Autumn and Summer (7 page)

             
“Yeah, okay,” I said as I marched over to the closet. Everything was black. A few items combined black and white and an even fewer number of items combined black with another color. But for the most part, it was all black. “Hmmmm…what color should you wear?” I jokingly mused to myself.

             
“Ha, ha,” Summer countered dryly.

             
“No but seriously, I am looking forward to putting you in something of mine…something colorful.” I searched through the row of clothing until my eyes landed on one of only three dresses. It was sexy and elegant.
Perfect for a gallery reception date,
I thought as I pulled the dress off of the hanger.  I eyed the cream and black lace dress and a smile swept over my face.

             
“Oh no!” Summer said from behind me.

             
“Oh yes!” I nodded. “For where he’s taking you, it’s perfect. Promise,” I mimicked her wink as I quoted her words.

             
“Touché,” she conceded, flopping down on her bed.

             
Hanging the dress on the back of the closet door, I brushed my hands together and smiled. “My job here is done. You are going to look fabulous. But I don’t want you to have bags under your eyes so I’m going to let you get some rest.” Leaning against the wall closest to the door, I cocked my head to the side. “Summer, before I go. You are smart, beautiful, outgoing, fun, talented, a little crass, but amazing. Don’t let what happened to your parents—”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Summer interrupted sharply.
She immediately started biting her thumb nail. It was a nervous habit and a giveaway that she was in deep thought.

“I know,” I acknowledged, recognizing I was treading on a touchy subject with her. “As your best friend, I’m just saying d
on’t close yourself off to love or the existence of it just because you haven’t experienced it yet.”

             
Summer smiled, but sadness filled her eyes. “I believe in love. I love you. I love my family. I love photography. I love what I do for a living. I just don’t believe in the fairytale. I don’t believe there is a Prince Charming…for me.”

             
“Just wait, Summer. It’s going to happen. And when it does, he is going to change your world and your mind is going to be blown.”

             
“You are such a romantic,” Summer sighed wistfully. “I love that about you, you know that?”

             
I pushed myself off of the wall and crossed my arms across my chest. “You are so evasive. But I love you, despite that.”

             
“Evasive? Me? Never!” Summer jokingly scoffed as she walked to the dresser beside me to pull out something to sleep in. “I just love how optimistic and romantic you are when it comes to men and relationships. It compliments how pessimistic and unromantic I am.” Closing the drawer with her hip, she smirked.

             
“Oh, really?”

             
“Yes, really.”

             
“Hmmm… well, the way you described your elevator exchange with Mr. Ford didn’t sound pessimistic or unromantic,” I replied with a wink, backing out of her bedroom.

             
“I’m never telling you anything! You are evil!” she screamed with a laugh.

             
“No, I’m a romantic,” I called over my shoulder as I exited the room. “Goodnight!”

             
“Goodnight,” she laughed.

             
As soon as I walked into my room, my eyes landed on the dress. The slip dress was so simple in design, but complicated in meaning. I sat down on the bed and picked it up.

             
One day, a man will come along and sweep me off of my feet. And I won’t need this dress as a reminder of what it was like to be head over heels for someone. I will be actively living in that feeling. And it’ll actually be true love because he won’t just have my heart, but I’ll have his as well,
I thought as I stood to put the dress away.

Even though I felt ready to let it go, I still hung it in the closet.

**********

              “You’re welcome. You were a pleasure to shoot,” I said as I put my camera equipment in the backseat. I turned back around and looked at Jordan. He was really cute with his dark curly hair and green eyes.
Perfect for Autumn,
I thought as soon as I walked into his office and saw the brown, cream and gold interior.

“So…”
Jordan started. He looked uncomfortable as he opened my car door for me. “Are you sure it’s okay to call Autumn? I’m going to be honest. This sounds…” His sentence trailed off as he lifted his shoulders in confusion.

“
Like I said before, we are setting each other up on blind dates. You have all the qualities she looks for in a guy. And I know you’re her type.”

“Well
, she sounds awesome and that picture you showed me…yeah, she’s definitely my type. I just don’t usually do blind dates. Especially not like this. And I haven’t been on a date in like two years.”

Explaining this to each of the guy
s is going to get easier and easier because if Jordan is any indication, I’ll be explaining it repeatedly,
I realized as I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.
But it’s worth it because this guy would really be a good match for Autumn.

“
I can tell you’re nervous about this. Don’t be. This won’t be a blind date because I showed you her picture. The hard part is over.  You already know you want to take her to the restaurant and to come here. We’ve been keeping our weekend schedules pretty free so the time and day should be fine. If anything changes though, just call her and let her know. But I’m going to give her the exact time you want her to meet you and the address. All you have to do is show up and be yourself. But even though you’ll have her number, under no circumstances are you to give her your real name. You can be…” I eyed him thoughtfully before I continued, “James Franco.”

“
James Franco? Why?” He scratched his full curly hair.

“The eyes, the hair, the smile. Yep. James Franco is your alias,”
I stated matter-of-factly.

Jordan chuckled,
“I’ve never heard that before.”

“You’re totally giving me a Franco vibe. The curly hair, the bedroom eyes, the smile. She’s going to be all over this,” I said
, waving my hand in his general face area.

“Well
, that’s good to hear,” Jordan laughed.

I got in the car and he shut the door for me.
Autumn is going to eat this gentlemanly shit up,
I thought with a smile. Rolling down the window, I reassured him, “You two are going to hit it off. The date will be awesome. And what you have planned really captures why Style Magazine named you one of the area’s most eligible bachelors. You’ll be fine. But if you call her, just remember that you are Franco—no real names. And you can tell her what you do but not where you work.”

“
I got it. Thanks. And I look forward to seeing the pictures when you’re done with them. Take care.” He tapped on the roof of my car and backed away.

“Bye
, Jordan, aka Franco.” I waved and then pulled away from the curb.  Checking the time, I noticed I only had a couple of hours before my date with Mr. J, as Autumn coined him.

Hmmm Mr. J… I hope he’s tall
, dark and handsome. Like Mr. Ford,
I thought suddenly as I slowed to a stop at a red light.
Damn that Autumn! Ever since she brought up Mr. Ford before bed, I keep thinking about him. How blue his eyes were and how his stare held me hostage. How deep his voice was when it rumbled from between those perfect lips. How broad his shoulders were. How his suit fit his body perfectly.

The twenty minute drive home was consumed with thoughts of
Mr. Ford. 
No, stop this,
I commanded myself as I got out of the car.
I am going on a date with Mr. J. I need to focus on Mr. J.

Before I could open the front door
of the row house, Autumn threw the door open. Her tightly coiled hair was twisted and pinned to the side. Her makeup was impeccable. Her warm, chocolate brown eyes were lined and her lips were glossed. She was wearing the outfit I picked out with a pair of four-inch stiletto pumps.

“Auty!
You look gorgeous!” I said as I closed the door behind me.

“Are you sure it isn’t too much?” Autumn asked with her arms stretched out beside her.

“It’s not too much at all.”

“
It’s sheer!” She gestured to her top.

“Yes,” I said slowly
, nodding with my eyebrows raised. “But you can’t see anything.”

“
Okay… okay good.” Although she didn’t sound reassured, she visibly relaxed.

“What time is your taxi coming?” I asked, putting my camera bags on the table.

“Should be here in about thirty minutes.” She checked the clock on the wall. “Oh, you need to get ready! Are you taking a taxi or are you going to drive?”

“
Taxi,” I called over my shoulder as my long legs took the stairs two at a time. I stripped and hopped in the shower in record time. After showering, I walked into my room to see the nude and black lace dress on my bed and my one and only pair of sexy black stiletto heels that Autumn must have laid out while I was in the shower.

“Thanks
, Auty!” I screamed as I wiggled into a matching bra and G-string.

Brushing my hair up into a high ponytail, I wrapped it around
into a sleek ballerina bun and secured it with pins.

“Auty?! Autumn?” I yelled, cracking the door. I listened for a second and didn’t hear anything.
Hmm, she wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye. Or without making sure I was putting this dress on,
I pondered as I slipped into the dress.

After stepping into my heels, I checked myself out in the mirror.
Liking my reflection, I turned around and checked out the back view. 

“Ow, ow!” Autumn said from the door
, causing me to jump. My heart stopped as my eyes bugged out of my head.

Clutching my chest, I yelped. “Dammit Autumn!” I
whipped around to face her. “I called your name and when I didn’t hear you, I thought you’d left already.”

“You must have called w
hen I was outside.” She opened the door all the way and looked at me. “You look amazing! You need to show off those legs more often.”

“Thanks
, girl,” I beamed, looking down at my legs. The short dress with the high heels made my legs seem endless.

“Are you still getting ready? The taxi is here so do you want to just ride together?”

“Yeah, that would be great. Let me grab my purse,” I said as I picked up my clutch and haphazardly tossed my wallet, lip gloss, phone, and keys into the small bag.

Hurrying out of the house, we climbed into the backseat of the car. With moderately heavy traffic, it took tw
enty-five minutes to get to FX. Leaning over to Autumn’s side of the car, I admired the upscale building with soft lighting. The restaurant and lounge had a line of people waiting to get in and each and every one of them looked great.

“
That line is long,” Autumn mumbled, using her fingers to tease out her perfectly styled hair.

“Yes, but they must not have
reservations. Your reservation is under James,” I replied as she handed me money for her portion of the ride.

After getting out of the car, she stood
and straightened her outfit, smoothing out the skirt and adjusting her top. Squatting down a bit, she looked at me through the opened car door with her brown eyes wide. “Is his name James for real? Or are you throwing me off like when you told me my next date is with James Franco?” she asked suspiciously.

I laughed, “This is no different than me going to this gallery looking for a Mr. J
at the front door! Fortunately, I’ll be there early so I can scope him out before he can scope me out. But seriously, the reservation is under James. Just James.”

Rolling her eyes, she grumbled
good-naturedly, “Fine! Don’t tell me!” She pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

“Fine!
I won’t!” I mimicked, causing her to laugh.

“Have fun and be safe. See you at home tonight!”
she said, smiling brightly.

“Yes, have fun.
Open minds and good times! See you tonight!” I called out before she shut the door.

“Are you ready
, ma’am?” the driver asked as I watched Autumn talk to the doorman.

“One second,” I stated, before seeing Brecken James come out of the front door to greet Autumn. Smiling, I
watched the huge grin the two of them shared as they shook hands. “Yes, I’m ready. Hillcrest Gallery, please. On 14
th
and Main.”

As the taxi expertly maneuvered through traffic, I realized I was beginning to get a little nervous.
When we were only a few blocks away from the gallery, I had to take a deep breath.
I haven’t been on a date in a while,
I mused silently.  I crossed my legs and watched the city ease into nightlife seamlessly as the sun started to settle behind the buildings. 
But I’m sure it’s like riding a bike. I’m Summer Skye Wilson, dammit. If anyone should be nervous, it’s him.

I paid the driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Looking at the sign in front of Hillcrest Gallery, I smiled.
Emotional: A Photojournalist’s Experience by Camilla Parker,
I read with a gleeful nod.
This should be fun.

Standing beside the sign, I people w
atched while waiting for my date, the mysterious Mr. J. A group of women dressed elegantly walked into the gallery. A pair of teenagers walked in wearing sneakers and jeans. A single woman followed shortly after wearing a casual summer dress. Three couples in jeans and nice shirts walked in next.  Person after person and group after group filtered into the building in various states of dress.
I will definitely have to remember to mention to Autumn that wearing a dress was not mandatory for this event,
I thought. Looking down at my heels, I froze.
What if Mr. J is short? I am six feet tall in these heels!

“Did you lose something?” a deep voice shook me out of my thoughts.

Jerking my head up, my eyes landed on the crystal clear blue eyes of the sexiest man alive standing a few feet away. My lips parted and I was temporarily rendered speechless in his presence. 

Mr. Ford,
I thought nervously.

As subtly as possible, I glanced down to take in the way his suit fit like it was made for him.
I glanced back up and noticed the way the setting sun made his hair look sun-kissed.  Everything seemed to be in high definition and I noticed everything about him. Making eye contact again, I felt a slight fluttering in my belly.
What the hell is going on?
I wondered.

“What?” I whispered, unable to focus on anything
but the way he looked and the way he looked at me
.
I licked my lips.

A smile
played on the corner of his mouth, softening his chiseled features. “You were looking down so I asked you if you lost something.”

“
Oh, no. I was just looking at my shoes,” I answered, tapping my foot for emphasis. I felt myself awakening from the shock of his unexpected appearance.

His gaze quickly shifted to my feet and slowly worked
its way up my body and back to my face. My skin heated in response to the attention. “Nice,” he acknowledged with a slight nod. And just like that, I felt myself slipping back into that sexually-charged daze I succumbed to in his presence.

I
swallowed hard. “You always catch me off guard,” I admitted for no reason at all.

What the hell? Why did I just say that? I need a damn filter,
I thought, frustrated at my apparent inability to function like myself around Mr. Ford.

“Is that right?”
His eyes challenged me sexily. His entire demeanor completely disarmed me.

“Yes!
And I’m a photographer so it’s my job to be aware and to notice things,” I babbled. “Yet for some reason, you always sneak up on me. I just look up and you’re there.” My voice was playfully trying to deflect his sex appeal and replace my lust with friendly chiding. But my rambling was only making me more nervous.
What gives?! Stop talking. Stop talking NOW,
I commanded myself.

He
silently assessed me for a beat before he retorted, “Well, maybe you need to pay better attention.” His eyes gleamed.

“
Or maybe you need to wear a bell so I can hear you coming,” I quipped with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips.

“You’re not doing your job if you don’t hear me coming,”
he countered with his eyebrows raised.

Throwing my head back, I let
out a hearty laugh that was neither cute nor flirty. The ridiculousness of the double entendre caused it to explode out of me. As my laughter died down, I looked at him and at best, he looked mildly amused. A new wave of uncontrollable giggles overtook my body.