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Hannah shoved her phone at him and hurried into position, quickly adopting one of the poses the women had used a minute ago. Shaking his head he did as she asked, mainly because a couple of other people were also waiting to take their turn and were shuffling forward expectantly. It panicked him, and he snapped the shot without much care.

Hannah hurried forward for approval. ‘Oh, you got some of the people waiting in line.’ She sighed with disappointment, but those same people had hurried forward to take her spot, making any chance of taking it again impossible. ‘Never mind, I’m sure I can crop them out or tweak it somehow.’

‘Sorry, I was still freaking out over those girls throwing their drinks in the trash. They’d barely touched them!’

Hannah chuckled and put away her phone. ‘I think I recognise a couple of them. They’re professional influencers; they don’t stay that thin by eating and drinking the stuff they promote.’

‘So, they were selling those drinks?’

Hannah nodded. ‘Probably, or they got them for free at least.’

Caleb frowned. ‘Then what’s the point?’

‘Not all influencers are like that. Many of them are really genuine and want to connect with people.’

Caleb nodded, but didn’t say anything. It sounded a lot like make-believe, and even though working in the entertainment industry meant that was all he did all day, this fake lifestyle didn’t sit right with him. There was always a clear line between the performance and himself when he worked, while this felt dishonest.

‘It’s a pity you can’t do longer in Sydney. It really is a beautiful city,’ she said, smiling at the sunny beach filled with surfers and families.

‘Maybe I’ll come back and stay for a few days after filming.’ He could imagine more days like this with Hannah, taking in the sights and exploring the city. He could tell he’d startled her, although he wasn’t sure if it was because he’d mentioned staying for longer, or the fact he’d reminded her he would eventually leave.

‘Do you surf?’

He laughed. ‘I’m Californian. Of course I surf.’

‘I’m still learning. But I can stand up now… sometimes.’ She frowned at the last word and he grinned.

‘That’s the hardest bit,’ he said, trying to be sympathetic.

‘Tell me about it! I couldn’t manage to do it for weeks. Jules said it was because I had a weak core. She was right, of course. After doing a load of sit ups and press ups, I was able to do it…’

At her frowning pause, he asked, ‘Sometimes?’

She nodded, swatting at his arm when he roared with laughter. He resisted the urge to sling his arm around her shoulders and pull her close.

They reached a curve in the path which overlooked the Bondi Icebergs – an outdoor swimming club so close to the ocean that when the waves crash over the rocks, the seawater occasionally spills into the bright turquoise pools. Hannah glanced around nervously and climbed up onto the seat of a nearby bench. ‘I’d love to get a decent shot from here.’ She lifted her phone high and then jumped back down to the pavement to check the image.

He could tell by her grimace that she was disappointed by the photo. ‘Go stand there,’ he said, pointing towards the edge of the path. ‘I’ll take it.’

As Hannah walked into position, he put down his jacket and helmet and stood on the bench, checking the screen. Even with his arm raised, it wouldn’t get all of the pool as well as Hannah in the shot.

Feeling guilty about his badly taken photo earlier by the sign, he decided to make up for it with this one. Stuffing her phone in his back pocket, he reached for the lamppost beside the bench and began to climb it.

‘Caleb, what the hell!’ she cried as she turned, taking a step forward and then thinking better of it when he swung a little away from the post to reach into his back pocket for the phone.

‘The shot is better from up here!’ he called back, fumbling with the phone and hoping he didn’t drop it. ‘Smile!’ he shouted, holding out the phone while gripping the pole with his feet and one hand.

Hannah hurried into a quick pose, but she eyed him with worry even as she forced a light-hearted smile.

A wicked part of him wanted to tease her further. He liked the feeling of someone being concerned for him for once. When he dropped down to the bench, he followed it with a perfectly executed backflip to the pavement.

‘For fuck’s sake, Caleb! You scared me!’ Hannah shouted as she ran forward, but he was already straightening up from his perfect land.

‘I wasn’t that high.’ He shrugged, but Hannah didn’t seem comforted by his words and gave him another sharp swat to his arm.

‘Don’t do that again, I thought you were about to land on your head!’

‘No chance,’ he said, amused and flattered by her concern. ‘That’s nothing compared to what I usually do.’