.1.

 

A slight gust of wind blew through the leaves causing the red panda to blink. Dan's finger relaxed it's pressure on the trigger. It wouldn't do to take a shot of a red panda with it's eye's closed.

 

Dan let out a small breadth hoping to neither disturb the red panda a mere ten feet in front of him nor the careful calibrations he had made to his equipment. Carefully, Dan winked into the viewfinder, straining to keep his tired eyes wide for detail while gently moving his left hand up the side of the tripod, it's destination the lens on his camera. Dan made a slight adjustment to the focus, opened his other eye to double check the fading sunlight. The sun had mere moments left on this side of the globe and Dan was losing more of them every time the red panda blinked.

 

Half pressing the button his camera, Dans Canon EOS Mark III's LED gave him a reassuring green blink to assure him that yes his exposure was correct.

 

"Alright, here we go." Dan mouthed, more to himself then to anyone else who was littered around the makeshift studio/exhibit.

 

Click.

 

One exposure taken, the data burned into the compact flash inside the Canon. The Red Panda's ears pricked up at the sound, tilting it's head in Dan's direction.

 

"Perfect." Dan said but in the same breadth "Oh fuck."

 

The breeze was back and this time it was not going to just rustle the bambo leaves hanging above the red panda. No, this time the wind's intention was to seriously ruin Dan's shot. The bambo shoot that had been precariously perched till that point felt the full force of mother nature's anger on one of it's plants being so far from it's home. The shoot fell to the ground which was enough to scare the red panda back into it's protective hole in the tree. Dan jammed his finger down on his camera causing a quick burst of successive clicks from his camera. If he was lucky, Dan might have gotten one shot of the red panda with it's cute face still looking his way. What was more likely Dan suspected, was that he had just gotten himself five exposures of the red panda's backside.

 

In his periphery vision, Dan saw one of the zoo's caretakers run quickly into his scene, calling the red panda's name which Dan had forgotten as soon as he had heard it. It's name was red panda. All it's pictures would be named redpanda_x with x being one and hopefully going to something Dan felt comfortable calling it a day with. In his haste or perhaps because he cared more for the frightened red panda then he did for the Dan's carefully constructed set, the caretaker did more damage to the disaster that had once been Dan's red panda shoot.

 

"Shit." Dan growled, a bit too loudly for his assistants taste. There were children and parents twenty five feet away watching the photo shoot and while they may never know who Dan was or why he was at the Bronx Zoo photographing a red panda, they did know a word their parents did not want them knowing when they heard it.

 

Dan shook his head. What a stupid assignment. How far must he have fallen to have agreed to do a photoshoot in the middle of a zoo with tourists gaping at him from behind. Bad enough it was some staged event, the red panda being coached into the right position by no less then three zoo caretakers. Dan had suggested they super glue the panda's feet to the spot they wanted but he only reserved scowls and a huff from them in return to what Dan thought was a funny and efficent joke.

 

"Augh, I need some fresh air." Dan murmured to his assistant.

 

"But we're outside." She replied knowing full well that the air Dan wanted had nothing fresh about it.

 

"Then I need a break. Get in there and fix the crap that monkey is breaking trying to ge that damn animal out of it's hole."

 

"Monkey?" the assistant, Morgan, asked, putting down her clipboard and heading into the fray.

 

"What can I say, my anger is influenced by my environment. Just thank yourself we aren't in a trailer park."

 

"That might be interesting." Morgan called back "You should suggest it to Mark."

 

"It's not the right kind of interesting. It's not the interesting that makes you say awwww, when you look at a magazine cover. Well, maybe it does. But not in a good way. More an awww I'm glad I'm not living there way.

 

"Text me when we're ready to start again."

 

Dan had walked to far now hear whether Morgan had heard his last instruction but didn't care if she had. She would find him when things were back to the way they were he was sure of that. Morgan had a knack for finding and returning Daniel Porter to his task.

 

Ducking behind a group of bushes that jutted out into one of the zoo's sidewalks, Dan pulled a pack of cigarette's from his back pocket. He smacked the bottom of the pack into his palm as he leaned against a railing. Idly, Dan wondered what was behind this railing. Lions? Tigers? Or Bears?

 

Probably parking Dan thought. He checked to be sure. He was surprised to see instead of a minivan with mapquest directions stuck inbetween the dashboard and the windshield, a large boulder jutting up into the amber evening sky.

 

Back of the otter exhibit Dan wondered idly as he continued to pound away at the now dented pack of cigarettes. That sounded about right. The location they were using wasn't close to where the red pandas actually lived and he remembered vaguely Morgan saying something about otters. Or sea lions. Dan always got the two confused.

 

"Hey man, can I bum a smoke?" a teenager that had saddled up beside Dan asked.

 

Dan glared at the man. How dare he break my brief peace.

 

"No, smokings bad for you. Go away." Dan replied.

 

The teenager was taken aback, his hand already moving forward to accept the cigarrete gratis. A look of confusion began inching it's way to the teenagers brow. Dan took this time to slip a stick out of the pack and place it in his mouth.

 

"What the fuck man?" the teenager had finally realized Dan was not about to give him a smoke "You've got a whole pack there."

 

"So?" was all Dan returned to the angry teen.

 

"So? So be fair. Just let me borrow one quick smoke. My parents are taking my sisters picture in front of the sea lion exhibit. I've only got a minute or two before they realize I'm gone."

 

The teenager had a good case, Dan had to admit to himself. And he was right about the sea lions. Still.

 

"Sorry. Smokings no good for a kid your age. The big C and all it's friends. You've heard it all, I'm sure." Dan said rolling the unlit cigarette around in his mouth, savoring the nicotine that was being absorbed by his tongue.

 

"Fuck you!" the teen yelled but started heading back to the way he come, probably hoping to find easier prey. Much the same way many of the carniverous animals in this zoo did before coming here. Now their needs were met without lifting a muscle, their bodies showing the signs of boredom and captivity. The teenagers body too showed these signs despite his needs going unfulfilled "Enjoy your precious smokes asshole!"

 

Dan shook his head but made no move to light his precious cigarette. Looking down to his right, Dan noticed what appeared to be a seven year old child, an elephant mask hanging off the side of his head looking at him with confusion.

 

What is with people getting the drop on me today Dan thought. If I was in the animal kingdom I'd be a dead man.

 

"You want a smoke?" Dan asked nodding in the direction of the boy whose shirt was two sizes to big for him but gave every indication he'd grow into it within a month.

 

"Smokings bad for you." the seven year old parroted Dan's warning.

 

Dan chuckled to himself. "Yeah kid, yeah it is." Taking the unlit cigarette from his lips, the last traces of nicotine tingling his addicted memories, Dan tossed it behind him and shoved the pack of cigarettes back into his jeans pocket

 

"Where's your Mom?" Dan asked his new friend although he could see the child's mother bearing down on him with same protective force as the animal the child's mask bore. With thick arms, the child was swooped up while also being admonished for getting out of sight of the herd.

 

"Nice to meet you." Dan called quietly at the two rejoining the flock of stroller pushing parents and wide eyed children. "Survival of the fittest and all that."

 

Dan shook his head and turned to look at the rock behind him. What was he going to do about this shoot. He didn't need his light meter to tell him that the day was fucked. Maybe if he got back in the next five minutes and maybe if the red panda was being cooperative, a trait it had not shown to be holding so far, he might be able to squeeze out a dozen or so shots. Not enough to call it a day but maybe he could stretch it. Get a few closeups with a flash. Get an even two dozen. That would be enough.

 

But Dan didn't rush back. Couldn't rush back even if it meant that he would have to get up at 5am the next day to come back to the zoo to use to the rising sun since the zoo insisted on using only natural light for this spread.

 

For a shoot that's about as natural and authentic as the Mexican I had in your food court for lunch Dan thought dryly. But what could he do? Bills had to paid. Editors had to get their two rolls of film even though Dan hadn't submitted a roll of film to an editor in over two years.

 

And inspiration?

 

That came a distant third these days. Even if Dan could blame his lack of creativity on his job, he knew it was only an excuse. The problem lay within him. And a little with the world. Nothing inspired him lately and it was beginning to keep him up at night.

 

Shrugging, Dan headed back to his set, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He didn't bother picking it up, knowing full well it was Morgan.

 

.2.

 

The flickering lights glinted off of Dan's helmet as he accelerated through the Holland Tunnel back into New Jersey. His thick blue leather jacket protected him from the chill air being pumped into the long tube that connected New York to New Jersey. Gripping the handles on his BMW motorcycle, Dan thought whether he wanted to risk trying to pass the truck that was sending a foul and noxious gas his way. It was late and the tunnel was sparse with cars but that didn't mean there wasn't one just beyond his sight being blocked by the truck.

 

Plus there were the cameras. Dan had been awaken one morning three months back after an evening which he recalled passing someone in the tunnel but wasn't sure due to the quantities of alcohol he had had. The alcohol had served to both give him the courage to do something so foolish and then forget all about it. However, the port authority officer who showed up at his door that morning remembered it all to well, with the video cameras doing most of the remembering and the officer being all to happy in giving Dan a stern lecture and a nice big fine.

 

Dan throttled back, trying to find a pocket of air that didn't fill his motorcycle helmet with fumes that smelled sweet and rotten. A Lincoln towncar beeped behind him, warning Dan that the towncar was riding his bumper.

 

"Shit." Dan murmured to himself. Stuck between bad and worse. Dan swerved carefully to his left just to sample what lay in store for him if he did decide to pass the truck. Dan wans't committed to doing it yet but a few more minutes drinking in these profound aromas of debris and he might not have a choice.

 

Thankfully, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was indeed in sight. Dan was glad to see neon pavement welcome of New Jersey. Breaking free of the Holland Tunnel, Dan pushed his motorcycle hard to just inch through the changing stop light which the truck he had been following had chosen to stop at. The air in Dan's helmet was replaced with if not a better than at least a neutral smell. His mind clear of both the distracting odor and mesmerizing lights of the tunnel, Dan had to make a choice. Swing by his office in Jersey City to drop off the one memory card he had with him or and Dan preferred this choice, go home to his apartment in Weehawken.

 

"If I go home now, I'll just have to get up even earlier tomorrow to drop it off at the office before heading back to the zoo." Dan reasoned to himself, the words never escaping the enclosed universe of his helmet. The photo shoot had gone much the same way Dan had thought it would. Dan and Morgan had made a desperate attempt to get as many photos of the red panda as they could with the remaining sunlight but even they had to admit it was unlikely that they had gotten enough shots for their boss to be happy. The zoo caretakers had taken the red panda back to it's natural habitat, such as it was, and a zoo official arranged to meet with them in the morning around seven to finish off the shoot. He had not been happy but then neither was Dan. A shoot that was suppose to last an hour, two tops according to his boss, Mark, had in fact lasted over a day now.

 

Admittely, Dan hadn't spent the entire working on the shoot. During the afternoon it was useless to try and get an outdoor shot so Dan and Morgan had made their way down into Manhattan to see if they could pick up any odd jobs for the newspapers. But sure enough, they were back at the zoo, the panda no more cooperative in the evening then it had been in the morning.

 

Mark would not be happy about the delay. The red panda project had been a subcontract from a wildlife magazine one of Mark's friends ran. The magazine needed four to five good shots of the red panda in it's natural habitat. Since neither the magazine nor Mark was willing to send Dan and Morgan to southeastern Asia, the Bronx zoo had been contacted to arrange a deal to let Dan work with the the zoo's talent. The Bronx zoo was happy to let Dan use their panda star but of course they, like so many of Dan's clients, had certain rules that he would have to follow. Dan, meaning Mark, had agreed to them with time being an issue and Dan had passed them off to Morgan to take care of like he always did and like she always did.

 

"Plus April's probably still home." Dan wasn't sure whether he wanted to catch his girlfriend in his townhouse along the Hudson. Having no job, April was prone to leaving the house late and going into the city to party till dawn. Which had been fine with Dan when he was able to join her. But now he was supporting an escalating mortgage with fewer and fewer jobs and if he wanted to keep those few jobs he had to make sure he was on time for them in the mornings.

 

Because of this Dan and April had drifted apart, the last thing holding their relationship together finally releasing it's grip. Dan hated to admit that he was becoming indifferent to April and Dan could see it in her eyes that she had long since grown indifferent to him. Their lovemaking was handled as a chore, neither on being in the mood when the other was. April would crash into the house, drunk and horny looking for Dan, who would either be too tired to get up and perform or on his way out the door to a job. Sooner or later, and Dan was being to suspect sooner, April would not be looking for Dan to satisfy her 4am craving.

 

It came as a mild shock to Dan that this really didn't bother him. A mere five months previous and it might have hurt him more but now. Now, it was just another thing that had turned to shit in Dan's life and he really couldn't see any reason why April still lived with him.

 

"People don't let go of one limb till they have a secure hold on another." Dan's friend Merlin had said to him over lunch. "Plus she's living rent free. I'd sleep with you if it meant I didn't have to pay rent."

 

"That's a little cold." Dan answered defensively, stopping in midbite "Sure, I'll give you the rent thing but if April was looking to end the relationship I think should would have done it by now. She's told me as much. Said she dumped her past two boyfriends before tehy dumped her.

 

"Maybe." Merlin said through a mouth full of food "But how do you know? It's not like you interviewed her last two boyfriends to confirm her story. What evidence do you have to go on? Hers."

 

"Always a journalist Merlin. Confirming and double checking." Dan smiled. Merlin was a freelance reporter, never sticking to one publication for too long. Merlin said if he stuck around to long he'd lose touch with the street. That Merlin knew where and what the street was surprised Daniel since he had photographed more of the street than Merlin had written about.

 

"Dying breed my friend. It's all Google and press releases these days. Sometimes just the press releases." Merlin said and then drained the last of his soda. "Still, even if it isn't true, that she was the dumped and not the dumper doesn't mean you won't be her first." Merlin had met April on numerous occassions and Dan and he both knew that whatever April's past might actually hold, she was not one for being complacent.

 

"Lucky me." Dan crumpled up the wax paper that had held his sandwich.

 

After a few minutes, Merlin asked "So, if she does move out does that mean there's a place in your heart and condo for me? I promise I'll let you be the big spoon."

 

Dan chuckled at the thought of Merlin moving into his townhouse. Dan wasn't sure he wanted to cross that boundary with his one good friend. Absentely, Dan realized he had never been inside Merlin's apartment. Surely he had. He'd known Merlin now for four years. At some point they would have gone back to his...to his what? Dan wasn't even sure whether Merlin had an apartment or what. Dan thought Merlin mentioned living in the city but that wasn't much to go on.

 

Blinking out of his thoughts, Dan realized he had driven half way to his office without realizing he had made the decision. I suppose a therapist would say theres an answer to my relationship with April in that Dan thought to himself.

 

The'd probably be right.

 

The answer did not surprise him. He had known it for the past month. Unlike April, Dan was complacent. Quite happy to let things stew for as long as possible before being forced to take some action even if it was for the best. Finding another girlfriend would be difficult at the moment. Not terribly difficult, Dan had never had too much trouble meeting women but that was when he was still doing photoshoots for major magazines and fashion houses. Models had been fun at the time but April had given him substance in a girlfriend and Dan he wouldn't be able to accept returning to that part of his life.

 

Well, maybe for the first week or two after he and April had broken up.

 

Not that that world was particularly eager to invite him back into it's airbrushed world. Dan had made a few enemies around town telling them what he really thought about their photo spread ideas and how if he had to choose between using their magazine and a roll of toilet paper, then the choice was an easy one even if he had to wipe his ass with garbage. Why waste perfectly good toilet paper?

 

Added to that was Dan's ever expanding hiatus from producing any real work of substance. He hadn't had a gallery exhibit in months and the few studios that had regularly asked for his latest work had given up calling him, knowing full well there was nothing new from Daniel Porter.

 

Which left him here as Dan stood in front of a high rise building barely a year old. With a commanding view of the Hudson river and the Manhatten skyline, the Turner Towers had been built in the rush to escape lower Manhattan. Primarily the building was filled with accountants and analysts who never returned to Wall Street. How Mark had secured several expensive offices for his fledgling photographry company was an amazement to Dan. Why would anyone pay so much for a studio that was nowhere near any other studio.

 

"It's all about image." Mark had told him. Being that Mark had never snapped a photo in his life, Dan doubted Mark knew much about image to begin with. But Mark was very good at  maintainig the the image of his company and more importantly, the image his clients thought they were buying when they came to him with work. Mark had gotten an expensive studio and even more he had sought out Dan, a pioneer in the photographry field. That Mark's clients never knew that Dan was about as pioneering these days as a chain restaurant did not stop Mark from cagoling yet another assignment. Dan had to give Mark credit, he found him work.

 

But Mark would not be happy with the work Dan was leaving on his desk now. It was late but Dan was still surprised not to find Mark in the office. His BMW had been in the lot but that didn't mean Mark was in the office or even on this side of the Hudson. It was a quick ride on the ferry into downtown Manhattan and it was almost as likely Mark would be out schmoozing with a client as it would for him to be in the office.

 

"I'll finish it for you tomorrow Mark, I promise." Dan wrote on a post it note before afixing it to the memory card. Dan was making a lot of promises, most of which he kept. He might be in gutter these days but at least you couldn't say you couldn't count on Daniel Porter. You could say his work was tired and insipid but dammnit it would be on time. Placing the memory card against Mark's keyboard, Dan's eyes drifted to Mark's day planner that was layig open on the desk. While Mark kept most of his appointments on his computer, he jotted a lot of details down in his planner that popped up during the day. Sure enough, some restaurant Dan hadn't heard of was written in black ink in the hard, deep handwriting of Mark with a reservation time and the name of the client which Dan didn't recognize. Don't stay out too late Mark or Becky might start inspecting this book a little more thoroughly Dan thought as he left Mark's office to stop by his own. Mark's wife Becky understood her husbands drive to promote his business and had told Dan she didn't mind him working late.

 

Sure she didn't Dan had thought. One day she would and then Dan would get a call asking if he knew where Mark was. Dan hated talking to jilted lovers. Models who had left someone from a one night stand what they thought was a fake number which turned out to be the studio where Dan had worked. Or the wife that just couldn't trust her husband enough to believe that his lens was all that touching the model spread out before him. Dan had been on both sides of the fence and now tried to keep himself out of those disasters.

 

Dan knelt down beside the boxes Morgan had dropped off in his office. Dan had sent her back to the office when the shoot was turning out to be a bust. Dan figured he'd stop by a bar he liked in the Bronx before heading to the office with the results of the day. He'd let Morgan take his equipment back but he wouldn't let his camera or the precious memory card out of his site. While the memory cards contents didn't inspire him, that they represented his next paycheck and he had been burned too many times trusting in a courier to get a small, easily misplaced chip back to the office. Morgan was good but there was plenty of boxes of equipment to bring back.

 

He opened a padded box that was seperate from the rest of the heap. This box contained the various lens Dan had accrued over the years with two or three being the property of Mark's company. One or two had been the property of a company or two that Dan had worked for but when checks failed to arrive for work delivered, Dan felt a lens was payment enough. Carefully, Dan pulled each lens he had used that day to photograph the red panda to inspect it for any damage. He had trained Morgan well and after being yelled at, Morgan knew exactly how Dan liked his lens to be stored.

 

Pulling his backpack around, Dan took out his Canon and attached his 120MM lens to it's base. He had used the 120MM the most that day and Dan hoped none of the detritus from the cages had been kicked up into the glass like so much else had been today thanks to the wind. Oscillating the lens, Dan was satisfied it was in good working order, and began unmounting it from the camera.

 

Looking up, his actions being routine, Dan had a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. The red and green lights twinkled atop the skyscrapers warning planes just how high they too soared. A spattering of windows in office buildings had their lights on creating a checkerboard that was mirrored in the Hudson river. A ferry was making it's way across the straight, it's lights two blinking out a message that only other ferries knew or cared to hear.

 

When Dan had first moved into this office, he had been captivated by this ever changing scene. He had spent night taken long exposures of the skyline, using his tripod to keep his camera steady and a remote to release the shutter. He had been impressed with his work then and it caused a brief rush of creativity from Dan that soon fizzled. Taking long exposures at night was nothing new to Dan or anyone else who wanted to show his work. Sure it was fun to do and look at but not pioneering as Mark like to call him.

 

Securing the lens back in it's cushioned compartment, Dan replaced the lid, swung his backpack back to it's proper place. The ride back to his townhouse was as routine as attaching the lens to his camera was and it passed quickly. Dan was tired when he reached the two parking spots alloted to him but knew the night was just beginning when he saw that the lights were on throughout his home.

 

April was still home.

 

Walking up the stairs to his door, Dan wondered if April would be so bold as to cheat on him in his own house. Whether she'd want him to catch her screwing some other guy just to end the relationship. That maybe Merlin was right, that maybe she wasn't as agressive as Dan thought she was. Maybe she was just looking for an excuse just as Dan was looking for an excuse, to end things. Had their relationship devolved to the point where he would actually consider April taking those sorts of actions to end it?

 

As he turned the knob, the clammy sweat in his palm told him that perhaps it had.

 

It was a good thing Dan had braced himself for the unexpected because as soon as he entered April practically fell on him like a cat, almost taking both of them to the floor which had probably been her plan. Immeaditely she was tearing Dan's clothes off, hers being almost off to begin.

 

"Jesus christ!" Dan yelled, putting one hand on a table near the door to steady himself. This outburst slowed April but didn't stop her. Clearly, she had not expected any resistance on Dan's part.

 

"What?" She asked undoing the button his trousers. Dan was angry at her. She could have damaged his equipment and he didn't mean the piece he kept that April was searching for. And yet, he was aroused, more aroused then he had been in a long time. Dan was about to go into another long tirade about how delicate his photographry equipment was and that if it was damaged he'd be on the hook the replace it. He said it all before to April and she hadn't cared then and wouldn't care now.

 

Dan sucked in his breadth as April found what she was looking for.

 

.3.

 

"Sorry man, that means she's cheating on you." Merlin said with solemnity that gave Dan pause. He was recounting the events of the previous night to Merlin as he drove back to the Bronx zoo.

 

"What?" Dan wasn't sure if he had heard Merlin right "How the fuck does that mean she's cheating on me?"

 

"Easy. Guilt. Tell me, when was the last time you guys had sex like that." Merlin was quick to respond.

 

"We had sex last wee.." but Merlin cut him off.

 

"No, I don't mean sex. I mean ambush sex. I mean the kind of sex that causes you to drop everything, and I do mean everything, and just go at it right where you are which is what it sounds like you guys had last night."

 

Dan had to stop and think about that for a second. Thankfully he was at a stoplight and could let his mind drift back to when sex with April was ambush sex all the time, not just...since then. Dan felt a chill. This was the first time they had had ambush sex since when they were regularly having ambush sex.

 

"Fuck." was all Dan could reply. Merlin knew when he was right and had the grace not to admit it.

 

After a pause Merlin asked "So listen I need a favor from you." Merlin had grace but lacked tact.

 

"Are you kidding me?" Dan yelled back. He wasn't angry at Merlin although the level of his voice probably had Merlin thinking that he was. Hell he wasn't even mad at April.

 

He was simply mad at himself.

 

"Look, it's not that big a deal, I just need.." Merlin's word was cut off by a beep from Dan's cellphone telling him he had another call. Checking the phone, Dan saw that it was Mark.

 

"Fuck, I better take this Merlin. I'll get back to you on the favor." Dan cut the connection before he heard Merlin's response.

 

"Come to the office." was Mark's hello.

 

"I'm almost uptown. I should be at the zoo in twenty minutes." Dan was used to Mark's introductions.

 

"Forget about it. I've got something else for you to do." Mark didn't sound angry but it wasn't like him to pull Dan off a job.

 

"Look Mark, I'm sorry this shoot has taken longer then you thought. Just give me a couple hours this morning and we'l have it in the bag, I promise."

 

"I know you would buddy" Mark was working his way to the but. Dan hated being called buddy. "But I've got another assignment for you and the panda shoot can be finished off by anyone. Don't worry about it. Believe me, I'm not. Just get back here as soon as possible. Clients waiting and all that." Mark clicked off before Dan could respond and feelig the silent tone of a one sided conversation Dan felt guilty for hanging up on Merlin.

 

As Dan signaled to indicate he was going to make a left turn which would turn out to be a U-Turn, Mark's words rang in his ears. Finished off by anyone. Dan was doing work that anyone could do. Not just Dan with his years of experience and creativity. But anyone. Any schmoe off the street. Mark could hire some kid out of college and hand them an off the shelf point and shot camera and tell them to go finish a job Dan hadn't been able to do in two days.

 

"Fantastic." Dan said, peeling down the road. Perhaps this job wouldn't last as Dan had thought it would. He'd bounced around from job to job for years and it had never been a problem. Dan didn't find work, work found him.

 

 

But things were different now, as Dan took the elevator up to the 14th floor of the second of the two Turner Towers. He held his helmet by the visor, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Dan didn't want to go back to that work just like he didn't want to go back to dating women who didn't mean as much to him as April had when they first started going out.

 

The urge to light a cigarette was burning a hole in his soul but that wasn't a craving he could fix while in this box. Maybe after Mark was done telling him what replacement job he had lined up, Dan would sneak up to the roof and smoke the smoke of one that has quit. Dan had given up smoking two months after starting to date April and while April hadn't made him stop, in fact she herself smoked even more heavily than Dan had ever had, he saw in April what nonsmokers must have seen in him. At beautiful person being clouded in smoke, hiding behind gas.

 

What are we hiding from, Dan thought as the elevator dinged to let him know that they had arrived.

 

Ourselves? Others?

 

The receptionist, Tracy, pointed Dan to Mark's office although give that all the walls in the suite were made out of glass, it wasn't difficult to see that Mark and a woman were waiting for him. As Dan passed his office, he tossed his helmet onto a chair near the door and ran his other hand through his hair. Dan hadn't bothered to put too much attention into his appearance this morning thinking he'd be at the zoo all day, crouched in straw and hopefully not too much animal dung. He was even wearing sneakers which he knew made Mark scowl when customers were around.

 

"Dan!" Mark exclaimed in the warm, booming tone of one who is constantly selling you and himself.

 

Dan had never made up his mind on Mark. On the one hand, he couldn't fault the guy for running a successful business and was by far the best manager Dan had ever had to report to. But on an artistic level Dan couldn't wrap his head around why Mark would not only accept but actively search out jobs that any photographer with an ounce of respect would have declined out of hand. Most of the accounts Dan had been involved in in the past five months had been so low that they would have barely registered in his radar this time last year. But Mark would smile, slap Dan hard on the back and cash the clients check whenever Dan raised an objection. "Everyone's gotta eat." Mark would say.

 

Too true Mark.

 

"Dan," Mark said both arms extended, one in Dan's direction beckoning him into the room and the other pulling the woman Dan had seen towards him to face Dan "I believe you know Mary."

 

Dan's feet stop moving while the words 'Oh shit, not Mary Monahan' raced through his mind. Mary's smile which Dan could now see, barely disguised the contempt Dan knew she felt towards him.

 

Dan had run into Mary frequently several years ago, she a fashion reporter for an important newspaper and Dan working for one or another of the fashion houses Mary was reporting on. She had interviewed him twice, once as part of an overall story on a particular line of clothing that was coming out in the fall that Dan had spent months in Italy photographing and the second as an indepth piece to, in Mary's words, 'discover his soul'. Which had been Mary's ruse to get Dan alone and flirt with him. She had laughed at his jokes, run her hand through her hair while looking deep into his eyes over a dinner that she had long stopped taking notes at and finally, when they left she tried putting a move on Dan.

 

To which Dan had laughed at. Dan had seen immeaditely Mary's pathetic attempts to seduce, found it amusing at the time to think that this woman thought she met his standards for someone he would sleep with, let alone date. Dan had laughed perhaps too hard. Right. In. Her. Face.

 

At the time, Dan wasn't even ashamed he had laughed at her. He didn't stop laughing even as he got on the elevator, leaving poor Mary ashamed and confused standing in the foyer of the restaurant they had just left. Dan even chuckled about the memory as he lay in bed, an actress he had met later that night sprawled beside him. Mary Monahan had actually thought she would seduce him in a sweater. And glasses! Dan could not forget the glasses.

 

That was two years ago and the tables now had been sincerely turned. While Dan had fallen to today where he looked like an unshaven, out of work thirty something, Mary had risen from that soul crashing evening into an almost indescribable beauty. She seemed taller then Dan remember but perhaps that was because she was now wearing tall heels and a dress that hugged her body. If Dan had known those curves lay underneath that sweater perhaps he wouldn't have been so quick to leave Mary in the dust. And her legs. Dan could not stop looking at her legs. Long, milky legs that caused you to run down then back up them in an endless loop of perfection. Dan had to wrench himself free only to find himself looking at Mary's smug eyes.

 

Well this is going to be fun Dan thought. From Mary's expression she knew she was the dominant one now and only if Dan tried to seduce her would she deign to drop a bone his way. It made Dan sick. Not because he wished the roles to be reversed but the true horridness of it all was finally hitting home. All those years of being so shallow had sank into Dan's core and while he always knew they were there after he had moved on from that world, he didn't quite realize that he hadn't gotten rid of or atonned for those sins.

 

"How are you Dan?" Mary asked, relishing the sight of Dan's misery. She was aloof but Dan could see she was beginning to break from her haute catoure style. The warm and trusting Mary still resided beneath this alluring exterior.

 

"Pretty good, pretty good." Dan answered taking her outstretched hand. He had to stop himself from kissing it, a habit he had picked up when dealing with models. Both Mark and Mary saw and slight move and Dan's face warmed. "So what can we do for you today?"

 

Mark smiled at Dan moving things back to the topic at hand which was Mark's business. If you ever wanted to be on Mark's good side, you merely had to work to promote his company.

 

"Please sit." Mark said now pointing at the two chairs in his office as he returned to the back of his desk. "Mary was just going over some of the logistical details with me before you got her Dan but we can get to those later. Mary, if you'd like to explain to Dan what his role would be in this."

 

"Of course Mark." Mary said with an elegance Dan knew had not been there before. Mary turned to look directly at Dan and continued "A year ago I left The Daily Observer to start a fashion magazine with my business partner, Eliza Ferris. You might remember her Dan?" Mary asked, arching her brow at him, the smug smile returning to her face. Yes, Dan knew Eliza all to well. While Mary may have failed in courting Dan's fancy, Eliza had been another matter altogether.

 

While Dan was usually the one being pursued, when it came to Eliza, Dan would have crossed mountains and rivers to be with her. The feelings were...not mutual. Being rejected by Eliza had been a turning point in Dan's life that had led him on a downward spiral to where he was now, albeit with a higher form of respect for women then he had started with. It must have been a turning point for Mary as well who must have heard all about Dan's rejection directly from Eliza and it must have been music to Mary's ears. How delicious it would have been for Mary to hear the stunning rejection of Daniel Porter. To that point Dan had never been rejected. And once his armor of rejection was pierced, it seemed every arrow was now able to get through both professional and personal.

 

Mary continued "Well Eliza and I began a magazine called Elegance with a website of the same name. Both are hugely successful if I do say so myself, so much so that we are in desperate need of content. If I had known it would have been this much work when we started I'm not sure I would have left The Daily." Mary laughed with an amused expression that said she would leave The Daily again in a heartbeat. "But the problem is, we have such a demand for talent and content that it's just too much at times for the few staff we have right now. We've hired two other journalist and finally managed to get a dependable staff photographer but they are already swamped with even the most minimum Eliza and I can offload of them. We are literally drowning under our own success."

 

"Which is what brings her to our doorstep Dan." Mark said interrupting Mary who could undoubtable talk for hours about her and Eliza's success. "Mary would like to hire us, specifically you, to travel with her to..what was it again Mary?" Mark knew exactly what the assignment was but Mark liked to keep his clients involved.

 

"The Chicago Fashion Week Trade Show." Mary answered with a smile that was now becoming permanent on her face. She was enjoying this too much Dan thought.

 

The Chicago Fashion Show. Dan hadn't been to that gaggle of glitze and glamour in years, it being one of the first events he had declined to attend. It was inevitable he would run into old girlfriends, old collegues and countless other members of Dan's past he had hoped to keep there. Mary was back from his past, ready to grind his face in it in her new sexy body.

 

"The conference begins this coming Monday, so the two of you will have to fly out on Sunday. Mary's office has already made arrangements so there shouldn't be any problem there. However," Mark said with a look of worry on his face "I'm afraid I can't send anyone out there with you Dan."

 

"What?" Dan replied, the anger in his voice palable. This was it. This was the final straw. Being forced to go to a convention filled with people whom he hated and probably hated him with a woman who would happily see him hit by a bus without an assistant. That would mean Dan would have to do all the grunt work her had long since passed on to Morgan and the many other assistants he had over the years. He would be the only photographer there without one.

 

And everyone would notice. With eagle eyes, they would see Dan replacing lens, changing out memory cars and taking light readings. They would see him humping his equipment to and from the conference floor. And it would be the talk of the convention. Maybe not the most important gossip but among the enclave of photographers there, it would be the badge of shame around Dan's neck.

 

"I'm sorry Dan but there's just not enough budget to hire an assistant this time." Mark said, folding his hands on his desk which signalled to his staff that he wasn't prepared to negotiate.

 

"It's a small feature really Dan." Mary piped in from his peripherary. "We don't have the space this month to do a full story on the convention, so we just need a few shots of some of the more notable events and then some stock photos we can use in later issues. You know what I mean."

 

Dan turned to her and he could see that the smile on her face was gone and she truly did understand what this meant to Dan. In her rise to chic, Mary still held onto her morals and pity for her fellow man. Don't let that get in your way babe, Dan mused to himself. Can't have such things as compassion shackling you down in this trade.

 

Scowling at the floor, Dan considered the situation although he knew he had only one real choice. While Mark couldn't force Dan to take a job he didn't want to do, knowing full well Dan's mood would be reflected in the work, he still could intone to Dan that it was in Dan's best interest to take the job. That was why Mark had dropped in that Mary had specifically asked for Dan. While Dan was certain Mary had specifically asked for him, it was also a not so subtle hint from Dan that he was the only man for the job. Mark's client wanted a detail and Mark loved to fulfill those details.

 

And what did it matter in the end? A job was just another job at this point in Dan's career. How much worse was it going to be have to photograph models wearing clothes no sane woman would ever dream of adding to her daily wardrobe than it was photographing a spooked red panda. If anything the red panda was less tempermental. Hell with it, Dan thought, we all have to face our past some day.

 

"Yeah." Dan answered with resolve "I guess that will work. I understand." which got him a beeming smile from Mark and a satisfied smirk from Mary.

 

"Great great. Well listen. Mary and I need to go over some final details in the contract and then I'll send her by your office so you two can go over the details. How does that sound Dan?" Mark said, rising from behind his desk, proud that another business deal was about to be sealed.

 

Sure I guess I can go sit around for an hour Dan thought as he stood "It was great to see you Mary. Can't wait to work with you." Dan said to Mary with more faked sweetness then even he could believe he had mustered.

 

"Always a pleasure Daniel. I'm sure this will work out just terrific." Mary responded with just as much bullshit as Dan had heaped her way.

 

Sauntering into his office, Dan stared idly at the notes on his desk. Morgan had left him a message that she was sorry he had been pulled away from the assignment but said he should have every faith in her to complete the task.

 

Sure kid, Dan said to himself.

 

Most of the boxes that had been in his office had been picked up by Morgan that morning but there were still a few left. One contained the lens which Dan was happy to see hadn't left his care, two tripods, and another box of assorted accessories Dan found necessary for a shoot.

 

As Dan dialed Merlin's number on his cellphone a clawing thought was itching away at the back of his mind. There was something he had just taken in that his brain believed he hadn't quite registered. Was it something from the meeting? Not really. There was a cyclone of thoughts and worries being generated from that in his mind but Dan didn't think his current irritation was something from that. Dan shook his head. Maybe when he talked to Mary he'd remember.

 

"Yeah?" Merlin's muffled voice came through Dan's phone.

 

"You got something in your mouth?" Dan asked, turning to look out his window.

 

"Yeah, a pencil." Merlin answered and then Dan heard a petwoo sound as Merlin ejected the writing instument from his mouth "What do you want? I got a deadline here that isn't moving back."

 

"Sorry, I just thought you had some favor you want to ask me this morning. Sorry I hung up on you."

 

"Hey no sweat, I already knew you were an asshole." Merlin said in jest. "Yeah thanks for reminding me. Look, could you meet me at my office today around five? I have a meeting and I was hoping you could be there with me."

 

"What's the meeting about?" Merlin had never invited Dan on any meetings.

 

"It'll take too long to explain right now. Really I just need you there to be a witness in case things get weird. Hell, they're weird already but seeing weird in person is a whole other story, let me tell you. I'll cover your drinks okay?"

 

"Well you've picked my interest I guess. Probably didn't need to offer to pay for my drinks to get me to come along." Dan replied.

 

"Then the offers off the table!" Merlin said a bit too loud.

 

"Too late. You can never return that genie to it's bottle my friend."

 

"No, I suppose you can't. Listen, I'll explain more about the details when you get here. The meetings at 5:30 so try to get to here by 5. It's at O'Malley's down the street so it's not that far a walk. I've really got to get going now though. This regurgitated press release won't type itself up. Oh, and remember to bring your camera."

 

"Never leave home without it." Dan said, spying Mary's reflection in the window. She was standing in his doorway, giving his office the once over. "Yeah, I've gotta go too. See you at five." Dan snapped the phone shut and turned to his new partner.

 

"So." Dan said to hopefully break the ice.

 

"So." repeated Mary who had taken that as a reason to enter his office and sit down. She crossed her legs and Dan had to use every ounce of his will power to keep from following them.

 

"Listen," Dan began "I know we have.....history." Mary rolled her eyes to Dan's understandment. "But I don't think that should come between us on this job. I was a jackass. Believe me I know now. After the 75th person has called you a loser you start to think you might actually be a loser."

 

"Not the 74th?" Mary questioned, her wry smile returning. Clearly, she liked Dan calling himself a loser.

 

"No. At 74 you can still rationalize it. You're still in the 'No you're a loser' range. But once you hit 75. Nope, it's all over. Because then, 76 is hearing yourself calling you a loser." Dan could see Mary was getting uncomfortable with all this depression and so decided to change the topic. "But like I said, that shouldn't be a problem. We both know what we're getting into and I promise to leave as much of my personal bullshit here. I can't promise there won't be a few sour moments while we're there but hopefully, you won't have to deal with them."

 

Mary still saying anything for several beats, still realing from Dan's comments. Finally she answered "I appreciate that Daniel. Do you mind if I call you Dan or Daniel?" she asked, using a simple question to stall for time before heading into darker waters.

 

"Not many people call me Daniel but I don't mind. Dan is fine."

 

"Okay Dan." Mary pressed at the hem in her skirt before proceeding "While I'm certain we both know my intentions for giving you this job were not purely business like that does not mean I don't think we won't work well together. If even half the Dan I knew back then shows up in Chicago, I think this should all work out."

 

Half if you're lucky Dan said to himself. It's not that he would keep himself back from the assignment but any assignment these days didn't hold a candle to his former self.

 

"Well then I guess we're all set? We can go over more of the details on the plane if that's alright with you?" Dan said getting up, just the way Mark had.

 

"Yes, I think that will be fine. I'm glad this all worked out Daniel." Mary replied, slipping back into the formal use of his name. She blushed. He smiled at her and she shook his hand.

 

"See you at the airport." Mary said from the doorway.

 

"Can't wait!" Dan said, his eyes following her hips out of his office.

 

 

.4.

 

"What a shock you're late!" Merlin yelled at him as Dan pushed his way through the heavy bronze doors of the Times building. Grabbing his sleave, Merlin pulled Dan back out into the busy street.

 

"Ow, fuck, let go." Dan growled, pulling back at Merlin's grip. Merlin released Dan but didn't slow his pace, letting Dan catch up with him or not. Pulling his jacket back into place Dan hurried to catch up to Merlin who was walking far faster than his usual slow gait. "What's the rush? We still have fifteen minutes to get there. Yeah I'm a little late but it's not like we're that far from O'Malley's. What's the rush?"

 

Merlin slowed as if suddenly realizing that Dan was right. "Shit. Yeah I guess you're right." Merlin said slowing down to a trot and than began pacing in a circle. The streams of New Yorkers made small gaps for Merlin and Dan as they rushed by which were swallowed back into the collective as soon as the two obstructions had passed.

 

"So...what's the big deal?" Dan asked, trying to break Merlin out of his loiter pattern. They weren't late but they could just hang around either.

 

At this Merlin, stuck a pen in his mouth and broke off again in the direction of O'Malley's although this time at a slower pace which Dan could easily keep up with. Dan knew Merlin enough that this was Merlin's preparation before trying to explain the complex machinations going on within his head. Merlin wouldn't need any prompting till he was ready to begin.

 

"So you know I'm writing a book. Well written a book actually. Sent it to the publisher three months ago." Merlin began, pushing the pen from one side of the mouth to the other. Dan's nervous habit was cigarette's, Merlin's was chewing on pens and pencils.

 

"Really? Yeah I knew but I didn't know it was finished. Congratulations Merlin! Let me buy you a drink at O'Malley's." Dan could recall Merlin going on about some project he had been collecting information on and that it was going to be the start of his break from journalism. Dan hadn't paid attention to the content of Merlin's work but having read Merlin's columns in the Times he knew Merlin to be a special writer, able to hit at the heart of an issue.

 

Merlin simply nodded at the mention of a free drink before going on. "So anyway, it's a novel I've been punting around for three years now and only recently did I get some suit to get interested in it. I can't tell you how hard it's been getting some traction on this thing when I know it's going to be a hit. But that's not the issue."

 

They stopped at the corner of a street, the sign for O'Malley's visible one block away. Dan looked at his watch. They still had a good ten minutes before the meeting. And you thought I was late, Dan thought indignilately. Once they had crossed the street, Merlin continued.

 

"So the publisher sent my draft around to several people in his office and some friends to get some reactions on it. See if it was something someone would buy. How he could get a representative pool of consumers from inside his own network of friends is beyond me but apparently that's the way it works.

 

And then the truly amazing happened. Something of which I did not expect in the least. Oh I expected quite a few reactions, from love it to can't stand it but I didn't expect." And Merlin's voice trailed off.

 

After a second he finished "I didn't expect to be sued."

 

This too caught Dan off guard. "You're being sued?" Merlin had been a witness and even a plaintiff in his time working for the paper but Dan couldn't remember him being sued. "What for?"

 

"Hah, you'll love this. Apparently and I'm not making this up, one of my characters is an exact representation of one of the persons my publisher sent my draft to. According to his lawyer they're suing me for libel and breach of copyright. Nevermind that I've never met the man but what are the fucking odds that in the dozen or so people my script would be passed around to, that one of them would so identify with the character that he would believe I somehow copied him directly into my book. Astromonical!"

 

"I've gotta read your book." Dan said although Merlin wasn't listening to him, clearly once again lost in his own bad luck. "So..." Dan ventured. Merlin whirled on him.

 

"What? You think I copied this...this prick's image?" Merlin spit the words at Dan, who put his hands up for protection.

 

"Jeez, calm down Merlin. I'm just asking. Have you ever met the guy before?"

 

Merlin seemed to calm down but began to pace. They were now standing outside of O'Malley's but Merlin did not seem ready to go inside. Dan leaned against the wall of the pub.

 

"Not once in my fucking life. I've never even heard of the guy till I got the notice in the mail. I googled his name, even looked him up in Wikpedia Nothing. A nobody. Not even a single picture I could use to see if he's right."

 

"So I take it that's who we're here to meet." Dan asked. Merlin nodded while pacing in front of the door. "So why did you ask me to come. I'm not a lawyer. Shit, is this guys lawyer going to be here?"

 

"Yeah. Said he wouldn't meet me without one." Merlin said over his shoulder.

 

"Shit Merlin. Why didn't you get a lawyer?"

 

"What?" Merlin asked, as if only scanning Dan's words. "Oh, yeah I've already got a lawyer. The publisher hired one for me."

 

"Then where is he?" Dan was getting impatient with Merlin's confusion.

 

"Beats me. Probably in his office uptown or with my publisher trying to figure out a way to void my contract."

 

"And he's on your side?" Dan joked.

 

Merlin gave him a small smile "Yeah, ain't it fucked? Listen, forget about all that." Merlin stopped pacing and came to stand right in front of Dan. The confusion in his eyes were gone, replaced by certainty, Merlin finally dealing with the questions tumbling through his mind. "The reason I asked you down here is I want a picture of the guy."

 

"What?" Dan asked as he pushed himself off the side of the building.

 

"Yeah. So when I got this summons, I figured well who the hell is this guy? So I asked my lawyer to ask his lawyer to ask him for a picture, just so, you know I can see for myself whether this guy actually does resemble the character in my book. Not that strange a request given the nature of this suit." Dan nodded his head, it would have been the first thing he would have asked for. "But the little shit wouldn't give me a picture. Said I've already stolen enough from him as is and I can use the picture I had written in my book if I needed any help finding out what he looks like. Can you believe that? I'm getting sued by a man who says I stole his likeness, wrote it in my book and then won't let me even see what he looks like. Amazing."

 

Dan had to admit, it was pretty stunning. "So what. You want me to wait out here till he comes out? How will I know who he is?"

 

Merlin gave him a look that asked if Dan was truly as stupid as his questions were "No of course not. It's a wonder you never became a private eye Dan.

 

You know O'Malley's. Just enter a few minutes after I do, find a booth a couple tables away from ours with a good angle on the guy and wait till you can take a shot. And try to do so discretely. No big flashes or anything. I don't want this guy knowing I'm stealing his soul."

 

"I dunno Merlin. O'Malley's is pretty dark. I may have to use my flash if you want to see what this guy looks like."

 

"Well try to figure something else out before resorting to using the flash alright. Didn't you mention something about upping the ESO to allow you to shoot in low light." Merlin was starting to turn towards the door now that he had given Dan his instructions.

 

"ISO and yeah that works but it'll be pretty grainy." Dan was sure he could get a decent shot of the guy even without a flash but didn't like where this was going.

 

"Great great, you're the best man. Remember come in a few minuters after I do and try to get a table near us but you know, not so close that they trip over your zoom lens."

 

"I think I can manage Merlin. Quit stalling and get in there." Dan said pushing Merlin through O'Malley's brown doors. Dan looked at his watch. Merlin was about five minutes late to his meeting after all the explaining he had had to do for Dan's benifit. Probably why he wanted me to get here early, Dan muttered to himself. Dan would wait five minutes and then head on in. Hopefully, he wouldn't be recognized by the bartender this early in the day and he could slip into one of the boothes along the far wall.

 

O'Malley's was a good choice in that Dan and Merlin both knew it well and the staff knew them well. It was a bad choice in that there didn't seem to be that many people inside. O'Malley's didn't get busy for another couple of hours. Dan turned to double check his equipment. If he had known that Merlin was going to want him to take pictures inside a dark and misty bar, he would have brought another camera and he definitely would have brought a different lens then the standard 80MM he had attached to his Canon right now.

 

It'll have to do, Dan thought.

 

After a few tense moments, Dan double checked his watch and thought ahh fuck it and headed into O'Malley's. Dan blinked as his eyes began to adjust to shadows and mist. He could see Merlin and two men at a table in the middle of the room with their backs to him. Dan though he could see Merlin's head twitch in the direction of the booths behind them but Dan couldn't be sure. He looked over in the direction of the bar. Dan didn't recognize the bartender cleaning a glass behind the counter while two men sat glumly by themselves. Dan walked up to the bar, ordered a beer and motioned that he was going to sit in one of the boothes. The bartender nodded, finished filling Dan's mug with beer and handed it to him.

 

"Tab?" the bartender asked as Dan turned to walk to his seat.

 

Dan slowed. "Yeah, under Porter." The bartenders eyes went up and the nodded. Clearly, Dan's reputation had proceeded him.

 

As Dan passed the three men, he could hear the man in an expensive suit going into details about this meeting, that nothing from this meeting could be used in a court of law nor would his client be answering any questions that might be used against him. The man seated besided the lawyer tapped his fingers against the table, barely contained anger bubbling beneath the surface. Merlin on the other hand, looked dazed. He was staring intently at the man's face which was not having the placating effect Dan thought Merlin should have been going for in this meeting.

 

Taking a seat three tables away from the group, Dan could catch whispers from the conversation but never a full sentence. Which was good since if he was far enough away that he couldn't hear them, perhaps he was far enough away that they wouldn't see him fooling around with his camera and even luckier still not see him aiming his lens in their direction. Dan took a heavy pull from his beer, the head leaving a small line of foam on his lip. If O'Malley's did one thing right, it was serve damn good beer.

 

Unzipping his bag, Dan could see things were not going well. The man who claimed Merlin had stolen his likeness was talking, if pointing and raising your voice was talking which to Dan it wasn't. Dan could see the man's lawyer chastise him every few sentences with a 'don't say that' or a 'what my client is trying to say'. For his part, Merlin was letting the words just pass over him, not offering any rebuttals or arguments on his behalf. Dan was surprised by this. Usually Merlin went looking for arguments. While not being a particularly strong or big guy, Merlin could mentally spar with the best of them and Dan had long since given up ever trying to win an argument with him.

 

Carefully, Dan rested his camera on the table, hoping the other table wouldn't notice him. O'Malley's shadows helped in this but soon they would be playing their part in hindering Dan's ability to get what Merlin wanted. Discretely, Dan shifted so that the camera was about midlevel on his chest and pointed at the bartender. Changing a few settings on the top of his camera, Dan gentle pushed down on his shutter button. He heard the camera autofocus and then pressed the button all the way down. The cameras click sounded louder than Dan thought it should be but he knew that was all in his head. Dan had disabled the beep his camera made when it focused and the flash so it didn't come up but there was nothing he could do about the click. Peering to his left Dan could see the three hadn't noticed his experiments.

 

Looking down at the LCD screen on the back of his camera Dan pursed his lips. As he had told Merlin, the light in this bar sucked and if he couldn't use his flash to make up for that, Dan was going to have a tough time getting a decent shot. Dan could bracket up the ISO to 800 but that was as far as he felt comfortable going without a tripod. Even then he knew he'd have to use the booth to steady the camera. At higher ISO levels, the camera was more sensitive to light but this also caused tiny movements to become glaring problems. The soft breathing and movement of his shoulders would cause Dan's exposure to look gritty at best. Dan considered opening the window that was above him but doubted it would make that much of a difference.

 

Suddenly there was movement coming from the other table. Dan turned to see Merlin's outstrecthed hand prodding the man's face. Dan couldn't be certain but he thought he heard Merlin say "Did I make you?"

 

Skipping over to the man's face, Dan could see that Merlin's prodding was the final straw. Discretion be damn, Dan swung his camera up into position as the man began to reel back to take a swing at Merlin who was oblivious to his own peril. The man's lawyer was caught between cautioning his client to restrain himself and the sudden appearane of Dan's camera. As Dan's camera began to click, the attorney came to the conclusion that it was better to keep Merlin from getting an actionable case of his own than a few pictures being taken of his client. Grabbing the man's arm, the lawyer pulled his client back before he could bring it into conflict with Merlin's goggling face.

 

Figuring the jig was up anyway, Dan flicked a button on his camera and his flash snapped up. In the span of three second, Dan had taken two exposures of two surprised faces. The bright light also caused Merlin to break out of his reverie and swing around to Dan who gave him a wink. Dan could see Merlin was not happy with Dan's decision but then he hadn't seen the fist that was headed his way so Dan figured things would even themselves out.

 

"You mother fucker." the man was yelling at Merlin's back. "You'll hear from my lawyer about this."

 

"Please Stanely, calm down." the man's, Stanely apparently, lawyer was making a vain attempt at controlling his client.

 

"I won't goddamn calm down. This asshole hired this guy to take my picture after I expressly told him he couldn't have my picture."

 

"Yes, yes, I know." the lawyer said, although from his look he knew how indefensible that demand was. Turning to Dan, he said "Sir, may I have those pictures you just took?"

 

"Why?" Dan said, starting to move his camera behind his back while thinking if he knew the way out the back of O'Malley's. He did.

 

"Because they pertain to an ongoing legal case."

 

"Oh really? Think any newspaper would be willing to buy them from me?" Dan asked with wide eyed wonderment.

 

"Oh bullshit." Stanely yelled at Dan and took a step forward but was blocked by Merlin who had also risen. "This guy hired you to take pictures of me didn't he. Just admit it!" The man was squealing now.

 

"Huh? Him?" Dan asked, pointing at Merlin. "Never met him before in my life. I came in here to grab a quick drink. Can't help a freelance photographer if a photogenic moment falls in his lap."

 

"Please sir, turn over the pictures to me." the lawyer said, coming to stand inbetween Dan and his client.

 

Dan looked down at the short lawyer who was doing his best to act intimidating. This wasn't the first time Dan had taken photos of someone who didn't want them being taken and Dan had been bullied by bigger men then this and hadn't given up his photos. Dan knew his rights.

 

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen." Dan said backing back into his booth to fetch his backpack.

 

A loud slam came from the direction of the bar. They all turned to see a baseball bat resting on the thick polished wood, the two boozers Dan had seen earlier being momentarily rustled.

 

"Get out of my bar." the bartender yelled at them. He was used to breaking up fights and it was too damn earlier in the evening for one to be starting already.

 

"But.." Stanley began although his lawyer was already making a hasty retreat out the front door.

 

"Yeah, you heard him, fuck off." Merlin growled at Stanley.

 

"This isn't over asshole!" Stanley yelled back as he made his way to the door.

 

"For now it is." the bartender said, slipping the bat back underneath the bar. Dan gave the man a nod and with two fingers ordered two more beers. The bartender smiled while pulling two glasses. It was good to be a regular.

 

"Well that could have gone better." Dan said as he and Merlin returned to Dan's booth.

 

"Yeah I suppose. Did you get a shot of the guy?" Merlin agreed. Dan nodded to let Merlin know he had. "Thank God. What the hell happened there?"

 

"You didn't see Stanley getting ready to punch you in the face?" Dan asked as the two beers were delivered to their table.

 

"He was about to punch me?" Merlin said softly. He had not seen it coming at all.

 

"Oh yeah." the bartender said still standing beside them "If it wasn't for that guy's lawyer, you'd be on the floor right now." the bartender gave a short laugh and returned to his post.

 

"Wow." was all Merlin could think to say.

 

"Yeah." Dan agreed, taking a pull from his fresh beer. "What made you poke him anyway? That wasn't the smartest thing you could have done."

 

"He was right." Merlin said taking a timid sip from his mug. Merlin didn't care too much for beer.

 

"About what?" Dan asked, putting down his beer and then connecting the comment "You mean, about the book? He really does look like the guy you wrote about?" Merlin nodded. "Huh. So have you met him?"

 

"Nope, never."

 

"Then how does remind you of the character in the book?"

 

"He just does Dan. He just does." Merlin was swishing his finger through his beer, not really finding it's contents all that interesting.

 

"Huh. Well, I guess life really does imitate art then huh?" Dan said with a laugh.

 

"Yeah I guess so." Merlin replied although the joke didn't seem to cheer him up.

 

.5.

 

Dan stood at the airline gate, waiting for Mary to show up. Mary's magazine had FedExed over his airline ticket and a copy of their accomodations and itinerary. It spelled out where they would meet, what they would have access to while in Chicago and what numbers to call when something went wrong. Dan had been about to hand it off to Morgan but then remembered she wouldn't be joining him on this trip. Morgan had been surprised and a little hurt when she found out she wasn't going to be joining them to Chicago. Morgan and Dan made a good team and she found it odd that he didn't need her.

 

Oh I need you Morgan, Dan thought to himself, I just can't have you. Clients orders.

 

Staring out the window, Dan felt the same jitterness he always felt when getting ready to go on travel. While he and his camera had flown over much of the United States and the world, Dan's body never quite got used to sudden relocation. But it was more than just a physical feeling. Dan always got excited when he was traveling whether it was someplace he had been once or a hundred times. The wanderlust that played with his soul never seemed to go away no matter how much Dan tried to fulfill it.

 

Seeing there airplane taxi into position beside their gate, Dan took out his camera from his carry on bag. Dan took three shots of the plane and then zoomed in on the tail number along the back. It was one fo the few superstitious things Dan had in his life. For some reason the thought of capturing a frame of the plane he was about to entrust his life to made him feel much more safe then the statistics about being safer in a plane then a car did. He didn't know when he had started taking pictures of planes but he knew he had a folder on his computer full with various planes, from large Boeing 777's to small single prop plane that he had used to jump between islands in Thailand. Maybe they'd be useful some day but for the most part they were quick and dirty shots, not really worth looking at.

 

To his side he could see a security guard giving him a dirty look. According to her rule book, if Dan was holding a camera and taking pictures of her planes then he must be a terrorist. Clearly, he was taking a memento of the plane he was about to hijack. Dan rolled his eyes and put his camera back in his bag. He was used to security guards hassling him about what he could and could not take photos. Lately it was becoming harder and harder to even take pictures of buildings in New York without some private security guard chasing after you.

 

"Am I late?" Mary asked, coming up behind Dan, her bags flopping around her.

 

Dan turned to her and was once again struck by the change in Mary's appearance. She was wearing a tight blouse with sheer top with another shirt beneath and high heels. Not exactly flying clothes Dan thought but he wasn't going to complain. In fact, since he already had his camera, Dan brought it up to his eye and said "Say cheese."

 

Mary's face went white. "Oh no, Dan stop. I look horrible." Mary desperately tried to put her hands up as Dan started clicking away.

 

"Naw, you look wonderful." Dan said in a voice that he had used countless times to console many a model. Seeing that Dan was not about to let up and that it would be faster to simply do as he asked, Mary dropped her bags and gave her best pose, pursing her lips in Dan's direction.

 

"Great stuff." Dan said taking a few more pictures before lowering his camera. Yeah, that will certainly do Dan thought to himself, resisting the urge to mop his forehead. Mary was quite the looker.

 

Mary tossed her hand in Dan's direction in that 'Oh go on' manner and then picked up her purse and carry on bag. "So am I late?" Mary reiterated now that the impromptu photo shoot was over.

 

"Oh yeah, you made it in plenty of time, they haven't even started boarding yet." Dan answered her and as if waiting for his queue, the clerk at the desk began the boarding call.

 

"All first class passengers, those who need assistants and children flying alone, can please begin boarding." came the cheery but broken voice from the PA system. Mary gave Dan a quirky look and all Dan could do was shrug.

 

"So what are we flying?" Dan asked "I hadn't looked." Dan had but he needed something to make small talk.

 

"We're in business. I know it's not first like you're used to but we're a struggling startup and we can't go expensing everything we want." Mary shot back quick Dan. Dan wondered if his question had offended Mary. If she knew it had been well over a year since he had stepped foot on the first class side of a plane she certainly didn't seem like knew. Dan had been used to flying first class whenever he traveled but then that was then and this certainly was now and there was no real comparison between the two.

 

Hoping to ease things, Dan gave Mary one of his winning smiles and said "No, that'll be great. Wouldn't want you wasting money on me. I'd be happy with coach." Mary gave him a quizzical look as if still inspecting whether he was making fun of her business or not but finally came to the resolution that Dan was being sincere and broke into a grin too.

 

"Oh no, we wouldn't put you in coach. We're new but we're doing well for us. Eliza and I always fly business class and it seems that we're flying more and more these days."

 

Dan's heart jumped at the mention of Eliza's name. He knew it would have come up eventually when dealing with Mary and was looking forward to a chance when he could discretely ask how Eliza was doing. But hearing her name dropped so casually in their conversation still made his heart ache.

 

Pretty soon they were in their seats, watching the safety video on the little screens in the chairs in front of them, while two flight attendants aped the same safety protocols that countless other flight attendants throughout the world were displaying. Dan focused his attention on the window, trying to keep his eyes from sliding down to Mary's legs. Her gossamer panty hose were more alluring than Dan really thought they ought to be.

 

Why had he blown Mary off again? Dan tried to recall what Mary used to look like but her new persona was too bright a star in his minds eye for him to ignore. Shifting focus from her suptble ankle to the inflight magazine, Dan trolled through the various puff pieces about vacationing in Tuscany and Boston or where to eat in Austin.

 

"I did an article or two for those magazines." Mary chimed from beside him. Dan turned to see that she was pointing at the magazine in his crotch. Blushing, she retracted her finger.

 

"Really?" Dan asked although his interest was not in whether Mary had been published in Sky Magazine but whether she would join him in the Mile High club. Did he really just think that? Dan was astounded. What was coming over him? What about April? What about April Dan thought. If she was cheating on him like Merlin thought than it was time for him to set out for greener pastures. Although the paddock to Mary's pasture was undoubtable closed to him, that had never stopped Dan before.

 

Meanwhile, Mary had been going on about doing freelance writing for various magazines including the one that was in Dan's lap. "It's not bad work if you can find it. Most are filled by staff writers who work almost exclusively for the big three airlines. It's a pretty sweet deal. They send you to all these neat places and basically tell you to have fun there. I did mine on Quebec which was a lot of fun. Do you think you might have read it?"

 

Dan was sorry to say he hadn't. "But I have occassionally read your recent stuff." This was a bold faced lie and one that Dan hoped Mary would not question him to thoroughly on. Before she could ask him about the fake article he had read of hers, Dan pushed forward. "But I haven't read anything recently. I take it working at your new magazine most be hectic."

 

The words to Mary's question died on her lips which was replaced by the feverent nodding of her head. "Oh my God yes. It's been a nightmare! But a good nightmare!" Mary seemed to squeal.

 

"A good nightmare?" Dan asked with a small smile, doing his best to be ingratiating. Even if he didn't have a chance at getting into Mary's pants, it still didn't hurt to kiss the clients butt.

 

"Oh you know what I mean. It sounds like a great idea when you first think about it but then when you actually start doing it, well you really begin to think like you've bitten off more than you can chew. Things were very touch and go for us our first few months. It took us forever to find affordable office space in the City and then some competent journalists to hire. I thought my resume was bad but let me tell you, the doozies that have come across my desk in the past couple of months make mine look like gold. I had one woman trying to pass off her thesis as a published article.

 

And then there's all the things you don't think about that the company you work for simply takes care of for you.  But when it's your company, you have to deal with it. Eliza and I went without medical insurance for close to two months. I had to be really careful. You know what I klutz I could be."

 

Dan did know and it was one of the reasons he hadn't found her that attractive. He hadn't seen any of her usual social gaffes in the short time they'd been together but Dan was certain they were there somewhere beneath all that jewelery and product. Instead of asking about that though Dan thought, well here's my best chance to ask about Eliza and went for it.

 

"So," Dan said casually, as if he didn't care one ounce "How's Eliza?"

 

"Married!" Mary chimed back at him and from the corner of his eye Dan could see she was relishing delivering the news to Dan. It took everything in Dan to accept the news with grabbing for the barf bag hidden behind the other magazines in the chair in front of him. Dan had admitted to himself it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that Eliza would get married but he never thought it would happen, not before he had another chance to ask her out. She was only 28, a year or two younger than Dan was. Why was she already getting married.

 

Instead of breaking out into sweats, Dan smiled and returned "That's terrific. Whose the lucky guy?"

 

Mary seemed to deflate when her news didn't seem to have the atom bomb effect on Dan as she had hoped it would. But she rallied and continued on with her shock and awe strike "Oh he's wonderful. He's a VP for a advertising company. He was one of the first people we met when shopping around for clients. When they saw each other in that conference room you just knew it was magic. I should know, I was there. Sparks literally flew Daniel!"

 

Mary was having too much enjoyment with this.

 

"You don't say." Dan murmured as Mary continued to prattle on about the whirlwind romance, the expensive and elaborate wedding and how Chester, how could Eliza marry a man named Chester, would call the office every day just to hear her voice. Dan only kept half an ear to Mary, as he turned his eyes out the window. The clouds flew by, taking with them the one woman Dan had truly loved.

 

-

 

"Well this is just great, we've already missed the Prada announcement thanks to you. Hurry before we're too late for the Gucci press conference." Mary yelled at Dan as he exited the elevators to the conference floors.

 

"If they wanted me to be there they wouldn't have scheduled it for 8:30 in the morning." Dan muttered. Mary gave him a look that said that Prada probably did not much care whether Daniel Porter was at their press conference or not. In response Dan smiled which got a flip of the hair from Mary in return.

 

The conference floor was immense with two lines of booths on each side of the building although anyone who was anyone was not at those booths. The main focus was on the runway that jutted through the center of the conference hall and the large podium to the left where reporters and photographers buzzed around waiting for one of the fashion Gods to descend from on high to let them know just what the public would be buying this fall. Dan would have shivered from disgust but the weight of his equipment kept body movement to a minimum.

 

Which was turning into a problem since Mary no longer cared whether Dan was following her or not. Pretty soon Dan had lost her pony tail in the crowds of other pony tails and hats, the journalists bunching up tight as if being two inches closer to a microphone would get you that Pulitzer Prize just that much faster. Straining under the weight of his equipment, Dan scanned for an open spot in the thicket of other photographers. The podium still had a tech on it fiddling with the microphones so Dan figured he had a good couple of minutes before things would get underway.

 

Spotting a relatively friendly face in the crowd, Dan inched his way to his left, trying not to bump into anyone elses equipment anymore then was necessary.

 

"Hey Sid, they rope you into this bullshit too?" Dan called to the a man in a photographers vest who was leaning against his telephoto lens on a single legged tripod.

 

Hearing his name called, Sid turned to face Dan, the boredom clearly evident on his face "Well I'll be the Queen Mother. If it ain't our good pal, Daniel Porter. You decide to come out of retirement for this media blitz fest?"

 

"Hah, wish I had been in retirement. That would make for a better excuse." Dan answered with a smile while he began dropping his bags to the floor carefully.

 

"So what is your excuse? Haven't seen you in seven months mate." Sid asked, licking his lips at the thought of gossip coming his way. If Dan didn't know better he could have sworn a few of the other photographers shifting to lean in their direction.

 

"Nothing too amazing. Freelanced for awhile after telling Jane Atchinson to go fuck herself. Finally hooked up with Mark Everston and Everston Unlimited as a staff photographer."

 

"Oh ho, so you're the one who told Mrs.Madison Avenue where to stick it huh? Figures you'd be the only one crazy enough around here to try that. How bad did she blackball you? I heard the last guy who brought her the wrong kind of coffee had to change his name just to get a temp job."

 

"That sounds about right. Was pretty slim after that but thankfully Mark doesn't give a shit about any of that history as long as it doesn't interfere with bringing in new clients and up to this point it hasn't. Gotta admit it's kinda nice. It's not as glamorous as some of our old jobs but having a steady employer who doesn't answer to their advertisers is kinda nice. Course, if I piss off a client, I'm royal screwed."

 

"Aren't we all mate, aren't we all. Glad to hear you landed on your feet." Sid replied with a fake smile. They both knew Dan was lying and thankfully Sid was enough of a friend that he didn't care whether Dan fed him a line of bullshit just to save some face. In their world, in two months it could be Sid who was looking for work from Dan. "So who you with?"

 

"I here with Mary whose doing a piece for Elegance. Heard of it?"

 

"Oh sure. Making a name for themselves they are." Sid said with a hint of laughter in his voice. Dan raised an eye brow at Sid but Sid shrugged him off. Dan was about to question Sid further when the lights went low and then three spotlights hit the corner of the podium. While Dan had been yacking to Sid, he had had the common sense to start assembling his gear. By the time the four person team of Gucci was ascending the podium in a bath of direct light, Dan had his telephoto lens attached to his camera with single tripod attached just like Sid. In unison, Dan and Sid stopped talking and began making adjustments to their cameras while around them flashes starting going off.

 

Zooming in on who to Dan looked like was the most important, he fired off three exposures and then switched to the next person beside them. Dan knew their names were probably listed in the itenerary and who he was suppose to focus on but Dan hadn't taken the time to memorize them. When they had reached their hotel the previous evening he had declined Mary's offer to get dinner with her, in favor of bunkering down in his hotel room with the contents of his minibar. Dan had overslept because the eight or ten bottles of mini alcohol that lay on his hotel room floor had helped muffle the alarm clock and wake up call.

 

Dan zoned out as first one woman, then a man, then back to the first woman and finally to another woman talked about where fashion was going and how Gucci was leading the way there. In his former life, this information might have been relevant to him but now Dan could hardly care less. The more you covered the fashion world the more you realized how cyclical things were and how each fashion house was just making blind guesses at what the publics desire was.

 

Soon it came time for questions from the press and after three or four questions, Dan thought he could hear Mary asking a question. He couldn't make out the gist of her question with Mary being a good fifty feet away from where Dan stood, the sudden bursts of light from the flashes causing any information to be lost. But once Mary had finished asking her question was even more loud was the lack of sound coming from the podium. Turning his camera to the faces of the panel, Dan zoomed in on their expressions and wasn't immeaditely sorry on Mary's behalf.

 

What Dan saw was looks of revulsion, as if Mary had come to their press event dressed in flannel shirt and then vomited on their carpet. Turning his camera to Mary, he could see the other reporters mouths agape, while others were trying to contain laughter. Dan thought he heard laughter from behind him and turned to see Sid desperately trying to control himself inside his shirt sleeze.

 

"What they hell just happened?" Dan whispered to Sid although everyones attention was firmly on Mary.

 

"Your little lady just pulled an Elegance." Sid answered in between gasping for air.

 

"What's an Elegance?" Dan asked.

 

"It's when one of the reporters from that magazine asks a question so off the wall, everyone in the room just has to stop and stare.

 

In this case, your friend Mary has just asked if the designers from Gucci are using loops in their clothing design. Which might sound like a good question to you or I, if it wasn't for the fact that Gucci is firmly against loops. Prada is but definitely not Gucci."

 

"Oh shit." Dan said to himself although he was pretty sure he also said it out loud. Mary must have confused her list of questions for this press conference with the ones she had had in store for the one Dan had made her miss.

 

"Eh it's not so bad mate. She's not the only one from that magazine who does it. For a fledgling thing they're doing pretty good, all things considered. Course, I wouldn't expect to much love from Gucci when you're looking for some closeups on their new product line." Sid added although Dan wasn't paying attention to him. Dan tried to use his camera to find Mary in the crowd but couldn't seem to get around all the other tall, well dressed men and women blocking his view.

 

From the direction of the stage came the sound of a man clearing his throat. A fifth man had step forth from behind the group in front of the microphones who was probably Gucci's publicity spokesman. The expression on his face showed irritation at the awkward pause Mary had put in the middle of his carefully constructed media event and now he was forced to change his carefully laid plans.

 

"Ladies and Gentleman," the man began, forcing a large smile and raising his hands "If you could turn your attention to the stage, may I present to you the fall Gucci line!" And with that, the diversion had been created. Mary's comment was forgotten or stored later for gossip while the reporters and photographers shifted en masse 180 degrees to stare fixedly at the stage which lights where now been focused on. A group of photographers were rushing hurridely to the farside of the runway to get a better vantage point then the one they had now. Since Dan had arrived late and was already pretty close to the stage, Dan figured he wouldn't have to move.

 

Looking at the podium, Dan could see the three designers from Gucci throwing up their arms and yelling at the PR flak that had shifted everyones attention. Clearly, they were not yet ready to let the spotlight move from them. For his part, the public relations suit was doing his best to assuage their anger and was probably telling them all the things they wanted to hear and that he had lined up a slew of reporters for them to talk to backstage if they would just follow him. Dan rolled his eyes and then scanned the rest of the room for Mary. Dan still couldn't find her despite everyone settling down along the runway. Had she run off or was she sitting down in front watching the show? Dan wasn't sure how professional Mary could be. Most probably would have run off.

 

It was probably best for Dan to turn his attention back to the fashion show that was starting behind him. If Mary had run off there wasn't much Dan could do about it and neglecting to take photos of the event would get them in even more trouble then they already were in. Dan couldn't screw up two jobs in a row and expect Mark to float him much longer.

 

Sighing, Dan turned back to his task, shifting his camera to his eyes and beginning the long procession of pictures that would take up much of his afternoon.

 

 

-

 

Mary did not show up at the next event on the itinerary that Dan was surprised to find he had stuck in his bag. Nor did she show her face at the last event of the day, which had been a long fashion show of some of the lesser known designers. Dan was growing concerned but he knew he had to do his job for both his and Mary's sake. If they both failed to do their work this would be the last time they were sent out to Chicago.

 

But now it was after seven and Dan was hoping he could take Mary out to dinner as a way to cheer her up. He checked with the front desk but they told him they hadn't received any messages nor had Mary left her key with them. After some pressing, they did admit that Mary's room was not accepting phone calls and a bellman that was passing by hinted to Dan that he had dropped off three bottles of wine in the past hour to Mary's room. Dan thanked and tip the bellman a twenty.

 

Well if she's downed three bottles wine, better make it a fourth Dan thought as he swung into the bar. Thinking better of himself, Dan asked the barmen where the parties were in the hotel that evening.

 

"Vogue's having one on the roof right now and I think Cosmo is going to have one over in that conference room in an hour or so." the man said as Dan slipped him five dollars as well.

 

"Thanks." Dan called over his shoulder as he proceeded to the conference room the bartender how pointed out. Sure enough, just as Dan had expected there were tables lined up with decorations and more importantly, wine bottles cooling in their stands. There were a few hotel staff rushing back and forth across the conference hall who Dan figured wouldn't notice another man in black rearranging one of their wine bottles. Hiding the porloined bottle of white wine under his jacket, Dan made a hasty exit towards the elevators which took him swiftly to Mary's floor.

 

"Oh great, another one of my failures, come to gloat in my sorrows." Mary exclaimed as she opened the door to a beaming Dan holding up the stolen wine bottle. Dan's face dropped. Mary was definitely drunk as she slurred her words and wobbled while standing even with the benefit of the door.

 

"I think you have the wrong idea Mary." Dan said entering the room while using his free arm to position himself underneath Mary's outstretched arm to catch her if the door shut which it did almost as soon as Dan had crossed the threshold.

 

"Oh yeah!" Mary practically yelled into Dan's ear "And what idea is that. That your not laughing at me right now. Not like all those other women downstairs aren't laughing at me right now. Come on Dan. Laugh. Just go ahead and laugh."

 

Shifting his weight so that Mary's body fell against his, Dan half carried, half pushed Mary and himself into the room. Dan could see the two empty bottles of wine rolling on the floor while the third had less than half still in it.

 

"Guess you got started without me." Dan said, ignoring Mary's accusations and depositing her on the bed.

 

"Oh I got started Daniel. I got started real good." Mary answered, reaching for the third bottle of wine which was just outside of her reach.

 

Before Mary fell of the side of the bed, Dan stepped in and said "Here let me pour you a glass."

 

At this Mary cocked an eye at Dan. She had expected him to try and take away her wine, not give her more. "Daniel." She asked "You're not trying to get me drunk are you?"

 

"No of course not. I merely testing a theory. I read somewhere that if you drink so much that you eventually become sober. You know, kinda how if you dig a hole, you eventually come out in China." Mary stared at Dan, her alcohol cluttered brain trying feebly to makes its way through Dan's elaborate joke. Finally she gave up and accepted the glass of wine.

 

After a few moments wherein Dan poured himself a glass of wine and they both made themselves comfortable, Mary sticking to the bed and Dan taking up residence in the desk chair, Mary asked "Dan, why did you laugh at me?"

 

Dan had to keep from spitting out his wine. Crap, so this is where the evening was going to lead.

 

"Uhhh, Mary listen, I think you've had a little too much to drink to be asking quetions like that."

 

"Nuh huh." Mary said, wagging her finger at him "I'm just the right amount of drunk. Because right now, I just don't give a shit. I don't give a shit about the magazine, about those jerks downstairs and most of all I don't care about you. Tomorrow, I will. But that's a long, long time from now.

 

But right now, I just don't care." Mary yelled while getting up from the bed.

 

Mary took a step or two forward but realizing this to be a bad idea, faltered back. Using her free hand to show herself off, Mary asked Dan again "So, why did you laugh at me Dan? Was it because I wasn't hot enough for you? Was this not good enough for you? The great Daniel Porter was just too hot for the likes of me? Is that what it was? Tell me Dan! Tell me now!"

 

Mary was getting hysterical and Dan could see tears forming at the sides of her eyes. This is only going to produce more, Dan thought and then said "Yes."

 

For a few seconds there was silence in the room, just as there had been silence at the press conference. But unlike the press conference, Dan did not have a flak to come take the hit for this one. Mary blinked for a few seconds and in the space of three lunges, she was in front of Dan, hitting his chest, the tears at the sides of her eyes becoming small rivers, ruining her precise makeup. Thanks to the bottles of wine she had consumed, her fists merely deflected off of Dan's shirt causing him little pain. Try as he might Dan could not let Mary go on beating herself and him up.

 

Putting his strong arms around Mary's back, Dan pulled the thin woman to him. Mary's arms became squeezed between them with Mary given a valiant attempt at freeing them continue her assault. But in the end, she gave up, letting her head fall to Dan's shoulder where she proceeded to cry. Dan's stomach ached and while he wasn't in love with Mary, he felt terribly about causing her so much pain.

 

Slowly, Dan began talking to Mary in a whisper "You are right Mary. I am an asshole. I am a jerk. I treated you like I treated hundreds of other women, poorly and unexcuseable. I can't make any excuses for the man I was. That's who I was and I forever know the world will remember me as such.

 

But you know what I've become Mary. You know where my life is now. I won't say I'm not the same guy who laughed at you that evening but I can say I could never dream of laughing at you right now. When I saw you in Mark's office you quite literally took my breath away. When I saw you in the airport, I couldn't help but take pictures of you because you were the most stunning woman I've seen in a long time. Right now, I wouldn't trade you for any one of the models downstairs.

 

And you know what. It's not because of your looks. You have class and substance. You are smart and pretty which after so long I have finally realized is what's important.

 

I don't expect this to mean much to you, I know they are just words but I hope tomorrow or some day after that, you remember them and realize what a truly amazing person you are and how meaningless it is to care what I once thought of you."

 

Dan let those words hang in the air as Mary sniffled into his shirt. And those words were not just for Mary, Dan knew. They were for every woman he had met and slept with and never called. It was for every woman he hadn't given a second glance to because they weren't appealing enough. Dan had prepared that speech a year ago, not sure whether he would ever need it or have anyone to tell it to. But tonight, he was glad he had.

 

Pushing away from him, Mary moved back a step from Dan. "You know, you really suck Daniel." Mary said, dabbing at the tears in eyes that were slowly drying. Her cheeks were puffy and a few strands of hair had come out of the bum atop her head.

 

"You wouldn't be the first to tell me that. Not even the first today." Dan said with a boyish smile which got a small laugh from Mary.

 

"I've hated you for a long time. I've spent too many hours thinking of ways to hurt you, of what I would say to you if I ever got the courage to yell at you. And then, in one minute you apologize in such a beautiful and heartfelt way, that I'm left with all those days of anger and nothing to do with them. You really suck Daniel."

 

"I guess you could keep hitting me if you want." Dan answered, giving her the option and preparing his body for more impact.

 

Coming close to him, Mary pulled Dan's face towards hers kissing him for all her worth. Dan could feel Mary pulling a the buttons on his shirt and then suddenly realizing his hands were making short work of Mary's clothes as well.

 

"This isn't what I meant when I said you could hit me." Dan managed to eek out inbetween deep kisses with Mary.

 

"Shuttup." Mary said pushing him to the bed. Her blouse removed, Dan marveled at her, standing in the room, so tall and erect, the lace bra hiding the perfect breasts that lay beneath.

 

Mary jumped onto the bed, causing Dan to bounce up slightly. They kissed again as Dan scooped her up and brought her beneath him. In a brief moment of clarity, Dan managed to get out "Mary, wait. I have a girlfriend."

 

Mary paused for a brief moment, then popped the clasp on her bra. "So?" she asked "I have a husband."

 

.6.

 

The plane ride home was thankfully quick but altogether awkward.

 

In the light of day, Mary was overcome with guilt and Dan had difficultly reconciling his own betrayal with April. While cheating on April had been only a minor hurdle the night before, Dan still couldn't be sure she had first cheated on him. Mary on the other hand, had revealed she had had a husband, which at the time had made Dan's infidelity seem inconquiential and therefor possible, now made their situation all the more awkward. To avoid a conversation in the morning, Dan as he always did when waking up to a bad decision chose to avoid it by leaving early. Unfortunately, his bad decision was also his ride home, so Dan left a note saying that he had to get to the convention floor to take some stock photos.

 

The two did not meet again till the return flight home, each keeping a silent and respectable distance away from the other. When Dan was downstairs, taking shots of the models on the runway, Mary was behind the curtains, getting interviews with the designers. Dan did not know how well things were going and how devestating her remarks the first day had been. While to an outside person the remark was fleeting and irrelevant, to the insiders it was juicy gossip they could rehash for days and for designers it was enough pretense to avoid a one on one discussion. But there was nothing Dan could do about that now, so he returned to the daily druggery of capturing the Chicago Fashion Week.

 

As time went by, the eyes on the back of Dan's neck seemed to lessen. After the night with Mary, Dan was tense and felt all the world was staring at him which he had to remind himself wasn't true. But as time wore on and as his nerves returned to him, he still couldn't shake the feeling that his name was on the lips of everyones at the convention. As Dan would frame his shot, he was certain he could see a pair in the corner of his eye, whispering behind cupped hand while the other tried to point discretely in Dan's direction with the culmination of a sudden gasp from the recipient at the gossip.

 

Ah the fashion industry, Dan thought. Like being in high school again but with fancier clothes. He was certain at least some of the people there were talking about him. Dan hadn't shown his face at any of the fashion events and it was expected that his appearance would cause at least some buzz. Dan would have been hurt if it didn't.

 

-

 

Dan found himself once again waiting in the airport for Mary. He had tried waiting at the hotel for her but at their departure time loomed, Dan was forced to make a decision. He tried Mary's cell phone but it was immeaditely sent to voice mail and the front desk said that she had already checked out of her room. Dan quickly called home to check in with Mark to see what he should do.

 

"Well, maybe she's taking a later flight?" Mark suggested although from the tone of his voice, Dan could tell his problem was not at the top of Mark's action list.

 

"I doubt it, I'm pretty sure we're on the same flight."

 

"Well yeah, you were but you know how things change. You never know, one of her meetings may have been pushed back and she had to delay her flight and just didn't have a chance to tell you. Or maybe she's taking a little vacation after the assignment. Who knows." Mark offered.

 

"I suppose, but I really think Mary would have told me about any change like that. Any word from her magazine?" Dan asked, checking his watch again for the fifth time in four seconds.

 

"Nope, not a word which is really what it comes down to Dan. Elegance Magazine has paid for your services for four days and I have not heard word that the will extend that time any longer than they've already paid for. So, with that in mind, I need you back here for new and better projects. Capish?" Mark said with an air of conclusion in his voice.

 

"Sure, I guess." Dan said although Mark had already assumed he would agree.

 

"The sounds great, buddy. Seeya when you get back." And Mark clicked off.

 

And so that left Dan to hail a cab to make his way to O'Haire International Airport. As Dan stared down his cell phone, waiting for it to pop up with a message or a phone call from Mary to let him know he wasn't leaving her in the Windy City, he heard a harumph come from in front of him.

 

"Thanks for waiting." Mary accussed him with a scowl.

 

"But I did!" Dan protested "It was almost 10:15! Thirty minutes after your said we'd meet. I tried to call you but you wouldn't pick up. I called my boss who said I should come here." As Dan heard the list of excuses stream from his mouth he immeaditely regretted how pathetic he sounded. Had he really become this pathetic?

 

Mary didn't other to answer his apologies and simply turned to boarding passengers. Soon, they were in the air, flying at 400 miles an hour back to JFK Airport. But no matter how fast they flew, it wasn't fast enough for Dan. The eight hundred pound elephant in the plane made sitting less than three inches away from Mary almost as intolerable as the reheated beef or Dan had to assume it was beef. Dark gravy something, he concluded.

 

"Do you think it's beef?" Dan asked, hoping to breach the iceberg that was occupying seat 14B. "Or is the sauce suppose to be fool us into thinking it's beef."

 

"It's beef." Mary replied simply. Okay, so much for small talk, Dan thought, pushing what could be beef around in his plastic tray. Dan wasn't sure he had another emotional speech left in him to help Mary out of her emoitional jam but he guessed he'd have to suck it up and lie to her.

 

"Listen, Mary, about the other night, I just want you to know..." Dan began the speech he knew by heart but Mary cut him off.

 

"That will be quiet alright Daniel." Mary responded to him crisply. "I think it's in both our best interest that we chose to forget that evening as...a mistake. A mistake that ca not and will not happen again nor will it ever be brought up again. Do I make myself clear?"

 

"Well, I wouldn't call it a mistake." Dan said defensively than immeaditely wished he hadn't. While making love to Mary wasn't love at all, it had been tender and Dan had to admit sweet. Perhaps it was infused romance of alcohol or being with a woman who had actually known what making love truly was but for one brief night, Dan actually knew what all his married friends had told him about. And it had been to much for Daniel who knew it was something he could never have again with Mary nor was it something he had ever had with April.

 

Mary glared at him from her seat, her stare poking holes through Dan's body causing Dan to worry about them suddenly losing cabin pressure. "It. Was. A. Mistake." Mary said in low, even words which had not wiggle room in them at all.

 

Scowling himself, Dan simply responded "Fine." If that's how you want it, Dan said to himself, it was a mistake. Just chalk up another mistake for Daniel Porter. It's a long list so please don't hesistate to add yours to the end. Turning his dark scowl to the port hole beside him, Dan brooded all the way back to New York.

 

-

 

Returning home, Dan did not find April ready to pounce on him as he opened the door. It was four o'clock in the afternoon and Mark had told him to take the rest of the day off since the next project he had lined up would not be ready to discuss until the next day. Thanking his master for the rest but cursing under his breath at the relentless tasking, Dan took a taxi back to his townhouse in Weehawken. It was an expensive cab ride but leaving his motorcycle at the airport had not been a good idea either. And trusting April to pick him up from airport was dicy at best, least of which was her lack of transportation.

 

Standing in his quiet home, Dan tried to imagine April's impact on his home. She had moved in almost with out warning five months ago, the transition happening without either of them really being aware of it. One day, April had a place in Brooklyn and the next day her lease was up which she simply moved her few belongings to Dan's house. There hadn't been much fuss or talk about what this meant to their relationship, it had just happened. Dan couldn't recall making any firm decision about the move, only that he and April had gone to Home Depot to make her a spare key, their relationship having not yet progressed that far as to have Dan give her one.

 

In retrospect, Dan thought, it was a telling sign but then that was how Dan lived his life. Letting events wash over him instead of Dan taking control of his destiny. Women, jobs, and all the other decisions in his life just simply happened to him, without much effort or concern from Dan. Lost a job? No worry, Dan would find a new one in a day or so, a week tops. Girlfriend left him? That was fine, there was always someone else waiting in the wings. It had worked for Dan because it had never occurred to him that he had to work against it.

 

Walking through his home, Dan saw that the few signs of April's presence in his life were magically dissappearing. Only one picture of them still sat on a bookshelf when Dan was certain there had been at least five. April's yoga matt was no longer tucked soundly behind the couch in the living room nor was the open yoga DVD box sitting on his DVD player. What had once been their house was no slowly turning back into Dan's house. If he went into the bathroom Dan was certain he would find only his toothbrush and not even that since his was still in his bag.

 

April was moving out, as simply and easily as she had moved in. The pangs of sorrow and anger did not swell in Dan as he thought they would. His betrayal and April's possible betrayal might be part of his dead emotions but Dan knew that was only a small part of his ennui. Leaning against the railing of his balcony, Dan cast his gaze back in on his home, one which now was truly his. Did April really fit in it? At the time Dan had thought so but now, in the cold relevation of hindsight, he could plainly see April and he did not fit.

 

His biggest clue should have been her lack of appreciation for his work. At first, April had feigned interested in his photographry, finding it interesting but not as compelling as so many other women had. April yawned at the thought of photo exhibits and laughed at the thought of going into the city just to walk around and take pictures. Why would we want to do that? she had asked him when Dan had suggesed it one Sunday. Oh I don't know he remembered himself saying because it might be fun. She had tossed her head back, whipping her hair in an arc that Dan found fascinating and pushed Dan back into bed with her. April preferred spending Sundays in bed.

 

At the time, Dan had found April's lack of interest in photographry as a breath of fresh air. Someone who didn't care whether he was spending every waking momemt thinking or preparing for his next gallery exhibit. Who didn't spend hours talking about how having to find the right kind of strobe for a photo shoot was the hardest part of their week. April cared about cooking food at home and going out to eat with friends. About running in the park one day while still taking time to be lazy for an entire day. How could Dan not fall in love with a woman like that?

 

Staring at his spartan living room, Dan saw who he was. The flat television guarded by columns of some of Dan's better framed work on one side of the room with a leather sofa and two end tables on the other. A coffee table littered with photo magazines and books, a broken flash Dan was trying to get the timing working on. If Dan looked in his refrigerator he would find take out food and possibly some leftovers from one of April's attempts at giving Dan a culinary education.

 

This room was a snapshot of life and Dan had hoped could photoshop April into it, even if she wouldn't quite fit. But she didn't fit and April and Dan both knew it now. Dan wondered if he would see April again before she slipped out of his life for good.

 

Well this is fucking depressing, Dan said to himself. Marching back into his home, Dan went to the kitchen, intent on finding himself a beer. On the fridge door was a note from April saying she had gone into the city with some of her friends and that she would be back late that night if she didn't just crash at their place. Taking a long pull from his beer, Dan didn't suspect there was any friends of April there that he would approve of.

 

Returning to his couch, Dan unpack his camera from it's bag. Slidding the first memory car from the trip into the side of his laptop, Dan began copying the large files to his harddrive. He felt tired but figured an hour or two of looking at his work might give him some inspiration to stay up. Or help him get to sleep sooner. Dan wondered idly why viewing his images was not the exciting and captivating experience it had once been for him, while the progress bar slowly made it's way to a hundred percent.

 

With the files on his laptop, Dan brought up the first image from the trip to Chicago. And the first face he saw was Mary. Once again, Dan was seeing Mary for the first time, as she had appeared to him in the airport at the beginning of their trip. How, even in her disheveled state, she still looked amazing. Her smile was genuine and her pose was relaxed and casual. This is what inspired him, Dan knew. Not preplanned poses but genuine moments captured in time. For Dan, this photo brought back the exact emotions he had felt on that day and even a few more he had not known he had had. He wondered if he should print this out to give to Mary, an olive branch to make things right.

 

Dan doubted she would be appreciate the gesture.

 

"Still, it wasn't a mistake." Dan said to no one but himself.

 

.7.

 

Dan spent much of the following day importing and analyzing the hundreds of exposures he had taken while in Chicago. He was busy most of the morning, organizing the shots into company folders and then editing out the shots that were just plain bad. At around eleven, he received an e-mail from Mary:

 

            Daniel,

            Despite what you might think, I did have a wonderful time in Chicago. I don't want you to get the wrong impression or to feel like I was indifferent to what...happened.

            I enjoyed our..trip and hope we can arrange further business opportunities in the future. I think we worked well together and I'm sure the pictures will reflect that. In

            that regard I would like to see the following examples:

 

Mary then proceeded to list the names and kinds of shots she and Eliza were looking for for the artile that was to come out next month. Dan was surprised by Mary's sudden change in demeanor. Perhaps things weren't as awkward as he had suspected. Perhaps the guilt wasn't so bad for Mary when she returned home and once she realized her husband wouldn't find out, came to rationalize the event. Dan knew that slippery slope as well.

 

Mary ended the e-mail with a final paragraph.

           

            I hope I can trust in you to keep our time together personal. As I said in Chicago, I am married and can't be involved in anything more than a business relationship which

            should not come as a surpris to you. Please be so kind as to delete this e-mail after you have finished with the work.

            Sincerely,

            Mary

 

A slope Mary apparently wanted to fall down further. Dan could see the signs of a wanton affair billowing beneath the surface of Mary's prose. Mary knew exactly what she was saying and only wanted Dan to serve as her toy. Perhaps if he was a bit more desperate, Dan might have given in to her but Dan did not want to travel down that slope with Mary. Sorry, Mary, Dan thought, I have to reject you again.

 

Dan worked the rest of the afternoon on the photos Mary had asked for. Of the two dozen that they had requested, Dan was fairly happy with the work he had done while in Chicago. Some of the shots were safe and predictable which Dan knew was what Mary and Eliza wanted. Others actually gave him a brief swell of pride and made copies for his personal collection.

 

At three, Mark buzzed Dan on the interoffice system.

 

"Dan, you got a second?"

 

"Yeah sure Mark." Dan replied, staring at Mark through the glass walls. Mark's insistence on using the interoffice system was a constant thorn in Dan's side and Dan went out of his way to yell to Mark whenever he had even a trivial piece of information to pass along. Morgan warned him to let it go but minor details like that got Dan worked up.

 

"Whatsup?" Dan asked, as he took a seat in Mark's office. This time they were alone and Mark was staring intently into his computer screen.

 

As if realizing Dan had just shown up out of the blue, Mark sat back with a feigned surprise and a wicked smile "Dan, great. Listen, the next project is going to be quite the doozy. I hope you have it in you to handle this one buddy."

 

"I think I can handle it. What's it for." Dan asked, his interested sufficiently peeked.

 

"Well it's a multi-contract agreement with several magazines sponsoring the work. Essentially what it boils down to is they want you to travel to around New York to photograph our great state. How great does that sound!" Mark beamed with pleasure. If Dan didn't know better he would have thought Mark wanted to go himself.

 

Dan was less then thrilled. Photographing New York was all well and good but generally these types of assignments were whirlwind events that involved set times for certain locations and little deviation to find any real evidence of life. The magazines just wanted you to find what they wanted you to photograph and nothing more. They didn't want you to shoot the plight of the midwest farmer or the hardships of the lowerclass. They wanted generic symbols of American pride, that Mom and Dad could recognize from the grocery store checkout aisle.

 

"Great." Dan murmured.

 

"Ah that's what I thought you'd say." Mark shot back, pointing his finger at Dan "But it's more than that. It' a long term project with very little limitations. In fact, as long as you hit the few areas they've set down, you can pretty much shoot whatever you want.

 

Well, keep it a little mainstream for me Dan. At least make the photos show where you are. I don't want to pay for a photo collage of all the alleys in New York!" Mark laughed at his own joke.

 

Dan raised his eye at the relaxation in the rules. "Alright. We'll see how that goes but I'm not thrilled about this so far. How long do I have?" Dan asked expecting the deadline to be sometime the following week. In the back of his mind, Dan was thinking that just maybe this would be just the thing he needed. Get a new refresher on his country, well a part of it anyway, and his life by visiting both on the open road. Maybe even get something out of it to do a show with. You never knew where the camera could take you.

 

"That's the beauty of it, it's almost unlimited!" Mark exclaimed in glee, passing an envelope to Dan. What to Dan was a carte blanche ticket for the forseeable future was to Mark a blank check for the forseeable future as well. "In there you'll find all the details and a list of the places they want you to visit with some deadlines. They want a delivery of the first couple of locations two weeks from now. I doubt that will be a problem though?" Dan shook his head to indicate it wouldn't be.

 

Dan opened the envelope to find a small stack of a papers. The first three were formal letters from the magazines saying what a pleasure it was to be working with him and what they hoped to acheive from this venture. Dan skipped these. The fourth page contained a list of locations, most of them being in or around New York City with a few in other parts of the state. Most of the locations Dan had been to before if he hadn't already photographed before on other assignments or for personal pleasure. Dan wondered if he could stick in some of his old stock shots in lieu of going to some of the more remote locations like the Catskills. The last page contained dates for meetings, submissions of work, and suggestions for good times to visit certain locations. Dan noticed an end date.

 

"Says here, contract ends in December." Dan said till looking at the sheet. It was February. Not exactly unlimited.

 

"Well, yeah but that's just for the first part. Think of this as a pilot program Dan. If it goes well they'll hire us again and again. There might be some renegotiation but nothing for you to worry about. Trust me, this is money in the bank." Mark was having a hard time keeping the smile off his face. Clearly, he thought this was his golden ticket.

 

"Alright, if you say so." Dan muttered, stuffing the papers back into the envelope. "When should I get started. The sheet said there as a meeting this coming Monday but should I get some work done before that?"

 

"You can if you want but that's really not necessary. The meeting on Monday is just a kickoff thing. Just some time for you and the others to socialize before getting started." Mark answered although Dan caught the tail end of a but being stopped.

 

"Others?" Dan asked. "This isn't some stupid reality TV show where a couple of camera crews are following me around while I do this. And then we kick each other off by taking photos of who we don't like in some elimination room bullshit right? Swear to God Mark, I have no idea how much money you'd have to pay me to do that but I can assure you, you wouldn't be able to afford it."

 

"What?" Mark genuinely acted surprised "No no, nothing like that. Well, not right now anyway. That's actually a good idea there Dan, mind if I steal it?" Mark asked although he was already writing it down on a notepad on his desk. Dan worried about what future hell he had just unleashed. Finishing the note, Mark continued "No, the "others" are just the editors from the magazines Dan. That's it."

 

Dan raised a eyebrow, not believing that that was indeed, it.

 

"Oh and there's one other thing." Mark murmured and his face began to deflate leaving an expression that Dan could see was where the second shoe was about to be dropped.

 

"Yeah..." Dan asked hesistantly.

 

"See, you'll have a partner on this assignment." Mark began.

 

"Great, I could use an assistant if they want me to get to meet all these deadlines on time." Dan was thinking about the list of places he had just put away. It was going to be tight but Dan figured he and Morgan could do it. They might have to split up for a couple of deadlines but that was unreasonable.

 

"Yeah, " Mark said, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't mean an assistant."

 

Dan looked at Mark, not liking where this was going. "Then what did you mean, Mark?"

 

Mark cleared his throat and shifted position "I mean, you'll be working along side another photographer. A woman, in fact."

 

For a moment Dan was speechless. Speech would come, both he and Mark knew it. Dan worked alone. He had always worked alone. Sure he had had assistants and coworkers but never anyone else helping to run the show. When Dan was behind the lens, Dan's one rule was that he was the only one who was going to be behind there. It's not that he didn't think there were any other talented photographs at there, Dan knew plenty, maybe even some that were better than himself.

 

But letting someone else control his camera, his exposures, his setup, his life, was too much for Dan. The one bit of control he exhibited on his universe was from behind that shutter and letting go of the reins was a deal breaker for Dan. Perfectionist, rigid, elitist, call him what you like, Dan did not care. April could wash in and out of his life. Jobs could come and they could go. Money only meant so much to Daniel.

 

But losing control of his camera? Of his life. No. That wasn't going to happen.

 

"Fuck you Mark." Dan said in what was probably going to turn out to be the dumbest day of his life. Lose his job, lose his girlfriend, eventually lose his home, all in one fell swoop. But Dan didn't care as he got up to leave.

 

Instead of erupting in anger as Dan thought he would, Mark took Dan's f bomb in stride. "Daniel." Mark began, in a quiet and serious tone Mark used when all his pretense had been stripped away and he wanted you to know he was talking from his heart. "I know this doesn't sit well with you." Dan let out of scoff to show what an understatement that was. "Yet, I want you to do it anyway." Mark held up his hand before Dan could begin his tirade.

 

"Listen before you say another word.

 

Things are pretty crummy in your life right now Dan. Believe me I know that. I might not seem that interested in your life but I assure you I keep an eye on all my investments. Yes, Daniel, you are one of my investments. But you are also my friend. And as both an investment and a friend I am telling you, you need to take this job.

 

Not because you need the money. No, we both know that's not what drives you Daniel. But then what does drive you these Dan? Anything? When was the last time you got behind your camera to truly do something you cared about? A week? A month? Do you even remember?

 

The damn I hired had a spark in him. Sure it was only flickering after the fall out but it was there. And I'm sad to say, I've seen working here hasn't helped kindle that spark within you. I take some of the blame myself. The work hasn't been terrible interesting." Mark smiled and motioned for Dan to take a seat. Begrudgingly Dan did so, only because it seemed like Mark was in no way close to finish his speech.

 

As Dan watched Mark lick his lips getting ready to proceed, he noticed that the light coming in from the southern window was hitting Marks' head in such a away that a vast forest of stray hairs looked to Dan as if Mark had just walked through a cloud of static electricity. As if Mark was on mental fire, the thought crackling to the surface of his forehead so that Dan could see what Mark was thinking before he could say it. If Mark had not be critizing him about his work, Dan would have taken out his camera and captured the moment.

 

"But this is interesting Daniel. Or it could be. I specifically made sure there was enough grey area in the contract so you would have time to express yourself. To be able to find the avenues and alleys you want to explore and then do so at your leisure. Giving you the freedom to try whatever new technique you want, even if it doesn't work out. If I do say so myself, it was quite the bit of diplomacy that was.

 

But like diplomacy, we have to give something back in return for our dreams and what we gave back" and Mark stressed the 'we' "was agreeing to take on another photographer. I'll be hiring her by the end of the week. Yes I already know who it is and no it's not someone the magazines shoved down our throats. But before I get into her, her names Sara by the way, I want to explain why I agreed to having two photographers on one project.

 

At first, I too had your same objections." Dan thought that was unlikely but kept his mouth shut. "Having too many cooks in the kitchen only leads to ruin soup my mother always used to say and I think that applies very well here. I know you don't work well with others Dan but then maybe it's about time you started to. Having another perspective on things, especially a female perspective, is good and particularly attractive to a group of men and women trying to appeal to a broad demographic of readers.

 

So, thats that part of it. Before I go on, I'll let you vent and walk out if you want. No point dragging Sara into this if you're just going to leave." Mark finished, flicking at a pencil on his desk while looking in Dan's direction.

 

Dan glared back at him. All the rage and frustration was bubbling in his mouth and Dan yearned to open his maw, to let the tsunami of expletives to come hurtling out. To tell Mark where to shove his diplomacy and just how much he really could give a damn about a magazines readership.

 

But the problem was, was that the longer Mark's words had time to penetrate Dan's brain, the more difficult it became to start his protest. As Dan's brain grudgling admitted to the truthes Mark had laid out before it, Dan could feel the anger slipping away from him, the frustration in his voice being replaced by worry and regret.

 

"Goddamnit." was all Dan could say, slumping further into his chair. Mark simply nodded.

 

"I'll take it, you've at least come to the conclusion that what I've said is not all wrong and you are willing to listen to reason?" Mark asked and Dan agreed with a grunt. "Good, then we can proceed. Like I said, her name is Sara, her full name being Sara Cassinger. She graduated from NYU five years ago and has been working around the country ever since. She's a bit of a nomad, never staying put too long in any one location, never sticking to any one subject before moving on. Her only permanent job has been to sell her work on her website which has done surprisingly well, given the low degree of marketing she uses. By that, I mean none.

 

But that's beginning to change. With her photographs reaching prices of upwards of four digits, she's becoming quite sought after. So far she has turned down all offers with the exception of a few gallery exhibits, one of which if you believe in coincidence is tonight." Dan shifted in his seat at this news.

 

Mark could see a glint in Dan's eyes. "Yes Dan, here's your chance. Here's your chance to go to her show tonight, and no that's not a request, to see what she's all about and then come back to me in the morning to tell me what a fool I've been. That her work is contrite and fake. That it's good for the average person but anyone with brains can plainly see she's only copying the masters not pioneering the new frontiers like you are." Mark said with more sarcasm then Dan would have liked.

 

"And I'll take your input with genuine respect Dan. If you think she's bad, then maybe I won't hire her. Oh, don't get me wrong, I will hire someone, that is very much set down in the contract. But I want to get someone you can work with and there's no point in getting someone you feel isn't at your level. So please keep your personal feelings out of it and judge her on what she's done, not what you hate about yourself Dan."

 

They sat there for a minute, Mark twisting back in forth in his chair, Dan smoldering in place in his. Neither was willing to give ground but both knew one would have to. To Dan's disappoint, it was going to be him. Rising from his chair, a semblance of control reestablished within him, Dan said "Alright Mark. I can't say I agree with everything you said nor am I done being pissed about havning another photographer put on this job but I'll admit it could be worse.

 

A lot of what you said was true and I'd like to think that maybe your right, that maybe this assignment will rekindle that fire you talked about. But I wouldn't get my hopes up and I don't think having a woman with me will help much. So far, they've only walked all over me."

 

"Just don't sleep with this one." Mark answered. Dan's eyes darted to Mark's to see if he knew about what happened in Chicago. Could Mary have told Mark? Why would she? Was this punishment for what happened in Chicago? Mark's eyes did not reveal a thing except for a look that asked if Dan was ready to leave.

 

"Yeah I'll try to not do that." Dan said, heading towards to the door. Before leaving, a thought occurred to him which Dan asked over his shoulder "Answer me this."

 

"Yeah?" Mark said from the corner of his mouth, clearly getting back to the rest of his day.

 

"The reason they want another photographer involved? It's not because they want another perspective. It's because they want at least one perspective they can use. They're worried I might not deliver anything they want."

 

Mark answered with the quiet typing of his keys.

 

.8.

 

Dan considered calling April about going to the gallery tonight. Even if she was on the way out, at least it would be nice to put up some semblance of a respectable life to a future coworker. To show her, yeah he was Daniel Porter, the once great photographer who had crashed and burned but still hold on to a terrific girl. But as he worked it out in his head and thought more about the possible nightmare moments that might occur from being with April for any given stretch of time the worse the idea became. And it was doubtful Dan would be able to convince April to come. She had never been interested in his gallery showings let alone anyone elses.

 

So instead Dan called Merlin to see if he would be his wingman on this date with his future.

 

"Sounds kind of interesting. Might be a good premise for a book." Merlin said at Dan's offer and then later when they were taking the subway to the exhibit in Chelsea.

 

"Haven't you already had enough problems with people being a good premise for your book?" Dan said darkly. He was in a foul mood which thankfully Merlin was able to deal with.

 

"Eh, things like that shouldn't get in the way of a good story. Besides, it's not like you would sue me, now would you?"

 

"I might. How much money do you have?" Dan joked.

 

"Not enough for either of us to do very well in that arena." Merlin churtled.

 

"How is your legal battle going anyway? You never mentioned what happened?"

 

"Oh, it's sort of in a legal limbo right now. Stanely, the guy I created.." Merlin began but Dan had to cut him off.

 

"You did not create him!" Dan protested but Merlin waved him off.

 

"That's a nonissue Daniel."

 

"I don't think Stanely thinks it's a nonissue. I think Stanely thinks it's very much an issue, one he hopes to make a legal case out of last I checked."

 

"That's my point, which you would have heard if you would stop interrupting me all the time. Like I was saying, Stanely is having a harder time proving I've "copied" his life than I expect he or you would have thought he would have had. Score one for the artist!" Merlin piped up, shooting his finger into the air. A few strangers seated beside them glanced in his direction to make sure Merlin's finger was not a gun.

 

"Because of that, things have sort of puttered out. The case hasn't been kicked out of court yet nor do I suspect it will be anytime soon. Stanely might not be able to prove his case yet but he seems to have a tenacious lawyer who keeps managing to pull some arcane legal form of resuscitation on this thing every time the judge is about to dismiss. It was amusing at first but now it's beginning to become expensive. I think attrition is a poor tactic to take when you've lost but then I'm not a copied man, just the copier."

 

Dan mulled this over. Merlin was always managing to get himself into disasters to only find himself squeaking out just as easily. If Dan and Merlin had anything in common it was there ability to pass in and out of their respective lives without having to force themselves on others.

 

"So did you ever figure out how Stanely got into your book? Did the picture help? Did you recall seeing him somewhere? Dan asked in a jumble of questions.

 

"That's the funny thing. No, I still don't know how Stanely managed to get into my book. Believe me, I'm not just saying that because I'm worried you'll go running to his attorney. I've really been racking my brain trying to knock loose some memory of this guy, some way in which he and I crossed pathes enough that I would have been able to know his life without actually knowing him.

 

"I even mailed the picture to my mother to see if it was someone from my childhood but she couldn't place him as anyone I knew. It was a longshot, since most of the details in the book about Stanely or recent so I should have met him recently. But for the love of God, I can't figure out where. I'm really beginning to think I created him."

 

"Don't be ridiculous Merlin. It's an odd coincidence I'll grant you but I doubt even you could magically create another human being based on some words you penned in a novel, no matter what your namesake is." Merlin groaned at the joke on his name. He hated people making clever jokes based on his names magical mythos.

 

"Do you have a picture with you? I haven't really gotten a good look at the guy." Dan asked, as they train began slowing down to their stop.

 

Merlin shot him a look. "What? You don't know what he looks like? But you took his picture for godsakes!"

 

Dan shrugged "I've taken a lot of pictures of a lot of faces Merlin. After awhile, they kindof all blend together and if I don't have it in front of me, it's kind of difficult to remember. Do you have the picture or not?"

 

"Yeah, I have a picture. Here." Merlin passed Dan a 4x6 glossy photo of the grainy image Dan had taken a little less then a week ago.

 

"Oh you've got to be kidding me Merlin. You don't know who this is really?" Dan exclaimed.

 

"What, you know who it is? Who? How the hell do you know who it is?" Merlin cried excitedly. If it was going to torpedo his case, Dan would have thought Merlin was happy to know how he knew who Stanely was.

 

"Yeah, it's the guy we see every day when we go out to eat on Wednesdays at Murrays. You know the guy we make fun because he wears that funny hat?"

 

"Really? That's Stanely?" Merlin whispered looking again at the photo in Dan's hands with new wonder. It was more than Dan could take.

 

Smacking him on the top of his head with the photo Dan laughed "Of course it isn't. I'm just messing with you. I have no idea who this is."

 

Merlin was speechless as they exited the subway, making their way up the stairs. Dan pulled out a piece of paper where he had scribbled down directions to the gallery Mark had said Sara's show was going to be at. It wasn't a gallery Dan knew of off the top of his head which he took to be a good sign. A good sign for him, not Sara.

 

"That was really cruel Daniel." Merlin said at last. "You really got my hopes up. Why would you do something like that?"

 

Dan shrugged. "Yeah, I know." was all he could offer as an answer.

 

-

 

The tall, pale walls of the gallery brought back bittersweet memories for Dan. Entering a small but charming building on the lower east side, Dan was reminded of all the gallery showings he had had and of the ones he could still have. The nervous tension you felt, counting down the seconds before the door opened to let in the critics and friends. The self doubt and worry over whether you had chosen the right pictures to present, whether they all fit the theme you were going for, and whether they would evoke the emotions and ideas from the people viewing them. You would race your hands through your hair nearly uprooting the dainty follicles, the sweat on your brow glistening under the hot stare of the overhead lights.

 

And yet in it all, there was a swelling of pride that you could ride for weeks. Even when you had a bad show, you still felt like you had accomplished something even if others thought it was all just so much more garbage. Dan remembered racing out the back of the gallery, whooping with laughter into the cold night air, the first reviews not even on the presses. Just the buzz from reading people's eyes made it all worth it.

 

Here too, Dan began reading the eyes of the people milling around the gallery before even looking at a single photograph hanging on the wall. He would get to those in a moment but it was important to try and get a taste of what others were seeing, what truthes their eyes would tell. Dan had plenty of experience to fall back on when trying to decypher people's reaction.

 

But it was unnecessary here, the general concensous being plainly written on the wall. Dan could see it, anyone could see it. Beaming faces of joy and astonishment were the most prevalent, with wide eyed wonder being a close second. The gallery sounded like a bee hive, alive with chatter from the impressed crowd. Waiters darted between crowds carrying platters of cheese and fruit which Dan hoped would pass him by soon. He hadn't had anything to eat yet figuring he and Merlin would ditch out of the place early if it turned out to be a dud. No such luck.

 

"This is great?" Dan heard Merlin say from behind him. When Dan turned he saw Merlin chewing, with three toothpicks in his hand, each with a different edible on it's end. How had a waiter gotten by him, Dan wondered.

 

"What the pictures?" Dan asked, shifting his attention back to the crowd.

 

"Huh? Oh, hah, no. Well probably. Haven't looked at them yet myself. I was actually referring to these appetizers. They're delicious. Have you tried any?" Merlin asked through a food clogged mouth. Dan shook his head to indicate he hadn't. "Shame, they're really quite good. Hah, if you had had food like this at your openings I may have gone to more."

 

"I'll have to keep that in mind." Dan said through gritted teeth. Merlin was not turning into the moral support Dan had been hoping for. Dan had not as such told Merlin about the business arrangement with Sara yet but at the very least the man could show a little support for Dan's pride. If Dan had brought April he at least could have gotten a bit of silence from her which was almost as good.

 

Begrudgling, Dan forced himself over to one of the walls at random. Closing his eyes, Dan looked down at the floor, mental bracing himself. Just take it for what it is, he coached himself, no preconceptions, even if it is good, even if it is bad. Just look at it and take it in. It doesn't say anything about you. There have been nearly a billion cameras sold, undoubtably someone, somewhere out there someone has taken a better picture than you.

 

Yeah, Dan heard himself think, but did it have to be this person?

 

Raising his head, Dan stared at the first image of Sara's work. The image was of a rolling hillside, the lush green grass interrupted by the smooth bumps inbetween. In the distance was the faint traces of an escaping sunset, it's rich tones showing the very life it gave to the grass. On the left side of the frame in the foreground was a woman in midair, suspended for all eternity, her red hair akimbo yet frozen in place. Her legs were parted but in such a way that Dan thought she might have been dancing although Dan didn't know any dances which involved you jumping that high. The woman's face was hidden from view, her long hair masking who she was.

 

Dan was stunned. The wild abandon was intoxicating and Dan yearned to find out just how high the woman was trying to jump. On closer inspection, Dan noticed she was close to the edge of the hill or mountain, Dan couldn't be sure which, and he had to stop himself from yelling at her to be careful. And as his eyes left the ledge, he looked out into the wide expanse of country behind, the faint trace of either a road or a river gently playing through the center of the image. Maybe that's what the woman was dancing about.

 

Dan's exhilieration from the photo gave way to feelings of depression and jealousy. Why couldn't Dan take pictures like this. Had he ever? Dan felt like his entire career had been one of searching for reality but then focusing on what wasn't. On what he could put together to make his picture work. What Sara had done was do what Dan had always told himself he had been doing. It wasn't until that night that Dan realized, he had never been doing it at all.

 

Shaking his head, Dan tried to rationalize with himself. It was just one photo, he thought, they can't all be good.

 

Taking a few steps to his left, Dan came upon the second in a long line of Sara's brilliance.

 

This photo's background was completely white which made it seem almost as if the picture had been painted into the galleries walls. If Dan didn't see the borders of the frame he would have thought that was what had been done. The image was in black and white of another woman laying on her back, focusing a camera right back at viewer. Pieces of film were littered around her, cut into small fragments and thrown about as if they were feathers from a pillow fight or the first snowflakes of the season. Dan wondered if the woman in the picture was Sara who he had yet to meet.

 

"A little over exposed." Dan muttered to himself although even he knew he was trying to find fault in what was essentially perfect.

 

The next photo looked completely alien, a tall spire shooting up through the center of the photograph, with rail ways on either sides. A dark blue sky evoked permanent night and the twinkling stars added extraterrestrial feel. Dan wondered if he was looking at the spaceship but looking at the little note that was pinned beside the photo he learned it was the Milwaukee Art Museum.

 

"Odd choice." Dan commented to Merlin who was staring more at the people in the gallery then at the photos as Dan had first done. "Doesn't really fit with the theme of the first two photos I saw." Merlin didn't say anything in return.

 

In fact, the more Dan looked he couldn't find any shape or reason behind Sara's exhibit. It was a virtual mishmash of photographs from all over the world, all walks of life and even, as the photo of the Milwaukee Art Museum represented, even those far above. Dan wondered if this was intentional or showed the first flaw in Sara that he had been able to detect all night. Was this a lack of discipline? Someone still searching for their true voice. It was pretty evident Sara had a great deal of skill but maybe, just maybe she didnt have a lot of experience in direction. On culling together your work into a clear and understable sentence on what the those meant to you and to each other.

 

"This ones pretty good." Merlin said, pointing at a photo Dan had skipped over. Dan crossed back to see what had caught Merlin's attention.

 

The photograph was of a young boy, maybe six or seven, running in a field filled with tall grass, a small farm silo off in the distance. The wind was whipping through the boys white blonde hair and the tall grass, the rolling clouds white and puffy. The child was in a blue hooded sweatshirt, his arms bent, his body crunched in such a way as if he was springing out of the image, a look of wide eyed exhuberance on his face, his youthful joy barely contained by the captured image.

 

"You know what I think?" Merlin asked, chewing on some more appetizers he had managed to snag while Dan wasn't looking. Where were those damn waiters hiding. Dan raised his eyes to ask Merlin was he was thinking. "I think, the boy thinks he's Superman. Look at him. You really think he expects in the next moment to just jump into the sky and fly."

 

Dan had to grant Merlin that, it definitely looked like the boy was getting ready to take off.

 

"Perhaps we all are getting ready to fly." a woman's voice came from behind the two men. Dan and Merlin turned to see a thin, yet attractive woman standing behind them. Dan judeged her to be about 5'9" and no more than 120lbs. She was wearing a simple black dress which did not hide the toned muscles Dan could see in her forearms. She wore smart black framed glasses, her red hair done up in a bun above her head.

 

"I for one like to keep my feet on the ground mylady." Merlin returned, crumbling up the napkin of appetizers in his fist before offering his hand. Dan could see the napkin still held one or two more morsels. His stomach groaned at the site of lost nourishment. "Merlin Phelps."

 

The woman took Merlin's extended hand but did not return her name but rather continued their discussion "Perhaps Mr.Phelps, the boy is flying while still being on the ground. Perhaps that is the closest thing we can come to actual flying by running in a feild of tall grass."

 

"Without actually buying a plane ticket of course." Merlin quipped which the woman gave a polite laugh to. Dan groaned inwardly. Listening to pretenscious ponderings was one thing but add in Merlin's attempts at mingling and Dan was unsure if he would be able to last the night.

 

While looking over Merlin's head to see if he could spot a waiter, Dan noticed the woman staring at him. Feeling awkward but not terribly interested, Dan gave her a lukewarm smile and continued scanning for wild game.

 

"And what do you think?" the woman asked towards Dan's profile. If he didn't turn to meet her gaze, Dan figured he wouldn't have to commit to actually talking to her so he responded by shrugging, hoping the woman would take the hint that Dan had no input for the conversation and she would just have to be happy with Merlin's.

 

"Don't mind my friend." Dan heard Merlin say out of the corner of his ear "He's just jealous."

 

"Really?" the woman asked, returning her interest to Merlin although now Dan had his ears tuned to the conversation.

 

"Oh yeah. He might say he's not but I know him. He is. Totally jealous."

 

"And why do you think that is?" the woman was certainly interested in Dan.

 

"Oh he's a bit of a photographer himself. Or at least, he likes to think so." Merlin gave Dan a nudge and Dan effected a laugh that yes he got Merlin's joke at his expense. Spotting a waiter manuevering through the crowd, Dan raised his arm to try and draw his attention. No luck.

 

Dan was about to pull Merlin away from the woman in search of better hunting grounds when he overheard the woman say "I like to think of myself as a bit of a photographer too."

 

Without turning, Dan knew who Merlin had been chatting up. Merlin too had reached the same conclusion "So then I take this is your exhibit Mrs.Cassinger?"

 

"Oh please call me Sara. The owner of this gallery calls me Mrs.Cassinger and I hate it. I'll be a Mrs.Cassinger when I'm in my forties and not a moment sooner."

 

"Here here." Merlin said raising his plastic wine glass in salute. Where the hell had he gotten that Dan thought. Was this some elaborate trick Merlin and Sara were playing on him. Somehow arranging with the food staff to keep all the food and beverages away from him while he was here. How could a waiter manage to serve Merlin and not serve Dan without there being some sort of conspiracy going on.

 

Dan shook his head. The lack of food was making him delirious and he needed to be paying attention to Sara, his possible future partner. Sara was saying "..and so far nothing major has gone wrong. Although as soon as I say that something will. Maybe everyone will get food poisoning or something." She laughed and Merlin laughed with her. Dan would have joined in but his stomach forbade it. Food was no laughing matter it reminded him, not when we are at such a critical low amount of it. Hell with it Dan thought, I better introduce myself.

 

"I wouldn't worry about that, the waiters are doing a good job of keeping people from taking that risk." Dan said affably while raising his hand to Sara. Merlin made a face to show he hadn't had any problems foraging for food. "Daniel Porter. Terrific work. I'm really impressed."

 

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it." Sara returned shaking his hand. But what the exchange lacked Dan immeaditely noticed was the lack of recognition. Sara Cassinger had no idea who he was. Dan was so stunned that he kept shaking Sara's hand for a few moments before realizing Sara was politely but firmly trying to pull away.

 

"I never knew I made such a strong impression." Sara said reclaiming her hand.

 

"He was simply captivated by your beauty." Merlin interjected. Sara smiled at him and pushed a loose hair from her forehead.

 

"Thank you but I think I need to keep buzzing around. The owners probably looking for me right now."

 

"Enchante" Merlin said with a small bow. Dan raised the wine glass he had procured from a traveling tray as Sara turned to leave. It wasn't food but it was a good start.

 

Once she was out of earshot, Dan hissed "Stop that, it's embarassing."

 

"What?" Merlin asked although from his expression he knew what Dan was referring to.

 

"What? Enchante? This isn't Paris my friend."

 

"Doesn't hurt to add a little civility into your dialect every once in a while. You would go a long way in my book if you managed to drop half of the swearing from your daily vernacular." Merlin answered. It was a fight as old as their friendship, one which definitely would not be resolved that evening.

 

"Look whose talking." Dan murmured through sips of wine. A few pieces of cheese would go wonderful with this he though. Or a nice juicy steak. Yeah, actually that would be perfect. Nevermind the cheese.

 

Yeah well, you'd swear a lot too if you had my job." Merlin muttered "All the bullshit and the lying."

 

"Merlin, you're a restaurant critic."

 

"Yeah so? Hey, I've told you before, it's a nasty business being the culinary final word. Your pictured faxed to every restaurant in town, people walking on eggshells every time you enter a restaurant. Makes a man feel lonely."

 

"And want to curse about it?" Dan asked with a laugh.

 

"Maybe you just bring it out in me." Merlin replied.

 

"Fair enough. Ready to get going?"

 

"Not going to talk to the lovely Sara any more? Not going to inspect her work some more?" Merlin peppered Dan's bruised ego.

 

"Eh I've seen enough. She's good. She doesn't know me. What's more for me to find out. What's really on my mind right now is food. Alright Mr.Food Critic, where should we go to eat."

 

"Where are we again?" Merlin asked, throwing his plastic glass into a trash can by the door as they headed out.

 

"Lower east side." Dan answered, finally feeling the wind return to his lungs once he had gotten out of the gallery. In truth, Sara's work and words had stung him more than he was ready to admit to Merlin. Dan hadn't made up his mind about whether he would work with Sara but for the time being he didn't want to be sorrounded by someone else's acheivement any more then he had to.

 

Merlin looked up and down the road at the street signs "Oh, in that case, I know of a great tapas bar not to far from here."

 

"Can we expense it?" Dan asked, referring to Merlin's generous spending out with the newspaper. Meals always tasted better when they were free.

 

"Probably. I haven't reviewed this place yet, so I could say it was in regards to an upcoming review. Of course, that would mean I'd actually have to be in the process of writing a review."

 

"Those are the risks you take." Dan said, as Merlin started leading the way to the restaurant.

 

After a few blocks, Merlin said "You know, there were some really great characters in there."

 

"In where?" Dan asked absently. He was inspecting each sign and awning, looking for the restaurant Merlin was leading them to.

 

"The gallery. I could definitely use one or two of them in my next book."

 

Dan stopped. "Are you kidding me?" Dan was so amazed he couldn't verbalize his reaction to Merlin's comment.

 

"No. Why what's wrong?" Merlin genuinely looked like he didn't know what Dan was referring to.

 

"What about your current legal troubles Merlin? Haven't you learned anything from that?" Dan sputtered.

 

"What? Oh, no. I'm not talking about anyone in the gallery, I'm talknig about the people in the pictures. There were stories in every one of the pictures I looked at tonight. Some really great stories. Definite inspiration."

 

"Yeah, I guess." Dan said, returning to his sign search.

 

"Kindof like the inspiration I used to get from your work Daniel." Merlin said quietly, out of Dan's earshot.

 

.9.

 

Dan was swiveling back and forth on his chair doing his best to lurk in a corner of the conference room and avoid the other people in the room. The editors of the three magazines with their associated people were milling about before the kickoff meeting got started. Mark was bouncing between one group of people to the next, like a pinball making business connections. Dan was more than happy to let Mark deal with the magazine people. If there was ever a reason to justify their business arrangement, this was it.

 

At the other end of the room, sat Sara who was not going out of her way to be friendly but did not show the same kind of isolation that Dan exuded. If she had been surprised to see Dan at the meeting, Sara had not shown it. So far, the two had not said a word to each other and for the time being that was fine with Dan. He hadn't made up his mind on Sara and although it was pretty much set in stone now, he could still resent her from across the room.

 

The other interesting appearance, the one that had caused Dan to go into his hermit state was the person not to far away from Sara. Mary sat alongside the conference table in her usual sexy business suit talking to another editor who Dan remembered working for. Mark had not mentioned that Elegance would be one of the magazines involved nor had Mary mentioned it on their return flight. Dan wondered if this was a new addition to the group and whether the Chicago trip had played any part in Mary's involvement. Dan also worried that this was just the kind of ridiculous situation he had hoped to avoid with Mary. This kind of convenient business excuse was just the thing Mary needed to pursue Dan if what Dan suspected was true.

 

While he had been staring at Mary, Sara was inconspicuously staring at Dan. Sara had known Dan was going to be her partner on this project before he had and that other man had shown up at her gallery opening. Sara had resented Dan needing to judge her work before he would admit to her that they would be working together. That she had not shown any signs of recognition to Dan was only payback in her mind.

 

After Mark had made the rounds, ensuring everyone was happy and had their favorite beverage in hand did he come to the head of the conference table. The others who had been standing and milling about either took chairs alongside the long, glass table or excused themselves from the meeting. Dan pulled himself close to the table, positioning himself between a man with a goatee who smelled disturbingly like hummus and a woman who probably should not have been eating that third donut if Dan were her dietician. Feeling hidden behind the woman, Dan put the notepad he had brought with him in his lap to doodle.

 

"Alright, I'm glad everyone could make it. I know we're all excited to get started but I think it's befitting to start with some introductions. I am of course Mark Everston, the ring leader of this merry band of unlikely allies." Mark began with a gigantic smile which got a decent laugh from those sitting. "I'm sure you all know Peggy Russman from Excess Magazine on my left, Nathaniel Storm of New New York beside her, Herman Woodruff on my right from The Daily Traveller and Mary Hamilton of newcomer Elegance beside him, a late comer to our group."

 

Ahh, so she was a last minute addition, Dan thought. Fool me ounce, Mary.

 

Mark was continuing "And I would be remiss if I didn't also introduce the incredible talent we have with us here today, the two whose shoulder we are laying on a heavy burden. I speak of course of Daniel Porter down there at the end trying to hide from everybody." Dan gave a wave with his left hand without looking up from his notepad. The man in the goatee was looking at the unfinished woman Dan had been idlely sketching.

 

In a whisper, Dan said to the man "My ex. Probably shouldn't have made her so hot." to which the man with the goatee laughed.

 

"And Sara Cassinger down on this end of the table, a stranger to some of you I'm sure but a true emerging star if I am any judge." Mark said, moving everyones focus away from Dan. Sara gave everyone at the table a smile almost as big as Mark's with a smart little wave.

 

"Now with that taken care of, I think we'd all like to get on with why we're all really here." Mark said, sitting back down. "As you all know, the purpose of this project is to capture images of New York and the surrounding areas to spotlight in your magazines. You will all have access to the images that Dan and Sara shoot but once a particular image has been used by another magazine, it is in fairness that we remove that shot from selection. If you see an image that you would like but that another magazine has already used, we can have one of the photographers return to take another image. But, we hope to avoid that possiblity with these two taking great and unique pictures of the same things.

 

And that's the beauty of what you're getting here. Two unqieu voices you can draw from. Dan and Sara are only similar in their expertise and professionalism. In every other respect, they are different. And that difference will ensure truly creative and enticing photos for your readers.

 

Now, we've already put down some key landmarks for them to visit but I want to open up the floor for any other suggestions you might have for possible locations."

 

Dan put down his pencil to listen to this part since he was certain at least one of the editors was going to add something to the listen of required places. There was always someone who wanted to add something. Sure enough.

 

"I don't know if I'm alone here, but I think the Alpalachian Mountains might be an interesting area?" a man three seats away from Dan said. Clearly, you haven't been to the Alpalachian Mountains my friend, Dan thought. While the Alpalachian Mountains were indeed a good place to take pictures, interesting was not the word Dan would have used. Depressing might be one. Routine another. But interesting. Not unless your readers like photos of people in poverty and dirt.

 

"That's an option." Mark agreed, taking the note down in his binder. Dan rolled his eyes, knowing that any suggestion would be admitted. And with that first drip, a down pour of suggestions started raining from every direction of the room, so much so that Dan completely lost track of where he'd end up going.

 

"Maybe Gettysburg?" a young woman sitting beside Sara chirped in. Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania you dope Dan had to bite his tongue from saying. Dan could see Sara's eyes go wide. At least she knew where Gettysburg was. But Mark was happily accepting nominations and dutifully wrote down Gettysburg into the list.

 

Fantastic Dan thought and thought he could see Sara smile at his reaction.

 

After what seemed like a lifetime but in truth was only ten minutes, the additions petered out and Mark put down his pencil. "Well that's all great stuff and I'll definitely pass it along to these two right here to see what they can come up with. Does anyone have any other comments, concerns or dirty words?"

 

Peggy Russman raised her hand as if Mark were a school teacher although she didn't stop to wait to be called on "Yes, I would like to know when we can expect to see some intial proofs. My guys need at least a week before being able to use any new material."

 

"As I spelled out in the paperwork" Mark answered. Dan thought he detected a sharp edge in Mark's even voice. "proofs will be sent out every other week depending on the location. Once Dan and Sara decide on their first three destinations, I will have more exact dates for you. I'd expect you to see some proofs no later than next Thursday."

 

Next Thursday! Dan screamed in his mind. Are you kidding me. We don't even have a location picked out and you think we'll be ready to send them proofs by next Thursday? Assuming we can get some shots lined up in that time period, I don't think I'll be comfortable sending anything out by next Thursday. All of which Dan should have been saying out loud but instead kept to himself.

 

For her part, Sara didn't seem to show any alarm at the first due date which further enhanced Dan's anxiety.

 

"Oh, than that should be fine." Peggy said, motioning with a finger for one her assistants to make a note of it.

 

"I have a question." Mary began and Dan squinted his eyes. He had hoped he would be able to get out of this meeting without Mary throwing her two cents in.

 

"Of course Mary, go ahead." Mark said although the look on his face showed that he had hoped all the details would have been worked out by now.

 

"I was just wondering how close any of my staff would be able to work with Dan and Sara. Perhaps to observe or see the process behind their work. I think our readers would like a feature on the making of these photos. Something we might put on our website once a week."

 

There it was. As Dan had suspected, Mary was trying to setup some situation where she and Dan could be alone together. Dan did not think he was being full of himself to think that Mary was still trying to get him back into bed.

 

Thankfully, Mark came to his rescue. "I'm afraid that's out of the question for two reasons. The first being that Dan and Sara will be under a tight deadline and I want them to be able to move freely without having to coordinate with your or anyones staff. To me, it just screams headaches as far as schedules are concerned. Secondly, both Dan and Sara are under contract here and as such their expertise and techniques are intellectual property of Everston Intellectual. If you'd like to arrange something in regards to a behind the scenes expose, then I'd be more than happy to discuss that outside of this meeting, with anyone in fact." Dan added, spreading his arms out to encompass everyone in the room.

 

Mary nodded at this but did not look pleased at all. Perhaps there was a feature that Elegance was planning to do about the making of Dan and Sara's photos but Dan doubted that was really her concern. That's one dodged bullet, Dan thought and mentally whipped away the sweat from his brow.

 

"Well if no one has any further problems or concerns I think we're all set here. I think we should let these two go start planning their first big shoot. No time like the present huh?" Mark said, rising from his chair which Dan and Sara took as a cue to get up as well. "If you have any comments please don't hesistate to come see me."

 

"I look forward to working with all of you." Sara said, as Dan passed her. Dan grumbled his agreement although by that time he was through the door. He heard the door open again but didn't look back to see whether Sara had followed him.

 

Making a beeline for his office, Dan yearned to head for the roof. Maybe Sara smoked? Naw, I wouldn't be so lucky he thought to himself.

 

Throwing himself into a couch in his office, Dan closed his eyes and waited for his coworker slash nemesis.

 

"So what's the deal with you and that woman from Elegance? Mary something?" Sara said as she entered Dan's office. She didn't take a seat opting instead to make her way around Dan's office, inspecting the few things Dan had on his desk and on the walls. Dan kept his office like he kept his apartment. Cold and clean although his office seemed to accrue more garbage than his home did. There was various camera equipment scattered around his office with an upside down opened book laying on his desk.

 

On the walls were three photos. The first was the first picture Dan had ever taken which was of his childhood dog, Scoundrel. He had taken that photo with a camera he had found in the attic and with the help of his father, shot his first roll of film. The second was the Time cover which featured one of Dan's pictures from some freelance work he had done right out of college in the Japan. The last was a self portrait Dan had taken after losing his first big job. It had been a telling day and Dan wanted forever to recall himself from those events.

 

"What do you mean?" Dan asked when he meant to say what business is it of yours? Dan wondered if only Sara had noticed the connection between him and Mary or whether it had been obvious to everyone else in the conference room. It probably had been obvious to Mark although if the check cleared, Mark could not see anything.

 

Sara simply grunted in amusement while taking down the self portrait. "This is pretty good. When did you take it?"

 

"Three years ago." Dan answered, getting up to watch Sara move around his office. Dan could see she had a grace about herself that intrigued him. She had an odd way of stepping through the world, as if she was forever on her toes trying not to disturb the world around her. Dan wondered if you even knew she was there when she took your picture.

 

"Any meaning behind it?" Sara replied, returning the frame to the wall gently.

 

"Sure. There's a meaning in every photo." Dan said snidely. Mark hadn't said anything about him being nice to Sara.

 

"Care to share?" Sara asked, ignoring Dan's first answer.

 

Dan was about to say none in the least when he stopped. Why was he being so hostile. Yeah, he did not want to be working with Sara but that didn't mean he had to be a jerk about it. This was what old Dan would have done. This is not what the new Dan should be doing. Dan forced himself to break away from his old habits.

 

"It was a...fairly pivotal moment in my life." Dan answered softly "If it needs a name than I guess you could call it "The Beginning Of The End"."

 

"How intriguing. I'm sure that warrants further inquiry but not for the time being." Sara said, making a full circumference of Dan's office.

 

"I guess." Dan muttered, looking up at Sara as she came in front of him.

 

"How about this." Sara said, an impish smile on her face belying an energy which Dan had not picked up on when he had first met Sara "I have a reservation for this evening at Per Se for two. Join me and we can discuss our lives over nine courses of some of the best food your likely to eat this year."

 

"I've been to Per Se." Dan answered and then added "Many times."

 

"Great, then you'll know what to expect!" Sara exclaimed, skipping over to Dan's door. "Meet you there at seven?"

 

Dan was about to protest but decided it was best for them to get to know each other. "Fine. I'll try to be on time."

 

"Then I will try not to be." Sara said with laugh as she bounced out of Dan's office towards the elevators leaving Dan speechless.

 

.10.

 

Despite her warning, Sara was at the restaurant before Dan arrived. Taking a cab to the Timer Warner Center, Dan took the elevator up to the fourth floor where Per Se was located. Dan had been to Per Se and Masa across from it back when he had an expense account and employers who liked to eat out. Dan hadn't been back to these restaurants in quite some time and wondered why Sara would have had a reservation for that evening. Sara probably didn't think she would have had trouble finding a replacement if Dan had refused.

 

Still, a meal at Per Se was not cheap and while Dan was not about to back down from paying his side of the check, it was going to leave a mark in his bank account.

 

Especially if I'm going to have to find both halves of this months mortgage payment, Dan thought. As Dan had expected, April soon left him. They had a few words when he returned from Chicago but they both knew their relationship was over. Of all of Dan's relationships, it was the most equitable breakup either person had had. While Dan had no expectations to ever see April that much again, he could honestly say they would remain friends. Perhaps he was growing up.

 

Their table was beside the window with a sweeping view of Central Park below. Dan looked down from their perch as the taxis and cars inched along Columbus Circle, the inevitable bottleneck once again appearing this evening. Dan had not bothered to take his bike into the city opting instead to take the Ferry over with Mark. Mark was also going out to eat with clients this evening although he was going to be going to Le Bernadin and Mark would be able to charge it to the company.

 

Sara sat across from him, her dark hair tucked behind her ears, a child like glimmor radiating from her face. Sara was intently studying the nine course tasting menu in which they were about to embark on.

 

"Eaten here before?" Dan asked, casually looking at the menu.

 

"No, this is my first time. One of my friends is a bit of a food nut and said I had to try it, so I made a reservation awhile ago, figuring I'd be able to find someone at the last minute to go with me. Guess it was your lucky night." Sara answered, although Dan could see her eyes were still reading the menu.

 

"I don't want to brag but this is my fourth time eating here and I've been to The French Laundry half a dozen times." Dan embellished. He had eaten at both restaurants sure but not in those quantities. It wasn't like Thomas Keller was going to come out from the kitchen and catch him in his lie. Dan chasted himself for trying to impress Sara. He was trying to establish dominance but at the same time didn't want to establish that he was just an elitist prick.

 

"Oh I heard The French Laundry is amazing. I'm trying to make time to go sometime this year." Sara said excitely, putting down her menu, the contents fully ingested.

 

"It is, you'll love it." Dan replied. Before he could go into his experience there, their waitress interrupted him to begin their experience that night.

 

"Good evening. My name is Lisette and I'll be your waitress this evening. Have you eaten with us before?" Dan nodded his head in the affirmative while Sara shook her's in the negative. "Well then your both in for a treat. As you know, it's a nine course prixe fixe menu which you can choose from. Let me know if you need any suggestions or help with the menu. Have you had a chance to look at the wine list?"

 

Dan looked across the table at Sara who returned "I was going to do the wine pairing if that's alright with you Dan?"

 

"Sure, sounds great." Dan replied while mentally calculating the evenings bill. Maybe he could convince Mark to give him an advance on the Chicago work.

 

The waitress took their order, with Sara having difficulty deciding on most of the courses. Soon they were alone, an awkward silence setting over the table as the menus were removed and they had only themselves to entertain each other.

 

"So." Dan said, tracing his finger along the crisp white tablecloth.

 

"So." Mary responded with a nervous laugh.

 

"Wow, this feels like a first date." Dan grinned, hoping his first date charm was still working.

 

"If it is, I hope I'm making a good impression. Do you think I should have worn something more low cut?" Sara teased from across the table. Her dark dress was similar to what she had worn at the gallery opening when Dan had first met her and Dan wondered if her entire wardrobe was made up of black.

 

"I was about to say the same thing about myself." Dan tossed back which got a smile from Sara. At least she wasn't going to be a pain to work with. Dan had been assigned to work with some real stiff people in the past and the experience had been jarring. Dan didn't like having to smooth out his edges to conform to political correctness. If he was in the field, he was going to curse. If something went wrong and someone had fucked up his shot, he was damn sure going to yell at them about it.

 

As their amuse bouche with brief description from Lisette was placed in front of them, Sara asked "Well, I guess the one million dollar question is how did you get into photographry Daniel Porter?"

 

Dan sipped at the shot glass of warm, creamy soup that had been placed in front of him, stalling before answering Sara's question. That Sara had really know clue about Dan or his career was truly astonishing. Admittely, Dan did not know Sara either but then if Sara's work at appeared in the newspapers, magazines and galleries Dan's had, than Dan would have.

 

"I read your wikipedia article before coming here tonight." Sara added as she finished her shot glass a moment or two before Dan.

 

"I have a wikipedia article?" Dan asked, genuinely intrigued and more than willing to avoid answering her first question for a bit.

 

"Definitely. A rather long one in fact. You've made a lot of....friends and enemies over the years haven't you?"

 

Dan shrugged "Well I don't know about enemies. Sure, I've probably pissed off a few more people then most people normally do but I can't say I'm too sorry about that. Most of the people who hate me, only hate me in a real superfical way. Nothing I have to be too worried about, you know, like looking over my shoulder or anything like that. But yeah, I'm not on everyone's Christmas card list at Vogue for a reason."

 

Sara laughed "Well, you seem nice enough."

 

"That's just because you have't gotten to know me that well yet." Dan said with a wink. His naturally tendency to flirt was causing Dan to suspect he might be sending the wrong signals to Sara. Dan still resented the assignment and he wanted to keep her at arms length for the duration.

 

"Which brings us back to my question. How did you get into photography." Sara reminded. As if reminding the wait staff as well, their glasses were swept away to be replaced by their first course.

 

"For your first course, we have our famous “Oysters and Pearls”. It's a “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Beau Soleil Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar" Lisette explained as she poured their first wine. Sara's eyes bulged at the dish. It was both playful and comforting, evoking thoughts of creamy goodness.

 

As Dan bent his spoon down into his dish to scoop up an oyster covered in pearl tapioca with just a few specks fo caviar, a flash went off. Looking up to see who in the restaurant was disrupting his meal by taking a family photo, Dan was surprised to see Sara across the table, examining the digital screen on the back of a small point and shoot camera.

 

Dan was at a loss for words. He wasn't a snob and his manners defeinitely could use some work but he couldn't believe Sara was taking a picture of her food. Sara saw him gaping at her and explained "A year or so ago, as I began to go to more and more restaurants, I started taking my little Casio here with me to take pictures of the food I ate. Most people think it's weird and some of the restaurants don't like you taking pictures of the food you paid for." Dan thought he noticed a pair of waiters in a corner point at their table which confirmed Sara's last statement. "But I think it's pretty neat. We hardly remember some most of the food we eat, especially when you've had just a few too many glasses of wine." which Sara confirmed by sipping on her glass. "It's fun and besides you pay enough for some of these dishes. The least they could do was let you take a picture of it. Believe me, I'm not going to be able to decypher how they made it based on a quick picture I took.

 

"I'm sure you have a weird photo hobby."

 

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess I do. I take pictures of planes before I get on them. I have an entire folder of pictures filled with them. Never even go back to look at them. Almost of a nervous habit at this point. If I don't take a picture of the plane I think it means ten years bad luck. Or something worse."

 

"Wow. Will you look at that." Sara said, staring at Dan in disbelief.

 

"What?" Dan asked worridly. He checked his shirt to see whether he had dropped a oyster down the front.

 

"You actually opened up a little. I'm impressed"

 

"Well, I have been known to be honest on occassion." Dan responded, the oyster crisis averted.

 

"Not according to your Wikipedia article your not." Sara threw back, an impish smile on her face.

 

"You shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet." Dan said, his own smile dropping from his face.

 

"Oh I don't. But for the record, why don't you put me straight." Sara asked as she twirled the amber liquid in her wine glass around.

 

She really wasn't going to let this go was she, Dan thought. Well, if she wanted Dan's life story, she'd get it.

 

"Okay. Let's see. Where to begin. Well, I guess we are kinda where I did begin. In a kitchen. Not this kitchen, believe me. But a kitchen in upstate New York. It was a dive in my home town where I worked as a line cook for a few years after graduating college. I had majored in philosophy, a choice which had ticked off my parents who didn't seem to realize the huge job potential for philosphers we have today. I reasoned it was a first step before going into law school but that really didn't work out."

 

"Why not?" Sara asked, her second course arriving below her fingers.

 

"'This is Boudin Blanc De Saint Pierre'. You have Black Winter Truffle's, “Pignons de Pins,” Green Garlic, Globe Artichokes on top of an Arugula “Pudding”. Enjoy." Lisette whispered before disappearing once more from their table.

 

"Life. Or something along the way. Once I was out of school, I bummed around for awhile, not really sure I was ready to go back for another three years of law school. And the more I did that, the more I became jaded with the whole profession. Soon I wasn't sure I wanted to be a lawyer but at the same time I hadn't really planned to do anything else. So I ended up getting a job at my Aunt's restaurant while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life."

 

"And this led you to photography...how?" Sara asked, thinking Dan had lost track of her question.

 

"I'm getting to that, don't worry." Dan responded, taking the intermission to take a few bites of his arugula pudding. Dan usually wasn't a fan of artichokes but in this dish he thought he could see why Merlin loved them.

 

"So I was bored one weekend. I had pulled a double shift for a friend who had called in sick the night before so I still had an andrenaline high when I got home. Instead of falling asleep like I usually did, I took it upon myself to clean out my parents attic. To this day I don't know what possessed me to go up there. I didn't even clean it up, more searched through the dozens of boxes of my childhood memories.

 

"I guess I was looking for some sort of inspiration in my youth, some shard of a memory to help me decide what I wanted to do with my life. If I had found a drawing of me as a fireman that evening than I doubt we would be having this conversation right now." Dan smiled at his retelling. He usually left this part out of his biography and wasn't sure why he felt comfortable explaining it to Sara. Perhaps it was that when he looked across the table he saw a look of interest and comprehension, not forced but genuinely intrigued.

 

"But what I did find that evening was my father's old camera. I think it was a Nikon if I remember correctly. I might still have it somewhere in my place. It had a fixed lens and was a real pain in the ass to start out with. But man was it a fantastic camera. I still think most of the pictures I took with that camera were some of the best I ever took."

 

"Why did you stop using it?" Sara asked.

 

Dan shrugged "Why do we stop using any camera? Something new comes along. Something has a different feature. Different job needs a different camera. Who knows why.

 

The rest is pretty much what you'll find on Wikipedia I assume. After winning a few photo contests, I left my Aunt's restaurant to do some freelance work in New York. There wasn't much demand for a photojournalist in Ithica. Once here, I got lucky, got spotted pretty quickly. Whirlwind every since."

 

Dan stopped talking, his own retelling causing memories, painful and joyful to surface after many long years. He wondered how much was actually said on his Wikipedia page and how much of it was true. Probably not that much. He'd have to look at it when he got home.

 

Lisette broke in to describe their third course "Here we have Maine Lobster Taile "cuite sous vide" on top of a bed of Romaine Lettuce “Poêlée,” with a San Marzano Tomato “Compote,” and Applewood-Smoked Bacon and “Dijonnaise” Emulsion. Enjoy"

 

"This looks wonderful." Sara said from behind her slim camera as she snapped off a quick picture. Dan couldn't help but smile at Sara's excitement. He wondered if she had gone through the same things he had as a photographer and how she had been able to keep her playful energy through it all. Dan imagined Sara's experience had taken a few different directions than his had.

 

Taking a bite of the lobster and romaine lettuce Dan through the gauntlet back to Sara "So, now you know how I started. How about you?"

 

Sara daintly wiped at her mouth before responding "Oh, My story isn't as soul searching as yours I guess. During my junior year I did a study abroad program in Ireland. I had digital camera with me, something which had half the features this one did in twice the side." Sara said, shaking the thin Casio next to her. "Most of the stuff was your typical tourist type pictures. Pictures of the loches and of the castles. Nothing to amazing.

 

"But when I returned I found I was hooked with looking at the pictures I had taken. That the evoked in me more emotions then I even knew I had had during my trip there. And I thought, if I can do this without even knowing what I'm doing then who knows what I'm capable of if I really put my mind to it."

 

Sara paused while she ate her meal and Dan pondered what she had said. The question of why she had flown below is professional radar was still nagging in his mind. As her plate was being cleared, Sara continued "But unlike you, instead of photographry giving me guidance in my life, I put it aside for other...things." which Sara trailed off at again.

 

Dan was about to ask what other things were that but Lisette was once again explaining another course to them. "The fourth course is “Cote Et Selle" of New Zealand Fallow Venison which is paired with a Brussels Sprouts and  Butternut Squash “Purée,”.  Also there are Pomegranate Kernels and “Pain Perdu au Beurre Noi sette”." Dan thanked Lisette for the explaination although for the life of him most of the ingredients were greek to him.

 

"So what kept you from taking up photography after college. I've been wondering why I haven't heard of you before now." Dan asked as he cut into the venison, it's juices running down into the purée.

 

Sara seemed to squirm in her seat, not touching her plate, a look of personal debate going on. After a moment she continued "Well, I suppose I did what most foolish women do from the midwest. Instead of pursuing our dreams, we instead opt to get married to our high school sweet hearts who promise to take care of us. So instead of traveling to New York, Paris or LA, I stayed in Minneapolis and married my high school sweet heart John. It was pretty good for a year or two. I would shoot a little bit but nothing serious.

 

Then things started to change once John lost his job. He became angry and bitter when he had trouble getting a new job. The good man I had married slowly turned into a monster of hate and rage. He drank almost as much as he slept and soon we were having difficulty making the rent. Any time I brought up an issue having to do with money, it would send him into a tirade, that would end..."

 

Dan saw from across the table that Sara's hands were shaking, the fork in her right hand jiggling the food at it's end.

 

"That would end with him hitting me." Sara said after managing to get control of herself. Dan reeled as Sara continued her story. "At first it was a slap across of the face which he immeaditely apologized for. But over time, the apologies came less and less, the physical abuse mounting with each passing day. I stayed with him a lot longer than I should have but in doing so I returned to taking pictures, if in a slightly hollow way. After each outburst, I would slink off to the bathroom and take a photo of the abuse. The open wounds, the black and blue marks. All of it.

 

"One night when I really felt in danger for my life, I left him for good. The next day I brought my pictures to the sheriffs office who had John arrested within the hour. During the trial, my evidence was used to put my husband behind bars for fourteen years. We divorced while he was in jail.

 

In a way I was freed but still held in an emotional prison. When I looked at my camera after the trial, all I could see was John looking helpless and scared when the jury came back with their verdict. I couldn't even stomach thinking about taking a picture much less pick up my camera.

 

"But time heals all wounds I guess. And it worked out for me in the end, I guess. A reporter covering the trial saw the collage of photos I had taken and contacted a publisher friend of theirs who dealt with publishing books on domestic violence. The publisher came to me with the idea of making my evidence against John into a visual cautionary tale for other women, a way for them to actually see what can happen. I didn't want to do it at first, thinking I had already betrayed John enough, that I didn't have to go and make a profit off of him. But my mother convinced me to do it and in the end I'm happy she did."

 

Sara paused to let the words hang in the air. Dan had been listening with rapt interest, his fingers tightening into white balls at the mention of the abuse Sara had gone through. Dan had done a lot of shitty things to women over the years but there was one thing he knew in the depths of his soul that he could never do and that was actually hit a woman. But Dan also knew he could and had hit men who had abused women. If Sara's ex-husband had been in the restaurant at that moment, Dan was not sure whether John would be able to walk out of the place alive.

 

Sara too seemed to be reliving her past in those brief moments between courses, her eyes a sea of emotions. She finished "From there it's been an interesting couple of years. Like you it's been a whirlwind once I got noticed. I've tried to keep myself relatively unknown though, much to my publicists objections. I don't fear John every coming after me again, believe me that's not it. I really just don't like attention all that much. I'm happier just taking and showing my pictures. When I end up at the other end of the camera, I'm extremely uncomfortable."

 

"Huh. I'd have to agree with you on that. Well partly anyway. I can't say I haven't been a glutten for the limelight." And at this Dan blushed playful as Sara rolled her eyes. "But when it comes to getting my photo taken, I really don't like it which when you think of it, is about as hypocritical as you can get. A photographer who doesn't like his photo being taken?"

 

"I just know the person behind the lens is getting the light reading all wrong and won't get a proper exposure. Which tells you that I'm a bit of a control freak." Sara said, sipping at her wine.

 

"That's not so bad, especially in our profession. We shoot for perfection but then how close can we really come? What was it Thomas Keller said? "Perfection doesn't exist because once you've reach it , it's not perfect anymore. It means something else." I believe." Dan quoted the proprietor of Per Se.

 

"Well, I'm impressed." Sara said with a mock sense of astonishment. "Who knew Daniel Porter read anything more than photographry magazines."

 

"I can't take too much credit for it. The line was from an airplane magazine I recently read when I went out to Chicago."

 

"The trip you went with Mary Monahan?" Sara asked, a look of guile on her face "I asked before, what's going on between you two? I don't mean to pry but if we are going to be working together for the next couple of weeks, I think I should get to know you better."

 

"That's what they all say." Dan murmured. Just when he was starting to warm up to her, she has to go back and bring Mary up, Dan thought.

 

"Whose all they?" Sara probed again.

 

Dan was saved by Lisette who was explaining their dessert dish. "The chef has prepared for you Fugi Apple Sorbet which is a “Gâteau au Gingembre” with Tahitian Vanilla-Scented Fuji Apples." There meal was winding down and while it had been enjoyable, Dan found that the converation had not been dull, in fact even more enjoyable than the food. Slow down there, buddy, Dan told himself. You've tried mixing business with pleasure before and it hasn't worked. Multiple time. And she's still the enemy. Remember that.

 

Dan could see that Sara was still expecting an answer as she dug her spoon into her warm apple sorbet. Exhaling deeply he said "Well you and Mary most recently. I really don't know why you, and by you I mean women in general, would want to know me. Don't get me wrong, I love the flattery but history has shown that once you peel back this onion, you won't like the smell."

 

"Ooooh ominous." Sara cooed between pursed lips. Dan had a hard time focusing on his dessert instead. "Well, I don't want to pry too much Daniel."

 

"Don't call me Daniel. It's too formal." Dan said with a serious tone.

 

"Sorry, didn't know you preferred Dan." Sara returned a little taken aback.

 

"No, no, it's not that. I don't really mind Daniel, it just sounds so pretenious you know? Like, whose taking your head shots? Oh, Daniel's doing them. You see?"

 

Sara laughed "Yes, I can definitely imagine some twenty something models all atwitter about getting their head shots taking by the great Daniel!"

 

"You mock but it's true." Dan said, finishing off his dessert and resting in his chair. The courses had been swift and delicious but now he was feeling the expansion of his belly and was about ready to call it an evening. Dan casually checked his watch and found it was already past ten o'clock. Had time really gone by the quickly. Had he been so absorbed in conversation with Sara that he hadn't even bothered to look at his watch till now.

 

"What time is it?" Sara asked, spying Dan's watch.

 

"A little after ten." Dan said automatically then felt he had to apologize "Oh no, I'm not rushing you or anything. I'm really having a good time." And Dan felt a pang in his stomach which told him he really was. Or perhaps it was the oysters not agreeing with him. No, he was really having a good time.

 

"Me too." Sara responded with a brilliant smile "But I agree, it is getting late and we haven't even talked about the project at all yet."

 

The reminder that tomorrow and for the foreseeable future, he and Sara would be working side by side on this New York project came crashing down on Dan with such force that he felt his head swell. His outrage over being assigned a partner had been dormant but reared it's ugly head again to whisper dark thoughts into Dan's subconscious.

 

"Right." Dan said cooly, twirling the remaining coffee in his cup. "What do you think we should do first."

 

Sara however, easily picked up on Dan's sudden change in mood. Her face took a serious tone and she said "Dan look. I don't like being partnered up with you all that much either. Like I said, I'm a bit of a control freak. Believe me when I tell you, you are not going to like working with me. I'm going to be pushy and I'm going to tell you to get out of my way. A lot. And I figure you operate pretty much the same way or at least have for the better part of your career.

 

"I think we can both agree, pairing the two of us together is not a decision either of us would have made if we had had a choice. But the choice wasn't ours, it was those fool magazine editors, who haven't taken a picture in their life. I'm sure they thought, two is better than one right?"

 

Dan took a moment to let Sara's words absorb into his conscious. It was another blow to his ego to learn that Sara was not all that eager to be working with him, the chance to work with Daniel Porter counting for much in Sara's book. At the same time, Dan had to respect Sara for laying her cards on the table and showing him that his bitterness was not one way.

 

"Alright," Dan said spacing his words "What do you suggest we do about it."

 

"By it you mean, working together?" Sara asked and Dan nodded "Well, I think we do with it the best we can. Like I said, I am absolutely certain we will butt heads almost immeaditely. Quick what camera do you use?"

 

"Canon." Dan answered quickly.

 

"Nikon. See, right there. I'm sure we could spend the rest of the evening arguing over who made the right choice. But that's not really going to help us in our work nor is fighting the other. My only suggestion is we try to stay clear of each other to start with and as we grow to know each other better, and I'm not saying that's going to happen, we can start to..." Sara trailed off, the final word to her sentence escaping her.

 

"appreciate?" Dan offered, although as he said, he doubted it's meaning.

 

"Perhaps. I was thinking more learn and adapt to the others style. Appreciate. That may take some more time." Sara said with a wink which Dan was surprised to find made him chuckle.

 

The check had arrived and Dan made a motion to take it but Sara stole it right from underneath his fingertips. Dan scowled and then asked "So what do I owe?"

 

"Huh?" Sara murmured, a look of concenetration on her face as she studied the bill which Dan expected was quite high. "Oh don't worry about it. This was part of job for a food blog I do some freelance work for. You can thank NYEater.com for tonights meal."

 

"I'll make sure to send them a card." Dan said, trying to sound grateful. While releaved to not be spending half a months rent on dinner, Dan couldn't help shaking the feeling that Sara was not telling him the whole truth. Well, if she wants to pay for the entire thing, she can, Dan though darkly to himself. All that talk about working together was all well and good but wait till we actually get out on to the street and we'll see whose pushing who around.

 

"So, anyway," Sara was saying, as a waiter surrepticiously took the black check from their table "Do you want to start with one of the places on their list or do you want to pick something ourselves? I'm open to suggestions and I have a few if you'd like to hear them. Although as a native, I'm sure you have a lot of good spots."

 

Dan wracked his brain feverishly trying to come up with something. He was a local. He should know this city, no this state better than the travel guides. Than why was he having such a hard time thinking of someplace he could suggest for them to go shoot at.

 

And then it dawned on him. In all his time working in New York City, Dan had not spent much time actually photographing the city. He had eschewed taking photos of the various buildings and landmarks, thinking it was too touristy a thing for him to do. And after getting sucked into the modeling world, he hadn't really spent much time outside of five boroughs. Dan was gasping for air, like a fish gasping for water, trying to come up with something.

 

"South Street Seaport?" Dan blurted, the idea bubbling magically to the surface of his thoughts. He thought quickly whether it was on the list the magazines had provided for them and didn't think it was. Should have read that more carefully, Dan chastised himself.

 

"I don't think that was on the list and I haven't heard of it. Why do you think it would be a good spot to go to? I'm not arguing with you." Sara held up her hand, seeing that Dan was going to become defensive "More trying to flesh out an image of the place in my mind so I can start preparing."

 

The wait staff was keeping a respectful distance away from their table, not hovering around them to leave like other restaurants. Dan nodded in the direction of one of the waiters who took his signal for a refill on his coffee.

 

"Well, there's normally a lot of activity going on down there. And like you said, you've never heard of it which means that it's not as well known as some of the other attractions around here are. They usually have some sort of event going on during the weekends but it's still quite lively on the week days too. The Peking is down there as well."

 

"The Peking?" Sara asked.

 

"Old windjammer style four mast ship used for trading in the area. Kinda neat if your into that sort of thing." Dan answered which indicated he was not.

 

"Hmm, well that's a good suggestion. Do you think it makes sense going their on the weekend rather then going during the week?" Sara asked, as she looked off trying to paint a picture of the place in her minds eye.

 

"Doesn't really matter too much to me. There might be some event going on which could be usefully, if you need that sort of thing." Dan said a bit childishly. Sara chose to ignore him.

 

"Well, I think we should do that this weekend then. I have a couple of suggestions if you'd like to hear them?" Sara began, waiting for Dan's acknowledgement. Dan waved his hand back and forth to show that she could fire with both barrels. "Alright. Well the first is a bit overdone, I know, but I think with some luck we can get some interesting stuff by exploring Central Park. Like all of it you know? Start at one ending in the morning and then finish at the other in the evening."

 

"Sounds like a lot of walking." Dan murmured.

 

"What's a matter pretty boy, too good for a little walking?" Sara teased although Dan felt a slight irritaiton at being called a pretty boy.

 

"Next?" Dan asked as he finished his third cup of coffee. A waiter started for their table but Dan waved him off. If had a fourth cup now, he'd never get to sleep.

 

"I know you're going to think I have a strange obscession with food but I was thinking we could go to the Farmers Market at Unions Square. My foodie friend said it's pretty intense with a lot of rich colors and people around."

 

Dan had to nod at that one. It was not a location which would have come to him without some serious thinking. April had taken Dan there several times to get some much needed fruits and vegetables into his diet. Dan had to admit, it had potential. "Alright, that's pretty good, I think we can work with that. Anything else?"

 

"I think going up to the Hudson Valley would be nice this time of year. Maybe go to the Vanderbilt Mansion?" Sara seemed to read off from her memory and Dan leaned forward to see if she had a list with her. She did not.

 

"Wow, you've put some thought into this." Dan said with a bit of jealous. Sara seemed to know more about his state then Dan did.

 

"Oh, these are just a few things I came up with using Google and Google Earth. I'm sure with some research we can come up with some better things. Plus we have all the other places the magazines want us to go to." Sara stopped talking as she looked around the dining room. The other tables had been cleared and there was only two or three other tables still dining. "Has it really gotten that late?" Sara asked looking at her watch.

 

Dan checked his as well. It was after ten and pretty soon it would be after eleven if they continued discussing their options.

 

"Shit, it really is late. I promised my friends I would meet them for a drink at 11." Sara cursed from across the table.

 

"You mean I'm not your only date this evening?" Dan said with a bit too much flirtation in his voice.

 

Sara laughed "What can I say, a girls gotta plan for all contingencies. So anyway, how about we meet at your office tommorow around ten and we can figure out what we want to do from there?"

 

"I think that sounds good. I think I recall having plans for this evening as well." Dan said, getting up from his chair. He thought he noticed a look of relief on one of the waiters face.

 

"Really?" Sara asked "Not just making that up on the spot right now are you?"

 

"No really. My friend Merlin is meeting me for a drink at Eclipse later. You met him at the gallery remember?" The look on Sara's face told him she didn't but then she was probably introduced to a lot of new faces that evening.

 

"A man date huh? How very brave of you." Sara joked as she and Dan got into the elevator.

 

"Merlin wishes it was a man date." Dan joked right back. Sara laughed as Dan hailed her a cab which cut diagonally through traffic to stop in front of them, nearly killing two pedistrains in the process.

 

"Well maybe we might see you guys. I'm not sure where my friends want to go but who knows, we might swing by Eclipse to check out what goes on in a man date."

 

"Lots of getting to know our feelings." Dan answered as Mary got into the cab.

 

"I had a good time tonight." Sara said from the door of the cab "If I don't see you later, I'll try to be by your office sometime after ten."

 

"Sounds good. I'll try to be in the office by around eleven." Dan returned which got a playful scowl from Sara.

 

As Dan watched the brake lights of the taxi zip into the ebb and flow of New York City traffic, he pulled his cell phone out and dialed Merlin.

 

"Hey Merlin. Yeah, it's me. Meet me at Eclipse. What? Yes I know what time it is. Yes I know how how much you hate that place. No, I don't care about the answer to either of those questions. Just get out of your pajamas and meet me there alright?"

 

.11.

 

"Why are we here again?" Merlin asked as he leaned moodily against the railing of the second floor of the club looking down at the dance floor where a throng of twenty somethings grinded their way through the hypnotic beats and multicolored beams of light.

 

"Because I told Sara that you and I were going to meet here for a drink. Like I told you an hour ago."

 

"Yeah, I know you told me. I'm still trying to get my head around the answer though. Let me run through it again." Merlin said, beginning the long explaination he had already gone through with Dan when he had met him in front of Eclipse. "So, we're at a club?"

 

"Evidently." Dan said, looking around at the other patrons who were having a lot more fun then he was.

 

"At," and Merlin checked his watch again although Dan was certain he already knew the time. "12:45?"

 

"If that's what your watch says, than I would have to agree with that piece of evidence as well." Dan muttered.

 

"A club which, Sara, your new partner, might show up at?"

 

"Yup." Dan said, deferring to one word answers to Merlin's line of questioning.

 

"A partner, who, last I checked, you weren't all that thrilled to be working with am I right?" Merlin accused.

 

"Nope, not the last time I checked either."

 

"So then why the hell are we at this club?" Merlin asked, as if his proof was self evident.

 

"Because I said we would be here." Dan said.

 

"So? Who cares if we are here or not. Just lie to her tomorrow and tell her we were." Merlin exclaimed exasperated.

 

"Can't." Dan said, taking a cool sip from his gin and tonic.

 

"And why not?" Merlin asked, Dan's drink reminding Merlin that his own was empty. He waved to a waitress holding a neon tray who ignored him.

 

"You wouldn't want me to lie to her Merlin? Not when I'm trying to turn over a new leaf."

 

"You're turning over a new leaf?" Merlin asked now interested.

 

"I am." Dan echoed.

 

"When did this happen and who may I credit for sparking this reformation? If I at least don't get some credit, I will be very dissappoited."

 

"For certain Merlin, you have been my modest concenious all this time. But I must admit, recent events as of late have caused me to reexamine and renew my life. There was the whole thing with Mary a week ago."

 

"Congratulations again my friend." Merlin said, this time catching the eye of a waitress who started heading in their direction.

 

"What? No, not congratulations. That was a mistake."

 

"I wish I made more mistakes like that." Merlin muttered and then to the waitress "Could I have a Cosmopolitan. Do you need anything Dan?"

 

Dan shook his head and then said "Change his order to a mojito." as he winked at the waitress, who sped off to take further orders.

 

"Why the hell did you do that?" Merlin asked, genuinely annoyed.

 

"A cosmo? Really?" Dan asked not waiting for an answer "If you really want those kinds of mistakes, stop ordering girl drinks."

 

"A cosmopolitan is not a girl drink." Merlin defended his order. "And even if it is, it's no less manly than a mojito."

 

"Got me there." Dan said, clinking his ice in Merlins direction.

 

"So, anyway." Merlin grumbled.

 

"Right, right the new leaf or reformation as you like to call it. Well besides Mary, there's April moving out." Dan held up his hand, to stop Merlin from asking when that had happened "And then there's this new job which my boss said was a way for me to get back in touch with my soul. Which at first I had no idea what he meant. But the more I thought about it and the more I listened to Sara tonight, I began to realize I have lost a lot of my passion for photograph. So much so I really couldn't tell you what really drives me to take pictures of anymore."

 

"Naked women?" Merlin suggested.

 

"No, that get's old and they weren't naked." Dan answered and Merlin arched and eyebrow. "Well, not totally naked."

 

"Alright, so what are you going to do about it." Merlin asked, taking the mojito from the returning waitresses tray. Merlin tipped her and gave her a smile which she politely ignored.

 

"Waitresses are bigger game then either you or I can handle my friend." Dan said, seeing Merlin's attempt.

 

"Maybe for you." Merlin said scowling.

 

"Maybe for both of us. Anyway, I think I'm genuinely going to put my best foot forward in this project. I think when Mark first told me about it, I was going to blow it off but now, the more I think about it, he's right. It is just the right excerise to get me back into my groove. Something to return me to my roots and get back to why I enjoy photograph. If I still do."

 

"Good, I'm glad you're finally realizing what we've all been thinking."  Merlin said patting down on the shoulder.

 

"And what's that?" Dan asked, looking over at Merlin.

 

"That, and I say this as your good friend, your work lately has well..."and Merlin began to hem and haw before saying "lately, sucked."

 

"Thanks." Dan muttered into his glass.

 

"I mean it buddy. I haven't seen anything from you in the last two years that was anything close to what you were putting out back in 2004. Man, that was your year right there. That exhibit in SoHo, the cover of Time, the photo shoot in Bali. What I wouldn't give to change places with that Dan."

 

Dan had been listening to Merlin go on about Dan's old life when he thought he spied Sara with a group of other women enter the dance floor. Tugging on Merlin's sleave, Dan pointed in their direction. "See I told you it was worthwhile to come here."

 

"Well, I'll give you it works out for your story that she can prove that we were both here but I still don't think it was worthwhile for us to come here."

 

"It was." Dan said, draining his drink. "I'm going to get another." Merlin gave him a funny look. "Down there." Dan added, pointing to the bar below them near the dance floor. Merlin grinned and nodded.

 

As Dan jockied for position along the bar, the men making room for the women but closing any gaps if another male tried to enter, he tried to do his best to not look in Sara's direction. Dan wanted to "accidently" run into Sara and in order for that to happen, he hoped she would recognize him before he had to recognize her. Pushing his way past two men leaving the bar, Dan secured himself a spot towards the center of the bar. Along the back wall, bottles of liquor were illuminated by flourescent lights tucked below them, the clear liquids giving a seductive glow. Dan scanned the bar area, watching the men try their best to seduce or trick the many women who either deflected or accepted the many drinks the bartenders were busy serving up.

 

Before he could get his order in, Dan heard a voice from behind him "Hi Dan." Dan smiled. It hadn't taken Sara all that long to notice him and now he had the upper hand. At what, Dan wasn't sure but it was the same routine he had used when he was interested in a woman so he figured it would work just as well with a woman he wasn't interested in. Turning, Dan found instead of Sara, April standing behind him.

 

Shit, he thought, I should have seen this coming. Eclipse was one of April's favorite bars to come to and was probably why it's name had popped into Dan's head when he had been looing for a place he and Merlin would be drinking. Now he remembered, it was where he and April had spent the most time. Perhaps Merlin had remembered that too and that was why he had been questioning Dan's decision so intensely. Merlin must have read more into Dan's club choice then Dan had.

 

Blinking, the had neon lights from the dance floor momentarily blinding him, Dan said "Hey April, how's it going."

 

"Oh you know." She said, coming up beside him. No, I don't know, was Dan's first reaction. I didn't know you were moving out and I'm damn sure I don't know how it's going.

 

Instead he said "Sure. Can I buy you a drink?"

 

"Sure." April agreed, while she too scanned the bar although she was probably looking to see which of her friends were there that night. Dan ordered stoli tonic for himself and a lemon drop martini for April.

 

"Oh I don't like those anymore." April said, hearing Dan's order.

 

"You don't?" Dan asked, as the bartender tapped impatiently on the bar. Of all the people he could serve, why had he have to get stuck with the two that were indecisive.

 

"Nope." April answered and then proceeded to descibe a drink with a list of ingredients that Dan had a hard time imagining would taste good mixed together. The bartender took all the ingredients from April, nodded and then sped off to make their drinks. Probably makes one of those every two minutes, Dan thought.

 

"So.." April said, playing with her hair.

 

"So.." Dan parrotted, as he tapped on the bar himself.

 

"I've moved my stuff out of your place." April stated, as if Dan hadn't noticed that a large chunk of furniture and clothes were no longer occupying space in his condo.

 

"I noticed." Dan responded, not all that interested to get into this discussion here. He could see over April's shoulder, Sara and her friends gyrating on the dance floor, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Dan also looked up to check on Merlin, who Dan could see had trapped a nervous looking woman and who was undoubtable regalling her with some piece of arcane he had written for the Times.

 

"Do you want to talk about it?" April was saying, although Dan only caught the last few words.

 

"Do you?" Dan fired back. April had never been one for arguments with Dan and that had been one reason they had stayed together so long. In hindsight, if Dan had brought up more of the issues that had bugged him about April, they probably wouldn't have lasted as long as they had.

 

"Kinda." April said, taking the blue and red concoction the bartender had returned with. Dan turned to get his drink. Dan was surprised April wanted to talk about their relationship or whatever still exhisted of it. Dan and April had come together without much discussion and Dan had figured they would part much the same way.

 

"Alright. Well how about we go find a table upstairs which is slightly more quiet before we get squashed here?" Dan suggested. April nodded and headed towards the stairs. Dan gave a last glance in Sara's direction before following April. He was troubled to see several guys now with the group of women, gyrating as close as they could manage while the women pretended not to notice the hulks. Shaking his head, Dan wondered why he cared whether Sara saw him or whether she was at the epicenter of a dance tornado.

 

If Dan had been looking, he would have seen Sara look in his direction and smile.

 

-

 

In a booth by themselves, Dan and April fidgeted, waiting for the other to broach the topic they had come to discuss. Dan wasn't sure what he wanted to say if there was anything at all and figured he would wait for April to air her grievances before defending himself. Every girlfriend Dan had had, had at least one laundry list of reasons why things were no longer working out between them. Dan would always valiantly defend himself against their attacks despite their validity.

 

After she had taken three large sips from her drink, April began "Look Dan, I think we both know, things aren't working out."

 

Working out, I thought they were over, Dan thought but resisted the urge to say.

 

"We've drifted a part and I don't think we'll be drifting back towards each other. Do you?" April asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

 

"No, I think you're right. We have drifted a part. Perhaps too much." Dan answered and saw that April's face fell. Perhaps she wasn't as devested in their relationship as Dan had thought she was.

 

But April quickly bounced back with an exgirlfriend classic. "I've met someone." Ah, Dan thought, here it comes. The, I've met someone, which really means, I've been sleeping with someone. "He's really great and we really connect you know? I think you would like him."

 

"Oh, I doubt that." Dan said under his breadth with the heavy music making it unlikely that April had heard him.

 

"I think this is for the best. And I'd really like to stay friends." April said in the tried and true speech of one who had no intention of ever being friends with you again.

 

"I really hope we can be friends too." Dan responded earnestly. Dan had been through enough breakups to play his part well. April smiled broadly, glad to see that Dan was not going to make a scene out of her decision.

 

"Well, I guess I'll see you later." April said, as she slid herself out of the booth.

 

"Not if I see you first." Dan replied with a wink. April laughed and blew him a kiss. Dan caught it gratiously. Before long, April was lost to him again in the moving crowd of New York club goers.

 

Merlin slid into April's recently vacated spot. "So how'd it go?" Merlin asked

 

"We brokeup." Dan answered with no sense of regret. Dan had to admit to himself that he was glad he had seen April tonight, if just to close that chapter of his life. If he was indeed going to try and make a fresh start, it was best to close any old chapters.

 

"Sorry to hear that." Merlin said, clinking his glass against Dan's. Dan shrugged.

 

"We both knew it was coming. In fact, it had already happened a couple of weeks ago but we didn't get around to making it officaial till now. Conflicting schedules you know." Dan supplied while taking a drink from his stoli tonic.

 

"No, I don't know." Merlin muttered into his own drink which Dan saw had been replaced by a cosmopolitan.

 

"Take it, it didn't go so well with the ladies?" Dan chuckled, not wanting to bring up Merlin's choice in libation as a cause for his problems.

 

"You could say that." Merlin answered, taking a drink from the very same problem.

 

"Am I interrupting your man date?" Sara said, startling both Dan and Merlin.

 

"No, not at all." Dan answered making room in the booth for Sara and a few of her friends.

 

"Man date?" Dan heard Merlin whisper to him although he ignored the question.

 

"Who are your friends?" Dan asked, turning his smile on, nudging Merlin to give him some room. There were ladies present.

 

"This is Sheila, Linda and Rebecca." Sara answered, pointing to each of her girl friends respectively. The three nodded in Dan's direction although they seemed to be more interested in the table three down from where they were sitting. Dan looked in that direction and saw that two of the group Dan had seen Sara enter with were laughing with the group of guys Dan had seen them dancing with.

 

"Izzy and Gwen have been abducted." Sara whispered to Dan, seeing that he was looking in there direction.

 

"Friends of yours?"

 

"The looser of our group." Rebecca threw out, which got a sudden burst of laughter from the women.

 

"Then I'm at the wrong table." Merlin said loudly, which got an awkward pause from the everyone at the table. "Sorry." Merlin mumbled.

 

"Don't mind Merlin, he's a terrific guy really and can form a sentence without sticking his foot in the middle of it. He better since he works for the Times." Dan jumped in, trying to help out his socially dying friend.

 

"See I told you Rebecca. I knew I had met someone recently who worked at the Times." Sara said to her friend across the table who was sitting beside Merlin. The sudden attention caused Merlin to perk up. Dan wondered when Sara would have learned that Merlin worked at the Times but then figured it must have been at the gallery.

 

"Are you in the newspaper trade?" Merlin asked Rebecca.

 

"Sortof. I'm a financial analyst for the Post. I don't do any of the writing or picture taking like Sara does but I make sure their expense reports all match up." Rebecca cast a playfully accussing eye at Sara who returned it.

 

"Ohhh, a bean counter huh. I've had many battles with your cohorts over the years." Merlin trumpet as if showing his skill with the pen was indeed mightier than the sword.

 

"Really?" Rebecca turned her gaze to Merlin. "And what have you had to battle over when it comes to your expenses. Nothing wicked I hope?"

 

Oh my God, Dan thought, she's actually flirting with him. Dan shot a look at Merlin to see if had picked up on it. From Merlin's expression he either hadn't although Dan wasn't sure he'd know Merlin's amoruse face if he saw it.

 

"Well, if I told you, then how would I know you could keep my secrets?" Merlin questioned Rebecca as if she was indeed in league with all the other accountants in New York City and they met on a biweekly schedule to dissect reporters expense sheets. To Dan's even greater disbelief, he had to admit to himself that not only was Merlin flirting right back at Rebecca but he was doing a pretty damn good job of it. Well, for two nerds anyway.

 

"Oh, if you tell me, you'll have to kill me? That sort of thing?" Rebecca asked coyly, stirring her martini glass with it's olive. The table gave out a collective groan at the inevitable quotation but it did not dampen the mood.

 

From his left, Sara whispered into Dan's ear "I think our friends are hitting it off."

 

Leaning back, taking himself out of the converation going on between Merlin and Rebecca, Dan crossed his arms and replied "I do think you're correct. Now, I'm afraid I will hold you accountable if Rebecca goes and hurts Merlin. I know Merlin is an easy man to fall in love with, I've fallen in love with him a bit quite myself, but be carefully with his heart. I have a twent percent stake in it." Dan said in jest although he wondered how close he had skirted the truth. Dan had known Merlin for a better part of a decade and the two had becoming as tight a friendship as Dan had ever let himself have.

 

Sara laughed at Dan's jest. "Warning accepted. I can't say for certain whether it will have any impact on Rebecca though. She can get a little rough."

 

"Well, like they say if you break it, you bought it. I need to recover my twenty percent investment."

 

"I thought the accountant was on the other side of the table." Sara said, trying to control her giggling so their side conversation would not be noticed.

 

As it turned out, Sara needn't have bothered as Dan pointed out "Looks like they've left us." Sara snapped her head around to see that yes, Merlin and Rebecca had left the table, as had Sara's other two friends. Thankfully, Dan spied them on the dance floor and immeaditely regretted seeing Merlin dance, if that was a word he could use to describe Merlin's wild gesticulations.

 

"Cheers!" Dan said raising his glass towards the Rebecca and Merlin on the dance floor.

 

.12.

 

"Isn't she a beauty?" Mark said, as the three of them, Dan, Sara, and Mark looked on at Mark's surprise, a 2001 Volkswagen Passat. They were in the garage of the Dan's office building after Mark had swooped Dan and Sara out of their planning meeting, to show them their mode of transportation.

 

"Beauty would not be the first word I would use to describe that car." Dan heard Sara say before he could mutter the same sentiment.

 

"What? Maybe she's not as polished as some of your new cars but what she has is character and determination, much like you two do." Mark continued his praise.

 

"Please don't tell me he just referred to us at beat up old cars." Sara leaned over and whispered to Dan, who had to stiffle a chuckle. To Mark, she said "So, why did you get this for us again?"

 

"Isn't if obvious? I figured neither of you owned a car. I know Dan doesn't, he drives that pocket rocket. And since you live in the City I figured you probably didn't own a car." Mark waited for Sara to object but after a few seconds of silence, Mark continued knowing he had been correct "Since you'll be traveling to places far and wide in our great state of New York, you need a mode of transportation and I didn't think Dan's motorcycle would do the trick."\

 

Dan kicked the tire of the baby blue Passat and Dan imagined he could hear it weeze. "Not the most manly you could have picked." Dan remarked over his shoulder.

 

"Yeah." Sara agreed which made Dan and Mark stop and stare at her. "What?" Sara asked. "It's not very manly. It's not very me either. This wouldn't have been my first choice Mark."

 

Dan leaned over and whispered to Sara "Did you just describe yourself as manly?" Sara shot a glare at Dan's cheshire grin.

 

"I've been called a man and an old car in less than two minutes. This is not going to be a good day for my self esteem." Sara muttered as she traveled the circumference of the vehicle, spotting more problems than she cared to bring up. Cupping her hand to her brow, Sara stared inside the car. For the most part, it was in pretty good shape, the seats were leather which Sara thought was surprising and the car seemed to be pretty well equipped. All this fell away when her gaze landed on the odometer.

 

"142 thousand miles? Are you serious?" Sara shrieked and Mark looked at his shoes as if he was expecting this conversation. Dan rushed to Sara's side to verify the horrible news. Dan jumped back immeaditely as the car honked loudly in the garage as the alarm was deactivated. Dan dangled the key fob.

 

"You can enter the car. It is yours." Mark said and tossed the keys to Sara who reluctantly caught them. Dan was sure he heard Sara curse in french under her breadth.

 

Sadly, it was true, the car was indeed at 142 thousand miles although for it's shape, Dan would have guessed it was only 120 thousand , maybe 110 thousand miles on a good day. Sara passed him the keys and Dan hesistantly started their car. With a slightly confident rumble, the Passat came to life, much the chagrin of Dan and Sara. Mark on the other hand was beaming with pride.

 

"Just keep track of your mileage and make sure to get receipts and I'll reimburse you for everything. Anything major happens, bring it to a garage but call me first and let me handle the insurance." Mark instructed as Sara got in the passenger side seat.

 

"I'm going to bring it to a garage right now." Dan muttered although Mark's alert ears picked up on it.

 

"What? What's wrong? Is something wrong?" Mark was by Dan's side in a flash.

 

"Huh, what? No, nothing's wrong besides the obvious Mark. I'm just going to bring it to a mechanic friend of mine to look over. I'm sure you got this "baby" checked out before giving it to us but I'd still like to let my buddy take a look at it if it's alright with you. I'd just feel...safer you know." Dan responded hoping Mark would take the clue that Dan really wasn't asking.

 

Mark mulled the idea over in his head, probably wondering if Dan lacked faith in Mark's skills at finding them a decent motorvehicle. Finally, he said "Will it cost me anything?"

 

"No." Dan answered, rolling his eyes.

 

"Oh well sure, whatever you want to do. Just make sure your buddy doesn't try to rip you off." Mark said with a laugh.

 

"He hasn't yet." Dan replied and then turning to Sara said "That okay with you? My friend's place is over in Jersey City so I figure we can drop the car off there and hopefully he'll have a loaner or something we can use to get into the city. If not, there's always the ferry which isn't too far away."

 

"That sounds fine." Sara answered, her eyes inspecting the car for any particulars she would want to mention to Dan's friend. "Let's get our gear and then we can head out." Dan nodded and they all headed back upstairs.

 

-

 

"Well, the ride is at least comfortable." Dan said, making small talk on the short drive to his friend Carl's garage.

 

Sara nodded imperceptibly as if she wasn't quite ready to agree to Dan's comment. For all Dan knew, he might just have seen her head sway after the last bump they had hit, the Passat's shock absorbers not doing a terribly good job despite Dan's compliment. The car ride from the office had been quite, as Dan had navigated through the end of morning traffic, the roads finally clearing up to a sensibly slow pace. Sara's demeanor had not improved with the car ride and Dan could definitely detect a sense of disgust eminating from Sara's side of the car.

 

"So do you like cars?" Dan tried again to get some chatter going. If Sara didn't bite on this bait, he'd turn the radio on.

 

"What do you mean?" Sara asked, turning to face Dan. "Do I like cars as opposed to taking a bicycle to and from work?"

 

Dan scowled "You know what I mean."

 

"Oh, you mean do I like cars as a hobby?" Sara exclaimed, as if Dan's question was finally becoming apparent to her. "I know a thing or two about them but I wouldn't say I'm that into cars. John was. He used to love tinkering with his Mustang."

 

Dan let that line of conversation drift off, unsure about trecking back into Sara's past and her ex-husband. When he had returned home from the club, Dan had nearly shattered a glass of water he was holding when he recalled the abuse Sara had discussed with him. Dan wanted so badly for the poor, small glass to be John's neck.

 

"So what about you? Why do you drive a motorcyle?" Sara asked, as she stared off across the river to New York City. They were driving along Route 78 towards Carl's garage and for most of the journey Sara's view of the New York skyline had been blocked by the high rises and apartment buildings but now she had a fairly good view.

 

"Easier to park. Easier to get through traffic. When I'd go on photoshoots it'd be easier to find someplace to just stash the bike quickly and get to the scene. I've even pulled over a couple of times to capture a few moments I noticed while driving home from work. Try doing that in your two ton SUV." Dan explained. Sara nodded at his answer although she didn't turn to look at him.

 

"Plus, the chicks love it." Dan threw in and it was true. April had loved holding on to Dan's stomach as they whipped through traffic.

 

"Oh I bet." Sara replied, turning to Dan with a grin. "So, that brings up another question."

 

"Another question?" Dan pretended to be exasperated. "Are you writing my life story or are you taking pictures with me."

 

"I can do both." Sara responded whimsically. "So, Dan, are you in a relationship?"

 

Dan had to keep himself from stopping short. The question had surprised him more then he had expected. He knew eventually one of them would breach the subject of relationships, Dan just imagined he would be the one to do it. Steadying his voice, Dan answered "Recently broken up."

 

"How recent?" Sara asked with interest in her eyes.

 

Dan looked at his watch. "Less than twenty four hours I'd say."

 

"Ouch. This didn't happen last night did it? She wasn't mad that you went out to dinner with me?" Sara asked quickly, bringing her hand to her lips.

 

Dan rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry to dissappoint your ego that I can't say you were the cause of end of my relationship with April." Dan gave Sara a little grin to show that he was only kidding with her. "Well, it did sort of happen last night. At the club actually."

 

"You keep making me think I had something to do with it." Sara whined playfully.

 

"No, not in the least. We've actually been broken up for quite some time now I think, we just never admitted it to ourselves or to each other. April and I ran into each other last night, something we failed to do as she progressively moved out of my home, and finally put the whole thing to bed. It was a pretty decent breakup if I do say so myself. One of my best."

 

Sara chewed over Dan's words before responding. "What do you mean you've been broken up for some time but hadn't admitted it to yourselves. Is this some form of dating I'm not familiar with?" she asked.

 

Dan shrugged. "Dunno, depends on how long you've been out of the dating field."

 

"What makes you think I'm not dating anyone?" Sara replied defensively to which Dan shrugged again.

 

"No reason really. Just a guess. Last night seemed like a girls night for you and your friends. Men beware!

 

"I didn't see any rings on your fingers either but then I couldn't be sure you weren't dating anyone. So I just guessed and you just proved me right."

 

"I did not." Sara muttered although Dan could tell he was. "So is April the woman from Elegance? Is that why things were so awkward between you two at the meeting?" Sara threw the focus back onto Dan who coughed at the thought of Mary.

 

"Huh? Oh no. God no. April would never be an editor for a magazine, let alone one that deals with fashion. She doesn't hold the fashion business in much regard or people who photograph models all that much either."

 

"And you dated her why?" Sara asked, feeling comfortable again now that the spotlight was off of her.

 

"It was a nice change. I know it might sound strange to want to be with someone who has little to no interest in what you're interested in but it's not. Sometimes you become so involved in one world that you don't realize what else is out there till you meet someone with no contact in your world. April opened my eyes to a lot of new things that if I had stayed dating within the confines of my industry I probably never would have seen."

 

Sara nodded at Dan's answer as they pulled into the garage. It was a nodescrip looking building, right off a side alley, it's two main garage doors opened to let in the air, the small parking lot filled with heaps of junk worse then the Passat Dan and Sara were in with a few gems to be found in between. Dan parked next to a tour of tires that leaned ominously with the wind.

 

"What the fuck is that gay piece of shit your driving?" were the first words Dan heard after getting out of the car. He turned to see Carl, owner and namesake of the garage, walking towards him, wiping his hands in a rag that was more dirty than his hands. Dan was used to this kind of greeting from Carl who didn't care if there were ladies present or not.

 

"You like my new ride?" Dan asked, leaning against the Passat trying to beam the same pride Mark had in the garage. Sara was squeezing her way out of the passenger side of the car, Dan having parked too close to another car.

 

"Danny boy, whatsamatta with you, huh? You go out and buy this piece of shit without even coming to see me first. I could have hooked you up with a Saab I've got lying in the back. It only has three wheels but it's a damn sight prettier than this hunk of metal." Carl said, kicking the Passat harder than Dan had. Dan scowled at the Passat taking abuse.

 

"Relax, this wasn't my choice either." Dan said, although he did position himself in front of the car to keep Carl from kicking it again.

 

"Or mine." Sara added, finally managing to get out from behind the car.

 

"Oh ho, now whose dis?" Carl asked taking Sara's hand as if to kiss.

 

"Sara my partner." Dan answered but didn't elaborate since Dan knew Carl didn't care. He was making no bones about checking out Sara's body. To her credit, Sara didn't seem to mind Carl's blatant oggling, instead oggling Carl's establishment as if reviewing it herself.

 

"So anyway." Dan continued when Carl had had enough time to objectify Sara. "This is some thing my boss found God knows where for Sara and I to use on an assignment we're on. We're going to be putting a lot more miles on to the thing and it already has quite a few to begin with, so I said to myself 'What's my first stop? Carl's of course.' So here I am."

 

"Ahh stop it, yer making me blush." Carl replied with a grin as he turned his attention from Sara back to the vehicle. "Yer boss one of dem queers?" Carl asked and to prove his point he flapped his hands in the air, the dantiest move Dan had ever seen Carl do.

 

"No, I don't think he is." Dan answered.

 

"Coulda fooled me with this color. Marone." Carl muttered as he opened the door to pop the hood.

 

"Yeah I didn't get that either myself. Musta been a good deal or something. You know how management is always looking to squeeze every last penny."

 

"Hey, fuck you, I treat my guys well. I don't nickle and dime them. Eh, just last week I bought them another fan for the garage to help keep them cool." Carl barked back at Dan's jab. As a business owner, Carl took pride in his business even if it didn't look like much from the street. Carl was poking at different parts of the Passat's engine gingerly, the block still hot from the car ride over.

 

"Oh yeah? What's the tempature like in there anyway?" Dan asked, looking at the wide open garage doors.

 

"Eh might be under a 100. Beats me. Still, they only had to ask me once for a new fan." Carl grumbled, slamming the hood of the car shut. "What do I look like, a saint?"

 

"You'll be my saint if you can take a look at this car for me today?" Dan asked hopefully. Dan knew Carl was usually pretty swamped and hated cashing in on their friendship to get special treatment. But if this car Mark had picked up was a lemon, Dan didn't want to have it any longer then he had to.

 

"Yeah, yeah, keep it in your pants big guy. I'll throw one of my guys on it sometime this afternoon." Carl agreed, doing the arithmetic in his head of whose schedule he would have to adjust to fit in Dan's Passat. "So, whose the piece of ass?" Carl wondered out loud.

 

Dan shot a look at Carl who he'd expected would make a comment like that and then to Sara who thankfully had wandered far enough out of earshot that Dan figured she hadn't heard Carl's comment. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dan replied "Eh, some other photographer my boss paired me with. We're on an assignment to take some pictures of New York."

 

"New York, New York. When are you guys ever going to come over to Jersey and take pictures of this great state." Carl asked not for the first time to Dan, who pronounced Jersey as Joysee. Dan laughed which was his regular response to Carl's invitation.

 

"You banging her?" Carl asked, as the two of them leaned against the Passat.

 

"It's not like that man." Dan said out the side of his mouth. While he was attracted to Sara, the first thought that came to Dan was not jumping into bed with her.

 

"Mind if I bang her?" was Carl's next question which was the question he always asked Dan when he brought a woman with him to the garage. Which was why Dan hardly brought anyone to Carl's.

 

"Not at all. But I think Rose might have a problem with it." Dan answered, referring to Carl's wife.

 

"Ehhh." was Carl's had to response. "A man can always look."

 

"But he can't touch." Dan finished his friends saying.

 

"That's right." Carl nodded in agreement.

 

The two of them watched Sara pick her way around the various cars, tools and tires that were strewn about the small garage. One of the mechanics called out to her and she politely replied to his question although Dan couldn't hear what it was.

 

"You got any loaners I could use while you're working on this bad boy." Dan asked, smacking the side of the Passat.

 

"You're a needy bitch today aren't you." Carl said, still watching Sara as she walked back to them.

 

"Is that a yes?" Dan asked again.

 

"That' a no. I ain't got nothing here that I can lend you."

 

"What about the three wheeled Saab?" Dan joked although Carl didn't laugh.

 

"Listen, I have an errand or two to run if there's someplace close you want me to drop you off at but that's the best I can do." Carl said, pushing himself off the side of the car.

 

"Yeah, I guess if you could drop us off at the ferry, I could find some way of getting back here tonight." Dan replied, trying to think of how he'd be able to get back to Carl's later that afternoon. He figured he'd end up giving Morgan a call at some point. Carl shrugged which was his sign for agreement.

 

"I like your place Carl." Sara said, shielding her eyes from the sun overhead.

 

"Thanks, I tries to keep it real clean." and Carl let out a thunderous laugh at his standard joke. Sara laughed too and Dan couldn't help but grin.

 

Would you mind if I take your picture Carl? Your face has a lot of character?" Sara asked, as she got her bags from the back of the Passat.

 

"Hear that Dan? She thinks my face has a lot of character." Carl beamed.

 

"That's another term for ugly Carl." Dan said getting his own things. Carl ignored Dan and posed for Sara who fired of a quick succession of shots with her Nikon.

 

"Thanks, I bet they'll look great." Sara said warmly. "I'll make sure to get you some copies."

 

"I'd appreciate that." Carl said "Let me go get my car and I'll meet you guys in front."

 

"He's taking us to the ferry." Dan explained as Carl walked off.

 

"Oh." Sara said putting her camera back in her bag. "I hope this isn't an inconvenience for him.

 

"That's what friends are for. Causing you inconveniences."

 

"I suppose." Sara said as she tip toed to the sidewalk.

 

-

 

The wind from the ferry blew Sara's hair into her cameras lens. Again, Dan heard Sara curse in french. Dan was leaning against the railing beside Sara who was snapping away with her Nikon, the Statue of Liberty not far off in the distance. Dan had more pictures of the Stature of Liberty then he cared to count and so didn't bother taking any photos. He had seen a few interesting faces in the crowd on the ferry but was to slow to get his camera out to take their picture. Sara's interest in Carl's portrait had reminded Dan of his own hobby of taking strangers images. Dan remembered he had gotten a lot of good comments from those photos and wondered why he had stopped taking them.

 

"So, do you know french or have you just learned the curse words like I did?" Dan asked, as he heard Sara mutter something that sounded like merde under her breadth again.

 

"My damn hair keeps getting in my way." Sara exclaimed as if that was explaination enough. Then realizing Dan had asked her a question she said "Oh, I spent a year in France a little while after the divorce was final. You know, get out there and see the world type thing. Really didn't want to come home actually, not with the baggage I had here.

 

"But, you can't live on your dreams forever and my french is atrocious. I can speak passable conversational french but if it gets too complex I'm in the mud. I do know almost all of the curses thanks to the Parisian artist I was living with. That man could swear like nothing I have ever seen or heard."

 

Dan nodded at her explaination, as Sara shifted her bags and putting her leg up on the railing of the ferry to help brace herself. The Hudson was calm but the ferry was old and unforgiving making it a tumultuos ride no matter what you were doing. Riding home on it drunk had no been one of Dan's favorite activities despite doing it more then he cared to.

 

"Hold this." Sara demanded, shoving her Nikon into Dan's hands so quickly that he nearly dropped it over the side of the boat. Dan wondered who would go over the side first, Sara to rescue her camera or Dan for dropping it. If roles were reversed and Dan had to decide, Sara would not like her odds. Meanwhile Sara had taken a few scrunchies from the side pocket of her backpack and had wrapped around her wrist. In on deft move, Sara was bundling her long loose hair into a tight pony tail which was secured by one of the scrunchies Sara had just taken out of her bag. The other two she left on her wrist.

 

"I'd never be able to do that so swiftly." Dan remarked as he handed the camera back to Sara who immeaditely swung it back towards the Statue of Liberty. They were now receding away from the statue and Sara cursed still more at the lost oppurtunity.

 

"Do what?" Sara asked as she put the lens cap back on her camera and slung it over her shoulder to be ready at a moments notice.

 

"That." Dan pointed at Sara's hair.

 

"What, put it in a pony tail? It's not that complicated Dan. Are you eleven?"

 

"No and I don't mean just a pony tail, I mean those complex buns you guys can do without even looking. And I'm twelve thank you very much." Dan tried to explain.

 

"Amazing." Sara muttered and left it at that. Dan was about to protest but they were nearing the dock and people were starting to push their way to the aft of the ship in preparation of being the first to disembark. Dan hated being in lines, especially lines that were more crowd then lines, and always hung back, letting Mom and Dad with Billy and Wendy on their weekend in the city to rush to the front and stand behind Rosco and his jacket that smelled of day old cigarettes and worse. No thanks.

 

Sara however either didn't know Dan's rule or wanted off the ferry just as feverishly as everyone else. When she noticed Dan wasn't moving she said "You coming or not? Let's go."

 

"There's no rush." Dan replied lazily, even going so far as to put his bags on the deck of the ship.

 

"What do you mean theres no rush, the ports right there." Sara asked astonished. As she and Dan could plainly see the City of New York was no more than a stones throw away and it made perfect sense to be getting off the boat quickly.

 

"Eh, yeah I guess. But see there's a ton of people up there and there's only two gates for them to go through so it ends up being slower than you'd expect. I'd say we have about ten, maybe even fiften minutes till we'll be able to get off." Dan explained as he examined his watch to judge just how long they should wait for the crowds to die down.

 

"It might have been five minutes if we were at the front of the line." Sara said in a huff but deposited her bags on the deck as well.

 

"Oh don't worry, we'll be fine. New York's not going anywhere anytime soon. Not unless Global Warming suddenly goes into overdrive."

 

"Globale warming doesn't exist. It's just a big lie." Sara said seriously. Dan was speechless, his mouth a gaping hole which Sara began to worry a seagull might come down and roost in. "Relax, it was a joke. Stop taking everything I say so seriously."

 

"How would I know what's serious and what's not. I barely know you." Dan replied moodily, his suspicisions temporarily assuaged.

 

"Here, I'll give you a couple of lessons. If I say this 'I like dill pickles.' or 'My favorite color is magenta not pink because it reminds me of my grandmother' that's the truth. If, on the other hand, I say something like 'Since we have some spare time, how about you and I find someplace quiet and screw each others brains out'." At which point Sara pulled herself very close to Dan whose breath had suddenly because stuck in the back of his throat.

 

"That." Sara paused for effect "Would be a joke."

 

Sara pushed herself away from Dan, looking over at the line at the front of the ship that still hadn't moved. The ferry had been docked for what seemed like fifteen minutes but Dan figured had only been two.

 

"Yeah, thanks for the tutorial. I'll to keep those in mind the next time you show up at my doorstep drunk." Dan shot back, his pulse returning to a healthy rate.

 

Sara laughed "Believe me, if I showed up at your doorstep drunk, the last thing on your mind would be whether I was being serious or not."

 

"Oh, you think I'm that easy huh? That you could just snap your fingers and I'd fall into bed with you?" Dan said throwing his hands up in the air. The unexpected shift in conversation had caught him off guard at first but Dan was quick to come up to speed. If Sara thought she was breaking the sexual tension between them then Dan was not about to let her do so without having some fun of his own.

 

Sara shrugged in response, not bothering to look back at Dan. A slight jostly in the crowd produced a glimmer of hope in Sara who immeaditely began picking up her bags. Dan rolled his eyes. "I suppose my question to you then is why would you show up at my doorstep, drunk or otherwise. Of all the men in the city, why would you pick mine? Answer: You want to sleep with me just as muc.." Dan cut himself off before he let the last few words from slipping out of his mouth.

 

"Thanks for proving my point there stud." Sara said, giving him half a grin and then heading in the direction of the exit.

 

Damn, how did I lose that one, Dan thought to himself.

 

-

 

The ferry arrived at the footsteps of the Manhattan financial district where Dan and Sara decided to walk to the South Street Seaport instead of hailing a cab. Usually Dan would have commandeered a taxi to get him where he was going quickly but since their assignment was to photograph New York, it made sense to actually be out and about. Admittely, Dan and Sara were not the first to take pictures in this area, the group of tourists beside the Wall Street bull nearly blocking traffic, but it was a start.

 

Dan had been down to the South Street Seaport once or twice when he first moved to the area but his work and social circle rarely brought him back to this area. Dan didn't know anyone who worked down at this end of Manhattan, so he rarely bothered to come back. As they crossed under FDR Drive, Dan found himself staring at a vibrant alcove of people and business. Along one side were well preserved buildings that Dan guessed were from the early 19th century. Interpersed where a few newer buildings which thankfully did not distract from the overall asthetic. Buoys dotted the pier as American flags whipped along in the sunny sky.

 

A cheer engulfed them from a crowd that was standing around a massive halfpipe that Dan couldn't be sure had always existed or had just been built that day. To the sides, vendors hawked different items and food while a man was tossing promotional CDs to a throng of kids.

 

"Looks like thats where the action is." Dan said out of the corner of his mouth to Sara who had already come to that conclusion and was heading in that direction. Dan quickened his pace to keep up. As Dan stepped quickly between passing tourists, he could see several men and women standing at the top of the halfpipe, some holding skateboards, others putting on rollerblades and if Dan wasn't mistaken he thought he could see a BMX bike off to the side of the ramp but figured that was just someones mode of transportation. Another cheer went up from the crowd as a young boy, Dan guessed he was no older than twenty but he knew looks could be deceiving, threw himself into the pipe, the tight hands of gravity pulling him towards the center. Just as Dan thought the boy was about to plant his face into the very hard looking wood panels, the kid shifted and bolted up the other side of the ramp till soon his only companion was the clouds.

 

For the longest three seconds Dan could remember since the ferry ride over, Dan held his breath as the boy twisted in midair, his skateboard nowhere near where his feet were. And then in one fluid motion that seemed to rush straight into Dan's brain, the kid was back in the center of the pipe, his board securely beneath his feet. Dan felt a rush of adrenaline from the spectacle and could only imagine what the kid, no man now that Dan could see his face, was feeling. The man road the wave of cheers and shouts from the crowd as he returned once more into the halfpipe.

 

"That was pretty intense." Dan understated. Sara simply nodded since she was too busy shooting with her camera, her lens a frenzy of motion, at one point directed at the crowd then up top to the skaters, Sara no longer cursing under her breadth. Dan cursed at himself for not getting out his own camera sooner.

 

"I take it we should split up for a few minutes to see what each of us can come up with." Dan felt himself say more to himself than to Sara. Dan thought he heard her mumble acknowledgement and took it as agreement. Dan knew how Sara must be feeling, the sudden rush of trying to capture everything that's going on around you with only so few possibilities to truly capture. If you weren't a professional you'd likely freeze up and lose more than the few shots a pro would.

 

To make up for his lack of intuition, Dan had a plan. Dan figured he'd be able to get up to the top of the halfpipe himself. Now that he was closer to the ramp, Dan could see that there was one man towards the side with a video camera so clearly they wouldn't mind another person up there photographing the event. Dan hoped he could convince whoever was in charge to just let him up there without any problems but if he had to Dan figured he could dangle a newspaper piece about the event in from of the coordinators eyes and that would get him in. Dan had done it before and doubted a bunch of skater punks would be the first ones to stop him.

 

Coming up the gated off section of the port, two men in security t-shirts were checking peoples IDs. Behind them, Dan saw various skaters with their girlfriends or boyfriends milling about either smoking and talking or getting ready to go up on the ramp. Just past one of the guards broad muscles, Dan saw a friendly face. He recognized a woman in a professional suit with a clipboard who looked out of place and was definitely the event coordinator. Dan couldn't recall her name off the top of his head but he was fairly certain they had slept together. Dan tried to wrack his brains to remember if that relationship had ended well.

 

"Hey Madeline!" Dan yelled as one of the bodyguards positioned himself in front of Dan. Dan hoped at the very least he would get the woman's attention even if that wasn't her name.

 

The woman turned, saw Dan despite the massive human boulder now in front of him, and walked towards them.

 

"Daniel?" the woman said, her eyes showing Dan her memory was as fuzzy as his was. With any luck, that would work in his favor.

 

"Yeah, hey hows it going?" Dan asked casually, the guard not budging an inch despite Dan's connection inside the perimeter.

 

"Pretty good. Kinda busy." the woman answered clearly trying to act like she knew Dan even as she scrambled to place his face.

 

"May I come in?" Dan asked and crossed his fingers.

 

"Um, sure." she said making a quick decision on whether to trust Dan or admit not knowing who he was.

 

"You sure Mrs.Valentino?" the security guard questioned. The giant was taking this detail a bit too seriously in Dan's view but he had just confirmed for Dan the name of the woman he was talking to. Madeline Valentino. Sure, they had hooked up a few times after a couple of parties Dan had been to a long time ago.

 

"Of course I'm sure Frank. Let him in." Madeline answered authoritatively. Dan took his opening and popped inside, the guard giving him a scowl, not liking the sudden admittance of another man with cameras into his security zone.

 

"So what brings you down here? Did your editor get the notice we sent out?" Madeline asked as they walked deeper into the crowd of skaters, most of whom didn't bother looking up as they passed by.

 

So here was the decision, Dan thought. Did he lie and use her excuse to get himself access or did he come out with the truth and hope that would still get him access to the halfpipe. Dan considered this quickly and how it related to his whole turning over a new leaf philosophy. If Mark were here, what would he do? No that was a bad example. Merlin? No that was worse. Sara. Despite her propositioning him on the ferry, Dan still didn't know what lengths Sara would go to to get a shot.

 

Hell with it, Dan thought and said "Not sure really. To be honest with you, I'm on an assignment for several magazines who told my partner and I to go around and photograph New York. They never said specifically to come here or mentioned any notice you might have sent but then they might have just forgotten. Either way, that's why I'm here and I was hoping to get up there." Dan pointed at the top of the halfpipe "To take some pictures if that would be alright."

 

Madeline looked a bit crestenfallen. But she composed herself and replied "Well thank you for telling me the truth. I'm sure you could have lied to me to get what you wanted but you didn't and I appreciate that. Not the Daniel Porter I remember but then I like this Dan better anyway.

 

I think we can manage having you up there seeing as we haven't gotten that much press here yet, if they're coming at all."

 

"That bad?" Dan asked, kissing himself mentally for his sudden rash of good luck.

 

"Well, it can still get better but it's not looking that great. I hired a new promotional firm to handle getting to word out about this skateboard event for Andre's new video game." Madeline pointed at a particularly filthy looking scoundrel sorrounded by young women and even dirtier cohorts. "Either they didn't do their job or there's just not that much interest in yet another skateboard video game which will be wonderful news to tell my boss."

 

"Do you work for the video game company or the advertising firm?" Dan asked as he set his things down in a corner off to the side, trying to decide which camera and lens he should bring with him.

 

"Advertising firm. If there's anything I know less about then skateboarding, it's video games." Madeline answered with some disgust in her voice.

 

"Take it this wasn't your first choice." Dan asked casually, trying to keep the small talk going while they headed to the ladder alongside the ramp.

 

"Not even close. I seriously pissed off my boss by..." Madeline trailing off, remembering that she really didn't know Dan all that well despite the friendliness of their conversation.

 

"By what?" Dan pressed, now interested in Madeline's story.

 

Madeline seemed to wrestle with deciding whether to continue the story or let it drop. Finally she said quietly "For fooling around with an intern."

 

Dan had to stiffle a laugh. Based on the tight fitting suit Madeline was wearing, fooling around with an itern was the last thing Dan would have thought she would have done. "He couldn't get too pissed at you about that could he? I mean, it's not like he could fire you?"

 

"No, he couldn't fire me. In fact, he speficially made sure there wasn't a rule about prohibiting workplace relationships. The problem is, the workplace relationship he wants me having is with him."

 

"Ah." Dan mouthed, the picture becoming all to clear to him.

 

"Yeah." Madeline replied bitterly. The two stood there for a few moments, Dan unsure how to move on from that topic, Madeline still stoking the embers of hatred over her current predicament.

 

"Well, I guess I'll go up then." Dan asked, putting on hand on the first rung in front of him.

 

"Huh? Oh sure. When you get up there, just tell Mike, the guy with the video camera I said it was okay for you to be up there. If he gives you any problems just let me know. Try to keep out of the way of the skateboards too. Mike said they've nearly knocked him off the platform several times since he's been up there." Madeline cautioned.

 

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Dan said genuinely and ascended the ladder.

 

The platform was a bit more crowded then Dan had realized from the ground, with three skaters taking up more space on the four or five foot platform then Dan thought was necessary. As if to reinforce the risk, a fourth skater bounded up the side of the ramp, skidding along the rim of the half pipe, sliding back down into the center a mere foot from where Dan was standing. Spotting Mike the cameraman in the corner, Dan made his way slowly in his direction.

 

"Hey hows it going. Madeline said it was alright if I took some shots up here." Dan said, crouching down beside Mike. Mike grunted his acknowledgement, his eye never leaving the viewfinder.

 

Mike had positioned himself so that the sun was slightly to the left of their position and would give him good flares of sun behind the skaters. This worked well for Mike who was using a video camera but for Dan it would prove a problem, one which Dan was experienced enough to handle. Taking out his Canon, Dan set it to manual and then turned up his shutter speed to as fast as he thought would work. Then opening his cameras f-stop to f/2, Dan lay back against a poster hawking sports drinks and waited.

 

Dan didn't have long to wait, as soon skaters were barreling back and forth between the two sides of the halfpipe giving Dan plenty of opportunities to catch them descending and in midflight. Dan even caught a few instances of not so successful landings which looked as painful as they sounded. Dan could imagine taking these shots into Photoshop and combining them into to a sequence that would leave the viewer feeling the same pain the skater must have felt.

 

After twenty minutes, Dan felt he had enough pictures of skaters and shifted to look down on the crowd. As Dan took pictures of the awestruck masses, he scanned for Sara. Dan figured she would be keeping more to the sidelines, trying to be as unobstrusive as possible which probably didn't make much difference to the crowd who wouldn't have noticed if Sara was standing naked beside them. Dan almost didn't recognize Sara without her camera in front of her eye as she stood as just another bystander watching the skating spectacle.

 

Staring down at her, Dan was entranced by her simple beauty, the afternoon sun radiating off her fiery red hair. Dan felt compelled to take a picture of her much the same way he felt it necessary to take a shot of Mary in the airport. This was their beauty in it's most honest form. Not dolled up in some studio but out in the real world, where there natural looks and posture matter the most.

 

As Dan clicked his truthful picture of Sara's beauty, he should have spent a second or two remembering the words of wisdom Madeline had told him while he was on the ground. Dan had leaned over the edge ramp and while it wasn't the most precarious position Dan had ever put himself in when trying to get a shot, it was the only one where a 5'10" 170lb skater would be barreling down on him.

 

Dan heard the grinding of metal against metal behind him and knew the worst was coming even though he was helpless to stop it. Bracing for impact, Dan felt the whisp of air as the skater narrowly missed colliding into Dan. Unfortunately, that brief gust was all that was needed to make Dan lose what little balance he had. His body lost it's equilibrium with the platform and Dan felt his weight shift from being atop the halfpipe to a unstoppable pull towards to earth below. Dan's mind flashed back to the skater he had seen when they had first arrived and now expereinced the same dilution of time as more and more of his body went over the side.

 

Dan heard a gasp from the crowd as he hit the side of the ramp hard and then began tumbling down the slick paneling. Dan thought he saw a wicked grin on Mike the camera guys face as he rolled but couldn't be sure. Desperately trying to keep his camera in his hands, Dan tried to cradle the Canon in his arms although he knew it was a vain attempt. Dan would survive the fall but the impact would be much more severe on his camera. As if to underscore the damage, Dan landed on his back at the bottom of halfpipe nearly knocking the wind out of him. Dan heard a crunch and honestly hopped it was bone and not his camera lens.

 

Dazed, Dan lifted himself up one arm to see the entire crowd in front of him staring right back. In his impaired state, the only thought that came to Dan was to smile and give a little wave. A small child in the front row waved back. Dan heard a sound coming from his left and turned to see one of the skaters sliding down the side of the ramp on his knee bads. Turning further he saw several men hoisting themselves up onto the ramp, heading in his direction with Madeline behind them, her face having gone a pale white.

 

"You alright bro?" the skater who looked to be no older than eighteen asked as he slid to a stop beside Dan, a much more graceful fall.

 

"Yeah, I think I'm fine." Tentatively, Dan tried to get up, found his body hadn't sustained too much damage and got to his feet. As the other men reach them and hurried Dan off the halfpipe, Dan checked his camera which as he expected was damaged. The Canon looked to be fine although he'd bring it into the shop to get checked out just to be sure. But the 120MM lens was another story. There was a long hairline fracture on the glass and Dan knew the other glass behind it was broken as well. There was little hope in salvaging this lens. Dan cursed at himself. It was one of his favorites and they had been through a lot together. The lens had been pushed by bodyguards, knicked by uncooperative models as they threw things at Dan and nearly crushed by some lighting that hadn't been tied back securely. But the 120MM had beaten all of those but it wasn't strong enough to stand up to the halfpipe.

 

"Are you hurt?" Madeline asked through gritted teeth as Dan and company got down from the ramp, the color having returning in a fiery glow of anger to her face. Dan could hear behind him that the skaters had resumed their show.

 

"Yeah, no worse for wear. Sorry about all that. Must have slipped." Dan tried to apologize but once he had admitted that he was fine Madeline had stopped caring.

 

"Get out." She whispered, her frayed nerves bristling beneath the surface.

 

"That was my idea too." Dan said as Frank and the other security guard flanked him. "Nice to see you again Frank. Guess you were right about me. Nothing but trouble."

 

Frank grunted and pushed Dan towards the outside of his perimeter. Maybe next time Frank's clients would listen to him when he had a bad feeling about somebody but Frank didn't count on it.

 

Outside the skaters only area, Sara was waiting. She was pacing back and forth, a worried look on her face. For someone who barely knew him, Dan thought Sara looked too anxious for his health.

 

"The doctor says I need to get stitches!" Dan joked to Sara as she noticed him. Sara didn't care for Dan's effort to break the mood.

 

"What the hell happened?!?" Sara nearly screamed at Dan but was keeping her voice low.

 

"Well I thought it was pretty self explanatory. I was up on top of the halfpipe, then I fell, and now I'm here. Not really all that much to explain I think. Unless you saw something that I didn't? Did my pants fall down?" Dan checked his belt to be sure.

 

Sara rolled her eyes at Dan's charm "Yeah, I saw that. How did you get up there in the first place?"

 

"Oh, right that. I figured I could get some good shots from that vantage point and so I managed to sneak up there. I had to knock out the guards, crawl along the underbelly of the halfpipe and then scale the twenty five foot wall. But it was worth it don't you think. I'm a regular James Bond."

 

Sara rolled her eyes at Dan's made up story and turned to walk away. If Dan wasn't going to be straight with her, she didn't want to waste her time.

 

"Woah woah woah, lighten up Sara." Dan called chasing after her. "I was just having a little fun. Really, all I did was get an old friend to give me access to the top. She said they had been expecting some media but not many have showed so she was more than happy to let me go up there. Of course, she explicitly told me to watch myself and to not fall off the side."

 

"Which is exactly what you did." Sara made sure to note. "How did you fall down anyway?"

 

"Oh, yeah that's embarassing. I was leaning over the side of the ramp farther than I probably should have been. I was taking some shots of the crowd and I was trying to get the perspective of what one of those skaters probably see's when he's in the air." Dan said, leaving out that he had been focusing on Sara at the time of the accident. "Next thing I hear is the sound of metal on metal and I just know one of those guys is coming down on me hard. Which, thankfully didn't happen. But he still managed to make me lose my balance and the rest you saw. Still, I think I got some good shots from the whole ordeal. I'd say worth it."

 

Then Dan remember his camera and sneered "Well, almost worth it. Completely ruined by Nikkor 120. The glass is all shot. I'll have to go get a new one. Wanna come?"

 

"Now?" Sara asked startled. She had resumed taking photos of the port as Dan hold told her his short story.

 

"Well, not right now I guess. But you know, when we finish up here. There's a place I'd like to go in Brooklyn."

 

Sara checked her watch. Instinctively, Dan checked his as well. It was almost four and Dan could feel his stomach rumbling. He knew Carl was open till seven and even if he got there late, he could still get the car. Carl lived in the house right behind his business so it wasn't like he went very far.

 

"Since you live in the city, I'll pick up the car tonight on my way home." Dan suggested, knowing that was probably what Sara had been considering. Still, Sara had an indecisive look on her face. "Come on, it's a chance to look at some new toys. How can you say no to that?"

 

Sara scrunched up her face, trying to make her decision. "Fine." she said, putting her camera back up to her eye "Let me work for another half hour and then we can go. You do have another lens you can use right?"

 

"Of course." Dan answered, rolling his eyes as he slid his bag off his shoulder. Take one fall of a halfpipe and people start thinking your unprofessional Dan thought to himself.

 

-

 

"Hey Saul." Dan greeted a man who was standing behind a glass case filled with camera bodies, lens, light readers and other expensive photography toys. Saul doffed his newspaper in Dan's direction as a response.

 

"Come here often?" Sara remarked at Saul's welcome.

 

"Oh every once in awhile. I used to pick up all my stuff here before some of the magazines started footing the bill. I used to scrap together all my pennies for months, trying to save up for a new whatever and would rush over here the moment I had reached my limit." There was a twinkle in Dan's eye that reminded Sara of the child like wonder that still must have burned somewhere within Dan's jaded exterior. Smiling, the two parted, Sara to browse Saul's wares and Dan to try and get Saul's attention.

 

Which wasn't too hard once Saul realized you were looking to buy something. "So I need a new 120MM lens. Either Canon preferrably but if you have a Sigma handy, I'll take a look at that too." Dan said to the sports page of The New York Times. In a flash, the newspaper was in a left floating to the counter while Saul busied himself opening locked cabinets.

 

"I have just the thing." Saul was saying over his shoulder as he produced two boxes from the darkness of one cabinet. "These just came in last week and people can't stop raving about them. I'm having difficulty even keeping them in stock."

 

Saul placed the two boxes which read Nikon on the side on the counter and began opening them. This is the way it was with Saul. You would tell him what you wanted and then he woudl go and find what he really wanted to sell you. Usually, the two matched up if you were willing to pay a few hundred dollars more than you had been expecting too. As long as you could choke the upsell, you were always rewarded with some fantastic equipment that was dependable as hell. Dan was still using tripods and lens he had bought from Saul going on fifteen years.

 

Dan swung his bag around to get his camera out. "Mind?" Dan asked as he removed the broken lens from the Canon's base to put the new lens on. Dan knew Saul wouldn't but it never hurt to be nice to the guy. It wasn't likely he'd cut you a deal on the price but then he could always jack it up more.

 

"Sure." Saul answered, taking up the damaged lens Dan had put on the counter. "Oye." were the only words out of Saul's mouth as he inspected the glass which confirmed to Dan his diagnosis.

 

"Whatcha got there?" Sara asked coming up beside Dan. Dan noticed she had a frame, a lens cleaning kit and a roll of gaffers tape in her hands. Saul's was always great to pick up those odds and ends you always needed.

 

"Nikon 120MM." Dan murmured as he focused the news lens on different parts of the store. So far Dan was liking what he was seeing.

 

Dan heard a sharp intake of breath from Sara and turned to see her. Unfortunately, he still had the camera in front of his eyes and it was zoomed in as far as it could go so Dan got a close inspection of Sara's earlobe. "Whatsup?" Dan murmured to Sara who had backed a few feet away from Saul who was politely averting his eyes.

 

"Did you see how much that lens costs?" Sara whispered to him, also trying to avert her eyes from Saul.

 

"Not yet. How bad is it?" Dan question, bracing himself for yet another painful impact that day.

 

"Two grand." Sara delivered the expected news.

 

Damn, thought Dan. He had known it would be expensive but hadn't thought it would be much over one thousand. Saul had back him into a corner. Dan wondered if Saul thought Dan wouldn't want to be frugal in front of Sara. Dan could care less whether Sara thought he was a spend thrift or not but it didn't make his decision any easier. Weighing his options, Dan knew he couldn't afford the new lens even though he had grown attached to it in the past few moments. Mark had given him an advancement on the project but Dan knew he shouldn't go spending that money yet. Still he needed a new lens.

 

Turning back to Saul, Dan said "Hmm. Not sure about this one Saul. Got anything else you might recommend." which was code for 'Show me something that doesn't leave me penniless.'

 

"Hmm. Let me see what I have in the back." Saul answered which was code for 'Now I'm going to make you wait for refusing my first suggestion.'

 

As Saul trundled off into the back room, Dan turned his attention to the rows of small point and shoot cameras on display. For years, Dan had stayed at arms length from the little bugs. He respected some of the image quality that could produce but they were geared towards the consumer market and Dan hadn't swum in those waters since he first started out. He'd tried a friends Cybershot awhile back and was immeaditely annoyed at it's lack of controls. Oh it had plenty of buttons and things to change but to manually set the shutter speed well then you were just out of luck.

 

"How do you like your Casio?" Dan asked Sara who was hovering near him.

 

"It's pretty good. I like it's size and it takes pretty good pictures if you don't mind not being able to shoot in manual. Why do you ask."

 

"I'm thinking instead of buying a new lens, I might buy one of these little guys." Dan answered pointing at the selection in front of him.

 

"Are you stealing my idea!" Sara teased him from behind.

 

"I'm not stealing. I'm merely borrowing on your creativity. It's how art works remember." Dan joked back.

 

"Sure feels like stealing to me." Sara said sarcastically.

 

At the mention of the word stealing, Saul was back out on the floor, his cat like hearing alerting him to any danger to his store. "Will this work?" Saul asked Dan, holding up a Canon box to Dan. Dan saw the sticker on the side of the box was still too rich for his blood.

 

"I think I'm going to go with something else today Saul. Which of these digital point and shoots would you recommend."

 

"The Pentax." Saul responded immeaditely, a look of annoyance on his face. He jammed the box back behind the counter. A lost lens sale had put Saul in a foul mood.

 

"Get the Canon." Sara whispered close behind him and Dan felt his pulse race as her warm breath past by his ear.

 

"I'm not that much of a fanboy." Dan shot back although he had to admit to himself that he had been eyeing the Canon since he had started looking which had been all of ninety seconds.

 

"I'm not saying you are. But the Pentax is about a hundred dollars more than the Canon with no real advantage. That one of the left is pretty good. I think I read a review of it in Popular Photographry last month. It has pretty good ISO and manual controls. It's what I'd pick." Sara was a better salesperson than Saul.

 

"Sold." Dan said, pointing at the Canon. Saul grunted, disliking being overridden by a newcomer but still happy to make the sale to Dan and the few things Sara was picking up. Business was business.

 

As they left the store, Sara checked her watch. "Shoot, I really need to get back to my apartment."

 

"Hot date?" Dan asked.

 

"Ha ha." Sara laughed "Yes, I have a hot date with my kitten. And she expects me to be prompt."

 

"Ah. Well then I won't keep you any longer." Dan said, shifting the bag with the new camera to his other hand. "I'll meet you at the office tomorrow? Carl should have the car done by then."

 

"Yeah that sounds fine. Even if it's not, we can still come back into the City or hash out some more details. What time do you usually get into the office."

 

"Depends on what I have to do that day." Dan answered.

 

"Well you have to meet me tomorrow. What time would that be?" Sara threw back.

 

"Ten?" Dan offered, crossing his fingers.

 

Sara mulled it over and then smiled. "That'll work. Seeya then."

 

.12.

 

"I knew this thing was a piece of shit." Carl was saying, as Dan leaned against the Volkswagen "But I didn't know how much of a piece of shit till I had Ernie over there take a look at it. Tell your boss he needs to ask for a refund. With a bat."

 

Dan groaned. "That bad?"

 

"Worse." Carl spat. "Suspensions pretty much shot, the fan belts on it's last leg, and it's leaking motor oil. And that's just what I know about right now."