Free Fair Play by Emerson Rose Page B

lost.”
    “It’s not as big as you’d think. Have a look around and I’ll be right back.”
    He heads up the stairs with Scarlet, and I look left at what was once the parlor and is now more of a family room than its formal predecessor.
    Nick has done a nice job of updating the interior in a way that newer furnishings don’t seem odd or out of place.  There’s just the right amount of detail in the molding and the fixtures. Giant colorful period rugs cover the hardwood floors.
    Without thinking, I take out my camera and start taking pictures of the vase full of flowers, the chandelier, and the large fireplace that is the focus of the office on the right of the foyer.
    I follow the flow of rooms back to the kitchen, where it feels more modern with its updated appliances and large island. There are three sets of French doors that open to the back patio where a large pool sits, tempting me to slide into the water. The sun has almost set and the rest of the yard has been swallowed up by the dark, but I don’t think there is much out there to see past the pool.
    Stepping out onto the back porch is like walking into a magical fairy tale, with the glowing water and flowers pouring out of any place something could grow.
    I’m so engrossed with taking pictures that I don’t even hear Nick approach. His hands slide over my eyes from behind, and I jump out of my skin.
    “Holy shit!”
    “What are you doing out here?” he says into my ear, propping his chin on my shoulder.
    “You scared the crap out of me.”
    “Sorry. I saw this beautiful wild creature wandering around in my yard taking pictures, and I had to find out why.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. When something this beautiful comes along, I sort of forget my manners and start trying to capture it.”
    “I know the feeling.” He lowers his hands from my eyes, trailing his fingers over my shoulders and down my arms. He releases me, and goose bumps spread over my skin.
    I half expect him to turn me around and kiss me until I hear his shoes against the cement walking away. I release a breath I started holding when his hands were resting on my shoulders and watch him make his way around the pool to the pool house.
    He removes a skimming pole from two large hooks and slides it into the water. There isn’t much to clean; someone does an excellent job with the pool upkeep.
    “What do you do with all of your photographs?”
    “The ones I take for pleasure?”
    He lifts his eyes from the water to look directly at me.
    “Yes, the ones for pleasure.”
    I swallow when he says pleasure. He can make the most ordinary statement sound alluring.
    “I uh, I have a portfolio, and the ones I’m particularly fond of, I blow up and hang on the walls of my loft.”
    “Is your loft all one room?”
    “Yes.”
    “What do you have on your walls right now?” he says, scooping a few leaves from the surface of the water.
    I sit down in a chair next to a large table with an umbrella and raise my camera, aiming it at him.
    “I have a shot of a lion I took in Africa.” I take his picture. Click. He looks up, startled by the flash.
    “Did you get my good side?”
    “You have a bad side?” I ask and take another.
    He’s got the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, exposing his tan, toned forearms. His hair is tussled from the wind at the beach. It looks better that way to me. The first couple of buttons of his shirt are unbuttoned, showing a hint of what I can only imagine are incredibly chiseled pectorals.
    “You tell me.”
    I lower the camera, and our eyes meet. “No, all your sides look pretty good to me.”
    A slow smile spreads across his face, and he blushes, again. Just like in the plane, a slight tinge of pink springs to his cheeks when I compliment him.
    “You’re blushing.” I snap a picture, and he laughs and holds out his hand to block me, but he’s too late. It’s a perfect shot.
    “I like it.”
    “I’m glad my body’s inability to