Page 65 of Mangled Memory
“Call me Ayla. Please.”
“No can do, ma’am, but I appreciate the gesture.”
“Isn’t it weird calling me ma’am? We’ve got to be close to the same age.”
“You’re forgetting I was in the Army.”
“Not with that posture, I’m not.” I offer him a genuine smile. “You didn’t pitch the two cameras, did you?”
“No, ma’am. They’re at the house with the rest of your supplies from that day. The tripods are the only thing that were trashed.”
“Thank you, Fitz. I appreciate you going out of your way for my things.”
His head bows once in acceptance.
It doesn’t take fifteen minutes of waiting and the stars lose their brilliant shimmer as the sky begins to lighten. Eleanor spins in slow circles and settles in at my feet. Fitz retreats a few steps and stands sentinel as if the sun itself may come down from its orbit and threaten me.
Its rays dance and bounce off the snow-capped mountains and the iced-over trees like lasers at a concert. I set one camera up to snap every ten seconds until the card is full. The shots will be beautiful, and they’ll certainly sell, even if they’re a bit generic.
The other camera I play with the settings and change the focal points. A silver icicle hanging from tree branches stretching across my field of vision. The warm yellows bouncing off the snow at a peak. The purples hiding in the shadows of icy scrub. The blues of night dissolving into the western sky as an eagle takes flight from a tall evergreen, the bright white mountaintops the perfect backdrop as he soars.
That’s the money shot. Assuming the aperture was right, that one alone will be worth waking up at an ungodly hour and trekking all this way. I’d have done it anyway. Estes Park is just that magical, but to get something out of the deal this spectacular makes it even better. I grab my phone, note the date and drop a pin so I have the location, snag a shot or two of Eleanor who’s quickly become my favorite shooting buddy.
Making a few quick edits in my photo app, I send Cian a pic of his girl with the captionColorado Dog Asleep on the Job.My phone has a whole Eleanor folder of her on our adventures. I send one each time with a caption. Come to think of it, if he’s willing, I have a whole series I could sell. Maybe we could do something for the shelter where he adopted her.
Me: I have an idea. Remind me about it when we catch up.
Me: Also, let’s catch up. We keep missing each other except when I dognap Ellie.
Cian: Do you know what time it is?
Me: Time to riseand shine and greet the day.
Cian: {Engaging do not disturb feature}
Me: Disturb.
Me: Disturb.
Me: Disturb.
Cian: Brat.
Me: You love me anyway.
Cian: That I do. Now, go away.
I return to my equipment and spend the rest of the hour playing with angles as the sun swallows the shadows.
“Fitz, how long have you worked for Christian?”
“Almost two years.”
That’s it? I look over my shoulder as I break down my equipment to haul it back to the car.
“Elaborate please.”
“I started in corporate security working for Ren. He was Army, too, and didn’t need a Ranger working as a bouncer, so he transitioned me.”
