“This is our stop,” Eve announced, and together, they stepped through the doors and climbed the steps to the street above. They came out on West Ninety-sixth Street, and Eve led them briskly down the sidewalk, eventually stopping in front of a sleek building that reminded Josie of the one where Eve worked.
She held the front door open for Josie, following her inside. They stood in a white-walled room full of photographs, many of them shots of Manhattan. At the tinkling of the bell, an older man with dark brown skin and a neatly groomed beard walked out to greet them.
“Eve,” he exclaimed warmly, leaning in to air-kiss her cheeks.
“Michael,” she responded with a smile before gesturing to Josie. “This is my client, Josie Swanson. Josie, this is Michael Danvers.”
“Hi,” Josie said, extending her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Michael said, giving her hand a firm shake. “Eve and I go way back, and I’m thrilled for the chance to find some prints for your bar.”
“Are these your photos?” Josie asked, glancing around the studio.
“I’ve taken some of them, but I also work with several other local photographers. Come on back.” He gestured for them to follow him down the hall to a small room. “Can I offer you ladies anything to drink?”
“No, thank you,” Eve told him.
“I’m fine,” Josie said.
“All right, then.” He walked to a laptop on the desk and tapped it to life. Immediately, a black-and-white photo of a dragonfly filled the TV screen mounted to the wall above. “I’ve put together a gallery of images I think might suit what you’re looking for. Once you’ve decided which—if any—you’re interested in, we can discuss size and framing.”
“Okay.” Josie looked up at the dragonfly displayed on the screen. It had been captured in such detail, its wings seemed to shimmer. A beautiful shot, but she wasn’t sure she envisioned it on the wall of her bar.
He clicked the touchpad and another photo appeared. This one was a closeup of two women’s hands, clasped tightly.
“Oh,” Josie said. “I really like this one.” She could immediately picture this photo as a framed print on the wall of her brand-new gay bar. For a moment, she had the irrational urge to grab Eve’s hand like the ones in the photo.
“I do too,” Eve agreed. “It’s exactly what I had in mind.”
“That’s one of mine,” Michael said with a pleased look before moving on to the next photo.
They scrolled through his collection, eventually settling on two nighttime shots of New York City, the handholding photo, and a closeup of a dragonfly tattoo that could have passed for the one on Josie’s shoulder. Collectively, she thought they represented Dragonfly’s vibe. They finalized all the details for framing, and Michael promised to have the prints delivered on Thursday.
She and Eve stepped outside into the warm sunshine. Eve reached into her purse and slipped a pair of sunglasses into place.
Josie checked the time on her phone. “Want to grab lunch, or do you need to get back?”
Eve hesitated a moment before nodding. “Sure. That’s fine.”
“Cool. What are you in the mood for?”
“How do you feel about sushi?” Eve asked. “There’s a good place not far from here.”
“Sounds great.”
Ten minutes later, they were seated across from each other at a little table in the middle of the restaurant.
“How do you know Michael?” Josie asked, toying with her water glass to keep from staring at Eve.
“Business,” she answered. “I used to work with his wife.”
“Your marketing business?”
“Before that,” Eve said. “When I was working for a larger company.”
“Have you always lived here in Manhattan?” She knew she might be pushing her luck, but she couldn’t resist the chance to get to know Eve a little better.
“Only for the last five years.” Eve lifted her water glass and took a sip.
