Page 36 of Picture Us

“I haven’t been that much of dick.” Drew crossed their arms, shaking their head at the accusation.

Diana laughed and raised an eyebrow. “I love you, Drew. But you’re off-putting on a good day, let alone when someone is encroaching on your territory.”

Drew couldn’t stop themself from smirking. It was undeniably true. They had no ability to be warm right off the bat, especially with someone as bubbly as Rose. She was everything Drew didn’t like. But somehow, they couldn’t get her out of their mind.

The kiss was incredible. Drew hadn’t felt their chest burn like that… well, ever really. They wanted – no –neededmore. And they were prepared to do just about anything to have it.

“But I did apologize, and we agreed to work with each other on another shoot.” Drew was trying to convince Diana that it really couldn’t be that bad.

Diana hung her head. “This is ridiculous. There’s another project?”

Drew nodded. “Ellen and Finley insisted we help their friend with a maternity shoot.”

Laughing, Diana’s cup sloshed over, sprinkling her with coffee.

“Karma.” Drew wiggled their eyebrows.

“To be fair, you hate shit like that.” Diana dabbed at the light brown stain on the front of her LAWSON t-shirt.

Drew shrugged. “I’d take a maternity shoot over an engagement shoot any day. At least those couples actually have something to celebrate.”

Diana rolled her eyes. “For someone who hates love so much, you’re kind of always looking for it.

“It’s good money, that’s all.”

The pair people-watched for another moment. The day was gorgeous, the warm summer sun just starting to heat up the cement. It was perfect weather for hiding inside Drew’s sunny, air conditioned loft. But Diana had dragged them to a coffee shop with the sweaty masses.

“And you want to work with her again, don’t you?” Diana eyed Drew suspiciously.

With a shrug, Drew grappled for an excuse. “I mean, she offered to handle all the logistics and take control, so I just have to show up and shoot. And it’s a huge bump on my current rate.”

“Bottom behavior.” Diana laughed as Drew kicked her under the table.

They bit their cheek as they thought about the job. “But the real question is: do I ignore the kiss or say something about it?”

“Tough call. When are you seeing her next?” Diana asked.

Looking at their watch, Drew did the math. “Like, three hours from now to decide on Ellen and Fin’s finals. And I think to go over the details of the next shoot.”

Diana thought for a minute, looking up at the paneled ceiling of the coffee shop. Drew’s usual place didn’t have much seating so they had to settle for a random coffee shop around the block.

“Well, I think it’s best to leave it alone while you’re doing a work thing. But if you’re like grabbing a coffee or something, you could feel it out.” A smirk appeared on her face. “That’s assuming you want to kiss her again.”

She raised an eyebrow as she watched Drew’s face flush. A smile crept onto their face as they thought about kissing Rose again. It was all they could think about as they laid in bed last night, unable to fall asleep.

That smile told Diana knew everything she needed to. “Okay, then you know what to do.”

“Fuck. I never need advice with this stuff. I always make a move when I want to.” Drew shook their head, swishing their coffee cup. The oatmilk that had settled on the bottom mixed into the brew as they tried to get a handle on their racing thoughts.

Diana winced. “Uh-oh.”

They both knew exactly what was happening. It had been years since Drew struggled with a woman. And if they didn’t want to be alone forever, they might have to start being honest with themself about what was happening between them and Rose.

After a brief catch up about Diana’s dating life, Drew headed back to their apartment to get some work done. Hopefully they could make some progress on the grant application that was still looming over their head.

Sitting down at their desk, Drew opened the application. They had already filled it out with the basic stuff, including a personal statement and all of their biographical details. All that was left was to attach their portfolio.

They’d pored over the photos for weeks, swapping one out for another every few days. As they scrolled through the folder now, though, they couldn’t think of a single piece to change out.

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