Page 49 of Places I've Never Been

“I thought there would be no work today,” Tina said with a petulant pout. “Coopie promised me it would be fun.”

“It’s going to be fun all right,” Brandon said. He wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis.

“Right, no work.” Adam winked at Mattie.

Mattie smiled, and a calculating look crossed her face. “You know, when you love what you do, work is a reward, not a punishment. Maybe that could be the subject of the next song.”

Adam scratched his chin. “Says the girl who ripped half the pages out of her notebook yesterday because they weren’t cooperating.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t annoying sometimes,” Mattie flashed a pointed glance in his direction, “just that it’s worthwhile.”

Tina made a tsk sound with her tongue. “I’m here to play,notwork. I do plenty of work at home.”

“Lucky you aren’t in a band, then,” Brandon said with heavy sarcasm. “You know us musicians. It’s work, work, work all the time.”

Adam pictured Tina on stage. She was at home under spotlights, as every model would be, but she didn’t seem to like music very much, and she couldn’t sing any note on key.

Mattie, on the other hand, was a natural on stage. She didn’t need a spotlight. The crowd could find her in the dark.

He turned away to hide the grin and saw Bayo, Nassor, Flynn, and Cooper striding back toward them carrying life vests.

“We are all here, yes?” Bayo asked.

“Yes,” Cooper said. “All set.”

“Good, good, then we will have a quick demonstration of safety before we set off on our adventure.” Bayo gestured at Nassor.

Before Nassor could speak, the staff photographer they’d met on the tarmac days ago stepped out from behind the storage building with a fake smile on his face and a camera in his hands.

“Good morning everybody,” Don said. He wore the same bright white as all the other staff, but he’d turned up the collar on the shirt like he thought he was Elvis.

Mattie stiffened beside him and drew in a quick breath.

Adam instinctively took a step toward the guy and put himself in between the camera and Mattie.

Don held up a hand in surrender. “I know, I know. You said no photography.”

“Right, we did,” Adam said.

“I just thought I’d check in with you, since I doubt any of you brought your phones for this outing,” Don said. “Wouldn’t want them to get wet, right? Sure you don’t want agroup shot before you head out? No problem if you don’t. Just wanted to ask. It’s part of the service.”

“Hey, sure,” Flynn said with enthusiasm. “That’d be cool. We could put it on the wall at the studio.”

Adam exchanged looks with Mattie. “We don’t have to.”

She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. “It’s okay. I mean, a group photo can’t hurt, right? All of us together?”

“It’s just for us,” he assured her. “Nobody will see it unless you show them or if they go into the studio.”

Don beamed at them. “Great. Let’s group up here, where we get the skis and that bit of island in the background.”

The photographer moved Adam to a spot next to one of the Jet Skis, then placed Brandon on his left, Mattie on his right, then Cooper and Tina in front. Flynn, as the tallest, stood behind the group between Mattie and Cooper.

“That’s perfect,” Don said. He clicked constantly, moving the camera slightly each time and uttering encouraging noises along the way.

Adam fell into his usual pattern of poses. He stared off into the distance, tilted his chin down and smirked, and tossed his arm around Mattie to get in closer with the group.

The longer the shoot went on, the sillier they all acted. Flynn kissed Mattie on the cheek, then Tina. Mattie giggled, and Tina made model pouty faces. Flynn came around front. “Come on, let’s do a really fun one. Everybody make kissy faces, then Brandon and Cooper pick me up and I’ll act like a dead fish.”

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