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He held the blue card up, twisting it one way and then the other

Her heart was in her throat It was as if he held her whole life in his hands “I know it’s very small, but it holds hundreds of photos”

“Are there hundreds of photos here?”

Reluctantly she nodded

“Do you have other cards?” he asked

Tally chewed on the inside of her cheek She didn’t want to tell him that she had months of work on the ed to download to her editors in New York or save to CD-ROM yet Everything she’d done since April was on theand her hotel room “Yes”

“Where are they?”

Oh God He wasn’t going to take the to destroy her work? “Why?”

He shrugged “They’re just pictures You don’t need them It’s not why you’re here You’re a tourist You’re here for the experience, not photographs”

She exhaled so hard and sharp it hurt Her eyes burned She fought to remain calm “But the photos are important They help me remember where I’ve been and what I’ve seen”

“You see thethe card-slot door closed

She was anxious She was tre “Can I please have my camera back?”

“Maybe When I’et it back without the memory card”

“The camera won’t ithout it”

“You can always buy new ones”

“But I’ll lose everything I’ve done”

“They sell postcards in town Buy those on your way home” He turned to leave but she rushed toward him

“Please,” she cried, stopping herself fro instinctively that that would be bad She was already in trouble She couldn’t risk offending him more than she already had “Please don’t erase my photos I’ll show them to you I’ll explain the camera to you—”

“I haven’t ti to walk away “Dinner will be brought to you soon I’ll see you tomorrow”

“Tomorrow” Tally’s heart raced, fueled by fear and fury It was acombination and her hands shook fro to leave ive me my camera back then, and the film?”