Since arriving back on The Young and the Restless canvas after heading to Europe for work and to clear her mind, Summer (Allison Lanier) has made one thing perfectly clear. When it comes to her marriage with Kyle (Michael Mealor), she’s done. Summer doesn’t want to reunite with her soon-to-be ex-husband and even told Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) during the week of September 11, not to push the issue.
Summer’s sentiment shouldn't come as a surprise to fans, as Kyle has been laser-focused on his new relationship with Audra (Zuleyka Silver) as of late, and Summer has gradually found herself being pulled into Chance’s (Conner Floyd) orbit. What started out as the detective helping out the Newman heiress in navigating her mother’s legal mess, slowly evolved into a friendship that has Summer incredibly smitten.
The idea that Summer is falling for Chance becomes very evident in the episode airing on September 13. As Sharon (Sharon Case) and Chance are spending some one-on-one time together in the park, Summer spots them from a distance.
Before Summer takes it upon herself to interrupt, she develops quite the expression that is best described as a combination of seductive and suspicious. If we’re honest, in that moment, we were reminded of classic Phyllis when she was obsessed with Danny (Michael Damian) and stooped to various lows of manipulation to get him.
Anyway, back to Summer, she eventually goes over to Sharon and Chance, and is incredibly flirtatious with her new "friend." It appears obvious to Sharon that Summer has a crush on her boyfriend, and to Sharon’s credit, she’s relatively cool in the situation and doesn’t get confrontational.
As the trio talk, they discuss the latest Kirsten Incorporated updates, Summer’s trip and Chance’s promotion. Then they pivot to the fact that Sharon is headed out west for business. Summer could barely contain her excitement, and it’s that reaction that got us thinking that she is gearing up to go after her not-so-secret crush. Will she do so while Sharon is away?
Loyal viewers already know that Summer resorting to tricks to get the man she has an interest in is not anything new. Remember, this is a young woman who donated part of her liver to Lola (Sasha Calle) in exchange for Kyle leaving Lola to marry her. Although Summer currently continues to profess how she’s grown up since then, we have to wonder how much has she really changed.
With all that said, we have a hunch that Summer will try to seduce Chance while Sharon is gone. Now how the former will go about such a tactic, we aren’t sure as of yet. Perhaps Summer invites Chance out for drinks to help him celebrate his promotion hoping he gets a little drunk, he does and he gives into her flirtatious ways.
Or maybe Summer does something a little more elaborate and orchestrates a scenario in which she fakes an emergency that only Chance can help her with. She could believe their mere proximity to each other is enough to entangle him in her web, and he proves her right.
Either way, we suspect a #Chummer pairing is on the horizon. As much as Chance likes Sharon, it’s becoming evident that he doesn’t mind Summer’s company.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air weekdays on CBS. Episodes become available to stream on Paramount Plus.
