Page 10 of Aperture

We talk for a few more minutes, but I honestly can’t focus on anything, except for seeing Wyatt tomorrow. Wyatt, who drinks black coffee, likes photography and makes my heart palpitate whenever I’m in his orbit.

Chapter 7

It took me thirty minutes to figure out what to wear to meet with Wyatt today. It’s not exactly a date, but I’m hoping it could be next time, so I tried to pick something cute without overdoing it. I ended up settling on my cutest dark jeans, tan sweater, and brown leather boots. It’s windy again today so I have my long blonde hair tied up in a messy bun. My camera bag sits on the chair beside me as I sit nervously, waiting for him to arrive. I ordered herbal tea, but I’m not even drinking it. I’m simply holding onto the cup for warmth while I shift my feet nervously under the table. Thankfully, I only have to wait a few minutes before he walks in.

He enters the coffeehouse, tall and beautiful, and my heart drops into my stomach. He’s wearing a light blue sweater, black jeans, and expensive-looking black sneakers. The sleeves of his sweater are pushed up on his forearms, and I can just barely make out the bottom of a tattoo peeking out on his right arm. I somehow manage to stand on shaky legs as he approaches.

“Hi, Millie,” he says and gives me a friendly hug. He smells so good. His cologne is both clean and musky, with notes of sandalwood and cardamom. If Autumn had a smell, it would be Wyatt.

“Hi!” I smile. “Did you want to get a coffee?”

“No, I’m good,” he says.

“I was thinking we could walk around a bit and just observe things. It’s a good place to start in seeing what interests you,” I tell him getting to my feet.

“Sounds good, lead the way,” he says, gesturing for me to walk ahead of him. I notice he’s carrying his new camera in a black satchel. I do like a prepared man.

We start walking through what would be considered the center of our little city. Depending on what he finds interesting, there are quite a few subjects to photograph here. We pick a bench to sit on and quietly observe the area. We are surrounded by older buildings, big trees, and various people milling around with children and dogs.

After a moment, he gets up and walks toward a large oak tree. I follow him curiously as he stands directly underneath it and looks up. It’s a beautiful shot, with streaks of sunlight licking the large branches. It feels as if you are part of the old tree.

“Get your camera out,” I direct. As he is doing that, I ask him if he’s had a chance to

read up on how to use it.

“I did read a bit last night,” he says, his forehead creasing in concentration. I love that he is taking this so seriously. I wonder for a moment if he approaches everything in his life with such ferocity.

“Well, this is all about what you like and what you find interesting. There’s no one way to do it. You decide the depth, contrast, focus, and sharpness,” I start. “I personally love a lot of light. It’s the lens through which I choose to look at life in general,” I tell him.

When he doesn’t respond I look over at him and he’s studying me, a small smile curving the sides of his lips.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing,” he says with a smile. “I just like to listen to you talk about this. I can tell how much you love it.”

◆◆◆

I listen to Millie talk about all things photography for over an hour. She is so excited to share her passion. She handles my new camera with her little hands with such a delicate yet commanding touch, lighting up as she tells me all about how she started taking pictures with a polaroid camera at age eight, and still enjoys using them sometimes. Millie primarily likes to photograph people and nature but will take pictures of anything she finds interesting.

When she stops to think about something, she sucks on her bottom lip, which is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I follow her around and listen to her direction, taking photos of things I think seem cool as I mirror her enthusiasm. This is definitely her element.

“I really do love this,” she says. “Since I started so young, my passion was able to grow over time. I’m so incredibly lucky to be able to make a living doing what speaks to my soul.”

“That is amazing. Most people never find one thing that does that,” I admit.

“For me,” she starts. “I think it was about missing my parents.”

I listen attentively, encouraging her to continue.

She walks around looking in all different directions, looking for any inspiration, as she talks. “My parents died in a car accident when I was three,” she confesses. “Since I don’t remember them, I was obsessed with looking at old photos of them and the three of us as a family.” She stops and sighs for a moment before continuing.

“As I got older, I wanted to continue to capture memories in any way I could.”

She stops abruptly and looks at me, blushing with embarrassment by making such an admission to a near stranger.

I knew about her parents, of course. I know almost everything there is to know about Millie. Still, hearing her talk about them tugs at my heartstrings unexpectedly, and I find myself drawing her into a tight hug. She steps right into my embrace and places her face against my chest. I inhale her scent and notice that she smells like vanilla and jasmine. It’s enticing, warm, and feminine. It makes me want to undress her and see if her whole body smells the same.

Before I can take that thought further, she steps back slightly and looks up at me. I’m debating kissing her, which is crazy when she swings her hand up and takes a picture of my face.