by Angela Smith
There was a knock on the door interrupting her reverie and in came Sophia, looking stunning as always. If she was surprised to see me, she didn’t let it show.
“Hi Autumn,” she said, air kissing me. “Don’t you look gorge with that new hair!”
“Thanks, Sophie, you look great too.”
Bernard brought in our cocktails and we sat around the fireplace chatting pleasantly until there was another knock on the door. My heart rate quickened and my stomach plummeted as I waited for Bayani to enter. I wanted to gauge the reaction of Sophie, in particular, to see if there was any hint of jealousy there when she found out he was with me.
“Bayani? My God, what are you doing here?” Sophie said, getting up to give my boyfriend a tender hug.
Looking slightly shocked to see Sophie, he hugged her back but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it. He wasn’t hugging her like he hugged me, I told myself.
“Hi, Soph. I didn’t know you’d be here…”
“Well, of course you didn’t silly! I almost never come here anymore. This is my granny, Marisol, and Autumn, who is a friend of granny’s and works for me now. She’s the new head of vintage fashion. You’ll soon be her slave!” she said laughing.
Wowza. This was the most animated I’d seen Sophie ever. She almost seemed to be flirting with Bayani, which was a weird thing to see.
“Nice to meet you, Marisol,” Bayani said, as he came over and kissed me on the cheek. “You look divine, cupcake. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Cupcake? Wait a minute, you two know each other?” Sophie said, obviously awestruck that someone as gorgeous as Bayani could know someone as unglamorous as me.
“Yes…we’re, well, we’re kind of together, Soph,” Bayani said, running his hands through his hair.
“You mean to tell me that you’re dating your boss?! That’s against company policy, you know. How did you meet? You were away all last week when she was in the office. Did Lena set you two up?” Sophie was looking increasingly manic but attempted to keep her cool. She was getting more flustered by the minute though.
Wait, a minute. I was Bayani’s boss? How the hell did that happen? That’s when it hit me. Bayani was the gorgeous guy that Jeanette was telling me about…the one that Sophie has had her eye on for ages. She must be the woman gramps saw getting pissed off. This was getting more and more awkward by the minute but Marisol seemed to be enjoying it. She probably felt like she was in the middle of her own version of a soap opera, playing out right in her living room.
“How long have you two been “together”? Sophie asked, making air quotes around the word together as if it was a ridiculous notion.
“A few weeks now but Lena had nothing to do with it. In fact, I only figured out Autumn was my boss yesterday. We hadn’t mentioned where we worked just that we both worked in publishing,” Bayani explained. I nodded my head in agreement. That was strange how he and I never said the name of the company we worked for or put two and two together sooner. But why didn’t he tell me that he knew I worked at Fashion and Flare? Was he planning on telling me or was it going to be another surprise?
There were so many questions running through my head that I failed to hear voices rising and then a door slamming until it had happened. When I looked up Sophie was gone, Bayani had his head in his hands and Marisol was laughing like she had just won the lottery.
“Now this will definitely go down in the record books as one of the most eventful Thanksgiving’s ever!” she said in between laughs. I was glad someone saw the funny side of it. While I had obviously figured out who the other woman was, it was displeasing to know that it was my boss.
“I’m sorry, Autumn. I should have told you. That’s partly why I called you yesterday, I wanted to clear the air…but it never came up and you seemed upset with me so I let it be. I figured I’d catch you at some point today.”
“Did you…were you…”
“Ever with her? Yes. But we only went on one date. That’s all it took for me to realize she wasn’t the girl for me. She’s been pining after me ever since and making sure all the girls in the office know I’m off limits.”
“That girl can be such a spoiled broad. And that scene she just made puts you two behind the eight ball…I know she’s family and I do love her as such but I wish she’d get a grip. She’s got enough cabbage to buy anything she wants yet she carries a torch for you, Bayani. You’re obviously a smitten kitten by the way,” Marisol said winking at him in a flirtatious way.
I clarified her sentiments since my lovely, lovely, lovely boyfriend wasn’t clear on the 1920s references quite yet.
“Yes, she’s been after me for ages. I was so glad to meet Autumn, away from the office and all the horrible bickering and claim staking going on. It’s killing me!”
“Can’t you just tell her to go away? You’re obviously not interested,” I said, realizing that every bad thing I thought about this man earlier today was fruitless because he was here now and he made it known that he was here for me not Sophie.
“I’ve tried…”
“Darlings, let’s discuss more over dinner. Cocktail hour is well and truly over now but we just might be able to sneak a few more in during the course of the evening. Lord knows we all need one after that little tornado hit.”
Marisol led Bayani and I into the dining room where the table for 12 was filled with a feast for a King. There was a large turkey carved up into delicate little pieces, creamed corn, candied yams, hot buttered rolls, cranberry sauce, every type of pie imaginable and of course, my delectable banana cookies and my savory apple rosemary tea bread.
“That reminds me. I brought something too. I know you said not to, but I thought it was the least I could do since you’re both being so generous by having me at your table.”
“Her table,” I corrected, pointing at Marisol. He smirked at me and stuck his tongue out before getting up and going to his car to retrieve his addition to the already over-flowing table.
“While he’s gone, might I just say that boy is the cat’s meow. You really scored with this one, toots. Don’t let him get away,” Marisol remarked. I knew exactly what she was saying. Bayani was quite the catch.
A minute later Bayani arrived back at the table carrying a bottle of expensive wine and a covered tray.
“My specialty: Wild Rice- Stuffed Squash. I made it this morning before heading here. I hope you’ll both like it.” A man who cooks? Did I die and go to heaven?
“Thank you, dear. Now do sit and tell us why you’re not with your own family on this special holiday,” Marisol demanded, in a nice way of course.
“Well, my family isn’t here. Half of them live in London and my parents decided to immigrate to Australia last year. So it’s just me left in good ol’ San Fran now. My younger brother moved to New York a few months ago, otherwise I would have had to incorporate him in somehow.”
“Well, no matter what your circumstances are, we’re glad you’re here. Aren’t we, Autumn?”
“We are,” I said. “We definitely are.” I made sure to grab his hand and squeeze it under the table. I was so happy at that very moment that I could have screamed.
“Now, let’s eat!”
After we were stuffed like the bird we just devoured, Marisol sent Bayani out to deliver the remainder of the food to the local homeless shelter. She then told her butler to take the night off and asked me to help her with the dishes. As we stood at the sink in the cavernous kitchen, Marisol said she had something to tell me that she didn’t want Bayani or Bernard to overhear.
“I wanted to say that your grandfather wanted me to tell you that your grandmother and he had a quiet Thanksgiving in heaven. He said the food isn’t as good and they can’t really get satisfied by a good meal like they could when they were here but they’re hanging in there and they’re doing it together.” I didn’t know what to say to that so I just continued washing the dishes, watching the soapy water spiral down the drain.
“Also, I want
ed to make it clear that even though I invited you to learn about being a Flapper, I can’t really transport you back to that era. I’m not a magician. I can only teach you what I know by telling you what it was like for me. But, Autumn, don’t take on the persona of the era too much. If you don’t like your bob haircut, then change it. Go back to your wild curls. Or keep your bob but forgo the straight style. Don’t feel like you have to be something you’re not,” she said, touching my cheek as if remembering something from long ago.
The sound of a man clearing his throat scared us both and we jumped guiltily.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting. I just got back .The shelter was overjoyed with our delivery. They were especially pleased with the Wild Rice- Stuffed Squash, if I do say so myself,” Bayani said smiling.
Hopefully he hadn’t heard too much of our conversation or he’d be wondering just how sane Marisol and I really were. I hoped I could tell him someday but until then I’d rather keep it all to myself.
After the clearing up was done, we sat by the fire again and drank some more wine. By the end of the night we were all a bit tipsy and as Marisol pointed out “to sloshed to drive – or walk” anywhere so she offered us a room upstairs. I didn’t know how to break it to her that Bayani and I had not yet slept together.
“I’ll stay on this lovely couch, Marisol, if you don’t mind,” he said, obviously thinking the same thing as me.
“I’ll have none of it! You two can share a room. You’re both adults in a relationship. If you don’t want to have relations, then don’t but at least get a good night’s sleep.”
The thought of sharing a bed with Bayani made me all hot and bothered. I wanted to run my hands all over his body but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. We hadn’t been together too long and I didn’t like to make a habit of sleeping with a man before I had been with him for at least four months. Often, I didn’t sleep with them at all until I knew they were fully committed. If you’re looking for a way to end a relationship, that’s your answer. Tell a man you won’t sleep with him until he proposes and he’ll be out of your hair in minutes leaving behind his dirty socks and old CD’s.
“Good night, my dears. Thanks for a lovely and quite eventful evening,” Marisol said, before getting up and heading to her bedroom. Bayani and I looked at each other and then began to climb the stairs to our bedroom – even the word “our” sounded weird to me! – which was on the left hand side of the 2 floor.
“Autumn, I can stay down here on the couch, I don’t mind really.”
“No, you heard the old lady. You’ll stay with me. Unless you don’t want to of course,” I said, suddenly not so sure where we stood.
“Of course I do, but I don’t know if it’s what you want. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. Well, I’ll try to. I shouldn’t really make any promises when it comes to that…” I blushed at such silly talk and opened the bedroom door. I was taken aback by how large the room was and by the appealing four-poster bed sitting in the middle of the room draped with lilac colored sheets and big fluffy pillows. It looked cozy and great for a long nap…or other things. Bayani was right behind me but I couldn’t look at him. Instead I headed to the en suite to get ready for bed. Locking the door, I took a nice long bath in the claw-foot bathtub and surrounded myself with the scents of lemongrass and lavender that were wafting from the candles on the side. I let my mind relax for a few minutes and before I knew it, Bayani was knocking on the door.
“You OK?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just getting ready for bed…”
“OK. I thought you were avoiding me. You know I don’t mind sleeping downstairs…Just tell me and I’ll go.”
Obviously he didn’t get that I really wanted him here with me tonight.
“It’s not a problem, just stay put. I’ll be out in a minute,” I said, brushing away the soap bubbles that had crept up over my chin. I emerged from the tub and grabbed my favorite pair of cartoon character pajamas that I had left at Marisol’s on a prior overnight visit. How they miraculously appeared in this room was beyond me. I thought the better of it though, before putting them on. I was 28-years-old and about to go to bed with the man of my dreams. Should I really be wearing SpongeBob Squarepants pajamas with feet? That would definitely make it seem like I didn’t want him to touch me. And that wasn’t the case at all. Instead I chose a t-shirt I found in a drawer for guests. It barely covered my bottom but thank God I was wearing normal underwear for once. I had a tendency to wear silly panties with words like “Diva” or “Spoiled” on them when I was home. Those would definitely send Bayani the wrong message!
I stepped out into the room and saw that Bayani was already in bed. I wasn’t sure if he was sleeping or not so I went over to my side and crawled in beside him. As I did so, I saw his eyes flutter open and look at me. I couldn’t take the tension in the air so I quickly got under the covers and turned to face him.
“Hi,” he said, sleepily.
“Hi,” I replied, somewhat breathlessly. We just stood there for a few moments, lying in bed together for the first time, before he made the first move and traced my cheek with the back of his finger. It felt so good that I couldn’t help but close my eyes and succumb to the sensation. When his lips were on mine a moment later, I felt at home. He gently parted my lips with his tongue and kissed me deeply and passionately. His hands gently moved down to my waist and then back up to my shoulders, not knowing how far they were allowed to go. We stood there for a while like that, just kissing and exploring the contours of each other’s bodies before I pulled away. As much as I loved what was happening, I couldn’t help but feel that it was all too sudden. I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I was a prude, but thank heavens he noticed the torn look in my eyes and took charge.
“Goodnight, Cupcake,” he said, tapping my nose with his finger in a playful manner. He then turned over and shut out the night light. I could tell by the rise and fall of his chest that he was out within minutes but I lay awake for hours thinking about what had just happened and how wonderfully exciting it all was.
I eventually must have drifted off and turned over because when I woke up the following morning, I felt the weight of Bayani’s hand on my stomach and could feel the warmth of his body behind me. I let myself lay there for a while, enjoying the moment of peace and serenity, before removing his hand – gently so as not to wake him – and heading to the en suite to get dressed and brush my teeth. Nothing was worse than greeting a new (potential) lover with nasty morning breath, I thought.
When I walked back into the bedroom, I saw the most glorious sight: A shirtless and very buff Bayani stretching. As he put his hands above his head and closed his eyes, the muscles in his stomach tightened and his lean physique looked better than any man I had ever seen. Even Channing Tatum’s ripped torso in Magic Mike couldn’t compare. I couldn’t look away fast enough so Bayani caught me staring. He smiled a lazy smile, walked over and kissed my forehead and then asked me what my plans were for the day.
When I told him I didn’t have any, he asked if I’d like to go shopping with him. In my romantic haze I had completely forgotten that it was Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. I agreed to go but said that I needed to go home and change first to which Bayani replied that I looked “beautiful as I was.” Can I get a collective “awww” for that? He’s seriously so amazing that I just want to hug him and kiss him and well, you get the picture.
After we said our goodbye’s to Marisol and decided to leave Clara where she was -- in her sleep number bed looking extremely pleased with herself – we headed off for the shops. I wasn’t sure if it was as crazy here as it was back home on Black Friday but if those lines were anything to go by, we’d be waiting for hours.
We were walking down the street, hand in hand, when my phone beeped with an incoming text. I checked it, worried that it was something to do with Clara or Marisol (I left my number with Bernard just in case something happened) but was sur
prised to see it was from Jeanette.
“Call me ASAP. 911. Emergency.”
Without another thought I dialed her number but deep down I already knew what the emergency was. Here we go, I thought. The backlash begins.
I was kind of pissed that I couldn’t even enjoy Black Friday. While I watched all of the other shoppers scurry about, I had to spend my time on the phone deflecting a missile that I knew had already been launched in my direction. Sophia O’Hara was on the warpath, it seemed, and her target was me.
“Oh. My. God. Autumn, what did you do?” Jeanette exclaimed when I called her from a Starbucks near my house. I had to tell Bayani that something had come up and that he needed to go on without me today even though I’d much rather be with him than on the phone discussing this bullshit. Because that’s what it was, you know. A total and complete bunch of time-wasting rubbish. I didn’t do anything to Sophie, yet she was already making my life a living hell less than 24 hours after she found out I was with Bayani.
“I guess that Sophia called Lena, who called Giselle, who called Mandy, who called me to say that Sophia was distraught over what you had done to her. When Lena suggested she fire you, Soph scoffed at the idea and said that she was “above revenge” and wouldn’t sacrifice a good working relationship over something that happened outside of the office. She wouldn’t even tell anyone what happened but by the sounds of it it’s pretty bad. So would you like to tell me your side of the story or would you rather I take a wild guess?”
See, I told you word spread fast around the office. It spread especially fast when the Queen Bitch was your boss and everyone wanted to please her to save their own tush.