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10
She was still thinkingabout him on Monday as she packed up the photos sold at Judith’s show. She couldn’t help feeling a little sad to see them go after their final two weeks on display. It was like saying goodbye to old friends, and she lingered over each one before nestling them in the cardboard corner braces and setting them in boxes filled with packingmaterial.
It was quiet, Moni not yet in for the day, and Nina replayed her date with Liam for the millionth time since Saturday night. They’d kissed by the river until their fingers were numb, then hurried back to the car he’d borrowed from a friend — one of the few people he knew in the city who bothered with a vehicle — laughing liketeenagers.
He’d parked on the street outside her apartment and they’d fogged the windows of the car while they kissed for another half hour, neither of them wanting to say goodnight. More than once Nina had reconsidered her decision not to invite him up, but she’d finally given him one last lingering kiss and stepped out of the car before she could change hermind.
“Don’t go,” Liam had said, looking up at her from inside thecar.
“If I don’t go now, I’ll never go,” she’dsaid.
“So never go, Nina Fontaine.” He’d said it softly, his voiceserious.
She’d smiled, thanked him for a lovely night, and shut thedoor.
“Must have been some date,” Moni said, pulling Nina from herthoughts.
Nina looked up. “I didn’t hear you comein.”
“I can see that.” Moni grinned and took off her coat. “So?”
“It was amazing,” Ninasaid.
“I knew it.” Moni headed for the tiny counter that served as their kitchen. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’m on my third cup. I’ll never sleep again if I keep itup.”
“I hear you. I get more sensitive to caffeine every year, dammitall.”
Nina laughed as the Keurig churned to life, Moni’s coffee sputtering from the machine into hercup.
She came to the picture Judith had taken of her in the navy trench and hesitated. It was like catching an unexpected glimpse of herself in a store window, the reflection at once startling and familiar, the jolt of recognition:my god, that’sme.
She took in the line of her own jaw, the shine of her eyes visible in profile, trying to find some hint of her inner turmoil at the time, turmoil over Jack and her increasingly dark sexual appetites. Was it a shadow in her eyes? The slope of hershoulders?
She didn’t think so. Her facade looked firmly intact, and she thought about all the people wandering the streets, hiding their inner struggles behind brick walls crumbling from too many shoddyrepairs.
She wasn’t going to do that this time. She was going to do the work, heal, learn, refuse to make the same mistakes. The next time someone took her picture, maybe she’d have rosy cheeks and a smile as big asLucy’s.
She packed the photo, said a silent prayer of thanks to Judith for the unexpected gift, and turned to the sales manifest, running her finger down the list of Judith’s photos until she came to the one ofher.
Her heart stuttered in her chest when she saw the buyer’s name: LiamMcAlister.
She chuckled and shook her head. Of course. She should haveknown.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she saidaloud.
“About what?” Moni carried her coffee over to theoffice.
“About Liam buying the picture ofme.”
Moni shrugged. “I assumed youknew.”
“I didn’t check the sales manifest until now,” Nina said. “I wonder why he didn’t sayanything.”
“Maybe he thought you didn’t want to make it weird by talking aboutit.”
Nina looked at Moni. “Is itweird?”
