This chapter is much less traumatic, but I'm still not at all happy
with Leigh Michaels and how she handles and creates these situations.
By the next day, Devon is super-humanly over her attempted rape. She
sees the landlady putting garbage in the bin at the curb and they
chat a bit. The landlady thinks that Devon and Jon are married and
that Devon is silly for wanting to keep her last name. Devon doesn't
correct her, but she's no longer happy. I wouldn't think she'd be
happy anyway.
Devon confronts Jon about this while he's chopping up onions for the
spaghetti sauce for dinner. He says that their landlords would evict
them if they thought Jon and Devon were living together and not
married. Society wouldn't stand for such things. Wow things have
changed. Anyway, Devon explains how marriage, at least how she sees
it, is just the woman endlessly giving and the man endlessly taking.
Their conversation is interrupted by the phone. Devon decides to
answer and it's Julie. Finally! I was wondering if she'd fallen off
the face of the earth! Julie needs a little help in tailoring her
wedding dress, she's making it herself, and she's got Devon's dress
as well. After asking Jon, Devon invites Julie and David over for
dinner as well and Julie says they'll be there in an hour.
Jon makes a comment about how Julie is pretty and Devon asks if he
meant it. He says he did, but he wouldn't go after Julie. Now some
other ladies who happen to be around.... Jon asks Devon if she'll
tell her brother about Matt's attempted rape and she decides not to.
Then, in a reply that makes me weep for Leigh Michaels and the women
in this time period, Devon continues with, “It was pretty much what
you said. I did ask for it. I shouldn't have gone to his
apartment.” Maybe I missed something. Since when does going to
someone's apartment mean that you want to have sex with them? It's a
possibility, depending on the circumstances around your relationship
and whatnot, but it's not a firm declaration. Not even close. No
one asks for rape. That's the definition of it. I just can't deal
with these characters. It's even worse, because I know this part of
it happens in real life too.
Devon goes on to say that she was confused about what she wanted, and
Jon replies that virgins usually are. Jon also states that, had she
not been a virgin, she would have slept with Matt and not worried
about it. No. Just because someone has had sex once, doesn't
necessarily mean that they'll jump at any chance to have it again.
Devon considers sex to be something that two people who are deeply in
love share. She and Matt had gone on one previous date before the
attempted rape. Obviously, they're not in love and Devon still,
probably, would have been uncomfortable with what he was doing.
Devon asks if Jon thinks that she should have slept with Matt and he
clarifies. Matt would be a terrible guy for her first time because
he's selfish and not good at this. Jon continues with, “...if he'd
known what he was doing last night he could have seduced you without
a whimper.” Then Jon bemoans the fact that he hadn't had the same
chance because he's a gentleman. Yes, Jon, because only a gentleman
would refrain from trying to seduce a girl who had just escaped from
an attempted rape. Not, oh say, anyone with even a shred of decency.
Devon asks Jon what she should do. He first suggests staying away
from boys, because they know just enough to be dangerous, and then
begins to set up a metaphor where students come to college to learn
things from professors. Devon interrupts him, but it's obvious where
this is going. If nothing else, it would definitely be against
school policy for them to sleep together since Devon is in one of his
classes. Anyway, Devon's interruption was to say she could run an ad
in the newspaper. Jon suggests she could just turn to him. Devon is
shocked. Jon says something about how even people over 30 remember
what love is (Wait. How old is Devon? She's in her senior year, so
she's 21 or 22. Hm.) Devon admits that she hasn't taken anything
he's said seriously. Jon replies that she is still a child, and then
tells her not to take off her shoes when she's around a guy so she
can run if she needs to. Devon looks down at her bare feet and Jon
clarifies that he doesn't get turned on by feet. That leotard,
however... Devon, still not worried, says that she'll keep
practicing in the living room and that she'll watch out. Then she
brings up Margo and Jon replies that he can't just sit there and wait
for Devon to be interested in him.
Devon starts to make a cake (because all spaghetti needs chocolate
cake?) and realizes that she doesn't like the thought of Margo. The
classic romance novel conundrum: you don't want him yet, but you
don't want others to want him. Jon swiftly changes the subject to
his book. Devon replies that she only agreed to look at it, but she
does ask if she'll have to do research. Nah, Jon's got that covered.
She'll just have to make it read pretty. Jon casually mentions
running for President. Devon asks if he's planning on it, and he is
noncommittal. Yeah, I think I called the ending of this book, but
we'll see if I'm right. It's certainly surprised me already.
They continue their chat and Devon admits that she's going to apply
to grad school, just to please her adviser, but her grades weren't
the best earlier in her college career and she doesn't have the money
anyway. Then Jon notices cake batter on her nose and she ends up
staring at him intently. Then Devon asks if he meant it when he said
she was pretty. Jon says that he did and asks Devon if he wants him
to show her. What? There's only one direction my mind is going with
this, and I don't think Devon's ready to see that much of Jon. Oh!
He's going to kiss her! Well then. Devon lets him and it's a
magical experience for both of them. Also, he doesn't grab her when
they kiss, so she could get away if she wanted to. When they both
admit the kiss was great, Jon repeats that when Devon decides to take
care of her “virginity problem”... Devon cuts him off and says
she won't. He pokes fun at her, asking if she'll be a virgin
forever, then tells her to be cautious about who she chooses and
reemphasizes that he hopes it's him. One of the many things I like
about feminism is the idea that if you want to be a virgin, go for
it. If not, go for it. Just make sure you take care of yourself and
consider those around you. I mean, I think the only reason Jon
thinks her virginity is a problem is because he wants her, but the
phrase still bothers me. Oh, and no, that wasn't the part of this
chapter that bothered me the most. That's coming up in a bit.
Jon flounces off to have a cold shower and Devon continues standing
in the kitchen. She thinks about how she shouldn't have let him kiss
her, but also how it was nice. Then someone knocks on the back door.
Oh, hello, Margo. Well, this is awkward. To make it less awkward,
Devon basically drags her in and makes her stay, all the while
dropping subtle hints like how Jon's in the shower and he makes great
breakfast. No, wait, that's that other thing: making it more
awkward. Of course, Jon doesn't help, yelling down the stairs about
how Devon's cat took his socks again. I have to wonder: does Devon
not wear socks? Are they somehow less tasty than Jon's socks?
Anyway, Devon continues adding to the awkward in the room by telling
Margo how she's a student of Jon's and they're having dinner with
some friends that night. When Jon finally gets down the stairs to do
damage control it's way too late.
Devon wanders to the living room to read the book she got from the
library. She can't hear what Margo's saying, but she sounds pissed.
Once Margo leaves Jon finds Devon and is, understandably, annoyed.
Devon tells him to go ahead and wring her neck. “His hands closed
gently around her throat.” Devon even feels like she can mock him
with his hands on her neck, which flabbergasts me. This is seriously
not okay. It doesn't get better. He slides his hands to her
shoulders and pulls her off the couch. Tangled in a quilt, Devon
ends up on the floor with Jon beside her. Hey now, buddy. She did
not take you up on your offer. Cool your jets. He does not.
She asks if he's going to tickle her until she says she's sorry and
he replies that adult games have adult consequences. Then he pins
her to the floor. Devon says she's sorry, and Jon replies with, “Too
late.” She turns her face away, so that his kiss lands on her ear.
He just sets to work nibbling on her ear. Then he silences her
protests with his mouth. Devon tells him to stop again and he says
that no, he's having fun and so is she. Thank God that David and
Julie knock on the door just then. Seriously, that's two attempted
rapes in two days. What. The. Hell. Jon wonders if they ignore
the knock if Julie and David will take the hint. Devon fixes her
hair and says that nothing really happened, but it's more for her
benefit than for his. Jon replies with, “If they'd been five
minutes later, my dear, we wouldn't even have heard them knock.”
All right. Seriously. Jon needs to find someone else so he can get
laid, or make friends with his hand. This is not okay. I thought I
was joking before when I said Devon needed locks on her bedroom door.
Apparently, I was right.
Julie and David come in and hooray, Julie brought dresses and it's
dinner time! Apparently, they were five minutes late. Anyway, after
the meal, although she would like to discuss politics with the guys,
she wants to see the dress more, so Devon goes up to her room to help
Julie with her dress. Julie is deeply annoyed with deciding to sew
her own dress and vows never to do it again. Devon asks if that
means Julie won't make hers, then quickly clarifies that it was a
joke. Since Devon mentions a generic Mister Right, Julie asks about
Devon's most recent candidate for that position: Matt. Devon gets an
“embarrassed blush” and mumbles that she won't invite him to the
wedding. Oh, honey. You shouldn't be embarrassed. He's the one at
fault. They change the subject to how Aunt Eleanor knows Jon exists,
but not that he's splitting the rent with Devon, and oh hey, a dress!
Eventually, Julie and David leave and now it's confrontation time.
Devon tells Jon it would be safer if they didn't repeat what happened
earlier. Jon replies that safe is no fun. He says how it was easy
when they ignored each other, but now that they aren't and that
leotard... Devon cuts in with an offer to practice in her room. Jon
tells her it's not just that but her hair, the way she laughs...
Dude. Falling for someone is fine, but that doesn't mean you get to
rape them. For serious. Oh, we also get the title phrase. Because
“come next summer” they'll be in different places, perhaps never
to meet again. They're just passing the time, but oh what they could
do with that time. Devon states flatly that she doesn't want to have
an affair with Jon. As she's going up the stairs to her room he
asks if she doesn't want to, or if she's afraid to. The answer means
a lot to him. Well, buddy, a no for either reason is still a no.
Ugh. I'm glad we finally saw Julie, but other than that I'm losing
hope in this book rapidly.
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