“Don’t forget me!” my camera seems to call out to me. I stuff it into my pocket. I learned long ago never to leave my camera behind. It was always on the days when I left it at home that I’d see the best photo opportunities ever. And who knows what photo opportunities I might get with Ollie . . . ? I instinctively blush as I imagine Ollie asking if I can take a picture of him and me together. Even though I hate selfies, I might not mind a couple’s one . . . OK, so I might be getting a bit ahead of myself—but isn’t it every girl’s right to get a bit overexcited, when her biggest crush has just asked her out?
Chapter Seven
Of course, as soon as I get to the beach, my newfound confidence begins to slip. What if he doesn’t show up? What if it was all a prank? What if I trip just as he’s about to kiss me? Oh my God, what if he kisses me?! He’s not going to kiss you, you fool. On and on, my inner voice spirals into near hysteria.
I decide to walk to the café along the beach so that I can get closer to the sea in the hope that it might calm me down a bit. The pebbles are wet! You’re going to fall over! You’re going to fall over and end up with seaweed stuck to your bum, just like you did at Tom’s birthday barbecue. I slow right down. The sea is nice and calm and the winter sunshine sparkles on it like a sprinkling of glitter. I take in a deep breath of the salty air. And another. What if a seagull poos on your head?! “Shut up!” I mutter out loud but I look up quickly to check there are no gulls hovering. When I look back down, Ollie is standing a few feet in front of me.
“How did you get there?” is the first thing I can think to say.
“I walked,” he says, looking at me weirdly. “Are you OK? You looked as if you were talking to yourself.”
“What? Oh no, I was just—I was just—singing.”
“Singing?”
“Yes, you know, like, a song.”
“Yes, I know what singing is.”
“Of course you do. Soz.” Soz?!! Since when did I ever say “soz”?! I’ve been with Ollie for precisely ten seconds and already he must think I’m a singing, sozzing loony. This doesn’t bode well for our lunch at all.
“Have you got your camera on you?” he asks.
“Yes,” I reply, my heartbeat quickening—could he be about to ask for a photo of us already?! “Why?”
“I was just wondering if you could take a few headshots of me, down here on the beach. I could really do with some, you know, like arty ones for my profile online. And you’re such an awesome photographer.” He dazzles me with one of his megawatt smiles.
“Oh. OK.” I don’t know what to make of this. Surely this isn’t the reason he invited me to meet him? No, he definitely said lunch yesterday. The photos must be an extra. Something he just thought of. I tell myself not to be so stupid and take my camera from my pocket.
“I was thinking maybe we could take some over by the pier.”
“Sure.”
As we start walking along the beach, a woman jogger passes us and smiles. I feel a surge of happiness. It must look to her as if Ollie and I are “together.” If only it could feel a bit more relaxed and enjoyable. I search my brain for something interesting—and non-embarrassing—to say.
“So, you must be really proud of your brother.”
Ollie looks at me blankly. “Why?”
“Well, with him being so good at tennis.”
Ollie mutters something and stares out to sea. There’s something about his serious expression and the way the light is falling on his face, accentuating his cheekbones, that would make an awesome black-and-white shot.
“Hold it right there,” I say, turning my camera on.
“What?” Ollie frowns at me.
“Keep that expression and look out to sea again. It’ll make a really cool picture.”
“Oh, right.” Instantly, Ollie’s expression softens and he looks back at the sea. “How about this?”
“Perfect.”
I zoom in and adjust the angle until I’ve got just the right shadowing on his face, then I take the shot.
“Let’s see.” He leans in to look at the camera display and our heads are so close they’re almost touching. He smells of aftershave and peppermint. My heart starts pounding. “That looks really great.” He looks at me and smiles. Up this close, his eyes are impossibly blue. I realize that if he wanted to kiss me right now he would barely have to move. We continue looking at each other for a second longer. “You’re really good at this, aren’t you?” he says, his voice softer than usual.
“Thank you.” Embarrassed, I look away and the moment is gone. We carry on walking. Two more joggers run past us, their feet crunching on the pebbles.
“How about one of me lying on the beach?” he says. “You know, for something a bit different.”
“Sure.” A vision of us both lying on the beach wrapped in each other’s arms pops into my head. My face instantly begins to flush.
Ollie scrambles down onto the stones. “How about if you take one from above me?”
“OK, that could be fun.” I stand next to Ollie and try to take a shot but it doesn’t quite work; it’s not centred enough. “I think I’m going to have to stand right over you,” I tell him.
Ollie looks at me and grins. I feel a weird tingling sensation shimmy up my spine. I carefully step one foot over his body so that I’m standing astride him. I look through the lens. He’s grinning up at me.