Cruel thin lines

Chapter 5

It had been almost a year. The magazine I worked for in Paris had given me a transfer, so I still had the job.

It was a spring day when the magazine asked me to replace a business photographer, they would do a photo report to a well-known sports reporter and the photographer in charge of that area was sick, so I was assigned to do the job.

Work is Work. I said to myself. And although it wasn’t what I liked, what did it matter?

I got to the address where the interview would be and they made me go to where the set was assembled. Suddenly I felt a presence, and with it, a scent; I turned to see who it was and my astonishment was such that I almost threw away the camera I had in my hands.

There he was, the great Nicholas Vilchez.

“Eve.”

“Nicholas...”

I couldn’t say anything else, soon the studio was full of people and I had to concentrate on my work, trying not to bring such an embarrassing and painful situation to the surface.

I worked like an automaton, I tried to block every feeling that came out when I saw him there; greeting me as if nothing had ever happened; although the anger that burned in my chest became more and more unbearable, I wanted the torture to end quickly and it did. When I heard the “Thank you all, we’re done,” I sighed in relief.

The second round of torture would come later, when I would have to review and select each photo in the solitude of my study. I would have to endure it one more time. I had no choice.

During the interview, I didn’t pay attention to a single word he said, I didn’t want to listen to him. I just took pictures as if he was a different model.

I picked up my things and got out of that study as fast as I could. While the reporter had him trapped, I noticed that he was looking at me, as if he wanted to get away from her and come to meet me, but I didn’t give him a chance. What for?

I got in my car and went to the nearest Starbucks. Why did the past play with me like that? Why did I have to face my fears like that? I never thought of ever finding him again, let alone this way.