Chapter 44

SPRING

Nothing bothered Spring more than when someone refused to catch a clue. The world had become
socially inept in the past decade, her grams would say, and it was very frustrating.

Apparently, there was a time when No meant exactly that. Today it meant, keep trying until you wear
them down.

Spring flipped the card over in her hand. There was no signature but she knew who sent the bouquet
and an invitation to meet up last night. This was odd, because whenever she was around Stanley
Spencer during photo shoots, he seemed so uninterested and only concerned with work.

He was the one who contacted her to do the shoot in California. Well, he had Taylor, his niece
/assistant, contact her with all the details for the all-expenses paid gig. He was nothing but professional
throughout the entire week of the shoot. So, when she received the flowers with the odd invite, she was
taken aback.

"What are you going to tell him?" Brandi looked over her shoulder as they boarded the plane.

Spring followed her as she stuffed the card back inside her book. It fell out when she went to put the
plane tickets and receipts inside. "I don't know. Do you think he'll blackball me if I don't go out with
him?"

Brandi shrugged. She maneuvered by a flight attendant then hiked her carry-on bag up on her
shoulder. A man stood and smiled as he took the bag. Brandi smiled back and directed him which
overhead bin she wanted it in.

Through the entire exchange, Spring waited patiently for a reply. "Well?" she asked after they were
seated and comfortable.



"Oh, yeah. I've never heard of him being an ass before. Everyone speaks highly of him and his team.
His niece, Taylor, is amazing and Joe, the assistant photographer, is very skilled. Plus, he's tasty."

"I don't know if Stanley Spencer should be described as tasty."

"Not Mr. Spencer...Joe," Brandi laughed.

Spring hadn't really noticed Joe. He didn't speak to her much but when he did, he was sweet. "I
guess...Joe's sort of cute."

"See, that's because you have a man. If not, you'd recognize tasty. Like ole dude up there with the
baby blue eyes. I think he can help me with more than my luggage."

Spring shook her head. Brandi had two modes, work, and play. She did both of them with maximum
effort. Just as Spring was about to take a good look at the man who helped Brandi with her, her cell
phone vibrated. She lifted it and peered at the number calling.

It was Dez.

Spring smiled. She hadn't spoken to him all day yesterday and he didn't return any of her calls either.
She could only assume he was working hard. She frowned, then swore under her breath. They were
giving the warning about electronics. She would have to call him when she landed.

"Shame you had to leave the flowers in the hotel suite, though. They were beautiful." Brandi relaxed
back in her seat.

"Yeah," Spring said absently as she noticed the voicemail notification light up on her phone. Dez left a
message before but she didn't have a chance to listen to it. Spring felt a sense of dread move through
her but turned her cell off, slipped it back into her pocket, and hoped all was well.

----------



SOMETIME LATER

Spring held on tight to her cell phone. Her first instinct was to not drop it. Summer bought the
expensive tech for her as a moving to the big city gift.

(Even with the case, it is delicate. Wait...why am I thinking about a phone?)

She gripped her phone a little tighter.

"What's wrong?"

Spring focused on the cracks in the cement sidewalk. When she looked up, she filtered through all the
people moving about to find Brandi. Her friend was watching her from the curb where she already
flagged down a taxi. Spring noted the man putting Brandi's luggage in the trunk.

(We are sharing a taxi.)

That's what they planned and that's what they were doing...before she decided to check her voicemail.
Spring glanced around. She was mere feet away from the sliding doors, impeding a few people's
exit/entrance by the look on some of their faces.

"Spring, what's wrong?"

Brandi... Her friend was in front of her now. When did she move? Spring attempted to shake the haze
from her mind. Listing things always helped her cope. So, she recited it in her head.

(Flew to California for a photo shoot that might change my life.)

(Just landed at the airport.)

(Listened to my messages.)



(The one from Taylor, Stanley's niece, and assistant, saying that he was very pleased with the way the
photos turned out. One from Grams, saying that she had something important to discuss. Two from
Troy, who had some news to share. And...one from Dezmond.)

(Share a taxi with Brandi.)

(Go home...crawl in a corner to cry.)

"Spring, honey, what's wrong?" Brandi's tone, full of worry, pushed through to Spring.

Soft hands touched Spring's cheeks as brown eyes bore into hers. "Dezmond found out," she
whispered, sounding mechanical and unemotional.

"Oh no." Brandi embraced her.

Spring felt the warmth of friendship surround her. She knew she should be focused on the comfort and
compassion offered to her but all she could think of was...not dropping her phone.


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