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Elizabeth sighed. “Fine. But if he says he doesn’t want to, just leave it at that. Okay?”
“I will.” Jane paused. “I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there again.”
“Ugh, my God. It’s scary as hell, especially since I have no idea what we’re doing.”
“Well I’m glad you’re trying—and not just because it’s Will. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m psyched that it’s Will! But you're an amazing person. You deserve some happiness.”
“Thanks.” Elizabeth glanced at her watch, her dinner untouched in front of her. “I have to get going. Charlotte called me earlier, and she’s stopping by with her new man. He wants to check out the darkroom.”
“Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know what's up for the weekend.”
A short time later, Elizabeth was washing her dishes when she heard a motorcycle idling in front of her house. She peeked from her bathroom window and saw Charlotte and George standing in the driveway, removing their helmets. A moment later she heard them walking up the stairs, and opened the door to greet them.
Charlotte smiled. “Hi, Lizzy! You remember Bill's cousin George, don't you?”
“Of course. Nice to see you again, George.”
“You too. This is a great place you have here. What a spot.” He turned to look at the view of the beach and the ocean before walking inside. “How did you manage to get ahold of it?”
“It’s been in my family for years. Most of the beach houses along this road have been in the same families for generations.”
“Wow. Impressive.” Once inside, he looked at the framed photographs adorning the walls, and stepped to take a closer look at each. “These are fantastic. Did you take them?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Lizzy is an awesome photographer,” Charlotte said. “She did a beautiful portrait for my family a couple of years ago.”
“Oh, so you do that sort of thing too?” George asked.
“It’s just something I do on the side occasionally. I did a wedding a few weekends ago for a coworker's daughter.”
“That's great. Can I see the darkroom?”
“Sure. It's just right in here.”
She opened the door and George went in, followed by Elizabeth, while Charlotte sat on the couch and flipped through a magazine.
“This is a pretty good setup,” he observed.
Elizabeth shrugged. “It suits my needs.”
She watched as George closely studied the photos on the walls around him and zeroed in on a picture of Jane.
“Who’s this beauty?” he asked, and slowly ran one finger down her picture.
Elizabeth frowned. “That's my sister.”
“Ah, of course. I can see a resemblance.”
He looked Elizabeth up and down, briefly—but noticeably—pausing at her chest, and moved closer to her. “The three of you were best friends growing up, right? You, your sister, and Charlotte. You must have driven all the boys crazy.”
Elizabeth stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. Feeling compelled to change the subject, she asked him about his work assignment, and he told her about the sights he’d visited on Cape.
“I’ve been doing a little freelance work on the side, to build my portfolio. How would you feel about letting me use the darkroom occasionally? I have a lot of experience.”
Elizabeth hesitated; she hardly knew him, and was suddenly feeling unsettled. But Charlotte liked him, and Elizabeth didn’t want to upset her friend. “I’ll think about it.”
“I’d pay you, of course. Handsomely.”
