Page 36 of Check Mate

But I’m realizing that life is what happens when you get out of your comfort zone and really embrace the experience. The good, the bad, and the llamas.

This will definitely not be the end of my travels. My brain is swirling with other countries and ancient ruins I want to explore now, places I’ve only seen in documentaries. Much to my shock, getting out of your comfort zone is addicting.

“Hey, David?” Isa interrupts my thoughts, her voice sounding hesitant.

“Yeah?”

“This is going to sound weird, but would you take a few pictures for me?” she asks, drawing her bottom lip into her mouth nervously, like she feels uncomfortable asking.

“Um, okay. Right here?”

“I’ll do a few different poses on that large rock,” she points to the boulder a few feet from where we’re standing. “If you tap the screen where I’m sitting, it will focus on me and blur the background.”

“Alright, I think I can handle that.”

She hands her phone to me and our fingers brush when I take it from her small hand, causing my heart to beat rapidly, just like it did last night when Isa jumped onto my pallet.

She clears her throat and walks over to the boulder where she gets into position for photos. She sits on it with one leg dangling and the other pulled into her chest. Today she’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt and matching leggings in a brownish-red color, giving her gorgeous legs the illusion that they’ve been sculpted out of clay. I think I have a sudden interest in pottery.

I snap pictures with her phone as she does a few different poses on the rock. She even stands to do some kind of yoga pose.

She hops down and jaunts towards me. I hand her the phone and she scrolls through the photos. “These are perfect, thanks!”

“No problem.” I shrug. “But I have to ask… what’s with all the pictures?” We fall back in step, several yards behind Gerald and Austin now.

She scrunches her nose up before answering, “You promise not to laugh?”

“I won’t laugh.”

She takes a deep breath. “You know the big dreams I mentioned last night?”

I nod then look down at the ground and stick my hands in my pockets, hoping she doesn’t notice the blush creeping up my neck at the thought of holding her last night.

“Well, I have a mildly successful travel blog. I go on trips every few months and document them with photos. I have a few sponsorships; one is from an activewear company.” She gestures to her ensemble.

My eyes widen in surprise. Wha— Isa? A travel blog? How— My heart sinks. I had no idea my saucy little neighbor was an entrepreneur. I feel like such a jerk for assuming she just slept in every day and didn’t have any drive. Didn’t I make a comment to her face about being lazy? I cringe internally at the thought. No wonder she hates—er—hated me?

“That’s pretty cool.” I smile at her, and her shoulders relax like she was waiting for me to say something snarky… which makes me feel like an even bigger jerk.

I continue the conversation, genuinely interested in her travel blog. “So, what does mildly successful mean?”

“Well, I only have 200,000 followers. Ideally, to quit my day job, I’d need at least half a million to a million.”

I try to school my features to contain my shock. Her blog isn’t just mildly successful, it’s really successful.

“Then I’d receive a lot more sponsorships and be able to travel more and have even better content.”

I nod my head. “I must admit. I’m impressed.”

She looks at me with a big smile, the small compliment obviously giving her a confidence boost.

I chuckle. “200,000 subscribers is amazing. I’d be happy to look over your business plan and give my input when we get back.”

She looks over at me and narrows her eyes. “Is this just a ploy to get information so you can get your revenge for the Comic Sans business cards?”

A laugh rumbles out of me from deep down in my stomach, making me sound like my brothers when they laugh. Then the thought occurs to me… I’ve never laughed this much with anyone before now. I recall my conversation with Austin and Gerald about how there's a fine line between love and hate. And deep down, I know that line is already beginning to blur.

Chapter fourteen