Writer’s note: I just wanted to give you a quick reminder that this story is based off of a questionnaire, and has nothing to do with any of my other stories that you may read, whether from the series or one of my single novels. I hope you enjoy! Sass:)
We arrived at the show early; it wasn't going to start for another half hour. We had V.I.P. passes, and the moment the security guard read them, he directed to the floor. Richard spotted me and jogged over right away, he kissed my cheek and I know I blushed. “I had hoped to see you here!” he exclaimed.
“Thank you for inviting me, Cheryl couldn't make it.”
He looked at Charles. Charles stuck out his hand right away. “Hi, I'm Charles Harding and I work with April, I'm also a photographer.”
Richard smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Todd will be a little disappointed… he was hoping to see Cheryl.”
“She has to work late, one of the machines broke down, they have to develop the film the old fashion way,” Charles explained.
Richard put his arm around me. “Okay... so you have permission to take pictures of our team, we have twenty minutes to warm up. Would you like to take some of us warming up or would you like to wait until the competition?”
“Yes!” I nearly shouted. I’ve learned from other events that there are times when the warm up is sometimes better than the show.
Okay extreme tumbling is so cool! Tumbling is cool, but extreme… it’s beyond cool! They have this really long run way of mats, the tumblers run a little, and then they start doing these flips and twists over and over. Charles was across from me and we both started shooting as the team warmed up. The height they got was amazing! They must reach a good fifteen feet in the air. There were other gymnastic apparatuses there as well, but I only cared about the tumbling.
I took one shot that I was really proud of, and I did it with every tumbler on the team. I laid flat on my back beside the runway and as they flipped above me, I took as many shots as I could. It was as if they were tumbling right over me. Charles followed my lead and did the same thing from the opposite side.
Once the tumbling event was over for Richard's team we followed them to the rings. I took a couple of shots, and then after Richard and Todd's turn I waived them over. “I'm done. What are you doing Friday?” I asked.
Richard smiled brightly and said, “Nothing that I can't reschedule, why?”
I giggled and blushed at the way he said it. “Why don't you stop by the studio Friday afternoon, and I'll show you our work?”
“Deal and how about afterwards the four of us go to dinner? I'll call you later tonight, Todd’s going to call Cheryl, and I’ll let you know what she says.” I debated and then agreed. He kissed my cheek before he shook Charles’ hand and wished us a safe trip back.
Charles and I headed back to the car. “How did you meet them?” he asked.
“Cheryl is a flirt, she saw them at the Black Angus Steak House, and I don’t think it took her two minutes to build up the confidence to ask them to join us.”
“How long have you had the tickets?”
I shrugged and thought about it. “I would guess a two or three weeks. I really don't know? I know it was before you started.” He laughed. “What?”
He shook his head. “Don't you see how much he's into you?”
“He is a friendly guy who can use the exposure, that doesn't make him into me.”
