Summer Preston
"I know—that's why I booked the venue months in advance to avoid this exact problem. So why am I now dealing with the issue I worked to prevent?"
I pressed the phone to my ear, pacing around in my office. The venue owner had just called to inform me that another event had been scheduled on the same day as the premiere. Their double booking wasn't my problem, but it had quickly become my headache.
"We understand your frustration—"
"Will I be able to host the premiere there or not?" I interrupted, my patience hanging by a thread.
"I'm afraid not. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience—"
I hung up mid-sentence, tossing my phone onto the desk as a frustrated groan escaped my lips. Three weeks. I had three weeks to find a new venue.
The rest of the day became a blur of phone calls. After what felt like endless rejections, I finally secured Orion Palace Theatre. It was a blessing in disguise: the venue boasted the perfect theater size, plus indoor and outdoor event spaces—ideal for the red carpet and press. I didn't hesitate to book it and pay in full.
When I called my interior designers with the change of plans, they were unfazed. In fact, they sounded thrilled. "We can do even more with this space. Trust us, it'll look incredible," they assured me. I settled on a clean and elegant white, gold, and nude palette to keep the look timeless.
With the caterers confirmed and everything else falling into place, I sent a message to the group chat.
The premiere is officially set at Orion Palace Theatre. It's going to be stunning.
I had just sent out the group chat update when my phone buzzed with a new text from Adrianna.
Adrianna: Omg I can't wait to go to LA!
Before I could respond, another message popped up.
Adrianna: I'm so excited! I need to find a plus one.
And then, as if to reassure herself:
Adrianna: I always have options.
I rolled my eyes, amused, as Nolan jumped into the conversation.
Nolan: Please, Adrianna. We all know you're bringing whoever's "in rotation" this week.
Adrianna: Excuse you, Nolan. I have standards.
The banter was cut short by another text from Adrianna, this time addressed only to me.
Adrianna: Omg, invite Solené
I blinked at the screen.
Why would I do that?
Adrianna: Because it's obvious you like her, and this is the perfect chance to spend more time together. Duh.
I sighed, the familiar mix of annoyance and affection only Adrianna could evoke settling in. She wasn't wrong, but it still made me feel a little exposed.
After a moment's hesitation, I caved.
I opened Solène's chat and quickly typed:
Hey, Solène. I'd love for you to come to the premiere in a few weeks. I'll send you all the details if you're free. It'd be great to see you there.
I hit send and stared at my phone, wondering if Adrianna was secretly a genius or if I'd just walked into a situation more complicated than I was ready for.
My phone buzzed a few minutes later, and my heart jumped when I saw Solène's name on the screen.
Solené: Hey! That sounds amazing. I'd love to come. Just let me know the time and place.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I hadn't expected her to respond so quickly—or so enthusiastically.
Great! I'll send you all the details soon. Can't wait to see you there.
I stared at the screen for a moment, feeling a strange mix of relief and excitement. Before I could overthink it, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Adrianna.
Adrianna: Sooo? Did she say yes?
I rolled my eyes.
Yes. You're insufferable.
Adrianna: You're welcome.
Another text came through, this time from Nolan in the group chat.
Nolan: Why do I feel like Adrianna is meddling again?
Adrianna: Because I am. And it's working.
I shook my head, laughing under my breath. Adrianna might be relentless, but sometimes her meddling wasn't the worst thing in the world.
For the first time in weeks, I felt a little less overwhelmed and a lot more excited about the premiere. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.
The rest of my day had been productive but exhausting. After hours of making adjustments for the premiere, I finally felt things were falling into place. Still, I needed a few things for dinner, so I made a quick trip to the nearby supermarket.
I was standing in the produce aisle, deliberating over a bag of spinach, when I heard a familiar voice.
"Summer?"
I turned to see Solené, dressed casually in jeans and a loose sweater, a small basket hanging from her arm. She looked relaxed and effortlessly put-together in a way that made my stomach do an annoying little flip.
"Oh, hey," I said, trying not to sound surprised—or overly pleased.
"Didn't expect to see you here," she said, stepping closer.
"Yeah, just grabbing a few things for dinner," I replied. "What about you?"
"Same. I was planning on ordering takeout, but I figured I should at least attempt something home-cooked for once." She smiled, her tone light, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let me guess," I teased. "Pasta?"
Her eyes lit up, and she laughed. "Wow, called me out immediately. What gave it away?"
"Lucky guess," I said with a shrug, though I could easily picture her tossing together some kind of Pinterest-worthy pasta dish.
"Wait, what about you?" she asked. "Do you actually cook, or are you a 'fancy takeout every night' kind of person?"
I rolled my eyes. "I can cook, thank you very much. Tonight it's just something quick, though. I've been running around all day, trying to finalize things for the premiere."
"How's everything going?"
"It's... better now," I admitted. "The venue issue was a nightmare, but I think I've got everything back on track."
"That sounds stressful," she said with a small frown. "But knowing you, it's going to be amazing. You've probably planned everything down to the last detail."
Her confidence in me sent a warm flutter through my chest, but before I could respond, I noticed the way she shifted her stance slightly. My eyes flicked down, catching a glimpse of something colorful behind her back.
It was subtle, but enough to make me curious. "What are you hiding?" I asked, narrowing my eyes playfully.
"Hiding?" she repeated, her voice rising just slightly as her free hand brushed against her hip. "I'm not hiding anything."
"Solené," I said, tilting my head. "What's behind your back?"
Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she sighed, clearly caught. With a hesitant movement, she turned slightly, revealing the bouquet of flowers she'd been holding.
Deep red roses peeked out from the wrapping paper, and for a moment, I froze.
"Oh," I said, my voice coming out quieter than I intended.
"They're just flowers," she said quickly, her tone almost defensive, though her cheeks had turned a faint shade of pink. "It's not a big deal."
Something sharp and unwelcome twisted in my chest. She's getting flowers for someone else.
"Well," I said, my tone clipped, "they're nice. I'm sure whoever they're for will love them."
Her brows furrowed slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." I turned back to the shelf in front of me, suddenly uninterested in continuing the conversation. "I should go. I've got a lot to do."
"Summer, wait."
Her voice was firm, and before I could step away, she reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"Fuck, Summer," she said, exhaling sharply. "The flowers are for you."
I blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"
She sighed, bringing the bouquet out from behind her back and holding it between us. "I was going to put together something nice and bring it to you. For the premiere, or just... because. But I couldn't figure out the right ones to pick, so now it's just this random mess."
I stared at the bouquet, the color blurring slightly as I processed her words. "You got these for me?"
"Yes." Her voice softened, and her hand fell from my arm. "I thought it might brighten your day. But then you started acting all weird, and I—"
"I wasn't acting weird," I said quickly, though my cheeks were burning.
"You absolutely were," she shot back, though her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "And now I feel ridiculous."
"You shouldn't," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I reached out, brushing my fingers against the bouquet before taking it from her hands. "They're beautiful. Thank you."
Her expression softened, and for a moment, we just stood there, the noise of the supermarket fading into the background.
Solené smiled as I held the bouquet, her eyes scanning my face. Just as I brought the deep red roses closer to admire them, she reached out suddenly.
"Wait! I still have to pay for them," she said, gently tugging the bouquet back.
I blinked, momentarily thrown. "You gave me flowers you didn't even pay for?" I teased, folding my arms.
"I was going to," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I just... got distracted when I saw you."
"Uh-huh."
She tucked the bouquet back into her arm, her cheeks flushed as she avoided my gaze. "Actually, I wasn't even supposed to buy these here. I was going to order flowers online and have them sent to your house. But then I realized..." She hesitated, her voice softening. "I didn't know your new address."
Her words caught me off guard, and I stared at her for a moment. "You were going to send me roses?"
"Yes." She fidgeted slightly, brushing her thumb over the edge of a petal. "I wanted to send something meaningful. I even had a vase picked out and a card I was going to write, but I wasn't sure where to send them."
I blinked, a mix of surprise and warmth spreading through me. The idea of her going out of her way to send me flowers—to think about it so carefully—made my chest feel oddly tight.
"You could've just asked for my address," I said softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to make it awkward," she admitted, glancing at me. "And now look where we are."
We both laughed, the tension between us dissolving like it had never been there.
"I'll be right back," she said, gesturing to the checkout counter. "Unless you're planning to steal these from me before I can pay for them."
I smirked. "No promises."
As she walked to the register, I watched her go, the red roses vivid against her hands. The jealousy from earlier now seemed silly—childish, even. All of it melted into something warmer, something that made me realize I didn't need to second-guess her intentions.
She wasn't hiding anything from me. If anything, she was laying it all out in front of me—roses and all.