Page 12 of Capturing Love

He didn’t elaborate on the type of business, so I tried not to pry. “Where are you based?”

“LA for now, but who knows where my father will ship me next.”

I nodded, but kept my thoughts to myself.

Grayson turned to me as we strolled down the Strip. “And you? When you’re not taking photos of strangers, what do you do?

“I work for a little magazine in New York.”

He arched his brow, clearly interested. “Really? In Manhattan?”

I nodded proudly. “It’s just an indie publication, but we have a strong fan base.”

“What’s it called? I might know it.”

I snorted. “I just binge-watched You on Netflix, so it’s probably best I don’t elaborate until I’m sure you’re not a psycho.”

He chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Smart girl.”

“Plus, even if you wanted to stalk me, there’s a high chance I won’t be working there for much longer anyway.”

“Why is that?”

I sighed. “The management are totally old school and don’t want to move to an online platform like all the mainstream mags. It is going to kill us eventually. We’ve already lost some big advertising accounts because we don’t have a digital presence.” My face fell at the thought. I didn’t know what I was going to do without that job.

“Wow, yeah, you’re right. You won’t survive on print alone.”

“That’s what I keep telling them,” I groaned. “But what would a twenty-seven-year-old photographer from Australia know about business?”

Grayson nodded slowly. “I know the feeling. I have ideas to grow our company and my father just laughs them off.”

“Really? But won’t you be taking over someday, if it’s a family business?”

“I’ve yet to prove myself in his eyes. That role is currently reserved for my older brother. He who can do no wrong.” He ran his fingers through his hair and returned them to his pockets.

Pressing my lips together, I offered him a sad smile. It was obviously a sore point.

“I’ve always wanted a sibling,” I said, after a moment of reflection.

“They’re overrated.”

My heart ached. “I don’t think so.”

Grayson tilted his head and caught my eye. “You don’t seem like an only child. Your parents didn’t spoil you growing up?”

I looked away as my breathing shallowed. “Not with material things, but they were always there for me.”

“They sound great,” he responded in a haze, deep in his own thoughts.

“You know what?” I stopped walking and turned to him with my hands on my hips. “I think we both need a drink.”

As we reached a famous nightclub, notorious for its celebrity VIPs, my heart sank; the line outside was twice the size as the one at the club I left earlier. “Perhaps something a little less busy?”

Grayson chuckled and kept walking past the line towards the two huge burly men blocking the entrance. Again?!

I jogged up behind him. “Grayson, no. I can’t let you hand over any more money.”

“Don’t worry,” he chortled. “I won’t have to here. I know the owner.”