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“We’re not looking for anyone. He probably won’t come. It was just something we said in passing.”
With every minute that passed, Autumn felt a little stupider for coming here. The hunting-lodge themed whiskey bar was her local hangout, since her downtown LA condo was up on the twenty-seventh floor of this same building. She’d spent the day in her pajamas, studiously not thinking about Daniel. She’d planned to keep that going right through the night, but as the sun set she’d gotten antsy with the need to do something.
What bar would we have met at?
His question ran on a loop through her brain as she showered, did her hair, and put on her best jeans and a black stretchy top with a deep V and ruched detailing on the sleeves. Jeans and a cute top was the universal going out standard in L.A.
She’d been about to order a car to take her out to Santa Monica when some semblance of sanity returned. She wasn’t going to go sit alone in the rooftop bar at the Bungalow, hoping he’d show up. That wasn’t romantic, it was somewhere between pathetic and stalker.
Instead she’d called Summer, who’d still been at work in East L.A. Summer jumped on the gold line train and met her upstairs at her condo, where she’d borrowed a cute top to go with the jeans she was already wearing. Then, arm in arm, they’d taken the elevator down to the second floor of the building, passing out of the private residences’ lobby and into the small landing where a faux log-cabin door marked the entrance to the bar.
While they sipped their first drink, Autumn had told Summer about Daniel. Not all of it, but enough. She’d met a man at that secret club she belonged to—the one Summer thought was some sort of finance world power broker hangout. They’d hit it off, talked, but not exchanged numbers, because that was frowned upon in the club. Summer had made a weird face at that, but hadn’t called her out, so Autumn kept up the lie, saying that though they hadn’t exchanged information, she’d told Daniel about her two favorite bars.
Summer had been all for splitting up, one of them going to the other bar which was a few streets over in the basement of what used to be a bank. Now people could sip drinks while sitting in the old vault. Autumn had shut that shit down, because she felt stupid enough already. Having to sit here by herself, while Summer was at the other place, would only make it worse.
“I could send John to the Bungalow.”
Summer’s fiance had good-naturedly told them to have a fun time and for Summer to call him when she was ready for a ride home.
“How would John know who to look for?” Autumn asked.
“He could take pictures of everyone in the bar and send them to us.”
“Well that sounds like a really good way to be super creepy and get thrown out of the bar and possibly arrested.”
“Hmm, probably true. Anyway, what does he look like again?”
“Brown hair, light colored eyes. Nice suit. Really sharp, looks very…in control.”
“Nice smile?” Summer asked.
“The best smile,” Autumn sighed.
“Okay then,” Summer picked up her phone and started to scoot out from behind their little table.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling John. There’s a sharply dressed man with a killer smile headed this way.”
Autumn’s heart stopped. She widened her eyes at her friend, who stopped scooting. Summer cast a critical eye over her, then reached out, grabbed the front of Autumn’s shirt, and yanked it down several inches. Autumn’s cleavage was now fully on display center stage.
“Summer,” Autumn hissed.
“Get ready,” her friend murmured.
“Hello.”
She’d convinced herself, during her pajama-clad lounging, that their chemistry had probably just been a product of the combination of attraction and predisposition towards sexual arousal due to the setting.
But one word, uttered in that wonderful voice, wiped away all the justifications and explanations she’d come up with.
Autumn took a breath and turned in her seat.
Daniel looked elegant and dangerous, when he should have looked stuffy in the three-piece suit. His jacket and the bottom button of his waistcoat were undone, and he had one hand in his pocket, pulling that side of the jacket back.
She looked up, met his gaze, and knew that she was looking into the eyes of a man, maybe the only man, who could make her truly, deeply happy.
The moment seemed to last forever, or maybe time stood still for them.
