I turn away and dab at the unexpected emotion Nikki’s vicious words evoked, pretending I’m just going through my shots.
“Shall we head downstairs?” Sam asks, the back of his hand against my upper arm.
“Yeah. Sure, let’s go.” I sniff and push my shoulders back as I face him.
“Everything all right?”
“What? Yeah, I think I have an eyelash in my eye. Hazards of shooting with mascara on sometimes,” I lie. Sam watches me for a beat.
“You sure?”
“Come on!” I move away from him, away from the windows and the box of Kleenex. “We should get set up before it gets too nutty down there.”
Too late.
The banquet hall is clotted with humans. Panic tickles my throat. “It’s darker in here than I thought it would be.” I pull off my pack and open two of the small softboxes that we can mount onto the sp
