Photo Shoot

Tucked in a corner of a roadside park, Amanda King sat at a picnic table opposite her partner, Lee Stetson. Amanda had packed a picnic lunch of BLT's (with just a touch of mayo), chopped fresh veggies and dip, chocolate chip cookies, and crisp, cool iced tea so they could eat on their way to Norfolk, Virginia. Conversation at lunch had been light, comfortable chat between two really good friends. Amanda rambled on about Phillip's latest math grade and Jamie's science project. Lee smiled to himself as he listened. No wonder she's so thin, he thought. She talks more than she eats. Her face was animated as she spoke, excited to share her family's activities with him. Her rambles used to irritate him, but now they brought a warmth to his heart that he couldn't really explain, but he was glad to feel.

Suddenly embarrassed, Amanda ducked her head. "I'm sorry, Lee. I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Lee smiled. "Hey, it's okay, Amanda. I like hearing about the boys." And he did. He felt as if he knew them, even though he had never met them. In the back of his head, he thought he might like to meet them one day – and maybe soon.

Amanda nodded and took a bite of her sandwich. She realized that this was only the second bite she had taken. She looked over at Lee. He had already finished both of his sandwiches and was munching on a chocolate chip cookie.

"I don't know how you do it, Amanda. You make the best cookies. I could eat these all day long." He reached for another.

Amanda shrugged, grinning at him. What was that saying? A way to a man's heart is through his stomach? She watched him devour another cookie. She took another bite of her sandwich. She stole a glimpse at her partner, tall and strong, and so handsome that she sometimes had to look away. Lee turned his head, and he met her gaze for a moment. Embarrassed that she got caught practically gawking at him, she gave him a tiny smile, then looked down at her food. He gave a little chuckle. He couldn't help it. Her face made him happy, and her expression was adorable. He cleared his throat; she gave a little nervous giggle, and they resumed eating.

When Lee finished, he crumbled his trash and tossed it into a nearby receptacle. When he returned to the table, he began tinkering with the camera that he had just gotten repaired. He opened the case and dropped in a new roll of film. He didn't look up as he spoke. "I hope our boys in the lab were able to repair this thing. The last time they 'repaired' it, every picture came back sideways." He snapped the camera closed and wound it until the film caught.

"Are you sure it wasn't user error?" Amanda teased.

"What?" Lee exclaimed, in mocked indignation. He raised the camera and quickly took her picture.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!" Amanda protested, with a half-hearted laugh. She tilted her head and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Amanda!" he cried, but he laughed anyway. That was his Amanda. He loved when she was playful. He smiled and snapped a second photo.

"Oh, no… you didn't take that, did you?" She frowned.

His deep, baritone laugh filled the air again. "I sure did, Amanda! And, if you keep making those faces at me, I will continue doing it," he teased.

"Why are you taking pictures of me anyway?" she asked.

He paused. He considered her question while he gazed at her across the table. The wind moved through the trees behind her, causing the sunlight to dance through her hair, making little specks of shimmering gold in her soft curls. Her chocolate eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. In fact, it seemed that lately her whole face lit up when she smiled – he never noticed that before. So, why did he want to take her picture? He wanted to say, because you're the most amazing woman I've ever met… because sometimes when you look at me, I can't breathe… because when we aren't together my heart misses you. But he couldn't form the words to say them out loud. Instead, he responded, "Because I need to test out the camera, Amanda." He exhaled.

"Oh, all right," she said, reluctantly, rolling her eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. You're perfect just the way you are." His voice caught and he blushed. He hadn't meant to say that. He meant it, of course. He just hadn't meant to say it.

Amanda blushed and ducked her head self-consciously again.

Lee cleared his throat and fiddled with the camera lens. He reached across the table and tapped her just below the chin. "Come on, partner. Please?" He held the camera up to his face. "Smile!" He grinned at her in anticipation.

How could she resist that face? Amanda cocked her head slightly and smiled shyly at him. He snapped the picture. Another smile, click. Pretty soon, he had her laughing, and he took another photo.

"Ok, Lee, enough of me!" exclaimed Amanda. "Now it's your turn." Before he had even realized it, she reached across and plucked the camera from his grasp and adjusted the focus on him.

"A-MAN-DA," he groaned. "Not me. Why me?"

She pretended to adjust something on the camera. At that moment, she couldn't meet his eyes, because once she got caught in his gaze, she sometimes lost the ability to think. There seemed to be something behind his smile lately, something that made her a little breathless, a little weak in the knees. Why take pictures of him? Because your smile is brighter than the sun and makes my heart flutter… because when I look into your eyes, I can see the boy you were through the man you are… because when I am at home at night, I wish you were with me to make me feel safe. But she wasn't sure she could risk being so bold by telling him. Instead, she replied, "Because it's your turn."

Lee consented and smiled. She snapped the picture. She took a few more before she paused. She held the camera in front of her face and peeked around it. A tiny giggle escaped her lips. "Now, give me a smolder," she teased.

He burst out laughing. "What?"

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and leaned across the table towards him. "Give me a smolder," she repeated, this time with a little more seriousness in her voice. She looked at his lips for just a second. Then she moved her gaze to his eyes. "You know. Give me … sexy." The word came out as a hoarse whisper, as she felt the heat rise to her face. She lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut. What did I just say? She gulped.

Lee lunged for the camera, laughing as she ducked down to avoid him. In one fluid motion, he climbed over the table. Amanda's reflexes were quick, and she leapt from her seat and started running, giggling and taunting him over her shoulder. Lee dashed after her, but she darted back and forth, eluding his grasp. Finally, he reached her and caught her around her waist from behind. Their combined momentum caused him to lift her in his arms, spinning them around until the force of their running slowed and brought them to a standstill. His arms were still around her waist as he gently lowered her to the ground. However, instead of letting go of her, he held her while they both tried to stop giggling and catch their breath. As she sputtered the last of her giggles, she pushed back against him slightly, so her back was against his hard chest. He smiled to himself as he felt her warm body against his, and without hesitation, he slid his arms tighter around her.

His tighter grip sent a shudder through her body. She hoped he hadn't felt it. Impulsively, Amanda turned the camera around and held it out in front of her. "Smile!" she said sweetly. She snapped the shutter as she took a picture of the two of them together.

"What are you doing?" Lee asked.

"I'm getting a picture of us… of two friends and partners. Do you know that there is only one photograph of us? You know, the one they took at our – " she fumbled, " – um, at our wedding. In San Angelo. And I don't even know where it is."

"I have it," Lee answered simply. He wanted to add that he'd had it framed, and it's on the nightstand in his bedroom, next to the photo of his parents on their wedding day. For some inexplicable reason, he loved to look at those two photos together. They just looked "right" together. But he couldn't tell her that. It seemed so … personal. "It's at my apartment. Somewhere." He tried to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, I'd like to see it again sometime. You were really handsome that day," she said bravely as the butterflies in her tummy beneath his hands were taking flight. She wondered if he could feel them. "That dress you bought me was exquisite. I felt so pretty in it."

"You looked amazing in it," he admitted, remembering the look on her face when he lifted her veil. He pulled her even closer to him. "So beautiful. The perfect bride." What? He hadn't meant to say that either. What was wrong with him? He shook his head a little. He closed his eyes, suddenly very aware of how close she was. Yet, he didn't let go. He slowly took a deep breath, leaning his head slightly into her hair so he could smell her shampoo. He couldn't quite place the scent – her hair just smelled so fresh and clean. Then, with his eyes still closed, and his face tilted slightly into Amanda's hair, he heard the click of the camera as Amanda took another photo.

His eyes flashed open, and instinctively, he let go of her. "Oh! I wasn't ready for that one," he said, blushing. He wondered what that photo would look like.

Immediately, Amanda missed the warmth of his strong arms around her waist. "Sorry. I should have warned you," she said sheepishly. "We can stop if you want." She pointed towards a path. "We might get some good shots to finish out the roll if we go down that way."

Lee reached out for her and wrapped her in his arms again. "If it's okay with you, I think I'd rather finish out the roll with my best friend." He pulled her against his chest again, and leaning his head into hers, he smiled. She turned her head slightly into his cheek and said, "Stay close. I have no idea if we will even be in the frame."

"Uh-huh," he confirmed, as he pressed his cheek against hers. She held the camera up and away from her again and snapped the photo. The feel of her warm body against his felt so good. He closed his eyes as he drew in the scent of her sweet perfume. He got lost in the moment as she clicked the shutter again. He dared to place a tiny kiss on her cheek as the camera captured another photo. If only things could stay like this.

They heard the squeal of the tires before they saw the car careening towards them. "Get down!" he hissed. As the car jumped the curb, Lee shoved Amanda to the ground and pushed her towards the overhang of the picnic table, covering her body with his. The air was filled with gunshots, as Lee tried to protect Amanda from the gunfire. She could feel Lee's gun pressed into her side and felt him reach for it. He raised his head so he could see over the bench and started shooting.

The shriek of gunfire was deafening, and the weight of Lee's body on hers was paralyzing. She could feel his body stiffen as he aimed, then fired, over and over. She tried to stay calm and not cry, but the tears stung her eyes. She squeezed them back and tried to wriggle around beneath his protective body to get a better look at the car and the two thugs in it. The sharp crack of bullets whizzing by her was terrifying.

Divots of grass exploded around them as she spotted the camera, just out of reach. She had dropped it when Lee pushed her down. She stretched out from under him and wrapped her hand around the neck strap and drew it towards her.

Still wedged underneath her partner, Amanda held the camera to her face, adjusted the focus, and began snapping photos. From her position, it was hard to tell if she was getting anything, but she kept snapping at the car and its cold-blooded occupants.

And, then, as quickly as it all began, it was over. The car sped off.

Neither of them moved for a long time. The deafening silence that hung in the aftermath was soon pierced by the happy songs of the birds in the trees. The acrid smell of fire and death was replaced by the earthy scent of dirt and wet grass. When at last he could smell her sweet perfume again, he dared to whisper, "Are you ok?"

Hearing his staggered breath in her ear, she nodded slightly, unable to speak.

He didn't move off of her, but he shifted somewhat to relieve some of his weight. Immediately, she shuddered from the loss of him, and the tears finally came.

Lee was concerned. Amanda never cries, Lee thought. She's the strongest person I know. He rolled them so he could look at her and hugged her to him. He pressed his lips beside her ear, and whispered, barely loud enough to hear. "Shh… It's okay. You're okay, Amanda. It's all over. I'm here, Amanda. You're okay. It's all over. Shh…" He gently wiped her tears with his thumb. Then he softly kissed her eyelids as she gulped for air.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she finally whispered. She couldn't look at him.

Lee shifted them so they were now half-sitting up under the picnic table, his back against the center leg. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and resting her head on his chest. A momentary flash of warmth hit him as he recalled a time that he held her like this in the woods.

"Why are you sorry, Amanda?"

"I know you hate tears," she said matter-of-factly.

"Amanda King, you are the strongest and bravest person I know. That was one of the scariest drive-bys I've ever experienced. They were so close. I was so afraid I was going to lose you…." His voice trailed off. He squeezed her tighter, almost afraid to let go.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you, too," she whispered so softly that he had to strain to hear her. She clutched the lapels of his jacket. She finally looked up at him.

Lee allowed himself a smile. He looked at Amanda – her face streaked with dirt and tears, her eyes so full of trust. She had never looked more beautiful. He tenderly kissed her forehead and held her close, rocking her gently in his arms while she curled her head to his chest. The steadiness of his strong heartbeat soothed her.

They sat like that, under the lip of the picnic table, for a long time.

The next day, Lee went down to the lab to pick up the photos he had left the night before. As he was waiting for the envelope, he commented, "I sure hope the pictures Amanda took will help us figure out what happened yesterday."

The lab attendant held up the photo of Lee kissing Amanda's cheek. "Yeah, we've been trying to figure out what happened yesterday, too."

The End.