Looking Through The Lens

http://www.asstr.org/~ryansylander/

Chapter 17: In My Time of Dying

Back Home

Reality returned, all of a sudden.

�Shit!� The camera!�

Heather and I jumped up, and started for the camera she had set up.� Then we stopped still, marveling at our luck.� The tripod was centered directly over the sprinkler head!� We looked at each other, incredulously, smiling in surprise.�

I dodged the spray and grabbed the tripod, happy to see that the camera was dry.

We were not as lucky with the guitar and the camera bags.� The guitar was lying at the edge of one sprinkler�s reach, but I could see little beads of water clinging to the shiny top.� I picked it up, and winced as water dripped off the edge when I shook it.�

Our camera bags were closed, but damp.� We collected our stuff, and hurried out of the area before the sprinkler circled around again.

�Is your guitar all right?� Heather asked, as we put down our things on the sidewalk, safely away from the water.

�It�s a little wet.� Don�t worry about it, though.� I�m sure it will be fine,� I said.�

I didn�t really know that for sure, but I wasn�t about to let a little water rain on the euphoria I was still feeling.� Not that I had anything to dry it with, anyway; our clothes were wet, too.

�How�s your camera?� I asked.

�The outside of the bags are soaked, but it doesn�t feel like it got through to the inside.�

�That�s a relief,� I said.�

The cameras were probably worth much more than the guitar was.

Suddenly, Heather started laughing.�

�What?� I asked.

�We look a mess!�

I looked at her.� Her hair was wild and wet, and her white t-shirt was patched here and there with swing-set sand.� I surely looked about the same.� Our stuff was strewn about on the sidewalk.� We were a complete mess.

I had to laugh with her.

�What are your parents going to say?� she asked.�

�Nothing.� They�ll think it�s funny.� If they�re even awake.�

We had gingerly packed the cameras away, hoping the water wasn�t still making its way through the thick padding.� The guitar couldn�t go in the case.� I had left it open, and it too was soaked.� I had to carry the guitar and case separately, and let Heather carry my camera bag.

�You can borrow one of my shirts, if you want,� I offered.

Heather looked at me gratefully.� �That would be perfect.� I hate sandy clothes.�

�Hey, lying in the sand was your idea!�

She just grinned back at me.

We walked in comfortable silence for a little while, still returning to earth.� I was smiling the whole way home.� Every time I glanced at Heather, she was smiling, too.

The house was dark when we got there.� We went around to the back and through the porch entrance, since that was always unlocked for us.

Lara and James were lying on the couch.� They sat up much too quickly when I walked in.� Even after some quick adjustments, their clothes were clearly disheveled.� I grinned slightly as I wiped my feet on the mat.

�Hey,� I said.

�What happened to you?� Lara asked, as she stared at me by the faint light of the living room.� .� �You look like you got run over by a truck.�

Then Heather came in behind me, and Lara added, �Oh!� Hi, Heather.� I didn�t see you there.� Night swim?�

�No.� Park sprinklers,� Heather said with a laugh.

�My guitar got all wet,� I said, holding it out.

�That sucks,� James said.

�Is everyone asleep?� I asked.

�Yeah, I hope so,� Lara said.

�Cool.� We�re going to go change.� And, uh, we�ll go out the front when I walk Heather home,� I said deliberately.

Lara nodded slightly, and said, �Cool.�

Heather and I went to my room, and I dug out a plain t-shirt from my drawer.�

�Do you want some shorts, too?� I whispered, handing her the shirt.

�Sure.�

I passed her a pair.

�Um, can I use the shower?� she asked.� �Or will it wake everyone up?�

�I guess it�s all right.� We shower at night pretty often, since it�s so humid.�

She smiled, knowingly.�

�I�ll be right back,� she said.�

Heather came close, and kissed me sweetly.

I wanted to follow her to the bathroom, but decided that would be too forward.�

While she showered, I quickly changed, and then took the camera gear out so the bags could air out.� The guitar was dry on the outside by then, so I just propped it up in the corner, hoping it was going to survive the bath it had taken.�

As I finally sat on my bed, my mind was still swirling from the events of this incredible evening.� Now it was coming to an end, since Heather had to be back home in twenty minutes.� But she was mine!�

There were so many possibilities� her coming to ski� maybe even fly-fish.� And we still had six days together, for this summer.

Somehow, I didn�t feel the anxious urgency I had felt the previous year, with Julie.

Heather came back, wearing my clothes.� I took her garments, and put them in a plastic bag for her.� With an excited twinge, I noticed the bra strap that hung out of the ball of sandy and wet cloth.

She sat on my bed, absently smoothing the sheet with her hand.� How I wanted to lie on it with her!�

�I�ll walk you home,� I offered.

�That would be nice, but you don�t have to.�

�I want to.�

She reached out an arm to me, and I took her hand.� Instead of having me help her up, as I expected, she pulled me down.�

I knelt in front of her.� She kissed me deeply, holding my head with her hands.� My door was open but I didn�t really care.�

She broke off and held me close in a hug, running her hand through my hair.

�You said some beautiful things to me tonight, Matt.� This is a night I�ll never forget for the rest of my life.� I�m so happy right now.�

�Me, too,� I agreed.� �My face is sore from smiling so much.�

Heather giggled.� I had to remind her gently that everyone was sleeping.

�I should go,� she said.� �I don�t want to press my luck, coming home late, and not be able to hang out the rest of the week.�

�Do you want to leave your camera stuff here to dry?�

�Sure.�

I pulled her up, and we went out the front door and into the night.� The walk to her house was too short.

�I�m sorry I can�t fish tomorrow morning.� I have to work until three,� she said.

�Can I come see you?�

�Yeah, I�d love that!� You can meet my dad, too.�

My heart skipped a beat.

�He�s cool,� she added.� �I think he�ll like you.�

�All right.� Do you have a lunch break?�

�Yeah.� Come by at around eleven-thirty.�

�I�ll be there, and I�ll bring food,� I said.

�Mm, that would be great!�

We kissed a final time, before she slipped into her house.

Back at the house, I peeked through the glass door into the porch.� I wanted to tell Lara about the night, but James was still there, so I didn�t interrupt.� I couldn�t quite see them clearly from my angle, but there was some repetitive movement.� I smiled, happy that Lara was occupied, and went off to bed.

�A little daring, don�t you think?��

I plopped down on Lara�s bed as she worked on picking up a week�s worth of clothes.� That was about sixty items for her, fifteen for me.

�What are you talking about?� she asked.

�Action on the porch, last night.�

�We weren�t doing anything,� she said innocently, but she still glanced out into the hall, and then closed the door to her room.

�Right.�

�How would you know anyway?� Were you spying on me?�

�Not really, but I wanted to talk when I got home, so I did peek through the window.� You looked... busy.�

�How much did you see?� she asked.

�Not much, don�t worry.�

�I�m not worried, Matt.�

�All right.� Next time, I�ll come in and make myself comfortable.�

�Bring some popcorn,� she said.

�You�re silly.�

�So what�s up with Heather?� she asked knowingly.

�She blew me off, last night.�

Lara whirled around and stared at me, open-mouthed.�

�What?�

�She told me that she didn�t want to be with me like that.�

�No!� What did you tell her?�

�I told her how I felt.� She said it was sweet, but she didn�t feel that way about me.�

Lara stared at me some more.� I was starting to have some trouble not smiling.

�You�re fucking with me!� I can see your mouth twitching!� Lara suddenly said.

Finally, I broke out into a laugh.�

�Shit!� And I was so close to seeing you eat your bathing suit!�

�You�!�

She leapt on the bed and started tickling me.� I defended myself and counterattacked, but she was more fired up than I was, and I was still laughing from her reaction.� Eventually, I had to admit defeat, since she was on top.

�So tell me the real story now,� she said, flopping onto the bed next to me.

�We kissed for a long time.� It was incredible.� It felt like I was floating in space.�

�Oh, that�s cool!� So what happened to Bill?�

�She broke up with him a few nights ago.�

Lara sat up and pointed at me.� �See!� See!� I told you!�

I laughed.� �Yeah, you were right.� She feels the same way.�

�Matt, that�s awesome!�

�We�re having lunch together in an hour.�

�I�m really happy it worked out.�

There was a brief silence as Lara lay down next to me again.�

�Don�t you ever feel like watching someone have sex?� she asked suddenly.

I sniggered at her return to the previous subject.� I knew she was thinking of that, for some reason.

�I haven�t really thought about it.�

�I do.� I think it would be hot.� Last month, at Amanda�s house when I slept over, she found a porn movie in her brother�s room.� Everyone was making fun of it, but it was also making me way horny.�

�Well�� That�s kind of the point, isn�t it?�

�Yeah.� But I�d love to see it live.�

�Good luck,� I said.

�Why?�

�It�s not like you can just walk into town and go to a peep show.�

�Actually, I was thinking you,� Lara said simply.

�Me!� I exclaimed.

�Shh!�

�Me?� I repeated, more quietly.�

�Yeah.� Someday.� I know things are still fresh with Heather, but��

I just stared at Lara, sure she was kidding.�

�So you want to watch me?� Having sex with Heather?� I asked.

�Sure.�

So simple.� I might as well have asked her if she wanted lemonade with dinner.

�You�re crazy,� I said.

�Why?�

�I� I don�t know!� But you are!� Crazy!� I can�t believe you just asked me that!�

�Don�t you want to watch James and me?� she asked.

�That�s a private event, I think!�

�Why?� I wouldn�t mind.�

�Well, I figured that out, already!�

�I have an idea,� she said excitedly.

I rolled my eyes.� Lara had a habit of making concrete plans before I even agreed to participate at all.

�This I want to hear.�

�Tonight,� she said simply.

�Tonight what?�

�Tonight, James and I will be on the porch couch again.� Watch us through the window.�

�You can�t really see the couch from the window.�

�No, the outside window.� From the steps.�

I sighed.� �Lara, that�s crazy.� Besides, that�s not fair to James.�

�James won�t care.� We�ve talked about it.�

�Talked about what?�

�You, watching.� Well� sort of.�

I looked her in the eye.� �What are you talking about?�

�Well, when you got back together with Julie last week, it kind of came out.� That I wanted to see you two having sex.�

�How the hell did that even come up?�� I asked wildly, throwing a hand in the air.

�I don�t know!� It just did.� We were talking about you and her... wondering if you were having sex yet.� Then I said we should go peek in and see.�

�Did you?�

�No.� Too bad, though�� We could have watched her give you seven blowjobs.�

�Three.�

�Whatever.� James could have learned something.�

�So let me guess... He wants to watch, too.�

�He thought�� Well, we thought it would be fun if we all had sex at the same time.� Not with each other, just watched each other as we did it.�

Jeez, I�m surrounded by sexual freaks, I thought.� At least Heather seems normal.� But why was I feeling a little aroused, then?

�Lara, you have a twisted imagination.�

�You�ve never thought of something like that, even for a second?�

�Well, I don�t know�� I have thought about you, me and Julie, since you kept bringing it up every ten minutes for a while there.�

Lara smiled sweetly at me.�

�So are you going to watch tonight?� she pressed.

�I don�t think so.�

�Well, we�ll be there after everyone is in bed.�

�Don�t wait for me, to get started.�

�We won�t.�� She grinned at me.

�What am I going to do with you?� I said.

�I can think of several things,� she said suggestively.

I laughed as I shook my head, and then got up.� I had to walk into town and buy some food for lunch, and it was getting close to eleven.

�I have to go.� I�ll see you later.�

�Tonight.�

�Later,� I stressed.

She stuck her tongue out at me.�

I just rolled my eyes.

I brought a nice lunch over to Martin�s, consisting of bread, cheese, and fruits, in a picnic basket that my aunt had procured.� I also put in a purple flower I cut from Beth�s front garden.� She had suggested it.�

Heather and I sat on the deck behind the market, dangling our feet over the water, as we opened the basket.

�Thanks for bringing food.� I�m starved,� she said.

I held the flower towards her, awkwardly.� �Here, this is for you.�

�Oh, Matt!� Thank you!�

I shrugged and said, �You�re welcome.�

Heather plucked off half of the stem, and then threaded it into her hair.� She smiled coyly at me.

�You look� beautiful,� I said.� �I may have to stay here and guard against any customers taking you home.�

�You want to stay and help?� she asked, smiling at the compliment.

�Yeah, I�ll stand guard at the door.�

�I�m serious.� Do you want to work the shop?�

I looked at her for a moment.� �Um, I don�t know anything about selling fish.�

�I�ll show you.� I�ll ask my dad if it�s cool.� He�s supposed to be here, soon.�

�No, I don�t want to get in the way.� Plus I am meeting my mom in a couple of hours.� She is taking me out to get more film, and to drop the roll from last night off.�

�Oh, all right.� Hey!� Don�t look at the pictures without me, huh?�

�Okay, I�ll hold off.�

�Cool.� So what do we have for lunch?� Heather asked.

Someone loomed up behind us as I started to answer.�

�Hello,� the man said.

�Hi, Dad,� Heather said cheerily.� �This is Matt.�

I stood up, and stretched out my hand.

�Hello,� I said.

�Morning, Matt.� Aongus Martin.�

Heather wasn�t kidding.� He was Irish.� His accent was thick.� He grinned at me as we shook hands, and then clapped me on the shoulder.

�Good to finally meet you,� he added.

Finally?� I smiled slightly as I glanced at Heather.

�You, too, Mr. Martin.�

�Aongus, please.� Otherwise you and I will have trouble!�

He stared at me seriously for a long moment, and then laughed.� At least I know where Heather gets some of her teasing from, I thought.� I grinned back.

�So, looks like a nice picnic,� Aongus said.� �Bring enough for me?�

Heather rolled her eyes.

�Sure,� I offered.� �Have a seat.�

�Thank you, but Mairead would use me as bait if she found out I scorned her lunch for a seaside picnic.� Nice meeting you, Matt. �I wish I could stay, but the customers are lining up on the queue.�

He turned and went back to the market.� As he was about to enter the doorway, he looked towards us.

�Heather, shouldn�t you invite Matt for dinner one of these evenings?�

�Yes, Dad,� she called back.

He smiled sincerely and disappeared.� We returned to unpacking the meal.

�Sorry,� Heather said.

�About what?� He�s really nice.�

�He can get to be a little over the top.� If you come for dinner you�ll see what I mean.�

I served the meal out onto the two plates.� As we ate, we smiled at each other when we caught each other�s glances.

�So?� I said.

�So what?�

�Dinner?�

Heather smiled.� �Right.� When can you come?�

�Anytime, I�m sure.�

�How about tomorrow?� I�ll need to check with my parents, but��

�Sure, just let me know.� What are you doing tonight, though?�

�Nothing much.�

�There was talk of eating grilled fish at my place, do you want to come?� I asked.

�I�d love to,� Heather said.

She leaned over and kissed me.

�Mmm, this lunch is great,� Heather said.� �I love picnics, just munching on different things.� Simple and yummy.�

I grinned to see her so happy.� The magic from the night before had not faded� no, not at all.

Later that afternoon I was sitting on the porch playing my guitar.� Fortunately, it seemed unaffected by the moisture it had absorbed the night before.�

Lara came out from the house, frowning slightly.

�How old is Heather?� she asked.

�Our age, I guess.� Why?�

�She just pulled up in a car.�

�So?�� I put my guitar down and got up.

�She was driving it!� Lara said.

�She was driving it?� I echoed, frowning.

�That�s what I said.�

There was a knock on the door.� As I went to answer it, I noticed a red Ford Escort wagon parked in my aunt�s drive.� When I opened the door, Heather was smiling at us.

�Hi!� she said.

�Hey! You�re early,� I said.� �Not that that�s bad, but I thought you were coming around six.�

�Change of plans.� Have you started making dinner yet?�

�No.� We were just going to grill some fish and have some salad.� Nothing like last night, sorry,� I added.

Heather smiled warmly.� �Do you want to go out instead?� I want to take you somewhere.�

I glanced at the car.� �Is that your car?�

�My mom�s.� She let me use it for the night.�

�I didn�t know you drove,� I said.

�How old are you?� Lara asked.

�Sixteen,� Heather said.

�When�s your birthday?�

�July tenth.�

Lara and I looked at each other, mouths open.�

�What?� Heather asked.

�You are right between us,� I explained.� �Mine is July thirteenth, and Lara�s is July seventh.�

�But a year after you,� Lara added.

�That�s so cool!� Heather said.

�What time?� Lara asked her.

�Time?�

�Yeah, what time were you born?�

�Um, I think it was in three in the afternoon.�

�No way!� Matt and I are six days and six hours apart.� You are right between us!�

�Three days, three hours.� What are the chances?� I said.

Heather laughed.� �Too doo too doo, too doo too doo,� she sang, imitating the Twilight Zone theme.

�So where are we going?� I asked.

�Not telling.� Can you come?� You can come, too,� she added, addressing Lara.

�No, thanks.� I�m meeting James, later.�

�I�ll check with my folks.� Hold on,� I said.

I ran out to the beach where the adults were lounging on their towels.� After a short discussion about how long she had been driving, and road safety, my mothers allowed me to go.� Surprisingly they didn�t want to talk to Heather about it.

I bounced back into the house, wondering where she could possibly be taking me.� Heather had both our camera bags slung over her shoulder as we walked out, but she was mysterious about the destination when I asked again.

�So you never said you drove.� I guess I didn�t even know you were sixteen.�

�I just got my license a few weeks ago.� Right before our trip.� I got a lot of practice driving to Ohio and back.�

�It�s cool that your mom lets you use the car.�

�This is the first time she�s let me out alone, actually.�

Suddenly the significance of her driving dawned on me.

�Do you think they�d ever let you drive up to the Catskills?� I asked excitedly.

�I don�t know.� It�s a long way.� But I�ve thought of it, too.� Still, like I said, we come up there a few times in the winter.� We will see each other this year.�

�I know.� I can�t wait to get my license.�

�Start practicing with your mom, somewhere.� That�s what I did all last year.� I drove around parking lots.� When I got to my test, I aced it.�

�That�s a good suggestion.�

Heather pulled into a sandwich shop parking lot.�

�Let�s order and eat quickly,� she said.

�Now will you tell me where we are going?� I asked, as we pulled out of the lot.

�Church,� Heather said simply.

�Church?� At this hour?�� I was a bit puzzled.� Never mind that I had never heard her talk about church before.

�There�s a concert.�

�Oh, cool.� What kind of music?�

�A Christian pop band.�

�Christian pop?� I asked, skeptically.�

She seemed serious, though.� �Yeah.� It�ll be fun.�

�I don�t know, that sounds weird.�

Heather smiled at me.� �You�re all worried, aren�t you?�

�Worried?� About what?�

�You�re wondering if there�s something I haven�t told you.�

�Well, if you go to church that�s fine.� I just never have heard you mention it.�

�I don�t go to church, except sometimes to listen to music.�

�That�s cool, but Christian pop music?� Is it that good?�

�You know, I don�t consider myself to be religious.� But, for a long time, a lot of great music has been written because of religion.� That�s at least one positive thing that has come from it.�

�I don�t know.� My friend Carl� his mom listens to a Christian station on the radio, and every time we ride in her car she has it on full blast.� I can�t stand the stuff.� It�s all like cheesy elevator music.� I keep waiting for someone come on and say �Clean up on aisle four.� �

Heather laughed.� �Well, then I guess you�re in for a long night.��

She gave me a pat on the knee as she pulled into the parking lot.� The lot was full of cars, so we parked far away and then hurried over to the church.� Heather pulled me along, saying we were late.� Once inside the foyer, a few people were milling around.� They were all older adults, probably church members.� This looked bad.� If these people were here for this music, that was not a good sign.

Heather went up to the table and paid for us to get us in.� She rejected the offer of a program.� I laughed to myself at the image of my band handing out programs if we played at a party.

�Come on,� she urged, pulling me through the doors and into the great room.�

The place was mostly full of retirees.� There were no people our age in sight.� I was pretty sure I was going to see Carl�s mom in the audience.�

Heather led me up the long aisle, past rows of pews full of thick eyeglasses and hearing aids.� We sat in the front row.�

In front of us was an orchestra, I noticed with some surprise.� Violins, cellos, huge basses, and some trumpets were tuning up.� A choir stood on risers behind them.� A harp stood off to one side.� All the musicians and singers were in simple black pants and shirts.

The musicians went quiet, and then people suddenly started clapping for no reason, which unnerved me.� I noticed a woman, also in black, was walking across the front of the stage.� The singer, I wondered?� She acknowledged the audience and then stepped up onto a small riser in front of the orchestra, and faced away from us, immobile.

�What��

�Shh�� Heather motioned, finger to lips.

Nothing happened for a while.� People quieted down, and the coughs and shuffling feet faded away.�

Then the woman held up both her hands, and the music started.�

The first strains sounded nothing like Carl�s mother�s music!� I realized Heather had been pulling my leg.� The instruments started in slow currents as though in a deep river pool.� The voices joined in, and the sound was comforting, yet foreign.�

It took a while, at first, to make sense of what I was hearing.� Different melodies drifted in and out of the music, in almost dreamlike harmony.� A deeply resonant sound supported wisps of choir.� Everything was smooth and airy.� I noticed that someone was playing the church organ.

I turned and looked at Heather.� She leaned over and whispered into my ear.

�Just open your mind!� Let go of the world, and enjoy.��

She smiled and held my hand tightly.

As I listened to the music, I tried to wrap my ears around it.� Unlike the rock music I played with my band, nothing repeated itself here.� Musical phrases gently pushed and pulled me this way and that, building up and then subsiding.� As the concert progressed, I found myself being inexorably drawn into the music.�

Barely five minutes into the piece, I felt chills and goose bumps, as all the different voices that were flirting with each other at the fringes suddenly melded into a long and arching climax.� Nothing in this music was immediate.� Everything grew and evolved slowly, yet there was no stopping the movement towards its perfect release.

At that moment, I wondered if this is what making love to Heather would be like.

The concert was filled with great beauty and mystery.� There were moments where time seemed to stand still.� Long sustained chords shifted back and forth, between organ, choir and strings.� Then the music would shift color, as if it were suddenly illuminated from a different angle.

The musicians could go from barely audible to intensely overpowering, seemingly at will.� It was eye-opening, although I didn�t really understand this music much.� Still, I didn�t need to understand it in order to be moved by it, and to be heartily impressed.�

The piece seemed to have several parts.� The music would stop for a bit.� Then the musicians would turn a page, and play on.�

At the end of one particularly quiet and introspective section that seemed to just float in the air like a dandelion seed in the moonlight, the woman who was conducting slowly let her hands drop.�

A low organ note that was barely audible supported a shimmering mix of strings and voices.�

The music faded and then stopped.

The conductor was immobile, her head bowed.�

The church was stone silent.� I was amazed at how quiet several hundred people could be.�

Then I realized I was sitting on the edge of my seat, still gripping Heather�s hand.� Our palms were sweaty.�

Nothing moved, and my body was tense in the emotion of the music.�

Then the place erupted in applause.� I looked at Heather.� She was smiling at me.� The audience around us was standing to clap resoundingly.�

The conductor and rising musicians turned to face the audience.� We stood as well, applauding energetically.� Heather let out a loud farm whistle.

When the clapping finally subsided, I sat down again.

�Let�s go,� she said.

�What?� Is that it?�

�So now you want more?� she said with a grin.

�Yeah, that was� awesome.� In the real sense of the word.�

�Well, they are taking a break, now.�

�Already?�� I looked at my watch.� Forty minutes had gone by.� It didn�t seem like it.� Some of the people around us were making for the exits.

�Come on,� Heather said gently.

We walked out into the evening, past groups of chatting people.� The sunset was shaping up to be particularly wonderful.

�I don�t want to stay for the second half,� she said.�

�Why not?�

�The next piece isn�t going to be as good.�

�All right, if you say so.��

I was curious about what else they would play, but if Heather said it wouldn�t be as good, then I didn�t want to lose the high I felt right then.�

�I mean, if you want to stay, then we can,� she said.

�No, I trust you.� Let�s go somewhere else,� I said.

We walked to the car in silence.�

�So what was that?� I asked, finally.

�Christian pop,� she said simply.

I sniffed.� �Give me a break.� I know it was classical music, but what was it called?�

�It was a Requiem.�

�What�s that?�

�Mass for the Dead.�

I was surprised to hear that.� �That wouldn�t have been my first guess.� Or my tenth, for that matter,� I admitted.

�Well, if I ever die, that�s what I want played for me.�

�If?�

�Yeah, it might happen someday.�

�Might?� We all die sometime.�

�Speak for yourself, Matt.� I�m going to live forever,� she said, a glint in her eye.

�All right, good luck with that.�

�Thanks.� But if I do die someday, that�s the music I want.�

�I can see why, it was beautiful.� Who wrote that?�

�Bon Jovi.�

�Heather!� Quit it!� For once, please be serious!� You�re ruining the effect of the music.�

Heather stopped and turned to me, her expression soft.

�I�m sorry.� I didn�t realize.� I guess you really liked it, then?�

�Yeah, I did.�

�Durufle.�

�What?�

�That�s who wrote it.� Maurice Durufle.�

�Who�s that?�

�Some dead French dude.�

I laughed at her description.� �Well thanks for taking me to that.� It was amazing.�

Heather smiled.

�Do you have that music at home?� I asked.

�Yeah.�

�Can we go get it?�

�Now?� No, not tonight.� We just heard it live.� It won�t be as good in the car.� But we can listen to it later this week again, if you want.�

�All right,� I nodded.� �Now what?�

Heather shrugged.� �That�s all I had planned.�

�Let�s go to the beach, then.�

�Beach?� she asked, unconvinced.

�Yeah, let�s take some sunset pictures.�

At that, she brightened again.

Heather and I found ourselves on the sand in the midst of a perfect 360 degree sunset.

I swung her off of my arm.� I got out my camera, affixing the 85mm lens.�

God, she looked amazing.� The warm sunset light gave her hair red highlights, and lit her eyes up like jewels.�

I stood back a bit, and metered the scene.� I focused the lens on her, and opened the aperture wide.� I wanted only her to be in focus.� The background would blur out into a wash of sunset pastels.�

I snapped a few quick shots as she watched me with a smile.

�More attitude,� I said.

She changed her posture, crossing her arms against her chest.� The soft light on her hard pose was an interesting union.�

Click, click, click.�

Her look was a bit too stern.

�Smile a little, though.�

She gave me a mischievous smile.� I knew this would be a great shot.�

Click!

I fumbled with my camera, my face heating up, not positive of what had just happened.�

�What�s wrong?� Heather asked innocently.�

Had she really�?

�Film is jammed, or something,� I stammered.

She came over and took the camera from me.� She wound the film advance lever.

�Seems to be all right to me,� she said, grinning viciously.

I looked at her, briefly, and then took the camera back.�

There was a long silence, as I pretended to change some settings on the lens.��

The light was fading, but it didn�t matter.� I was done taking pictures.� I had no idea what to say, though.�

I turned away from her, and looked through the lens at the sunset.� A few random shots with shaky hands��

Although she wasn�t touching me, I could sense that she was right behind me.� My blood was rushing through me like a wild river�s rapids.

�I know what you�re thinking,� she said quietly into my ear.�

�You�re wondering,� she went on, each word dripping deliberately off her tongue, and splashing into my ear, �if you really saw what you think you saw.�

Had she done it then?�

It was fast, but not faster than the shutter.�

I was sure that she had moved her arms as I took that last shot of her.�

I was pretty sure she had moved aside her top, briefly!

Forward to Chapter 18

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