Page 4 of The Heart Shot
I wanted my best friend to succeed, I really did, but if she hadn’t signed up for the class, I wouldn’t have her pleading for me to take pictures with a stranger.
What kind of an idea is that anyway?
It would be ten thousand levels ofawkward.
I couldn’t stand there taking lovey-dovey photos with a stranger. There was a reason I went into writing—I was no actress.
This was a disaster waiting to happen. It was the start of a bad joke, and my face in those photos would be the punchline.With my luck, the photos would go viral, and I would become the next great meme.
“Maya…” I whined, turning to walk into another store, not paying attention to which one it was, and groaning when it ended up being the lingerie section in one of the big chain department stores.
Ugh.
Maya laughed. “See, it’s a sign!”
“I wouldn’t take accidentally walking into a bra section to be a sign that I need to agree to this.” I gave her my best scowl, pausing amidst the lacy unmentionables and crossed my arms.
“Come on, Els. I will absolutely get on my knees and beg you. Right here. Do you really want to cause such a scene?”
I scoffed. “Me? You’d be the one doing it.”
“Please?” Maya dropped to her knees, proving she meant every word by wrapping her arms around my legs and staring up at me with puppy dog eyes. “I need this, and I need you to do it. Just don’t even think about the guy. Although…you should because he’s quite attractive.”
I groaned, wobbling as I tried to maintain my balance with her holding my legs together. “You already have him picked out?”
“Better. He’s already agreed to do this.”
“What?”
“Yep. You’re the only thing holding back this photoshoot now.”
“Who is it? It’s not one of your creepy exes, is it?” I gasped. “It’s notGerryis it?”
Maya rolled her eyes. “Oh please, Els. Like I would ever set up someone I care about withthatguy.”
I sighed dramatically. Maya had met Gerry on a dating app several months ago. Despite his pretty blue eyes, the body odor on that guy, akin to a pubescent boys’ locker room, put an end to that date pretty quickly.
Maya squeezed me tighter. “I promise this guy isn’t a weirdo, doesn’t stink, and won’t make you uncomfortable. Just say yes. Please?”
With a scoff, I pulled my legs free of her arms and speed-walked away, trying to find my way out of the maze of bras and thongs.
“Besides,” Maya continued, hurrying after me. “When’s the last time you did something random and fun like this? Ever since…” She paused, biting her lip, knowing she almost brought up the one thing I hated talking about.
She sighed. “You’ve been alone for a long time, and you usually turn down my invitations to get out of that little cottage of yours. Come meet someone new and have some fun. And at the end, if there’s no spark, the photoshoot is done, and you never have to see the guy again.”
“So, this is your lame attempt at matchmaking?” I retorted over my shoulder, hands balling into fists. The last time someone tried to set me up, I wasted four years of my life on a guy who never thought I was worth fighting for. “Why don’t you focus on your own non-existent love life instead?”
Regret slammed into me as the words slipped past my lips. Maya had been on a handful of dates over the last few months, but nothing ever went further than the first. I didn’t know if that was her choice or theirs.
She hurried to my side, violently shaking her head. The movement reminded me of a dog shaking water off after a bath. “You’re right. My love lifeisnon-existent, and not important right now. Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you. I can’t do this photoshoot without you, but I’ve at least made it well worth your while. Help me out while giving your heart a shot.”
“My heart doesn’t want a shot.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue.
Maya scowled. “Keep telling yourself that. I know you’re lonely. You’re terrible at hiding it from me.”
Though I’d never admit it to her, she was right. It had been at least four years since I’d done anything that could be consideredfun, but there was a genuine reason for that. It was better to keep everyone at a distance, especially men. Why would I break that streak now?
But on top of the little voice whispering for me to do the photoshoot, I had another reminding me how much I hated disappointing people, especially those close to me.
