"Gooooooooooooooooooood morning Liberty! Isn't it just a lovely day? I've already been out for my run around the neighbourhood and I'm feeling pretty, pretty, perky and fired up! And you?"
"Summer, must you be so...perky and fired up at..." Liberty looked at her watch "...6:13 in the morning?"
"It's the best part of the day! Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?" asked Summer.
"Well, me and some of the others at work were celebrating that we're all going to go down to the Cape for the launch next month and we hit the Blue Velvet....hard in my case...so we had a few drinks, then Julia did a set at the piano...she's really good, by the way...and I stayed for a few more...." said Liberty, feeling her temples.
"Say no more! I know a good hangover cure...let me whisk you up a dose." said Summer, opening up the fridge and grabbing a few ingredients.
"Ugh, I need to be at work later today, I hope your cure works" said Liberty. "Lots of things to get ready before I have to leave for the Cape"
Summer handed Liberty a lilac coloured drink and told her to drink it in one go. Liberty looked suspiciously at the glass, pinched her nose and gulped it down as instructed.
"That was....an interesting flavour" said Liberty, gurning afterwards.
"Never fails" said Summer. "So have you told Gary about you going to Cape Canaveral?"
"Oh no! I haven't! I must do so as soon as possible...or at least very soon" said Liberty, shocked at her oversight.
"But you must tell him!" said Summer in surprise.
"I know...I'll tell him today but in person. I'll phone him..." she said, looking at her watch again "...after 8am: at a more civilised time"
"You know, when I was growing up in the countryside we used to get our most urgent business of the day before 8am" said Summer.
"Well, this is Sim City, not the countryside!" replied Liberty.
Liberty left the kitchen but a clunk from Travis' bedroom indicated that he'd just woken up. As was common in this house, everyone seemed to end up congregating there. As Summer went to check in on him, she noticed that Liberty was already there.
"Travis, aren't you dressed yet?" said Summer. "You wake up and start working on your electronics projects before you use the bathroom or have breakfast"
"I go with the electron flow, Summer" said Travis with a shrug.
"I'm jealous Liberty..." he continued. "I wish I could go see a rocket launch. The closet I ever got was when we launched Akiko Yamaguchi's '59 Buick from off the top of Acquisition Butte."
"What are you like, Travis Scott?" said Summer, rolling her eyes.
"I'm the way you like me, baby" replied Travis. "Anyway, for your benefit Summer, I will go and have a shower, get dressed and have some breakfast" he said, getting up and walking out of the room.
"You know, that hangover cure you gave me is starting to work. I'll freshen myself up and then give Gary a call. Maybe we can meet down at the park?" said Liberty.
"Sounds good...I wish I could go to the park as well" sighed Summer.
"Actually, I want you to be there...a bit of moral support for me: I am nervous about telling him, what if he reacts badly?"
"But three's a crowd and he'll want to spend time with you" said Summer, awkwardly.
"Please be there...you can lurk a bit. Take in the nature but be there just in case it all goes wrong and I'm crying and he's at his wits end..."
"Whoa! That's a big assumption there! But OK, I'll come along too"
"Come along where?" said Travis, entering the room again but this time fully dressed.
"Oh we're off to the park today" said Summer.
"I'm jealous. Got to go to work soon" replied Travis.
"I'll phone Gary" said Liberty, leaving.
Travis sat down next to Summer on his old bed. "We should trade this in for a couch" he said as he nuzzled next to her.
"I do like you in that jacket" said Summer.
"I like you with your hair down" Travis replied.
"Why thank you...what shall..." but at that moment Liberty burst into the room.
"He said he'll meet us down there soon!" said Liberty, loudly.
"Terrific" said Travis, flatly, as his little romantic moment with Summer had evaporated.
Travis headed off to work and the girls went down to Magnolia Blossom Park to meet with Gary. Liberty saw him off in the distance so she shooed Summer away and headed off to greet him...Summer went for a bit of a nature ramble but always kept Liberty and Gary in sight as she really wanted to know the outcome of their meeting.
The two lovebirds gave each other a big hug and went to sit down on a nearby park bench. They made some small talk before Liberty cleared her throat and got to the matter in hand.
"Gary...I have to go away for work" she said, sombrely.
"You do? When? Where?" he was taken aback.
"It's to Cape Canaveral for the launch. I'll be gone for about two weeks at the end of this month and beginning of next one"
"I won't see you for two weeks? And it feels like I've only just gotten to know you" he replied.
"I know, I know" said Liberty, looking downcast. "But you know how much my work means to me and this is a really important mission...well, they all are really. The deadline to get to the Moon..."
"...before this decade is out. Yes, I remember the president's words very well" said Gary. "What can I say, Liberty? You're doing something of great historic importance. I understand our relationship is not going to be spoken about in the centuries to come!"
"Well, it might" said Liberty. "Depending on whether you'll still be here when I get back" she added.
"Why wouldn't I be? Two weeks? Pah! It'll be difficult but I think I can manage that." he said. "In the meantime, we should make the most of the time we have together" he said, smiling at last.
From a distance, Summer spotted the two kissing and did a little celebratory shuffle. She waited, and waited....and waited...for the two to pull apart before heading back to them.
"Why Liberty, Gary, how wonderful to see you! All is well I hope?" said Summer.
"Everything's fine" said Liberty.
"Well then, I saw a butcher's van drive through there and stopped him to buy some food for later on...but, heck, why not celebrate with a slightly early lunch right here?" said Summer.
"Sounds good...I'm hungry already" said Gary.
Liberty and Gary played some chess, Summer grilled and any fears that Gary would be devastated and storm off were dispelled. Their little band was joined by Julia Epstein, who wanted to spectate on the chess game. "Liberty, your Queen is exposed if you move it there....oh, too late..." said Julia, as she noticed that Gary had moved, quick as a flash to take Liberty's Queen and leave her King exposed. It was checkmate 2 moves later.
Summer waved and said hello to Julia. "Hey, I heard you played a great set last night. You know, I must drag Travis down to the club to watch you play the next time...lunch is ready, will you stay and join us?"
"Is it Kosher?" said Julia.
"It's beef" replied Summer. Julia nodded and stayed for a bite to eat.
The four of them sat, ate and chatted with each other for an hour before Julia made her way onwards and Liberty had an eye on the time as she had to get to work. She and Gary took a short walk, away from prying eyes, and they kissed once more before she had to go. Gary walked back towards the chess and BBQ area and slumped down in one of the chairs whilst letting out a sigh.
"Oh Gary" said Summer "are you bummed out about Liberty having to go?"
"Yes and not just now, but when she has to go to the Cape." he said.
"You know, Gary, that's part of her job and she does travel far with it. She often has to go to Cape Canaveral, Houston and Huntsville. I feel sorry for those in the military who have to go far away and for much longer times."
"Do you have any family in the military, Summer?" asked Gary.
"No. I mean my dad was in the army in WW2 but I wasn't born then. You?"
"None of my family are currently serving. Like you, dad was in the army in WW2 but he spent the whole of it in the War Department in Washington. I had an uncle who fought...but...he didn't make it back"
Summer nodded silently in sympathy.
"On a cheerier note" began Summer. "You shouldn't worry about being apart from Libs for a couple of weeks. I feel you're part of our little gang now, how about you come over to our house for a bit and hang out with Travis and myself? If you've nothing else you want to do"
Gary nodded. "I have nothing pressing right now and you think of me as part of the gang? Wow, I mean you guys seem so close knit."
"You're Liberty's beau and that qualifies you for membership too!" said Summer, perking up again.
Gary was swayed by Summer's jollity and the two of them headed back to Garden Essence where Summer mixed some drinks for them.
"There you go; some Mint Juleps!" said Summer. Gary took a sip
"Hmmm, this is nice, thanks" he said. "Liberty tells me you're a chef"
"Chef's a bit of a stretch...I work for a chef. I mainly do food preparation although I do also tend the bar in the restaurant from time to time."
"Which do you prefer?"
"Chef's a big responsibility...more skilled, better pay but longer hours and it is intense. With bar tending it's better for meeting people and socialising." she said.
"You're very much a people person, I've noticed" said Gary.
"There's nothing nicer than putting a smile on people's faces, particularly when they've been sad" she replied.
"Liberty's never mentioned what you do?" she asked.
Gary smiled ruefully. "Well, a bit of this and that for my father's company. I'm a kind of troubleshooter, his eyes and ears really. I visit the various branches, talk to the people on the ground there and feed back to dad and his close associates."
"Is that what you want to do, follow in your father's footsteps?"
"I don't know. I'm not even the heir, you know? I'm the middle child so I keep thinking I might branch out on my own one day" and his rueful smile turned into a warm, hopeful one.
Summer smiled and finished her drink and that that moment, Travis came home. "Hey Summer....oh, hi Gary. How's everyone?" he said, surprised to see that Summer was entertaining another man on her own.
"Fine thanks, Travis" said Gary.
"I invited Travis home so he could hang out with us and we could get to know the man who has swept our Liberty off her feet a little better" said Summer. "Can I get everyone another drink?" she added.
The guys nodded and they went over to the bar. Travis grabbed something to eat at the same time.
"Travis, you should make an effort to be friendly to Gary" she whispered to him.
"What do I say?" replied Travis.
"Just strike up a conversation...maybe invite him out when you next have a guy's night out?"
"I don't know...I mean, we're a pretty tight bunch"
"Did I mention that his family's loaded?"
"Right...he can get the drinks in" said Travis, suddenly convinced.
Travis wasn't bad at talking with people either and soon the chat flowed and everyone relaxed.
"It's a pretty nice little community you have here. I think I've met most of your neighbours now" said Gary.
"Oh this place is just the best!" said Summer. "You have Jeremy and Barbara and they're the sweetest, most adorable couple you could meet"
"Yeah, Jez is my best friend" added Travis. "We hang out a lot. You should join us some time"
"And then there's Suzy and her fiancé Neil. She's so beautiful..." said Summer
"She sure is..." said Travis before realising what he'd just said. "I mean, apart from Summer of course"
"...and adventurous as well." continued Summer "I'm often helping her with her journalism with the research and even stake outs! She's getting married to a great guy as well"
"Then there's Action" said Travis. "He's a cop and the coolest guy you could meet"
"And Julia you know from earlier. She's sweet and so clever. She might seem aloof on the surface but she's got a real heart of gold. And now we've got you" said Summer, looking at Gary.
"I'm glad you think I'm part of the gang now" said Gary, bashfully. "Well, this has been great but I too have things to be doing now. Summer, you're a ray of sunshine and Travis, yes, let me know when you and the guys are doing something together, I'd like to come along."
Gary said goodbye and left and Summer was still buzzing. "I'm so happy for Liberty...and it's funny to think they met completely by chance!" she said.
"You know, we're FINALLY alone, you and me. How about we stop talking about everyone else and enjoy what time we've got before Libs comes home?"
"What do you have in mind?" asked Summer, kind of knowing the answer to that one.
Travis went to the record player and put on some music to set the mood. Then he sat down right next to Summer.
"I was thinking of something like this to start with" said Travis as he put his arm around Summer.
"To start with?" said Summer, playfully
"Oh yes, we get a little close, we whisper sweet nothings in each others ears such as..." and he turned to say something almost inaudible to anyone other than her.
"Oh Travis! That's a bit naughty!" she giggled when she heard his whisper.
"Not as naughty as this" he said, giving her ear a little, playful nibble.
"You know...I've fancied you for such a long time" she said, looking into his eyes.
"I knew there was some frisson between us when we first moved in here" he replied.
"No. Before that. I've fancied you since high school" she said.
"Wait! We were at high school together?" he said, surprised.
"Oh yes...mind you I was a couple of years below you but even then I thought you were dreamy"
"I had no idea!"
"You had no idea I existed back then"
"Well...no. You just didn't pay attention to girls two years below you.
"I was kind of fat and spotty as well"
"Hard to believe. Wow, this is a revelation. Kismet, eh? Destiny"
"Destiny. So...what else did you have in mind for this evening?" she said, flirtatiously.
Travis explained in actions rather than words: First, they made out on the couch but things got very passionate very quickly and they were half out of their clothes whilst lying on it, kissing and fondling each other. Then they agreed to rush to the bedroom whilst the intensity was still high. Travis' jacket, which won him praise from Summer, soon went flying across the bedroom into a pile with Summer's dress. They dived into bed and made love. The dream that Summer Holliday had since 10th Grade had come true.
