Page 17 of When Love Becomes A Need
“Well, hopefully you find someone to make all that happen for you. You and your high school sweetheart don’t keep in touch?”
Autumn’s face dropped. “No, we did for a while, but he was a big basketball star on campus. Girls flocked to him and he ate it up. We just kind of grew apart. I started seeing him post girls on his social media, so I blocked him to protect myself. Haven’t talked to or seen him since.”
Listening to Autumn, I could hear her ex still held a lot of value in her life. Just the way she spoke on him showed she still loved him. The way she was feeling right now, the reason for her not speaking to ole’ boy, is the exact reason why I prefer to stay single.
Men always want their cake and eat it too. It didn’t matter if they had a whole family at home or someone that loved them in their corner; they would still step out and do their thing.
“Enough about that though!” Autumn’s bubbliness came back and she was smiling again.
“What was up with you earlier?”
Sighing, the rejection I experienced earlier came rushing back into my mind.
“Just got some bad news that I wasn’t expecting.” I grabbed the top of the straw and twirled it around the glass.
“What happened?”
I stared at Autumn. She reminded me so much of Isabella. Always trying to cheer someone else up, pushy as hell, and always in a good mood.
“I went to an interview for a photography job and got turned down.” Looking down at the food, I suddenly lost my appetite.
It seemed like I couldn’t catch a break. Every time something positive in my life seemed to be happening, I got knocked back ten feet.
“You’re a photographer?”
I nodded. “Well, according to Mr. Jacobs, I’m a hobbyist.” I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat.
“Do you have any of your work on you?” Grabbing my purse off the back of the chair I was sitting in, I took the portfolio out and handed it to Autumn.
“They’re nothing special,” I warned her.
Autumn grabbed the portfolio and set it on the table. She flipped it open and went through the photos.
Normally I felt joy when I finally showed off my pictures, but right now I didn’t feel anything. The joy I used to get off my work was gone; the spark had been extinguished.
“Fatima, these are really good!” Autumn finally said, looking up at me.
I waved her off. “Not good enough for a big company to want to hire me.” My shoulders hunched over.
“Then that company is crazy! Who is this? She’s really pretty!” I looked at the picture and smiled.
“My best friend, Isabella.”
“She models?”
I nodded.
“She signed with anyone?”
“Nope, we’re both at a standstill right now.”
Autumn looked through the pictures again.
“I may have a job for the two of you.” I stared at her curiously.
“I own a boutique. I have a decent following and get good traffic, but I want more. See if she will model some clothes for my summer line, and you can shoot the photos.”
“Autumn, you don’t even know us. Why would you do that?”
