“I couldn’t tell you, Sonny. I just couldn’t…” she said shaking her head. There were tears in her eyes as her voice faltered.
I kicked at the sand in frustration.
“Summer, I need time to think about this. I mean, this is just too fucking much to absorb,” I said shaking my head.
The good news was, Summer wanted me to draw her. The bad news was, I wasn’t sure I wanted to now. My confidence was shaken. What if I wasn’t good enough to capture what I saw in her? If Dad kept that drawing, he must’ve seen something in my talent. But, if I tried and failed, it would just be another in a long list of failures.
Summer and I walked back to the beach house in total silence.
“What are you going to do, Sonny?” she asked when we reached the deck.
“I’m going to go to bed. I’m going to hole up in my room and sulk and pout for the rest of the night, like I always do. Then tomorrow, I’m going to draw you,” I said with conviction.
“This is my one chance to do what I want to do. I’m not going to pass up that opportunity. As a writer, I’m nothing more than a two-bit hack. I have to at least trythis, Summer. If it doesn’t work out, they can’t say I didn’t have the most beautiful model available. It’ll be on me. It’ll be my success or my failure. Not Dad’s, not anyone’s but mine.”
I took her by the shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Night, Sis. See you in the morning.”
*****
It was Saturday evening as I applied the finishing touches to my appearance. I paused to glance at the stack of photos and sketches from the past few days. In each one, Summer was undeniably beautiful as always, but as I studied them, there remained something lacking in them. There was an expression, a look, somethingundefinable that wasn’t there.
I’d seen it on occasion in other photos taken of Summer; a vague, subtle hint of what I sought.
I left the stacks of portraits laying where they were and went in search of my sister. It was time to leave for the charity event I so dreaded attending. But, I had promised, and Summer was looking forward to it.
“Are you ready?” I asked as Summer looked up when I made my entrance to the living room.
“Fuck, Sonny…you’re going to be worth a small fortune tonight,” she said with admiration as she looked me over. Her compliment bolstered my ego and I offered her an arm as I escorted her to the car and driver that waited on the street.
The charity for the homeless was a mere ten-minute ride away, and before I could count the minutes, we were there. With Summer on my arm, we mixed and mingled among society’s elite, downing champagne and cocktails to calm the flutter of nerves in my stomach. The names and faces were a blur to me as she introduced me to many of those in attendance.
“Sonny, this is my publisher, Mel. Melanie, this is Sonny, my brother,” Summer was suddenly saying.
I turned to acknowledge the introduction from Summer and I found myself staring, speechless, at the most alluring woman I’d met lately. She was tall and leggy with hair the deep color of copper, neatly bobbed, and a sweep of feathers over her hazel eyes. Her lips had a full, natural pout and were the rich color of blush rose wine.