The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 70

At Mirage Studio, Suzie was in the middle of a shoot when she heard a commotion outside the set.

She looked over at her busy assistant. “Mia, can you go see what’s going on?”

Mia quickly put down what she was holding and dashed out. A few minutes later, she rushed back in, breathless. “It’s a problem with Lexi’s project! They said she was hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. All the other senior photographers are tied up with their own contracts, so there’s no one to cover for her. If the shoot fell apart, Baylor Group could come after the studio, and the loss would be huge.”

Suzie frowned. “Then what’s all the noise about?”

“It’s the junior photographers who are up for promotion,” Mia explained. “They’re all fighting for the assignment.”

Suzie paused for a moment, then went back to adjusting her camera. “Well, the boss will handle it,” she said. “Let’s just focus on our own work.”

Mia nodded and went back to arranging props and adjusting the lighting.

They were still shooting when Harrison walked in.

“Suzie, are you finished with today’s tasks?”

“Almost,” she replied, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

“Are you tired?” Harrison asked with concern, noticing her flushed face.

Suzie smiled, set down her camera, and looked up at him, shaking her head. “Not really. Did you need something?”

Suzie hesitated. For one, that kind of shoot was exhausting. For another, it was a Baylor Group contract. She assumed Oliver had already told Harrison about her past with Jamie.

As she was trying to formulate a response, Harrison spoke again. “Don’t worry. I know it’s a Baylor Group project, but someone at Jamie’s level wouldn’t normally get involved in this kind of day-to-day contract work.”

“Um… are there really no other available photographers in the studio?” Suzie asked, still reluctant.

“The strongest people are already tied up trying to hit their own deadlines, and I’m afraid the more junior photographers aren’t up to the task.” Harrison watched her closely. Seeing the conflict on her face, he added, “If it’s too difficult for you, I’ll try to figure something else out.”

His voice had dropped, and Suzie could hear the dejection in it. She felt a pang of guilt. If he had any other options, he probably wouldn’t have asked her in the first place.