Page 29 of Bad Summer People
Jason found their group easily, as Rachel always claimed the same spot toward the back left, next to the water. Lauren complained about it every year. (“She puts our stuff down so close to the bay, if any of the children sneeze wrong, they’ll fall into the water and drown. Rachel doesn’t have kids, so she doesn’t think about stuff like that.”)
Lauren was standing with Arlo and Amelie, pouring them water into plastic cups. She was wearing a sky-blue pleated dress that hit at her kneesand had a V neck that showed off her still-pretty-great cleavage. The sun was hanging in the sky behind her over the bay, a big orange ball, threatening to start lowering any minute. He always liked Lauren best from afar.
He saw Rachel there next to her, fussing with the food placement, and the tennis pro, sitting in one of their beach chairs nearby. Jason guessed Rachel had invited him. She was always looking for single guys on the island, though she rarely found any. Jason didn’t think Robert, with his model good looks and athletic swagger, would be a willing target for a desperate fortyish woman. Brian and Lisa were also there, taking selfies in front of the water. A large group of kids had gathered around the band, and Jason saw Lauren direct Arlo and Amelie over, shooing them away with all the maternal care of an ant.
He scanned the crowd for Jen and Sam but didn’t see them. It had been two weeks since he’d been able to be with Jen alone—after the brief July 4 meeting, they’d managed to have sex at Jason’s house once, in his and Lauren’s room, while Lauren was taking a two-hour tennis clinic and Silvia was with the kids at the beach. Jen had told Sam she was taking a bike ride to Fair Harbor. It was quick and not great. Jen didn’t seem into it, and Jason came in about a millisecond.
Jason sidestepped a few other groups on his way to their area, nodding hellos as he went. He passed the Laurells and their middle-aged friends, all in chino shorts; Susan Steinhagen and the rest of the oldies, the women in colorful muumuus; Micah Holt and his crew of cool kids, looking trendy in crop tops (he could sense that Micah had been avoiding him since that first night of summer; so long as Micah kept his mouth shut, which he clearly had, Jason didn’t care if he couldn’t get a martini at the club to save his life). And there were the Ledbetters, the Leavitts, and Jeanette Oberman, alone this summer without Greg, who’d been caught fucking the dog walker. Jason wondered what Lauren would do if she found out about him and Jen. Would she kick him out, like Jeanette did to Greg? Would she scream and yell and cry? Would she be cold, calmly asking him to leave, never letting him see his children again?
“Hey, Jas, how’s your week been? I had somefantasticwins,” said Brian, done with his forced Instagram photo shoot. He was chugging a paloma.Jason reached down and got one for himself, sipping the sweet drink from a red Solo cup.
“Fine, fine. Work’s been busy, but I managed to do a couple of jogs to the lighthouse,” said Jason, already bored by the conversation. Lauren came over, and for once, Jason was grateful to see her.
“How are you, Brian? You and Lisa get some feed-worthy pictures? Want me to take one?”
She really was so goddamn pretty, Jason thought, looking at his wife. He wished he liked her more.
“Yes, please,” said Brian, handing her his phone. He grabbed Lisa, who was eating a nacho. She momentarily bristled at his touch before putting on her Instagram game face, smiling with her husband in front of the beautiful sea view. Lauren snapped from every angle. Jason could see a large bead of sweat drip from Brian’s hairline down his forehead to his cheek.
He wondered where Jen was; it was past 6:30, and the party was in full swing. Just then, he spotted Sam headed toward the group, walking from the boardwalk, weaving in and out of wagons and tables, stumbling a little as he went. Was he still in his beach clothes? As Sam got closer, Jason could tell he was wasted. Fuck. What had happened? Where was Jen?
“Is that Sam?” said Brian, mid-chew of a large fish taco. “Why is he still in a bathing suit?” Sam looked like he’d just emerged from an all-night beach rave, sand on his legs, hair going in every direction, a glazed look on his sun-kissed face. He approached almost in slow motion, every head turning toward him as he passed. Jason could hear the swell of whispers as he went.
“Is that Sam Weinstein? What’s up with him?”
“Why is Sam wearing that?”
“Where’s Jen?”
“Is he drunk?”
Jason’s feet felt glued to the ground. Any other year, he’d have gone over to Sam immediately. But right now, he was worried this had to do with him. He saw Lauren looking at him, confused. Robert was the onlyone who took action, getting up from his chair and helping Sam, stumbling, over to their area, gently placing him in the chair in which he’d been sitting. Robert crouched next to Sam and started speaking to him, but Jason couldn’t hear what he was saying.
Lauren came to Jason’s side.
“Go see what’s wrong. There’s something wrong with him. Jason, go,” she hissed, pushing him toward the chair.
He went over to Sam and Robert, standing up over them, not sure what to do. Sam was clearly in a bad way.
“What doyouwant?” Sam asked, looking up in his direction but not entirely at him. “You haven’t been speaking to me all summer. What have you been up to, Jason?Work?What?” His voice was raised in anger now, and people started to wander over to see what was happening. Jason saw the Ledbetters and the Leavitts ambling toward them, salivating at the thought of picnic drama.
Rachel joined Jason, her hands in her mouth, nervously biting her nails.
“Come on, don’t make a scene,” Rachel said quietly.
Sam stood up shakily, facing the two of them. Robert stood up, too. No one said anything for a moment, and Jason hoped Sam was thinking of taking Rachel’s advice.
“Why would I listen to you?” said Sam. “You’re the one who told me my wife was fucking someone else. But maybe you’re just lying. Maybe you’re just trying to ruin my marriage because you’re so miserable.”
Rachel stepped back as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Jason felt like he might throw up.
“And guess what?” Sam continued. A group of about twenty people had gathered near them, pretending not to care, but hearing everything. “I lost my job! Because some bitch falsely accused me of kissing her!”
Jason didn’t know what to do. Should he drag him out of there? There were kids everywhere.
Lauren tugged Jason’s sleeve and whispered in his ear, “I called Jen. She’s on her way.”
Then Sam took off, running at full speed toward the Great South Bay. He launched himself into the water like an excited kid at an amusement park, creating a large cannonball-like splash.
