Pictures of You

Chapter Thirty-Three

Author's note

Things get a bit steamy in this chapter. This story already has a mature rating, but please feel free to skip this chapter if you're easily offended.

After an hour and a half and several more drinks, Alex...I mean, Joe and I seemed to be getting on really well. It was weird, because I didn't feel like I was on a date with the Alex I'd been getting to know over the last few months. When I looked at him, I sometimes lost myself and found myself back with Alex again, but I was enjoying getting to know this new person. He seemed nice. It wasn't exactly how I expected it to be. There were times when neither of us knew what to say and the occasional awkward silence. But it was a first date, that was only to be expected.

We moved on to another bar and found a couch in the corner and placed our drinks on the table. I sat down first. When he sat down, he placed himself so close next to me that I could feel the warmth of his body. It felt good. We looked at each other and smiled.

'I've got something I need to tell you,' I said. I could feel things were getting more intimate between us, so it felt wrong lying to him anymore. He looked at me, waiting for me to speak. 'Okay,' he said.

'There's been someone using my pictures online. I only just found out today.'

'Oh!' he said. He looked relieved, like he'd been expecting me to tell him I was married with four kids. 'It happens to me all the time.'

'Does it?' I was shocked.

'Yeah, there's about a hundred Instagram profiles using my pictures.'

He seemed totally calm about it.

'Don't you mind?' I asked.

He shrugged. 'I did at first, but I'm past caring now. I don't know why they do it, but at the end of the day I've got a life. If these sad people get something from it, then I'm not going to waste my time worrying about it.'

Of course I was aware that someone had been using his pictures, but I didn't know it was something that happened to him so often.

'It's a long story,' I went on, 'but I found out this person had been talking to you with my pictures. When I messaged you earlier today, that was the first time we'd actually spoken.'

'Oh right,' he said. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then laughed.

'What's funny?' I asked.

'Nothing,' he said, 'it's just...this guy was using your pictures to talk to me, but it's the actual version of you that I get to meet.'

'Right.'

'And you seem really nice...and hot. I like you.'

'I like you too.'

'So who are the real winners here?'

I smiled. I liked the simple way in which he looked at things.

'So what did I say in my messages to you?' I asked with a mischievous grin.

'I'm not sure I should say,' he said.

'Why?'

'Because you might think I came to meet you today with just one intention.'

'Well didn't you?'

'I guess I did.'

We both laughed.

'We didn't go into details,' he went on, 'but yeah, whoever I was speaking to made it seem like you were up for hooking up. That's why I wanted to meet you today, but I'm glad we did this instead. I've enjoyed talking to you.'