Chapter 6
Ihad to blame someone for this mess, and for once, it was not going to be me.
Forget being the bigger person because as soon as I got back, I was going to chew Anna to pieces. Not only had she forced me to accompany her for a colleague”s birthday the previous evening, so that I could, of course, be her eyes and ears in judging the interactions between her and the guy she had the most ridiculous crush on, she had forced me to drink along with her to calm her nerves and then told me she”d set an alarm for me to be up on time as soon as we got home.
Because she hadn’t done any of the above, I’d slept till Aurora’s phone call had woken me up, asking me once again if I wanted to ride to the Hamptons along with her since she was on her way.
I’d almost taken it but knowing that I would need a lot of privacy to get ready so as not to seem as scattered and disoriented as I currently did, I’d declined. I didn”t regret it, but it now meant that I was later than ever and looked like a complete mess. The plan had been to head back to my apartment to get my already ironed and laid-out change of clothes, which was supposed to be a dress very suitable for the late summer day. Instead, I had grabbed my rumpled black pants from the previous night, found a checkered dress shirt in Anna’s closet, and slipped into her gym shoes since I wasn”t able to find the decent heels I had worn out with her the previous day.
I looked absolutely hideous, and the reflection in that car had shown just how bad it was. Aurora, until that moment, had left me with two calls and seven messages, less than half of that I had responded to, so I was under immense pressure to hurry up to join her in the hall where everyone was waiting. However, when I saw the sign for the ladies” bathroom, I instantly hurried into it.
In there, I wrapped my hair into a tighter bun, smeared on the red lipstick I had found in my backpack so that I wouldn’t look so pale, hungover, and dead, and folded up the sleeves of the shirt I now knew looked quite old and unappealing. Sighing, I stared at myself and couldn’t help but feel disappointed because this was not the impression I had hoped to make.
I had connected enough dots by now to know that Aurora”s family was not a regular family. Although I still hadn’t been curious enough to search for them since I would find out eventually, I couldn’t shake the idea that working with her and doing well was the gateway I had been looking for to connect with more elite clients. A few minutes later, I felt a little bit better, but my shoes were lamentable.
In order to appear as put-together and professional as possible, I pulled my camera out and got ready to walk. I took slow, measured steps as I approached the area that the receptionist had directed me to. However, just as I approached, I was forced to come to a halt.
There was a man standing right by the huge arched entrance door, on the phone, his other hand in his pocket, his eyes trained on whoever was in the room. He was so regal that I couldn’t help but stare at him: his broad, tall physique, sharp jawline, and intense glare. He seemed like
a general in the military, impeccably dressed. I was torn between going close enough to smell him or remaining back until he went where he was headed, so he wouldn’t see me, and I wouldn’t feel even worse about myself.
My hand lifted before I could stop it. I quickly focused my camera and then I clicked. The sound startled me, but as I took the shot, it was as though the moment reverberated through me. And thus, I couldn’t stop. He was in a place where the lighting was almost unreal. The area to his left, where I was, was quite shadowed, while from his right was open and filled with sunlight, creating an unreal effect. He straightened and turned his head towards the right, and I took the chance to take yet another shot.
Just before I clicked, however, it was as though he sensed my attention on him, so he turned, and that was how I took the perfect, jaw-dropping but also terrifying picture of his face staring straight at me. From his physique, side profile, and suited appearance, I had been certain that he was attractive, but seeing his face through my lens, I was frozen in place. As I stared at the digital result, I was sure he couldn’t look this real. I lifted my gaze and found, to my horror, that he was still watching me. I had been caught red-handed, yet he was every bit as devastatingly handsome as I had seen.
I should have been immediately apologetic or even embarrassed and turned away or continued on my way, but I couldn’t. It was as though I was frozen in place, especially when he put the phone away and began to head over to me. I tried to look away, then lowered to put my full attention on my camera as though I hadn’t even noticed, but pretty soon, the most intoxicating scent of tobacco and vanilla mixed with lime and something so deliciously exotic and sinful at the same time that I had absolutely no hope of identifying wafted much too close towards me, and then his polished leather shoes came into sight.
“This is my second encounter with you,” he said, and my heart thundered against my chest. If someone had told me that there could be anything else remarkable about him, I wouldn’t have believed them. But at his voice, as clear and boisterous as the waves smashing against rocks and equally as calm, I was almost struck dumb. I looked up then and had no choice but to summon what was still remaining of my confidence to stare into his gorgeous grey eyes.
“What?” I asked, barely coherent with whatever words I was making.
“You used my car as a mirror earlier,” he said, “and now you’re outrightly taking pictures of me? Don”t you think you”re taking too many liberties of my person and property?”
I had absolutely no idea what he was saying or talking about, but he didn”t seem to be in a hurry for a response. So, as a result, I was able to put his words together enough to recall that I had indeed stopped before a dark sleek car by the curb and quickly checked my appearance in the tinted window at the back. My hand immediately slapped over my mouth.
”Holy shit!” I swore.
He cocked his head at the fact that I was swearing while my entire frame began to burn in embarrassment. I was flushed red and warm from the heat and shame and self-consciousness until I understood then that I could no longer remain in his presence.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, and without waiting for his response or reaction, I hurriedly made my way over to meet Aurora.
I was sweating even more by the time that it took me reach her, but the good news was I was still so startled from my meeting with the man that when I took in the women seated and conversing as they waited, and of course noted that Victoria was also among them, I couldn’t even muster up the energy or zeal to be taken aback.
It was a day of surprises and annoyances, and all I could do was approach it calmly for my own peace of mind. She, however, seemed hell-bent on being dramatic about the whole process, and I ensured to indulge her.
“Oh wow,” she said, just as I shared a smile with Aurora and her mother. “You’re - you”re the photographer?” she asked, almost as though this was some joke solely orchestrated for her amusement.
I nearly rolled my eyes but managed to hold myself in check. Plus, I wasn”t exactly scoring any brownie points for showing up the way I did. I mean, I didn’t think I looked bad, but as I took in the women before me and the fact that they were all staring at me with distaste that I was sure they tried to hide but I couldn’t help but cower just a little.
”You two have worked together before?” Aurora’s mother asked.
“Oh no,” she laughed a little too loudly. I couldn’t, however, get over how slick and shiny her blonde hair looked. It had always looked this way, straight, primed, perfect... and she was dressed just like the other women. Only Aurora looked a bit more down to earth with jeans and a jacket, while the others donned pearls, gold jewelry, and invisible makeup.
“So how do you know her then?” Aurora”s mom asked. “Or you don”t?” The way she asked the question rubbed me the wrong way, almost as though she was hoping that she truly didn’t know me, and her daughter was just making an unacceptable and misguided decision as usual by involving me in all of this. I didn”t blame her because if things had gone according to plan today, I would have been more confident and able to retreat.
“We met in college,” she replied. “We were in the same dormitory, but that”s about it.”
Aurora gave her a look then, but she didn”t seem to care about the curt and distasteful way she had delivered her response. I didn’t have any response, but none was needed because just then, the faces of all the women at the table seemed to light up. Victoria especially stood up, seemingly like the perfect hostess, and before I could blink, she was striding across the room, her heels clicking against the polished wooden floors, and going over to the man.
I turned as well because it would just be weird if I ignored him when no one else seemed to be able to. What I saw, however, was that even though Victoria was right in front of his face, being all teeth and overly courteous, his gaze lingered on me.
He was so bold and unapologetic with it that I had to look away. And as soon as I did, I saw that Aurora and her mom were looking at me curiously. There was no way for me to explain this, so I simply sent them a smile and went over to Aurora”s side.
”I”ll get started,” I told her, and she nodded. Then she looked towards the man who now had his attention on Victoria and was nodding quietly as she rattled off.
“That’s my brother,” she said, and my brows raised. I wasn”t surprised because I had suspected as much. It wasn’t that they looked together; more like I didn’t think a man this gorgeous could just be randomly walking around here and in the vicinity. I mean, it was an extremely luxurious location, but somehow, he just seemed like he was beyond it, so he had to be here for a very specific and almost obligatory purpose.
He eventually walked away from Victoria and then he headed over. He kissed his mom, and even though I tried, I found that I couldn’t look away. He seemed so affectionate with her, so careful that even though I had told myself that I was for whatever reason going to ignore his existence, I found myself unable to look away.
Afterward, he came over to Aurora, and she still had her guard up because she turned away.
He, however, kissed her on the forehead, and even though she didn’t smile or react, I could see her posture instantly soften. Her shoulders relaxed, as well as her scowl, but she still didn”t look at him. Instead, she started scrolling through her phone, which meant that his attention had nowhere else to land but on me.
I wasn’t exactly pleased about this, but I wasn’t able to cover either, so I sent him a brief and polite smile and then began to walk away so I could get to work. However, at the last moment, he grabbed my arm, and I was stunned. His grip was hard, but it was too audacious for me. I looked at it, frowning, and then looked up at him.
“Who are you?” he asked. However, before I could respond, his mother explained, once again as though my presence was an apology.
“Aurora hired her to handle some of the photos.”
“Yes,” Victoria suddenly added out of nowhere, and I was taken aback to hear her voice. I had almost even forgotten about her presence.
“She was hired, but I don’t think that was necessary. Aurora?” she called.
“I have already hired the photographer that will be taking all your shots. He’s worked for Vogue for years, and he will be more than capable of handling this project in the best possible way.”
”No offense, Evelyn,” she said, and I nearly rolled my eyes.
I pulled my hand out of the man”s grip, and thankfully, he let me go quite easily.
“Well, that’s all well and good, but I don’t need only the ceremony photographed. I need all the moments leading up to it. So can you get your Vogue photographer to come over right now and do his job?”
“Um…” she seemed stumped as she looked between Aurora”s brother and mother.
”He’s not a roadside photographer, Aurora,” she said. “I’ve already scheduled him in advance for the big day, so –”
“Well, since he can”t be here since he”s too big to capture my most precious moments, then please stay out of this. At the end of the day, this is my wedding and not yours.”
Her smile at this was almost painful to watch, but she managed to gather herself together to give some sort of excuse about going to the kitchen to arrange the menu for the day. I couldn’t help but like Aurora even more. Her brother took his seat beside her while I moved away and began to take my pictures.
It upset me to focus on Victoria, but she was busy with the staff, and so when I had taken enough photographs of the family conversing from a distance and against the backdrop of the vineyard beyond, I headed over to the kitchen to find her. I especially kept my distance here, but I was eventually able to take some pretty nice pictures. Just before I left, however, she noticed me and then she turned and came over.
“It”s nice to see you here,” she smiled, and I nodded in response before placing my camera to my eyes once again to peer through. I had no interest in her fake niceties, but then again, as I continued with my pictures, I wondered exactly why our relationship was so sour. I mean, it was expected since I had now been given the freshest reminder of her personality, but I tried to recall the exact details of how we had fallen out from being roommates to being mortal enemies, seemingly now for life.
She came over to me once again as I worked, and I sighed as I felt the tap on my back. I put my camera away then and turned around to face her.
“Can I give you some advice?” she asked.
I took another sigh and then I nodded. Because I was curious and because for some reason, I needed someone to fuel my already sour mood so that I”d be angry enough perhaps not to get distracted or affected by anyone else. An image of glistening leather shoes flashed into my mind in that moment, but I ignored it.
“Go ahead,” I said, and she smiled. Which was way too genuine. But when I glanced back and realized that the said object of her attention and my distraction was watching us, I understood.
I couldn’t believe her. I also couldn’t believe the next words that she said to me.
“I didn’t think this is... your scene,” she said. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m just concerned that doing work that is not... best suited for you might hurt your small business more than help it.”
I stared at her and decided then that I truly needed to test whether she had a mental glitch in her brain.
”Do you actually think you”re being helpful and respectful to me right now? Or are you fully aware that everything you’ve just said to me is a backhanded insult?”
“I would never insult you,” she smiled. “There”s no reason to. It”s just that high-profile clientele has been my circle for the longest time, and I can tell you all that you need to know and what you can”t bother about. Plus, right now you”re obviously helping Aurora do nothing more than rebel against her family, so what good exactly do you think is going to come from it? You’ll just leave a sour taste in their mouth, and whatever recommendation you think is going to come for your next job as a result will be nothing but a pipe dream; rather, cooperate with her mother and leave. Instead of a sour taste in their mouth, the people with the actual money and influence, which is her brother and not Aurora, will think of you fondly.”
“Hm,” I nodded. “You know what? This is solid advice. I”ll make sure to repeat it word for word to Aurora so that she can understand my stance as well and won”t feel too bad about letting me go.”
“What?” she asked, but before she could say another word, I went past her and made sure to bump into her shoulder on my way. She staggered a few steps backward, but no doubt and as usual, she was able to quickly right herself before anyone noticed.