EMMA
“That’s the one.” I point to the prints from Grayson’s photo shoot, spread out on the table where Ben and Oliver stand.
“We have to pick more than one for the article.” Oliver rolls his eyes, and I swear I still can’t tell after nearly two months of working together if he likes me or not. The answer is probably no, and almost everyone likes me. Aside from Samantha, the other writers have warmed up to me over time…not that I’d ever fully trust them after the whole Simone’s incident.
Ben lays his finger on the same picture I’m pointing to. “I think she’s talking about the first big picture for the article, and I have to agree.” He looks up and winks at me.
My face flushes, and I attempt to ignore his action. “I can always take some at the soup kitchen this weekend, along with him cooking in class.”
Ben nods, and Oliver eventually relents.
“I’ll run it past Amelia to get her final approval.” Ben starts stacking the pictures while I take a moment to look at the photograph again. It’s the one I knew would come out the best. He’s smiling, with one hand in his pocket and the other running through his hair as he looks at me. Of course, it’s not me who’smaking him smile, but Marina who he was talking about at the time.
God, he’s handsome.
There are some other ones we marked to feature in the article, but this will be the one that’ll catch people’s attention. The article will probably be about two pages long with at least four pictures. Now, it’s up to me to take shots of him cooking, but I need to convince him first.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I let out a huff. It’s probably the guys waiting for me to confirm our dinner at Roxy’s after Grayson’s lab this week. We have to plan things at least two days in advance now with Levi’s job, Kamila’s internship at King’s Wolf, her job at the gym, and my job here at the paper.
When my screen lights up, it’s not the Scooby Gang group chat, but the only name in my contacts that has just one letter.
G: Meet me in the parking lot behind The Howler.
“Hey, I’m headed out now if you need a ride.”
My phone flips around in the air when Ben startles me, but I luckily manage to catch it and lock the screen immediately.
“God, you scared me.”
He raises a brow. “I was right next to you.”
“Um,” I stutter. “I get scared easily.”
“Okay…” He trails off. “So, is that a yes or no?”
I tilt my head to the side. “Yes or no to what?”
Ben laughs. “To the ride?”
My eyes widen, and I give him an innocent smile. I really need to learn how to stay calm, it’s not like he knows who I’m talking to.
“I’m good, actually. I’m going to meet up with a friend, and with the warm front that hit, I’d love nothing more than to not let this outfit go to waste.”
I do a little twirl, and my dark brown midi wool skirt swirls around. It’s brand new, but the shoes are the ones I stole from my mom’s closet back home. Her black wool Mary Jane pumpsmatch perfectly with my beige blouse. I’m happy that I chose to go the extra mile with my outfit today, especially now that I’m seeing Grayson, which is a complete and total surprise.
After I finish my two twirls, I gesture to my skirt. “Nice, right?” I’m all smiles before I notice Ben’s unreadable expression. “What?”
“You look beautiful.”
My breathing catches for a moment as I laugh nervously and shift on my feet. “I should probably get my things together.”
“Emma, wait.” There’s a small tug on my hand, and I turn to see Ben looking around. The newsroom has started to quiet down, but there are still a few people here, and the last thing we need is to be the gossip of the week.
Taking a step back, he opens his mouth, and says, “I don’t want to come off as a creep?—”
“Not a great way to start a sentence,” I interrupt, and he laughs.
“I was wondering if, by any chance, you are single?” He looks down briefly when I don’t respond. I suspected Ben had a thing for me, but I never wanted to sound like a bitch or embarrass him by assuming. Maybe it’s better that it came up sooner rather than later. I really hate leading anyone on, not that I would on purpose.
