There are lights on tripods, and India has an assistant with a reflector board, but earlier, India explained that she mostly wanted to use the restaurant’s neon and overhead lights so that the images have that ‘authentic diner feeling’. That had sounded perfect to me.
I nod, climbing up ungracefully to the bar top. I strike a few poses, flipping my yellow tulle skirt this way and that and showing off my white T-strap heels and yellow lace bobby socks. It’s not quite a pin-up costume, but it’s heavily inspired by that vibe while staying true to my brand of sunshine yellow and fresh white. I had to rush ship it to get it here in time for India’s visit, but as soon as I put it on, I knew it was absolutely worth it.
“And kick your right leg out,” India instructs me. I do that, and then we start truly flowing, neither of us needing direction. It took me a long time to know my best features and how to highlight them. I had to study posing the same way India studied aperture. Together, we work our way all over Big Mike’s, taking shot after shot until India’s phone dings.
“Oh, shit, that’s my alarm. My husband will be here in fifteen minutes so I’m afraid we need to call this a wrap.” India smiles, her thick lips glossy and teeth bright white. She could be a model herself with her high cheekbones and striking dark eyes, but she’s utterly fabulous behind the camera. “This has been amazing, Riley. Thank you for being my model today!”
I gush back, “Are you kidding? Thank you for being my photographer! I can’t wait to see everything.”
I climb down from the jukebox where we took our last shots and give India a big hug. “Can I help you clean up or pack?”
She shakes her head. “Oh, no, nobody touches my gear but me. I don’t even let my husband touch my babies.” She holds her camera to her chest protectively, though she smiles as though she’s kidding.
“We’re opening in thirty minutes,” Mike calls through the window to the kitchen.
“They’re done,” Wayne calls back. “We’ll be ready to open in twenty.” He’s been watching the whole thing, offering water here and ideas there. Some of his placements were really great, actually. I don’t think I would’ve thought to do photos in the men’s room, especially since I’d never been in there, but it’d been fun acting like I was doing something sneaky and naughty for the pictures. And the men’s room had a whole row of posters of female icons from decades past, from Marilyn to Tina Louise, Farrah Fawcett to Brooke Shields.
A school bus pulls up outside, and India turns. “There he is, ready to get on the road.”
“The bus?” Wayne asks, looking out the window like a pack of feral school children are going to rush the place demanding chocolate chip pancakes and cream sodas while overwhelming any sense of order there might be.
As if feral kids would be on a school bus anyway.
India nods. “Yeah, we converted the bus to be our home on the road. It’s not fancy, but it’s ours.” To me, she says, “I’ll work on editing while we’re traveling to the next stop, so I’ll send you everything tonight. Do a check-through for approval, and then we can do a coordinated post to release them to the public in a couple of days.”
India waits for me to nod in answer, and I add, “That sounds amazing. Thank you so much, India.”
She gathers all her gear, and too soon, India and her school bus-driving husband are gone.
“Wow,” I breathe in awe. “India Inkspot Photography.”
Wayne pulls up his still-glassless glasses to raise a brow, adding, “Uh, wow . . . Riley Sunshine.”
I laugh and give him a high-five. “Thanks, Wayne. Do you think I could get something to go?”
“Chocolate cake shake?” he suggests. Maybe he remembers that Noah and I didn’t get one when we were here or maybe it’s his standard suggestion, but he’s absolutely right. That’s what I want. I don’t care if it’s not yet eight in the morning. Cake has eggs and milk in it. Those are breakfast foods, right?
I nod, and he snaps his fingers. “Coming right up.”
I sit down at a table, and in minutes, he’s back with a gorgeous, and humongous, shake. I’m no India-caliber photographer, but I’ve got a few tricks of my own, so before Mike opens for the early crowd starting to gather in the parking lot, I stand up in my chair and take a picture of the shake, making sure to get the globs of whipped cream, cute sprinkles, and the ambiance of the diner surrounding the table.
I do a quick edit on the photo and then add a teaser to it . . .
Don’t pinch me . . . I don’t want to wake up from this dream. Today, I had an opportunity I would’ve never imagined, but it happened. To me. Which is proof your dreams can happen for you too. Be open, be adventurous, be resolutely yourself, and amazing things will come your way.
I can’t wait to share with you. Photos coming soon. #turningdreamsintoreality
I post it to my page with a smile on my face that I don’t think will shrink ever again. Today was amazing.
I take a celebratory sip of the shake and blink. Holy Chocolate! This is amazing too.
What a day, what a life, I think. I’m a lucky woman.
* * *
“Hey, Sunshine,” Noah says as I open the door. He’s holding a sunflower, spinning the single thick stalk gently in his hands. “You didn’t seem like the rose type, but this reminded me of you.” His smile is pure filth even as he says sweet things. I love it—his dirty mouth and the pretty flower.
“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I tell him, taking the bloom from him. It’s bright yellow and warm brown and reminds me of summer days in the sun.
He follows me into the kitchen where I pull out a tall glass. “I don’t have a vase that’ll fit this, but I think this will work.” I add water and the flower as he watches me. I smile softly at the focused attention. “What?”
“I missed you today,” he answers bluntly. “I was busy at work—running from meeting to meeting, poring over BlindDate stats, and dissecting what it all means with River. But all I wanted to do was call you to see how the photo shoot went this morning.”
“I wanted to call you so much, but I didn’t want to interrupt because I knew you had the meeting with the marketing people this morning.”
We flash matching smiles, both of us wanting to talk but respecting the other’s work. “Just call me next time,” Noah growls, pulling me in for a proper hello kiss. He’s warm and firm against my body, his lips soft and demanding against mine, and I melt into him.
“Hi,” I murmur, blissed out from his kiss. I blink and promise, “Next time, I’ll just call.”
He nods approvingly. “So, how did it go?”
I twirl away from him, spinning through the living room, and Raffy barks, running around with me. I’m celebrating, and he thinks I’ve lost my mind, but Noah laughs. “I take it that’s good?”
“It was amazing!” I sigh happily. “India is going to send me the pictures tonight and they’ll go live in a couple of days.”
“I can’t wait to see them. You looked gorgeous in that skirt and those shoes. Ugh, those heels and little socks? You might have to pull those out later.” He lifts a dark brow lewdly. “Only those . . . and nothing else.”
“That could be arranged,” I promise. “But first, I have a date idea. Caveat—I’ll need to take some pictures of Raffy for social media too, but I think it’ll be fun.”
I know where I want to go. I’ve been waiting to take Raffy to the Inu Onsen Dog Water Park for weeks, but it’s been too cool. Today, though? The weather is perfect.
If Noah will agree to go with me and Raffy. I don’t imagine it’s his usual type of place to go for fun, but I’m hoping he’s willing to be adventurous today too.
“Is this why you told me to bring a swimsuit and flip flops?” Noah looks me up and down approvingly, and I smooth my sundress. It’s covering my own swimsuit. “It’s nice out, but I looked up the quickest way to get to the beach, and it’s at least four hours away.”
“You looked up routes to the beach?” I ask, hiding
my smile behind my hand. Noah nods slowly, having no idea how adorable that is. All I said was ‘swimsuit’, and he’s already planning out routes, bathroom stops, and looking at Yelp reviews for dinner options. I love that he cares and shows it by planning and researching so we can have a good time.
“We’re not going to the beach, are we?”
I smile brightly and shake my head. “Nope, we’re going to a dog park. A water doggy park, to be precise. I know you like precision. And I already know where it is, how to get there, where to park, and all the attractions because I looked it all up.”
Noah bites his lip, being silly. “Oh, damn, Sunshine . . . speak ‘control freak’ to me. I love it. What else did you plan?”
I laugh at his antics. He is so funny when he wants to be. “I know what time sunset is so we can get golden hour pics, so let’s go. And also, I thought you liked to be the control freak?” I let my voice go sultry, implying so much more than the light words.
“Fuck yeah, I do. Let me change and we can go.”
And I swear to the sun itself, as Noah goes down the hall to change out of his work clothes and into his trunks and T-shirt, he is whistling.
Noah Daniels. Whistling.
My heart squeezes in my chest, hugging itself with happiness.
“Ready?” Noah asks a few moments later.
I’ve got Raffy’s stuff all packed in my bag, plus sunscreen and dinner for Noah and me. “Oh, let me get Raffy’s hat and life vest.”
“His what?” Noah asks in surprise as he starts laughing. “Hat? Life vest?”
“Yes,” I tell him with a glare. “Don’t make fun. They’re cute and keep him safe.”
“Raffy, do you want a hat?”
“Rowf!”
“Guess that settles it,” Noah says with a disbelieving shake of his head. I have to laugh as I grab the last two items. Tossing them in my backpack, I slip the straps over my shoulders only to find Noah rubbing Raffy’s belly, being nice to my fur baby. He won’t admit it, of course, but Raffy’s already got him wrapped around a little paw.
And the view today is . . . fantastic. While yes, I prefer Noah looking powerful and sexy in one of his tailored suits, he looks just as good today in board shorts and a tank top, his muscles not hinted at but on clear display for me.
His arms are lean, his muscles outlined under his skin, not bodybuilder veiny but clear and defined. I hope he enjoys what I’ve got on underneath my sundress as much as I’m enjoying looking at him.
“All ready!” I chirp, getting Noah’s attention. I slip my sandals on, and we go down to my VW Bug, since Raffy travels a lot better in there than any other vehicle. Noah holds Raffy in his lap while I drive, still scratching the spoiled puppy’s head.
“Tell me about this place? A dog water park?”
“Yup,” I confirm with a grin. “Doggys need slides too!”
“I have to see this,” Noah says, and a half hour later, the look in his eyes tells me that no matter how well I explained it, he wasn’t expecting what he’s seeing now.
“See? It was an old kiddie park that wasn’t getting used, and the owner let his own dog run around when no one was here. Then an idea was born. He turned it into a specialty park for dogs and their owners. Three pools, a waterfall, slides for both humans and dogs . . . Inu Onsen’s got something for everyone. Spread out over a few acres, it’s a little smaller than most human-only parks, but for this, it’s perfect.”
“It’s genius from a business perspective,” Noah says approvingly. I bet he’s already done a rough headcount and multiplied by the admission rate we paid for Raffy. Owners are free, but they charge the canine guests.
“Come on, the lockers are over here,” I tell him, having memorized the map. I can speak his language too.
I open the locker, setting the bag down inside to pull out Raffy’s gear. I help him into his life vest despite his wiggled arguments and then Velcro his hat around his chin.
I slip the straps of my sundress down my arms, not intending to be sexy, but I feel the heat of Noah’s eyes on me. He watches as I let the dress drop below my breasts to my waist and then carefully step out of it to stand in my yellow polka-dot, two-piece swimsuit. It’s nothing overly sexy, not a thong or anything that’s more strings than fabric. In fact, it’s more of a hippy-style boy short with a bandeau top. Perfectly acceptable for a public water park.
Noah makes me feel like I’m standing before him nude, though. His eyes skate over my skin, and I swear I can feel the caress of his gaze.
“Raffy . . . I think your momma’s trying to set this place on fire. She’s so hot today,” Noah tells my dog conspiratorially. “I’m going to need to be Johnny on the spot with the sunscreen, making sure I keep her well coated in cream.”
Why does that sound like a promise and threat all at once?
I grin, reaching into my bag and pulling out a bottle of sunscreen. “Already ahead of you.”
Noah practically dives for the bottle, pulling it out of my hand. He squirts a generous amount into his palm and then begins sliding the lotion all over my skin. It feels naughty and intimate to do this in public where anyone could see, even though Noah’s hands aren’t dipping anywhere private.
Oops, spoke too soon . . . His fingertip dips just below the waist of my suit, tracing over the small of my back.
“Let me do you,” I tell him, taking the lotion back. Two can play this game.
I drizzle the sunscreen directly onto his chest, then squeeze his pecs and firmly spread the lotion over his shoulders. I can feel his heart beating faster beneath my palm.
“Rowf!” Raffy barks, breaking the spell.
“Way to go, Fluffy Cockblocker,” Noah says too loudly, and while I should be mortified at the people who look our way, I can only laugh.
We head to what I already know is going to be my favorite spot, a full-on ‘beach-style’ pool that slopes gradually from toe-deep all the way to swimming depth if you want. It’s perfect because Raffy can splash and even go doggy paddling if he wants, but humans can cool off too.
Noah dumps his towel on a lounge chair and immediately runs for the water a little awkwardly. “Be right back!” he calls over his shoulder as I laugh. “Need to cool off! It’s a scorcher out here today.”
I can see the outline of his hardness, proof of the effect I have on him, and it makes me feel sexier than ever. I might be a lightweight in terms of kink, but I love the happiness being sexy for Noah helps me feel.
I drop down to sit on the lounge chair as Raffy takes off after Noah, thinking this water-running thing is a game for his amusement.
I watch them playing together, Noah squatting in the pool to help Raffy swim back and forth in the cool water. I take a deep breath, grounding myself in the moment—the feel of the sun on my skin, the smell of chlorine and wet dog, the sound of squeaky balls, the sight of Noah and Raffy being so cute, and though sunscreen is a smell, I swear I can taste it on my tongue.
All of it together makes me feel very, very happy. This moment is what it’s all about—finding joy in the good and bad. Because let’s be honest, no one likes the smell of wet dog. But if that’s the worst thing to happen today, I am beyond fortunate.
Noah spends a good ten minutes in the pool with Raffy, and when he gets out, I have plenty of eye candy watching the water glisten all over his taut stomach and drip down to the waistband of his shorts.
“Are you coming in or is your plan to lie here and torture me the whole time?” Noah asks, not looking tortured at all. In fact, the way his eyes are tracing from my blonde braid over my sun-kissed face, to my breasts and down my hips, and over the length of my legs to my freshly-painted, white with yellow polka-dotted toes, he looks to be enjoying himself immensely.
“Your toes match your suit, but opposite,” Noah tells me.
I wiggle my toes in delight that he noticed. “I’m coming in too. I want to get some pictures of Raffy but didn’t want to interrupt because it seemed like you two were havin
g a moment.”
“We were,” Noah teases. “Isn’t that right? High-five, man.” Noah holds his hand up, and Raffy lifts his paw to pat it.
I get up, taking the waterproof case I’ve stowed my phone in with me. Back in the water, the three of us play, and I take pictures the whole time—of Noah, Raffy, and me.
Some of them I’ll use for social media, but some of them are just for me, like the ones with Noah in them.
“Here, let me take some of you and Raffy,” Noah says, and I hand him my phone.
I dunk down under the water to get my face on the same level as Raffy and puff up my cheeks like a chipmunk. I pull several other silly faces and then a few happy smile ones too. I hold Raffy up out of the water for a few, sit in the shallows with Raffy lying at my side for more, and even guide Raffy to lie on his back and then lie out beside him as though we’ve both fallen asleep in the beautiful, golden sun.
“Perfect. Each and every one,” Noah tells me, giving my phone back. “You want to flip through them to see if you got what you need? I’ll take Raffy back out for a bit.”
I cannot express how much it means to me that he understands. Most people think I snap a few pictures and poof, done. But it’s more than that. The photo has to be right—lighting, expressions, flattering to both Raffy and me, and expressing the right thing. In this case, utter joy in a beautiful day with doggy friends in the water. Showing the brand on the life vest or hat wouldn’t hurt either, but I don’t have to do that since they’re not sponsors. Yet.
“Thank you,” I tell him before standing on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek. “It’ll be fast. Promise.”
“Take your time, Sunshine. Me and the Raffster have some hardcore relaxing to do.”
Noah’s just starting to slosh his way into the pool when I feel a presence and a shadow passes over me. I look up to see a woman standing next to me. “Hello . . . uhm, I know this is weird, but are you Riley Sunshine? And is that Raffy?”
“Yes, can I help you?” I ask, sitting all the way up. The woman’s wearing a floppy sunhat and a one-piece top with shorts that say, ‘I’m here to run around with my dog, not flirt with you, random stranger.’ Something about that reassures me, dog mom to dog mom.
The Blind Date Page 23
