Page 75 of I'm Watching You

Nicole pushed open the door and found a tall woman dressed in a loose-fitting pants-and-shirt ensemble. She had long black hair and dark brown eyes that reminded Nicole of a cat.

‘Can I help you?’ the woman said.

‘I saw yourFOR RENTsign.’

The woman smiled and extended her hand. ‘That’s wonderful. My name is Fiona Moore. I own the building.’

‘Nicole Piper.’ She shook Fiona’s hand, grateful she hadn’t stumbled with her new name.

‘Would you like to see the space?’

Her throat felt dry. It really was madness to entertain owning a business. ‘Yes.’

The woman grabbed keys from the desk drawer. ‘Follow me.’

Nervous, Nicole tightened her fingers around the strap of her bag. ‘Great.’

Fiona moved with the grace of a dancer as she walked down the hallway. She unlocked a door, pushed it open, and flipped on the lights. ‘So what kind of business do you have?’

‘I’d like to open a photography studio.’ Soft scents of lavender and fresh paint swirled as she stepped into the all-white room distinguished by high ceilings, chair molding, hardwood floors, and a bay window that overlookedCary Street. The space was small but the southern exposure lighting was exquisite. Immediately, she imagined furnishing the room with simple pieces that she could use as props for her portraits. The place had so many possibilities.

‘The space is only about three hundred square feet,’ Fiona said. ‘But there is a kitchenette with a large sink that could be converted into a darkroom. That is, if you need a darkroom. So much photography is digital.’

Nicole strolled into the center of the room. She pictured cameras on tripods, lights, and backdrops. ‘I can take digital, but I prefer film. There’s a richness that comes through when I develop the photos individually.’

Fiona smiled. ‘You’re an artist.’

At one time art was all she was about. Now it was a luxury she couldn’t afford. These last two months she’d learned to be brutally practical and ruthless. ‘How much is the rent?’

‘Seven hundred plus utilities.’

Nicole tried not to wince. Once she could have afforded the price. ‘I’m just getting started and poverty is a fact of life right now.’

Fiona wasn’t put off by her honesty. ‘Do you have a portfolio?’

Nicole moved out of the room. No sense dreaming about what wasn’t to be now. ‘I’ve a collection of recent work I’ve done since I came to Richmond. All portrait work.’

‘I’m looking for a photographer to take pictures of me and the studio. Big marketing push for the studio in the fall. I’d love to see your work.’

Excitement rose inside her. ‘Sure.’

‘I can’t pay much.’ Smiling, Fiona locked the door behind them. ‘You’re not the only one on a tight budget.’

Nicole mentally leafed through her pictures. Already she’d taken several dozen portraits. What she had to show didn’t measure up to the caliber of her old stuff, but it was still good. ‘Might take me a couple of days. I could come by next Monday.’

Fiona brightened. ‘Ten?’

She thought about her work schedule. ‘I can make that.’

Fiona held out her hand. ‘See you on Monday at ten, Nicole Piper.’

A wide grin tugged at Nicole’s lips. ‘Great.’

The thought of freelance work filled her with hope for the future. She didn’t have the money to open a business now, but she’d taken the first step toward it.

Nicole hurried down the stairs but was so distracted she nearly bumped into a man. He had dark hair slicked back off his face and Rayban sunglasses.

For just a split second, she thought the stranger was her husband, Richard.

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