Page 91 of Picture Us

“Hi, stranger.”

It was obvious that Rose was trying to hold back a smile, her cheeks flushing slightly under their gaze. “Hi.”

Looking into her eyes, Drew could hardly find the words to say anything. “How has everything been?”

“Good, crazy. But good. Ellen and Fin’s wedding is this weekend, so just a lot of prep for that. A little nervous I’ll screw it up for them.” Rose tucked her hair behind her ear, nervous. It was obvious she hadn’t meant to reveal an insecurity on their first chat. Their eyes darted around each other's faces.

They couldn’t have been sure, but they thought Rose may have checked them out too.

But that wasn’t the point. They smiled at her. “I’m sure it’ll be beautiful if you’re shooting it.”

Rose smiled. “I’m sorry you won’t be there.”

“Should’ve lowered my rate.” Drew quipped. It hurt them to see her feel guilty over something that was their fault.

With a giggle, Rose shrugged. “You are very expensive.”

Their eyes met again as they laughed. Drew watched her chest rise and fall faster, matching their own. All they wanted to do was to pull her in and kiss her like none of it had happened. As if they were just back in Drew’s loft, spooling film and picking photos.

But they weren’t. Instead they stood two feet apart as Rose stood from her chair, swallowing her nerves. “I’ve gotta run, so much prep to do.”

Drew nodded. “Of course. Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime and properly catch up?”

“It’s never just coffee, is it Drew?” Rose lowered her voice, her eyes soft with want.

Stepping forward, Drew shook their head. “I know I screwed up. I’m really sorry, but I’d like to be your friend if that’s possible. Because I think you’re really cool and it’d be a shame to waste what we built.”

Rose opened her mouth to answer but walked past them instead. Once she was a few feet past them, she sighed and turned back. “I really wish I could do that. But I don’t think we can do that.”

A part of Drew knew she was right. If they opened that door again, they weren’t sure they could keep it platonic. Drew would always wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t let their worst intentions get the best of them.

They watched her walk away. Maybe for the last time. But Drew wasn’t sure they could let that happen. Once she was out of sight, they started walking home. Something about the walk home dragged, like the sun was stealing all of the energy.

By the time they made it upstairs to their apartment, they felt like they needed a nap. Heading back to the mounting press, Drew looked at the photo of an engaged couple laid out on the counter.

Drew flipped it over and applied wax paper to the back before sticking it into the press. While it sat inside, the wax slowly melting onto the mounting board, attaching the photo along with it, Drew took a deep breath and closed their eyes.

As air filled their lungs, they saw Rose’s smiling face. With every inhale, they remembered what her hands felt like holding their neck. How her lips pressed against their skin. Her laugh. Her messy apartment. Her hugging her friends.

When Drew finally opened their eyes, ripping the now-mounted photo from the press, their eyes felt heavy and glossy. It took everything in them to keep the tear brewing in the corner from falling.

Shaking their head, Drew threw the mounted print down and headed over to the computer.

I have to see her again.Drew started flinging open drawers, searching for something. Every time they blinked, the image of Rose came to mind.

“Where is it?” Drew scratched their scalp as they grew more desperate. Finally, they pulled open the drawer next to their computer.

Bingo. Opening it, Drew’s breath caught in their chest as Rose’s face peered up at them.

A waterfall behind her, Rose had her camera just a few inches from her face. The sun behind her created a halo around her auburn hair, damp from the spray of the falls. Her eyes crinkled into crow’s feet.

Drew had snapped it while Rose was trying to make Lauren laugh. She was too distracted to chastise Drew for the personal shot on a professional shoot. But Drew hadn’t been able to look away. Even when they were developing it, they felt themself falling in love with her. And even a month later, they still couldn’t convince themself to take the photo out of this drawer.

Gripping the photo paper, Drew brought it closer to their eyes. A chuckle escaped their lips as they looked at her face. That’s just how Rose was: just seeing her smile could make Drew feel like they’d won the lottery.

But she had walked away. And Drew hadn’t chased her.

Not anymore.A lightbulb went off in Drew’s head as they sprung into action. Hunting through the negative drawer, Drew flipped through the organized files of each event until they landed on “Ellen and Finley’s Engagement”. They pulled out the sheets of negatives and held them up toward the loft’s windows.

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