“Are you mad?”
“No.”
“Good.” I couldn’t help stealing glances in his direction, absorbing his features. The slope of his nose. The soft curve of his lips. The nervous strain that tugged at the corners of his eyes.
“What?” he asked when I stared for too long. His cheeks took on color.
“Nothing.” I returned my focus to the camera. “This thing fucking sucks.”
“It doesn’t. There’s an automatic feature if you’re struggling.”
“What? Now you tell me. How do I turn it on?”
Gale shuffled closer and showed me how to switch modes, and if I stared at his mouth, no one had to know.
The world appeared much clearer after that. “There we go. Much better. Can I take a picture?”
“I guess.”
I panned the horizon but stopped with the lens focused on Gale.
“What are you doing?” Horror-stricken, he scooted away until his back hit the passenger door. “Don’t.”
“You said I could take a picture. Say cheese.”
“Not of me.” He blocked his face.
“Why not?” Laughing, I snagged his sleeve and tugged, keeping the camera steady. “Put your hands down and cooperate. Model for me. Strike a sexy pose. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Ozrik, please. I don’t want you to.”
It was the first time I remembered him saying my name, and it curled warmth in my belly. I lowered the camera, confused at the stricken look in his eyes.
“What’s the big deal? One picture. Humor me.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. You’re…”Beautiful, I almost said, but caught myself. Was that how I saw him? Beautiful? Nothing added up, but since it was the first word that came to mind, it must have been true. “I… want to take your picture,” I said instead.
Without waiting for permission, I lifted the camera to my eye again. “Give me a big goofy smile.”
“I don’t smile.”
“Yes, you do. Come on. One little smile.”
“No.”
“For me?”
“No.” But that time, the corner of his lips twitched.
“Here it comes. You can do it. Stop fighting it, Gale. I know you want to.”
I was used to fucking around with my buddies, so out of habit, I upped the ante, forgetting that I didn’t know Gale, and he didn’t know me.
“I’ll make you smile one way or another, Windrow. Don’t test me.”
“I don’t want my picture taken.”
