She dove headfirst into the work and didn’t emerge until hours later when her stomach was growling and it was nearly time to pick Bluebell up from school. Snow couldn’t stop grinning the whole way to the bus stop.
5
Amanda didn’t expect Snow to send the photos through the next day, even though she had said she would. Though Snow had been nothing but courteous and professional, Amanda still hated her. Snow might seem sweet and innocent, but she had stolen Amanda’s glory with her Christmas cards, and that wasn’t something Amanda could easily forgive.
Amanda knew that she was possibly overreacting, but she couldn’t help it. She had been so excited about her cards being the talk of the season, and Snow had taken that from her, even though it hadn’t been intentional.
Well, wouldn’t it just be the perfect karmic justice if the photos Snow took helped Amanda’s cards out-sell Snow’s own cards? If she was as good as the agency said she was, Amanda would have a good chance once she got those photos.
Her email pinged and she checked it, surprised to see that Snow had sent the photos already. Amanda opened the first one and gaped at it.
It was a picture of her, covered in snow, sitting in front of a Christmas tree. Amanda knew that she was an attractive woman, but this photo didn’t just make her look attractive—it made her look ethereal and like a model.
She flicked to the next one, which was just as good as the first, a shot of her standing in front of one of the trees. It had been taken when she didn’t realize she was being photographed. Amanda felt her jaw dropping even further as she looked through the rest of the photos.
Snow wasn’t just good. She wasbrilliant.
Amanda’s jaw snapped shut. Of course, Snow had to be brilliant. She was the talk of the town, a local celebrity. She was sweet and kind, and she had talent that Amanda could only dream of.
Amanda hated her for it.
She looked through the photos again, trying to find something she could complain about, but there was absolutely nothing. They were perfect.
She kept coming back to the pictures of herself. Amanda had never seen herself look this good—in the mirror or in any photo. She wanted to make one of the photos her Facebook profile picture, but that felt like it would be letting Snow win.
Snow would no doubt see the picture and be pleased that Amanda liked it. Amanda didn’t want Snow to know she liked the pictures, but she supposed that couldn’t be helped. Snow would see that they were on Amanda’s greeting cards, after all.
Amanda changed her Facebook profile to the first picture Snow had sent, the one with her covered in fake snow, and posted a couple of the others of the trees on her website, the ones that she didn’t plan to use for greeting cards. They were stunning and would make for great advertising.
She didn’t credit Snow in any of the captions. Amanda knew that she was supposed to—that was the agreement she had made with the agency, after all—but she wasn’t going to give Snow the satisfaction of having her name spread even further by Amanda’s business.
Almost immediately, Amanda started getting likes and comments on her Facebook photo. A couple of people asked her who took the shot, but Amanda didn’t give names. She just told them that a photographer from the agency came over to take them. She wasn’t going to credit Snow.
Let Snow see what it feels like to have what is owed to you taken away by someone else. Amanda should have had this season of greeting cards unopposed. It’s only fair that Snow was punished by not receiving credit that she deserved.
Amanda checked her watch and saw that the time had sped by while she had been looking at the photos. She needed to hurry or she was going to be late for lunch with Emily.
Emily and Amanda had been best friends since college and saw each other for lunch once a week. When Amanda rushed into the café, Emily was already there waiting for her.
“Hey, Amanda.” Emily smiled as Amanda sat down. “I love your new photos! You look stunning, particularly in the one you made your Facebook profile picture.”
Amanda practically glowed under the praise. “Thank you. I am very pleased with them. Did you see the ones I put on my website?”
“I did! Those ones with the berries are inspired. Did you take them?”
The berries had been Snow’s idea, Amanda remembered sourly. “No, I hired a photographer.”
Just the thought of Snow made her grit her teeth in annoyance.
“Amanda? Are you okay?”
“I just—it’s this photographer. Her name is Snow. Who is called Snow, anyway? What kind of stupid name is that?”
Emily opened her mouth to reply, but Amanda was on a roll now and kept talking.
“She went and stole my audience for my greeting cards, and then she has the nerve to walk into my house and start taking photos like I need her!”
“She just came to your house and randomly asked to take photos?”