Chapter 2: Building Tension
The glass double doors slid open, slurping Sara inside a studio she had only ever seen on a computer screen. It looked the same, of course—cliché as hell. But it still hit her.
The studio reeked of a decade's worth of memories, a musky scent that had seeped into the concrete floor and the whitewashed brick walls.
Sara's heart thumped in her chest, her legs wobbled a little, and her grip tightened on the straps of her leather purse.
A few people glanced up from their workstations as Sara walked by. They registered the young woman in their midst, who moved with the self-assured strides of someone who knew what she wanted. But she continued without pause, past the rows of desks and computers, until she reached a large room at the back of the studio.
Sara stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath.
The words "Alex St. Clair, Photographer" were emblazoned on a frosted glass panel. In that moment, she felt a wave of excitement, tinged with a splash of trepidation. Sara had never met the man in person, but she knew his work well. She had pored over every image on his website, each one a masterpiece of light and shadow, emotion and desire.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, with a large window providing the only natural light.