The Winds of Autumn Ch. 01-02

Warning: This is a slow burn novel that doesn't have much sex in it, especially at the beginning. Though there are temptations at the beginning, the actual sexual themes don't really get going until later on in the story. It's a bit different from one of my normal stories. If you are wanting really raunchy sexy, this probably isn't your story. This is much more of a love novel.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

As the winds came in, the leaves that were already losing their color fell from the trees before swirling through the air. What had been a warm Autumn was finally starting to change as a crisp smell in the atmosphere set in. But just like any other day, the sun rose and spread its rays on all the plants, roads, and buildings. And just as the sun awakened, so too did a young woman and a young man, to start another normal day in their separate lives.

Two souls, so close yet so far away. They both lived in the same city, yet had never met each other before. Their paths had probably crossed once or twice, but they were both so consumed with their own lives, they had no idea the other even existed.

The girl pulled herself out of her tent to stretch and take in the surrounding nature, despite her messy hair and her morning breath. The boy rolled around in bed a few times, hitting snoozing his alarms until he got the last bit of satisfaction he could achieve from staying under the covers.

She went into a public restroom in the park to wash her face with water and to throw her hair into a neat ponytail. He stumbled his way through his studio apartment until he made it to the restroom to shave and shower.

After making it back to the tent, she played some music on her phone while packing a couple of items for the day. Putting on his tie, he listened to some audio notes he had recorded that would help him with his work projects.

While she drank the lukewarm coffee she saved in a thermos from the previous morning, he drank the fresh coffee he brewed from his cheap machine. And while he decided to skip breakfast because he felt he was more alert on an empty stomach, she pulled out a half-eaten burger from her backpack that she had also been saving from the day before.

She walked to the burger restaurant, where she found a seat and popped open her laptop. He drove to his office, where he took a seat at his cubicle and turned on his computer. She pretended to smile as she posted selfies on social media, making it look like she was studying for class. He pretended to smile as others distracted him from his work so he could help them with theirs.

When she was done playing pretend on her computer, a small frown came over her face as she checked her bank account. She used her last few dollars to pay down one of several loans that were bearing down on her shoulders. She then let out a sigh as she went to the restroom, washed up a bit at the sink, and then put on her uniform so she could start her shift.

Once he was done pretending he didn't mind helping others with their projects when he had his own to worry about, an empty look came over his face as his supervisor asked him to stay late. He just nodded his head before letting out a sigh as he returned to his desk.

He and she lived close to each other, but he and she had never met. And even though they both thought they had things figured out, HE and SHE had no idea what was really missing from their lives.

***

Finally, back at his computer, the man took a seat and let out a deep breath before trying to figure out where he left off. However, after spending so much time helping others, he was having a difficult time getting refocused.

Suddenly, he became distracted once again as a pretty woman from the office walked past his cubicle. He tried not to stare too hard, but his coworker that sat closest to him noticed the way his eyes locked onto her.

"Hey, Dan... are you still interested in Jamie?" his friend, Todd, asked, grabbing his attention." You haven't really been talking about her lately."

Quickly taking his eyes off the woman, he now focused on his male coworker. "I'm still interested... but I doubt she is..."

"Do you guys even talk?"

"Yeah, but it's mostly work related... I'm actually staying late to help her today."

"I thought you were staying late because the boss told you to look over our stuff."

"Yeah, that too... but Jamie needs extra help. She asked me yesterday and I agreed."

Todd laughed for a second before rolling his eyes. "Man, you have to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You need to stop being so nice to people. That's why you get taken advantage of. Start saying no every once in a while."

Daniel sat there for a second and contemplated the suggestion. Then, shrugging his shoulders, he responded, "No, it's fine. It's not like I had plans today, anyway."

"That's exactly the attitude people take advantage of," Todd pointed out. "And that's probably why Jamie isn't that interested in you."

Suddenly, Daniel's eyes lit up. "Wait... did she say she wasn't interested in me?"

"Not exactly. I've just heard that she and Chaz have been talking a lot lately."

"Chaz?" the man repeated with a confused look. "That can't be right. Isn't he married?"

"Not everyone has the same moral code that you do. Unfortunately for you, girls are more interested in dirtbags like him than they are pushovers like you."

"Thanks, Todd," Daniel quietly responded as he nodded his head. "You really know how to cheer a guy up."

"I'm only telling you what you need to hear. Come on, Man. You're thirty-years-old and you're single. You also do the most work around here and you've never been promoted. Isn't it possible that you're the one with the incorrect line of thinking?"

"I guess... but maybe my fortune will change someday..."

Suddenly, the woman they were just speaking about, Jamie, stopped at Daniel's desk, almost startling him. Playing with her long dark hair, she looked down at him and smiled.

"Uh... hi, Jamie..." Daniel greeted, rotating himself in his chair towards the voluptuous woman.

"Hey, Daniel... I have a question for you."

"Yeah, what's up?"

Still twirling her hair, she smiled at the man as she made her request. "I was just wondering... would you like to go out for dinner tonight? You know, since you're going to be helping me with my work and all, I figured I could treat you."

"Uh... treat me?"

"Yeah, it's the least I can do after all the help you've given me."

"Um... sure... That sounds great, actually."

"Great! There's this awesome sushi place nearby. Would you like to check it out once we are done?"

"Yeah, I like sushi..."

"Okay, great!" the cute woman responded before waving goodbye and heading back to her cubicle.

Todd, who had watched the whole thing unfold right before him, needed a moment to gather his thoughts. "Well, that was quite surprising," he started, chuckling to himself. "Maybe you're not hopeless after all?"

Although Daniel was a little red in the cheeks, he just shrugged his shoulders and spoke nonchalantly, "Yeah, we'll see how it goes."

"Don't fuck this up, Man," Todd said as he quickly changed his demeanor. Pointing straight at Daniel with a serious look in his eyes, he continued, "No more Mister Nice Guy tonight, okay? This might be your one shot with Jamie."

"So what does that mean? Do you want me to be a scumbag?"

"If the opportunity presents itself, you should totally take advantage of the situation. Women have been taking advantage of guys like you forever. It's time you think about yourself for once."

Staring across the room at Jamie, Daniel thought about all the possibilities that could come from that night. Still, he couldn't bring himself to the idea of taking advantage of a woman who just asked to take him out for dinner.

"I don't think she's trying to take advantage of me," he explained in a somber voice. "I think she's just grateful for my help. I'm not going to try to get her drunk just so I can sleep with her."

"But if she does it on her own...?"

"Then I'll have to assess the situation," Daniel answered, furrowing his eyebrows like he was annoyed.

"Whatever you say, Dan. Just make sure you're assertive tonight. At least tell her what you want. I mean, does she even know you like her? If you tell her, she might stop talking to Chaz."

"I'm pretty sure she's smart enough not to think of Chaz like that..."

"You never know, Man. The heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes there's no logic to what women want."

Daniel just sat there, staring at his co-worker with a deadpan face. After a few seconds of silence, he simply replied, "I'll keep that in mind, Todd."

"Alright, Bro," Todd replied as he refocused on his work computer. However, after a few seconds of clicking around, he looked back at Daniel and asked, "Oh and... do you mind helping me with these TP reports?"

"I thought you just told me to stop letting people take advantage of me."

"Yeah, but... I'm not like a chick who takes advantage of you..."

"Whatever..." the man responded, letting out a loud sigh. "Fine, I'll help you..."

***

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, order as much as you'd like," Jamie said, sitting across the table from Daniel. "You've done so much to help me. I'd like to repay you in any way I can."

"This is all pretty expensive," Daniel said, looking up and down at the menu. Putting it down, he gazed into the eyes of the girl sitting across from him. "I don't really mind helping you though, so don't feel obligated to pay me back."

"You kind of help everyone in the office. I don't want you to feel like we're taking advantage of you."

"I don't really feel that way... but I guess it would be nice if the upper staff didn't know I was capable of fixing everyone's portfolios..."

Jamie let out a little laugh as she put her menu aside on the table. "Please don't feel being too good at your job is a bad thing. I think of it more as a blessing."

It's only a good thing if you get promoted, Daniel thought to himself before attempting to change the subject. He then peeked outside and noticed it started raining before returning his gaze back to Jamie and asking her about her day.

Once the rolls and the sake came out, they rumbled and bumbled their way through a bit of an awkward conversation. Daniel was a bit nervous because he was afraid of messing his chances up, especially after his conversation with Todd. Jamie, on the other hand, was more than happy to carry the conversation by talking about herself.

At one point, the pretty co-worker decided to ask Daniel a question about himself. "Hey, are you okay, by the way?"

In a soft monotone voice, Daniel asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well... like... THAT!"

"That?"

"Yeah... just the way you talk... Your voice always sounds kind of dead... and you hardly ever smile. Are you going through something right now?"

It's not that I can't smile; I just really haven't had a reason to lately, the man thought to himself silently. But realizing that answer would bring down the mood of their dinner date, he simply responded, "I think I'm just tired from all the work I've been doing lately."

Jamie, of course, was concerned by that answer and apologized on behalf of her co-workers for all the work he had been doing for them lately. She then continued to be nice to him, offering him more food and drinks, all of which he declined.

They finished their dinner date with Daniel feeling a bit too guilty to order anything expensive. He made the excuse that he had a big lunch, and that he wasn't used to eating so late.

Daniel did enjoy the food, but what he appreciated the most was spending time with his beautiful co-worker. After having a crush on her for years, and thinking it wasn't going anywhere, it meant a lot to him that she offered to take him out.

Realizing this was his best opportunity to advance to the next stage in their relationship, he thought back to his conversation with Todd and decided to be assertive. Just as they were about to leave, he grabbed Jamie's attention so he could ask her out on a future date.

"Hey, Jamie," he started as they awkwardly looked into each other's eyes. "I know I might not seem happy all the time, but I really enjoyed this."

"Thanks! I'm glad I was able to make you happy today."

"Yeah... if you're willing, I'd like to do this more often. Maybe next time I can treat you?"

Although his heart was already racing, it only pumped harder once he noticed an uncomfortable look coming over Jamie's face. After squirming for a few seconds, she asked him, "Do you mean... like an actual date?"

I don't like the direction this is going, but let's give Todd's advice a try, Daniel thought to himself. I might as well tell her what I want for once.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head and further explained, "I've had a crush on you for a while because I think you're really pretty and nice. So, yeah... an actual date..."

Jamie became flustered for a moment, looking around for an answer as she squirmed in her seat. Then after collecting herself, she just looked into the eyes of her longtime co-worker and responded, "I appreciate that but..."

Shit... Daniel thought to himself.

"I've just never thought of you like that... and if I'm being honest... I'm already sort of dating Chaz..."

"Chaz? The one who's married?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

"Yeah... he and his wife are going through a divorce right now," Jamie explained, seeming as if she was not only trying to convince Daniel, but also trying to convince herself that things would work out. "They haven't finished filing all the paperwork, but he's practically single now."

There was no reaction on Daniel's face. He just sat there for a second, collecting his thoughts as he stared at Jamie.

"I'm really sorry to let you down," she said with a smile. "It was really sweet of you to make your confession to me like that. I never expected that from you! It's just that Chaz and I have been talking for so long, and we have so much in common... We actually..."

From that point, Jamie continued talking, but Daniel completely zoned out. He became lost in his own thoughts, only nodding every few seconds so she would think he was paying attention to what she was saying.

Once Jamie was done talking, Daniel simply nodded his head and replied, "That makes total sense. Well, thanks for dinner. The rain is picking up, so we might as well get going."

"Thanks for being so understanding," Jamie said with a cute smile. "And I hope this doesn't make things awkward enough that I can't ask you for help in the office."

There it is... Daniel thought to himself. That's why she took me out...

***

Driving back to his little studio apartment, Daniel remembered that Todd wanted an update on how the date went. Although he didn't really feel like talking, he figured if he didn't call, his co-worker would call him, anyway.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he called, and when Todd answered, he explained, "Hey, you were right; she's dating Chaz."

"The married guy?"

"The married guy."

"I'm sorry, Pal. You're probably feeling down, aren't you?"

Shrugging his shoulders as he kept his eyes on the road, Daniel answered, "Not really..."

"You're in denial, Bud," Todd said with a chuckle. Trying to cheer his co-worker up, he then offered, "I'm going out with a couple of friends to the bar tonight. You should definitely join in to get your mind off Jamie."

"Eh... I'd rather not. It's nice of you too offer, but I think I'll just stay in and drink at my place."

"Damn, Dude. That sounds so depressing."

I actually enjoy it a lot... Daniel thought, before giving his actual response. "I think I'll be okay."

"All right, but if you change your mind, the offer is still on the table."

After getting off the phone with Todd, Daniel reached his apartment and stepped out of the car. There, he looked around at the clouds as he noticed a break in the rain.

He checked the weather forecast as he walked into his little studio. After taking a few drinks straight from his bottle of whiskey, he checked the weather forecast and saw that it would resume raining again shortly.

Grabbing an umbrella and his raincoat, he stepped outside to take a walk. There was a small trail, mostly used for biking and running, right next to his apartment that he liked to walk down when there was a lot on his mind. Like many days before, he walked down the path, questioning the importance of his morals.

***

Staring from behind the counter, the young woman watched on with a helpless face as the rain drops slammed against the restaurant windows. She was lost in her own thoughts, staring at all the clouds in the sky.

Without her noticing, a man approached from the other side of the counter. "Hello...? May I order?"

"Oh!" the girl reacted, snapping out of her deep thoughts. "Yeah... welcome to a Burger Hut! May I take your order?"

The customer chuckled before asking, "Were you distracted by the rain or something?"

"Uh... yeah... I just can't believe it's raining so hard."

"Yeah, it hasn't rained in several months, but it's Autumn now, so you can definitely expect more of that."

Squirming in place, the woman asked, "Er... do you know... if it's going to rain all night?"

The man looked at his phone and checked the weather for her. "It looks like it's going to rain on and off for a while. We should get a little break here soon, but then it's going to come down pretty hard after that."

A worried look came over the young woman's face as an image of the tent popped into her mind. Oh... crap... she silently thought.

"Well, if it's okay with you, I'd like to place my order," the customer proposed.

"Oh, right!"

"I'll take a number one with a Coke."

"Would you like to super size it?"

***

Once the rain had come to a temporary stop, the girl rushed to the back to find her supervisor. When she ran into him, she frantically asked, "Hey... do you mind if I'm the first one cut today?"

The supervisor looked down at the girl and noticed the panic in her eyes. "It isn't like you to leave early, Emma... You usually try to stay as late as possible. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah... um... I just remembered that I need to take care of something... but no need to worry about me!"

"Well... I guess it's fine with me. You could use a break, anyway."

"I'll be back early tomorrow. I promise!"

The girl thanked her boss before rushing out of the store and running across town. She stopped at each intersection, waiting with heavy angst for the sign that allowed her to cross. She even ran in place while she was waiting for cars to pass, hoping to keep her legs warmed up.

Unfortunately, when she finally got to the park, the rain started to pick back up. She sprinted down the biking and running trail until she got to the turnoff point where her tent was hidden.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap... she thought to herself, as she dodged the trees, searching for her camping site. Please be okay. Please be okay...

Although Emma had run through these woods several times before, this was the first time she had done so while it was muddy. Not used to the conditions, her foot got caught in the mud and she fell face first, getting her work uniform dirty. She then quickly got back to her feet and continued towards her camping area.

Once there, Emma came to a complete stop as she witnessed her worst fear. A large branch had fallen on her tent, crushing it and possibly everything inside.

Oh no, oh no, she said to herself as she ran to the branch and tried to move it from her tent. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she struggled, it wouldn't budge an inch.