Page 25 of The Broken Heart Playlist
“You’re delusional,” I retort. “And he’s notmyGideon Walker.”
“With a man like that, I’m going to give you advice from one of Thor’s more famous lines.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
She answers anyway, as I knew she would. “Thor said,I went for the head.” Her eyes twinkle as she tilts her head toward Gideon walking away in the distance. “With a man like that, you listen to Thor. Go for the head and take him down.”
CHAPTER TEN
“You okay?” Joel asks. “You look as though something’s troubling you.”
I stare at him in surprise. We don’t typically venture into personal territory.
He offers me a casual shrug. “Sometimes it helps to talk problems out.”
The client hasn’t arrived yet for our Tuesday shoot and we’re alone in the studio. Joel’s right, I am troubled. Although I wouldn’t normally discuss personal matters with anyone who’s not family, I’ve worked with Joel long enough to trust him, insofar as I trust anyone.
“It’s Lisset,” I say.
Joel listens quietly while I tell him about her reading difficulties and my unsuccessful attempts to cajole her to open a book. I let him know that test results show Lisset is not dyslexic. Then I mention the Reading Dog Program at the school, how I’m at a loss as to what to do next.
“Maybe you should give the program a try,” he suggests when I’m finished. “You have nothing to lose if it doesn’t work out.”
I take a second to absorb his words. “I was so quick to dismiss the program, but you’ve made a good point. What have I got to lose?” I smile my thanks at him. “I should offload on you more often.”
His dark eyes soften and he looks as though he’s about to say something more, but the client arrives to talk through details of the shoot and we drop the conversation.
I’m still mulling over Joel’s advice while I set up everything I need to food style a bowl of cereal. I start by pouring the flakes onto a large tray to sort through them. I pick out only the curved, unbroken ones, setting them aside. My back is stiff and sore by the time I’m done.
The client wants a deep bowl for the picture. Because I’m using white school glue and not milk, which, as I told Tess, will cause the cereal to become soggy and sink to the bottom, I decide to construct a false bottom. That’ll save me from having to fill the entire bowl with glue.
I mix flour with water to create a solid base, then I squeeze a thin, but rich layer of glue on top of the base. The glue is whiter than milk, with a brilliant shine the camera loves.
I tweeze the flakes in one at a time, positioning them to showcase their shapes. Using a syringe, I inject a creamy white conditioner at various intervals between the flakes and clean up the edges of the bowl with a fine paintbrush.
The client wants a spoonful of cereal floating above the bowl. I use an extension arm and a metal clamp, which will be out of sight of the camera, to float the spoon above the bowl. Once I’ve added glue to the spoon, I carefully position cereal flakes onto the spoon and squeeze a drop of the white conditioner at the front of the spoon, creating a delicious drip.
Joel takes the shots, keeping the composition simple for a dramatic effect. The client is so pleased he books us for another shoot the following month.
Joel walks me to my car. “Hey, want to have a drink with me sometime?” he asks offhandedly.
“Sure,” I reply, my brain preoccupied with talking to Lisset’s teacher about the program. “It’ll be good to run through details of the next shoot.”
His steps falter. “The shoot. Yeah, okay. Text me when you’re free.”
“Will do.”
On the way to Lisset’s school, I take a deep, centering breath and decide to take Joel’s advice. Like he said, what have I got to lose? The flicker of unease I’m feeling might be more to do with Gideon than the program, but I can live with the unease if Lisset starts reading again.
When I arrive at the school, I pop in to see Laura, Lisset’s teacher, and give her the go-ahead to try Gideon’s Reading Dog Program with Lisset. Excitement lights up her face. She tells me Gideon had his first session today and the children loved it. She’ll schedule Lisset in for next week’s session.
“You won’t regret it,” she tells me.
I hope she’s right.
Now comes the worst part of my decision. If Gideon’s going to be working with my daughter, I have no choice but to make an effort to smooth things over with him. My jaw clenches when I realize the first step to repairing our relations will have to include an apology.
When we arrive home, I fix Lisset a snack and settle her in front of the TV for some unwind time. With Lisset taken care of, I steel myself to head over to Gideon’s house to deliver my apology and a brief thank you for mowing my lawn. Like a visit to the dentist, I just need to get it over with.
