“Then we buy more film. It’s not a big deal.”
“What should I take a picture of?”
“Whatever you want. It’s your camera.”
Mia’s gaze searched the surrounding area as she considered this. When it landed on Hermes, the dog gave her a slight wag of his tail and a single bark. These days the pooch was more active, becoming spritely once again.
“Hey, Hermes, do you want to be a beautiful model for me? You just can’t wiggle around too much, or you may end up out of focus, and we won’t know until we get the film developed.” The dog responded with another bark and wiggled around even more. “I don’t know if handsome here is going to cooperate. Can you hold him?”
“You want to take a picture of the dog and me?” Ross asked.
“Sure.” Mia stood to face him on the log. “I should have at least one photo of the pair of you for my scrapbook, then I have something to look back fondly on.”
She may have caught a dark flash in Ross’s eyes, and she internally cursed herself for being careless with her words. But when she glanced at him again, there was nothing there.
“Come here, boy,” Ross called, patting his lap to catch the dog’s attention.
Hermes responded as if he lived and breathed to be noticed by Ross. He scrambled on the log, snuggling into the man’s chest and lavished his owner’s neck with sloppy dog kisses. Mia wished she and the dog could change positions, with Hermes taking the picture instead. There was a good chance the dog wouldn’t mind. He didn’t have one jealous bone in his whole body. Mia should be more like Hermes.
Her eyes dropped to the viewfinder located at the top of the camera, centering her favorite subjects, and swiping her hair behind an ear. “How did you get Hermes? Was he from the animal shelter?” She pushed the shutter button, and it made a satisfying click in response. Mia would gladly fill the whole film roll with images of Ross and Hermes. Wherever she ended up living, she could have her own refrigerator covered in their pictures.
“Are you implying Hermes doesn’t look like a pedigree from a top breeder? This is the best dog in the world.” Ross released the squirming, excited animal, who returned to the task of sniffing for small animal clues in the dirt. “He showed up at the shop one day, looking pitiful, and wouldn’t leave me alone until I finally gave in and let him stay.”
Mia returned to her seat on the log as she twisted the knob on the Hawkeye, preparing for the next shot. She chuckled at Ross’s response. “It seems like Hermes and I share the same friend-seeking technique. I don’t know how I feel about this. Either he’s a genius, or I’m not as smart as I thought. Let’s go with the first option.”
“I thought it seemed familiar. I’m obviously the world’s biggest sucker.”
“Well, Hermes’s method paid off, and now you’re a proud dog owner. I think it suits you.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I didn’t want a dog.” Ross slipped his arm around her waist, bringing his lips to her neck. “I didn’t want a girlfriend either,” he murmured.
Mia’s heart stuttered in her chest as if traveling across road bumps. Did his lips detect the aftershocks in the pulse running along her neck? She resisted the urge to pull away from him, not wanting him to sense her internal panic at his words. “Oh god,” she said with a nonchalant air as she studied the details of her new camera with extra scrutiny. “What’s the girlfriend equivalent of Hermes?”
“One dimple would probably qualify. It makes you lopsided.”
She turned to him in faux outrage, eyebrows raised and lips set in a firm smirk. “Did you just imply there’s something wrong with my dimple?”
“Having only one might be considered a defect to some,” he stated matter-of-fact.
She pushed her finger into his chest and provided a wide smile so he’d get her solitary dimple in full effect. “I’ll have you know, I’m using my one dimple as criteria for finding my future soulmate. Someday I’m going to meet someone with a single dimple, but on the other side of their face, and it’ll be like salt and pepper shakers coming together.” She pointed from the dimple to the dimple-less side of her face to illustrate her argument further.
Ross’s brow pinched in the center, and his mouth stretched into a straight line. Was he angry? Did Mia take it too far? Her sole purpose was to keep things light.
“Okay, that’s it.” And in a sudden blur of motion, he grabbed her around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder as he stood.
A gasp followed by laughter bubbled out of her. “I beg your pardon. And just what do you think you’re doing? I almost dropped my treasured camera.”
Ross marched them to their tent. “You can only push a person so far, Mia. I planned a nice camping trip for your birthday, and I didn’t do it to hear about some bastard salt-and-pepper-shaker, dimpled soulmate. It’s too much.”
Hermes bounced around them, barking wildly and wagging his tail. “Bite him, Hermes.” She laughed again.
Ross had to set her down to undo the tent zipper, but she didn’t move, looking forward to tackling him herself. “Get in,” he growled, “and prepare to accept your punishment.”
He followed her inside, leaving Hermes outside to continue sniffing the grounds, while he zipped them within the tent. Soon her cameras were carefully stowed away with her glasses and he began peeling her clothes in between light nips against her skin. He carefully tucked her into the sleeping bag and after removing his own clothes, joined her.
“Maybe I can hang around until you find this other mystery man.” Ross’s lips pressed kisses along her collarbone.
“What man? I don’t even know what you’re talking about anymore,” she said in return, her fingers curling in the hair at the nape of his neck.
