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“I do need to pay you. You’ve earned it fair and square, and I’ve done extremely well out of this wedding.”
“Yes, but I did it as your friend. You’ve already given me a camera today; I don’t think I can accept this as well.” I push the envelope back towards him.
“Paul’s my friend too, but he’d expect a cut if he came on a job with me. It’s only fair, Madison. I charged the Beresford-Smiths a small fortune to shoot Sophie’s wedding, and your images form part of the package they’ve paid for. I wouldn’t be happy to use them if I didn’t pay you for them. Forget about me, imagine this is a payment from the Beresford-Smiths.” He nudges the envelope back in my direction.
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Toby asks to use the bathroom before we leave, and I’m pleased to see he’s left the seat down when I go in after him. In fact, now I come to think about it, I don’t think he’s ever left the seat up. I suppose I’m only noticing it properly now because of the conversation we had earlier.
It’s past midnight by the time I return home after collecting my car. Even though it’s been a really long day, I’m still wide awake, so I pour myself a glass of wine and settle on the sofa to drink it. I expect the wedding is winding up now, with just a few diehards milking every drop out of the free bar. The envelope with the five hundred pounds in it is still on my dining table, and I mentally run through some ideas for things I could spend it on.
As I reflect on the day, a thought strikes me. Whenever I invite someone to my flat for the first time, I’m usually slightly on edge all the time they’re here, and secretly relieved when they leave. Apart from the anxiety I felt while Toby was reviewing my pictures, I felt completely comfortable with him. It reminds me a bit of how I used to feel when Charley popped round, in the days when she lived in the flat opposite with her then-boyfriend, Josh. I know she’ll be asleep, but I fish out my phone to send her a WhatsApp message.
Invited Toby to have fish and chips at my place on the way back from the wedding. It was nice, and he even left the loo seat down! Think I’ve lucked out on the GBF stakes…
I can feel my eyelids starting to droop, so I drain my glass and head off to bed.
