Page 70 of Meet Me in Berlin

I don’t want to link the action with her pained expression, so I flick it away, like a bug crawling across my skin. Right this minute, we’re together and she’s focused on me; I’ll take that.

‘I’ll show you some pics.’ She scrolls for a few seconds and brings up an image. ‘That’s Jazzy.’

I take the phone for a closer look. The woman staring back at me has warm brown skin like Casey, incredible black curls, cheekbones that glow with a shimmery bronze blush, full lips covered in clear gloss and deep brown eyes. ‘Wow. She is very, very attractive. Like, beautiful.’

‘And she takes full advantage of that,’ Casey says, taking her phone back.

‘Does her twin brother look like that too?’

‘Uh-huh.’ She narrows her eyes. ‘Hmm, maybe I don’t want you to meet them. You’d totally be both their type. Although, Jazzy has lots of types, and her brother is married with a new baby.’ She pulls up another photo. ‘That’s Mum, Dad and my sis, Chandice.’

I take the phone again and immediately see where she gets her looks from. ‘Oh, your dad. He is seriously handsome.’ I look at her. ‘You have the same features.’ I glance at the photo again. ‘They’re young. Or maybe they just look good for their age. Mine were pretty old when they had me, so everyone’s parents look young to me.’

‘They are young. Mid-fifties.’

I stare at the photo a moment longer, enjoying learning about this side of Casey’s life. ‘Your mum is tiny compared to the three of you.’

She smiles fondly. ‘What she lacks in size, she makes up for in ferocity. But in an admirable take-no-shit way, know what I mean?’

I nod. ‘Must be nice. Having a close family, or two close families, around you.’

Casey’s face falls. ‘Sorry, I?—’

‘Don’t be. I’m interested.’

‘I’d love you to meet them one day.’

I raise my brows. ‘I’m meeting your best friend and your family? This is moving very fast.’

She glances away shyly, but I catch the smile in her eyes.

I find a photo of my own family and show her. ‘Me, Adam, Mum and Dad.’

She stares at it for a few seconds. ‘You’re very…’

‘White?’ I say with a grin.

She laughs. ‘Well, yeah, but I was going to say similar. You and Adam are a lot like your mum.’

I nod. ‘Yep. Dad didn’t get too much of a look in, although Adam got his height.’

She points to my camera. ‘Speaking of photos, you could do more of this and charge, yeah?’

‘I guess. Not sure I could make a full-time living from it, but while I have a year’s salary in the bank, I’d like to use the time to do more photography.’

Her eyes widen. ‘A year? They paid you out a year?’

I nod. ‘Almost a year and a half.’

‘That’s something, then.’ She slips her arm around my shoulder. ‘I’m sorry you lost your job, but if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be sat here right now.’

I cup her cheeks and hold her face close; it’s the most delicious sensation and I could sit like this forever. ‘Like I said this morning: fate.’

‘Mmm. I’m starting to believe that, too.’ She kisses me then tweaks my chin affectionately. ‘Want to go to another gallery?’

I pull away and come back to reality. ‘Sure.’

‘Actually, do you want to see mine? The new exhibition isn’t fully set up yet, but a few pieces are up, and the current exhibition is still mostly up.’ She points behind us. ‘It’s only about a ten-minute walk that way.’

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