A Whole Different Side

"That sounds phenomenal," Rachel says eventually, "I can see how that would really capture great shots."

"Yeah," Eddie shrugs with a bashful grin, "Maybe... maybe sometime I can show you the results?"

She smiles, inclining her head a little and raising her chin just a bit, "Maybe. And maybe sometime we can go out and you can show me your method. I'd love to see how you work. And I think maybe I could... I could... I mean I could probably... Maybe you could take some photos of... me?"

It is entirely unlike her, frankly. To have Rachel be almost shy and uncertain like she is right now. Just like Eddie being decent it's a wholly different side of her, and I don't want to say a thing to interrupt it.

Eddie isn't smooth. He isn't smooth at all. He nods and he nods far too quickly and the fact that he manages to keep his gaze on her face is something I want to chalk up to a miracle until I realize that it's actually not that at all. It's that it's the right thing to do.

It's that she finds his sincerity endearing. It's that she finds his bashfulness cute.

It's that Rachel well and truly does like Eddie.

And she doesn't just want to jump his bones.

"So, uhh," he stammers a little, "I'm an idiot. I mean you guys asked me what I did for lunch but I was all rude and I didn't ask you back, sorry."

"That's okay," Rachel helpfully offers, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"So..." he draws it out, "So did you find a good place to eat?"

Rachel stops dead, her eyes going wide. She is clearly torn between wanting to flirt and brag about the truth and knowing it would shoot her chances with Eddie all to hell because he's the kind of guy who wouldn't find any of that endearing, or any of that engaging.

"Um," she says instead, "We ate..."

"We had a good time," I interrupt, "But didn't do anything special. No secret hidden spots. Nothing to write home about really, just... smoothies."

"Smoothies?" he asks, and I wonder whether I got my timelines right and smoothie shops are the en vogue thing to do.

"Yeah," I say, "Smoothies. Protein smoothies."

Which is close to the truth, at least. Not exactly a lie.

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