Pictures of Lily

think I’m deluding myself.’
    ‘You’re not ,’ he insists, squeezing my hand. ‘Trust me.’
    I stare right back at him and take a large breath. ‘Okay.’
    ‘Good,’ he says. ‘Let’s go.’
    He drops my hand and I follow him, fighting the urge to grasp hold of it again.
    I buy a camera on my credit card, and I’m practically bursting with excitement and delight as Ben walks me back to the office.
    ‘I’m going to look into courses this afternoon,’ I promise him. ‘I can’t wait to play with this tonight.’ There’s such a spring in my step, you’d think I’m wearing trainers, not high heels.
    ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.’
    It’s true. I haven’t felt this happy for a long time. We reach the side of my building and I stop and beam up at him.
    ‘Hey, I haven’t seen your photos,’ Ben remembers. ‘Do you have time?’
    ‘I can go back five minutes late,’ I reply, getting the pack out of my bag and handing them over. He leans up against the building and comments on various shots as he goes. He agrees with me that I missed a trick with the sailboat photo.
    ‘Josh distracted me,’ I say, peering over his shoulder.
    ‘Ah, was this the weekend he was here?’
    ‘Yeah. Look, there he is.’ I point at the next shot of Josh having a pint at a bar near the Opera House. ‘He didn’t bring his camera so you’ll have to excuse the next few tourist shots. I promised I’d send them to him.’
    Ben studies the photo of Josh. ‘Still looks the same,’ he murmurs, then he glances at me. ‘Did anything ever happen between you?’
    ‘Nope,’ I reply, then before I can stop myself: ‘Would it have bothered you if it had?’
    He turns his attention back to the pack. ‘You know it would have.’
    There are photos of my family in there, but none, thankfully, of Richard. It hasn’t occurred to me to take any of him, bizarrely.
    Eventually Ben comes to the one of him on the boat. He gives me a playful look.
    ‘You don’t want this one, do you?’
    ‘Give it here.’ I reach for it, but he holds it away at arm’s length.
    ‘I might send it to my mum.’
    ‘Oi. Give it back – now .’
    ‘She’d really like it,’ he teases.
    I grab his arm and wrestle the photo from his grasp as he laughs. ‘How rude.’ I put on a prim and proper English accent. I meet his eyes and am greeted with a naughty look. For once, I don’t go red.
    ‘What are you doing tonight?’ he asks.
    I falter for a second before pulling a lie out of my cap. ‘I . . . It’s a friend’s birthday. I’m having dinner in Manly.’
    He nods and I swear he can see right through me. ‘When’s your next day off?’ I ask shiftily.
    ‘Monday,’ he says.
    ‘Do you . . . Would you fancy coming in to have lunch with me again?’
    He smiles slightly. ‘Yeah, sure. Same time and place?’
    ‘Is that okay?’
    ‘Of course.’
    I force a smile and indicate the plastic bag holding my new purchase. ‘Thanks,’ I say. ‘Thanks for persuading me.’
    ‘Now you have to get onto that course,’ he replies, backing away.
    ‘Absolutely!’ I practically shout, totally overcompensating for wavering a moment ago. He grins and turns away and I experience the usual horrible comedown. I walk around the corner of the building, feeling downhearted, and then I remember my new camera and the smile is back on my face in a flash.
    I push through the doors to my building, all excited about showing Nicola and Mel what I’ve got, but as soon as I see them, I know something’s not quite right.
    ‘Who is he?’ Nicola asks immediately as I approach the reception desk.
    ‘Who’s who?’ I reply, but it’s too late. She’s seen my expression.
    ‘I saw you on my way back in from lunch,’ she reveals, smirking, as I walk around the desk to my seat.
    My pulse races as I try to think what she could have seen. On her way back in from lunch . . . That was an hour ago. What? What did she see?
    ‘What are you going on about?’ I try to seem indifferent as I perch myself on my stool.
    ‘That hot, sexy man?’ Nicola persists. I can feel her and Mel watching me like a hawk for any sense of weakness.
    ‘Who – Ben ?’ I pull a face.
    ‘Is that his name? He’s a bit of alright.’
    ‘He’s an old friend,’ I say dismissively. ‘He came camera shopping with me today.’ I pull the camera box out of the plastic bag. ‘Check it out.’
    ‘Wow, that’s a bit specky,’ Mel says, leaning in for a look as I