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Hope snorted very indelicately and rolled her eyes as she shifted the model under the lights. “Arch your back just a bit more, we want them to thing nonstop sex. Perfect,” she turned to me. “You’re more than friends, and you know it. Those looks between you guys. The heat.” Hope shook her head, pink and blond hair tumbling around her shoulders. “Plus, I saw him come in here the other day. Alone.”
“I didn’t say we weren’t friends at all, I said we were barely friends. The matchmakers roped him into helping me scout a location, that’s all.”
“If that’s what you choose to believe,” she snorted mostly under her breath, and I chose to ignore her.
“I think that’s everything.”
Hope laughed again. “Thanks for your help Janey. You always find a way to make the colors pop perfectly.”
“That’s what I do,” I told her honestly because it was the truth. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else for a living and I didn’t want to, not for a moment.
I waited patiently for Hope and her models to leave the studio before I closed up shop and made my way down to Big Mama’s Diner for a nice big lunch. I’d skipped breakfast to take my time editing a few shots before sending the packages to my clients and my stomach was rebelling.
The place was mostly empty since the lunch rush had ended more than an hour ago, which meant no one would gripe about me taking up a booth so I could work while I ate.
“What’ll it be Miss I’m-Too-Busy-To-Look-Up-And-See-The-World?” Big Mama’s gruff voice startled me out of my thoughts.
“Good to see you too, Big Mama. I’ll have the chili cheese fries with a Caesar salad and a tall ice water. Please.”
“All right. Coming right up. With lemon?”
“You got it,” I told her with a smile, and turned back to the photos I’d taken recently. The Hometown Heroes photos were coming along incredibly and I couldn’t wait to see the finished product. My photos all glossy and beautiful, available for purchase.
Sure, I made money taking photographs of people. It was my job. My career, and I loved it. But I wanted to take photos, artistic photos that said something big, something important. Something that made people feel things. Made them feel enough to pay for my prints.
It was a dream I worked hard at every single day, but it felt no closer than it had almost a decade ago. “Baby steps…”
“You’re too much woman for baby steps.” Rafe’s deep voice was a low rumble that instantly had my lady parts twitching, even though I refused to look up at him. Well, I refused for as long as I possibly could.
But I did laugh. “Nice line. Hope you didn’t pay too much for it.”
God, he had such a great laugh. It was rich and deep and well used. It encouraged you to laugh right along with him, even if it was at his expense. “Nah, it was free. I think it was a great deal.”
“Of course you do. How’s it going Rafe?”
“Good,” he flashed another of his panty melting grins that did exactly what they were meant to. “Better now that I ran into you.”
Oh boy, here we go. “Yeah? Why is that?”
“Because I wanted to ask you something.” He looked suddenly nervous, and I found that interesting. “You want to have dinner with me? Friday at eight?”
Okay, that wasn’t what I thought he’d say. And I responded before thinking it through. “Um, yeah?”
“Are you asking me, or answering me?”
Dammit. I sighed and leaned forward, doing my best to look calm and cool. “Yes Rafe, I’d like to go on a date with you. I think.”
“I think you will more than enjoy it, Janey. But it’ll be more fun when you realize it for yourself.” He flashed a handsome smile, and with a wink, walked away.Rafe“You look beautiful. Did I tell you that already?” I couldn’t remember if I complimented Janey or not when I picked her up fifteen minutes ago, and saying it again just seemed creepy. Or inattentive, I couldn’t be sure, but it just didn’t feel right. “Well you look hot. Really hot.”
She blushed prettily and tucked one thick black lock behind her ear, looking up at me with heavily lined green eyes that took my breath away. “Thanks, Rafe. You know you look hot too, but you do.”
I sat back and smiled in relief. “It’s nice to know you think I look good.” That was more than true. Having women appreciate my physical attributes was never a hardship, but when that attraction came from a complex, sharp woman like Janey, now that was intoxicating.
Her lips curled into a slow smile that hit me right in the center of my gut. “A hot boy and fresh salsa, what more could a girl ask for?” Janey looked around the familiar local Tex-Mex restaurant, Texican’s. They served excellent food here, but it wasn’t exactly the place for romance.
