“I can tell! You’ve got great energy. I can feel it all the way from over here.”
I hoped she meant that as a compliment and not like she could feel how neurotic I was growing as each second ticked by or something. I steadied my breathing as best I could and looked out at the scenery. At that moment, I realized that I didn’t get many chances to simply be in nature. That’s the worst thing about working a nine to five and having to survive in this economy. I felt like so many of us lost our connection to the most natural things this world had to offer.
“Okay! I’m going to go grab your partner now. Don’t move from your spot!” Sadie yelled out.
I blew out a raspberry and shook my arms out, feeling the need to move a little and get rid of some pent-up energy before the photoshoot began. I was about to lose my mind and felt the urge to look behind me, when I heard footsteps approaching in the grass.
“Let me help you up the steps,” Sadie said to the mystery woman. I wondered if she was blindfolded or just had her eyes shut or something. Either way, my heart leapt when I heard the woman step up onto the porch. “Okay, perfect. Now walk back, back, back—there!”
She lightly bumped into me, and the smell of her faint perfume consumed me. She smelled like vanilla and something warm and cozy that I couldn’t place.
“Hi,” she said softly. Her voice was high-pitched and nervous-sounding. I smiled. She sounded cute.
“Hey there,” I replied. “Nervous?”
I felt her nod behind me. “Not gonna lie. I amsupernervous.”
“That’s okay!” I said reassuringly. “Let’s just focus on having fun, okay?”
I could almost feel her body relax against my own, despite us barely being pressed up against each other.
“Okay, you two! Go ahead and grab each other’s hands!” Sadie instructed.
Her fingers brushed against my own before she successfully held onto my hands. Her hands were a bit daintier than my own, and her fingers were clad in various rings that felt cold against my flesh. I squeezed one of herhands to let her know that we were in this together. A big smile crept up on my face when she squeezed back.
“This is wonderful!” Sadie said. “You’re both already smiling without any instructions! Let me just take a few more like this, and then we can get to the big reveal.”
I could hear her blow out a breath from where she stood behind me. “I’m excited to meet you,” I told her.
“Me too!” she said in a high-pitched voice.
“Okay!” Sadie called. “I’m going to count to three, and then you guys go ahead and turn around. Ready?”
“Ready!” we shouted in unison.
“One… two… three!”
We both spun around at the same time, and when I took her in, my breath was stolen from my chest. My mystery woman was stunning. She was a little taller than me, with a small bust and narrow hips. She had short, reddish hair accompanied by deliberately messy bangs which hung above her sparkling green eyes. Her face broke out in a grin, and I smiled back as I took both of her hands back into my own.
“I’m Cam,” I said once I found my voice again. It’s no small feat to get me to go nonverbal, but this beauty stole away all of my thoughts and words in an instant.
“Nice to meet you, Cam. I’m Bella.”
I forgot Sadie was even there until she spoke up again. “Perfect, guys! Just keep getting to know each other right here for a few minutes. Feel free to sit on the chairs or on the steps.”
“Shall we?” I asked her.
“We shall,” Bella answered with a smirk.
CHAPTER 05: BELLA
Oh. My. Fucking.God.
Cam was just my type. Don’t get me wrong, I find the majority of women to be beautiful and alluring in their own way, but if I ran into Cam on the sidewalk, she’s the kind of woman I’d do a triple take of.
She was slightly shorter than me and definitely on the curvier side, which I had always loved and been a bit envious of. Cam was of Asian descent andhad dark brownish-black hair. It fell to her shoulders and was framed by curtain bangs. She had a nose ring and a thin-lined tattoo on her collarbone that saidmost ardently. I was most stricken with her eyes, though. They were large and almond-shaped and the most inviting shade of warm brown I’d ever seen. More than that, though, there was an energy in her irises that mesmerized me.
“Want to sit down on the steps?” Cam asked.
