Page 24 of It Started with a Kiss
She shrugged. ‘It goes almost everywhere with me.’
Intriguing.
We left her apartment and I followed her down the stairs to the foyer. She’d pinned her hair up and my gaze was drawn to the delicate curve of her neck. She was such an enigma, and I loved that about her. I loved her individuality. Her spunk. But I loved the way she’d caved into me when I kissed her. Although I knew I had a long way to go to get her to completely forgive me, I felt like I was possibly on the right track.
We walked through the doors of Patisserie Valerie on Rose Street, and took a table by the window. After we had perused the menu, I ordered us eggs Florentine and a pot of breakfast tea.
Whilst we waited for our food to arrive, I decided to try again with the apology. ‘Look, Star. I really am sorry about the way things ended last time. As soon as you walked away from me when I’d returned your phone, I felt awful. I just... I wanted to call into the coffee shop and apologise but I felt sure you’d tell me where to go.’
She folded her hands on the table before her and looked directly into my eyes. ‘You would have been right.’ A heavy sigh followed. ‘I felt used, Fin. I don’tdothe one night stand thing, and after you and I slept together and it turned out to be just that, I realised I’d made a huge mistake. I’m not cut out for that kind of non-relationship.’
Shit. I really had done a number on her. ‘I was the same. Believe it or not, I don’t sleep around, Star. That wasn’t me either. But... God, this is going to sound so bloody corny...’ I let my head fall back and I closed my eyes for a moment.
‘Go on. I happen to like corny.’
When I lowered my gaze to meet hers again, a sweet smile played on her lips. For a moment, I forgot to speak. ‘Oh, yeah... I was going to say that it didn’t feel like a one night stand. It felt...Ifelt something morethan that.’ My face heated at the admission, and I worried she was going to laugh and tell me to get lost for being too full on.
Instead, her smile widened and her cheeks blushed pink. ‘I thought that too,’ she almost whispered. But then her sweet smile disappeared. ‘Look, evidently we’re both from completely different backgrounds and we lead totally different lives, Fin. Your family would no doubt reject me from what you’ve said about their feelings towards Elise, and I’m just not cut out to be a strait laced “normal” person. I just don’t see—’
‘Opposites attract,’ I offered urgently, desperate not to lose the tenuous connection we had going on.
I was relieved when she smiled again. ‘Apparently so.’
Leaning towards her, I took her hand in mine across the table. ‘Can we maybe just see where this goes? Spend some time getting to know one another, perhaps?’
She silently stared at me for a few moments before nodding. ‘I’d like that.’
Relief flooded my veins and my heart leapt. I was getting a second chance with my feisty American girl.
Well, she wasn’t mine...yet.
Our food arrived and our conversation stopped for a short while whilst we tucked into our breakfast. After a few delicious mouthfuls of the creamy eggs and spinach, I figured there was no time like the present on the getting-to-know-Star front. ‘So, the photographs on your wall. You like S.A.M too? Or do they belong to your flatmate?’
She paused for a moment, took a gulp of her tea and placed the cup back in its saucer. ‘Oh, um, my flatmate mostly. Are... are you a fan?’
‘Oh God, yes. The biggest. I bought my first piece a few years ago now and I’m always on the lookout for more but they’re harder to find than rocking horse poop!’ I laughed and shook my head. ‘It’s the way he captures light and shade and just gives everything this... oh, I don’t know... kind of ethereal glow... if you know what I mean.’
She smiled and cocked her head to one side. ‘What makes you think S.A.M is a man?’
Huh. Whatdidmake me think that? I huffed out a long breath as I pondered. ‘I don’t know. I guess I just presumed.’
She pulled her lips into her mouth and placed her cutlery down. Her gaze fell to her lap. ‘I have it on very good authority that S.A.M is—in actual fact—female.’
Wow! She knows her!On a scale from one to a hundred of intrigue, I was at around a billion.‘Oh?’
She nodded slowly. ‘She is. And I can confirm this... because... because I’mher.’ She held her hands out to emphasise her point and her cheeks flushed cerise.
I sat there open-mouthed, just staring—gaping—at the beautiful, talented woman before me, and I think I fell in love at that very second.
14
Star
I lifted my gaze to meet Fin’s, only to find him staring at me with his mouth open. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I’d just admitted ahugesecret to him. Something I just didn’t tell people. Lord only knows why I felt it necessary to tell himthatlittle snippet of information about me, but I’d felt compelled to tell someone. The only person who knew already, apart from my parents, was Alec. I’d never been one for bragging about my skills as a photographer. My friends just considered me ‘snap happy’ and I’d never bothered to correct their assumptions. But now someone knew.Thissomeone knew. And I wished I could’ve sucked the words back in somehow.
The longer he stared at me, the worse I felt. I wiped my clammy palms on my jeans and waited for him to speak. When he didn’t, I had to break the silence. ‘I’m only kidding around.’ I laughed, nervously brushing a stray hair out of my eyes.
He slowly shook his head from side to side. ‘No. No, you’re not kidding.You’reS.A.M. You are, aren’t you? Of course you are. Star Anahi Mendoza...S.A.M. Of course.’
