John bobbed his head in agreement, and settled down on the couch that they were using as a prop. Tatem urged him to just move around as he would at home, or at a friend�s house.
�Just lean forward and rest your elbows on your knees.� She hid her smile behind the camera �Maybe you could recline on the couch.� He moved draping one arm across the back of the couch, crossing his legs at the ankle a gentle bend forming in his knee, finally dropping his other arm on the pillowy couch arm. He turned slightly towards the camera to face her, his shirt gaping open, the slightest smile crossing his face starting to bring out the dimples in his cheeks and the smile lines by his eyes. He then flashed his eyes left directly to her, and she clicked the shutter button. It was the last frame of the first roll, and the electricity that came through that look he gave her, made her know that it was the keeper.
~*After the interview*~
Darcy thanked John repeatedly for being so patient, and so strait forward with his responses. She informed him that all of the proofs of the shoot earlier that morning were done and Tatem had them set up in her office. If he wanted to look at them, and maybe pick out the one�s he prefers. John shook her hand, thanked her for her hospitality and asked directions to Tatem�s office. He walked down the short hall and stopped at the first door on his left. Noticing the door was open and no one was in the room he went in and made himself at home looking at some of the pictures on the walls, and shelves throughout the small office. The first one to catch his eye was of an obviously younger Darcy, Tatem, and some of their friends all perched on the edge of a deck at a lake somewhere. The sun was glowing a brilliant red behind them, and they were all sun kissed and smiling.
He looked at a few more, when he came upon a collage of just Tatem and Darcy at different ages, and phases in their friendship ranging from young school age with dolls to college in matching Greek gear, drinks in hand, and gloriously happy smiles on their faces. John moved on looking at a few more recent pictures of her, Cat, Darcy and other friends. Then he stumbled almost on accident to a set of frames containing black and white wedding pictures, and other pictures of the same couple going through the years, with more children in almost every one. Then he noticed another collage frame, in the center was the man in the wedding photo but older, and Tatem, as a baby in a hospital, at home, a toddler, preteen, etc. next too it was a remembrance frame, on one side in sections was a paper from a funeral a very recent funeral after he looked closer. The other side was a picture of Tatem and her father, in a hospital room; they were holding hands looking into each other�s eyes the same expression on their faces.
Tatem stood quietly in the doorway of her office, her hip and shoulder resting against the door jam. She watched silently as John moved from picture to picture, watching his expressions, wich ranged from curious, to did she dare think sad. She made a subtle noise, so that he wouldn�t be too startled.
�Oh, I didn�t know you were standing there.� He smiled at her, �I hope you don�t mind I was just looking at some of your pictures.�
�Not at all they were put out to look at, not for me to be mad because people did just that.� She paused in front of the collage of her and her dad, absent-mindedly touching the frame.
�Is that your Dad?� He asked not sure what he was expecting in response. �I�m sorry that you lost him.�
�Yes that is, and thank you very much.� She sighed inwardly �It�s been about four months since he passed. It�s not been easy to say the least.�
�I can understand that, I don�t know what I�d do if I lost either of my parents.� His deep blue eyes locked with her sorrowful brown ones. �You look a lot like him�
Tatem chuckled, �Well a little, my mother says I act like him, so does Darcy. I don�t know where they get that, from. So are you ready to take a gander at these proofs?�
