Heaven From Here

thirty two

"Oh shit!" Hanna exclaimed sharply as her wide eyes studied the image that greeted her right after the entrance doors clapping her hands against her mouth. It was a close up black and white photo of a couple; the man was grabbing the woman's jaw as he kissed on her neck and the woman with half her face covered by hair was biting her lower lip. The tension, the sex; it was oozing out of that one photo.

"Karen!" Hanna called for her friend who had entered further into the gallery in a panic. Karen turned around and waved Hanna over. Walking quickly, Hanna whispered furiously, "Karen, you didn't tell me it was an exhibition with like...naked people...and sex!"

"Relax Hanna, just take a look around. Not everything displayed is about sex. The theme is the celebration of love, and it's a showcase of the idea of love by different up-and-coming photographers," Karen said soothingly. "Let me just go and find Bazz, and then we'll head out if you are still uncomfortable, okay?"

"Okay," Hanna said reluctantly. She pulled her coat tighter around her body as she slowly walked pass the photos displayed on the walls. Hanna smiled as she came across a set of boudoir photos in which the woman was heavily pregnant. There was a sexiness to it, as well as a romantic touch to it showcasing that parenthood isn't the death of both sex and romance. The following set of photos was an open display of lust which made Hanna clutch at her coat a tad bit tighter as she knew her cheeks were already flushed pink with her feeling extremely awkward.

"So, I take it as you don't find sex as an interpretation of love?" she heard the manly voice say next to her. Not looking to the person who spoke to her, Hanna cocked her head to the side as she studied the two forms in the photo, with the very male hand tugging on the woman's lace lingerie.

"No, not really. Love, Lust, Sex, Kindness, Admiration, Friendship, Respect; are all different creatures. You can have one without the other, and it's fine. Sex however doesn't always mean love, and love doesn't always mean lust; or in this case sex," Hanna said thoughtfully as she walked along, stopping briefly at pieces that caught her attention.

"Interesting. Any particular one that has captured your attention?" the voice asked again.

Hanna was about to answer when her eyes landed on another black and white piece. The face of the man was cut off, with only his chin visible and a hint of a smile playing on his lips. The woman wrapped in sheets was leaning on his chest looking deeply into the man's eyes while his hand smoothened away her hair. It was the look in the woman's face that had Hanna captivated. It wasn't the come-hither look prior to sex but it was a look that spoke of trust, kindness, and most of all love for the man. The woman in the photo trusted the man whole heartedly; with not only her body but her heart as well. And that cut Hanna deeply as she looked on at the photo, replaying the words that Saif had uttered to her this morning.

She had pasted a smile on her face all morning until now when suddenly her shoulders sagged, the smile dropped, and cynicism coloured her eyes dimming their sparkle. She heard the shutter of a camera as and she looked to her left at the man and the shutter clicked again.

"There she is," the man whispered. His hands supporting the black Canon DSLR in front of his chest.

Hanna shook her head as she looked away with a small smile. Her eyes caught the small blurb of the photographer as well as his picture and shook her head.

"Ah...so...this set is yours, Mr. Woods?" she asked looking at the man next to her. He was only a few inches taller than her, with dark brown hair and kind brown eyes. He had laugh lines around his eyes and mouth as if life had been a wonderful joke and he had the ride of his life.