"We're insane. We are completely INSANE. Charlie, we don't have the money for this! I can't believe I let you convince me!" Luke panicked. We stood around the kitchen table looking at it. It was absolutely beautiful. To me, at least it was. It was so shiny I couldn't stop staring.
"$3,000! $3,000!!!!!!" He continued.
"Luke, relax. I've got this all planned out." I explained calmly. My mind was going a mile a minute. I rationalized with him nonchalantly, but in my head I was freaking out. I was even second guessing what we just did.
I looked at it once more. I thought back to high school and tried to remember what it was like to have in my hands. Photography Club was the only reason I loved going to school. My teacher thought I had a real gift. Some of my best photographs are still hanging in Aurora Skies' art gallery. But, that was Aurora Skies. Would I be as successful in Bridgeport as I was in my small home town? I sure hoped so, because if I wasn't, we just spent $3,000 for nothing. We didn't have money to throw around.
"It's going to be fine." I reassured again. "I'll take some pictures, have them developed, and take them to the art gallery. Then, if they accept them, I'll get some cash. If I save up enough, I could open my own gallery and have my own business which I've always dreamed of..."
"IF? IF, Charlie, IF? What IF they don't accept your photos? What IF you don't get paid? What IF, Charlie?! What IF?!" Luke ranted.
"I don't know, Luke! I don't know what I'm going to do if photography isn't successful for me!" I returned.
"Charlie, you need to know." He fretted.
"Do you have a better idea?" I questioned.
"No..."
"Then just let me try as hard as I possibly can and pray that it pays off." I sighed.
I looked back at him and met his eyes. His gorgeous, green eyes.
No, Charlie. Don't even think about it. It's not going to happen. He's become your best friend. You'll just be setting yourself up for heart break and rejection. Remember what happened every time you put yourself out there? Pain. That's what happened. Awful pain. Do you want to go through that again?
He seemed content with my response for now, so I took off into the city to start taking pictures.
~2 Days Later~
Back home in Aurora Skies most of my pictures were nature themed. In Bridgeport, there isn't much nature. It's mostly brights lights, big buildings, and loud sounds. I had difficulty at first finding decent shots, but then I focused on what Bridgeport is all about. It's all about the bright lights and big buildings. I decided to highlight those aspects. I did some research, and many of the buildings were built more than a century ago. They had some historical background, especially city hall.
"Charlie, these are great! I never knew you had such a talent!" He exclaimed.
I blushed a bit. "Thank you. Now, should I take them down to the gallery and see what they think of them? I could possibly get a bit of cash." I explained.
"Go for it!" Luke enthused.
I traveled down to the art gallery, a modern, complicated, and abstract building. The second I walked in the smell of professionalism struck my nose. My stomach started to ache, but I kept on walking. The men and women standing around the paintings and sculptures all looked so formal and opulent. What was I doing here in my skinny jeans, tank top, and hair done up in a messy bun? I bit my lip and walked up to the woman sitting at the front desk. She was slightly plump with pitch black hair and some freckles dotting her face. Her cheerful blue eyes calmed me a bit.
"Um, hello. My name is Charlotte King and I was wondering if I could speak with the owner of this fine establishment." I stated. I gave a faint smile and tucked a bit of hair behind my ear.
Fine establishment? Seriously, Charlie?
"Of course. Let me go fetch her." The woman replied. She got up from her desk and disappeared in a back room. About two minutes later she came out and gestured for me to follow.
Another woman, I'm guessing in her forties, was seated at a desk typing away at a laptop. When she noticed my presence, she shut the lid and smiled up at me.
"Good afternoon. Miss King is it?" She asked.
"Yes. Hello. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." I responded.
"Katrina Pala. I'm in charge of managing this building. How may I help you?" She questioned.
"Well, I'm new to Bridgeport, and am looking for a full time job. I know that your gallery accepts some fine work, and I was wondering if you could display some of mine."
Please. Please. Please. Please.
"I'd love to see your art." She replied genuinely.
I couldn't help but let a huge smile spread across my face. I handed her my binder full of photographs and patiently sat in the chair analyzing her facial features as she flipped through it. I held my breath waiting for a response.
About five minutes later she closed it and handed it back to me.
"You have quite the talent Miss King." She stated.
"Thank you so much! That means a great deal to me coming from you."
She smiled, but that smile quickly faded. "Your photographs are absolutely stunning, but I'm afraid there's just one problem..."
"You've got to be joking!" Luke shouted after I explained to him what the woman had said. "Why on Earth would they not accept photographs?! They're an art gallery for crying out loud!"
"I know. I know." I sighed. "I don't understand, either. She said that right now they're only displaying paintings, sculptures, and mosaics. She also said that the owner of the building doesn't consider photography an art."
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" He complained. I think he's taking the news worse than I am.
I got up from the kitchen table and went into the living room. I felt absolutely horrible. I spent $3,000 for a plan I was sure would work, but didn't. What would we do now?
I silently began to cry and a single tear rolled down my cheek. How could I have been so stupid? Did I really think a hobby of mine was going to make me rich? I wiped my face and sniffled. Luke must have sensed something was wrong and came over.
He sat down in front of me, a look of care on his face. I looked up to meet those gentle, green eyes of his. Those eyes. I just couldn't get over those eyes of his. After the two and a half months I've known him, I melt every time I look into those eyes. I pushed the thought aside.
"Charlie, it's not your fault. I know you think it is, but it's not. You were just trying to help. Everyone makes mistakes. Don't dwell on it. It'll be ok." He soothed.
"You don't understand, Luke." I began to cry again. I felt like a fool for losing it in front of him. "I make so many mistakes! Too many mistakes! Everything I DO is a mistake!"
"Certainly not all of your decisions are mistakes..." He looked hurt when he said this. It confused me.
"W-what?" I asked.
"Meeting me? Having lunch with me? Moving in with me? Spending all this time with me for the last two months?"
"No, Luke, those aren't mistakes." I said quietly. "I just, you don't understand. You don't know me."
"Charlie, I practically know everything about you. I know every bit of your body is ticklish." He proceeded to tickle me and I fought to get away. "I know you play with your hair when you're nervous." He wiped away my tears with his finger and smiled. When he touched my face I felt my heart skip a beat. He had never gotten that close before.
He continued. "I know that when you sleep you have to cocoon yourself in the blankets or you get uncomfortable. I know that when you do crossword puzzles, you refuse to look at the answers until you've finished no matter how stuck you get on one word. I know you hate when your food mixes together. I know you hate the sound of your laugh, but personally, I love it. I love the scent of your lavender shampoo that lingers in the bathroom for hours after you've showered. I love the way your nose scrunches up when I tease you. I love how your face lights up every time you look out the window and see snow, even though you grew up seeing it so often. I love how you smile when I wake you up in the morning. I love how you criticize romance films, but every time you watch one, you cry for hours afterwards about how beautiful it was.I love how you get excited over ice cream, just like a little kid. I love how you keep me up until the wee hours of the morning just talking. I love those talks, Charlie."
I stared at him speechless. I felt my heart pounding in my chest and it felt like it was going to rip out any second.
"You say everything you do is a mistake?" He questioned.
He pulled me up off the ground and took me close. I could feel his hot breath on my face. The tears were still flowing down my cheeks, but I ignored it. This felt surreal. All of it did. I placed my hand on his chest, not sure what he was getting at. I met his eyes once again and didn't break the gaze. That's when he caught me off guard and did something I never expected him to do.
He picked me up and kissed me. Before I could let myself pull away, I melted into his arms and put my hand on his cheek. His lips were so soft and gentle and I didn't want him to stop. I had never actually been kissed before. Guys in my high school were never interested in me. This was a bliss I never thought I would have.
When it was over, he set me back on the ground and looked into my eyes.
"Was that a mistake, Charlie?" He asked with a hint of hope in his eyes.
"No."
I kissed him again and I began to tremble. I have never felt this way before. I don't know what this feeling is, but whatever it may be, I don't want it to ever go away.
~Luke's POV~
After the kiss, we laughed. WE. FREAKING. LAUGHED! I guess both of us never expected this. I liked it though. The thought of her being mine. That made me happy. I ordered a pizza and watched her frustration as the stringy cheese refused to stay on her slice. God, I can't even explain how much I love her. She popped in another one of her romance films, and like always, cried at the end. When she fell asleep in my arms, I carried her upstairs into her bedroom and gently placed her on her bed. I climbed on as well and laid there watching her sleep for a while. I pushed her light brown curls out of her face and listened to her cute little snores.
"Don't worry, Charlie. I'm not going to leave you like everyone else did. I'm here. I'm always going to be here."
I got out of bed and turned off the light. I entered my own room and changed into something to sleep in. I jumped into my bed and switched off the lamp on the nightstand. I laid there and stared at the ceiling in deep thought for a while. All I knew is I finally had something, no someone, in my life that meant the world to me and there was no way I was going to let that slip away.
~*~
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! I'm so sorry it took so long to be posted. I've been so busy lately.
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Thanks again! :)
