Page 139 of All The Happily Ever Afters

He’s just not here yet. That’s what it is. I try to convince myself and then resort to sticking my nose into Autumn’s business to take my mind off of it.

“I mean…,” I tease her, “we are staying for an entire weekend. And since you came a day early, it could be a four-day-stand.”

I can tell she must be at least half a bottle in by how loud she laughs and it only makes me want to catch up as we make our way to the room. I have an order to things though, before I can have more than this one glass. I don’t just drop off my luggage in the room like Autumn does, I unpack everything. I put it in its place. I get bottles of water and my ear plugs and put them on the night stand too. I’m just a little OCD like that. It helps me feel settled.

“This one’s for you,” she hands over a keycard without acknowledging my comment, simply shaking her head in feigned dismay.

This is the same lodge as last year and it doesn’t escape my knowledge when we get off the elevator that this is the same floor Nick was on last year. I spent an extra two days with himlast time, lost in the sheets and taking off from work for the first time in months just to prolong saying goodbye.

I have to blow a stray piece of blonde out of my face and focus. This trip is not about him, no matter how much my libido may disagree.

Autumn’s already plopped herself onto a bed. She knows the drill.

At first, when we started going to all of these events so frequently, she would stare at me like I was an alien with two heads whenever we bunked for a conference, but now, she lays back on her bed, kicks her feet up and gives me the itinerary while I do my thing. All the while, her bag lays on the floor, unzipped and spilling out everything she packed. Except her dresses, which are always hung up in the closet. She gets the right side, which she barely uses, and I get the left.

“I’m glad you’re finally here. I was thinking I wasn’t going to make it and by the time you got here I’d be dead asleep.”

“I should have just gotten on the flight with you.”

“Yes,” she says pointedly as I unzip my bag. “Yes you should have.” The way she says it makes me laugh. She isalways rightafter all and her tone doesn’t hide that fact.

“Hey,” I finally get the courage to ask her although I turn my back to her, busying myself with my clothes, “did you happen to hear from Nick?”

“Mmm. Not yet.” She answers and I let the frown stay in place as I put everything away. “Am I already boring you?” she asks with humor dripping on every word.

I turn to look over my shoulder, folding a pair of jeans to slip in the dresser drawer, “You know I love you.”

We may be completely opposite in a lot of ways, but we’re also a perfect match. Autumn and I started this marketing meet up company together and when we did I questioned if we really should. I didn’t want to risk a decade long friendship overbusiness. I’m so glad we took the risk though. Three years later and we’re closer than ever and the business practically runs itself. We connect businesses with the firms they need to take their companies to the next level. I evaluate them, every nook and cranny and data point they have to offer to identify what they’re lacking and how they can improve. Autumn does the socializing and connecting and most importantly, updating our clients and keeping them on track.

“So it kicks off tomorrow with a key note speech at noon, lunch served during. Then we have a workshop with the promotional team.”

“You sound bored as all hell,” I call out as I make my way to the bathroom to put my toiletries in their place. We’ve been through these conferences a dozen times this winter already. All the clients are new, but the talks are the same. So “bored” is a word that’s rather accurate to describe how we’d feel if we had to sit in on the talks. This is the last one before the holidays then we have a decent break. I’m looking forward to PJs and downtime.

Autumn gets stuck attending the workshops this time around. Luckily, I’ll be meeting with every client one on one, face to face, making sure we’re on the same page and they’re comfortable with the conclusion we’ve come to. Change can be unwanted, and even scary at times. But, like I tell each and every one of them, change is necessary. If you want to be at a level you’ve never been to before, you need to do something you’ve never done before.

“I don’t come here for the lectures.” Autumn stretches on the bed and adds with a yawn, “You don’t either.”

“Let me guess, is it for the lobby attendees and booze?”

She belts out a laugh and corrects me, “Again, I freaking wish.” I’m still busy unpacking when she comments, “Speaking of getting some?—”

“You’re getting some?” Both of us have been single for nearly two years. My reason is easy; I’m only interested in what I have with Nick at the moment. I don’t see a reason to stop or to want more. Although that’s not something I shout from the rooftops.

Instead, I stick with something simple for an excuse as to why there’s no ring on my finger: I’m a workaholic and my expectations are unreasonable. At least that’s what my therapist said. And by therapist, I mean a bottle of Cabernet and a slurring best friend by the name of Autumn. Even though she’s well aware of the truth, after all, Nick is her brother. She’s known since day one, a few months into working together, and she doesn’t judge. One more reason I love her.

She finally answers my question regarding whether or not she’s getting laid. “Unfortunately no, not since the Rivera Maya.”

My brow lifts at the memory of sunshine and mojitos on the white-sandy beaches. “That was a good trip.” Another trip I met up with Nick on.Damn, I can’t get him off my mind.

“Mmm hmmm,” Autumn hums and reaches into the mini bar, grabbing a bottle of water for herself before sitting cross legged on the end of the bed.

“I have no idea why you don’t snag someone and settle down,” I comment after plugging in my charger and then fishing out my phone from my bag to plug in while we’re up here. I already have a dozen emails and four messages waiting for me. And wait they will continue to do. After the flight I had today, everything can wait until tomorrow morning. The conference doesn’t start until noon and regardless of how late we stay out tonight; I’ll be up at six. It’s something about these events, maybe the excitement or the social interaction… whatever it is, I can never sleep. It doesn’t matter how comfy the mattress is or how plush the pure white comforters are. Unless Nick happens to wear me out in bed. My thighs involuntarily clench at thethought. I check the messages just to be sure. None are from Nick and my heart drops a little.

Autumn holds up her finger, closing her eyes for a moment of silence so she can yawn again and oblige, and then dig into the bottom of my now nearly empty bag for the foldable steamer and set it on the floor of the closet, next to a set of sexy black heels, although they’re simple the heels are so thin, they reek of sex appeal.

I make sure my heels are hot, my lingerie a class-A knockout and my dress, professional and nothing less. Simple and natural makeup, but a bold red lip. I love confidence and I wear it subtly, but to pack a punch. It may seem like an oxymoron, but it works for me. It keeps me lifted and motivated. So long as I have sexy panties and a pedicure, I’m convinced I can conquer the world.

It takes me a minute of digging at the bottom of my nearly empty bag for the extra charger for my laptop before I realize Autumn isn’t talking anymore. Lifting my gaze, I see her fiddling on her phone.

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