Page 11 of Mr Best Friend's Brother Grump

Nathan catches my attention. He looks tense and uncomfortable.

“Yes. Rosa. Kendra’s friend," says Nathan. "She helped me out.”

“Oh. Rosa. That’s right. So nice to see you again. How’s your allergy?” Ingrid asks me, flicking her long straight blond hair back over her shoulder. A reminder of it whipping my eye causes me to flinch. Then she turns to her friend and says, “Last time I saw Rosa, her eye was all puffed up. She could hardly see. Poor thing.” I offer the group the prawn tail vol-au-vents without making eye contact. They all refuse. “Yeah, so Kendra,” Ingrid goes on. “How is she? She broke her leg or something.”

“She’s fine,” says Nathan. “It was only a sprain. She’s back on her feet again now.”

I move along on my way, but I can hear the conversation continue behind me.

“Ah, Kendra. She’s so amazing.” Ingrid’s voice cuts through the party noise. “She’s the little sister I never had.”

I see Nathan just once more. He’s chatting to a gorgeous woman who could be an actor or model. She tilts her head and looks fiercely into the lens of his camera. He takes her picture several times from different angles. Are they flirting? I’m doing my best not to notice, but I keep looking over. What is wrong with me?

Chapter 8

Nathan

I leave the launch party early. It’s not really my scene. And I don’t want to be around Ingrid. She’s behaving as if we’re still together. It’s a bit awkward, but I’m polite and I try and keep her at arm’s length. But photos of us pictured together will be in the magazines and social pages, so anything I say is sure to be discredited. The camera never lies? Well, sometimes it does.

I walk home rather than take a cab. It’s only a few blocks and I enjoy walking sometimes. It's a good way to clear my head. I’m restless. Walking in the city at night is serene. I like watching people. Well, of course, I do. I’m a photographer. I notice things. Stories are playing out all around me. There are infidelities and betrayals. A man follows a woman out of a bar. They argue on the sidewalk. Her face expresses pain. He lowers his voice and reaches out to her. She turns and walks away and doesn’t look back. He stands watching her go for a moment, then returns to the bar.

Further on I pass two people kissing in a doorway. Did they meet tonight? Have they been together for years? They are in love, I think. A new love. They are wrapped in that perfect fleeting feeling when your eyes meet another’s, and you are captivated by them, and you want to know everything there is to know about them and all you can think about is kissing them… I stop.

That was what it was like for me tonight when I took that photo of Rosa. She looked directly into my lens. And my soul. It was like a bolt of lightning. An electric charge. There was a moment there in the crowded gallery where there were only the two of us. Nothing else existed.

She is so beautiful. She has no idea. And that is part of it. Her eyes challenge and protect, and yet they are vulnerable and defensive. There is something so real and honest about her. It’s as if she can see right through the fake and the phony. And it's as if she can see the real me. The man behind the camera.

I wanted to grab her and kiss her and take her by the hand and say something crazy like, ‘Let’s get out of here! Right now!’ What would she say? She would think I’m a madman. Maybe I am.

Also, she is my kid sister’s best friend. Not a good idea. In fact, isn’t it an unwritten law? Your kid sister’s best friends are out of bounds for anything remotely romantic.

At the traffic lights the signal says, ‘Don’t walk’ in red. I wait for the command ‘Walk’ to light up in green, then I cross the street. In my head, Rosa is laughing at me. I feel like a fool. I am an adult person in charge of my emotions. I can deal with this. On my own. Solo. It’s best for me to live without messy entanglements. I’ll delete those photos of Rosa. Not tonight. But soon. It’s best. For me.

Distance is the best way I know to reset and get myself together. Thankfully, I have to leave for another assignment in a couple of days, a fashion shoot in Milan. I’ll probably hang out in Italy for a few days then I’m off to one of the Hawaiian Islands. It’s a good thing I’m out of town for a while. I might take a few days’ vacation while I’m in Hawaii. Chip the rust off my surf skills. Chill out in a beautiful place. On a beach. And when I come back, Rosa will have moved out of the apartment, and everything will be… normal? Boring? Bland? Colorless? No. Everything will be as I want it. Clean. Clutter-free. Uncomplicated. Living my best life in my bachelor pad. Yup. Sounds perfect.

Chapter 9

Rosa

Things are falling into place for me. I found a place to rent close to the Cuban community center. It’s a shared apartment with three other women who seem really nice: friendly. My room is tiny, but I can make it like home. I don’t need much. And I’m excited that upstairs from the center, there’s a dance studio so I can keep learning salsa. I’ll probably be there every minute that I’m not working.

Volunteering was a great idea. I got to know everyone ahead of time, so now I feel like family. I was a little shy about speaking Spanish, but if there’s a word I don’t know, I just say the English word, and someone will translate for me. Everyone is so kind. I am improving every day.

Now I have regular hours, I’m not serving at events so much anymore, although I’ll do the odd one. The money is good and it’s after hours, so it fits in with everything.

Kendra has fully recovered from her sprained ankle injury, and we meet up for coffee or drinks sometimes. She’s loving her role with Langwood Law. She says it’s hard but she’s getting loads of autonomy and has full support of a mentor who, she says, is brilliant.

Last time we met up, she had the latest edition of Vogue with her. She showed me the swimwear feature with Nathan's photos of the Poolside Exclusive range: stars and stripes; red, white, and blue. Then she flips to the social pages.

“And look! Here’s Ingrid with Nathan. Aren’t they just the most adorable, glamorous couple?” Kendra says, sparkling.

I nod and try to smile. Of course. Why wouldn’t I? They are ‘Mr and Mrs Perfect’, just like it says in the caption. The photos remind me of how just out of reach Nathan is. I have put him out of my mind. And my heart. He is a world-renowned photographer, pictured in the celebrity pages of international magazines, and I am a community worker. You’ll see my picture on the staff noticeboard or community newsletter. We’re poles apart in every way. I don't even know why I'm unsettled and sad about seeing his picture with Ingrid.

I’ve been to the market and bought a ton of vegetables. I’m planning to cook for my roommates tonight. I call Tia to get her recipe for Ropa Vieja. She makes it the best.

“Hola, Abuelita,” I say when the call is picked up.

“Who are you calling ‘abuelita’? You make me sound old, Rosa.” We laugh. It’s good to hear her. I miss my grandma so much.

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