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“What did you say?”
He chuckles. “I said it wasn’t bad. The ending. The one you were referring to last week.”
I flip a page. “Well, when they end the way yours did, most people consider them to be very good, fantastic.” I peek at his concentrated profile. “Orgasmic even.”
“True.” He stays focused on the monitor, holding his mouth tight so not to show any delight in our conversation. “If I recall correctly, yours was pleasant also.”
“No complaints here.”
“That’s good to hear.” A huge grin begins to form across his mouth.
“Don’t look so self-assured,” I remark.
“Never,” he teases.
We work together in silence as I’m reading the biography, and he’s conducting online research. Finals are right around the corner for the entire university. Two students approach the desk, but Foster is able to quickly point them in the right direction, and they are gone soon after.
When they’re out of earshot, my coworker turns to me and questions, “So, when is your project due?”
“My thesis?” I ask, assuming he’s inquiring about the book in my hand. “I plan on turning it in early in the spring quarter.”
“No, not that. Your photography study on fire?”
“Next week. Most of the shots are already set, and I’ll be matting them this weekend.”
“I see.” He edges his chair further under the desk.
“Why do you ask?” I ponder, closing my reading material.
“You got me thinking about fire and water. We’ve done some interesting experiments in the lab, actually igniting fire in water. It was quite a sight.”
“I bet.”
The wheels in my head begin to turn, curious as to how a shot like that might look through a lens. I’ve seen welding underwater on TV, and it’s rather powerful. Those big fishing boats always have to fix something. I wonder if what Foster was referring to is anything like that.
Now, I need to know because to actually capture fire and water—heat and that which calms it cooperating for an instant, working side by side, showing their battle as well as their likeness—in the same frame would be miraculous.
“Was it a hard experiment?” I ask innocently.
“Not technically. There’s not a lot of heating or cooling. It’s just mixing together the right substances. It’s extremely dangerous though, and it lets off a highly toxic gas.”
“Oh,” I utter, mildly disappointed. “So, it’s not something you should try at home?”
“No,” he stresses, “not at all. Is there a reason you were asking?”
“Yeah but never mind. The idea of gagging myself to death with toxic fumes in order to take a picture doesn’t sound all that appealing.”
He lifts his frames back to his face and then turns toward me. “If you’re really interested, I can find out if one of my professors can conduct the experiment for you. It needs to be done in a controlled setting for safety.”
“No, that’s okay. It was just a thought. I already have some great shots, but the concept is really different. Maybe some other time.”
“Let me know if you change your mind. I’d be happy to ask someone in the department.”
“Thanks.” I reopen my book.
No less than a minute later, Foster says to me, “You know, if you’re really interested, I might be able to show you a different experiment where fire exists underwater.”
“How? I thought you said it was dangerous.”
