Page 25 of Love in Focus

Best,

Gem

I delete and rewrite a few sentences. I groan, wondering if I’ll ever be able to communicate normally with Celeste again.

I’m so preoccupied by my predicament that I only realizeI wrote “Gem” and not “Gemma”afterI hit send. I don’t get much time to dwell on it, though, because Celeste’s response comes in five minutes.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: First Set of Interviews

Yes.

-C

I let out a breath, simultaneously relieved and disappointed by her response. On one hand, since we’re communicating via email, I’m glad Celeste is being succinct and professional. But it also feels weird, especially after what happened last weekend.

I play along, anyway.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: RE: First Set of Interviews

Great, I’ll reach out to the couples we’re interviewing and see what times work best for them.

I woke up in her bed this past weekend, and now she’s barely saying anything in response to my emails, I think.

I let out a small, exasperated laugh before I hit send.

Because the first group consists of college students, both the couples we’re interviewing ask if we can do Friday afternoon, after they get out of their classes for the week. It’s a little tight, but I make it happen.

Luckily, Celeste’s rented studio is close to our office. It’s in the Mission District, away from the tall skyscrapers and surrounded by colorful murals, trendy restaurants, and fancy bakeries.

When I follow Celeste’s emailed directions to the third floor of the building, I’m instantly hit with bright light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The studio is compact yet efficient, with a large open space and a small kitchen near a red-painted staircase. Celeste’s lights, stands, and other equipment are currently set up in the main area, and there’s also a pink tufted sofa for the guests and a sleek white armchair by the cameras for me.

“Hey.”

Celeste comes down the stairs. A high-end DSLR hangs from her neck, and she’s wearing what I know is her usual studio outfit: black cargo pants and a plain white T-shirt. It’s a simple enough outfit, but with the tattoos snaking down her arms, red lipstick, and hair tied back in a perfectly messy bun, she looks breathtakingly artistic and sexy, all at once.

“Hi” is all I manage to say.

She walks ahead of me and holds up one of the audio equipment sets she has laid out on the kitchen table.

“Here, I’ll get you set up.”

Her fingers brush against my bare skin as she mikes me up. I shiver, and not because I’m cold. In fact, I’m suddenly quite the opposite.

Thankfully, the studio door opens, and our first pair, a young white couple wearing matching University of San Francisco sweatshirts, walks in holding hands. Even without the college paraphernalia, both the girl and the guy give off an awkward, nervous energy that makes it obvious they’re in their early twenties, at most.

I wonder if I was also this squirrelly in college, but then I remember the old photo I’d found on Celeste’s Instagram. Yes, yes I was.

“Hi! I’m Sarah, she/her,” says the girl. “Sorry, I hope it’s okay that we’re early. We got out of class sooner than we thought we would.”

“Hey,” I reply. “No problem at all. I’m Gemma Cho fromHorizon Magazine. She/her. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview.”

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