suggested they catch up. She felt like she owed it to Pierre.
Jim was an old friend, even if he was brutally obnoxious most
of the time. She could handle small doses here and there.
“Oh, I don’t know. Because it’s something to do? Because
they have a passing interest? Because they’re fans of yours
and want to see you speak and meet you in person? Because
they’re bored and have nothing better to do?”
“Amateurs,” Jim scoffed. “Why come to a workshop on
advanced settings if you don’t know how to actually use a
camera?”
“Not everyone shoots with the same equipment,” Adalynn
reminded him. “And a lot of people are professionals, but they
don’t do wildlife. They shoot indoors. People and whatnot. In
the city, there isn’t a huge opportunity for connecting with
nature in a meaningful way. The only lions and tigers people
see here are in shows.”
“That’s not true,” Jim huffed. “People come from all over
the world to these things.”
“You’re right.” Adalynn reached for a tomato slice. She
hated tomatoes by themselves, and this one was overripe, but
she dunked it in the creamy dip, bit, chewed, and swallowed
quickly so she didn’t have to taste much of it. “They do come
from all over. I don’t know…”
“I don’t know why you agree to do the speaking and the
workshops. I don’t know why I agree. It seems like a waste of
time. We’re established. We don’t need the publicity.”
Adalynn swallowed her annoyance. “Maybe it’s a way to
give back.” The silent reprimand was there in her words. She
basically could have shouted that they did it because Pierre
would have done it. It would have silenced Jim if she’d said as