Sam

Sam let out a long sigh as he examined the large crack again. There was no doubt about it: he had just thrown eight hundred dollars out the window in an instant. Perhaps the lesson here was that he had no business bringing such a delicate lens to the park…

Suddenly, Sam felt someone grab him by the shoulder. He spun around and saw the woman who had bumped into him, standing behind him with a look of indignation on her face.

“Look, miss, I don’t want any trouble.”

“Oh, yes, I know. You just wanted to accuse me of being irresponsible without even giving me the chance to make things right before you stormed off like a wounded puppy,” she snapped.

Sam was confused. “I think you meant to say when I calmly walked away a minute ago?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “What I mean is, if your lens cost eight hundred dollars to replace, then I’ll get you eight hundred dollars. Alright?”

He froze. “What?”

“You heard me, camera boy! I’m more than capable of paying for the damage I caused.”

Camera boy?

Sam wasn’t sure if he should feel impressed, or whether she was only bluffing to save face.

“In that case, the lens cost exactly eight hundred twenty-six dollars and forty-eight cents.”

The woman’s gaze did not waver. “There’s a coffee shop half a block away with an ATM. I’ll get you the cash from there.”

Sam was stunned. “You want to pay me back in cash?”

“What, you’d rather I send you a check in the mail so it can get to you in a week?”

If not for the tension mounting between them, he might have laughed at her somewhat bitter, somewhat patronizing retort.

“Never mind, cash is fine. I’ll follow you to the coffee shop, and we can part ways from there.”

“Good,” she grumbled.

“Good,” he replied in the same sarcastic tone.

The woman turned around and practically stomped her way towards the coffee shop.

“I’m Sam, by the way. Sam West,” Sam said aloud.

She didn’t reply, only making his urge to laugh harder to resist. “Sometimes people wonder if I’m related to Adam West, but before you ask, the answer is no.”

“I don’t think people ask that because they actually believe it’s true. You don’t look anything like him,” she shot back.

“I know, but I like to be upfront anyways. So, what was your name again?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Technically I don’t, but without a name I won’t know what to call you. My only option right now is ‘crazy lady from the park,’ and I don’t really like the sound of that.”

The woman came to a dead halt in the middle of the park and spun around to face him with the biggest, fakest smile he had ever seen. “My name is May. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” he chuckled. “Look, I just want to say that I do appreciate that you’re willing to pay me for the lens. Most people just like to play the blame game or run off when things like this happen, so I usually try not to press the issue. I apologize if that offended you.”

She seemed puzzled. “Is it common for people to bump into you at the park?”

Sam shook his head. “Not exactly, but I once had a couple ride by on their tandem bike and knock me into the lake. Thankfully, I managed to save the camera right before I hit the water.”

He watched as May’s frown disappeared, being replaced by an amused grin. “So, you are in constant danger of being knocked over, just not always at the park?”

“Photography is more dangerous than it looks,” he said with false seriousness.

Her smile turned playful. “Maybe you’re in the wrong business then.”

“Taking photos is just a hobby of mine. My day job is where things get really weird.”

“And what is your day job?” she asked curiously.

“Ah, sorry, I can’t tell you that. I may not be related to Adam West, but he still taught me how to keep my secret identity a secret.”

May burst out in genuine laughter, making Sam feel a little nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time a girl laughed at one of his lame jokes.

“Fine, I accept your apology,” she said after a moment. “I suppose in return I should tell you that I’m not normally this confrontational. I just happen to be having an especially stressful week, though I know that isn’t really a good excuse.”

Sam was touched by her honest words, but before he could comment on her humble apology, May continued on the path to the coffee shop. He followed after her and then waited outside as she got in line at the ATM. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, he couldn’t seem to relax. May was a lot cuter now that he had seen her smile and heard her laugh. Plus, she seemed to have a good sense of humor, when she wasn’t too busy breathing fire at her enemies.

It didn’t take May long to come back outside with the money. She counted the bills out loud before handing him eight hundred thirty dollars.

“The machine doesn’t give out change, so here’s an extra four dollars,” she said, placing it on top of the pile.

“Thanks,” he replied, almost feeling guilty about the payment.

“I used to have a friend who liked to take pictures with his dad’s camera,” May mentioned. “He used to do this dorky thing where he would put on a reflective vest, like the kind construction workers wear, so that people would know to avoid him. It was silly, but he never had an accident as long as I knew him.”

Sam took a minute to process that information. “That’s not a bad idea actually.”

“Or you could just try not to stand in the middle of the walkway in the park.”

He shrugged. “Hey, maybe I like meeting confrontational strangers.”

May snickered some more. “Well, just be careful next time. I recently learned that camera lenses are expensive.”

Sam thought about asking for her number so he could buy her a coffee sometime, but right as he found the much-needed courage, her phone began to ring.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go,” she whispered to him.

He nodded and watched as she started to walk away, her attention focused solely on whoever had just called. It was probably a boyfriend, or maybe even her husband. A smart girl like that was bound to have someone special in her life already.

As May stopped at the busy crosswalk up ahead, waiting for the light to change, Sam held up his camera to gaze at her from afar. Even with the cracked lens, he could see the sunlight bringing out a golden hue in her brown hair and a gentle sparkle on her skin. Then she started laughing again, and out of pure reflex, he snapped a single perfect picture.

Afterwards, Sam went to remove the broken lens and place it in his pocket, but that was when he noticed what appeared to be a second layer of glass. He examined the attachment carefully, only to realize that the lens itself was still intact, while only the lens filter had been damaged by the fall.

Sam looked up to search for May so he could return her money before she got too far, but as it turned out, she was already gone. He ran over to the crosswalk, trying to find her among the crowd, yet there was no sign of her anywhere.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with a weary grumble. “God, I’m such an idiot…”