Page 42 of Body Shot

“For what? Your career?”

“Career. Money. Buying a house. All the grown-up things.”

“Grown up things? You’re only twenty-four.”

“I know, but my parents have never had much money, so I just want to be smart with it now that I’m going to start working and making a significant salary.”

“Planning and saving are important but aren’t there things you want to do?” he asks curiously. “Travel? Dance on a bar top? Sing in the rain? I don’t know—flights of fancy.”

I’m thoughtful for a moment. “You have to have money to travel, and I don’t have a good singing voice, so that’s probably not on my list.”

“It’s not about having a good voice,” he says patiently. “It’s about enjoying life. Living in the moment. There’s a lot to be said for spontaneity and adventure.”

“Is that what you do?”

“Sometimes. There’s a time for work and a time for play. And we should all do both.”

“I’m trying. Hana and I did a little in college, but since she left, I’ve had my nose to the grind, focusing on my goals.”

“But you haven’t started your job yet.”

“It’s less than a week away.”

“Then you have just under a week to do all those things you’ve been missing out on.”

I chuckle. “You think that’s enough time?”

“I don’t know. But I think we should try.”

When I look at him, though he’s staring straight ahead, I realize he’s serious.

And I’m suddenly intrigued.

I want to know why this gorgeous, sexy, successful man wants to spend the next week—hell, even the next hour—with me.

“Why me, Anders? There have to be prettier, more interesting, and certainly sexier women than me.”

His sigh is barely perceptible, but I see it. “Why do you have to make things so black and white? My attraction to you has nothing to do with how you compare to other women, or what they have that you don’t. I saw you at the beach and I was drawn to you. I don’t know exactly why, I just was. Does it have to be any more complicated than that? I mean, why are you attracted to me?”

“Because you’re very nice to look at on the outside, and the more I spend time with you, the more I like what’s on the inside.”

“Is it so hard to believe I feel the same way about you?”

“Most guys always take one look at Hana and forget all about me.”

“I’m not most guys and that’s their loss then.”

“You wanted to marry her,” I gently point out. “I know it was a joke, but no one jokes like that about me.”

He sighs again, more audibly this time, as if I’m frustrating him, but it feels important for me to get the rest of my insecurities out in the open. Otherwise, I won’t be able to continue whatever this is we’ve started.

“In this particular case,” he continues patiently. “I was joking because Johan was so chill about it. The first time I said it, I kind of thought he’d get upset, and basically all he said was that who his sister dates is none of his business. He’d only get involved if someone hurt or mistreated her, which I obviously would never do. But he only ever showed me pictures ofher. I’d never seen you until the other day at the beach. If I had, I would have been interested because I happen to think you’re beautiful.”

That’s hard to hear. Mostly because I don’t believe it.

Has anyone ever told me I was beautiful before?

Brilliant. Efficient. Hard-working.

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