“Girl, your grandfather did what?!?” Kayla asked. “How he dead and running your life friend? That’s some selfish stuff right there.” She joked as she downed the shot of tequila.
“You don’t care what you say nor how you say it.” Shea stated.
“I don’t know why we’re still friends with you wench.” Jason shot.
Shea laughed loudly as Kayla nudged her. “It’s not that funny.”
“I’m just saying, putting stipulations on your money is diabolical. You’ve already waited til we finished school and now you still gotta wait.”
“Kay, that’s enough. What’s been going on with y’all?” Shea changed the subject.
“Same ole same ole for me.” Kayla answered while she flipped her hair and checked her nails.
“Miss booked and busy.” Shea joked. “How about you Jason?”
“I’ve been having these talks with my dad about taking over the firm.”
“Niiicee,” Shea commented.
“Yea, it’s just some things I’d like to change, he’s not hearing it though. So we’re in limbo.” Jason explained.
“Yeah, but what else is going on Mr. Hot-Shot attorney?” Kayla pried. “I’m sure you’ve got more than work happening.”
“Who said I wanted to tell you anything further?” Jason snapped.
“So snappy,” Kayla teased.
Shea noticed the tension immediately. Jason was much stiffer than normal.
“What’s up with you Jason? You seem off.” Shea asked.
“Nothing, I’ll catch yall later. I’m just not feeling social at the moment.”
As he stood to hug them, the door to the pub opened.
“Ah hell,” Kayla said.
“Heyyy Jason.” The woman walked up, running her perfectly manicured nails across his neck.
Kayla grabbed her hand and removed it from his collar.
“Sky, don’t get dragged through this pub, watch your fingers.”
“Girl, Jason knows he wants me to touch him.” Sky shot back.
Jason sighed. “Hi Sky. Bye Sky.”
He grabbed his jacket and briefcase, kissed Kayla and Shea on the cheek. “Talk to y’all later, I’m gone.”
Shea watched him walk out, carrying more than his jacket and briefcase.
“Something’s up with Jason, Kayla.”
“Girl, what you want me to do about it? He’s not saying anything.” Kayla replied unbothered.
“You make it hard for anyone to tell you anything,” Shea said as she gathered her bag.
“So you’re leaving too? Just ‘cause he got his panties in a bunch?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Shea said rolling her eyes. When are you gonna grow up?” She headed for the door. “Love you girl, but you gotta chill.”
Outside, her phone rang. “Hello, this is Shea.”
“Why do you answer the phone like you don’t know who it is? Hi daughter, where you at?”
Shea chuckled, “Hi Ma, I’m leaving the pub, heading to the shop for a few.”
“Ohhh, you had a date?”
Shea rolled her eyes. “Ma, I was with Kayla and Jason.”
“Well, maybe you should go back to the pub and find a date”
“ What’s up Ma? Why you call?”
“No reason, just calling.”
“Well, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.” Shea ended the call.
Shea walked the two blocks from the pub to her shop, unlocked the door, dropped her bag in the office, and kicked off her shoes.
“Whew these dogs are barking.”
In the dark room, she started prepping the developing trays on the tables when she heard her phone buzz.
“Shoot, I left it in my bag,” she says aloud. She walked back up front, and checked the screen.
Jason: Sorry about today. It’s the anniversary of Ava’s death soon, I’m going through it. I’ll check in later.
Shea’s jaw dropped. “How could I forget,” she whispered.”
Shea: I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. I can come over later if you need me to. I’m at the shop developing for a few.
Shea responded. She slipped the phone into her pocket before she could overthink it. Looking up, she noticed the shop door was still unlocked.
“Well that’s the last thing I need.” She murmured, walking back to lock it.
Once the door was locked, she returned to the dark room.
“Alexa, play strings playlist.”
The sounds of Josh Vietti played through the speakers at a volume just above mute. Shea moved about the dark room effortlessly.
As she hung the developing photos, the clearer they appeared, the more she remembered why she began capturing these moments.
It wasn’t necessarily about the subject, but more about the essence of the shot. It was about the stories embedded in the ink, how every pose told its own story. It was about the way the subjects’ eyes held a million stories, the pain hidden by their smiles, and how it all worked together to make something memorable.
She heard her phone buzz. Two notifications.
Jason: I’ll be fine. Thanks though. Please don’t spend the night in the shop.
Shea chuckled. “He knows me so well.” She notices the time. It was already well into the night, and she’d spend more time in the shop than she intended.
The second notification was from her website.
New Consultation Booked 8 am.
“Welp, that’s my cue.” She hung the rest of the photos, disposed of the chemical in the trays, grabbed her bag, locked up, and headed home.
Once she arrived home, she texted her mother and Jason both the same message.
Home.
She waltzed into her bathroom, turned on the shower, and began to disrobe. Before she entered the shower, she stopped in front of the mirror.
Her eyes told of her exhaustion. She walked to the sink, ran some warm water, and caught the flow in her hands, bringing the water to her face. “I look like crap.” She whispered.
In the shower, she added a lavender shower steamer and allowed the hot water to meet her skin and melt away every stress knot in her shoulders. The lavender calmed her down and helped her brain to relax a little.
She dried off, wrapped herself in her favorite plush robe, and dropped in her bed. As she commenced her nightly oil meets skin routine, her phone rang.
“Geesh” she mumbled. “This is Shea.”
“Girl, cut the professionalism, it’s just me.”
“Hey Kayla. What is it? It’s late.”
“Just calling to say I think you’re right. I do need to woman up a bit.” Kayla confessed. “But what about you? When you gonna stop being so uptight?”
Shea’s forehead crowded with wrinkles. “How much have you been drinking?”
“Don’t flip it to me. Maybe if you’d drink, you’d be more down to earth, more relaxed, maybe you could get laid.”
“That’s it, I’m hanging up, and don’t call me once you realize how this call went.”
Shea disconnected. “The audacity,” she mumbled while pulling covers over her chest, and tapping her bedroom lamp to the off position.
Maybe she’s right. She thought as she turned over and settled in for the night.
Kae Jaye The Writer 