I grunt a grudging acknowledgment. That’s probably all very reasonable. Except I’m not quite in a reasonable place. “The film people ruined my floor.”
We consider each other. Blake’s face is creased with worry.
“What do you mean they ruined your floor?” he asks at last.
“I mean exactly that.” Relenting slightly at his expression, I sigh. It’s not right to take out the shop’s problems on him. “I mean, of course I know that’s not your fault.”
Blake gives me a hopeful look. “Could I…come see? Maybe I can fix it.”
I give him a wry smile. “It’s not your job to fix things. Your job is the acting bit. I’m sure it says that in your contract.”
“You’d be amazed at the things I can do,” Blake says cheerfully.
About then, a customer skirts us trying to get into the shop.
“What…what’re you doing here anyway?” I ask.
“Heard there was a good photography shop nearby from someone on the crew. So I came to check out the cameras before they closed for the day. They have some nice stuff in there.”
“They do,” I acknowledge. Somehow, I feel awkward in front of him, under the midday sun beating down on us. There’s not the magical light of dawn around us this time.
“Actually, I planned to come by your shop to show you what I got.”
Startled, I stare at him. Whatever I expected him to say, it wasn’t that. He actually planned to come see me? With a camera kit, no less? Which means he was thinking of me. Goose bumps cover my arms, with that, and the earnest way Blake looks at me. It’s thoroughly devastating.
“I mean, I don’t want to keep you from what you were doing—” he blurts.
“I don’t want to make you go back in—” I blurt at the same time.
Then we laugh. Blake reaches to squeeze my hand. My heart pounds at the thrill of his touch.
“Let’s go back to my shop, then. I’m not buying a camera today,” I confess. Spending time with Blake is a far more exciting prospect, even if that means looking at ruined floors together. We walk through Soho, darting tourists and narrow pavements, passing ramen places and tattoo shops on the back streets as we shortcut back. The street looks bare without the catering tent and caravans.
At Barnes Books, the bells on the back of the door ring as we enter, the only thing back in place in the shop.
Blake blinks in the darkness of the shop compared to the dazzle of bright outside, also startled by the changes and damages.
“Well, that’s bullshit,” Blake declares, as we stare at the floor together for a long moment. “I can see why you’re mad.”
“I can’t put the shop back in order till this is sorted.” Glum, I shake my head. “But you don’t want to hear about shop problems.”
“I’d love to hear about your problems. Shop or otherwise.”
I glance over at Blake, who looks intently at me, his expression soft. And then I realize belatedly I didn’t have a plan for us other than staring at the floor together, which is a rather shit second date idea, if that’s what this is. Though our first date was long enough to be three dates combined, so this is probably date four, and who knows what the hell people do on date four.
“Are you sure?” I shake my head at the idea, but relent at a smile. “They’re terribly dull. Would you like some tea? I can offer that, at least.”
“Sounds great.”
Who knows if Blake normally drinks tea, but if he doesn’t, he’s not confessing.
We navigate through the shop and past the office and into the tiny kitchen. I fill the kettle, set out the teapot and cups, and make my way through the usual tea-making routine, then lean back against the counter to wait.
Blake’s trying very hard not to openly stare at my sink, but his gaze keeps going over. And then I remember and about want to die at my random tape repair, which admittedly is rather shit. I flush. Also, it’s unbearably hot in this kitchen, especially with Blake adding to the hotness factor.
“Ah, it had a problem. Emergency repair,” I offer by way of explanation. And for an emergency repair with no end date in sight due to the finances issue, it’s holding up admirably. Seven layers of tape might do that. No leak would dare.
“I see that.” Blake comes over to peer at the faucet. Experimentally, he turns the tap off and on.
