Cuffing Season

by Danielle Allen

  “I must’ve clenched my fists too tight.” I watched his thumbs sweep over my skin and tears pricked my eyes. There was so much on the line, and I was just tired. “I swear I didn’t say anything.” My voice cracked and because he still had my hands, I couldn’t even hide my face.

  “Hey,” he softly called to me, forcing me to look up at him. “I believe you. Just tell me what they said about us working together.”

  “I’ve known Kate for the last couple of years. She knows me, and she knows I’m not shady. Just now after class, she asked me if the rumors about us were true. And I didn’t know what she was talking about. And she said that she understood why you would be interested, but she wondered how we met. I told her that someone introduced us. And then she told me not to worry about what people say and that they’re jealous.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “So, she didn’t actually say anything about you being my muse or anything about my upcoming project?”

  “I…guess not specifically. But that’s the only thing that makes sense.” I closed my eyes and exhaled. “If you need to select someone else, I understand. But…”

  “But what?” His voice was soft and his accent, thick.

  I let my lashes flutter open and realized how close we were. “But I don’t want you to pick someone else.”

  He stared into my eyes and when his gaze dropped to my lips, my belly flipped.

  Clearing his throat, Luca took a step back and let my hands go. “Serena, I don’t like for people to know who or what my subject is before I shoot it because of creative reasons. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re perfect for this project. There’s no one else for it, so don’t worry about that.”

  Letting out a sigh of relief, I murmured, “Thank you.”

  Even though I was relieved to hear he still wanted to photograph me, I was equally concerned with being suspended and any negative blowback Luca could receive. I didn’t want our careers being negatively impacted.

  He leaned against his desk. “You’re welcome. But I’m going to help you with your promo shots, right? So, we’re even and you don’t have to keep thanking me.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled appreciatively. I hesitated before adding, “I’m also worried about what the school will say.”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “We were introduced by a former student of my seminar and I called you. That’s the truth, and that’s all they need to know.”

  “Thank you.” I nodded, trying to hold back the tears of relief. He was taking everything in stride. I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction. “Is there anything you want me to do about the rumors? Do you want me to deny it? Do you want—?

  “Hey, Luca,” a woman entered the room without knocking. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember her name. I assumed we’d had a class together at some point. If she recognized me, she didn’t let on as she kept her eyes on Luca. “Oh… I thought you were alone.”

  “No, we’re in a meeting.”

  “A meeting,” she giggled, but her eyes narrowed. “I bet.”

  “Yes. A meeting, Ana.” Pushing himself off the desk, he gave her a look. “How can I help you?”

  “Oh, Luca…” She dragged his name out in a saccharine sweet voice. “I came here to ask you if you meant what you said a few weeks ago because from what I’ve been hearing…”

  I felt my eyebrow quirk slightly as I glanced at Luca. Is this one of the students he slept with?

  Luca scrubbed his face with his hands. “What are you doing?”

  “No, what are you doing? And with her!” Snapping her head in my direction, she looked at me and grimaced. “Serena, I guess the rumors are true.”

  Surprised to be addressed so rudely, I scoffed, “What?”

  She didn’t respond to me. Instead, she stared at Luca. “You said you weren’t interested in dating a student, so I came to ask you about what I’d heard, and…” She shook her head and gestured to us. “And here you are. You better be careful with this one, Luca.”

  I was confused to the point that it was almost comical.

  Luca looked irritated by the interruption. “It’s time for you to go.”

  “Everyone loves Serena Brooks. And I do mean everyone,” she sneered. “I always figured there was a catch to her popularity. I didn’t guess that it was because she’s a slut. But it makes sense.”

  “What?” I screeched, doing a double take.

  “That’s enough,” Luca commanded roughly. “You need to go, Ana. You’re out of line.”

  “You’re out of line! You’re here with this slut doing God knows what,” she spat.

  “Don’t say that again,” he warned, clearly agitated.

  She looked pleased that she’d gotten under his skin. “Don’t like hearing the truth about your girl? Well, here’s something you might not know. She’s fucking you to help her career. Just like she fucked the others.” She looked directly at me. “You’re just running through all the successful men of Hamilton University. Social climbing one dick at a time.”

  I didn’t get a chance to respond because Luca was already halfway across the room, pointing for her to leave. “Leave. Now.”

  “Ask her about Trey, Jeremiah, Peter, and Marcus. Oh! And can’t forget Corey.”

  “What about them?” I questioned with a laugh.

  My amusement must’ve angered her as she yelled, “You fucked them to get what you want just like you’re doing with Luca!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Are you crazy?”

  “See, Luca, she can’t deny it because she knows it’s true. She knows she slept with them,” she taunted.

  Them? No. One of them? Yes.

  Trey and Jeremiah were on the football team, and we posed for some provocative photos together for a grad student’s lingerie line during my junior year. People assumed things happened on the shoot. I flat out denied it, but I always suspected the designers started that rumor, and Trey and Jeremiah never denied it in order to keep people wondering. The footballers graduated that year and went on to play professionally. The pictures resurfaced after Trey had a huge rookie season, reigniting the speculation. By that time, I realized people were going to believe what they wanted to believe.

  Peter and I openly flirted two semesters ago when we met at an investment event being held on campus. We ended up making out one night at a fraternity party. It never went any further than that, but everyone assumed it did since we spent hours at that party talking and kissing. It wasn’t until after our make-out session that I learned that his dad was one of the biggest investment bankers on the east coast and Peter was primed to take over the company one day. It was a flirtatious night that ended in a difference of opinion and a peaceful parting of ways.

  Corey was cool and seemed to do well in the classes we had together. We had a friendly relationship, but I wasn’t interested in anything romantic or sexual. Because I wasn’t attracted or interested, he seemed to want me even more.

  And then there’s Marcus.

  Marcus and I fucked. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he wore me out. The whole night was just nonstop fun, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Until I found out about his girlfriend, I was considering another night together after the fashion show.

  But I didn’t owe her an explanation.

  None of that made me a slut. I didn’t know where she was getting her information, but I wasn’t going to dignify her allegations with a response. I’d been with a handful of men, but most of the men she named weren’t part of my sexual history. But even if they had been, that didn’t make me a slut.

  “Are you a whore?” She cackled like a lunatic as Luca ushered her out of the room. “It just makes me mad that Luca would give someone with your track record the time of day over someone like me. I’m a good girl!”

  Provoked, I opened my mouth to respond and then snapped it shut. I didn’t owe her or anyone else an explanation. Who I did and didn’t sleep with was no one else’s business. Only one out of the five names she dr
opped was accurate, but I realized that it wasn’t about me at all. It was about Luca. She only wanted to slut-shame me because she perceived me as a threat.

  He slammed the door behind her and then turned the lock.

  The sound vibrated through the room.

  “So… I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Kate wasn’t talking about us working together when she said everyone knows about us.” I paused, observing the way his jaw was clenched as he walked back toward his desk. “Between the blonde at dinner and the psychopath just now, I’m sensing a trend,” I joked lightly.

  Luca gave me a look before he scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “I’m just playing with you.”

  “I know,” he sighed, stopping in front of his desk, a few feet away from me.

  After a moment of silence, I took a step toward him. “You called her Ana. I take it you know her?”

  “She’s friends with one of the women I had the one-night stand with when I first got here.”

  “Ah. One of the students.”

  He looked me squarely in my eyes. “Yes.”

  Holding his gaze, I nodded. “The twenty-nine-year-old or the forty-year-old?”

  “Twenty-nine.”

  I shook my head, never breaking eye contact. “From her reaction, I would’ve thought she was the one you slept with.”

  “She was trying, but I turned her down. I honestly didn’t even know the twenty-nine-year-old was a student when I met her. Ana approached me first, but she seemed too young for me. And from the way she acted just now, I was right.”

  “You made a good call.”

  “Yeah.” He searched my eyes. “I’m sorry about what she said about you. I probably shouldn’t have asked you to meet me to discuss the project locally. I’m sure someone saw us and made assumptions.”

  “I’m sure that someone was the blonde.”

  He scoffed. “I have no doubt.”

  We were both quiet for a moment.

  “Does this happen to you often?” I asked.

  “What?’ Luca asked quietly.

  “Women throwing themselves at you and attacking any woman they think is a threat,” I clarified.

  “Honestly?”

  “Always.”

  “To my knowledge, this is the first time,” he admitted, looking as though he was stunned.

  My eyebrows shot up. “Really? Hm.”

  “What?”

  Letting my lips curl into a smile, I folded my arms over my chest. “Honestly?”

  He smirked. “Always.”

  “I’m just surprised. You’re talented, successful, sexy and that accent…” I fanned myself and bit my lip dramatically.

  The deep rumble of his laugh chased away the tension in the room. “Thanks for that.”

  “No problem,” I said with a smile. “And so we’re clear, I’m not just trying to sleep with you to help my career.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “So, it’s not just to help your career?”

  I felt my face heat as I heard what I’d said. Rolling my eyes to hide my amusement, I put my hands on my hips. “I meant, I’m not trying to use you or sleep with you.”

  “That’s not what Ana said,” he teased, folding his arms across his chest.

  “Ana’s full of shit.”

  The look he gave me shifted from amused to probing as we stood a few feet from one another. I felt the energy in the room shift as well.

  “Ask me,” I finally demanded after sixty seconds of silence.

  He inched closer. “Ask you what?”

  “Whatever questions are floating in the back of your mind thanks to Ana.” I squared my shoulders. “You answered all of my questions. If you have anything you want to ask me before we start working together, I want you to ask me.”

  He wet his lips. “Have you ever slept with someone to better your career?”

  “No,” I answered, firmly and indignantly.

  “Okay.” He held my gaze for a second longer, then turning, he walked around his desk and sat in his chair.

  “That’s all you want to know?” I asked skeptically. I figured he was going to ask me about how many people I slept with on Ana’s list.

  “You are the only person I can envision for this project. That’s the only thing that matters to me. Everything else is background noise. Now, let’s get to work, shall we?”

  Chapter Six

  I wasn’t sure if it was because Luca Romano was accepting submissions for a second section of his photography seminar or because Luca Romano was a Hamilton University celebrity, but the rumor mill was spinning out of control. By the time Friday rolled around, I couldn’t make moves on campus without someone bringing it up. Between strangers complaining and congratulating me on getting close to Luca, and classmates asking for introductions, I was exhausted.

  All the designers participating in the fashion show were given access to studios to be used as private workspaces for one week before the show. Someone moved out of theirs early so I’d picked up the keys and moved all my stuff into my space that morning.

  “You look tired,” Jessica commented as I pulled my sunglasses off and dropped my oversized bag on the table.

  “It’s been a busy week,” I replied, pulling out my notebook. “Thanks for coming in early. I had an idea about the final dress.”

  “Really?” Her voice had a hint of concern. “The dress is perfect. You really have outdone yourself.”

  “I had a dream last night and—well, you’ll see. I just need to know if these shoes fit you.” I handed her the shoes, and she followed me to the rack on the other side of the room.

  Taking the last bag off the rack, I pulled out the green dress.

  Jessica made the same cooing noise she had every time she saw it. “Thank you for choosing me to wear this, Serena.”

  The dress was short in the front and long in the back. Like most of the pieces in the collection, the plunging neckline and unique hemline were what made it really pop. It was the grand finale of my show, and after talking to Luca, it was the piece that would be featured on my marketing materials for my promotional campaign.

  I helped Jessica into the dress. Pinning it at the waist, I repositioned where it would fall on her slimmer body. Once the dress fell the way I wanted it to, I helped her slip on the stiletto-heeled, ombre-colored shoes. It was perfect.

  “I love it. I mean, I liked the other shoes with it, but these are so much better,” she commented.

  “But let’s see how they look when you move.”

  I watched her strut to the other side of the room, pose, turn, pose, and walk back.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed, pumping my arms in the air.

  After helping her out of the dress, I placed it back on the hanger.

  “How are you holding up?” Jessica asked.

  “I’m great now. The shoes turned out exactly how I hoped they would. I had to go get them custom made, but it was worth it.”

  “That’s great! I thought you were borrowing shoes to save money.”

  I straightened the dress and slowly fit it inside the garment bag. “I am for all the other looks. But since we have the same shoe size, I’ll be keeping those for myself.”

  “Good!” She stopped, and even though my back was to her, I could hear her hesitation. “Serena… how are you for real?”

  I turned around and looked at her. “My focus is on the show. These rumors are nothing but a distraction.”

  “Yeah, but I wish there was something that you could do. They’re saying how you’re sleeping with Luca to launch your line and that you’ve slept with a bunch of men who will help you be successful ahead of graduation. What’s interesting is that there’s a lot of girls telling other girls that you are doing things right because you’re only sleeping with men who can help your career. And then you know how guys can be. But it doesn’t make any sense why everyone is so concerned with who you’re fucking.”

  Flashing back to an angry
Ana, I shook my head. “Because the men they’re saying I’ve slept with have achieved some sort of success, so now; all of a sudden, I’m a gold-digger, a clout chaser, a social climber, an inspiration, a success story, and a role model. I overheard two people arguing over if I was a whore or not since it seemed that I only fucked dudes with money or fame. They settled on me being a slut because whore was harsh, and they heard I was nice.”

  “Wow.” Her eyes were big and watery. “I’m sorry that they said that, but even more sorry that you had to overhear it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “A lot of them are jealous.”

  “I know. But they are jealous of relationships that never existed.” I shook my head. “It’s insane.”

  “Maybe once Luca Romano isn’t on campus anymore, everything will die down.”

  “This shouldn’t even be a thing. Technically, he’s been on campus for six weeks, and because one obsessed fan sees me with him for a business dinner, she spreads a rumor that piggybacks on old rumors.” I snapped my fingers. “And just like that—a shitstorm.”

  “You should put out a statement saying that you didn’t sleep with any of them, and they need to chill the fuck out.”

  “But that’s the thing… I’m more frustrated by the fact that they are saying that I’m trying to sleep my way to the top. It’s so not even like that.” I put my hands on my hips. “When I make it to the top, it’s going to be because I worked my ass off and not because I slept with some man.”

  “I know that’s right!” Jessica walked over to give me a high-five, and then she slung her slim arm around my shoulders. “You are such an inspiration.” She bumped me with her hip. “And not just because everyone thinks you’re fucking two NFL players, a future NBA player, and a famous photographer. You’re an inspiration because you’re a badass.”

  I let out a rueful laugh. “Thanks.”

  We left the workspace and headed downstairs with boxes of shoes. As we approached the auditorium where the catwalk was installed, all the models were already there. I went over the upcoming week, the rehearsals, final fittings, and then I had them all put on their shoes so they could walk the runway in them to make sure they were comfortable. After we spent twenty minutes on walking and I was just about to conclude the brief meeting, I heard a giggle and a squeal. I didn’t know what was going on until I heard the auditorium door shut loudly.