by Clay, Ann
Autumn not only listened to him attentively, but she helped bounce around ideas, some of her ideas he hadn’t considered before. He wasn’t surprised because she was beautiful and smart. They talked for hours on the phone about every subject imaginable. Of course when he was with her all he wanted to do was make love to her. So having the highly-charged and, at times, very animated discussion helped curb the fire between them.
Autumn thought she was duly prepared to see him again. She hadn’t seen him since she left a few days after his accident. Her heart skipped when she saw his handsome face. He moved like water floating down a cliff. His dark gaze met and held her until she was standing in front of him. He dropped the bag and cupped her face. “Hi, beautiful. How are you?”
“I missed you!”
“How much time do we have?”
“None, at least not any before tomorrow. We need to go now.” She pulled from his embrace.
Travis grabbed her and drew her back to him. “Not so fast. Where is my welcome kiss?” He hung his head and covered her lips.
“Mm. Welcome to New York.” She pulled away from him again, grabbing his hand. “Now come on. We’ve got to go.”
Travis sat in the front row enthralled by the epic amount of back-bending, mind-altering movement of every woman on the stage before him. The overt as well as the subtle exchanges created an infusion of emotions that even he wasn’t immune to. Layers of bluesy guitar over retro keyboards, and reggae backbeat set the scene for the routine that spotlighted Autumn. She rotated her hips to the rhythm of a calypso groove. Her body swayed and dipped and swayed again.
He shifted in his seat as he watched her closely. She rolled her head back, and with eyes closed, extended her arm behind her as she continued to roll her hips from side to side. Seeing her in that position reminded him of the evening at his house when she squirmed beneath him. He still remembered the scent of her womanly fragrance. If he didn’t know any better he, would’ve said she choreographed her little number especially for him. He adjusted his position in the seat once more, and in that moment, the music changed, as did Autumn.
She leaped past several dancers before she exited the stage on the far right. She reappeared for what he came to learn was the finale. By the conclusion of the number, every dancer was on the stage. The audience applauded them with a standing ovation, followed by ear-piercing whistles. They took the first, and then a second, and third curtain call before the curtains closed for the evening.
“You were amazing tonight, darling.” He handed her a mixed bouquet of flowers.
“Thank you.” She grinned and then a puzzling expression moved across her face. “Where did you get these?”
“Let’s just say I have my sources,” he replied.
They decided to stop for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Autumn’s condo. She knew Travis had started his day at five o’clock that morning. His weary expression made her forgo her plans for a night on the town. Surprisingly though, after he took a brief shower, he seemed refreshed. However, any thoughts of seducing him died on the vine when he fell asleep in her arms. She had him lie on his stomach as she rubbed his tense shoulders and neck.
Travis woke up several hours after he’d fallen asleep in Autumn’s bed. He vaguely remembered her easing away the knots in his back. His meeting the morning before he left New Orleans didn’t go so well. His battle with the city councilmen lingered, even after he managed to get petitions from people in the Garden District. They supported the proposal to buy up the empty and abandoned building in one section of the district.
Travis and his brothers saw the opportunity to extend their family’s portfolio and accommodate a venture with Jacob Euclid. Acquiring the properties would also restore jobs and tax base, which meant more funds to improve the roads, more security on that end of the city, and bring other businesses to the area with them. But a few narrow-minded men saw it as an opportunity to scheme under-the-table money exchanges.
He wasn’t having either. Their family worked above par, and prided themselves on doing the right thing. In fact, they contributed their behavior to the success of their business for so many years. Needless to say, he had to leave Michael in charge of restaging the approach while he was in New York.
Tugging at her arms, he pulled Autumn’s body against him and he wrapped both his arms and legs around her. She fit perfect as her body molded against his. They both tolerated a fitful slumber, because neither wanted to move. By morning, Travis took his usual cold shower and pressed on like he knew he should.
“Tell me something I don’t already know about you, Travis.” Autumn sat across from him. She sat up straight and gave him her undivided attention.
“I know we’ve talked about this before, and I’ve decided to do the tribute to Clem. I’d thought about doing it even before he passed. I miss him a lot. I wish he was still here to hear it.” He looked away. He remembered his great plans; plans that fell by the wayside.
“I think that will be nice. Not just for Clem, but for you and for his fans. Do you already have scores ready?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” They talked about his music and how he planned to put the scores together.
“I have a great place to take you if you’re game”
“Okay, I’m game. You know I won’t refuse you anything.”
“That could be a dangerous thing.” She gave him the most seductive stare she could reach inside and find.
Autumn turned on 3rd Street, past Groove Bar & Grill, and pulled her car in front of The Blue Note New York. The mood was great and they’d shared a wonderful afternoon together. Travis insisted he be the one to drive, but because she’d learned her way around the city by trial and error, she convinced him that it was best if she drove going. She promised to give up the wheels and let him drive them back. The valet came around to open her door and in exchange for her gorgeous smile, he handed her a valet ticket.
“Thank you.” She bowed her head as Travis met her on the driver side.
Taking her hand, they walked through the front entrance without falling into the line that had already formed, and extended down past the Benjamin Moore Ace Hardware store. “Autumn, we haven’t seen you in a while. Glad to see you haven’t forgotten us,” the concierge greeted her.
“Ruben, I would like you to meet Travis Brooks. Honey, this is Ruben Manson. If we’re nice, he’ll give us the best seats in the house.”
“You’ll always have the best seat, little lady.” Ruben reached for Travis’s hand. “It’s great to meet you, man. This little lady is something special.”
“Yes, I know. Nice to meet you too.” Travis drew his arm closer around Autumn’s waist as he sized up the man. His actions were oblivious to Autumn, but both men knew the deal.
Once in the lobby, they glanced at the billboards and posters on display in the main showroom. Several posters of Ron Carter were posted in the This Season display case. Ron was accompanied by Mulgrew Miller, Russell Malone, and a couple of other names Travis didn’t recognize. Ruben seated them at a table to the right of center stage. A beautiful, dark-brown-skinned woman with long dreads took their drink order. When she came back with their drinks, Autumn smiled and said, “Thanks Lin,” which made it obvious that Autumn was a regular there.
“So how often do you come here?” He took a swig of his drink. “You seemed to be popular.”
Autumn noticed the censure in Travis’s voice. It was the first time he’d done so since their relationship took a serious turn. She watched the lines across his forehead and the slight twitch of his mouth. She reached over, touched his face, and drew a small circle on his chin with her thumb. “We actually stumbled on this place when we came out to eat at Minjabi a few doors down.”
Travis noticed that she didn’t answer his question, and didn’t qualify the “we” she referred to. She wore him out when they faced off in their first throw-down the weekend of his bungee accident. Yes, they lived in different cities, and he didn’t know a
ny more about her dealings than what she’d told him. Granted, he trusted Autumn. He had as much at stake in the relationship as she had. “So, you come here often?”
“No, baby, I don’t. What’s with the questions?” She pulled her hand away from his face. Travis’s mood suddenly shifted and she didn’t understand why. Perhaps she didn’t see the man gawking at her from several tables over. He bobbed his head back and forth to the crooning of Joe Sample in the background.
Travis caught her hand in midair and pulled it into his lap. He looked away briefly. He couldn’t figure out why he was so uptight. They’d spent a wonderful day together. Something about these surroundings bothered him, but he shook it off. “Nothing, I just want to enjoy you. I hadn’t really planned on sharing you with so many people tonight.”
A smile lit her beautiful face. “We can always leave, and then you can have me all to yourself.” Her smile turned into a sinister grin.
Autumn’s reaction lifted his mood. Yes, perhaps they needed this diversion. He didn’t know how long he could play this game. He was losing miserably. The corners of his mouth lifted. “You’re going to be the end of me, sweetheart.”
“If it means tempting you, I certainly hope so.”
* * * *
Only when the club lights lifted during intermission did she noticed Romeo seated across from them. She was so consumed with Travis that she’d ignored everything else. When she glanced over, she smiled and waved. She hadn’t seen him since their impromptu picnic. He’d invited her the day they met again at the coffee shop. He stood on the corner not far from her practice studio. His invitation helped her through a very difficult day. Romeo remembered that day clearly. He knew just how to get her mind off of her worries. However, his interest in pursuing her ended abruptly.
Travis followed her wave to the same man that had been watching them. He shifted his body in his chair and pulled at the collar on his shirt. He ignored the man while Autumn spoke.
“Romeo West. He’s an up-and-coming jazz artist. His band has played at several venues in the city. Is it okay to introduce him?”
The nerve in his jaw twitched. He wanted to say no, that he didn’t like the way the man looked at her. He was ready to say hell no, but Romeo was already on his feet and headed toward their table. He watched Autumn light up as the man approached, but more importantly, he watched the man’s overt reaction as he neared the table, when he saw her dangerously gorgeous, blue eyes light the way. He was so drawn to her face that he almost stumbled over a chair on his way over.
Had it not been for the firm grip Travis had on Autumn’s shoulder, she might have stood to greet him. Travis wasn’t having it. He looked straight through the man she called Romeo. Damn, this was the second man tonight he had to put in his place. In the short time he’d known Autumn, he quickly understood that she wasn’t the kind of woman who was romantically or casually involved with a lot of men. The fact that this character had a nerve to roll up to their table said one thing; he was interested in Autumn. She, on the other hand, had either ignored his advances or was unaware of them. Travis continued to watch the man. He had every intentions of shutting this down, and fast.
Romeo focused on Autumn for the moment and dismissed the man she was with. He could tell the move pissed the man off and he looked like he was about to come unglued, but Romeo didn’t care. The very last time he saw Autumn, she’d explained that she couldn’t see him anymore, but that she thought he was a terrific friend. Hell, he wasn’t interested in being just her friend.
He accepted her request initially because he thought he had more time to get to know her, to change her mind. He liked her; he liked her a lot. He thought she didn’t want to get serious because she traveled so much, but he never guessed that he had competition. She’d not shared that bit of information. Had he known, he would have pressed a little more. But in his mind, it was never too late.
“Autumn, I almost didn’t recognize you. It’s great to see you again. How are you?”
“Hi Romeo. It’s nice to see you again. This is Travis Brooks. Travis, Romeo West.”
“Travis.” He finally pulled his attention away from Autumn to acknowledged Travis. Romeo stuck his hand out to Travis who, until he stood, was unimposing. However, the moment Travis pushed back from the table, releasing Autumn, he towered over Romeo, and Romeo could tell the guy had a good sixty pounds on him. This giant looked a little intimidating, but he had a reputation to protect, so Romeo held his hand out until Travis accepted it. He didn’t see Travis picking a fight with him, at least not yet.
“What’s up?” Travis would have totally ignored him had Autumn not looked directly at him. Having to fraternize with this joker, trying to move into his space, wasn’t something he took lightly. And to be openly friendly with this guy was out of character for him. He saw the hesitation in Romeo’s expression when he stood. Good, Travis thought. He accepted the man’s hand.
Autumn interrupted the next thought. “Romeo is originally from Detroit, right?” She tilted her head to the side.
He drew his gaze back to Autumn and shook his head. “Yeah, that’s right. You remembered. The last time I saw you, you were preparing for the new season. How’s that going?”
“You’re funny, Romeo. You’re—”
“So, how long have you been in New York, Romeo?” Travis interrupted Autumn’s conversation. He didn’t plan to stand around while they reminisced. His patience was short fused when it came to the disrespect this man showed. No way in hell he was going to just stand there and allow the conversation to continue. He balled his right hand into a fist.
CHAPTER 25
Autumn frowned. She still couldn’t figure out what was going on with Travis, and finally saw the war between the men. She touched Travis’s hand bringing his attention to her. The questions in her gaze went unanswered as his expression turned to indifference. Romeo was her friend. Did he think Romeo was an old flame? He didn’t give her the opportunity to confirm or deny it.
“About six months, give or take.” Romeo nodded. He saw where this was going. “And you?”
“I live in New Orleans for the time being.” That comment caused Autumn’s head to jerk toward him. He’d placed inflection on the words “for the time being.”
“Musician?” Now Romeo was curious about this Travis cat. He refused to believe he was Autumn’s type. He seemed too intense to be compatible with such a dynamic woman.
“Businessman,” Travis’s answer was short and curt.
“But Travis is an accomplished jazz musician. His uncle was the great Clemons Boudreaux,” Autumn added, the need to defuse the situation was paramount at this point.
“The Clemons Boudreaux!” Romeo’s whole demeanor changed. Even though he was the competition, he dared not pass up an opportunity to meet a relative of a musical legend.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Man, I grew up listening to Clem’s smooth grooves, man. I’m sorry to hear about his passing, though.”
For the moment the men’s mutual respect for Clem seemed to shrink the rising tension between them. Autumn smiled inwardly, having neutralized the strain between Travis and Romeo. Romeo shared how he’d opened for Blue Note’s recording artist, Robert Glasper, who was scheduled to perform in Camden, New Jersey.
The conversation didn’t last long before he excused himself. “Autumn, I’ll be in touch. I’ll let you get back to your evening.” Romeo didn’t return to his table; instead he went to the bar and stood there until the show restarted. Then he disappeared. Only he’d disappeared from their view not the club. He watched Autumn from the balcony. She was more intriguing than he remembered. Now he had a reason to rethink how he planned a way back into her life.
Autumn noticed that Travis was unusually quiet on the way home. He drove and listened carefully to her instructions as she guided him back to her condo. One hand lightly gripped the steering wheel, the other laid in his lap. She reached over and touched his leg. “Are you okay?” she as
ked with a measure of caution inflected in her voice.
He shot her a curious glance. How did she not know he didn’t like this Romeo guy, even after they’d acknowledged a common interest? They shared more than an interest in music. Now he was on the receiving end of a situation he’d ignored often. In the middle, was the woman he loved more than life. “Yeah, I’m fine. Tired?”
“A little, it’s been a full day.” She managed a small smile.
“We’re almost home, right?”
“Yes.” She took the hand he offered before placing it back into his lap.
When they got back to the apartment, they snuggled together. By the third evening, she couldn’t stand it any longer. They’d played cat and mouse as they danced around the rising and very edgy passion between them. He left for his meeting with Jacob Euclid and stopped at a local gym before he returned. She was on the phone with Reggie when he came in.
He strolled into the door shirtless. Ribbons of muscles strung across his upper and lower body, while beads of sweat dripped down the center of his chest and disappeared into the rim of his gray briefs. His skin glistened, and his damp hair clung to his chest and arms. Autumn lost track of her conversation upon seeing him. He almost always wore a T-shirt, even while cuddled up in bed with her. He’d told her when he was alone at home, he slept in the buff. But he didn’t trust himself to do the same when he was with her.
Now she didn’t trust herself with what she saw and felt. He stepped in and kissed her briefly. “I love you.” He whispered into her mouth as she held the phone away from her face to receive his kiss.
“Autumn?” The voice on the other end of the phone brought her back to her senses, and pulled her attention back to the conversation with Reggie. Her eyes remained glued on Travis’s back as he headed to the shower.
“Uh, I’m here, sorry.”