Page 107 of Oh, Flutz!

“Just stand there—move closer,” Katya instructs. “Yes, there. Now pretend to be excited.”

I groan, then put on the biggest, most annoyed smile I can muster, making Katya giggle as she snaps the photos.

“Am I done now?” I plead, and she rolls her eyes.

“Yes, yes, you are done. We can go now if you like.”

“What? No way. We’re getting one of you.”

Katya pauses, then shrugs. “Okay.” She hops back over to where I’m standing, passing me the phone, and I lift it up to try and get the photo, but frown.

“What is it? Is it my hair?” she asks worriedly, lifting a hand to her head, and I shake my head.

“No, you look great, I’m just trying to—“ I take a few steps to the side, tilting the camera, making sure you can readCornelia Streetclearly and trying to get both her, the sign, and the sunset in the background into focus.

“What is taking so long?”

“Shut up, give me a second.”

“Bryan,” she groans, and I scoff.

“Look who’s whining now!” I take one last one, then lower my hands. “Okay, fine, I’m done.”

“Finally.” She bounds back up to me, then snatches the phone back, scrolling through the pictures. “Huh. I’m impressed.”

“I’m flattered by your confidence,” I say, smirking, and she huffs.

“Shut up. No, I’m serious, these are really pretty. I didn’t know you were good with a camera.”

“No, that’s just you,” I say, before I can stop myself.

Katya turns, her mouth in a perfect 'o' of surprise, then closes it and smiles, backlit by the glittering lights of the city, and it feels like someone’s poured a bottle of fizz into my skull. My brain completely disintegrates.She really can’t keep doing this to me.

God, I need someone to smack me upside the head. This is getting ridiculous. I need to go find Ollie when we get back and get him to do it. He’d oblige enthusiastically.

Snap out of it!I do not, instead giving into my impulses. I reach forward and grab her cheek with two fingers, making her yelp.

“What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? Is that asmile? Are you sick or something?” She tries in vain both not to laugh and to bat me off of her, but I just pinch the other side too, so I’m holding her face, and her smile just stretches even bigger as she puts both of her hands on my shoulders.

“You are so stupid,” she tells me, eyes shining, and that’s when it happens.

That’s when I want to kiss Katya Andreyeva.

Chapter Thirty-Three

KATYA

“Hello?”

Bryan snaps to attention, finally coming back into focus. “What?”

I nudge him. “What is it? You completely zoned out.”

“Sorry. I’m a little, um, out of it. Should’ve gone to sleep earlier.” He clears his throat. “Any news on the schedule for the show, by the way?”

“Nope. Lee says we should have it by tonight, though. Apparently there was a mix-up with one of the caterers, and it delayed everything.”

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