,” Summer said. “Like bringing me here.”
“I’m very glad she did that,” Adam said.
Summer debated whether to ask the next question. It could ruin things instantly, and her impertinent questions had ruined other relationships before. “Do you try to pick up just any new girl that shows up around here?”
He looked startled. “You mean you think I’m trying to impress you and score with you so that I can add another notch to my belt?”
“I guess that’s what I mean,” Summer said. “Some guys are like that.” She could think of at least one by name.
“Maybe I should ask you a question. Are you trying to make it with me so that you can tell all your friends you dated Adam Merrick? Or perhaps even go to the
“You must have the only fireplace in this state,” Summer said.
“Certainly the only one in use when it’s in the high eighties outside,” Adam agreed. “My dad likes fires. So the staff lights it every night, whether he’s here or not, no matter how hot it is outside.” He laughed. “Seems slightly absurd, right?”
“Maybe. But I’m starting to get the feeling that it takes an awful lot to seem absurd around this place.”
Adam laughed his easy laugh. “Ah, you’re starting to get the picture. See, I know what you mean. I guess New Hampshire is similar to Minnesota in a lot of ways. It makes you slightly schizo going back and forth between the ‘normal’ world and this island.”
“Seth said something kind of like that,” Summer said. She instantly regretted mentioning Seth.
Adam just rolled his eyes slightly. He pointed to a small door, almost invisible in the paneling. “There you go. At least I think that’s a bathroom.”
“How many are there in this house?”
“Twenty-one, I think. We have like twenty-six at the New Hampshire house. We thought that many would be too ostentatious for Florida, though.” He laughed to show that he was just kidding.
But somehow for Summer, the fact that this one family had a total of forty-seven bathrooms (possibly more because who knew if they owned other houses?) was deeply impressive. Forty-seven bathrooms. Forty-seven rolls of toilet paper. They must buy it in truckloads.
When she came back, she found Adam standing a few feet from the fire. It made a dark silhouette of his body, accentuating the heavy shoulders, the muscular torso. Even in silhouette he exuded easy confidence, something bred in him, something that announced to the world that here was a person without self-doubt, without awkwardness, without self-consciousness.
It drew Summer to him, and yet frightened her just a little. He was so different from other guys her own age. He could easily be twenty-five, or even forty.
Maybe being rich made it possible to just sort of glide by all the little tortures of teenagehood. After all, Summer realized, Adam didn’t worry about getting work, or getting accepted to college, or paying for college, or whether he could afford to buy cool clothes, or if his folks would get him a car. If he ever got a zit, they probably flew in a whole team of dermatologists to get rid of it.
He noticed her and turned. “Was it a bathroom?”
“No, it was a closet, but I went anyway,” she said, and he laughed. She wasn’t going to act all impressed and inferior with him. Just because he could probably buy her entire family with his weekly allowance.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“I don’t drink very much,” Summer said.
“That’s probably good. Booze is our favorite family vice. I don’t drink because it makes me break out in hives.” He laughed. “Seriously. It’s not a pretty sight.”
“I guess I should get back outside and see what Marquez is doing,” Summer suggested.
“Marquez can take care of herself.” He shook his head slowly, amused. “She’s very cool. Just don’t ever make her mad. The girl has a temper. One of those ice-cold tempers, you know?”
“She’s been really nice to me,” Summer said. “Like bringing me here.”
“I’m very glad she did that,” Adam said.
Summer debated whether to ask the next question. It could ruin things instantly, and her impertinent questions had ruined other relationships before. “Do you try to pick up just any new girl that shows up around here?”
He looked startled. “You mean you think I’m trying to impress you and score with you so that I can add another notch to my belt?”
“I guess that’s what I mean,” Summer said. “Some guys are like that.” She could think of at least one by name.
“Maybe I should ask you a question. Are you trying to make it with me so that you can tell all your friends you dated Adam Merrick? Or perhaps even go to the
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