by Candace Shaw
Chase watched as Brooklyn snapped a few more pictures. He wanted like hell to know what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. There had been a twinkle in her eye when she positioned him for the pictures, but now it was replaced with a seriousness she hadn’t displayed during their fun, lighthearted photo session.
“All right. I think we’re done,” she said, removing the camera from the tripod. “I like the lighthouse photos the best, but the ones where you were seated on the bench with the Atlantic Ocean as a background are nice as well.”
“Cool. I’ll let you select the picture for my bio. I trust your expertise.”
Brooklyn nodded quietly, sliding the tripod into its bag and hoisting it over her shoulders. He sensed something was bothering her all of a sudden, and he didn’t know what had happened. They’d been having fun with teasing and flirting with each other. Stepping in her direction, he slid the bag from her shoulder and placed it on his. He hoped like hell she didn’t regret the kiss.
“What’s wrong?”
She shrugged. “Nothing,” she answered with a light smile.
“You’re lying.”
“Yep.”
“Well at least you’re being honest.”
“Something occurred to me. That’s all.”
They headed in silence back to the golf cart. He placed her belongings in the storage bin and locked it. “You want to talk about it over dinner? My treat.”
“Yes, to dinner. No, to what it was. It’s no biggie.”
“Does it have something to do with me? Us?”
“Nothing to do with you, and there’s no us, but you are a welcomed distraction from my thoughts lately.”
His years of being an attorney gifted him with the knowledge of knowing when someone was being honest or not with him. He sensed her sincerity as her eyes had brightened for a second at the mention of “us.”
“You have man issues? Broken heart? Something like that?”
She giggled. “No. I don’t have trust or man issues. No one’s ever broken my heart except when my parents died. It has nothing to do with a man.”
“All right. I won’t press the issue.” He glanced around at all of the shops and restaurants in the Village Pier. “You have a suggestion for a restaurant?”
“Do you like burgers?” She nodded her head at the restaurant across the street from the park. “Brogen’s has the best.”
“Sounds good,” he said, gripping her hand in his with a reassuring squeeze. “Lead the way.”
Brooklyn glanced down at their hand holding while a pursed smile formed on her lips. She stared up at him with a special gleam in her eyes, shaking him to the core.
“Let’s go,” she said, swinging their hands together.
Chapter Five
Brooklyn hated to admit she was somewhat disappointed the short walk to Brogen’s had ended and she had to let go of Chase’s hand when he opened the door to the restaurant and let her pass in front of him. His hand was warm and familiar on her skin thanks to her haste to kiss him. She was glad they could be normal around each other and carry on as if there wasn’t an elephant between them. But maybe she was over thinking it. Perhaps there wasn’t an elephant and only she was second guessing their relationship.
They followed the hostess to an upstairs outdoor balcony booth overlooking the park, and settled into their seats.
“What’s good to eat here?” he questioned, peering at her over his glasses before retreating back to his focus to the menu.
“Everything. I usually order the bacon bleu cheeseburger with the works and the zucchini fries.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have the same, and the potato skins for an appetizer.”
“Oh, wow. We think alike. I was contemplating ordering those. They’re delish with sour cream.”
“Best way to eat them.”
Once the waitress jotted down their order, Brooklyn took her camera out and began glancing over Chase’s headshots. “These are good. It’s hard to choose which one you should use.”
Chase slid from his side of the booth and over to hers in a flash. “Wow. That’s me?”
“Yes, it is. You’re quite photogenic.”
“Thanks, but I also think the photographer had something to do with it as well. You made sure I was posing and smiling … I mean smizing correctly. Very hands on.”
“Thank you.” She paused as his knee brushed hers and then leaned against it. She wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or the fact she was in the middle of the seat and hadn’t scooted over. Nor did she want to because the hard muscle of his thigh resting on hers was warm and comforting like when he’d held her hand on the walk over. Every touch or look from him was familiar and inviting.
Her cellphone vibrating in her purse tore her from her mind beginning to wander in amorous territory, and she reached over to retrieve it. A text message from Kameryn’s assistant stating to check her email had Brooklyn doing so. Her contract for the book was attached and she was dying to open it. Instead, she tossed the phone back in her purse and placed her focus on Chase’s pictures.
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah,” she answered, nodding reassuringly even though her heartbeat sped up. “It’s some business stuff.”
“Of course.” Chase moved back to his side of the booth and took a sip of his water. “I guess Precious Moments Events is 24/7.”
“It can be, but this isn’t Precious Moments business.” Brooklyn paused, realizing she wanted to tell him about the opportunity with Kameryn even though she hadn’t disclosed the information to her business partners yet.
“That’s right. You do freelance photography as well.”
“Yes, but …”
“What’s wrong? You’re wearing that same intense, deep in thought expression from earlier.”
“I am?” Her face scrunched in confusion.
“Yes.”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind lately … career wise,” she added in when she noted his eyebrow raise as if she meant him.
“I see. Trust me, I know all about career changes.”
“Are you happy with your decision?”
“I am. I was stressed as the assistant DA. It’s a career I thought I wanted when I initially left the firm years ago. I’d planned on following in my dad’s footsteps and become a federal judge eventually. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
“True. Or sometimes you think someone else’s dream is yours when actually it’s not.”
“That’s what I learned. Care to explain yours?”
She hesitated, but remembered men are good with secrets. “You can’t tell anyone … well, your sister sort of knows.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“I no longer enjoy working with the event company. I’m tired of dealing with bridezillas, bridal parties, and whatnot. The only reason why I decided to move here when Reagan asked was because I needed a change. After college, I moved back to Memphis but it no longer felt like home especially after my parents died. I love my brother, but Rasheed has his own family and life with Bria. I needed a change of scenery, and when the opportunity presented itself I jumped on it. It wasn’t supposed to be forever. I wanted to help Reagan and Zaria build their dream. They’ve discussed owning their own business since we were in high school, and yes, while I was saying it as well, I was going with the flow.”
“So what is Brooklyn Vincent’s dream career?”
“I still want to do photography but outside of the box which is why I’m excited about this new opportunity.” She went on to explain the glass art book with Kameryn.
“Wow. A fascinating opportunity. I can read over the contract for you.”
“That would be awesome. Thank you. I was going to send it to Rasheed’s lawyer, but you’re right here.”
“Email it to me.” He cited to her the email address as she typed it into her cellphone.
The waitress arrived with their food moments later, and they spent the nex
t hour eating and reading over the contract. Chase made some minor changes she was in agreement with and sent it back to Kameryn’s assistant.
Brooklyn was rather shocked she’d exposed her current feelings about her career to him. She was usually a private person and kept her thoughts and feelings bottled up; however, Chase was easy to talk to. Plus, he’d recently experienced something similar with changing careers. Same occupation but different avenue. However, now she would have to tell Reagan and Zaria of her plans with Kameryn as well as the possibility of leaving Precious Moments one day.
After dinner, they headed back to her home. Brooklyn had enjoyed her afternoon with Chase, but now as they were taking the camera equipment out of the golf cart, her heart had started to do crazy gymnastic flips whenever he was near. Little beads of perspiration had formed on the back of her neck, and while she could chalk it up to being in the warm garage, she knew her nerves were fizzling. She’d wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but thanks to her suggestion of taking things slow, she had to suffer in silence.
“I can take this up to your studio for you,” he offered, hoisting the bag over his shoulder.
“Actually, it needs to go in the trunk of my SUV. I have a shoot tomorrow with Kam,” she answered, clicking the trunk button on her key fob. The trunk of the Range Rover raised, and he placed the bag next to the lighting ones already in there.
“I had a great time today. Thank you for the pictures. Now I can say I’ve done a professional photo shoot.”
“Ha ha! Yes, you can add model to your already impressive resume. I’ll email the pictures to you in a few moments so you can meet your deadline.”
Shutting the trunk, he stepped toward her and pulled her into his arms. “Thank you. So was this our official first date?” he asked in a joking manner. Taking off his scarf, he placed it around her neck.
“You’re funny,” she replied, trying to laugh it off when she wanted to say yes and devour his lips with a follow up kiss. His embrace and scent drew an intoxicating mixture of uncanny emotions to ravage through her body. She had to ward off a shiver of goosebumps she sensed were going to prickle along her skin.
“Regardless of what we want to call it, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you these past couple of days. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
“Me too.” She kissed him on the cheek and backed out of his arms. “Good night, Chase.”
“Kicking me out?” he questioned with a wink and headed toward the walkway leading to Addison’s tiny home. “You have a date?”
“No. Precious Moments Events is having a meeting in an hour at Reagan’s house,” she said, checking her watch. “We usually meet for brunch on Mondays but our schedules were hectic today.”
“Cool. I’m going to grade the pop quizzes.”
“Don’t be too hard on them, Professor Arrington,” she reminded, waving a pointed finger at him. “Remember these scores don’t count.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Stuffing his hands in his front pockets, he turned on his feet toward his temporary home. “Have a great night.”
“You too.”
*****
“I still can’t believe the three of you knew Blake was going to propose to me and didn’t give me a hint or a heads-up,” Reagan said with a teasing pout. “I was so surprised.”
The ladies sipped peach wine spritzers, snacked on fruit, and relaxed in Adirondack chairs around the fire pit in the backyard of Reagan’s home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The sun had set moments before and the ladies decided to enjoy the beach for their meeting which had turned into more of a social affair.
“Well, that was the whole idea,” Zaria said. “However, you knew deep down he was going to propose. The man fell for you the moment you met.”
“You weren’t supposed to know.” Brooklyn gave Reagan’s upper arm a playful pinch. “The wedding planner with the commitment phobia finally finds the man to make her fall head over heels in love,” she added in a sing-song tone.
Reagan held out her left hand to admire her three-carat, princess-cut engagement ring. “You’re funny. Sounds like a tagline for a romance novel or a romantic comedy movie and I’m the heroine. But we’ve gotten off track, and the sooner we wrap up this meeting, I can go back to perusing Elle Lauren wedding gowns online even though I’m contemplating asking her to create a one of a kind dress. Z, you’re up.”
While Zaria began to go over her list of updates and concerns, Brooklyn found herself not listening. Not on purpose, but since her amazing day with Chase—or rather since he arrived at the engagement barbecue—she’d managed to tune out the world around her. Her thoughts wouldn’t cease on Chase’s charismatic charm, his laugh, his lips on hers, the way he stared at her with a promise in his eyes, which always jolted her heart into an overdrive of beats, and the moment when his glasses fogged up during their kiss. Even his scent had lingered in her memory. At least she assumed so until she realized she was still wearing his scarf when Addison gave her a questioning stare. But in her haste to email him the photos and arrive to the meeting on time, Brooklyn hadn’t noticed it.
“Brook?” Reagan asked, glancing down at her notes. “What’s going on with your schedule? Anything new?”
Leaving her daydream, Brooklyn grabbed her iPad from the table to read her schedule and notes. Now was the time to inform them of her other project with Kameryn. Her nerves were finding themselves sprinting through her veins at a rapid pace. Taking a deep breath, she decided to tell them about her opportunity with Kam but not mention the possibility of leaving the business because she honestly didn’t know when she would take the leap.
“Yes, the photo shoot and interview is pretty much all day tomorrow and I have a wedding this weekend. Also, Kam has asked me to photograph some of her upcoming exhibits for the next year or so for a book she’s creating of her glass art collections. I’ll have to travel, but it will be mapped out around my schedule here. Luckily, we’re not as busy in the fall as we are in the summer. In fact, I’m going to Memphis soon to shoot her glass collection at the Botanical Gardens.”
“Oh, wow,” Zaria exclaimed, raising her wine glass in the air in a toast. “To Brook for a wonderful opportunity. I know you’ve always enjoyed taking pictures outside of the box.”
“Yes, indeed. So happy for you, as well,” Addison said, clinking her glass with Brooklyn followed by Reagan. “Traveling is always fun.”
“What wonderful news.” Reagan set her glass down on the little table between her and Brooklyn. Standing, she reached down and hugged her best friend since elementary school. “And who knows, maybe you’ll acquire more opportunities like this. You’re such a creative photographer. Sometimes, I think you’re wasting your talents and true calling here, but I’m so glad you’re apart of Precious Moments. Now don’t worry about any events which may come up while you’re away, and we need a photographer. Your intern can handle it, or our backup photographers we’ve used at times.”
Zaria joined in the hug as well. Brooklyn had been best friends with the Richardson cousins since they were all little girls growing up in the same neighborhood in the Frayser area of Memphis. During the difficult years of losing her parents, Zaria and Reagan were by her side through all the ups and downs as she’d done the same for them. Reagan had also experienced the heartache of her mother dying when she was four years old. Her father was in and out of her life but the two had recently reconciled.
“Also, on the accounting side of things, we’re up to date with bills, and paychecks as always. No open invoices, and I did refund the Garden Association half of their deposit fee since they had to cancel their event for unforeseen circumstances. Does anyone have any questions from the detailed budget report I emailed this morning?”
“So, from glancing over it, I see there’s room in the budget for us to have a booth at the Wedding Extravaganza Show in December?” Reagan asked. “We always acquire clients for the summer wedding season.”
“Yes. I can do the
registration for you and an intern to attend,” Brooklyn answered, making a note. Brooklyn shut her iPad and tucked her feet underneath her in the chair. “If nothing else, Addi, it’s your turn.”
Addison sipped her wine, giving another glance at the gray scarf with a knowing gleam, and Brooklyn prayed she wouldn’t say anything.
“All set for next week’s Movie Night in the Park, and I booked a Christmas party with the Georgia United Teacher Association. I also have my friend’s destination wedding on Hamilton Island, Florida next week. Can’t wait. I’ve never been there before, but I hear the white sandy beaches are to die for. I hope I run into one of those fine Hamilton brothers,” Addison said, with a wide grin. “Doesn’t matter which one. They’re all fine and dreamy.”
“Yeah, girl. Caesar, Rome, and Lance are all handsome and very rich men,” Zaria interrupted. “I admire how the Hamilton family has owned the island for decades and refuses to sell to anyone, but why would they? They’re worth billions or so I heard.”
“I love visiting there,” Reagan said. “It’s so neat how on one side of the island it’s all hustle and bustle with high rise resorts and tourists everywhere. However, the other side it’s such a sweet, charming beach town where all the locals literally know each other and welcome outsiders like family. Kind of like here I suppose, but with a quainter, small town feel. How are you traveling there? The closest major airport is in Pensacola.”
“I was going to fly, but since Chase is checking out that weekend so to speak, I canceled my flight and hotel, and hitching up my tiny home to my truck. I already made campground reservations on the beach. So excited.”
“Is his rental home almost ready?” Reagan asked with a swift glance at Brooklyn who sipped her wine in silence.
“Yep. I’ve enjoyed him, but I’m sure he wants his own space. You should see him climbing into the loft. Funniest sight you’ll ever witness, but I’m glad he’s stepped out of his comfort zone. Hunter sucked up all of the cool genes in the womb while Chase received all the seriousness. Lately, something has pulled Chase out of his always serious persona. Can’t put my finger on it, but something or perhaps someone has tickled his fancy. Don’t get me wrong, he still wants to play chess when I arrive home tonight. He’s been in a lighthearted, relaxed mood since he arrived. Singing off key in the shower, whistling, and whatnot. I don’t know. Maybe the change of scenery has helped.”