“Let me guess. The people closest to you weren’t?”
“Nope, and they don’t let me forget it either,” she mumbles.
“That’s how family works, man. There’s nothing like them, but their memories are unforgiving.”
“Exactly,” she crows.
“You’ve met Rolly’s mother, Allie. My family was never keen on her, and after she got pregnant they did nothing to hide their disappointment. Except for my mom. No matter what, she’s always been on my side. Even if I'm a dumbass, she lets me know she doesn’t agree with my choices, but will always be there.”
“She sounds amazing.”
“She is,” I agree. My mom and I are thick as thieves. That’s what happens when you have a broken family with clearly drawn battlefields.
“Okay, I could spend a day exploring things in your office. We should probably get to work, so we can eat.”
“You’re right.” The room shrinks in around us, and I take a shaky breath. This feels like a momentous occasion. I release her hand and walk to the desk, pulling out the spare chair I’d brought over.
“Sweet set up,” she says sitting beside me in front of the double monitors.
“Thanks. I splurged a few years back. It helps to be able to compare images side by side.” My fingers fly over the keys as I log in and pull up the images on the thumb drive. “All of the photos are edited and ready to go. We’re looking to replace the banner on the site, post some in the newsletter, and do a sneak peek of what’s coming in the calendar. Then I need to pick twelve for each month next year.”
“Jesus, I might charge you for all this mental labor you’re putting me through.”
“I think you have plenty of brain juice to spare,” I say as I click open and we watch as the day neither of us will ever forget is brought up on the screen. Silence falls. Neither of us speaks. Perhaps we’re grieving for what once was. I clear my throat and begin to click through each photo. The girls and the cars stand out against the urban, graffiti-laden walls. We’ve gotten the vibe we wanted. The price was too high to pay. I’m numb by the time I finish clicking.
“The shots are beautiful,” she says.
“Yes, they are.”
She places her hand over mind, and I close my eyes, soaking up her silent strength.
“It’s discombobulating thinking about how the day started and how it ended. You and I, I think we’re doing okay, though.”
Turning my head, I meet her steady gaze. “You really think that?”
“We’re dealing. It’s more than some would do.” She squeezes my hand and warmth floods through me. Blood pools in the lower half of my body and I’m keenly aware of the attraction between us ramping up the intimacy in tight quarters. She licks her lips, and I follow the movement of her pink tongue. I want to suck it into my mouth and watch her brown eyes turn liquid. I lean in, and she matches the movement.
Her eyes fill my vision. Rapping at the door makes us both jump.
“That’s probably the pizza,” she says as she smooths back her curls, looking anywhere but at me. I don’t know if the interruption is an annoyance or saving grace. Neither of us has it together yet.
“Yeah. Let me get it. “
“I’m going to stop by the little ladies’ room.” She stands and hurries out of the room, leaving me more confused. I run my hand down my face and trudge to the front door. My lips are still tingling with anticipation. The woman sets me off. Eventually, this is going to come to a head. The thought lifts my mood, and I push further away from the melancholy that hovered over the photo shoot. I retrieve the pizza and manage to keep my irritation out of the tipping process. I have the box open and napkins and paper plates on the island when she returns.
“Dinner is served.”
“Thank you. It looks so good.”
“Piggie Pie’s is my favorite place to order from in this area.”
“I’ve never had them before.”
“You’ll enjoy it. What can I get you to drink?”
“Water?”
“You got it.” I grab two bottles of H20, and we take our seats at the kitchen nook. The next twenty minutes are quiet as we devour the cheesy heaven that is Piggie Pies. She helps me clean up and we wash our hands at the kitchen sink.