The Winds of Autumn

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.

***

Chapter 5

As Autumn turned into Winter, leaving the trees bare as the leaves disappeared, the sun would still rise from the horizon, giving the people of the city hope as a brand-new day started. However, for one young woman, there was a time not too long ago, where she was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

A memory came to mind, almost a year prior, where she couldn't see the rays of hope, and unfortunately, there was no one around to help her see them either. She was alone in the kitchen, with tears working their way down her cheeks while she struggled to keep herself together.

Staring at the documents in front of her, she whispered, "I can't do this..." She then tossed the papers on the table, next to all the other messy piles that she didn't know what to do with. "I've already lost everything..."

She wanted nothing more than to breakdown and cry, but in that moment, she chose to be strong, in an attempt to make those who couldn't see her proud. Although she was too prideful to tell anyone about her situation, she quietly cried out, "If only someone would help..."

As one hand appeared, she reached out to grab it, but once it was firmly in her grasp, she could feel it suddenly drifting away. The hand then disappeared as the voices took over, explaining why they were no longer available.

"Sorry... someone else is moving in..."

"Can you pay more than that?"

"I know I said you could stay here for free but... something came up..."

And the worst of all...

"Since I'm letting you stay here for free... I know a way you can pay me back without money..."

Her eyes grew big in disgust as she found herself running away yet again. There was no one around who could understand her. There wasn't even anyone to lend her the help she needed.

As she ran off into the abyss, she cried to herself, "All I need is one helping hand..."

Out of nowhere, she woke up and let out a squeal. Startled, she looked around before realizing she was in bed, and Daniel was sitting next to her, with his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a look of concern on his face.

Breathing heavily, Emma quickly gathered herself as she looked him in the eyes. "Yeah... I'm okay..."

"Were you having a nightmare?"

"Um... I guess so... Why? Was I talking in my sleep?"

"You were kind of... crying..." Daniel explained as he noticed a teardrop slowly streaking down her cheek. Without thinking, he then wiped it from her face with his thumb. When her eyes grew wide from the shock of his actions, he quickly pulled his hand back and expressed, "Sorry!"

Daniel then retreated back to the blankets he had laid out on the floor next to the bed, where he had been sleeping since Emma moved in. As he turned his back away from the young woman, he expressed, "I'm glad you're okay... Goodnight..."

Noticing his genuine actions, a smile came to Emma's face as she struggled to keep herself from giggling. She then stared at him for several seconds, reminiscing about how her life had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time.

It was the middle of the night, and the sun would soon rise to start another day for the man and the woman. But as she rested there, with her eyes glued to his back, she realized how happy she already was... right there... in that moment.

"Thank you, Daniel...

... for being my helping hand."

***

The Day of the Banquet

Though neither Daniel nor Emma had any clarity on whether or not they were going on a date, they both continued with their plans to attend the annual company banquet. It wasn't the type of event Daniel normally went to, but with some encouragement from his new roommate, he showed up after hearing the news that he was receiving the Employee of the Year Award.

With Emma previously living in her tent, it had been some time since she attended a social event. Despite how nervous she was amongst the group of new faces, however, she thought it was important for them to go because she wanted to make sure Daniel was finally recognized for all his hard work.

It was a self-sacrificing moment for both of them. With the news that Daniel had been spotted out with a new young woman, his co-workers were dying to meet Emma. Though he would have much rather been home, it brought a little smile to his face to show up at the office with a woman he found so attractive.

Emma, too, was proud to show up with Daniel, not only because he was receiving an award, but also because she liked the idea of spending more time together. She didn't know the reason behind it, but she felt safe with him for some reason. He never once asked her to explain her situation. More importantly, he never cast judgment on her.

This time, fortunately, Emma chose not to wear her burger hut uniform, though she still didn't wear anything too fancy. Her best outfit was the white dress Daniel bought her, which she thought about wearing before changing into more subtle clothing once she realized how nervous she felt to wear it around him.

It wasn't that she disliked it or anything; she just wanted to make sure she lived up to his expectations since he thought so highly of the dress. Playing it safe, she wore a simple shirt and jacket to go along with some jeans she had recently purchased.

Unlike a normal day of work, Daniel decided to arrive late, since he felt no desire to interact with most of his co-workers outside of work. Slipping in, they found a spot in the corner before enjoying a couple of beverages together.

Since Emma wasn't much of a drinker, it only took one glass for her to loosen up and to enjoy Daniel's company, despite all the strangers surrounding them. Daniel also had a few drinks, and before he knew it, he was also enjoying himself as he pointed out his co-workers and explained to Emma who they were and how he would fix all their documents.

Eventually, they would be noticed by none other than Todd, who made his way over to greet them. Hearing the loud conversation influenced by the amount Todd had already consumed, several of their coworkers joined in on the get-together because they, too, were dying to meet the infamous new woman.

"Daniel, you actually made it!" they all cheered, each taking their turn to shake the devoted employee's hand. Then, they quickly forced him to introduce his guest, since they were so eager to meet her.

"Everyone, this is Emma," Daniel started, careful not to reveal any of her private situation. He carefully explained, "We met about two months ago, and we've been... hanging out... ever since..."

Though Emma was already blushing, her face became even redder as the men pressed for more information. "Hanging out?!" they asked, begging for juicier details. "Do you mean you guys have been dating?"

As Daniel started to stutter over his words, Emma practically hid her face because she was nervous for his answer.

I wonder what he's going to say,

she thought to herself, since she, too, didn't know how to answer the question.

I want to speak up and save him, but I don't know how to respond either!

Before the conversation could go any further, their boss made an announcement, bringing everything to a halt. She thanked everyone for attending the annual event and made sure to let them know there was plenty of food and drinks to go around, so she wanted the employees to enjoy themselves.

Seeing the opportunity to escape the awkward situation, Daniel glanced over at Emma and offered, "I'll grab a couple of plates of food for us." If he was confident about one thing, it was the foods Emma liked to eat. By now, they had shared so many meals together, mostly from her offering to cook for him, that he knew exactly what would make her stomach happy.

As he went over to the food table, a few of his co-workers followed him, much to his relief. It's not that he wanted their company; he was just glad to take the attention away from his sweet guest after noticing how shy she was around the others.

While Daniel happily filled a plate for Emma with all the food he thought she enjoyed and deserved, Todd took the opportunity to speak to him. "She sure is cute," the co-worker expressed, much to the agreement of the other guys. "Why didn't you tell us she was such a looker? You've been holding out on us!"

With the guys chuckling, Daniel immediately became the one red in the face now that he was being confronted by some of the others with the questions he hadn't worked out in his own mind. Of course, he knew Emma was cute, but what they were really figuring out was if he was dating her. Though he knew for a fact he wasn't her boyfriend, he hadn't even considered pursuing her due to the complicated situation she was in.

Before Daniel could put any further thought into his personal feelings for Emma, his attention had been captured by another woman, who was fast approaching. It was Jamie, looking even more refined than normal.

Instead of her normal work clothes, she wore a small dress that showed off her petite frame. And although she always wore makeup, it was obvious that on this particular day, she had paid extra attention to making sure her face was picture perfect.

"Hey, Daniel," she said, as the surrounding men created an opening while admiring her beauty. Then, as she approached, she smiled and expressed, "I hope things between you and me are still good, despite that little spat we had the other day."

Daniel remained wide-eyed now that he was being confronted in such an innocent demeanor. "Oh, hey, Jamie... We're good... I think..."

The others looked back and forth, noticing the awkward tension amongst the man and woman. "Did something happen between you two?" one asked.

"Nothing happened between us," she said with a smirk. "I just saw him shopping with his little Burger Hut girl and he got all defensive."

"Burger Hut girl?!" the curious crowd asked, looking on with shocked expressions.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? That's where his guest works. She was in full uniform when I saw them."

"Is that true, Daniel?!"

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss this," he advised, hoping to shut down any further conversation that would involve Emma's troubled history. He then turned his attention towards Jamie and asked, "Shouldn't you be worried about Chaz and his wife instead of me and Emma?"

Jamie snarled, but before she could respond with a comeback, Daniel simply left the conversation and returned to Emma with the plates of food. While they were together, the others didn't bother asking about what they had just discovered. Instead, they respected Emma's time with Daniel, since they were secretly cheering him on.

Eventually, what was turning into a pleasant night for Daniel and Emma was once again interrupted, this time by the regional manager of the company. "Before everyone gets too much alcohol in them, I want to go ahead and honor one of our employees," he started, gaining everyone's undivided attention. Holding up a plaque, he then turned his attention towards the hard-working man and urged, "Come on up here, Daniel!"

Immediately, all of his fellow employees began clapping, but as Daniel stood up, it was Emma who was the happiest, showing her genuine delight by patting him on both shoulders and cheering for him out loud. Although he appreciated the reception, especially from his special guest, Daniel didn't show much of a reaction as he approached his manager to accept his award.

"By now, I'm sure some of you have heard the rumors that Daniel here is being awarded the Employee of the Year," the manager started, before shaking his employee's hand and giving him the plaque. "I guess it's been the worst kept secret because everyone knows how much he has helped out his fellow employees. And on behalf of the entire company, I want to show Daniel how much we appreciate him."

Neither the award nor his fellow employees applauding him created much of a reaction on Daniel's face. However, as his eyes met Emma's, and he witnessed the joy it brought her, seeing him be so successful, he finally cracked a smile. Then, as he returned to his table, he even shared a laugh with her as she gave him a small congratulatory hug.

Unfortunately, once the employees started to mingle again, what started off as a positive night for Daniel would quickly go downhill. While a few others approached his table to congratulate him for the award, Jamie stopped by with a different message in mind.

Instead of focusing her attention on the award winner, Jamie spoke directly to Emma, saying, "Oh, it's you!" Then, with a fake smile and a pretentious laugh, she continued, "I didn't recognize you outside of your Burger Hut outfit! I didn't even know you had other clothes."

Immediately, Emma could sense the disdain growing in Daniel's demeanor. However, as he tried to speak up for her, she quickly calmed him down, saying, "It's okay, Daniel. You don't have to feel obligated to defend me."

Emma remained calm as she turned her attention towards the woman that was attempting to insult her. "Yes, I do work at Burger Hut," she explained in an almost carefree manner. "I don't mind people seeing me in that outfit, but Daniel asked me to wear something different, and since this is his big day, I was honored to accompany him wearing whatever he requested."

Although Emma's response did not show any cattiness, she still created quite the reaction from the others after nonchalantly admitting she worked at the fast-food restaurant. Questions started raining in from all sides, asking for more details about her background. However, she quickly grew uncomfortable and became too nervous to answer the barrage of questions.

Finally, one question came in that she found a strong sense to answer. "So, is that where you two met?" Todd asked, as the entire group went quiet and focused on the shy woman. "Did Daniel meet you at work one day and ask you for your number?"

Though her heart raced, Emma was compelled to express to the others what a great deed the man had done for her. "Actually, he saw me stranded in the woods, and he saved me... I was living in a tent at the time, and a big storm destroyed all my stuff..."

Immediately, Jamie reacted by laughing belligerently. "You're homeless?!" she yelled, causing the entire room to stare at their table. "That's your story?! You were homeless, and Daniel took you in like a stray dog?!"

"Shut up!" Daniel responded, now furious that his co-worker had compared his new companion to an animal. "It wasn't like that at all!"

Surprisingly, as furious as Daniel was, Emma just gave him a comforting smile before correcting him. "Actually... that's basically what happened. I was down on my luck, and Daniel sort of saved me. I'm very grateful he came into my life."

Unfortunately, Daniel didn't get the opportunity to appreciate the sincerity of Emma's words because the others immediately bombarded her with questions again. They were desperate to know how she ended up homeless, and how she convinced him to let her stay at his place to begin with. It all felt too personal in Daniel's mind, and he did not appreciate the sexual connotations of his co-workers' questions.

Despite the brave face Emma continued to wear, Daniel could no longer watch as the others so insensitively pried into her troubling past. Grabbing her by the hand, he announced to the others, "I'm not going to stay here and watch you all treat my guest so disrespectfully," before leading towards the exit. However, before they could completely leave, he asked her to wait for him before reentering the office so he could confront his boss.

With his award in hand, Daniel displayed it to the manager and asked, "Does this even come with anything?"

"What do you mean?" his boss asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Employee of the Year Award. Is there any monetary value to it? Do I get a raise? Does this guarantee me some sort of promotion?"

"Daniel... where is all this coming from?"

"I've been here for years, and I've always done more than I've been required to. I even check over everyone else's work, even though that's a supervisor's job. But year after year, I get rejected for whatever promotions I put in for. And now, even after you admitted I help everyone in the office, all I get is this little plaque? What good is it to me if I don't get any extra money from it?"

"Daniel... this is a prestigious award!" the manager explained, now flustered as she was being questioned by the normally subordinate employee. "It doesn't directly result in a raise or a promotion, but the next time you put in for something, we'll have to take this award into consideration."

"That sounds like bullshit!" Daniel responded, shaking his head in disappointment. "It sounds like you just want me to keep doing everyone's job for less money than I actually deserve. That's why you gave me this award. It was to appease me, so I wouldn't ask for more."

"That's not it!"

"We'll see about that, because I'm done doing everyone else's work for them. After the way everyone treated my guest, and the way you gave me this dumb award with no incentive... I'm no longer doing anyone else's work until I'm treated the way I deserve."

Before his boss could even attempt to further argue that the award wasn't just some sort of charade, Daniel stormed off, heading back towards the exit. While the others attempted to stop him so they could apologize for prying in on Emma's personal life, he just continued past them, not even giving so much as a glance to those who didn't matter to him.

His only priority in that moment was Emma. He just wanted to get her out of that situation by taking her home... their home.

***

After what was a mostly quiet ride, the two found themselves back at the apartment. During the drive, Daniel attempted several times to apologize for what happened, but Emma repeatedly assured him that it wasn't his fault and that she wasn't bothered at all. With the apologies seemingly so unimportant to her, he didn't really know what else to say.

Instead of going in, Emma remained outside, where she rested her arms against the railing and thought about her life. This was a familiar feeling for her. It was the same place she stood as she thought about her life when Daniel first let her stay over, except now he was by her side instead of sleeping inside of his car.

The moon was bright, and the air was brisk, yet both were too encapsulated with their own thoughts to even notice the weather on that cold night. Still, Daniel could hardly come up with anything to say as he stared at Emma, who was smiling off into the distance.

Finally, it was Emma who spoke up while gazing up at the stars. "Maybe I shouldn't have come tonight. I ended up being quite the distraction on your big day."

"Don't say that... If anything, we shouldn't have come at all... I don't care about that award."

"You don't?"

"Of course I don't," Daniel answered, with his head down. "I've realized that awards and other types of affirmations are meaningless if it doesn't change the way you're treated... I've never liked the way they've treated me, and I especially didn't like the way they treated you today..."

"Your co-workers were just concerned," Emma responded with a smile. Then, finally turning her eyes towards Daniel, she continued, "But they were right to be worried, you know?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, Daniel... This whole time... you've been so patient and understanding with me. You took me in and treated me well... And you never even expected anything in return..."