flipped around.
A younger woman, maybe college-aged, pointed to the photo booth. “Come on over.”
Lori hesitated. “Uh . . .”
The woman waved us closer. “You definitely need a photo together. A beautiful couple like yourselves.”
“We’re not a couple,” we both said together for the umpteenth time.
“It doesn’t matter.” The woman sighed. “I’m bored already. Please.”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
“Really?” Lori creased her eyebrows together.
“Oh, is this the cootie thing again? You should be much more worried about standing on something called a poop deck.”
Lori laughed. “Fine. I guess we could share it on social media.”
“Now, you’re thinking.”
“Great!” the woman said, practically jumping. “Follow me.”
We followed her to the table loaded with props next to the photo booth.
“Okay, grab what you want from this table before you go in.” She picked up a pink hat and placed it on my head. “We’ve got plenty of stuff here—hats, feather masks, Hawaiian leis, sunglasses, clown noses, inflatable guitars, signs, gadgets, you name it. Grab what you like, head inside the booth, tap the screen when you’re ready, and it will count down from five before it takes the first picture.”
“How many photos does it take?” Lori asked.
“You get a total of three, and the machine spits them out on the side here.” She pointed to the side of the photo booth. “Let me know when you’re ready. You can set your beers down there.” She pointed to a smaller table on the other side of the photo booth entrance.
“Thank you.” Lori grabbed my bottle from me and placed both hers and mine on the table. “Mine is on the left. No, I’m not telling you that because of cooties. You have more beer in yours, which is weird, by the way.” Lori shook her head and pulled the pink hat off my head. “Definitely not you. Find something else.” She stepped back over to the prop table and grabbed a lei, wrapping it around her neck. Then she picked up a stethoscope. “Ready. That was easy.”
I laughed. “What are you going to do with that?”
“You’ll find out. Grab something.”
“Okay, then . . .” I rummaged through the table and grabbed a sign that said Too Sweet. I held it up for Lori to read. “Ready.”
“Seriously? Too sweet? You?”
“Who said the sign was for me?” I winked. “Let’s go.”
The woman pulled back the curtain for us to enter the photo booth and upon inspecting the inside, both of us froze, most likely coming to the same conclusion.
It was way too small.
How were we both going to fit in there?
“Don’t be shy,” the woman said.
Lori hesitated. “Isn’t it kind of small for two grown adults?”
“That’s half the fun. Go for it!”
Lori gestured inside. “I guess you should get in first, since you’re bigger.”
I huffed, pretending to be offended. “You’d better not be talking about my butt.”
She laughed and pushed me inside. “Go, before I change my mind.”
I bent down so I didn’t bang my head, sliding in and waiting for Lori to enter.
She pointed to the seat. “Can you scoot over any more?”
I shook my head. “My scooting ability is limited to the fact that my hip is against the side.”
Lori eyed the situation and then sighed. “Here goes nothing.” To my surprise, she ducked inside and sat on my lap.
Oh, dear.
This was definitely unexpected, but completely welcomed.
She smelled fantastic.
Before I had a chance to say a word or adjust my body in any way, Lori reached in front of us and tapped the screen to start the picture taking.
She plugged the stethoscope into her ears and stuck the other end against my heart.
I held the sign over her head and smiled.
That’s when the timer started.
Five, four, three, two, one . . .
The flash was slightly blinding, but hopefully I held my smile long enough for the shot.
Lori took the stethoscope out of her ears and set it on her lap. “Okay, something different, something silly?”
“What do you think that last one was?”
She poked me. “Get ready!”
I couldn’t get over how hypnotizing Lori’s smell was. She had mentioned to me the last time I inhaled her scent and got in trouble that it wasn’t her hair, but the perfume on her neck.
It was a glorious mix of citrus and maybe jasmine, but there was something else that I couldn’t put my finger on.
What was it?
Five, four, three, two, one . . .
“Bamboo!” I said, pretty sure I figured out the other component of her perfume.
Another big flash that I wasn’t ready for.
Hopefully, I didn’t look like