A few days after Greg's exciting news, Eve had been patiently waiting for the call from Ashford Sports. She had yet to hear anything. In her spare time, her hobby was photography and digital art. It was the one thing that always helped her relax. Her art was her safe place. Since all her friends were busy on the lazy Sunday morning, she took off on her own.
Eve took a hike and get some nature stock images for her new digital art project. She walked around the Falls of the Ohio taking photos of birds, rock formations, and the city skyline in the distance.
Sitting down on a park bench, she watched as a group of tourists talking with someone from the parks department. A tall, ruggedly handsome man with a light tan was leading the tour group. Dark hair with a chiseled jawline and a little stubble from a faint beard that looked to be growing out. The man had a mysterious era about him, and little scruff made him even more sexy. She thought he looked like a male model from high-end fragrance ads or an international spy. She sat picturing him wearing a tuxedo, sipping a glass of fancy bourbon in the home library, and smoking a cigar. She definitely didn't think the parks department jacket fit his looks, but there he was looking like Ranger Rick.
The mysterious man looked her way, noticing Eve was watching him. The corners of his lips slightly curved in a sly grin and his tongue slightly darted across his lips. Tall, dark, and handsome winked with a half smile, catching her gaze with his piercing light blue eyes. Eve blushed, realizing he caught her gawking at him, and glanced down at her digital camera to look over images, pretending to be busy. He chuckled to himself at her shyness with a shake of his head and went back to talking to the tour group.
Eve got up to take more photos, trying to not help herself to the beauty that was this handsome Adonis with alarming good looks. She hadn't been with a man in a long time and this man had her central region lit up like a Christmas tree.
Once Eve shook off the feeling of arousal from Mr. Handsome, she got back into the swing of her photography, ignoring all else around her.
Eve was changing photo lenses on the camera, not paying attention as she crossed through the park parking lot in an open grassy area to get a better view of the sailboat coming up river.
Suddenly, she heard a horn honking loudly and tires screeching behind her. Eve whipped her head around quickly, finding a sports car speeding in her direction. She was frozen with fear and utter shock. Without notice, someone grabbed her by the waist, pulling her out of the line of the speeding vehicle, that was purposely driving erratically in the parking lot as if it was a game to them.
"AHHH! Oh my god!" Eve screamed as the person pulled her to safety.
Arms were wrapped around her protectively until the car passed and she was once again safe. The person slowly released her and backed away. Eve, trying to catch her breath, turned to look up into the dreamy blue eyes of Mr. Handsome. She felt her heart lurch, and she swallowed hard.
The man from Eve's earlier man-gazing yelled at the car, "HEY ASSHOLE! Slow it down! This is a park. Not a racetrack!"
The driver threw up a middle finger and sped off, with smoke billowing behind the car's tires.
Mr. Handsome steadied her, reaching down to pick up her phone she had dropped in the grass. "Are you all right, miss?"
Eve whipped her head around, watching the car as it sped off. She was in panic mode, trying desperately to calm herself. "I just looked down for a second. There was no one there when I crossed over." She looked like she was in shock, grabbing at her chest, feeling her heart pounding against her ribcage.
"You're safe now. I can't say the same for this beauty though." He walked over, picking up her large camera lens that was now shattered on the ground.
Eve took it from his hands, and her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I'll never be able to replace that. They cost a fortune. It's my best lens. It'll take a year to save for that." She took it in her hand, almost wanting to cry. Looking up in the sky with puffy white clouds passing over, she held back tears with a sigh of frustration.
"It'll be okay. There is a camera store close to here. It's just the glass. They may fix it if there is no other damage. Nice camera. I have that same one." He looked over her now cracked lens.
"Thanks. It was a gift from my friend."
She thought about the day Greg surprised her with it. It was top of the line and a ridiculously expensive gift. Greg made the excuse she was doing him a favor by taking sports photos of him. She knew it was to cheer her up from losing her mom from cancer the week before.
"From a boyfriend?" The man looked in her eyes questioningly, with a slight smile in his pale eyes.
Eve blushed, feeling a little more relaxed from his smile. "Oh. No. I don't have a boyfriend."
"Do you want one?" he asked playfully, with a wink.
She wiped a tear and giggled slightly, "Are you offering?"
"As a matter of fact, I was." He licked his lips, looking her over as he rubbed his chin.
"I don't even know your name, Mr Park Ranger," she said, blushing.
"Adam Weston. And you are?" He reached out to shake her hand.
"Eve Callaway. Nice to meet you, Mr. Weston."
He lifted her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure is all mine, Ms. Callaway. So what are you doing walking out into traffic?"
"Traffic is rough in this park, apparently. I didn't realize I was walking into a new Fast and the Furious movie taping. Seriously, I am just out enjoying the warm weather. Nice break from the cold winter we had. I'm taking some stock images for a digital art project. Are you doing some park tours or something? I saw you earlier talking about the fossil beds down river." Eve threw her camera and busted lens in her camera bag.
"Yes. I was telling tourists about the history of the falls and the fossil beds. I love nature. I'm actually about ready to hang it up for the day. I saved a life today, so my work here is done." He looked seductively at her light pink glossy lips, slightly biting his own lip in return.
"Me too. I can't do much photography with a busted zoom lens now though, can I?" She looked down, upset at the broken glass mess on the ground. "I guess I should clean this up."
"No problem. I'll call someone to come down to sweep it up. That's an expensive lens. No insurance?"
"Nope. I wish now that I did. Greg is going to kill me."
Adams' eyes narrowed, "No boyfriend. So… husband?"
"Heck no. Best friend. I'm single. I don't have time for that commitment drama. Love them and leave them. That's my motto," she joked.
He grabbed his heart playfully. "I'm crushed. I thought we had something special."
She giggled, batting her lashes. "Sorry. I'm a girl in demand. Have to keep my options open."
"I guess I will have to change your mind. What will it take to get you to settle down? I'm looking for two-point-five children and a house with a white picket fence sort of thing. How about you let me have a head start over dinner, Ms Callaway?"
Eve's eyes got wide. This guy seemed way out of her league as far as her idea of hot guy ratings go. Guys like him didn't date girls like her in her social world. The combination of sports guys and their entourage of groupies left her at the shallow end of the dating pool.
"We don't even know each other."
"Isn't that what a date is for? To get to know someone." Adam ran his finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to him. "It's just dinner. I won't ask you to marry me… yet." He pressed his lips with a slight curl at the edges. He was a charmer, that was for sure.
Eve felt her face go flush. "Just dinner? No funny business."
"I don't know what you're implying, madam. I'm not that sort of boy." He playfully wrapped his arms around himself, covering his mouth, batting his eyes like an offended old church lady. Waving fake tears away dramatically.
Eve slapped his arm playfully. "Oh stop. Okay. Why not? I'd love to go to dinner with you. You seem nice. And you did just save my life."
"Great. How about tonight? I'll give you my number and you can text me when you're ready. I'll pick you up around… seven?"
"Sounds perfect. Here. You can put your number on my phone." She handed it over.
He took the phone, calling his own number. His cell phone rang. "There. Now if you try to ditch me, I can blow up your phone, begging for that date." He handed it back, smiling with a sly grin.
"Just keep shooting that big smile with those cute little dimples and I won't be able to say no." She was not used to flirting and feeling the redness in her cheeks migrate to cover her whole body. Suddenly, embarrassed at her own comment, she felt a sense of unease. She realized she had been out of practice with the whole flirting concept.
Adam threw his hands up. "I can't give it all away before I really get to impress you. I'll have to save something for tonight. Wear something nice, beautiful. I'll take you somewhere special. See you tonight." He ran his thumb down her cheek and turned to get into a big black pickup truck.
Eve blushed, trying to contain her excitement. It had been months since anyone flirted with her. Men at work always saw her as just one of the guys. She hopped in her car and headed to her condo, calling her best friend for his first date advice mojo.
"Date tonight! 911 emergency. Meet me at my place. I need bestie intervention ASAP. Level ten on the hottie scale. Meet me there!" She hung up, bursting with excitement.