Page 97 of Safe With You

I wasn’t even looking at him.

“Oh.”

“You’re part of the store,” he said.

I looked at the picture again.

The way he said it made arguing feel unnecessary.

“Fine.”

“That’s twice.”

“What?”

“You’ve agreed with me twice in three days.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He turned the camera back around and continued working.

I returned to the register.

For a while, that was all it was.

Ellis photographed.

I answered a few emails, checked an order that was supposed to arrive that afternoon, and tried not to become too aware of the quiet clicks of his camera moving around the bookstore.

Then, eventually, they stopped.

I looked up.

Ellis stood on the other side of the room.

Camera lowered.

Looking at me.

I knew immediately.

“No.”

He laughed. “I haven’t said anything.”

“You don’t have to.”

“We need the owner portraits.”

“The store opens in twenty minutes.”

“Plenty of time.”

“Naomi will be here soon.”

“Also plenty of time.”