Chapter One
The light this morning is perfect. I hold my Nikon to my face and press the shutter.
Click. The sky is covered in color. Pinks, yellows, blues. Waves gently lap against the concrete barrier at my feet, and I'm lost in the beauty before me.
Click.I turn to my left and see a young teenagers jogging along the sidewalk. Izu Peninsula's Shirahama Beach is pretty much deserted, aside from a few runners, or early morning insomniacs, like me. The young teenagers are jogging away from me, side by side, happily chatting with each other, and I point my lens at them and
click. I zoom in on their Addidas-clad feet and smiles and shoot some more, my photographer's eye appreciating their enjoyments on the beach.
I inhale the salty air and stare out at the sound once again as a red-sailed boat gently glides out on the water. The early morning sunshine is just barely beginning to sparkle around it, and I raise my camera again to capture the moment.
"What the hell is wrong with you people?"I twirl at the sound of the angry voice and gaze into brown eyes that just sucks you in if you stare too much. They are surrounded by a very, very pissed-off face. Not merely angry. Furious.
"Excuse me?" I squeak, finding my voice.
"Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?!" The handsome - really handsome - stranger in front of me is shaking in rage, and I instinctively step back, frowning and beginning to get pissed right back at him.
What the fuck are you doing?"I wasn't bothering you," I respond, happy that my voice is stronger with my anger, and retreat back another step. Clearly, Mr. Beautiful Brown Eyes and Sexy Greek God Face is a loony tune. Unfortunately, he follows my backward motion, and I feel the panic start to take hold in my gut.
"I've had with you following me. Do you think I don't notice? Give me the camera." He extends a long-fingered hand, and my mouths drops open. I pull my camera into my chest and wrap my arms around it protectively.
"What?! No!" My voice is amazingly calm, and I want to look around for a means of escape, but I can't stop looking into his angry, dessert-colored eyes.
He swallows and narrows his eyes, breathing hard.
"Give me the fucking camera, and I won't press charges for harassment. I just want the photos." He lowered his voice, but it's no less menacing.
"You can't have my photos!" Who the hell is this guy? I turn to run, and he grabs my arm, whipping me around to face him once again, grabbing for my camera. I start to scream, not believing that I'm being mugged practically outside my front door. I tried to escaped, but his grip is strong.
"Do not take my fucking pictures." His voice controlled, but he's still holding me.
"Okay, okay" He takes a deep breath and let go of me, and that's when I get a good look at the rest of him. Wow. Beautiful face, chiseled, clean jaw and those deep, clear blue eyes. He's got messy, dirty-blond hair. Sadly, he's not that tall. About my height, mind you, but lean and has broad-shouldered.
Hell. He'd look fantastic as a model, Ironically, I'd love to get him in front of my camera.
He looks me in the eye again, and he looks vaguely familiar. I feel like I should know him from somewhere, but the fleeting recognition is gone when he speaks.
"I'm going to need you to give me the camera, please"I find myself thinking as I say,
"You are so not getting this camera. Who the hell do you think you are?" Now my voice is rising, and I pat myself on the back.
"You know who I am." His response throws me, and I narrow my eyes, staring back at him again, and get the strange feeling once more that I should know him, but I shake my head in frustration.
"No, I don't."Come on, honey, let's not play this game. Either give me the camera, or delete the photos, and we can get on our way."Suddenly it occurs to me that he must think I've been taking his pictures of him.
"I don't have any photos of you on here, honey." I reply and... he doesn't believe me.
"What were you taking photos of then?" His voice is level now, and he looks confused.
The water, the boats." I gesture out toward the sound. I pull my camera in front of him, turn on the camera and start flipping through my images until I find the ones he's afraid are of him. I walk over to him and stand next to him, my arm almost touching his, and I feel the heat from his sexy body.
"Here are the photos I took." I continue to show him the images of the water, the sky, the boats, the mountains. I can't help but smell his clean scent as he intently looks at the photos, scrutinizing each one while pulling his lower lip through his thumb and forefinger. His brow is furrowed.
When I'm finished he look into my eyes and my heart gives a flip as he smiles, a true full-blown smile. He could melt glaciers with that smile and only now I'm able to notice those deep and cute dimples that add more to his beautiful face.
"I'm sorry.""So you should be." I start to walk away from him.
"Hey I'm really sorry.""You must be awfully full of yourself if you think everyone with a camera is taking you picture."Why is he following me now? "Can I ask you name?" "No.""Why?""I don't give my name out to my muggers." Hell, I'm confused.
"Look I'm not a mugger. Stop for a minute will you." "I don't know who you are." I say in my best no-nonsense voice.
"Clearly." He responds, and a smile tickles his lips, and I can't help but feel my stomach clench, hoping he shows me those dimples again.
He looks me up and down, taking in my dark, shoulder-length hair, casual red T-shirt, sport shorts. His smile widens, and I lose my breath.
"I'm Minami." He holds his hands out for me to shake, and I look at it, still not fully trusting him, then back up to him. He raises a brow, almost as a challenge, and I find myself putting my small hand in his big, strong one and clasping it firmly.
"Atsuko."And here ends Part One.
Topic: Picture Perfect Chapter One Part One: The Mugger [ATSUMINA] (Read 2220 times)