Page 5 of The Heartbreakers
“Not really,” I answered and took back my camera. Dropping the strap back around my neck, I held it in my hands and let out a huge breath. “I much prefer looking through the lens,” I told him. I focused it on his face for a moment before swinging around to my right and capturing the barista at work. I held the camera up so he could look at the image on the screen. “It’s best when they don’t know you’re looking at them. That way you get the real stuff. Real is when it’s the most beautiful.”
“What if they know you’re looking?” He was closer now, and even though he had spoken in a barely there voice, I heard every word.
Taking a deep breath, I counted to three in my head to work up some courage. Then I stepped back and focused the lens on him. He leaned in with an unwavering gaze, but with the camera between the boy and myself, he was less intimidating. I only saw a subject. My finger hit the button three times before I pulled away to study the portraits. They were easily the best pictures I’d taken in a long time.
Finally, I answered him. “Those can be beautiful too.”
His lips quirked up in a smile, but before he could respond, the barista finished his order. “All right, one caffe latte with soy,” the woman said, handing the boy his drink. “Sugar’s around the corner if you need it.”
“Thank you,” he told the woman, but he never glanced in her direction. He kept his eyes on me as he reached over and grabbed his drink. Finally, after three long seconds, he turned and made his way over to the sweeteners and stir sticks.
“Sorry about the wait,” the woman continued. “What can I get for you?” I gazed at her with parted lips. I had completely forgotten why I was even standing in Starbucks. “Hon?” she prompted me.
“Right,” I said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Um, can I have a grande of your regular brew and a tall hazelnut macchiato?”
“Anything else for you today?”
“No thank you.”
She pressed a few buttons on the register. “Okay, that will be eight ninety-eight.”
I pulled my wallet out of my purse and searched for a ten. “I know I have some cash in here somewhere…” I muttered to myself. I didn’t want to have to run back out to the car—that would be totally embarrassing—but all I could find was my plastic, and I was only allowed to use that in emergencies.
“I got it.” The boy slapped a twenty down on the counter and winked. My fingers fumbled as I looked between him and the money, and my credit card slipped out of my hand.
“Crap.” I rushed to pick it up, but he was already there, bending down and plucking it off the floor. He turned it over in his hand as he straightened back up, his eyes glancing down at my name.
“Here you go,” he said, holding it out for me to take.
“Um, thanks.”
“It was nice to meet you, Stella Samuel.” A half grin yanked on the corner of his mouth as he said my name. “Have fun at the gallery today.” Then he turned and exited the coffee shop. I stood in place and watched the door swing closed behind him.
“Here you go, darling. One grande coffee and a tall hazelnut macchiato.” The barista pushed the drinks across the counter to me. “Your friend left his change behind. Do you want it?”
“Keep it,” I told her, not bothering to look back. I grabbed the cups and rushed out the door to ask the boy his name, but when I reached the sidewalk, there was nobody in sight.
“What took you so long?” Drew complained when I finally slid back into my seat.
“Oh, you know. Soy milk, camera,” I rattled off. My mind was on that boy.
Drew choked on a sip of coffee. “You spilled soy milk on your new camera?”
“Huh?” I focused my attention back on him and then realized what he was asking. “Oh, no. Never mind, it was nothing.”
My brother watched me for a moment before shaking his head. “Drink that caffeine up. I think you need it.”
• • •
“That was awesome!” I exclaimed as Drew and I stepped out of Bianca’s gallery.
Unlike this morning, I felt energy streaming through my body, enough for me to skip the five blocks to the radio station where the signing was taking place.
“Maybe not the word I would use,” Drew responded.
“Oh, come on,” I said, bumping my shoulder into his. “Don’t you feel inspired?”
“Not overly,” he replied. “We just spent all morning looking at a bunch of pictures on a wall.”
