September Storm

by Brenda Jernigan

  She didn’t think so.

  Dani opened the closet and scanned her wardrobe. The radio had forecast the high to be seventy-five degrees today, so she'd stay away from her fall clothes and stick to a cooler dress. She picked out a sunrise-orange, sundress hoping that the brighter color would make her feel cheerful. She finished brushing her hair and added a touch of spray. Finally, when she could find no more excuses to delay, she left for work.

  This morning she decided to walk to work, so she took The River Walk, one level below the busy streets of San Antonio, twisting and turning though the colorful tourist area. It always reminded her of another world, with its cobblestone walkways and lush green foliage.

  She looked ahead and smiled as she spotted one of the sightseeing barges meandering up the river under the graceful cottonwood trees. The tour boats were just getting started, and her favorite guide, Lopez, raised his hand in a wave when he saw her.

  "How's the fair and beautiful Danielle this morning?" Lopez called as he glided his boat along the river.

  "Not bad."

  "Then why the sad face? Come take a ride with me, Senorita." He grinned. "And we'll forget about today. We'll forget about tomorrow, too."

  "Don't tempt me, Lopez." Dani laughed. "Somebody has to pay the bills." Now she remembered why she had a routine--to pay the bills. "Gotta get back to the real world. Have a good day."

  "You break my heart again," Lopez called after her, placing his hand over his chest as though he’d been wounded.

  Dani laughed. The flirting wordplay had been enough to brighten her spirits. She hurried down along the shopping area and past the brick convention center to where her office was located.

  In front of the glass door marked Coffee Advertising, she took a deep breath before tugging the door open.

  It was time to see Steven.

  Kim, the receptionist, looked up and smiled. "We were beginning to worry about you."

  "Thanks,” Dani said, forcing a smile. “As you can see, I'm fine." She picked up her mail off the counter and started to sort through it as she headed for her office.

  "What happened to your head?" Kim called after her.

  "I was in a hurricane," Dani said in a half-laugh. “I had a run-in with a sheet of plywood.”

  "Yeah, right, Dani." Kim gave her an I-don't-believe-you-frown then turned back to her computer.

  Danielle chuckled, feeling much better now that she was actually at work. She had no doubt that no one would believe the story of her brush with death. And for the first time, she realized how truly lucky she and Adrian had been.

  She closed her office door, and let out the breath she'd been holding. Maybe the day wouldn't turn out so bad. After all, she really did like her job. In fact, she loved advertising and hoped one day to have her own agency. There was no question that she had talent, for she'd been instrumental in bringing several new accounts into the agency.

  When she had her own agency, she would finally be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her brother and sister. Maybe then they wouldn't laugh at her and tell her how naive she was. Growing up, they had teased her so much that, to this day, she felt stupid when around them.

  She vowed that someday they'd look at her differently.

  She'd been working half the morning finishing up some designs for her newest customer, The Susie Q. It was a high-end designer clothing store, and Dani had enjoyed seeing all the new fall clothes she was working into their ad. Many of her clients had become good friends and, thanks to word of mouth, her client list was growing.

  Now all she needed was a big account to ice the cake. If she could find out who was building the new amphitheater in town, she'd have it made.

  "I'm glad to see you could make it today." John Coffee stood in the doorway, gazing at her with a disapproving look. But then, when didn't he have that smirk on his face? She wondered if Steven would be like him when he grew up.

  "I couldn't call." She laid her pen on the desktop and leaned back in her chair. "There were no phones."

  "So where were you?"

  "You know perfectly well that I was supposed to meet Steven on Sea Horse Island for the weekend. I told you that before I left."

  "Really?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb. "So why did my son show up yesterday and you didn't?"

  She wasn't going to sit here and take the man's condescending tone when none of what happened had been her fault. "Why don't you ask your son? He was the one who stood me up."

  "Ask me what?" Steven poked his head in the door.

  Dani turned to stone. The object of her affection had finally made an appearance. Once upon a time, she'd dreamed of running to Steven and throwing her arms around his neck, but now that he stood before her, she couldn't move.

  He hadn't changed much except his tan was a little deeper and the sun had bleached the front of his brown hair.

  He pushed past his father and sauntered around her desk. "Is this any way to greet me?" He reached down and pulled her up, trying to enfold her within his arms.

  She stiffened and pulled away to really look at him. Completely disoriented, she felt as if she were moving through a fog; her body was here and she stood somewhere else. Her office door clicked as Mr. Coffee left. At least they were now alone.

  Steven was one of those men that women spotted across the room. His green eyes sparkled, and everything on him was neat as a pin as if he'd just stepped out of GQ Magazine. Maybe that's why she had felt so lucky to be Steven's girlfriend. It was like he was the Madison Avenue version of a real man. But, after last weekend, that didn't mean as much as it once had. She didn't want a trophy. She wanted a man.

  A real man.

  Like Adrian.

  Where Steven was preppie, Adrian was rugged and strong. Steven’s college boy looks paled in comparison to Adrian’s no-nonsense demeanor. And, Dani was just now realizing she felt completely different when she was with the two men. With a mixture of dread and anticipation, she met Steven's steady gaze. He took it as an invitation to kiss her and leaned in. "I'd forgotten how beautiful you are, Dani."

  His embrace tightened while his warm mouth moved over hers. The kiss was passionate, soft, but she wasn’t interested. She tried to relax and enjoy the moment and revisit her original longing, her attraction for him, but she couldn't.

  She felt absolutely empty. She couldn't believe that after all those years of wanting Steven, and now there was nothing. Was she one of those sick people who wanted something so badly that once they had it, they lost interest?

  Pulling back, Steven smiled, evidently not noticing any difference in her. "I've missed you."

  She needed to put some distance between them, so she took a step back. He had said all the right words, and now he grinned at her in that boyish way of his. But it wasn’t working.

  "So much so that you didn't bother to show up at the beach house?" Dani challenged. She wondered what excuse he'd give her this time.

  "Didn't you get my note?"

  "Yes, I got it after I was already there. Just exactly what was the something that came up?"

  Steven looked at his watch then caressed her chin in a playful gesture. He did not look her in the eyes. "Listen, I've got to help Dad. We'll talk about this tonight at dinner."

  Smooth, she thought, just like always, and it was obvious that he was hiding something. "We're going out?"

  "I thought we would. I don't have any other plans."

  She felt the color rise in her cheeks. "How nice of you to fit me into your schedule," she replied coldly. “Perhaps I had plans of my own.”

  "What's the matter with you?" He hugged her to him, but Dani stood stiffly in his embrace. "This isn't like you, Dani."

  It is now, she wanted to say.

  She didn't bother to lift her arms. "Like you said ... we'll talk about it at dinner."

  After the door shut, she sank down in her chair. Steven was right. This wasn't the way she normally acted.

  What was wrong with
her?

  And what did she want?

  Since she didn't have an answer, Dani went back to work on her final proofs of the layout, but her mind kept going to Steven. In the past, she had always hung on every word he said, and made excuses for his thoughtlessness. This time instead of being the understanding girlfriend, she found herself irritated at being stood up. After all, didn't she have some rights too?

  She wanted answers. And that darling smile wasn't going to help him this time. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened this past weekend, but she was glad it had.

  She just knew that somehow she was different.

  Adrian walked briskly through the San Antonio Airport, cringing inwardly as the gentleman walking toward him raised a brow and smirked. A woman following him quickly covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

  Adrian couldn't blame the couple. He probably looked pretty stupid carrying a purse under his right arm.

  For the hundredth time, he'd asked himself why he hadn't just mailed the damn thing, but the answer always came back the same. He felt responsible for Dani. After all, he'd saved her life, and the old Chinese saying said her life now belonged to him, so he had to make sure she was doing well.

  Since he left his luggage on his private jet, he went straight to the curb outside the baggage claim area. The place was a hive of activity with passengers loading and unloading their cars, impatient horns honking, and the hum of people talking.

  Forgetting Dani's purse for the moment, he threw up his hand to hail a cab and had to make a lunging catch as the purse dropped toward the ground.

  "Shit!" He'd be damned glad to get rid of this thing. He roughly shoved the bag back under his arm.

  A dull yellow cab whipped in beside the curb and stopped. The driver got out, a loud red and yellow floral shirt whipping in the breeze. Adrian met the driver just as he stepped up on the sidewalk.

  "Any other bags besides your purse, Mac?"

  "I'd watch what you say if you're planning on getting a tip."

  The driver smiled and nodded. "Where to?"

  Adrian gave the name of the first hotel that came to mind. “Holiday Inn on the River Walk."

  He had first thought to go to Danielle's apartment, give her the bag, then hop on a plane for home. "What's the time?"

  "Rush hour. Five o'clock."

  It was really too late to fly back to New York today. Besides, he wanted a good hot shower and a change of clothes. And not something out of the beach store.

  Glancing down at his jeans, Adrian realized he'd worn them for a couple of days. He would stop at the nearest department store and purchase a few things. He definitely needed to do something before he checked in to a hotel.

  The taxi whipped into the drive of the plush hotel. Adrian gripped the door handle and shoved it open. "Wait here. I need to check in, and then I want you to take me to the nearest department store."

  The driver grinned. "If you're going shopping, you'll be needin' your purse." Adrian chuckled at the wisecracking cab driver. He could almost fit into the New York crowd, honking horns, swearing.

  In no time, Adrian had taken a top-floor suite overlooking the river. He moved out onto the balcony and appraised the view. He glanced around the room, deposited the handbag, and headed back to the cab.

  "Where's the nearest mall?"

  "Rivercenter Mall."

  "Get me there in short order, and there's an extra fifty in your tip."

  The cabby squealed his tires as he pulled out of the parking lot then merged into the traffic. Adrian could see the driver's eyes watching him in the mirror.

  “What are you looking at?” Adrian challenged sourly.

  The driver cleared his throat. "Just wondering about the bag. You don't really look the type."

  Adrian laughed at that comment. "Did you hear about hurricane Felix?"

  Yeah, who didn’t? It was a real humdinger."

  "Well, I had the misfortune of being in the middle of the thing and the purse was one of the few items that survived. I've come here to return it to its owner."

  "That makes sense."

  "Was that the Alamo we just passed?" Adrian turned to look back at the bleached white building.

  "Sure was. This must be your first time to San Antonio. Old Davey Crockett, himself, went down there," the cabby said just as he slammed on brakes and brought the cab to a screeching halt. Here we are. You want me to wait?"

  Adrian forked out the cab fare, then held up a hundred-dollar bill. "Give me forty-five minutes then pick me up right here."

  "You got it, Mac. I'm beginning to like you."

  Dani wasn't sure she'd accomplished anything at work other than shuffling a big stack of papers. When she shut her eyes, a handsome suntanned face popped into her view. And it wasn’t Steven. She remembered all too well the way Adrian looked when she'd left him, and her heart twisted. She just couldn’t keep her mind on the work at hand. Finally the day was over. It had been long and drawn out, and she was glad when quitting time finally rolled around.

  She hurried home to get dressed for her dinner date.

  "What to wear?" Wasn't that every woman's question? She decided on a hot-pink jacket over a navy blue silk dress. The dress would be feminine and the jacket a bit more serious since she couldn't decide what mood she was in. Why she was dressing for Steven, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because she needed the security of looking her best when she told him it was over.

  The doorbell rang. Dani jumped, dropping her hairbrush. It clattered to the tile floor. She hadn't realized how nervous she was, but evidently the state of her life bothered her more than a little. She had to get a grip.

  She went to answer the doorbell and sure enough, a smiling Steven stood on the other side.

  "Hello gorgeous." From any other man, it would have been flattering, but coming from Steven it sounded like a line. He pulled her into his arms. "I'd forgotten how the sight of you excites me," he said, his voice husky, before he captured her mouth in a kiss.

  "Was I that easy to forget?" Dani wrapped her arms around his neck trying to remember how wonderful she had once felt when he held her. His lips were hard, demanding and ... she felt nothing! It was gone. That special feeling Steven had once produced had vanished.

  "Not likely," he murmured and pulled away. "I can't wait to make love to you. We'd better stop this before we forget about dinner all together."

  "Hardly." The man had some ego. "I've not eaten much since yesterday, and I'm two quarts low on food." She noticed her comment hadn't fazed Steven one bit. He was always so sure of himself ... always the center of attention.

  "How about Rio Rio Cantina?” Steven suggested. “It's your favorite Mexican restaurant."

  "Sounds good. We can sit outside and watch the river.”

  They strolled along the cobblestone walkway, making small talk about the weather. Dani had always felt comfortable with Steven . . . but that feeling had left her. One of them had changed, she told herself again. And it wasn't Steven.

  After they ordered dinner, Dani handed the waitress the menus. It was time for answers. She'd waited long enough.

  Once Adrian had finished at the store, he returned to the hotel. He realized his Vice President probably wondered why he hadn’t called. Either that, or Marty, thinking he had been killed in the hurricane, was celebrating full control of the company.

  Quickly, Adrian punched the numbers, regretting that he’d lost his cell phone during the storm. "Hi, Marty."

  "Where the hell have you been?"

  Adrian couldn't resist a little teasing. "At the beach, of course."

  "Don't give me that bullshit! I saw the hurricane in the news. I've been working my ass off in your absence, I might add. Now, where were you?"

  "In the middle of the hurricane."

  "No shit!" Marty's voice calmed down a notch. "We thought you'd left the island."

  "Afraid not. I hadn't been listening to the news, so I had no idea Hurricane Felix had turned. And by the time I
did, it was too late. Hell, I thought the storm was still down in Florida tearing up their coastline."

  "Sorry about your birthday present. We cancelled her at the last minute with the hurricane reports, but I guess that was the least of your worries."

  "No problem. I had a very interesting birthday with a surprise you wouldn't believe."

  "Like what?"

  "Let’s just say I had a better time without your little present. I'll fill you in when I get home."

  Adrian smiled as he put the phone down. Marty would never guess what had really happened. Adrian wasn't too sure he believed the last few days.

  He showered, then dressed in the black silk shirt and charcoal pinstriped slacks he'd purchased at the mall.

  After checking Dani's address, he decided that would be the first place he'd go, but this time he'd leave her purse here. After he found her, they could come back and get it. He had definitely had enough of the purse jokes.

  It only took a few minutes to get to her place. He liked Dani's Spanish-looking apartment. Walking up a flight of stairs, he eyed two doors before spotting her number to the left. He pressed the doorbell button and waited. When there wasn't any answer, he knocked. Evidently, she wasn't home, and he wasn't going to wait like a puppy on the doorsteps for her return. Maybe, he'd grab a bite to eat.

  He had just started back to the stairs when the other apartment door swung open.

  "I thought I heard someone out here. Are you looking for Dani?"

  "Yes, I am. I don't suppose you know where she is?"

  The woman moved over to him and held out her hand. She was cute with short, sandy-blond hair that barely came to her chin. She glanced up at him with big, brown eyes.

  "I'm Susan Cross. Dani's best friend. And you are?"

  Adrian chuckled. Smart lady. No information until she knew who was asking. However, she wouldn't recognize his name. "I'm Adrian Massimino--"

  "You're the one!" She shook his hand like he was her long lost friend.

  Adrian arched a brow. "I take it she's mentioned me."

  "Kinda. I can't believe you two went through a hurricane together."