(no subject)
Title: Summer Roberts and The Reason For Having Good Karma
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Summer/Ryan
Disclaimer: The mistakes are mine, the characters are not.
A/N: For Americus_ who wanted " a party and a joyful ride home". I hope you like it! Oh and sorry about the title. I really bad at making up good titles. This is un-beta'd but I hope there aren't any mistakes. If you see any, let me know.
Summer believed in karma. She would never admit it but she did. Her step-mom got a book on karma for her birthday once and Summer read it while tanning one day. If you were good, you got good things. It made sense and Summer didn't see any reason not to believe it. The only problem was keeping good karma, especially when her best friend wouldn't leave her alone.
"Coop, listen. I hate yacht parties. You know that. Why do you want me to go?" Summer asked as she tossed aside an old issue of Vogue.
"Because I need you there. Please, Sum?" Coop whined over the phone. It was the third time she had called to convince Summer to go.
Summer just sighed in response. She wasn’t in a party mood. In fact, Summer wasn’t in a mood to spend time with people at all. What she needed was a manicure and pedicure at the Salon, not a Newport party.
"Look, Sum. My mother is making me go. I need someone there with me. I have no one else to go with. I am not going to this alone. You know how much that sucks."
"Yeah, I know. But Coop, can’t you just make an appearance and sneak off the yacht? Julie won’t notice." Summer knew that was a lie. Julie would know she was gone before Coop got two steps from the boat.
"I can’t. She wants to take pictures of the new Nichol family during the entire party."
"I’m sorry, Coop. Really I am. But I am not going."
"Sum, please?"
"No," she said flatly.
"Don’t be a bitch, Sum. Please come."
Summer tried not to snap, really she did. But being called a 'bitch' was not helpful, especially when Coop was already getting on her nerves. "There is no way in hell I am getting on that yacht. I am not going and that is that." She hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed.
So what if she didn’t want to go? Coop’s comfort is not her concern. She didn’t want to watch Coop get wasted, Cohen make out with his new girlfriend and Chino . . . .well, just be Chino. Surprisingly of the three, the latter bothered her most. Not that she would ever admit it, but Chino’s whole rebel without a cause act was attractive. And even though he was no James Dean, Chino was not lacking in the looks department. He may have been Coop’s man for most of the year but that didn’t mean Summer was blind.
On top of being brooding and hot, Chino wasn’t aware of just how good he looked. Well, Summer figured he had to know he looked good in his damn wife-beaters since he wears them all the time. Despite his obvious love for arm-muscle revealing shirts, Chino didn’t know he was one of the most sought after boys in Harbor. His looks plus his, concern - well, concern wasn’t the right word. It was more like his endless need to be the problem solver - for his friends. Summer hated the way everyone depended on him but she felt like a hypocrite because he was the first person she called with problems. Coop was there for girl stuff but she called Chino when it mattered and he never told anyone she did. Like anyone could resist a guy like that.
The shrill tones of her cell rang out, interrupting Summer's thoughts. Picking it up, she saw the glowing 'Coop cell'. With a scream of frustration, she threw the phone across the room and dived under her pillow. I'm not going, she thought stubbornly. She can call all she wants but I am not going.
***
Two hours later, Summer stood on the deck of the yacht. She cursed herself for giving in. Well, she thought, I'm doing something good for Coop. I have to get good karma for that. Turning to Coop, she spat, "You owe me for this." But Coop just laughed as she dragged Summer into the main party room.
Julie Nichol stood on the stage announcing the start of the party. The reason for the party was still a mystery to Summer but she didn’t care enough to find out. When Julie finished her speech, the waiters began to move around, offering an assortment of appetizers and champagne to everyone. When one waiter walked by, Coop grabbed two glasses of his cart and walked out of the room. Summer stood still for a moment before following her. She didn’t really feel up to drinking tonight, not even champagne, but she decided to follow her anyway.
On her way to the door, Summer ran into someone going the opposite direction. Automatically, she began to apologize. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to -" But she stopped and looked up at the blue eyes staring down at her. "Chino. What are you doing here?"
Chino smiled. He looks good, she thought idly. Which was odd considering the stressful summer he had. Summer figured, if the girl carrying your baby miss carried and then fled to Atlanta, you'd look a bit tense. But Chino seemed calm and almost happy. "Kirsten made me come. What are you doing here?"
"Coop made me come." Something in Chino’s eyes flickered at the mention of Coop but as quickly as it came, it was gone. Summer decided to change the subject anyway. "So, are you here alone?"
"Well, no. I -" Chino was interrupted by someone smacking him on the shoulder.
"Ryan, man!" Seth said loudly. "We’ve been looking all over for you! Where did you- Oh. Hey, Summer."
Summer narrowed her eyes and tried to control her anger. "Hello, Cohen. Marcie."
Marcie Ross walked up behind Cohen, smiling sweetly. Go ahead and smile, bitch, she thought. But wait until your boyfriend leaves you for the ocean. I bet you won't be smiling then. "Hey, Summer. How are you?" Marcie’s voice was dripping in kindness and Summer tried not to be sick.
"Oh, fine. I better go find Coop. Nice to see you all." Summer locked eyes with Chino and gave a half-hearted smile before walking away. She made her way out onto the deck where Coop was standing. Surprisingly, both glasses of champagne were gone. "Hey. Sorry. There are so many people here and I couldn’t get through."
Coop nodded. "Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Let’s go find the open bar everyone is talking about!" Summer hadn’t heard anything about an open bar but she followed Coop anyway. If she was going to get drunk, Summer at least wanted to be there to help if she blacked out like she normally did.
***
Not even an hour later, Coop was passed out in her mother’s limo and on her way home. Summer sighed as she watched the taillights fade into the darkness. She stood on the deck of the yacht, alone. She cursed Coop with every swear word in her vocabulary for leaving her at the party. This better not be what I get for coming here. I thought karma rewarded good people. Being alone at a party is not a reward. Summer made a mental note to go home and burn her step-mom's book. It was a joke gift anyway, she thought. She won't miss it.
Summer was about to leave when she realized her ride home had just left. Her only other option was to go find one of the idiots from Harbor and flirt her way into a ride home. She ran a hand through her dark hair before entering the main party room. She stood by the bar and scanned the room for any possible rides. Unfortunately, it seemed every Harbor boy had brought a date.
Giving up on her search, she turned to the bartender and ordered a coke. She watched the party unfold around her while she sipped her drink. Summer couldn’t remember ever feeling so out of place.
Half way through her soda, she was joined by another loner. "Hey, Chino." She smiled up at his endless blue eyes.
"Hey, Summer." She felt the warmth from his smile from head to toe.
"So where is your friend? Did he fall off the boat by any chance?"
"If you are talking about Seth then, no, he didn’t. He and Marcie are off on their own."
"Damn."
Chino gave her a sympathetic smile. "So I guess you aren’t over him."
"Who, Cohen? Please," she scoffed. "I am completely over him. I just don’t think it’s fair that he’s happy and I’m not."
"You’re not happy?" Chino’s tone told Summer he was worried. She couldn’t help but feel better knowing someone cared.
"Well, I’m not depressed or anything like that. I am just stranded at a horrible Newport party with no ride home while my ex is making out with some girl. You could say I am just not having a good time. And apparently since you are standing here with me, neither are you."
"What are we still doing here then? I have the keys to the Range Rover. I can give you a ride home if you want."
It was the best idea she had heard all night. "Okay, Chino. Let’s get out of here." They both made their way to the car and sped away from the dock.
***
They drove in silence for a few minutes listening to what sounded like old rock music to Summer. Finally, she reached over and switched it to radio. "Hey!" Chino was clearly not happy about her change.
"What? You actually liked that stuff?"
"That stuff was Journey and yes, I like them. They are a lot better than . . . whatever this is."
"This is Justin Timberlake and he happens to be very popular. Unlike Journey." Summer looked over at Chino who didn’t appear very convinced. She sighed and said, "Look just let me listen to the radio until I get home. Then you can listen to whatever you want."
"Okay, fine." They were silent for the rest of the ride. He pulled into her driveway and turned the car off. "Are you sure you're okay?" His blue eyes were full of concern.
"Yes, yes. I am fine. Really. I’m happy for Cohen and Marcie, sort of. But that’s only because I’m me, and I am not really very nice to my ex-boyfriends. I’m fine, though. I’ve moved on and I’m better without him. So, fuck Cohen."
"I thought you already had."
Summer was shocked by his comment but burst out laughing. "When did you get a sense of humor?" Chino just shrugged and for some reason, it made her laugh harder.
When she finally calmed down, she looked up at her house and sighed. "I guess I better go in now. Thanks for the ride."
Chino nodded and turned to open his door, but Summer was confused. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Well, I was going to walk you to your door. But, I guess . . . I mean, I don’t have to . . . "
"No, no. I’d like that. Are you going to open my door for me, too?"
"You’re making fun of me aren’t you?"
"Actually, no, I am serious. I have always wanted a guy to do that for me."
"You mean that a guy has never opened a car door for you?" Chino looked surprised.
Summer tried to hide her smile. "Not if you don’t count chauffeurs. Why are you so surprised?"
" I thought . . . I don’t know I figured around here guys did that all the time."
Summer couldn’t help but laugh. "Not in Newport. Most guys here think chivalry is dead." Most assholes anyway, she thought.
Chino looked at her seriously for a moment before cracking a smile. "Well then Miss Roberts, I will be happy to show you not all guys think that way." He turned away from her and hopped out of the car. Summer watched him walk around the Range Rover and over to her door. He opened the door and put out his hand. "Miss Roberts."
She smiled and took his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Atwood. Shall we?" She asked, motioning to her door. Chino nodded and they linked arms. They walked to her door with their noses in the air, and she tried to keep a serious expression.
They reached her door and Summer removed her arm from his. "Well Mr. Atwood I had a splendid time. Let us do this again some time," she said in a snobby tone.
"Yes. Let’s," Ryan said in a similar tone. Ryan pretending to be a snob was too much for Summer and she dissolved into a fit of giggles. Her laughter broke Ryan’s serious expression and he began to laugh with her. Summer wasn’t sure but she guessed somewhere between the car and her door, Ryan stopped being Chino.
When the laughter stopped, Summer reached out and pulled Ryan into a hug. It caught him off guard and he looked a bit dazed when he pulled away. "What was that for?"
"For everything. For keeping me company at the party, the ride and making a really awful evening turn into a great night. I am glad I got to spend time with you," Summer felt her cheeks heat up. She wasn’t usually so honest or open and she didn’t know what he’d think. "So, um, thanks."
Ryan gave her a serious smile. "Anytime," he said so quietly, and Summer wasn’t sure she heard it.
"Okay well, I guess I better go." Summer turned to walk inside when Ryan reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her into his arms and before Summer could question him, his lips covered hers. Her mind stopped all coherent thoughts and she could do nothing but melt into the kiss. Ryan tasted like the normal party food and cigarettes but beneath that was something undescribable but was all Ryan. Summer always knew Ryan hid something from the rest of the world but she didn’t expect it to be this intoxicating. As he began to pull away, Summer’s hands grabbed him by the hair and pulled him down for more. She wanted all she could get of his lips, his tongue, his taste, his kiss.
When the kiss ended, Ryan rested his forehead against Summer’s. His breath left a tingle on her lips that were still moist from the kiss. So that was my reward, she thought. If I had known helping Coop would get me kisses like that, I would have been doing a lot more for her. Thank God for my good karma.
"That was . . . " Ryan stopped and sounded breathless
". . . amazing," she finished for him.
"Yeah," he said before taking a step away from Summer. She felt cold without his arms around her. "We should do this again." Summer wasn’t sure if he meant the kiss or the entire evening. She hoped for both.
"The debutante ball is coming up," she offered.
"But I thought you debuted last year."
"I did but last year’s debs have to help with this year’s. It’s like, a rule or something."
Ryan was silent for a moment before responding. "You don’t have to stay for the whole event, do you?"
"Nope. I am free after the girls debut and the dance begins."
"That’s good. Kirsten wants us to go in case they need help setting up, so when the event begins you and I can leave and . . ." his voice trailed off.
"And what?"
"And maybe we can do more of this," he said reaching up to stroke her cheek.
She leaned into his hand and nodded. "I’d like that."
Ryan leaned down and kissed her softly before dropping his hand. "I better go. I don’t think Kirsten would be too happy about me breaking curfew. But I’ll call you, okay?" Summer nodded and he started to walk back to his car but turned around to look at her again. "‘Bye."
"Night, Ryan." She could tell he liked hearing her say his name. It made her feel warm inside to know that. Ryan got into the car and pulled out of her driveway. She watched the car until it was nothing but two dots fading in the distance.
I wonder, if I help Coop get out of her family dinner tomorrow, then maybe I'll get more kisses like that sooner, she thought to herself before going inside. And maybe, if I am nice to Cohen, I could get more than just a kiss from Ryan. She smiled as she ran to room to plan ways to get even better karma.
Before going to sleep that night, Summer had made a list of 57 ways she could get more good karma and kisses from Ryan. This year, she thought to herself as she began to fall asleep, is going to be great.
-end-