Page 83 of Between the Blue
“Someone that could’ve already been in the locker room by now.” I hold my head high, raising my brows in challenge.
Ben opens his mouth, ready to retort, but another voice cuts him off.
“Hey, what’s this?”
We both turn our heads at the same time, finding Rhett standing just to the side of the photo booth.
“Photo op,” I say. “Trying something new for social media. Want to take one?”
“Hell yeah, I wanna take one,” Rhett grins, setting down his backpack and straightening out his suit jacket. “Put me in, Coach.”
I smile, making sure I look right at Ben. “Great. Thanks, Rhett.”
Rhett hops right into the booth, striking a couple of different poses as I snap around five photos of him, the entire process taking approximately fifteen seconds. He turns around once we’re done, looking closer at the backdrop. He pokes one of the tufts of cotton.
“Did you make this?” he asks. When I nod, a huge grin breaks out on his face. “Are these storm clouds?” I nod again. “Damn, Little Dixon. You’re an artist. I love it.”
He picks his backpack back up and stops to give Ben a pat on his shoulder as he passes by. “Hey, Jamesy.”
“Sutty,” Ben murmurs, keeping his eyes on me as Rhett continues on in the direction of the locker room.
I turn to the side, tilting my head at Ben. “Now, did that look so difficult?”
His jaw flexes and he glances away, dropping his backpack to the ground. “Onephoto.”
“All I need,” I insist. “Thank you.”
Ben steps into the photobooth and stands there for a moment, adjusting his tie and cufflinks. His eyes stay on the ground as he situates himself, and I wait patiently. My gaze travels to the camera’s viewfinder, and I find my mouth going dry, the realization truly hitting me of how damn well this man can wear a suit. Even just looking at him entirely unposed through the little camera preview screen, I can tell this photo is going to come out amazing.
“It would probably help if you pressed the button.”
I blink a few times, making sure my viewfinder didn’t freeze. I look at Ben and confirm that it definitely hasn’t. “Um, well, I was waiting for you to look at the camera.”
Ben shakes his head, his eyes still on his feet. “I have a feeling you have a habit of waiting for things that are never going to come, don’t you?”
I click my tongue. “Sounds like someone’s projecting.”
Ben’s shoulders stiffen. “What the hell does that mean?”
I shake my head, a slight chuckle escaping my lips.
“Cherry, if you don’t–”
“Don’t worry, Ben. I’m sure you’ll get something to come for you one day.”
I don’t even remember consciously choosing to say those words, but now they’re out of my mouth.
And it turns out they were the trick.
Because Ben looks at the camera with a glare I feel straight to my core. And my flash goes off the second it happens.
We stare off for a long moment, the air getting thicker as the flash dissipates.
My lips part.
Ben’s mouth twitches.
“Oh, whoa. What’s this?”
