Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I push down on my semi with the heel of my hand. Something about seeing Aaron again and remembering how he felt and tasted gave me this boner nearly all day.
Maybe another hookup with him isn’t such a bad idea. If he’s willing.
I drink the rest of my beer, then clean up in the kitchen before heading to the repurposed shed in the backyard that houses my photography equipment. I pull the string on the light and sigh as I look around.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had the urge to take any snapshots, but I need to prepare for the upcoming Aqua Vista Art Fair. It’s a huge event in these parts, and I normally sell a good amount of photographs to tourists. But as I look through my stack of framed and unframed work, it feels uninspired. I have nothing new to add to the collection, not that the buyers will realize how dull and bland they feel to me. They just want affordable art of scenic views, and that’s what I provide.
Photography has been my hobby since my parents bought me my first camera as a kid. The McCoys are entrepreneurs, and I’ve been able to keep this as my side gig all along. Or maybe it’s just a pastime because, lately, the muse is dormant. Besides, how many times can I take photos of the same views? Suppose we’re spoiled in that way with the ocean and mountains as our backdrop.
I lift my camera, considering capturing the sunset, and then set it down. Instead, I organize the frames and develop what’s left of the film from my last outing a few months back. To me, it’s unremarkable, but it will likely do well at the fair.
The last time I truly felt motivated was directly after the accident that took my parents and brother-in-law. I was trying to capture what grief looked like while also giving myself a diversion, something to focus on. I was withering inside, absolutely heartbroken, and photographing felt like a task to complete on a checklist, so I got it done.
As the days dragged on, I took pictures of the boat that had drifted toward shore, empty, and the Coast Guard and divers as the search continued. Their bodies were never recovered, but I still sat for hours, hoping we’d get more proof they were truly missing. Though Dad always said he wanted a burial at sea.
None of it had seemed real. One day, they were there, and the next, they were gone. I’d lifted my camera and, either out of curiosity or disappointment, captured the people gathered on the beach. The crowd grew smaller every day, and I became increasingly frustrated that while my whole world had been turned upside down, people seemed to be losing interest.
Since then, I’ve rarely lifted my camera. Life has never been the same again for any of us. Not after the ocean showed us what it was capable of. The devastation. The desolation.
In the months afterward, even getting together felt painful. We were all carrying around so much grief we didn’t know what to do with it. Cain got into trouble at school, and Johnny kept himself busy repainting the outside of the bar—anything to keep our minds engaged with other things.
Tonight’s task complete, I click the light off, return to the house, and go to bed.
3
AARON
I sit up and stretch, thankful for a pleasant night’s sleep. Maybe a little too quiet for me, so the white noise app on my phone helped. I use it for all my hotel visits.
But it does nothing to relieve my anxiety about why I’m here. I lift my arms and try to crack my stiff back, knowing that’s where I carry my tension.
Now that I’ve committed to staying in Aqua Vista, I need to figure out what there is to do around town. And though I have an ulterior motive for being here, it’s been a while since I took some time just for myself. Of course, I’ve gone away on weekends with friends and day trips to the beach whenever possible, but taking time alone is altogether different, especially in a setting where I don’t feel the most comfortable. Mainly because of how cooly Jack treated my arrival yesterday.
But if I’m going to convince Jack to make a deal with us, I need to get acclimated pretty quickly. I certainly could’ve asked Jack straight out if he wanted to sell the business, and if he said no, I would’ve been on my way. Hell, I could’ve called for that conversation. But I’d chickened out. I’ve never been this nervous about business dealings, so I’m not sure why I am now.
I don’t even know Jack all that well, but something tells me he’s going to be a tough nut to crack. I consider telling Rocco that I tried and failed just so I don’t have to use a sales pitch on Jack. The truth is, Rocco is way better at making deals than I am. My talents lie in seeing the potential in a space and, once upon a time, being hands-on about it.