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“He’s also well traveled, under thirty-five and rumor has it that it’s not just his looks that are deadly. He has the personality to match.”
“Idris Elba,” Nicole guessed.
“She said under thirty-five,” Summer said with a laugh.
“Well, he’s sexy and chocolate, so Idris is always my first choice. Is it Michael B. Jordan?” Nicole guessed again.
Aaliyah shook her head, indicating that wasn’t right, either. “It’s someone who works in the fashion industry, but is occasionally in magazines just as much as his work.”
Summer froze just as she was picking up another box. Call it intuition, but she didn’t think she liked where this conversation was headed. She didn’t say photographer, so maybe it’s not him.
“And he just so happens to be one of the top fashion photographers of today.”
The box slipped slightly in her hand when Aaliyah finished her statement. Sure enough, Sherlock Danni was observing her every move.
“Can you nix the details and just tell us who it is?” Nicole asked.
“Aiden Chase,” Aaliyah said, clasping her hands together in excitement. “Another photographer I know spotted him walking down the street yesterday.”
Summer put on her best poker face as Danni continued to watch her.
“Are you okay, Summer? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yep, I’m fine.”
“Really?” Danni walked over to Summer and lifted the box that kept slipping out of her hands, placing it on the floor. Summer was grateful, until Danni spoke again.
“Aaliyah, I’ve heard of him before, but what else do you know about him? Since you’re a photographer, I know you’re more familiar with him than I am.”
“I don’t know much. Just that he’s thirty years old. His work in South Africa is getting a lot of recognition right now. He lives in Los Angeles, but oftentimes, is on the New York fashion scene and he grew up in New Jersey.”
“Oh, New Jersey. You don’t say?” Danni was speaking to the group, but looking solely at Summer in curiosity. Summer gave Danni her best can-you-please-drop-it? look and, to her surprise, Danni nodded her head in agreement. She then walked over to the sound system they had recently installed and turned the music up a little louder. It didn’t matter that Danni had dropped the issue, because now Summer’s mind was racing with thoughts about Aiden.
Why didn’t he tell me he was coming to Miami? And why didn’t he contact me as soon as he got here? Even though they hadn’t seen each other in eight years—with the exception of that brief eye lock a couple of years ago—they still remained in contact with each other. He was once her best friend in the whole world. They may have had some disagreements that she’d rather not rehash, but after they’d reconnected via email and social media, it had felt like they were in a good place.
She touched the necklace secured underneath her shirt. They may be in a good place, but they definitely weren’t in the best place. Several times, Aiden had asked to Skype or FaceTime with Summer and she’d refused. She hadn’t really known why at the time, but after giving it some thought, she’d realized she hadn’t been prepared to see him. Even if it wasn’t in person.
Growing up in New Jersey hadn’t been easy for either one of them. Life after New Jersey hadn’t been so peachy, either. Their friendship had always been more of an emotional connection rather than one based on similarities. Although they had a lot in common, they were opposite in a lot of ways, too. In Autumn’s words, they complemented each other.
“Are you guys ready to go to dinner now? I think I’m done working for today.”
Danni was the first to respond to Summer. “That’s fine with me.” Aaliyah and Nicole nodded their heads in agreement.
“I’m sorry I was all in your business,” Danni whispered to Summer as they prepared to close the shop for the night. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
Summer smiled. “It wasn’t you. I got caught up in my own thoughts.”
“I understand how that feels. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
“I know, but thanks for telling me anyway.” She’d been thinking about Aiden way more than she should. Regardless of what they’d gone through as friends, her thoughts weren’t always so PG-13. Every now and then, he’d say something on the phone or write something in a text message that reminded her that he was—after all—a hot-blooded male. And she was a female who could appreciate all the characteristics that made him irresistible to other women. Not her, but other women for sure.
Just as Summer was locking the door, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on high alert and her breathing grew staggered.
“Oh, my gosh,” she heard Aaliyah say behind her. “Isn’t that... I think that’s...” Her voice trailed off as Summer slowly turned away from the door of the shop toward the person her friends were staring at. She knew who it was before her eyes landed on him.
“Aiden.” His name left her lips in a whisper as she gazed at him from across the street. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans that hung on his waist and a deep red V-neck T-shirt that stretched across his chest, accentuating his muscles. Seeing pictures of him on social media or in magazines over the years did nothing to prepare her for actually laying eyes on him in person. Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t help but clutch her chest to try to slow it down.
There wasn’t too much traffic on the street, but enough that he should have been paying more attention to the cars and foot traffic than to her. Yet, even as he crossed the street, his eyes remained fixed on hers. Her gaze briefly left his face to admire his graceful, yet powerful, stride. His walk had always done something to her. He never rushed when he walked, as if he had all the time in the world. She’d never tell him this, but she couldn’t even watch him walk without the melodies to every Jill Scott song ever created floating through her mind.
As he approached, she was able to cast her eyes across his face more closely. Aaliyah had described him as milk chocolate, but Summer had to slightly disagree. She’d spent most of her life admiring Aiden’s complexion and it was definitely more like a hazelnut dipped in a rich chocolate-caramel blend. His strong jawline, deep gingerbread-colored eyes, and low, neatly trimmed beard took his look from sexy to downright delicious. Not that she was thinking about her friend as delicious. She was just observing a known fact...or so she kept telling herself.
When he finally stood in front of her, he didn’t say anything. She felt his eyes on every part of her face, causing her cheeks to grow warmer by the second. Girl, get a hold of yourself. This was Aiden. Her old classmate Aiden. Her good friend Aiden. He must have sensed her discomfort because he finally broke the silence.
“There are no better days than summer days,” he said with a smile, causing Summer to laugh harder than she’d intended. Hearing him say those words brought her back to her first day in kindergarten. She’d laughed then. She laughed now.
“Well, those are the best days,” she replied as she leaned up to give him a hug. Just like that, the feeling of discomfort dimmed. It didn’t go away, but it definitely lessened. She ignored the butterflies she felt in her stomach when they embraced and, instead, relished the joy of seeing her long-time friend again.
* * *
She was there. In the flesh. For once, Summer wasn’t a figment of his imagination. She’d even smiled and hugged him, which was more of a greeting than he’d thought he would get. Summer never did like surprises, and Aiden being in Miami was definitely a surprise. He’d expected a playful punch on the arm to be the most contact they’d have.
“How did you get the address to the boutique?” Summer asked. “We don’t launch the website until next week.”
“Winter gave it to me when I called Bare Sophistication in Chicago.”
“Figures,” Summer said with a laugh. “What are you doing in Miami?”
“I have an exhibit opening soon, so I’m here to finalize those plans.”
“A new exhibit? That’s awesome!”
Aiden turned to the woman who had spoken on his left. He’d seen four of them standing near the boutique when he’d crossed the street, but the closer he got, the more his eyes were only drawn to Summer. Judging by the surprised look on Summer’s face, she’d forgotten they were there, as well.
“I shouldn’t have said anything. The exhibit hasn’t been announced yet,” he stated.
“No worries, we won’t say anything. I’m Aaliyah Bai, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Aiden Chase.”
“We know who you are,” Aaliyah said enthusiastically before winking at Summer. “This is Danni Allison and this is Nicole LeBlanc.” Aiden shook both of their hands, as well.
“The four of us were actually going to get dinner at a Cuban restaurant a few doors down,” Summer said after the introductions were done. “Would you like to join us?”
Aiden looked from Summer, to the women, and then back to Summer. What he really wanted to do was be alone with Summer, but obviously she didn’t want that.
“You know what? I forgot that I need to finish unpacking my stuff back at the condo,” Danni said.
“You finished unpacking last week.”
Danni ignored Summer’s statement and turned to Aaliyah and Nicole. “Ladies, care to join me back at Summer’s condo?”
Aiden smiled at Danni’s not-so-discreet way of helping him out.
“Summer, why don’t you and Aiden go ahead to the restaurant. You can tell us how it is later.”
Summer glanced at him before giving Danni a smile that seemed forced. “Okay, then I guess I’ll see you when I get home.”
Aiden observed her as she watched her friends retreat. She didn’t speak after they left, but turned to walk toward the restaurant. As they walked the short distance, she fidgeted with the straps of her purse, taking it on and off her shoulder several times before opting to leave it on her shoulder. Considering how uncomfortable he was making her, he shouldn’t have been checking her out—but he couldn’t help himself.
“You know, I ate a couple hours ago, so we don’t have to eat if you don’t want to.”
She stopped walking and turned to him. “I could always use a hand lifting some of the heavy boxes in the boutique. The grand opening is in two months, so we’re trying to get everything organized since the floors just got done.”
Good to know some things haven’t changed. When Summer got nervous about something, she always needed to remain busy. As long as she had something else to focus on, she was fine.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I didn’t get to the gym or go running today, so I could use a good workout lifting boxes.”
She studied his arms and even the simplest look from her warmed his body. “So, you still run?”
“Anytime I can.” Running was always something they had in common. “Do you still run?”
“At least four times a week.”
His eyes then raked over the snow-white shorts hugging her thighs and her flowy, yellow blouse. When she turned and began walking back to her boutique, he stole a glance at her creamy, butterscotch-colored legs.
He was still staring at her legs when she opened the door to her boutique and motioned for him to step inside.
“Welcome to Bare Sophistication Miami. It isn’t much to look at now, but it will be as soon as the furniture gets delivered in a couple weeks. I’m having a lounge space on the raised platform in the corner, and we’ll offer tea and infused water throughout the day for our customers.”
Aiden observed the space in detail, noting the deep walnut flooring throughout the boutique and crisp white shelving. Lavender, black and gray accent pieces sat on top of random boxes and counters.
“No home for the accent pieces yet?”
“Not yet. When the furniture arrives, I’m hoping I’ll lock down the feng shui of this place.”
“Well, even though there’s still work to be done, I can see the overall look you’re going for, and I think it’s going to be amazing.”
“Thanks,” Summer said with a soft smile. “Maybe this will help you visualize the space.” She walked over to him and handed him a binder that had been sitting on the front counter.
“Here are some of the preliminary drawings of how everything will look. Still a ways to go, but so far, I’m sticking to my design.”
He observed her as she explained each page in the binder, and he couldn’t help but listen in pride. She wasn’t his girlfriend and never had been. Hell, at the moment they weren’t even close friends, more like old friends trying to catch up. Yet the excitement in her smile made him even happier for her.
“Where do these stairs lead to?” He pointed at the staircase in the drawing before turning his head to look at the beautiful wooden staircase.
“There’s an upstairs loft area, but I haven’t figured out what to utilize the space for yet. I currently have a lot of racks stored up there and the flooring is complete, too.”
Summer pulled out a few sheets of paper that were placed in the back of the binder. “And here are a few new designs that Winter is currently working on for the grand opening in a couple months. We will have all the same lingerie as the Chicago location, only we’re adding a few pieces to represent that Miami flare. As the boutique matures, we’ll add more pieces for our target demographic.”
Aiden wasn’t sure if the idea for a collaboration popped into his mind because of the way she was explaining the lingerie pieces or because, despite the opening of his exhibit in Miami, the real reason he wanted to be there was for Summer. Or it could be the fact that every lingerie piece she showed him only made him imagine her in it. She was standing so close to him that he could smell her perfume. He couldn’t place the scent, but he wanted to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and smell more of it.
“I have an idea.”
She looked at him in confusion. “About the lingerie pieces or about the decor of the shop?”
“Both. Neither. I guess both indirectly. I told you that I’m in Miami to feature in the new Palmer Lane Photography exhibit, but I didn’t mention that I currently don’t have any idea of what the theme of my portion of the exhibit will be. And since I’m the main featured fashion photographer, it has to be a great one.”
“I just figured you would be showing photos from some of your many travels. Didn’t you just go to Greece not too long ago?”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “We haven’t talked in a while, so I never got to tell you about Greece. Have you been keeping tabs on me?”
She shrugged. “No, but Aaliyah’s a huge fan of yours so she keeps all of us updated on the fashion industry.”
“I think I just saw some of her beauty shots in Cosmopolitan magazine.”
She giggled. “You read Cosmo?”
“Only because I have to keep abreast of the competition.”
“Aaliyah was featured in last month’s issue for a contest they had. She’s a freelance photographer right now, but she’s hoping the Cosmo feature leads to more. If you tell her that you spotted her work, she’ll probably pass out from excitement.”
“So, since Aaliyah is keeping you updated on the fashion industry, when my name got brought up, did you tell her we knew each other?”
She slightly worried her bottom lip, then soothed the bite with her tongue. “Of course I did.”
She’s lying. They might both be older—and hopefully wiser—but the quirks she’d had when she lied were still the same.
“That’s funny, because they looked shocked to see me. I wonder why they all looked so surprised if they already knew we knew each other.”
“Hmm, I can’t imagine why they were surprised.” She walked over to some small boxes sitting on a built-in shelf and began reading the labels. “So, what’s your idea?”
He followed her cue and dropped the subject. “Well, I only arrived in Miami a couple days ago, but I think it’s safe to say the fashion in this city is definitely different than what I’ve seen in other cities. The fashion in Miami is sexy. The colors are bold with heavy Latin influence. The sex appeal in this city alone is enough to make a photographer want to capture the true essence of Miami culture. I’m proud of all my work, but being here makes me want to uncage the fashion culture and represent the true beauty of Miami.”
He stepped closer to her. “If the company accepts my idea, I’ll call the exhibit Miami Unleashed and I’d spend the next few months capturing true Miami fashion. The raw. The weird. The reckless. The sexy.”
“I think that’s an amazing idea,” she said with a killer smile that he hadn’t seen in years. Man, how he’d missed that smile. He couldn’t even count how many times he’d thought of that smile when he’d been away in a foreign country on a photo assignment.
“What if a few of the lingerie pieces you showed me today were featured in the exhibit? We could set up a photo shoot with models and the works. I could even talk to my business manager about including in your contract for you to be able to hang up pieces in your boutique that aren’t chosen to be a part of the exhibit. It only seems fitting that Bare Sophistication be included in Miami Unleashed.”
It was true that the pieces of lingerie he’d seen would be perfect for the idea that was brewing in his mind. But that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to include Bare Sophistication in his idea. There was a time in life when he’d thought he’d always be a friend of Summer’s. That there would never be a time when they were apart. He understood that things had happened in their past that couldn’t be erased. However, spending eight years feeling like somewhat distant acquaintances rather than the best friends they used to be was more than disappointing. It made him feel empty inside. Alone.
He couldn’t quite read the look on Summer’s face, but judging from what he could see in her eyes, she was intrigued.
“Would you really be willing to include Bare Sophistication in your exhibit?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation. He still needed approval, but he was sure the folks at Palmer Lane would love his idea.
He was watching her so closely, he was able to pinpoint the exact moment she truly believed in his plan. “Okay, then I think it’s a great idea and Bare Sophistication would be honored to be a part of it.”
