After we get ourselves under control, I switch on the TV and we combine our ice cream binge with a Netflix one. We’re well into the first season ofArrested Developmentwhen my phone buzzes on the coffee table in front of us.I pick it up, most of my attention focused on the screen, and freeze when I see Aaron’s name on thedisplay.
“Uh, Aaron Penn is calling me,” I tellAlice.
“He wants the V,” she drawls, eyes glued to the latest antics of GobBluth.
“Shut up,” I reply, picking up the remote and pausing the show. “It’s probably about ourproject.”
I answer the call and Aaron’s cocky voice creates me with a “Hello,Peaches.”
“Fuck off,” I retort in an eventone.
“So nice to hear your voice,” he replies, sounding chipper. “How’s your nightgoing?”
“I’m on a double date,” I reply, grinning over at Alice. “His name’sBen.”
Aaron only hesitates for a second. “Well, sorry to interrupt what I’m sure is a subpar outing, but I have to tell you something about the project. Can you talk for abit?”
“Sure, goon.”
“I was just looking into the photography request process, and it turns out we needed to put ours in, like, lastweek.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, worry seeping into my voice. The school has an arrangement that connects local amateur photographers and models with students in the advertising program. It gets us our ad material for free and gives them a chance to build up theirportfolios.
“That was the deadline if we wanted it complete in time for our project schedule. They’re booked solid, seeing as it’s the end of term and everyone’s trying to finish stuffup.”
“Merda,” I mutter, tugging at a lock of my hair. “You’re sure there’s no chance of gettinganyone?”
“I mean, there is,” Aaron answers, “but at this point we’re looking at only getting a shoot in two days before the project’sdue.”
The photos were going to be the main component of ourcampaign.
“We don’t have time to rework our whole campaign,” I say, stating the obvious. “Two days is cutting it way too close, though. We’d have to work for forty-eight hours straight. Could we just book a model and photographer from somewhereelse?”
“I looked into that. Pretty much all the decent amateurs in the city are already working on requests for the school, and any who aren’t say they’d need a similar amount of time to scheduleanything.”
“Could we pay someone?” I ask, surprised that he’s already put so much work into figuring thisout.
“Wait times for professionals are even longer. Also, unless you’re sitting on a major stash of cash, I don’t think that’s something we canafford.”
I get up from the couch and walk over to the window. “Well, I guess that really only gives us one option. Can you send in a photography request through the schooltonight?”
“You sure?” Aaron asks. “That’s going to put us under a lot ofpressure.”
“I can handle pressure,” I answer. “Canyou?”
We could conceivably spend the next two weeks getting everything but the visual stuff done, and then work our asses off to finish up once the photos come in. I’d even consider taking them ourselves, but I’m pretty sure neither Aaron nor I can learn to work a professional camera well enough to create the kind of photos we’ll need to make an impression at the showcase. This has to be top notch. That means some serious shit-getting-together will have to be done in the meantime, and I’m not sure Aaron is up forit.
Hearing him start humming ‘Under Pressure’ into the phone doesn’t help ease myworries.
“Seriously, Penn,” Igroan.
“Sorry,” he replies. “I’m up for it, Dominguez. We can get this done. Wewillget thisdone.”
“You better hope we do,” I answer, adding my thanks for his putting the request in before hangingup.
“Everything okay?” Alice asks, as I join her back on thecouch.
“I might need another tub of this,” I reply, reaching for the chocolate cherry and swallowing the biggest mouthful I canmanage.
