Page 2 of Beau & Autumn

She’s been calling me Beauster for years. It’s ridiculous, but also still amuses me.

“That’s debatable. My mom has been distracted recently by my three brothers gettin’ tied down, but it won’t be long before she starts harrassin’ me again about when I’m gonna settle down, too.”

“Ugh, don’t even say the words.”

It’s no secret that Autumn comes from an affluent family in Memphis. Her family comes from old money. Her parents are very strict and well known in the Memphis community, her dad being a business tycoon and her mom a trophy wife. Even though Autumn is eight years older than me at thirty-three, we get along great. We met a few years ago when we were both at the same event. She was the official photographer for the local paper, and I was there to promote one of our new lines. We hit it off quickly, laughing at the mayor who’d had a few too many ‘samples’.

She’s so accomplished and I admire the fact she started her own successful photography business, despite pushback from her parents. She’s smart, beautiful and always has a kind word to say about everyone. Even though she’s well-to-do, she hasn’t got that giant stick up her ass like most people from her high-society upbringing have.

“What did they do now?”

She sighs. “What didn’t they do would be a less complicated question.”

“I’m open all night.”

Her eyes soften and her shoulders seem to relax a little. “You know how I’m expanding my business?” She lowers her voice like someone will hear, even though it’s just the two of us here.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’ve used every single dime I have to start Autumn Leaf.” That’s her photography studio right here in town, it’s just a cute name and it really suits her business. “And… I’ll just be frank… I’m shit outta luck where any more money is concerned. I need cash for some new videography equipment and until the wedding season, I’ve got little to no money coming in, aside from what I’m doing around the distillery.”

She’s been snapping new photos all over the property for our website and updated our staff profiles recently.

“What do you mean? Can't you just ask your parents for a loan? They’re loaded.”

She makes that cute sound again as she slumps farther back into the couch. She might wear a hole in it soon, she’s that worked up.

“That’s just it. They won’t lend me any more money. After college, putting the down payment on my house and the office rental, funds have dried up. To top it off, Mom told me I should never have left that jerk Michael.” Michael’s the annoying and controlling ex that her parents loved because he’s rich. He wasn’t, however, supportive or loyal or fucking anything decent. “Can you believe that? The asshole cheated on me.”

This is where my blood boils. It’s like I can feel it surging through my veins whenever I think about it. How anyone could cheat on an amazing woman like Autumn is beyond me. She’s the whole package; gorgeous, clever, funny, classy.

“Why would she say that? They both know what he did last time.”

“Exactly! But it’s my mom mainly, it’s like she almost gaslighted me over it, saying that I needed to move back to Memphis and I shouldn’t have stayed away this long. Like it’s my fault he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.”

“Jerks,” I mutter. I don’t like speaking bad about her family, but that’s below the belt. I mean,

her mom can be a pill, her dad, not so much. He seems like an alright kinda guy.

“For the record, your asshole ex is a fuckin’ idiot.”

Her hand moves to mine, her delicate fingers grazing my skin as she gives me a squeeze. For some reason, the movement goes straight to my dick. I part my lips as she smiles at me. Her smile has always been able to capture me no matter what else is going on in my life. She just has that ability to light up a room. The crease between her brow is still there, but it’s not as severe as it was when she first sat down.

“Thanks, Beauster. I can always count on you for a pep talk, but that isn’t the end of the story, unfortunately.”

Her hand leaves mine and rests back in her lap. I rack my brain to think about something boring, like my inbox needing a serious tidy up, or my car needing a wash. I even imagine cold water being tipped over my head to make the bulge in my pants go away.

What the hell is going on?

This is Autumn. We’ve been friends forever. She’s gorgeous but I don’t think about her like that. I have never thought about her like that… Well okay, maybe once or twice. I’m a guy.

Then again, I know what it is. It’s not her, so to speak. It’s the fact I haven’t been laid in a while. I’m not really a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kinda guy, but I do take care of a woman when I’m with her. I make sure she comes at least once before I really bring it home. And we have a good time. I also make sure she gets home safe if we’re not at her place. I’m not a total Neanderthal. The Bassett brothers may have a reputation around town for being strong and capable, but I can’t say I’ve been mistaken for a gigolo.

“You sure you don’t want that shot?” I brace for more bad news as she takes a long, slow breath.

“Get this, my grandmother said she’d give me the rest of my inheritance.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “That’s perfect then, right?”

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