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Maddox couldn’t develop the color photos himself—the process was different—so we’d have to wait for the drugstore to get through his rolls of film. I was excited to see the results.
“Leave it on,” Maddox said. “At least until we’re done talking to Adam. It’ll look really cool on camera.”
I had no idea if my confusion would convey in my expression when I looked like this. “That’s why you just took a hundred pictures. Talking to Adam?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. He wants all three of us on camera… somewhere… when Alys gets here, to talk about the competition. Maybe also film us going through some of Deacon’s things and figuring out what we want to use for The Rascal’s cover.”
“Cool. I’m in.”
Alys joined us a short while later. As we were leaving to head next door, Aubrey caught my eye and looked between me and Alys.
I couldn’t keep my secret as long as I wanted. Time to figure out how to break the news.
Adam met us back at my shop.
It was impossible for me to ignore the rush of heat when I ran my hand over the counter Alys had sat on last night, while I watched Maddox bring her to orgasm. And now we were pulling up four tall stools in that same back room so we could use that as our spot to sit and talk, in front of the camera.
Was everyone but Adam coping with the same memories I was? The hint of pink on Alys’s face said yes.
Thank fuck for my face paint making my expressions harder to read.
When we were all in our positions, including the camera, we chatted for a few minutes to warm up, then Adam said, “Talk to me like I have no idea what this contest is. The fifty or so people who watch my videos are probably local, but maybe there are one or two viewers who don’t know what you’re up to.”
We explained the concept of the competition to him. The making album covers, how it was like a scavenger hunt that had evolved over the years, and a few of the rules.
“Which album covers are you working on?” Adam studied me for a moment. “Besides the obvious one.”
“Can’t tell you that.” Maddox’s good natured reply came before Alys or I could answer.
Adam didn’t look fazed. “Or you’d have to kill me?”
Maddox smirked. “Maybe. But more because what if one of the other teams steals our awesome ideas?”
I doubted anyone was looking for that kind of espionage, but the rapid-fire exchange between Adam and Maddox was light and fun.
“In that case, let’s talk discarded album covers instead,” Adam said.
“In general, or specific to our choices?” I couldn’t even imagine how long the list of the former was.
Alys fiddled with her microphone base. “It would be amazing to have that kind of information from the actual artists.”
Maddox seemed to consider this. “Not sure Aerosmith’s Pump would’ve had the same impact if the cover had a picture of a bicycle.”
“Maybe we would’ve gotten Love on a Teeter Totter instead,” Adam said.
I tried to picture how that would work. Big mistake. “That sounds unsafe.”
“I think you mean sexy,” Maddox corrected me.
I know I did not. “I meant unsafe.”
Adam scoffed. “I always knew you were the grown-up of the group. Way to prove it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” As in, should I be offended? Something else?
Maddox nudged me playfully with his foot. “He just means you’re the guy who makes the smart decisions and keeps us in line.”
Alys caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked up at me through her lashes. “Does that make you Daddy?”
