he’s known you a long time and you’re close. I see things a different way though, and he appreciates that.”
“Like dragging me out in a rainstorm to take pictures of lightning so I can try to imply it ’s something else?” Teri laughed.
“Like that , yeah.”
“And after I ’m all better you’ll just be hanging out to avoid temptation? There’ll be no excuses then.”
“I ’m more worried about after I get the boys through the studio and recording contracts and we look at touring. There are a lot of things that can happen on the road and it’s always been a weakness for me. I sent Zane a demo tape and he proposed having the boys open for us for just a short US tour in a year.”
“You don ’t sound convinced. Worried you’ll pick up the twenty-somethings and start partying again?” Teri had her camera tucked away and turned to face him. Flynn nodded briefly. “What about Drew?”
Flynn was grateful for the darkness again. Paul didn ’t mention telling Teri that Drew was more than just Flynn’s best friend. He was his on again, off again lover for over twenty years. Surely Paul would have warned Flynn if Teri knew. For that matter, Flynn wasn’t certain if Paul knew or not.
“What about him? ” Flynn asked carefully.
“Won ’t he keep you in line on tour if you ask him to?” Concern tinged Teri’s voice and Flynn relaxed.
“He never has before. Don ’t mention the idea of opening for us to Kenny, will you? I’m still considering whether I want to tour again.”
“Sure ,” Teri smiled.
Flynn drove Teri to another site to take a few more pictures , all the while discussing the kids. It almost seemed like Teri was avoiding more personal subjects. For what was supposed to be a casual outing, Flynn covered some serious groundwork. Now he just had to make her forget or be willing to overlook how much he reminded her of Jess.
• • •
Teri refused to alter any of the pictures of lightning to make them appear what they weren’t. Kenny was right, it wasn’t accidental porn if you edited it. Of course, as Lexi Frost she touched up and altered shadows and used every trick in the book. That was different, it was people. Real porn. No, art. She hated how close the two came sometimes. Art, she reminded herself. Her pictures could be hung on the wall. If no minors lived there.
Flynn kept asking about the pictures. Fine , she huffed, if it would make him happy. Teri sat down in her tiny office and pulled the pictures up on her computer. She put nine of them on the screen and stared at them. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was looking for. Something. Something that could be something else. That could be . . . well, that flag pole is slightly phallic.
Teri looked through the other pictures. If the flag pole was slightly suggestive , the way those shrubs poked up was downright pornographic. Too bad the lightning wasn’t angled differently.
Of course she could fix that.
Teri started for her mouse then stopped , maybe she didn’t have to. She took a lot of pictures, there might be a better one. Carefully, she sorted through them again, focusing on the shrubs at one site until she found a couple that were close enough. Bringing them up on the screen, she compared them. The lightning was better on one, but the wind was blowing the center, taller bush, a bit off center.
“Are you hiding in here? ” Flynn appeared at the door.
Teri shook her head , refusing to take her eyes off the two pictures in front of her. “Making a decision.”
“If it involves drums , you’re safe. Dev and the girls are home from school but Bryan didn’t come with them. Apparently Brenda misses her boyfriend and demanded some attention.” Flynn leaned in to look at the monitor. “What am I looking at?”
“Lightning and shrubs. I like the shape of this lightning bolt. The way it kind of curves , see?” Teri motioned. “It cradles the shrubs. Almost embracing them.”
“Yeah, ” Flynn said. His