Page 57 of Picture Us

“I mean, Fin introduced us as a package. So maybe she’s down for that.”

With a shrug, Drew rubbed their forehead. “It’s possible.”

Rose laughed. She couldn’t understand why Drew was so suddenly being short and cagey. They talked about work all the time, and working together had proven to be lucrative and fun for both of them.Wasn’t it?

“Would you want to do it together?” Rose took a more direct approach.

Drew sucked in air, holding it in their lungs for a minute before letting it out. “I’m not sure.”

Rose nodded; it was the closest to an answer she would get right now. “Cool, well if you decide either way, just let me know so I can put my name in, too.”

“Sure.” Drew cleared their throat and headed back to their own work.

They spent the next few hours toiling away at their separate work. The air felt heavy for a while, but once they took a break to discuss the swiftly approaching maternity shoot, the tension seemed to ease.

Before Rose knew it, the sun was starting to lower in the sky, and the clock read seven. She closed her laptop and smiled. “Ready?”

Drew nodded, a soft look in their eyes. “Very. I’m hoping you haven’t been to the place I’m taking you.”

Forbidden from asking any follow-up questions, Rose followed Drew down the stairs into the Lower East Side. As they walked downtown, they took turns asking each other about their past. The sun turned the sky a beautiful orange as the signs above the stores abruptly switched to Mandarin in Chinatown.

Drew turned them down a narrow street, passing a small crepe shop before stopping in front of a small store. The white awning overhead read “Chinatown Fair” in red letters.

Rose’s eyebrows wrinkled together as she stared up at the sign.

After a minute of waiting for recognition to hit her face, Drew explained, “It’s an arcade.”

“Oooh!” Rose laughed. “That’s sick.”

Drew shook their head and opened the door for her. A cacophony of music and electronic beeps invaded her eardrums as soon as she stepped foot in the arcade. The room was packed to the brim with more games than such a tiny space should allow. Bright, colorful lights from Dance Dance Revolution and Skeeball flashed across her face as she took in the room.

“Is it lame?” Drew asked as they scanned Rose’s face for some sort of emotion.

Rose shook her head. “Not at all. I haven’t been to an arcade since I was like… thirteen.”

With a smile plastered on their face, Drew grabbed her hand and led her to the kiosk at the end of the prize counter. They pulled a black Chinatown Fair card from their wallet and slid it into the machine.

“Oh, so you’re a regular?” Rose giggled as Drew followed the prompts with ease.

Rolling their eyes, Drew nodded. “Maybe I am, would that be so terrible?”

She stepped closer to them, letting her hand glide from their shoulder blades down to the divet in their lower back. It rested perfectly there as she said, “Not at all. I just wouldn’t expect it.”

Drew grabbed the card form the kiosk, taking the receipt with them. “Why is that?”

“Well, if you look at your apartment and then take one look at this place, it seems like your worst nightmare.” Rose laughed, pointing to the bright, flashing lights, various video game explosions sounding off behind them.

The place was relatively empty; only a few teenagers lingered around with whatever pocket money their parents had given them.

Drew shook their head. “I have two ways of existing: extreme sensory deprivation or complete overstimulation. There is no in between.”

It did make sense. From everything Rose had seen, Drew loved to be in overwhelming situations, so long as they were by choice.

“So, what first?” Drew nudged her.

Rose took a deep breath. The options seemed endless for such a tiny store, a mix of classic arcade games and new additions making the decision even harder.

“What’s your favorite?” Rose couldn’t decide.

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