Autumn and Summer

by Danielle Allen

  Flashing his adorable smile that showed his dimples, he hugged me. “Cut the shit, Summer!”

  Laughing, I said, “Hey, Max! It’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you, too. You look beautiful.”

  He offered his arm to me and I took it. “Thank you.”

  Walking in, we were ushered down a huge escalator to the lower level of the hotel. As we descended, we saw people everywhere. We were completely silent as we took in the sight before us.

  This is insane, I thought as I looked around. We stepped off of the escalator and were immediately asked to show our passes. Max showed them and then we were able to move into the main event space. Decorated with little white lights everywhere, the room glowed. The majority of the partygoers seemed to be gathered together near the entrance of the event space. The glowing lights on the other side of the crowd looked like the light at the end of the tunnel.

  Max nodded his head as he mumbled under his breath, “Free food and open bar…my kind of party.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” I whispered back conspiratorially as we maneuvered to an area with less people.

  Once we were able to move freely, we both visibly relaxed. “Fresh air,” I said, taking a deep breath.

  Looking back at the crowd near the entrance, Max pointed out, “That’s the problem!” He shook his head and pointed with his thumb. “They put the bar right next to the entrance. No wonder so many people are right there.”

  After we made our way to our table, he pulled out my chair and I took a seat. “Thank you,” I said sweetly as I placed my clutch on the table in front of me.

  “I’m going to get us drinks.” He glanced around and said, “It’s looking mostly like red or white wine. You have a preference?”

  “White is good. But if they have whiskey, that would be better.”

  “You got it.”

  He started to walk away and I grabbed his arm. Looking up at my handsome date, I cocked my head to the side. “You know I think you’re great right?”

  “Right…” he said slowly, looking at me questioningly.

  “So I don’t understand why you agreed to go on this sham date with me instead of finally admitting your feelings to Autumn?”

  Max’s face reddened slightly. “Because when our boss pulled my name to win the tickets, I marched over to her office and asked her if she wanted to come as my date. She told me that I was such a good friend and though she appreciated the offer, she didn’t want me wasting the date on her when I could make it a special date with someone.” He shook his head with a laugh. “I should have corrected her and told her that it would be a special date because I would be with her. But I got tongue-tied with the thought of how the rejection would affect our friendship, work, and everything else. So…here we are.” He shrugged again and gave me a lopsided grin.

  “Max…” I squeezed his hand and looked him directly in his eyes. “I know you’re very special to Autumn.”

  Max raised his eyebrows doubtfully. “I held off on asking anyone to be my date because I was hoping to get Autumn to come. I brought up the gala again a couple of weeks ago and mentioned I didn’t have a date. She got really excited and I thought I had a chance but when I started to ask her, she cut me off and asked me if I thought you were attractive. And of course, I said yes. Because come on...” He removed his hand from mine to gesture to me.

  Putting his hands in his pockets, he continued, “And she took that to mean that I was interested in you so she asked me if I’d be interested in taking you to the gala. I knew, at that point, she wasn’t going to come around so I said yes.”

  “Well, we are going to have an awesome time. And instead of waiting on Autumn, we will scope the room for some arm candy for you,” I declared with a wink and a smile.

  Max chuckled and nodded before retreating to get our drinks.

  Although my heart went out to Max, I didn’t know what else to say to him. Autumn has clearly friend-zoned Max and for whatever reason, Max doesn’t have the balls to tell Autumn how he feels. Maybe they are better off leaving things the way they are between them. She’s never talked about him in a romantic way. Even when she first introduced me to him and I saw the way he looked at her, she was adamant that they were just friends, I thought as I watched Max disappear into the crowd. So maybe they are just not meant to head down that path. Just like me and Xavier.

  “How did you manage to get in here?” Gabriella Torres jeered as she walked by my table. Her voice was unmistakable and her presence grated on my nerves, violently shaking me from my thoughts. Wearing a skin tight red dress with a plunging neckline, Gabriella looked amazing. Her personality and general disposition, on the other hand, truly made her ugly.

  “Through the door. And you?” I responded, looking at her with obvious disdain.

  She smirked. “You have a smart mouth, you know that?”

  “You haven’t even heard the worst of it.” I rested my elbows on the table and leaned forward. Sizing her up, I asked, “What is your issue with me, Gabriella?”

  Looking down her nose at me, she pursed her lips. “I’m just not convinced that you’re qualified for the position that you were given. I’ve dedicated my life to Style, and the fact that John Orlando would offhandedly hire an unproven photographer without even consulting with me…” She shook her head, curling her lip in disgust.

  “Have you ever even seen my work?”

  “I’ve seen the way you dress and that tells me everything I need to know.”

  Without giving me a chance to respond, she turned and walked away.

  “Fuck that bitch,” I muttered under my breath. I pulled my cellphone out of my clutch to check the time. Where is Max? I wondered. After the conversation with Gabriella, I needed a drink.

  “Well, well, well… I thought that was you, but I had to come closer to be sure. You clean up nice, Summer,” Caleb Stratton said in his Southern drawl as he took a seat next to me. “Very nice.” He licked his lips lecherously and looked me up and down.

  I was fortunate enough to not have seen Caleb since the photoshoot at Xavier’s place. But since Caleb was dressed in a traditional black tux with a crisp white shirt underneath, he looked like every other rich guy in the room and I didn’t even see him coming. I was usually really good about shutting down unwanted attention before it could get started.

  Seriously? I groaned to myself. I know like five people in this city, and all the ones I don’t want to see have shown up at my table.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked Caleb square in the eyes. “Does that ever work? On anybody?”

  His cocky grin widened. “All the time.” He raised his glass before taking a sip.

  I shook my head and glared at him. Turning my body toward him, I held eye contact. I saw the twitch in his face as he became increasingly uncomfortable. Once he became so uncomfortable that he looked away, it was my turn to smirk.

  “Well consider this the first time it’s not working. Now move along,” I snapped.

  Adjusting his bowtie, Caleb cleared his throat. The look on his face was still smug, but held less confidence than before. He laughed dryly, “I don’t like your attitude.”

  “And I don’t like you,” I countered.

  He lifted his glass to his lips and peered at me over the rim. After finishing his drink, he then stood up. “I like that you don’t like me. It’ll make the sex even hotter when you finally give in to me.” He winked. “Just like all the others.”

  I stood and with my heels, I was the same height as him. “You’re disgusting. Like I said before, move along.” My fists clenched with barely contained anger. “Now.”

  “I’m just playing with you,” he scoffed. “Calm down!”

  When I didn’t stop glowering at him, he smiled a taunting smile before walking away. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him walk toward the front of the room and sit with his back toward me.

  I need to get some fresh air. The way this night is panning ou
t, Josh and Amber will be the next people to walk up to me. All I wanted tonight was a stress free night with a friend, I thought in frustration as I swept my eyes around the room, looking for Max.

  The crowd had grown significantly. People were mingling everywhere you looked and the dull rumble of the crowd had elevated to full-blown party status. I didn’t want to leave the table until Max got back, but I needed to go to the veranda and calm down. Dealing with Gabriella and Caleb had me fuming and as a guest of Max’s, I didn’t want to be in a bad mood when others arrived at our table.

  I felt a hand lightly touch my elbow. Max. With my drink, I thought, turning all the way around.

  “Max!” I took the whiskey from his hand and immediately took a sip. “Thank you.”

  Max gave me a quizzical look. “You’re welcome?”

  “You have no idea. I just had the most awful run-ins with two—”

  “Maximillian, it’s so nice to see you,” a woman interrupted as she pulled out her chair at our table. “Who is your gorgeous date?”

  Max showcased his easy smile and answered, “It’s nice seeing you too, Mrs. Reed. This is my friend, Summer Wilson. Summer, this is Natalie Reed. My supervisor.”

  I flashed a smile at the older woman. “Hello, Mrs. Reed. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” The woman nodded slowly. “Your dress is beautiful. I remember when I could pull off wearing all white.”

  “You still can, Natalie,” her date responded.

  Giggling, Natalie Reed introduced us to her husband before they started whispering and flirting like teenagers.

  “I need to go to the veranda for a minute. We have a few minutes before dinner is served, right?” I asked, watching people ease into their seats. For the first time, the tables had more people at them than the bar did.

  Max checked his watch. “About ten or fifteen. You go get some air and I’ll get us another refill while the bar isn’t packed.”

  “Thanks, Max. You’re the best!”

  I navigated my way between tables and out the back doors toward the restrooms. I followed the arrows until I found some French doors leading to a huge stone area that faced the gardens in the back of the hotel. Looking straight ahead, I was able to see an array of flowers in the center of a maze constructed of eight foot hedges. According to the brochure, from the hotel rooms above, the garden was even more beautiful due to the ability to see the maze design in its entirety.

  The veranda stretched the entire length of the building. Even with the beautiful garden backdrop, it was relatively empty and there were only a few people milling around. I moved to a darkened area and stood by a tall white column. Careful not to get too close, I rested my hands on the rough surface of the railing and hung my head.

  It’s almost time for dinner. During dinner, there’s a speech. After the speech, there’s some dancing. And then it’s over. Neither Caleb nor Gabriella work at Scallen Marketing Group so I won’t be forced to sit at a table with those assholes. And with everyone dancing, it should be pretty easy to avoid them. Hopefully they will keep their distance, I thought as I closed my eyes.

  Lost in thought, the hair on my neck suddenly stood on end. The subtle breeze felt cool on my skin and caused the skirt of my dress to billow slightly. With my back exposed, a chill ran down my spine. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes slowly. The irritation I had felt a few minutes ago evaporated and something else took its place.

  The uptick of my heart rate and the heat that I felt take over my body led my thoughts immediately back to Xavier. Running my fingertips against the railing, I tried to clear my mind of any and everything, but I kept seeing those clear blue eyes. Remembering his body lightly coated in sweat as he skillfully pounded on the punching bag made me hot all over. The fantasies about Xavier had been constant and very, very thorough, but seeing him at the gym did something to me.

  I pressed my thighs together to try to extinguish the fire that was brewing. But instead of putting a stop to it, I was inadvertently fanning the flames. My nipples hardened and my heart drummed loudly in my chest. Every time I blinked, I saw him. I felt my panties dampen with the visual image of what would greet me at the end of his happy trail. And I have a feeling, it’d make me very happy, I thought as I gripped the railing.

  Letting out a low rumble from deep within my chest, I corrected myself. No, I just need to get laid. If I get off one good time, I will stop fantasizing about a man who is not available. No matter how sexy he is, I swallowed thickly. But how am I supposed to have sex with someone else if I can’t stop myself from thinking about Xavier while I’m in the midst of foreplay?

  Trying to collect myself, I shook my arms at my sides. I heard the music as it drifted outside from the ballroom and a pair of heels scurrying inside, leaving me truly all alone on the veranda. I considered touching myself to ease the pressure, but quickly thought better of it.

  “Get it together,” I muttered under my breath as I smoothed my sleek hair down even though I was almost positive Autumn put enough holding spray in it to prevent it from going anywhere.

  I tried to shake it off but the dull ache in my abdomen was ever-present. I was so turned on that the more I tried not to think about him, the more I thought about him.

  I closed my eyes and remembered the sensation of his body right behind me in the gym. He wanted to touch me. And as bad as I didn’t want to admit it, I wanted him to touch me. With my back exposed, the memory of him behind me caused another chill to run down my spine.

  I was allowing myself to fall deeper into the fantasy and then a sense of calm came over me. Focusing on Xavier completely eradicated all stress, frustration and anger I felt over my confrontations earlier in the evening. I knew I shouldn’t feed into my desire, but I reasoned that it kept me calm and I wouldn’t ever act on it.

  With my eyes shut tight, I felt my hands start to tremble as I grasped the railing so hard my fingers were beginning to hurt. A cool gust of wind hummed over the veranda and washed over my overheated body.

  He’s here, I thought as my eyes fluttered open.

  Almost simultaneously, I felt a hand touch the small of my back and I had no doubt it was him. I jumped, not because I was startled, but because the heat of his touch burned my skin. Letting out a shaky breath, I froze as fear coursed through my veins.

  I was scared to turn around. I was scared to see him. I was scared to look into his eyes. But most notably, I was scared of myself. If I turn around and look him in his eyes, I can’t guarantee that I will be able to control myself, I admitted as my heart began racing. If I can’t control my actions, I would be betraying my values and principles. And I’d be no better than my cheating ass ex- boyfriend.

  He put both hands on my hips and pulled me so that I was flush against him. He moved his hands and ran his fingers softly from my wrists to my shoulders and back down. I wanted to tell him no. I wanted to slap him. I wanted to storm off. I wanted to scream at him to kiss my ass. But instead, I melted against him.

  “Xavier…” I murmured.

  He bent down so that his mouth just barely grazed my ear. “I love to hear you say my name.” His breath tickled the sensitive spot behind my ear.

  Shifting slightly, he had me pinned between him and the railing. I could feel every inch of his body against the thin fabric of my dress. I trembled with pent up desire as I fought the urge to grind against him.

  “How did you know it was me?” he asked softly, still running his fingertips across my skin.

  My heart thudded in my chest as I struggled to come up with an answer. “I—I don’t know,” I stammered, looking straight ahead. I couldn’t explain it if I tried, I thought as the pull between us grew stronger by the minute.

  “I was coming from the restroom and instead of heading back to my table, I came outside. As I was walking, I couldn’t figure out why I suddenly had the urge for fresh air. When I saw you standing here all alone in this dress, it all made sense to me.”

  I can’
t hear this. Not now. I’m too weak right now, I silently cried in frustration. “I have to go. Dinner has probably started,” I interrupted breathily, but I didn’t move.

  I closed my eyes as he turned me around to face him. Pinning me against the railing with his hips, he slid his hands over my shoulders to my neck, cradling my head. Bringing me closer, I could feel his whiskey-coated breath on my face as he whispered, “Why do you keep running from this?”

  Feelings I was trying to bury attempted to bubble to the surface. I shook my head. “I can’t do this, Xavier.”

  “There’s something here. I know you feel it too. But instead of talking to me, you keep running.” Even without seeing him, I could hear the confusion in his voice. “I’m drawn to you.” He paused for a minute before continuing, “But there’s something about me that you should know.”

  He’s going to tell me about Camilla, I realized painfully. I opened my eyes slowly, carefully. Once I made eye contact with him, I lost the ability to speak. My mouth opened and closed twice without a word escaping.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he acknowledged in a low growl, stroking my cheek with his thumb. His pupils expanded as he stared into my eyes. We just stood there, motionless, gazing at one another. Inching his face closer to mine, I felt my resolve being stripped away. “Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you.”

  “Xavier,” I breathed. My eyes dropped to his lips and lingered before moving back up to his eyes. I licked my lips.

  Inching even closer, his steady breathing drew me in with each passing second. “If you don’t want this, if you don’t feel this, say no. Tell me to stop. Walk away. But if you don’t say no, if you don’t tell me tostop, if you don’t walk away, I will kiss you. Because I’ve been thinking about what you’d taste like since our encounter in the elevator,” he whispered sexily, causing my entire lower body to clench tightly. With him pressed against me, I felt his hardness and suppressed a moan.

  “Xavier,” I mouthed, unable to talk. I blinked slowly and my breathing became labored. As much as I hated myself for it, I tipped my head upward slightly.