I
InkWren
Guest
Original poster
Phoebe was startled when James took her camera and snapped her picture. A frown that had formed when her fiance called deepened at his words. She took the camera from him numbly. When he made her an offer that should have thrilled her to her toes, she could only feel this strange sick sensation in her belly.
The camera went around her neck from sheer force of habit. THe card he passed to her was held between her fingertips of both hands like a letter from a loved one. It took her a moment as the noise of the bar grew louder with the evening crowd. "I...will." She had disappointed him somehow. She knew it, but like a lost fawn couldn't see the forest for the trees, she had no idea why.
"I had a lovely time, James." She edged away from the table and turned to leave. Looking back for a moment, she smiled. It was the same smile she had shared with him all day. "Maybe...I will. Thank you. For everything."
When she reached her apartment, she went straight into her dark room and worked for hours. Dillon found her there at well after one in the morning.
"God, baby, what the hell you been doing in here?" He demanded in his low voice when she opened the door to him. His eyes scanned her images with the usual disinterest until he noted one of James.
She smiled when instead of looking away he stepped closer, thinking he was showing interest.
"Who's the old fart?" He moved closer to the selfie she had taken with James. Both their faces wide with smiles and enjoyment of the day, heads close together. "What the hell." His dark chocolate brown eyes turned on her in the strangely lit room. They weren't angry, just demeaning.
"I met him in the park." She didn't want to tell him anymore. The memories had become little treasures of memory. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed herself so well as she had with James.
Dillon snorted. "Meeting dirty old white guys in the park. Bet that made his day." He moved down the line to the last shot of her in the bar. "I like this one." His words startled her. She certainly didn't. When she had finished processing the images, she had seen the same dull lifelessness James had.
Before she could recognize that the source of that look was not simply in the end of a lovely day, the real reason for the dull and lifeless photo took her in his arms and did that thing to her earlobes that drove all thought from her head. It would be a few days before she looked at any of the images again.
When she did, she pointedly ignored that last shot, but gathered the best of the images and on her afternoon off went in search of the address on the business card James had given her.
The camera went around her neck from sheer force of habit. THe card he passed to her was held between her fingertips of both hands like a letter from a loved one. It took her a moment as the noise of the bar grew louder with the evening crowd. "I...will." She had disappointed him somehow. She knew it, but like a lost fawn couldn't see the forest for the trees, she had no idea why.
"I had a lovely time, James." She edged away from the table and turned to leave. Looking back for a moment, she smiled. It was the same smile she had shared with him all day. "Maybe...I will. Thank you. For everything."
When she reached her apartment, she went straight into her dark room and worked for hours. Dillon found her there at well after one in the morning.
"God, baby, what the hell you been doing in here?" He demanded in his low voice when she opened the door to him. His eyes scanned her images with the usual disinterest until he noted one of James.
She smiled when instead of looking away he stepped closer, thinking he was showing interest.
"Who's the old fart?" He moved closer to the selfie she had taken with James. Both their faces wide with smiles and enjoyment of the day, heads close together. "What the hell." His dark chocolate brown eyes turned on her in the strangely lit room. They weren't angry, just demeaning.
"I met him in the park." She didn't want to tell him anymore. The memories had become little treasures of memory. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed herself so well as she had with James.
Dillon snorted. "Meeting dirty old white guys in the park. Bet that made his day." He moved down the line to the last shot of her in the bar. "I like this one." His words startled her. She certainly didn't. When she had finished processing the images, she had seen the same dull lifelessness James had.
Before she could recognize that the source of that look was not simply in the end of a lovely day, the real reason for the dull and lifeless photo took her in his arms and did that thing to her earlobes that drove all thought from her head. It would be a few days before she looked at any of the images again.
When she did, she pointedly ignored that last shot, but gathered the best of the images and on her afternoon off went in search of the address on the business card James had given her.