in Miami, she knew Nicole from high school. Nicole had been nice enough to meet Summer for lunch when she first arrived in Miami, and they immediately realized they shared a love for fashion and beauty. Nicole was an extremely talented makeup artist and Aaliyah was a beauty photographer who’d met Summer and Nicole at a beauty trade show. The three quickly formed a friendship, which grew even stronger when Danni arrived.
“What did we miss?” Aaliyah asked.
“Nothing much,” Danni said as she took a sip of coffee. “Only Summer refusing to tell me about her friend. Her guy friend slash ex-boyfriend. I’m not sure.”
“Recent ex-boyfriend or past ex-boyfriend?” Nicole asked.
“Is he cute, average or really attractive?” Aaliyah asked. “Or is he the so-sexy-I-still-see-him-in-my-dreams type of ex?”
Summer cut her eyes at Danni. “How is it that in less than ten minutes you’ve already started gossip circulating in the office?”
“Girl, please. It’s not gossip. I know you were the one in that photo. He looked cute, but I didn’t get a good glance. And this is hardly an office. Right now, the boutique is still under construction, and even after renovations are complete, the shop definitely won’t have an office feel.”
Summer sipped her chai tea latte and started unpacking another box. She didn’t want to talk about the photo. She considered all the women in the room friends, but she still didn’t feel inclined to be the topic of conversation. Thankfully, they moved on to another conversation and didn’t push her any further. This evening, they had to focus on organizing all the boxes, racks and displays, and develop some sort of unpacking system for the next few weeks. The guy in the photo had caused enough distractions to last her a lifetime. Even though Summer had Danni to help her, she still had a lot on her plate and none of the tasks on her to-do list included thinking about him.
* * *
Aiden Chase stepped into the building that Palmer Lane Photography was renting for the next year and breathed out a sigh of accomplishment. He’d been a fashion photographer at Palmer Lane for eight years. After having several successful exhibits in Los Angeles and New York, he was finally getting a chance to present his work at Palmer Lane’s debut Miami exhibit studio.
“I really like the space you’ve chosen.”
“Thanks,” Aiden said to his friend Daxton Perry. Daxton was Aiden’s business manager at Palmer Lane Photography. The two had been assigned to work together right after Aiden had joined the company. When Aiden called Daxton and told him he’d found the perfect Miami location for the photo exhibit, Daxton had agreed to fly in from Los Angeles and view the space.
“I got approval to fill out the contract if I agreed that the space was exactly what we were looking for. When we finalize the theme and reach out to the two other photographers, we can start getting everything else into place.”
Being one of the top fashion photographers at Palmer Lane had its benefits. Aiden’s exhibits in LA and New York had been considerably smaller and he hadn’t been the featured photographer in any of his showcases. This Miami showcase was his time to shine. His career was at an all-time high.
“Sounds like a plan. I was hoping you liked the place. Were you able to talk to the team about me residing in Miami for the next six months before I head to Qatar for International Fashion Week in Doha?”
“Yes, they agreed that you should stay in Miami and we’ll cover the cost of living and any travel expenses for photo shoots you may have for the duration of your time here. I’ll probably travel back and forth to Miami for a couple months, too, until we get the ball rolling.”
“Great, because I’m staying at a hotel now, but I already found the place I want to stay temporarily.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Daxton said with a laugh. “Ever since I approached you with this Miami opportunity, you’ve been more involved than I’ve ever seen you for any other project. What are you not telling me?”
Aiden appreciated Daxton’s friendship, but he valued his work ethic and keen business sense even more. At thirty-two, Dax was just as driven as he had been at twenty-four when they’d first met. Just last month, he’d been promoted to director of business development; however, he’d agreed to continue being Aiden’s business manager since the two had formed a tight bond. Dax was well on his way to becoming vice president of business development for Palmer Lane.
“Nothing to tell. Just excited to be the headline photographer for this exhibit.” That was only partially true. Yes, Aiden was excited about the exhibit, but he was even more excited about a certain someone who was opening a boutique a few blocks away from the location of the Palmer Lane exhibit space.
“I have a few calls to make so that we can lock in this property. Do you have dinner plans?” Dax asked as they stepped out the building into the fresh Miami air. It was nearing six o’clock in the evening, so it wasn’t as crowded in Miami Beach as it had been midday. Most people were probably getting ready for a night out.
Aiden glanced down the street in the direction of the one location he’d been thinking about since he’d arrived two days ago. “Umm, I actually do have plans.” Or, at least, I hope I’ll have plans. “How about we meet in the morning?”
“I’m on a red-eye flight tonight, so call me. I’ll be at the office.” Dax took out his smartphone and was already dialing away as he walked back to his car. Aiden didn’t feel like driving back to his hotel. In fact, there was only one place he felt like being and before he could contemplate his next move, his feet were already walking in the opposite direction of his car.
According to Google maps, the address Summer’s sister Winter had given him meant that their new shop was only four blocks away. Although he’d briefly seen Summer a couple years ago, when she was leaving their high school reunion, he couldn’t believe that he finally had the chance to really see her after all this time. There was a time in his life he’d spent every day with Summer. She may not miss him as much as he missed her, but she’d been on his mind a lot lately.
Man, who am I kidding? Summer Dupree hadn’t just been on his mind lately. She’d been on his mind constantly since the first day she walked into his kindergarten class.
Twenty-five years ago...
“Class, I’d like you all to meet Summer Dupree. She’s new to town, so I want you all to give her a warm welcome.”
Aiden looked up from the cartoon picture he was coloring to see the new student. It was a girl. A pretty girl in a pink floral dress.
“Aiden, Summer’s going to be your buddy,” his teacher said as she walked Summer over to him. “So be nice to her.”
“Yes, Mrs. Perkins,” he said as Summer took a seat next to him. There were six other students at their table, and until Summer had arrived, he’d been the only one without a buddy since Clarke’s family had moved.
“Hi, I’m Aiden.” Instead of returning his greeting, she turned to talk to the girls at the table. He was a little disappointed that she didn’t want to talk to him, but he kept coloring his picture. A few minutes later, he heard one of the girls asking her to repeat her name. When she did, they snickered a little. Aiden couldn’t be sure, but laughing at her name seemed wrong. Though Summer just laughed it off, before long, the whole table was repeating Summer’s name and laughing.
Aiden
