Ink and Cameras (JeffMads) (Newspaper AU)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Madison's POV

I am still chatting with Alex and John when we get up to leave the restaurant a while later. I notice Thomas from the corner of my eye and dismiss myself from John and Alex walking over to him.

"James, right?" Thomas says as I approach him. I give a small smile, a little put off by the juristic mood swing from earlier.

I respond, "Thomas." I figure I should tell him about the photos, "So, I got the photos at the park. There are a few that will fit well with the paper, and there are plenty of others for the websites."

Thomas nods and turns away, back to his usual put off and unsatisfied self.

I move back in front of him, and ask, "why are you so upset?"

He looks up like I've slapped him and says, looking at his feet "I'm not. Just...Just, I'll see you at work. I'm going back now."

"Okay, bye," I say tentatively. He doesn't seem like the person who would be nervous or not meet somebody's eyes. Before, even when he was annoyed, he seemed confident and very self-assured.

Still confused, I turn on my heel, walking back to where Alex and John were waiting for me. They both have the look on their face like they just ate a lemon, especially Alex.

"Why so sour?" I ask in a joking fashion with a small laugh to myself.

John opens his mouth like he is going to question me, but Alex cuts him off, "I get that you are working with him, but why would you talk to Jeffershit outside of work?"

For a second I wonder if this could be why he is acting so strange. People don't seem to like him very much, but I quickly dismiss the thought. Answers to these types of questions are never that easy.

As we leave, we chat more about normal stuff, but my mind is elsewhere. Why is Thomas still in my mind. I only met him today, and I can't stop wondering about him.

Stupid brain.

When we get back to the office, I go back to my desk, plugging my camera into my laptop. Just as I am pulling up the editing program, somebody comes up behind me, and a voice says, "You can send those to me when you're done."

I spin around, and see a tall man, with curly hair, flopped over one eye, and the other side of his head shaved. He has a beanie on and he is standing next to an even taller person, with curly hair tied up in a ponytail.

"You're new here," The tallest one says with a thick French accent, "So we thought we'd introduce ourselves. I am Lafayette." ((I'm not going to try to write a French accent))

"Their full name is Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, but we either call them Laf or Lafayette." The one with the beanie starts, and I note the use of they/them pronouns, "I'm Hercules Mulligan, or Herc if you will. I do print formatting and design,"

"Cool!" I say, "I'm the new photographer paired with Thomas. What do you do Laf?" I ask, turning to them.

"Oh, yes," he answers, "I run the advice column,"

Herc picks up and says, "So, ya. When you are done editing those photos, you can send them on over to me. My email should be on the list at your desk. I put together the print layouts. Eacker does the digital ones."

"Well," I say as I turn back to my laptop, "I'll see you two around."

They smile and walk away. If I had to guess right now, they are pegging for each other, but neither one knows that the other one likes them back."

With a small smile, I go back to editing my photos

So, sorry guys. This is mostly just a filler chapter, but I had some fun writing it. How are your guys' days going?

Mine is okay. If you have any ideas of what you want to happen, comment here, and I hope you guys are having a great day!!! OKay, bye :-)