Perfect Snapshots: Episode Eight: Lucky Ducky

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Episode Eight: Lucky Ducky

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"I fucked up," I said as a way of greeting to Jasper. It was one in the morning, and I was smoking outside by the pool again. Of course I was. It was the evening there. He had just gotten off of work. He was just constantly working.  

“Mm, and how exactly did you do that, darling?” He mumbled distracted as he obviously did something else. I heard his keys clatter into a bowl and then something tear like paper. He was checking his mail. 

"I got a little tipsy at the charity thing, and I flirted with a girl."  

“Bella?” He questioned. 

"No, some random booth girl. I didn't really mean it. She was being flirty, and I was just talking out my ass the way I do. But I did it in front of Bella," I explained to him.  

“And what happened?”

“She got mad. Bella, I mean. I think, anyway.”

"How so?" He questioned. I heard the springs of his mattress coils as he plopped down on his bed. I could almost imagine exactly as he laid, playing with that stupid mustache of his. His ankles crossed as he stretched entirely out.  

"I was talking, and one minute she's there, then she's gone. She went off on her own, and I found her in a dark hall, alone. She said she was just tired and hangry when I apologized." 

“So, she likes you and is annoyed you were being friendly with another girl.”

“Probably fucking not. Especially now.”

“Stop being dramatic. She wouldn’t act like that if she didn’t like you, too,” he sighed, a little annoyed with me. He was getting tired of my shit. So was I. I was being a fool.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted. “I really don’t.”

“Be a mature adult and tell her that you like her.”

“It’s not that fucking easy,” I snapped. 

“And why is that?”

“She’s leaving in a day. She’s… I’m serious, I think I’m actually in love with her. All jokes aside. Like, I want this woman. Seriously want her. I think I’m losing my goddamn mind. What is wrong with me?” I asked. “I want to just grab her and kiss her and yell that I want her in her face at the top of my lungs.”

“I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t mind that.” I could hear the click click click of his lighter as he lit his cigarette. 

“That’s not how this works,” I informed him. “I’m pretty sure women frown upon being jumped by large men.”

“Though, oddly enough, I don’t feel like it would be a problem if she jumped you,” he said with mild amusement. 

“I fucking wish.”

“You are a bloody celebrity, you stupid cunt. I swear. You’re rich, smart, talented, sexy as fuck. Stop it. You’re not some pathetic tubby fifteen-year-old anymore. Fucking man up and ask her out, moron,” he snapped back at me. 

“I’d love to go in there right now and just shake her awake. Excuse me, Bella. I’m sorry to wake you. I’m madly in love with you. I’ve never met a woman as beautiful or as witty as you. But, then you know, the screaming would start, and then I'd probably have a fun conversation with the police." 

“Hardly,” Jasper scoffed. “Though, I would suggest waiting until the morning.”

"Have you watched any of that footage I sent you?" I asked, slightly changing the subject.  

"I watched all the stuff from the tattoo shop last night again. Her ass when she bent over with no shirt on, in those blue jeans was just… mmm, chef's kiss," he made a smacking sound. He was trying to lighten the mood in his own unique way. 

“Fuck, I know,” I half laughed, half moaned. I rubbed the heel of my palm over my eyes. “I keep finding parts of her that I think are hot. Her eyes, her hair, her tits, her ass, her tattoos, her laugh, her thighs, her mouth. Damn, her lips. She’s always biting them and touching her mouth with her tiny little fingers. And... I just-” I stopped myself. “I’ve never been like this before. What the actual fuck is wrong with me?”  

“It’s a crush, darling,” he tried to say as if it was comforting. 

“I’ve had crushes. This is different.”

“When is the last time you got laid?”

I thought about telling him to shut up. Instead, I answered, "Victoria. You know that. About a week before we broke up. Look, I don't just want to fuck this girl. I mean, I want to fuck her, too. But she's just so easy to talk to, and she's so funny and fun. I don't feel like I have to be anyone else with her. It feels like… like I'm with you, honestly." 

There was a short pause. “She really must be something, Tony.” Sasha had said the same thing earlier in the week. Jasper had told her to piss off when she asked him for information, just like I thought he would. 

“Yeah.”

“Tell her how you feel,” he said more seriously. “I really think she likes you, too. Go for it. She would be lucky to have you. You’re the best person that I know.”

I felt my cheeks heat. “Thanks. I mean it. You really are a good friend.”

I spent half the night trying to get to sleep. I knew I had to be rested for the jump, but I couldn't get my mind to shut off. All I could do was think about her and Jasper's words. When I finally fell asleep, I got maybe three hours in total. It wasn't pleasant or peaceful either. When my alarm went off, I nearly threw it across the room.  

I shuffled first into the bathroom, taking a quick shower and shaved. I leaned my head against the cold tile for a long time. It felt so good.  

When I walked into the living room, the strong scent of coffee hit me right away. It smelled delicious and comforting. I dragged my feet to the bar, placing myself down in a stool with a thud. My eyes hurt a little. I placed my head in my hands and gently rubbed my temples as I tried to prepare myself for how awkward this day was going to be after the night before.  

Bella stood on the other side of the bar from me. She was wearing tight blue jeans again with simple white sneakers. Her pretty black long sleeved blouse clung tightly to her body, her curly hair pulled back at the base of her neck. She looked lovely as always. 

“Morning, sunshine. Do you want some breakfast?” She smiled at me sweetly, pleasantly. I looked up at her slowly in confusion and realized that she was offering me some of her coffee. She had already prepared it exactly the way I liked it, too. I instantly took it from her and quickly drank it back gratefully. 

“No. Just more coffee. I can't eat when I first wake up,” I replied as I pushed the cup towards her for a refill. She did it with a slightly sweet smile, making it up again quickly. It was delicious. I drank the second cup as fast as the first. She made me another wordlessly. She probably should have gotten me the bigger mug and saved herself some trouble. “Thanks.”

Bella seemed amused. “Is it good?”

“Very. Best coffee I've had since home,” I told her honestly. 

She then swiftly brought up her camera and took several photos of me tiredly drinking down her fantastic coffee. Her expression was cute and playful, her gorgeous eyes glittering. I realized that her foul mood from the evening before might have been forgotten. Perhaps she really was just hungry and tired. 

I decided stupidly was the best way to react. I looked up slowly and arched my eyebrow at her. Her smirk grew, and with a little bit of challenge in her eyes, she took a couple more pictures. Since she seemed to like it, I decided to take it further. I touched the tip of my nose with my tongue, something I always did to amuse my nieces.  

Bella pursed her lips and without missing a beat took three more pictures. 

"Impressive," she said teasingly, playfully leaning forward as if she was going to touch me. Without thinking about it, I leapt forward to foolishly snap at her fingers. Her reaction was better than I could have imagined. She pulled her hand away with an adorable giggle. I snapped my teeth and growled like an idiot. "Cranky." 

“I need more coffee to be less bitey,” I told her with a smirk. 

"Even after having your third? Well, I'll start another pot," she replied, and without having to be asked, she began to prepare more coffee for me. I actually felt a little touched. Bella was so considerate.  

Seth, Tyler, and Zafrina all arrived at once. The boy always carpooled. My manager only lived a couple of blocks away.

“It smells fucking great in here,” Seth said as he put down his bag of equipment on the couch. 

Bella looked like she fit perfectly in my kitchen, busily working away in it like she already owned it. 

“I'm making some fresh coffee now.”

“Great,” Tyler smiled as he put his stuff down as well. He went into the kitchen to find a mug in the cabinet for his drink. The boys liked her coffee as much as I did. 

My manager looked at me with questioning eyes. My head was leaned against my hand, still trying to will the pain away from my insomnia and liquor induced headache. I cleared my throat and gave her a smile to show her that I was fine. 

“Zafrina, this is Bella. She's the photographer. Bella, this Zafrina, my manager. She only shows up when I do really dumb shit where I might die,” I explained to the pretty girl across from me. The two women couldn’t have looked more different, though they were both very attractive. 

Zafrina brushed her long black hair over the shoulder of her tacky animal print blouse, smiling as she reached over to shake Bella’s tiny hand. “Great to meet you. I'm glad I could talk him into it. It was a battle. Is he behaving for you?”

I felt myself flush again. I hid my face in my mug. 

“Not at all,” Bella laughed, her smile still playful. “He just tried to bite me.”

“Yeah, sounds about right. Alright.” Zafrina narrowed her eyes on me for a moment. She was at least pleased that I wasn’t being an asshole to the girl. I was sure I would get questions about it later. But, she was always a business first kind of woman. “We need to head out in the next fifteen minutes so we can make it out to the school by eleven. First, we're going to do a few videos. A few pictures. Then the skydive is at one. After the jump, you're going to head back and do another couple videos and even more pictures. Then there is the after party tonight at Shade. You need to be there at least three hours.”

“Yeah. Got it. Let me get more coffee first. It's almost done,” I said, rubbing my forehead as I thought about the party I didn’t really want to go to. I wondered if I could get out of it. The only way I was going to enjoy it is if I was with her. The words slipped out before I could stop them, “Bella, would you like to come with me to the after party?”

"No press," Zafrina interjected with the information I already knew. "No Cameras allowed inside. It's private." 

“Off the clock. As my plus one,” I answered, trying to act as if I wasn’t freaking out inside. I focused on my coffee. I couldn’t look at her, I was so nervous. After a second, I realized she hadn’t said anything. I looked up to see her curious eyes watching me. “Please?” I added politely.

She bit her lip for just a moment, her cheeks slightly pink. “Um, sure. Sounds fun.”

My manager rolled her eyes at me a little. "Alright, I'll let them know. I'm going to go to the bathroom and head out. Get out the door in fifteen. Nice to meet you," she told Bella before turning to us. "See you boys there." 

I was too tired to drive. I was terrible at early mornings. Seth took my keys, Tyler calling shotgun like I wasn’t going to sit in the backseat with Bella. I couldn’t stop myself from yawning as I continued to nurse another coffee. My stomach was going to hate me later. 

“Why am I more nervous than you are about jumping out of a damn plane?” Bella blurted out. In surprise, I turned to look at her so I could answer. She quickly snapped a photo.  
“I've done it before. Four times, in fact.”

“So?” She actually laughed. “You don't even seem excited.”

“I am. I'm just not awake yet,” I lied. I wanted to go back to sleep, not jump out of a plane. Or, maybe just spend the day with her. In bed. “Mornings give me a headache,” I told her more truthfully. 

“He'll perk up when we get there.” Tyler turned back to look at us. “So, Bella, your week in California is almost up. What do you think of it?”

“I think it has nice weather. I think it would be fun to take pictures here for a little while.” Bella took Tyler’s picture with a little smile that he was happy to return. He liked her. So did Seth. They all got along so well. “I've met nothing but nice people since being here.”

“Too bad you didn't get any free time to do anything fun while you were here. Tourist kind of shit. I don't know if you're into that kind of thing,” Seth chimed in. ”You didn't like the bridge.”

“Oh, for sure. I love museums. Zoos. I really want to go to the Los Angeles zoo,” she answered him a bit wistfully. She bit her lip again for a moment before slowly releasing it. 

"You like zoos?" Seth asked, dimly.  

She brushed her hair over her shoulder, tilting her head a little to the side as she gave him a thoughtful reply, “I love going to the zoo. I used to get memberships so I could go all the time. It's a great way to waste a Saturday outside in nature. It's good therapy. And I like taking pictures of animals for my collection. It's always different and good practice. I don't know what else I'd want to do. I didn't really research that sort of thing before I came.”

“What about going to the beach?” Tyler asked. “That's always popular.”

Bella had a nostalgic sort of smile on her face.“I lived in New Jersey for a while, when I was really young and in school. It was cheaper than in New York. Anyway, we lived on the beach. The Atlantic was literally our backyard. So… I've seen a sandy beach. Though it would be nice to watch the sunset on the beach on a different coast. Sunsets are always my favorite. Even if I have a million pictures of them that all look practically the same.”

The idea of this gorgeous woman beside me on the beach gave me so many dirty thoughts. I pushed them away quickly. I instead thought of one of my favorite places in the world and how wonderful it would be to take her there. "I should take you to the Gold Coast. It's so beautiful. The sunsets cannot be beaten. I used to go surfing there all the time." 

"That sounds so braggy," Tyler teased me loudly. "Look at me. I'm good looking, AND I surf." 

He was right. It did sound a bit boastful, though it wasn’t on purpose. Bella looked amused. She obviously thought he was funny. I decided since stupid went so well at the house I would go for it again. 

"And, I'm fucking rich, too," I began jokingly in boredom. I looked over at Bella and lowered my sunglasses. I tried to be smooth and wink at her, but my eyes literally didn't want to do what I wanted them to. My right eye stuck for a moment and I just failed miserably. "Nope, too early." 

Bella scoffed at it but still smiled at me.

They continued to talk, but my head hurt too much to try to have a conversation. Instead, I began to daydream about how I wanted to spend the next day with her. We could go to the zoo and to the beach. Perhaps take her out to a nice meal or two. It honestly sounded like the perfect date. It was nothing more than a fantasy, though. I fell asleep somehow, getting a thirty-minute nap.  

When we got the flight school, I had to put on my actor's mask. I quickly took the jumpsuit that was specially made for me with my name on it and put it on. It fit very tightly, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I tried to convince myself I looked cool when I looked in the mirror.  

The way Bella looked at me when I walked from the bathroom into the large open hangar actually made me feel warm and a little embarrassed. She quickly took my picture, her bottom lip in her teeth as she concentrated so hard on me. I could have sworn she was blushing too. I wondered if she enjoyed looking at me as much as I enjoyed looking at her. I didn’t see how it was even possible. I didn’t have time to dwell on it because I was pushed outside to read some quick lines for commercials.
As time passed, I became more and more anxious. I found it impossible to sit still, even as Bella tried to distract me with random chatting. Poor Tyler and Seth got so annoyed with it that they decided to go outside for some aerial shots for post-production. Bella kept me company though, as we sat in the large room. We were almost alone.   

“So, who else is jumping?”

I stood beside Bella, looking down at her as I kept fidgeting with my outfit and glasses. “Daniel. The guy who is already here. He does the main villain in the game. Johnny Lang. He's a pro player who specialized in the first two games. Really good. And Database.” 

“The DJ?”

“Yeah. He does the soundtrack. They're going all out for this thing,” I answered. Bella brought up her camera and took a picture, surprising me. We were so close. I could smell her vanilla perfume and the coffee we shared still. “Wanna jump with us?” I asked her curiously. She was such a free spirit. I could see her enjoying it.  

She made an annoyed face, as if I was being stupid. "No. That's some white people nonsense." 

I laughed in shock, “but you're white, too.” She had said she had a white mother after all. 

Bella rolled her pretty eyes at me, shaking her head. “I’m half white, at least. I'm white passing. Maybe. I don't know what I am exactly, but someone with melanin and more good sense in my head is telling me you're so safe and white you have to find new and interesting ways to kill yourself. No. I'm good on the ground. Taking the subway is enough of a risk for me.”

"How risky is the subway?" I wondered briefly if I offended her, but it didn't seem that way. She was being playful.  

“Oh, my sweet summer child.” She reached forward and touched my cheek with her soft hands. It felt like fire. “I've seen two stabbings and I still think the worst thing about the trains are the random Mariachi bands,” she teased in a thick accent.  

“Mariachi bands?” Seth said from behind us as they came from outside. 

Tyler answered, “oh, my god! They're the worst. Why would anyone bring a trumpet on a subway car? And there always has to be that sarcastic asshole with a guitar.”

"You know you have to get a permit to do that?" Bella shook her head dramatically, then looked at him knowingly. "They're allowing us to be tortured. I have a theory; it's a way to make fewer people use public transit." 

Tyler nodded. “Sounds about right.” He always loved a good stupid conspiracy theory. 

“So, when I go to New York I need to be vigilant of rogue mariachi bands as well as stabbings on the subway?” I smirked at their silly conversation. 

"Watch for the monks, too," she deadpanned perfectly. "And, those weird people in costumes in Times Square. Dressed up like Spiderman and Spongebob. They're usually drunk," she said it so seriously that I wasn't sure if she was screwing with me or not. I raised my eyebrow in question, and she just shrugged. "It's fine. Crime is way down since I first got there. New York is super safe now." 

I couldn’t relax or sit down. I talked to Daniel about the bad weather they were predicting for the following week. Monday there was supposed to be terrible storms in the afternoon. I was rather glad about it. I knew it would match my mood perfectly. I was going to be a sulking asshole. It was probably for the best that I was going to spend Monday alone, editing. 

Daniel was fine, if not a bit boring. At least not interesting enough to keep me from my anxiety. Between thinking about the actual jump itself and Bella, I was too uneasy to relax. I picked up the basketball first and decided to attempt to shoot hoops in the hopes of keeping myself calm.  

I had met Johnny Lang before in passing. He was a nice enough guy. Friendly and a little bit cocky. I didn’t realize he was speaking to Bella until I heard my name. 

“Well, isn't Edward a lucky ducky," he said sarcastically, glancing over at me.  
Bella looked flustered, shaking her head in response. “I'm sure he's ready to be rid of me.”

I’m not sure how she could think that. I was having so much fun being around her. I hoped she didn’t want to be rid of me. 

"Of a pretty thing like you? Doubt it," he replied. Before I realized what I was doing, I passed him the ball a little bit too hard. He didn't seem to notice, though. He simply caught it and made a shot. I accidentally made him look cooler rather than distract him from flirting with the captivating woman I had feelings for.  

Annoyed with myself, I gave up on the game and went back over to Bella. If he was going to flirt with her, at least I could see how she reacted to it. Or, maybe protect her if she needed it.  

"So, I'm not one to be superstition, but what would it take to get a kiss for good luck?" Johnny asked her with a big grin. He glanced over at me for half a second.  

“You better hope you don't need no damn kisses for luck.” Bella looked totally unimpressed with him. She got up quickly from her stool and began to toy with her camera so she wouldn’t have to look at him. It made me feel slightly better. 

The idiot leaned his head from one side to the other. He pursed his lips before he answered her in his best charming English tone, “there is no harm in having an extra bit of luck. You never know when you might need it.”

She shook her head. “How are kisses lucky, exactly?”

“How is a kiss from a gorgeous woman not lucky?” 

Bella rolled her eyes, but I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Quickly, she pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek. He seemed just as shocked as I felt. Luckily, he couldn't ask for anything else because he was called away. He actually winked at Bella. She looked unimpressed again.  

Something in me snapped. 

“Hey! Wait! That's not fair. I want a kiss for luck!” 

Bella slowly turned to gaze at me after I spoke. She had a funny little smirk on her face as she was obviously looking me over. She considered something for just a moment. She was equally unimpressed with me.

“Ugh, fine.” She took my hand from my lap and playfully kissed it. Bella was grinning wickedly as she did. She was purposefully teasing me. All I wanted to do at that moment was haul off and punch Johnny and then grab her up in my arms and kiss her like I really wanted to. Like she deserved to be kissed. 

“But, he got one on the cheek!” The words fell from my lips like a whiny child. I had too little sleep to hold it back. 

"And, he insinuated I was gorgeous. Flattery works for me," Bella said sarcastically. She had taken her hair down and was wearing her hairband on her wrist. She flipped her long black curls over her thin shoulder, acting up for Seth. He was chuckling at her. I felt a little ganged on up, too tired to deal with it. Everything I had been thinking about in the past few days came bubbling up to the surface, and my mouth fully took over.  

“Ugh, you're being mean to me on purpose. Well! Any fool with eyes can see that you are gorgeous! But, he hasn't been lucky enough to spend this week with you and learned that you are more than just beautiful. You are smart, funny, patient, and kind. You are talented and sharp and generous. If I were lucky enough to receive a kiss from you, even just on the cheek, I would wear it forever like a badge of honor knowing a woman as good as yourself felt I deserved it!” 

My mouth's monologues were getting more outlandish by the day. It felt like my heart stopped as soon as the words finished coming out. Bella stood in front of me with wide, surprised eyes. Her mouth was opened slightly as she drew in a slow breath. Her cheeks heated a dark pink, even her pretty nose was red.  

She closed the distance between us, her eyes looking down into mine. "Alright there, cowboy." She placed her tiny hands on either of my shoulders before she slowly leaned down. "That's enough of that." Bella pressed her lips to my forehead, and my heart started again violently. They were soft, and her scent filled my nose completely. I wanted to grab her then and smash my mouth to hers. I willed my hands back into my lap, closing my eyes as I savored the contact.  

“Thank you.”

“You're so dramatic. Don't put that in the video,” she told me playfully as she pointed to me and then to the camera Seth was holding.

I was over the goddamn moon. Jumping out of an airplane was going to be the least exciting part of my day.  

“Okay,” I promised, almost giddy. Whatever she wanted.

“Heading out in two,” someone shouted. 

Database chose that moment to show up. Everyone was, of course, interested in him. They ran off toward him, excitedly. I couldn't have given two fucks. I was too focused on the woman in front of me. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Bella glanced over her shoulder then back at me. Our eyes locked, and I realized she was breathing just as I was, our chests rising and falling at the same time.  

I wanted to say something to her then. I wanted to tell her that I liked her. I wanted her. I couldn't say anything though, because Bella placed her hands on either one of my shoulders and kissed me on the lips.  

She tasted of coffee and Bella. The delicious scent that filled my nose was better tasting than I could have ever imagined. She held it for a long second. I wanted to wrap my fingers in her luscious hair and hold her in place against my mouth. I never wanted to let go. Too quickly, she pulled away.   

“Come back in one piece, white boy,” she whispered. 

Yes yes yes yes, my brain screamed in joy over and over again.

"I will," I promised. No way I wasn't going to land safely if I knew she was waiting for me on the other side. I realized I needed to get up and go, but I found it hard. When I stood, she gazed up into my eyes, her head almost entirely tilted back. We were so close. I found myself touching her arms as we looked at each other. I had to force myself to let go.  

All I could think about the entire drive to the plane was the kiss. 

“Hey,” Johnny called to me once we were on board. “Did I step on any toes in there?”

“Yes,” I told him honestly in a clipped tone. He nodded his head and smirked a little. 

“So, I guess I shouldn’t ask for her number once we land then?” He asked. Christ, I hated that question even more than when Seth asked it. 

"You could, but it makes me think about throwing you out of this plane without your parachute," I replied evenly. He laughed. At least he thought it was funny. "It's not like I have a claim on her, though." 

“You’d like to, though.”

“It’s not like that,” I said quickly. 

“Mm, it’s a little like that,” he commented then rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t. She’s obviously into you, anyway.”

“I hope so,” I said quietly. I cleared my throat.

Finally, I began to focus on the fact that I was about to jump out of a plane. I wasn’t scared. I knew what to do. And it went perfectly. 

The wind felt incredible as I plunged to the earth. I couldn't hear myself screaming though I knew I was. It wasn't a fearful cry but one of pure joy. It was turning out to be a fantastic day. And it was only going to get better because I was going to get to spend it with Bella. An evening sans cameras. After she kissed me.  

The amount of adrenaline rushing through my body was insane. Every part of me was vibrating. I couldn’t stop laughing and talking. Bella watched me with a happy expression. She complained that it scared her and that she was worried for me. If she knew how I was feeling, she wouldn’t be. 

I practically rushed up to my office after Bella snuck away to her room for a shower. It was morning in Sydney, and I knew Jasper would be awake for work already.  

There was a message waiting for me. “Did you die?”

"No, lol. It went amazingly. Actually went better than amazing. It went perfect. I'll send you the footage later." 

“That’s great! Glad you’re alive, darling,” he texted back. I smiled to myself. 

“Bella kissed me.”

“Where?”

“She kissed my hand, then my forehead, and my lips.”

“I didn’t mean where on your body. I meant where did she kiss you as in the location you were in when the kiss happened,” he replied back quickly. “Stupid wanker.” 

I actually laughed out loud. "Oh. Right lol. At the flight school before the jump. She kissed me for luck, and I have it on film. And tonight she's going to go to the afterparty with me. Without her camera." 

“See, I told you she liked you.” 

I grinned widely to myself. Once again, I hoped to God he was right. 

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