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Not too far from that very fountain was a cluster of picnic tables arranged around one of those single grate barbecues that was standard in most parks throughout the country. Patchy grass and packed dirt surrounded the tables.

On top of the nearest table sat a young woman with long, dark hair falling in careless curls and neat braids over one bare shoulder. Bright eyes were focused on the digital screen of a rather fancy looking camera she had resting on her lap. She had on a pale romper with blue detailing, a plethora one different bangles and bracelets, and a pair of worn flip flops.

The camera was beeping up at her as she scanned through a series of pictures she'd taken just a few moments ago of a pair of swans and their babies in one of the park's ponds.

Focused on her camera, Jack didn't notice anyone walking up to her. So when he spoke, voice a soft base near her shoulder, she startled visibly, and audibly, and clutched at the camera to keep from dropping it. "Oh, ah," it came out as a nervous laugh which increased in volume and timbre when she looked up to find a very nice looking shirtless chest right at eye level. Dark skin flushing even darker, she jerked her gaze up to his face.

"H-hi!" Her thumb smoothed along the edge of her camera self consciously. "I, ah," she started weakly, then gave herself a mental kick to jump start her brain into coherency. "Sorry. Yes, I think so. It'll be easier to see once I upload them, but I've got a good feeling about today's haul." She grinned, possibly touch over enthusiastically.

"You, uh, you out for a run?" As if it wasn't obvious. "Probably melting in this heat," she chuckled. Wow, stop talking right now. What is wrong with you?

"Oh no, it's fine!" Camera in her lap Jack held her hands up between them. "I was just deleting the blurry ones, no concentration needed for that." It was followed by a nervous chuckle and one hand moving to tuck a curl behind her ear as bright eyes flicked down to his chest again and then back up. He was very distracting, but not at all in a bad way.

Jack put the cap back on her lense before drawing the strap up over her head so she could set the camera on the table beside her. "No worries, I want shooting anything at the moment."

There was a small pause as Jack chewed on her lip, then she looked back over at him and smiled. "There's a splash pad here, if you wanted to cool off quickly."

She actually hadn't expected him to take her advice immediately, and she blinked at him as he started heading for the splash pad, worried in that moment that maybe she'd sounded like she was trying to chase him off despite her protests to the contrary.

Misplaced worry, as it turned out. A quick dousing in the cool fountain water and he was heading back towards the picnic table she was sitting on. Soaked. Water dripping down a muscular bare chest. Running shorts clinging to his...thighs.

It was almost a solid minute before she realized he'd asked her a question and the blush that had started to fade darkened again. She blinked at him, almost startled, and closed her eyes as she shook her head. "Sorry. Um. Both." Get a grip. "I mean, right now it's more of a hobby, I do some freelance stuff on the side, but I'd really like to make a career out of it."

The grin, nor the finger guns helped at all. Jack blinked up at him, cheeks just as red as they had been.

"No, more like a family photographer, or weddings." There was good money in that, and she did enjoy it. "I do like taking pictures of random things, but it's harder to making a living of that." It required selling individual shots, and there was no garunteed anyone would be interested. Putting her favorites into a gallery would have been nice, though.

"What about you? What do you do?" Aside from running around shirtless and wet. she folded her have and tucked then between her knees to keep from fidgeting.

Talking helped, somehow. It was a distraction from his shirtless state and let her focus on what they were talking about instead, and as a result the heat in her cheeks began to cool and fade. Even with him still being silly and charming and telling her to call him, though he probably said that to everyone, being a mechanic.

"Oh, you surf?" Dark brows rose. "God, I've always wondered how folks do that, it seems so unreal. That's pretty awesome though." Jack sure as ******** didn't have the balance for it. "Is it hard to learn?" She'd always imagined it would be. Still, there were an awful lot of surfers on the DC beaches.

"Really?" No way was it that easy, but Jack found herself wondering if would hurt anything to just give it a try. Brendan seemed so confident that he could teach. Girl, you're ridiculous.

The shirt came off his head and Jack tipped her head back to look up at the sky as he did, a soft smile playing over her lips. "Yeah, probably. Wouldn't want you to melt," she flashed hima grin as she said it, all bright and humorous with an edge of something flirty that was punctuated by therosy tint to tanned cheeks. "And I'm jack."

It'd been really easy taking to him, effortless even. He certainly wasn't interrupting anything, but she could understand not wanting to have to finish his run with the sun beating down on him. "Do-do you have a number I could reach you at?" Was thattoo forward? "You said to call ifi needed my car worked on. Or maybe asurfung lesson?" Was that less transparent, or more...? Screw it.