Picture This

“It’s just more great news after more great news! This is exciting Anna!” Amy said as we walked the streets of New York. We had planned to meet for lunch and I was going to show her where my future studio was going to be.

“It just seems too good to be true, you know?” I said, “Out of everyone I could have run into. If I had stayed even two minutes longer in the park…” my voice trailed off, it was still all too surreal for me.
“You’re reading too much into it” she said, “You need to stop worrying and just enjoy it. He likes you, and he’s going to call you tonight.”

I sighed, “I hope so, because I’ve had butterflies all day”

“Is that why you made me eat your lunch today?”

“Don’t pretend like you cared. You’ve been eating like a horse”

“I blame it on the baby. Not that I mind. I haven’t eaten like this since college, I kind of enjoy it”

I laughed as we turned the corner and found the building.

“It’s in a great spot” she said.

“Right? It’s easy to walk to, and it’s just big enough.”

We both stepped inside and it was basically a huge open space. It was about 1300 sq. ft. The back corner is where the shoots would be, as you come in, there would be my desk and up a bit further would be a spot for a couch and chairs, like a lounge area. I was still working on the details, but Amy seemed to really like the idea.

“I think I could probably get some furniture from a friend of mine for a decent price, he works at IKEA” she said.

“Awesome. I also plan to have some of my favorite pictures framed, to decorate as well. I’m going for a simple feel, not overbearing. I just want to stick to black and white. I think it looks classy”

She nodded, “It works perfectly in a spot like this, I think it will look great” she paused for a moment and then her face dropped, “Tell me there’s a bathroom in here”

“Yah, that door to your left” I pointed and she jogged over, slamming the door. It was a big empty space, so I could clearly here her.

I walked around the space, envisioning everything I wanted to do in here and how I wanted it to look. Other than my apartment, I’ve never really had a space to call my own, one I could put my name on, one I would be proud to own.

I heard the door open and Amy came out, “I guess the baby didn’t enjoy that pasta as much as I did”

I laughed, “You okay?”

She sighed, “Yah, but I’m getting tired, think you can get me a cab back home?”

I nodded, “Sure thing”

We walked out and Amy stopped me and then looked up at the outside of the building, “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you, you know?”

I nodded, “I know” I gave her a hug and then leaned out, hailing the first cab I saw. I gave her some cash and she blew me a kiss before getting in, “Call me and tell me all the details about when he calls!” she said. I nodded and shut the door for her and I watched the cab pull away. I walked the few blocks back to my apartment and fell down on the couch, unsure of what to do to kill time.

I flipped through the stations mindlessly, trying to find something to watch but I was unsuccessful. I tried to clean my room, but it only took me ten minutes. I attempted to find a movie, but there was none I was in the mood for. I groaned and fell back on the couch, stretching out and laying back.

“Why can’t he just phone now” I yelled at the ceiling and like clockwork my phone rang, “You have got to be kidding me” I said to myself. I looked down at the phone and it was a number I didn’t recognize. It had to be him.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Anna Lee?” the voice replied, and I knew it wasn’t him.

“That would be me” I sighed.

“This is Jeanine Carter calling, about the space you were looking to buy”

“Yes?”

“Well, it seems the offer was accepted, congratulations.”

“Oh…wow. Thank you so much”

“No problem. Have a great day, I’ll give you a call in the next day to have you sign the final paperwork”

“Thank you so much”

I hung up the phone and then squealed into the pillow. I immediately texted Amy and told her the great news and she was extremely excited, which also made her sick. I laid back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Everything good was happening at once and I didn’t know how to react anymore. This is the first time things have begun to go really right for me. I really couldn’t wait to tell Sebastian.

And then the phone rang.

The number was different this time, but still not recognizable. Maybe, just maybe….

“Hello?”

“Hey Anna, it’s Sebastian. I guess I just couldn’t wait until 7, I hope that’s okay”

My stomach flipped, I blushed and smiled all at once, “It’s perfectly okay. I was just thinking about you actually”

“Oh were you?” he sounded intrigued.

“I just got some really exciting news and other than my sister, I needed someone to share it with”
“Well I’m a great listener, but I’m better in person”

“I thought you would never ask”

It was midafternoon, so we met at a small café about ten blocks from my apartment. After about half an hour of searching my closet, I was able to settle on a loose white v-neck, a long grey scarf, blue jeans, brown boots and a black peacoat, considering it was Fall. The closer I got, the more nervous I got. I was tempted to go back a few times, but I fought it and kept walking. I liked this guy too much to not try.

I walked in and didn’t see him so I looked down at my phone, wondering if he had called but nothing. I was even a little late. I turned to go out the door when he stepped in, in all black, with a white t-shirt poking out beneath a leather jacket, “Leaving so soon?” he asked.

“I was going to look for you actually” I replied.

“I believe you” he said. He looked around, but it seemed really crowded, “Did you just want to grab a coffee and take a walk instead?”

I nodded, “Sure thing”

We grabbed coffee and left the coffee shop, quietly. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say, I was also nervous and didn’t know what to say without sounding like an idiot.

“So what’s this exciting news you wanted to share?” he asked.

“Oh! If we keep walking…I can show you, is that okay?”

He shrugged, “Yah, that works. In the meantime, you should tell me about yourself”

“What do you want to know?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

“Well all I know is that you’re a very good photographer and you’re from Albany and you now live here in the city. You also like your coffee with two milk, two sugar and a shot of vanilla.”

I smirked, “You remembered I’m from Albany?”

He nodded, “You act like I forgot about you the moment I stepped out of that studio” he said.

“Sorry, it’s just been a while since I told you is all”

He ignored the comment, “So why the city? Why not stay in Albany?”

I shrugged, “I came here when I was a teenager and I felt like everything happened here. Anyone who was anyone lived in New York City, the city that never sleeps. And I loved how close together everything was, how it lit up at night, Central Park, the tall buildings, Broadway, all of it” I sighed and shook my head, “At 17, it seems like a whole new world, you know?”

He nodded, “I get it. How do you feel about it now?”

I waited, thinking about my answer and looked around for a moment, “I have never loved a place more in my life. Albany is my home, but this city was a whole new start for me, and I’m still in love with it like I was at 17”

He smiled a bit, “That’s more than I was expecting” he said.

“What do you mean?”

He looked down at his coffee and then took a drink, “I had you pegged wrong I guess. I could tell you were passionate, from your photography, but not like that. This city completely changed your life”
I nodded, “It really did”

He was about to say something else when I stopped him, “We’re here”

He looked up and down and looked slightly confused, “Where are we?”

I took a deep breath and then grabbed him by the hand, unlocking the door and taking him inside, “This is where my new studio is going to be. I’m expanding. After the shoot with you guys I got a bunch of work and saved up some money. I saw this building one day and it was for sale, so I took a chance. I got the call just before I talked to you today, my offer was accepted and it’s officially mine…when I sign the paperwork”

He took a few steps and looked around, “This is a great space” he said.

“Isn’t it?” I asked, “I’m just really excited to be moving forward with this.”

He looked over at me and then smiled, “Well I wish you all the luck in the world, and if you need anything, you know I’ll do what I can to help”

“Ooh, I now have Hollywood connections. The possibilities are endless” I chuckled a little bit and then took a drink. He kept his eyes on me and my breath caught in my throat. I bit my lip and then pretended like my phone went off, interrupting the moment, “We should keep walking” I said, “This is the second time I’ve been in here today”

We walked out and I locked it behind me. I got quiet again, and he noticed, “You’re awfully quiet now. You didn’t seem this quiet when I ran into you the other day. You were quite outspoken”

“Oh…I don’t know.” I half shrugged.

“You were shy when we first met though”

I nodded, “Yes, yes I was. And your point?”

“Are you nervous?”

“I don’t know honestly” I sighed, “I just boldly showed you my entire future in there and this is the first time we’ve ever spent time together. I guess I’m just a little flustered being around you. I still find it a bit surreal I guess”

“I understand” he replied, “What can I do to help?”

“It’s like any first date, it will pass” I said.

“So we’re calling this a date then?” he asked.

I felt my cheeks heat up, “Oh, sorry, I--”

He laughed a little, “It’s fine, I figured it was”

I let out a deep breath, “Okay. So are you still curious about me?”

He smiled a little, “I am. Tell me about your family. Your parents. You said you had a sister right?”
I felt my expression fall, without even trying and I just nodded, “Yah. Amy. My older sister”

There was a pause, like he was looking for more, “That’s it?” he asked.

“My parents died when I was 18. It’s not something I like to tell a guy on a first date. But everything else I’ve done today is a first for me” I sighed.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Anna. I didn’t mean to—“

“You didn’t know, it’s really okay. It’s been a long time, but a lot has happened these past couple months that have reminded me of them and what they’re missing”

He let out a breath, “I’m sorry. I bet they’d be really proud of you”

I nodded, “Yah” there was an awkward pause and I was now determined to change the subject, “So what about you? Tell me things”

He smirked, “You can’t tell me that you haven’t done a bit of research” he implied.

I pressed my lips together and then looked down at the ground, “You’re Romanian?”

He nodded, “I am. It’s really not that exotic” he chuckled a little.

“Not true, I like European. I always find most European men attractive. There must be something in the water”

I looked over and it seemed like his cheeks flushed, but I couldn’t tell for sure. He leaned in close, like he was telling me a secret, “You can’t tell anyone, it’s a secret” I laughed nervously, trying to forget the feeling of his breath that close to my skin.

“Your secret is safe with me” I replied.

We kept walking, casually chatting about our families when I noticed someone behind a car on the street, holding a camera and I felt sick to my stomach. I stopped and he looked across and sighed, “Oh, sorry” he said, “They show up here and there”

“Maybe I should just—“

“It’s okay. They don’t know who you are, there’s not much they can say”

“But now they start asking questions”

“And who’s going to tell them anything?”

He looked at me reassuringly and I nodded, “Okay. I forgot about the whole fact you were famous, for a little while anyways”

He cocked his head, “Really?”

I nodded, “Yes, you’re laid back, humble, it’s like you’re normal”

“I am still human” he replied.

“A human who’s picture is on magazines, movie posters and gossip blogs” I sighed.

“The reason I live in this city, is because it’s far from Hollywood. It helps me remember that life isn’t all about my job. It’s about times like these when I feel normal. It’s one of the reasons I like you, your life isn’t in the spotlight, being around you today made me feel like I wasn’t in the spotlight”

In that moment, his eyes were pleading with me and all I could think about was kissing him. The moment I met him in San Diego, I had a sense he was different but when there’s a million cameras around, it’s hard to know. And after I ran into him yesterday and seeing him today, I know he’s different. I can see it and I can hear it and I can feel it.

“You’re really good with throwing those lines out there, aren’t you?”

All he could do was shake his head and laugh, “I can’t help myself. You make it so easy”

We stopped in front of my apartment building and I sighed, wishing the day could have gone longer, “I had a nice time” I replied.

“Are we going to do this again?”

“Do you want to?”

“What do you think?”

“I want to do it again. That’s all I know”

“I do too”

My stomach flipped again and I tried to hide the smile, unsuccessfully. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck before I could convince myself it was a bad idea and I felt his arms wrap around my waist. I felt his breath on my neck and then he spoke, “I forgot to say something earlier, you looked beautiful” I took in his scent of leather and soap and then pulled back. I couldn’t respond, I just smoothed down his jacket, “Let’s do this again soon, okay?”

He nodded, “Yes ma’am”

I smiled, “Goodnight Sebastian”

“Goodnight Anna”