A Taste of Spring

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."

Spencer...Joe," Brandi

really noticed Joe. He didn't speak to her much but when

tasty. Like ole dude up there with the baby blue eyes. I think he

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

It was Dez.

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

you had to leave the flowers in the hotel suite, though.

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

----------

SOMETIME LATER

drop it.

with the case, it is delicate. Wait...why am

her phone a

"What's wrong?"

to find Brandi. Her friend was watching her from the curb where she already flagged down a taxi. Spring noted the man putting

are sharing

to check her voicemail. Spring glanced around. She was mere feet away from the sliding doors, impeding

"Spring, what's wrong?"