Love Through Your Lens (Completed)

Chapter Fifteen: Second Shoot, Part One

I awoke to loud pounding at my apartment door.

"Ugh." I rolled over in my bed, cracking one eye open to check the time on my phone.

8 AM. Really?

The knocking continued.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming..." I muttered to myself, throwing on a sweater before jogging over to the door.

"Happy Monday!" Cora thrust a paper bag and a coffee in my face as soon as I opened the door. "You promised me gossip after the third date, remember?" She brushed past me and I grabbed the coffee and breakfast from her in shock.

"I remember that... But I don't remember scheduling it this early?"

She stood at the island in my kitchen and rolled her eyes. "Girl, I need the fresh scoop. Not the days later, let it ruminate in your brain kind of stuff."

"Ok, fine..." I sighed and shut the door, then joined her in my kitchen. I took a long sip of my coffee and dug the breakfast sandwich out of the bag.

"So...what's the verdict? I didn't hear anything all weekend! I thought you were mauled by bears..."

I couldn't help the snort I let out. "That was probably the only thing that didn't happen."

I delicately unwrapped the sandwich, replaying the weekend in my mind. Feeling so connected with him on every level. Exposing my thoughts and feelings to him. Not wanting to be apart when he dropped me off.

"We're going to try this again," I admitted cautiously.

Cora cocked an eyebrow at me, mid-bite into her own egg-white breakfast sandwich. "So like, a relationship?"

I shrugged, feeling my cheeks grow warm at the thought. We hadn't explicitly used the words "boyfriend" and "girlfriend", but that was likely where things could eventually go. "We'll see."

Cora chuckled and licked her lips. "So was he as good as you remembered?"

"Cora!" My mouth hung open.

"Hey, I recognized that look the first time you told me about him." She held her hands up and grinned knowingly. "What, you know I'm right?"

I averted my eyes and sighed.

She was right.

"I'm going to need WAY more coffee before we get to that part..."

- - -

Although we texted and talked on the phone regularly throughout the week, I couldn't help the flutter of excitement as I prepared to go to Chris's studio for the photo shoot.

I needed to keep my head in the professional game.

But what I really wanted was more of him. His voice, his laugh, his body...

I shook my head and looked up out of the car window as the Uber dropped me off at his address. I thanked the driver and stepped out of the car, pulling my leather jacket closer to me. I regretted not bringing an umbrella with me today.

I jogged up to the call box of the apartment, huddling under the alcove to escape from the rain. I waited a moment for a response from the buzzer.

"Right on time." I couldn't help the smile that danced across my lips as I heard his voice. The door unlocked with a buzz and I raced up the steps to his apartment, knocking eagerly on the door.

The door swung open momentarily and I was greeted by Chris's signature aroma and mischievous smirk. His eyes studied me up and down as he pulled me in by the waist for a soft kiss.