Hi Guys, Rayden here.

Welcome to another amazing story.

This is a love story. A romantic one. The kind of passionate love that triumphs the quest for Power.

I'll be entering this story into the LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO contest. So I'll need you all to leave an honest review or comment. Or an emoji even. I care about what you think and how you feel.

I'll be posting updates about the story on my FB page @ Rayden Writes. You can check it out if you like.

So here we go, Enjoy the ride........

SUMMER

It was 5.00 am on April 14, in Washington DC when Summer’s alarm went off. That’s how early she had to wake up ever since she got into law school three years ago. But on this particular morning, the alarm didn’t wake her. Because she had already been awake.

Summer had woken up at 3.00 am that morning. She hadn’t even gotten much sleep before then. She had spent the better part of the previous day, prepping for her interview.

Summer was interviewing at the biggest law firm in Washington DC, Barber & Barber LLP. And she couldn’t afford to ‘not get in. Barber & Barber offered paid internship spots to law students or recent graduates of law. Summer had been trying to get an internship at a reputable firm and this opportunity had gracefully ‘fallen on her laps’.

Summer’s friend and roommate at Harvard law, Ava, had helped summer secure the interview spot. Ava came from a top political family in Washington, DC. Her parents had put in a word on Summer’s behalf. And she had gotten the interview invite.

Barber & Barber had flown summer from Boston, where her school was, to Washington. It was her first time in the country’s capital city.

Summer needed this position. And she had every intention to get it. She felt ready mentally, she was after all an honors student. She knew the law like the back of her hand, but she was still nervous. Which was expected. It was after all, Barber & Barber.

Summer let out a loud yawn after her alarm went off that morning. She walked to the mirror of her hotel room and looked at her eyes. She could see the sleep bags forming under.

“oh well,” she said to no one in particular, “my concealer would cover those just fine.”

But she needed to rest, maybe just a little. Her interview was for 8.00 am and the bus was arriving at 7.15.am.

So she stretched herself on the queen-size hotel bed. The sheets were the softest she had ever slept on. And she closed her eyes.

Something told summer, just at the back of her mind, to turn on her alarm, just for an extra 30 minutes. But she ignored it.

“I only need fifteen minutes.” She said to herself. She closed her eyes. Gently. And slept off.

Her phone started to ring, she opened her eyes, “damn” she thought, “I can't even get thirty minutes of sleep. Who could be calling so early?”

She stretched her hand to reach under the pillow, where she had buried her phone. And saw the caller ID. It was Ava.

“Hi Ava,” she said with a yawn.

“summer? Is that you?” Ava’s tiny voice came through from the other end. It held an element of surprise.

“yes, it’s me. Who else is going to have my phone at 5.00 in the morning?” Summer liked to get sassy. That was one of her selling points.

“five?” Ava queried?

“what do you mean five? Okay, let me check, I know it's just a few minutes after five. I didn’t mean it was five exactly.”

Summer took the phone from her ear. She took a look at the time on her phone screen. It was, 7.35 am. Wait, what? Her eyes widened. What the hell? Her 30 minutes of sleep had stretched by an extra two hours. Big deal!

Summer sprung up from the bed.

“How is it 7.35?” she screamed into the phone.

“were you still in bed?” ava asked from the other end.

“yes. I took a little nap and I didn’t realize how fast the time had gone.”

“Oh my God Summer, that’s impossible. What happened to your alarm?”

“I don’t know Ava, this isn’t the time for questions. Please get off the phone, I need to leave NOW.” Summer was frantic.

She sprung out of the bed and started to take off her pajamas.

She shot a quick look at the window, “how come the sun hadn’t gotten into the room? That could have woken her up.”

But her hotel room had thick dark curtains, and she had shut them tightly. There was no way any sunlight could have gotten into her room.

Frantically, she rushed into the bathroom and threw some water on her face. There was no way she could take a shower now. She didn’t have the time. She rushed out again, Ava was still on the phone, she had placed her on speaker.

“what are you doing now, Summer?”

“I’m trying to get dressed, Ava.”

“you are still going to be late, I can't believe this.” Ava cried. She had spoken to her parents particularly, to help Summer. It wasn’t fair that Summer couldn’t get into a firm like that. She was brilliant enough but simply didn’t have the right connections. And in Washington, your connections mattered. Now, this was happening.

“Don’t you think I know that already? I’m working at quick speed here.” Summer barked back. she wasn’t usually like this, this rude or harsh. But her adrenaline had shot up and all caution had gone with the wind.

“Okay, Ava. Take a deep breath. I’m sending a taxi to you now, I’m just going to book one.”

“Okay, thanks,”

“found one, the cab is getting to you in seven minutes.”

“Okay, thanks a bunch. I’m done with my suit even. Just need to brush my hair.”

“Okay, Summer. You’ve got this.”

Summer grabbed her suitcase and her purse. She took her pumps in her hand and ran out of the hotel. No locking of the hotel room, no nothing. She held her shoes in her hands as she ran out. All courtesy be damned.

Her taxi was pulling up when she exited the hotel and into the street. It was 7.50 am. Summer sprang into the cab. Her heart racing as if she had run for the Olympics

The cab ride from her hotel to the law firm was approximately fifteen minutes, so by her calculations, she was still going to be five minutes late.

Oh shit.

She got into the cab, Ava was still on the phone. “good luck Summer. Take deep breaths. Don’t let this throw you off, okay?”

“Okay, thanks Ava” Summer replied.

“I’m in the taxi.” She confirmed to Ava who was still on the other end of the call.

“alright. Take a deep breath Summer, you are still going to be late but you can spin this around. Blame it on something, your cab broke down. Or whatever.” Ava Suggested.

The cabman looked at Summer from his mirror. He had heard. Her phone was still on speaker.

She smiled at him.

“okay, Ava. I hope it works out. Thank you.”

Ava cut off the phone.

Summer let out a deep breath.

Argh! She turned her head and stomped her feet silently. That smell, morning breath, she had forgotten to brush her teeth.

She searched her briefcase and found what she was looking for. Mint gum. She always had one tucked away. And a breath freshener. She chewed frantically and used her breath freshener.

“This would do the trick.” She thought to herself.

And it did.

Then she put on her shoes, the one she had been holding in her hands. Summer also dug into her purse and found her little mirror. She flipped it over, took a look at her face. Sleep bags! Well, it was a good thing she always carried a little makeup purse inside her briefcase. Nothing fancy, just the basics, lip gloss, concealer, face powder, a little body spray, and breath fresher.

Summer pulled out the concealer and applied it a little under her eyes. She put on a little lip gloss as well and smacked her lips.

“that will do.” She said to herself as she pulled a little strand of hair back in place.

She closed the purse and sat back in the cab.

Then the cab pulled up at the high-rise building of Barber and Barber. There was a clock attached to the building. Summer’s eyes went to it.

It was 8.05 am.