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freedom to find someone like Adalynn.

Chapter 5

Adalynn

“God, I wish eight would just hurry up and get here.

We’ve been here all day and I’m tired of saying things that are

just going over the heads of ninety-eight percent of the people

listening.”

Adalynn forced a smile for Jim. He was one of Pierre’s

good friends. Younger than he had been, but a good decade

older than her, Jim had been in the business for a long time.

He was a successful wildlife photographer and had traveled

extensively. His work had been featured in all the major

magazines and he had a massive social media following.

They were sitting behind the scenes in the expansive

lunchroom reserved solely for exhibitors and speakers. There

were a ton of them, but most didn’t choose to make use of the

room, and seeing as it was four in the afternoon, an off time

for lunch or dinner, the white room with the shiny white

flooring and the glaring fluorescent lighting was nearly

deserted.

“Did you ever stop to think it might be due to the fact that

the stuff you’re saying is so technical that no one can

understand it?”

Jim sniffed. “If they’re not here to be serious, why are they

here?”

Adalynn’s lips twitched, betraying her amusement. She

dunked a piece of celery in the dip of the veggie tray she’d

purchased and brought back to the break room. She didn’t

have another workshop for over an hour, and when Jim found

her wandering the booths restlessly and aimlessly, he