“For now,” I tell her. “This teaching thing kind of fell into my lap and I’m really enjoying it.” I add, “I’m coaching the girls’ basketball team, too.”
“I played basketball in high school!” she says excitedly. “Freshman year of college, too, but then I tore my rotator cuff. That’s when I found photography.”
“And you say my parents have been coming here for two years?” I really can’t wrap my head around this information.
“Three years,” she corrects me. “They’ve amassed quite a portfolio. They have some very beautiful shots, if I do say so myself.”
“Are they all … you know …” I gesture to the sandwich board of them.
Her head bobs up and down. “This one is pretty tame compared to some.”
“Are the others …pornographic?” I whisper the last word like it’s poison.
“What? No!” she assures me. “I don’t take indecent photos, just sensual ones. You know, ones that show people’s love for each other.”
“This isn’t something I’d ever have thought my parents would do,” I tell her. “In fact, I could see my mother being kind of judgy about people ...” Words escape me so I wave my hand in the direction of the sandwich board.
“Your mom does seem very refined,” she says. “But there’s another side to her.”
“Clearly.”
“You should come in and have some pictures taken of your own,” she says. “You’re very beautiful and I know I could get some lovely shots of you.”
“As flattering as that is,” I tell her, “I can’t imagine doing boudoir shots on my own. How would that even work?”
“Those aren’t the only pictures I take,” she says. “Remember those stores they used to have in the malls that took beautiful pictures of people?”
“Glamour Shots?” I ask.
Touching her finger to the tip of her nose, she says, “Yes! Well, I take pictures like that, but you know, more tasteful. I also do a lot of wedding and graduation photos. I’ve even done some prom portraits, although most people don’t spend money on those.”
“Huh. I knew you were here,” I tell her, “I just didn’t realize you had such a booming business.”
“It’s getting a lot bigger now that your mom and dad are sending their friends my way.”
“Their friends?” I can’t imagine any of my parents’ friends wanting pictures like this, but then again I find my mom and dad’s involvement more than a little scandalous.
“We should have coffee sometime!” Finley declares. “How about now?”
“I have to be back at school in twenty minutes,” I tell her. “But I could get together on the weekend.” I haven’t had a real friend in town since Lorelai left, and I find that I’m not opposed to the idea.
“How about tomorrow at one?” she asks. “I could meet you at Rosemary’s.”
“That sounds nice. I live in the apartment right upstairs from there.”
She claps her hands like she’s about to give me a standing ovation. “I live in the apartment above the yarn store. We’re neighbors!”
“I’m happy to meet you, neighbor,” I tell her. Then turning toward the door, I add, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hurry over to Rosemary’s to get my cookies. Faith isn’t there but her husband, Teddy, is. I still can’t get over having a realmovie star living in town. I mean, Teddy Helms is a big deal and people the world over know who he is.
“Allie!” he greets enthusiastically. “We miss you. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, Teddy. How are you?”
“No complaints. I leave in a month for another film so I’m hanging out with my family as much as I can.”
“Are Faith and the girls going with you this time?” From what I understand, they usually go together.
