A Summer to Remember(12)
“Lady, I am already late for my next appointment—”
“It’s Ms. Jensen to you,” Autumn cut off, “and how is it my fault you booked two appointments too close together? I want help with my luggage or you will not receive an adequate tip!”
Paul and Jude walked out of the front door and began to unload all of Autumn’s bags while she continued to argue with the driver at a decibel higher than normal.
“Hey!” I suddenly said. “It’s been taken care of by our two resident men in charge. Why don’t you just sign off on the limo and let him be on his way.”
Autumn turned my way and her luminous gray-green eyes were bright with spunk and rage. “It’s the principle, Jerrica. You don’t think I am tired and this hasn’t been a long drive for me? I am just trying to stress to this…this person, how important customer service is and frankly, he sucks at it!”
Talia was the only one who could handle Autumn’s temper and she walked over to her and slid an arm around her waist. “The situation has been defused and your bags are safe and sound inside. Just pay the man so he can be on his way.”
Autumn, still angry, signed the slip and true to her word, gave the driver a five percent tip instead of her usual twenty percent. “You don’t deserve that but my parents didn’t rear me to be rude to people like you who are not of my social status. Have a nice day.”
I shook my head before we all walked back inside and before the door closed all the way, Autumn’s iPhone began to blow up with text messages she quickly began to answer.
“By the way, Savannah is delayed. She has an important client she has to take care of this morning so she’ll be in sometime this afternoon.” Autumn pressed the phone to her ear as her ring tone—“American Retards” by Winter’s Regret—went off and she answered it.
Paul and Jude were nice enough to set her bags in the room next to Talia’s therefore she already knew where she would shower and change.
She looked at us and indicated she was going upstairs as she continued to chat on the phone.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t you go back to your parents’ house last night?” I questioned Paul in a tone that was a bit rude yet I couldn’t help myself.
Part of me was pissed at myself for allowing the kiss to happen at all yet another side of me was completely and utterly jealous of the perfect Ashley who would probably end up his wife and the future Mrs. Paul Branson.
He looked a bit sheepish as his crystal blue eyes met my own albeit reluctantly. “I had a bit too much to drink and slept in the room Savannah will be using. Monique has already instructed a maid to change the sheets so I will be out of your hair soon enough.”
Talia stared from him to me and back again. “Your parents’ house is next door. You were too drunk to stumble over there in the middle of the night?”
Jude rolled his eyes. “Listen, it was my fault. I suggested he stay here since all of the guests haven’t arrived, okay? We’re only staying the weekend and then we have to head back to the City Sunday afternoon because we both have work on Monday.”
I tried to smile but fell short. A whole goddamn weekend with Paul in my vicinity and me feeling the way I did about him? What was I going to do?
Savannah arrived shortly after four in the afternoon.
By that time of the day, we’d had a light lunch at two served by the resident chef and everyone was well on their way and firmly into cocktail hour. I was on my second Belvedere and Perrier though I was trying to pace myself. Autumn sipped on a dirty martini in the shade of the pool area and also wore a wide-brimmed hat. Of the four of us, she couldn’t tan very well and she would rather keep her creamy complexion than burn.
Talia joined the guys and they all drank imported and domestic beers though their tastes went from the mundane—Beck’s, Carlsberg and Heineken—to the downright eclectic—to homegrown lagers from the Brooklyn Brewery.
I tried to keep Autumn company though she didn’t make it easy since she received a string of calls every time we broached a subject.
Savannah arrived with her dark brown hair frosted with lighter brownish-blonde highlights in a bun. Her cerulean blue eyes were her best asset but they were covered by a pair of blacker-than-black Ray-Bans and she looked casual and comfortable in white jeans and a black tank top. Her beautiful skin, naturally golden though not over the top, sparkled in the sunshine and she smiled brilliantly.