Page 1 of Connected By Stars
Chapter One
Bella
Puttingthe lens cap on my Sony, I set the camera down on my lap. This is my favorite time on the beach when everyone is still at home getting up for the day. I’m one of the few out here as I take in the endless ocean view. I arrived here at dark, just before sunrise, and it still takes my breath away to see it go from dark to light with beautiful colors filling the sky. I’ll never stop being in awe every time I see it.
I shade my eyes and see Maverick paddle back in for the day. Since I was little, I’ve been filming him and my brother surf. My brother, Noah, only does it occasionally now, but it’s part of Maverick’s soul. He doesn't feel whole if he’s not in the water surfing. The ocean calls him just like my camera calls me.
I got my first camera at ten, and I’ve been addicted ever since. My passion has turned into a career over the past couple of years. Since I started filming for Maverick’s surf shop, word has gotten out around our small town, and I’ve picked up several more clients that I shoot on a regular basis for their social media platforms.
My brother is one of my biggest clients as a best-selling author, but since he wants to remain anonymous, I have to keepquiet that I work for him. He has me take care of all his social media accounts and any advertising he needs for his books. I’ve learned to get creative with shooting the reels because he doesn’t want to be in them. His books have a lot of spice in the love scenes, and the bottom line is sex sells. I do a lot of romantic yet sexy footage that the girls love.
You would be amazed how much girls love a mysterious man. Give them an ab shot that makes you want to run your hands along the six-pack, and they can envision whoever they want to. I’ve talked Maverick into doing a few video shoots for me, keeping his face out of it, and they always go viral. It’s hard to keep a secret in a small town like this, but so far, no one has figured out that their local handyman, Noah Bennett, is on the NY Times bestsellers list.
Maverick stands up in the shallow water, and with his board under his arm, he starts to walk to me. I put my sunglasses on to hide my eyes. If God has one favorite in this world, it would be Mav. I’ve known him my whole life, and I still haven’t found one flaw in that perfect body of his.
He walks up to me, grinning, and shakes his head to get some of the water out. His dark blond hair is longer, coming to just below his chin. He likes to be able to pull it into a low bun when he’s working on something and doesn’t want it to get in the way. The sun and saltwater have given him golden streaks in his hair that most girls pay hundreds of dollars for at the salon.
He anchors his surfboard in the sand and plops down beside me. “Did you get some good footage? The waves were firing today.” He grabs a bottle of water and chugs it. I watch his throat move as he drinks. Water slides down his neck, and I want to catch it with my tongue, knowing it would be a delicious mixture of salt and him. I don’t know what he tastes like, but I’m sure even the most desirable dessert couldn’t compare. “Hello? Earth to Bell?”
I jerk my eyes back up to his. Emerald-green eyes stare back at me in amusement. “Sorry.” I adjust my sunglasses, making sure he can’t see my eyes. “I was distracted and thinking about work. Yeah, I got some amazing footage. Your fan club is going to love it.” I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses at the girls who comment below his videos. If I see one moremarry me, I’m in love—I’m going to puke.
“Fan club?” He grins that award-winning smile at me, showing off his dimples. Damn, those dimples. “I can’t help that the ladies like what they see. The comments help with the views, which in turn helps with sales. I’ve almost doubled my monthly sales since you started filming. Hiring you was the best idea ever.” He nudges his shoulder to mine.
“I know it was. I’m damn good at what I do.”
“Yes, you are. That’s why I hired the best.” He winks at me, and my stomach does a little flip.
He gets up and holds out his hand. I put my camera down and place my hand in his as he pulls me up, causing me to lose my balance in the sand. His hand goes to my waist to steady me.
“Watch the sand. I know it can get in the way.” He teases me as his eyes dance with laughter.
“Very funny. You should take your comedy act on the road.” I feel his hands still on my waist, causing heat to course through my body. I look up at him and see something flash briefly in his eyes. Before I can figure it out, he breaks eye contact and steps away, leaving my skin hot where his hands had been. He runs a hand through his hair and avoids my eye contact.
“I should head back and shower. I open today, and I’ve got a lot of inventory to go through.” He starts to put his things back in his bag. I bend down to put my camera away and grab my beach bag. He shakes out the beach towel before handing it to me.
“Thanks. I’ll download the footage today and work on theedits this afternoon.” I watch him grab his board as we walk back to our vehicles.
“Sounds good.” He straps his board on top of his black four-door Jeep Wrangler that is parked next to mine. I bought his old Jeep Wrangler from him last year when he upgraded his. Mine is a white two-door, and I named her Pearl. The white glitters in the sun at the right angle, and the color reminds me of an ocean pearl. I told Mav he could keep the name Roxy for his new one. I can’t help but get stripper pole images in my head when I hear it. I automatically want to say, Foxy Roxy. He says it’s after the girl’s surf brand, but I’m not sure I believe that’s the reason.
“Is Luna working today after school?” I set my bags in my passenger seat and turn to him. Luna’s my younger sister and helps Mav at the store when she doesn’t have dance class. She begged him to give her a job in exchange for a surfboard she really wants. When she’s not dancing and in school, she tags along with Noah and Mav when they surf. Dance is her first love, but surfing comes in a close second. In a way, they both are a form of art and beautiful to watch.
I tried surfing, and after being pulled under and feeling like I had a near-death experience, I’ve stuck to just filming it on the beach. I’ll do the occasional longboard or boogie board on the smaller wave days, which is a lot of fun, but I’ll leave the bigger waves to them. I prefer not to feel like I’m being tossed and turned into the black abyss.
“She’s coming in after school today.” He finishes strapping his board and turns to me. “She’s about saved up for her board, so I’m going to have to bribe her with something else to keep her coming in.” He laughs. “She’s a hard worker and really helps me out.”
“I’m sure you won’t have to bribe her with much. I think she enjoys working there just as much as you do. Her surf want listis probably a mile long, so you may have her until she graduates high school.”
“Let’s hope so.” He grins at me before opening his driver’s door. “Thanks again for filming today. Call me when you get the edits done. I can’t wait to see them.” He waves goodbye and pulls out of the parking lot.
Sighing, I watch him go and get in my Jeep.
I drive through town with the top down, letting the wind blow through my hair. It’s a beautiful March day, not a cloud in the sky. The temperature is already getting warm as the sun heats my skin. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I’ve traveled some for my work, getting odd jobs here and there, but I always look forward to coming home.
I pull up to my apartment, which I share with my best friend, Sophia. Our moms are best friends and were pregnant together with us, just like they were with Noah and Maverick. I always tell her we were best friends in the womb, connecting to each other even then. We’ve been inseparable since before we could walk.
I see her sitting at the kitchen island, drinking coffee when I walk in. We both love to decorate, so we’ve had fun getting our apartment just the way we like. It’s an airy, beachy feel with lots of white and light blue colors. We have wooden floors throughout with an open kitchen-living room concept. A huge plush white sectional sits along the back wall with soft blue pillows and throws facing a TV that Noah and Maverick helped mount for us. We both love to read and have books lining shelves in various areas around the place.
She looks up at me and smiles when she sees me. “How did the filming go?” Sophia and I couldn’t look more different. While I have blond hair and blue eyes, Sophia has long black hair and beautiful green eyes. She’s stunning with her 5’8 frameand toned legs that go on for days. She will make someone very happy one day.
