Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Karen
When I was a teenager and became interested in boys, I always vowed I wouldn’t be that girl, the one that waited for the phone to ring.
You know, Girl Power, and all that… I saw how my brother used to blow off girls, and how upset they’d be.
There was no way I would end up like that.
I’d heard the term, ‘treat them mean, keep them keen.’ Well, the first time a guy was mean to me for no reason, there was no way I’d be falling into their arms because they decided to give me the time of day.
No freaking chance. But even as I told myself that, there was one little problem, even I knew that there was always one guy that made you see things differently.
They were the dealbreaker, and already, I knew in my own heart that Gav was going to be that guy.
He was a bad boy, and not even ashamed of it.
His cheeky smirk, sharp jaw and those dark, sexy eyes already had me wanting to fall at his feet.
And now, after I’d done everything I needed to, I waited for the phone to ring.
I could smack myself. God, I’m desperate. Get a grip, Kaz.
All the way through my meeting I’d thought about Gav.
Why? He hadn’t touched me, he hadn’t kissed me even, but I felt this pull to him.
Then he said yes to coffee, and I almost fainted.
I mean what could he see in me? I didn’t want to think negatively, so I decided to pull my big girl panties up and be a grown up.
I wanted to get to know him better, and this was the start of that.
Since I moved out of home and came here, I hadn’t really met anyone.
I was the careful one. I didn’t give my number out - strike one.
I didn’t get too close, and I didn’t sleep around.
Photography can be a lonely job if you want it to be, and for me, I was okay with that.
It was why Holly had to push me into freelance.
My thoughts were manic as I parked outside my apartment block.
I exhaled a heavy breath and shook my head at myself.
I had nothing else to do. I wasn’t riding around, and I definitely wasn’t going to find a diner to sit in and message him to tell him where I was.
That was way too presumptuous, and a little sad on my part, if he stood me up.
As I was getting myself out of the car my phone pinged with a message.
Gav: Meet me in Griffith Park.
Griffith Park? Okay... That’s it. No particular place to meet or even what time. I didn’t question it, instead I got back in my car and typed a message back.
Cool. I’m on my way.
I knew the lunchtime traffic would be a bitch to get through, I could get there quicker on foot.
So, I grabbed my purse and got out of my car.
I took my camera from the trunk and locked up my car.
It was a beautiful day for a walk, so why not enjoy it.
What a place to get some shots. They’d be good for my now, more extensive portfolio.
As I walked through the main entrance, I looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere, so I found a bench and sat myself down.
Taking the lens cap from the front of my camera, I slid it into my pocket, and lifted the camera to my face.
With a quick adjustment of the lens, I snapped some photos of the amazing greenery that lined the park.
It was a beautiful summer’s day, and the different flowers and shrubs were in full bloom.
The colours popped as I spied through my lens, my finger pressed again and again as I captured the different colours and angles around me, and as I stood and turned with my lens in front of my eye, I moved it a little to the right and Gav appeared in my eyeline.
I almost jumped at the sudden change in focus, but a grin automatically tugged at my mouth at first sight.
I moved the camera away to say hi, and saw the two Starbucks take-out cups in his hands. “Hey.” I greeted with a smile.
“Hello yourself.” Gav said as he passed a cup to me, I let my camera hang loosely around my neck and took it from him.
“Thank you.”
“It’s just a basic Americano. I wasn’t sure what else you liked.” A smirk pulled one side of his mouth up as he gazed at me.
He’d bought me a coffee. My brows lifted, “It’s perfect.” I took my eyes from his and dropped my gaze to the ground for a second, before bringing it back up, “So, do you want to sit, or would you like to walk?” I asked, nerves hit me now he was here.
“I’m not really fussed, to be honest. It’s whatever you want to do.” Gav said, as he nodded my way.
I turned to look around me, and saw that there weren’t that many people around really. “Why don’t we walk?”
“Sounds good to me.”
We fell into step with one another, side by side in a weird silence. We sipped on our coffee, while I snapped a couple of pictures. “What made you want to do photography?” He asked as I stopped to capture a squirrel. I took a few shots before it scurried away, and turned to him.
“I love how a picture can tell a whole story. It could have a million captions, but every person is different in their own mind. I love to capture beauty and elegance.” I got lost in my own thoughts as I looked up and found him staring at me. “For me, there’s nothing more beautiful.”
“Shit.” His brows lifted, “I’ve never looked at a photo like that. A photo is a photo.”
He shrugged as I looked up at him and smiled slightly. It gave me the chance to admire his handsome face again, although I wasn’t sure why he was here with me.
“What can I say, I’m a nerd.”
I lifted the cup to my lips and sipped my coffee before it went cold.
He leaned towards me and grinned, “There's nothing nerdy about your art or your career.” I couldn’t take my eyes from his.
There was something in them, it had me mesmerised.
I just wanted to know his story, what made him the way he is.
For the first time ever, butterflies fluttered around in my tummy.
I exhaled and dropped my gaze to the ground.
The path was dry, in fact we hadn’t had rain in weeks.
I don’t know what made me think of the weather, there was a gorgeous man drinking coffee with me, and all I thought about was something as mundane as the weather.
Maybe it was the colour of his eyes. They were a powdery blue, striking and they stood out.
Other than his bare chest, that first day I met him, those were the next thing I saw.
Maybe it was the thought of running through the rain. Jesus, who am I?
“Shall we carry on walking?” I asked, hoping to draw his intense gaze from being on me.
“Yeah.” he breathed in reply, and looked ahead. I took the first step and started down the pathway again, he fell back into step alongside me. “So, Karen, tell me about yourself.”
“Well, I have one brother, my dad died a couple of years ago, so it’s just Mom now. My brother has his own bachelor pad, but he’s usually at home more than he’s there. He’s a momma's boy.” His mouth lifted at one corner, I noticed he did that a lot. “How about you?”
“Ahhh, you don’t want to know about me, babe…” Babe. Is that an endearment or is it something he does?
“Of course I do.” He came to a stop and turned to me.
“I don’t have much to do with my parents.” he looked away from me. I could tell he didn’t like to talk about himself. Shadows engulfed his gaze.
“Would you like to talk about it, I’m a good listener.”
He sniggered, “I’m sure you are, but believe me, if I get started now with my life story, you’d need a counselling session by the time you’d finished that coffee.
” His head dipped toward my takeout cup, which reminded me that I still had some left and it was going cold.
I drank the remnants, but I was right it was cold. I cringed as it slid down my throat.
“I’m always around if you do want that chat.
” A lazy smile formed on his mouth. It wasn’t the cocky one, or the sexy one this time, it was a real one.
I had a feeling he didn’t use that one often.
I smiled back at him. There was definitely something about this guy, I thought.
And it was something I wanted to know more about.
“Okay, tell me something easier. How did you and Roman meet?”
“That’s safe, I guess. We met at school. Same class from the day we started high school.”
“What age is that? Sorry, I know it’s all different here with education.”
“Sorry. Eleven. Me and Roman never had a plan. We never had that career mind where we knew what we wanted to be. We went to college because we had to. We studied sports and IT. But I dropped out with six months left. My parents never knew, I made sure to turn up a couple of times a week but that was it, just so they didn’t question me.
College in England isn’t like school as such, they don’t check up.
” I didn’t stop him as he talked, especially while he was being forthcoming, anyway.
I guessed this was what he thought was safe. “Paisley was at school with us, too.”
“Aw, were they childhood sweethearts?” My hand moved to my chest and rested it over my heart. He turned his head with his brows lifted. Then that smirk appeared again and creased his forehead.
“Sweethearts? Fuck no. They hated each other. Or should I say she hated us.”
“Really?” From what I’d seen of them together that would be the furthest thing from my mind.
“Oh yeah. I’d tell you the story there, but again you might go running for the hills.
” I threw my empty cup in the trash as Gav did the same, and we started to walk along slowly again.
“Roman and Paisley got together after she came to work for him as his publicist. His agency said he needed controlling, and she was the best person for the job.”
“I bet that was awkward.”
“Very.” His hands slid in his pockets. “Rhys came into the fold in college, and Roman’s agency appointed Nikki as his PA. The rest, as they, is history.”
“And what about you, Gav?”
He paused his stroll and turned, “What about me?” he huffed, “Honestly Karen, the less you know about me, the better.” With his gaze trained on me, intense and enticing, I lifted my camera. “What are you doing?”
I smiled, adjusted the lens slightly and clicked. I took a few images and set it back to hang around my neck. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
“Yeah. I’m not exactly model material.”
“That’s what you think.” I said with a grin. “I think you’re very photogenic,” My grin grew, “and you have to listen to me, because I’m the expert, remember.” I chewed at my lip.
He bent slightly, “That’s one of my biggest problems though, I don’t listen to anyone.”
With his face just inches from mine, his sexy smile made an appearance again.
My teeth bit harder into my lip to hide the sigh in my chest. He lifted back up to his full height and went on in front.
I hadn’t realised that my feet weren’t moving until he turned back to face me, “Well, come on then, if you’re coming.
” I rolled my tongue over my lip and started moving again.
“Where’re we going?” I asked as I reached him.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “you wanted this, I’m following your lead.
I’m still a tourist remember.” Ever so casually, his arm slipped around me, and grasped my shoulder with his fingers.
“Come on, show me the sights.” My body tensed slightly under his gentle grip but soon relaxed when I’d realised how much I liked it.