My Forever (37 page)

“Do, do you want me to send you what I took or…”

“No. Come over here. L
et’s plug you in.”

“Okay.” I’m surprised. I kind of want to clean up the edges first.

“Here.” He holds out a wire. I plug in and watch my pictures download. He’s working on something else. “Done yet?” he asks.

“Just.” If he’s a person of few words, that suits me. So am I. I’m just big on thoughts.
Small on words.

He looks at the first few a bit disinterested. “Where would you crop this one?”
He points to one I’d taken of his windows.

I show him with my hands.

“But look at what happens if you do it here.” He shows me with his. The picture is suddenly something completely different than what I’d seen when I snapped it.

He stops at the pictures of him. He looks at the screen and then
back
at me. And then back at the screen again.

“You’re hired.” He reaches out to take my hand. “If you want it.”

I try not to smile a girlie smile. I try to smile a confident smile. I can tell from his smirk that he sees through me.

“No one’
s had the guts to take a photo of me.” He stops. “And there are very, very few photos of me that are worth keeping. These are worth keeping.”

“Thank you.” Wow.

I spend the day with him. I don’t know
what everything is called yet because
I’ve never worked with the kind of professional cameras he does. He obviously runs the show here. He’s good with the models.

They come out a little nervous, this is local talent, and by the end, they’re sad to leave that special place in front of his lens. I learn a lot about lighting and about how important it is to connect with people if you want their photos to look good.

There’s so much to know and do. I run around all day, trying to keep up. When everyone’s gone I help Hank put his equipment away.

“I hope you remembered everything. Next time I’m going to rely on you a lot more,” he warns.

“Thank you.” I reach my hand out and he takes it.

Dani
elle
LeClaire
is now a photographer.

25

Elder Mason,

             
I’ve been working for Hank for a month already. I’m happy that the time is passing so fast. I don’t know if I’m going to school in the fall or not. I was always a good student and part of me wants a degree but after just a couple of months with Hank, I think I’ve learned more than any degree will teach me about photography. I hope all is well in Puerto Rico.

             
I realized the other day that I’ve never seen Jackie out on a date. When I asked her about it she said it was simply because she doesn’t want to be married yet. I guess that’s why everything seems so easy for her. She ju
st does the right thing. Anyway
, I’m forcing her to go to a back to school singles activity at Gasworks Park. I’m excited. She’s lukewarm.

             
Dani

             
It feels good to have enough news to fill a letter.

~
~
~

It’s been so crazy I realize that I need an Eliza fix. I miss the Wrights. I head over on the bus like usual and chat with Leigh for a while. Brian is at a meeting with the two guys he works with. They’re debating on bringing a fourth into the mix.

“Hey there
,
Dani.” Brian smiles at me when he walks in. He heads straight for his wife though and they share a brief moment before falling back into reality. I like it. I’m always a little embarrassed to be here, but they don’t seem to mind.

“So, how’s Hank treating you?” Brian asks.

“Oh, he’s a terrible flirt
,
but he knows so much. I find myself looking at the shots I took before meeting him and being really frustrated with myself. On the flipside, I’ve come a long way.”

“So, are you headed to school in the fall?” he asks.

“That is an excellent question.” I still have no idea what I’m going to do. “And one I don’t have the answer to.”

“Well, Leigh’s a college dropout and she does okay for herself.”

“Watch it.” She points a figure at him, which he kisses on his way back to the kitchen.

“Do you see this?” She looks at me. “He never takes anything seriously.”

I look at them
,
and I want this. I think this every time I’m here. It makes me miss Michael more than going to his dad’s house. Eliza is crawling and ma
kes her way over to me, climbs
up onto my lap
, and gives
me a smile. She pulls a slimy toy out of her mouth to hand to me.

“Well, I think it’s time for me to go.” I laugh, trying to keep the slimy
teether
from touching my face.

“Thanks for coming, Dani.” Leigh’s voice is so honest and kind.

“Thanks for the break.” I stand up.

It’s almost a year now. It’s still hard to leave. Well, not hard to leave, just emotional. I do pretty well this time. It’s still easier when I get to my magic place on the far side of the street. Funny how I set that up in my head and now it works every time. I climb on the bus and sit down. I pull out my camera and start to flip through photos I took that morning on my way to see Eliza.

“No pillow today?”

I jerk my head up to see the sparkly blue-eyed guy I’ve seen on this bus before. I’m speechless.

“It’s just, the last time I saw you out this direction, you had…”

“Yes, I was on somebody’s lap. It was a busy day.” I’m glad I catch on before he finishes. He’s talking about Lucas. That was a long time ago and he remembers. Interesting.

He smiles. “I’m Justin.”

“Dani.” We shake hands. I’m unsure. Is he teasing me in a good way?

“You live around here?”

“Lake Union.” I watch his face. He has a lean face for his large eyes and blond hair with a bit of curl in it. The corners of his mouth pull up in what I’d guess in a near constant smirk.

He raises his eyebrows. “Wow, that puts you way out of my league.”

His league? He’s totally hitting on me. “So you’re not worried about the guy you just referred to as my pillow?”

He purposefully looks up and down the bus,
then
shrugs. Right, the pillow is absent.

“You’re a photographer?”

“I work for Hank.”

“
Adams
?”

“Yeah.” I look at him, how does he know who Hank Adams is?

“Wow.”

I have just impressed someone with my job. I’m awesome. We’re at my stop. I don’t know if I should stay and keep talking
.
I find Justin hard to read.

“This is
me
.” I stand up.

“See you around, Dani.”

“See you.” I climb off the bus and can’t wipe the smile from my face.

~
~
~

“So, we’re really going to this thing.” Jackie’s voice is full of the resignation she shows all over her body. “At Gasworks Park.”

“Yes. I
t’s a gorgeous day, and when winter comes and we’re living through one grey day after another, you’ll thank me.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She raises an eyebrow.

“Well, you drag me out of here all the time. It’s my turn to drag you.”
I smirk.

“Fair enough.”

~
~
~

I know a surprising number of people here. Jackie knows almost everyone. I don’t know how she does this. I can tell she’s getting bored making small talk so I make us two hot dogs and invite her on a walk.

“Thank you.” She rolls her eyes and starts to eat. “Why does everyone have to smile all the time?”

“Wow. You are just a happy ray of sunshine today, aren’t you?” I laugh.

“You know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean.” The problem with coming to things like this is that everyone’s trying to put their best foot forward which means everyone is trying way too hard. Singles activity.

We sit on the back of a bench near the water, our feet on the seat.

“Well, if it isn’t the mighty Jackie out hanging in the slums.” A tall blond guy laughs. He looks like a football player. I wonder if he is. He’s wearing a Huskies shirt
from the Univer
s
i
ty
. He has a friend with him, and I choke on my hotdog when I realize
i
t’s
Justin.

“Hey Cody.” Jackie waves. “How’s it going?”

“Excellent.”

“Well, it’s bus girl.” Justin grins.

“And bus boy.” I laugh back. This is crazy.

Jackie looks back at me.

“Oh, I’ve run into Justin on the bus a few times,” I explain.

“Oh, I see.”

“Yep.” Justin smiles. “One time she had the fortunate experience of riding on a good looking man’s lap.”

Jackie looks at me questioningly.

“Lucas.”

“Oh, Lucas.” She nods. She looks at Justin then. “Well, it’ll be you next.” She teases. “My Dani, always with the boys.”

Justin raises an eyebrow and Cody laughs.

“Me?” I’m incredulous.

“Yes, you.”

I’m almost annoyed
,
but I can’t be annoyed with Jackie, besides she’s about to say something that makes perfect sense, I can tell. “There was Lucas, and then Michael…”