Universe of Soulmates

"The Only Thing Holding Me Up"

It was only the idea of finding someone to love that held Rowan IL up. If he were lucky, he might get that tingling feeling that would tell him he was six hours away from meeting his soulmate, but not often did that truly happen. At this point in history, it was more of a tall tale than something a person actually went through. He was just hoping to find someone to love after watching his parents get locked up for abusing him and nearly killing his best friend when he was young. Too young to remember anything anymore. Thankfully.

But, for now, Rowan IL was taking pictures of the grand city of London. Being a professional photographer, he travelled across the world for his clients to get amazing pictures they could frame and put on their wall or to use in their own artwork. They paid for any flights he needed to get to their preferred location, and he paid for his own housing. The commissions he got for the photos were more than enough to cover those costs.

"You seem to be having fun." Rowan was startled by the voice next to him, belonging to a man he didn't recognize. "What are you taking pictures of?"

"Oh, just whatever inspires me. The client I'm taking these for was not very specific about any kind of preference." Rowan clicked a few buttons on the camera to show a few of the previous pictures he'd taken while in the city. "I took this in front of the Tower Bridge."

"That's amazing. No, you're amazing. I can barely take a good selfie." The man next to Rowan IL had his own strengths, but they didn't lie with the camera.

"Selfies aren't easy. Most I take aren't usually any good." Rowan agreed with him, before seeing a landscape that inspired him. "But that, with the sunlight streaming through the trees and framing that beautiful woman, is stunning." He wasn't straight, not by any means, but that did not mean he didn't appreciate beauty when he saw it. In fact, he held his tongue when it came to the man next to him. Even if he couldn't see half of his face or what was underneath the baseball cap he was wearing, Rowan couldn't help but notice the natural beauty he possessed. The defined muscles, gentle but callused fingers, and flawless face were just enough to tell Rowan his company was handsome beneath it all.

"I... Wow. I never would've noticed that." The man, then, had to take his leave due to a phone call. "Thank you for letting me see the city in a new light." Rowan nods, watching as the man walks away and replaying the entire scene over and over in his mind.

If he didn't know any better, Rowan would've thought he was in some kind of movie. Conversations with dashing strangers didn't just happen.

I can't believe that just happened, Rowan thought, before resuming his search for the perfect pictures.

At that moment, he received a call from his client back in New York, one who expected a full update of his progress and status of the pictures taken. With only one more day left in London, he had to make sure there were some his client wanted to keep. The rest he'd put on Shutterstock to sell to anyone who wants them. That was the other part of his contract; he could sell anything that the client did not want for themselves.

"Hello Rowan IL." His client, Jacob XIV of Fourteen & Associates, was excited to hear the descriptions of the best shots Rowan took for him. He wanted to hang a few in his office, so they needed to be good in black and white. Jacob specifically requested that the final prints be in black and white.

"Hello, Jacob. I have quite a few photos for you. I'm just uploading them now and they should be in your inbox in a few minutes. I think there's a few that would look especially good in your office." The picture of the woman in the sunlight was one that he wasn't planning to give to Jacob, but rather allow everyone to see and use (with a small fee).

"Perfect. I'll be waiting. If I'm not mistaken, your last full day is tomorrow, correct?" Mr. Jacob confirmed. He only vaguely remembered when Rowan's departure from London was scheduled for. There were enough things going on in his life to where it was excusable. As a lawyer, he always had a case to study or questions to come up with.