Chapter 8
Iwas still and had my phone against my ear, but it was either I called Anna now, or I came certified mentally incoherent. The second he left to return to his party, like I should have done but was not able to due to the shock that still permeated my system at his request, I texted her the explanation of what had just happened. And now, ten minutes later, I was calling her and walking out of the area preparing to scream.
To my surprise, she picked up as soon as I called, and I couldn”t even be as mad because it was perfect timing.
“What”s wrong with you?” I asked through gritted teeth. “You”ve seemed quite dedicated to messing me up through the day.”
It took a while for her to compute anything I was saying, but eventually, she yawned and replied.
“Stop blaming me for this morning. I told you I set the alarm. And what”s this about meeting some guy and kissing him? Did you do it? You should. You need to be kissed or even more. You’ve becoming so uptight.”
“I didn”t call you to scold me,” I shot back.
“So why do you call then?”
I stopped, then realized it was a very valid question. Thankfully, though, I didn”t have to search for a reply because she had one for me.
“Ah, you want to do it but it makes no sense to you because he’s a stranger, so you want me to give you permission?”
This was it; however, there was no point in being humble and admitting it out loud, so I just remained silent.
I heard her amusement but ignored it.
“Just go for it,” she said. “What do you have to lose?”
“Just like you did yesterday?” I couldn”t help but tease her, and she sighed.
“If he wasn’t my direct boss, I would have thrown all caution to the wind. This Drake dude is not your boss, and from what you’ve said, he’s hot, so why the hell not?”
“Well, he”s not my direct boss, but he is my client”s brother.”
“I’m going to bed,” she replied. “Do whatever you want.”
She ended the call before I could say a word, and I was left to my own devices.
I turned around then to watch their table and brought out my camera. The framing of the wooden beams from this position and the display of cakes and desserts that they had across their table was incredibly interesting to see, so I couldn’t help taking a picture of it.
I took a few shots, went around to the corner before any of them could notice me, until eventually, Drake looked up, and our eyes met.
Once again, I pressed down on the shutter and took his shot, and it was disconcerting to say the least. I looked at the result on the screen, but when I looked up once again, he had turned away and was listening to Victoria. Her arms were flailing all about as she explained whatever she was, and it all just made me wonder if the previous ten minutes had even happened. I no longer wanted to join them, but I needed close-up shots that I couldn’t get from afar, so I went just close enough and got my shots.
Afterward, they were heading over to check on accommodations in the venues, and I was more than grateful for the stroll. The weather was cooling down, the views were breathtaking, and it was just what I needed to clear my head.
Aurora came over to me then and held my arm.
“Are you alright?” she asked. “You”ve been awfully quiet.”
Her brother was in front of us with his mother, so I couldn”t help but feel awfully self-conscious.
“I”m fine,” I replied.
“And the photos?”
“They’ll be gorgeous,” I replied with a smile and was more than happy to see the happiness it brought to her face.
Soon enough, we arrived at the accommodations, and I followed them through the rooms. It was a bit rustic but in such an elegant way that I was blown away. The emerald green draperies, the dark patterned wallpapers, the golden accents, and white calla lilies were beautiful. It made me wonder just how rich they were because no expense seemed to be spared. Thankfully, all of this was able to capture my attention, and in no time, it seemed like we were done.
There was one more shot, though, and this was of the whole family and unfortunately Victoria as well as they conversed about this final stage. I took the photos; however, just as I was perusing through them, I heard him call out to me.
It was startling because, up until then, he had managed to ignore my existence, but it didn”t seem to be the case anymore. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“Evelyn, come over here,” he said, and I looked up. All eyes turned to me, and I was about to decline when I saw the scowl on Victoria’s face, and I could no longer resist.
It was worth it if it made her this pissed.
I went over aiming to stand by Aurora and her alone.
“We need to see the pictures you”ve taken so far,” Victoria said. “I contacted my photographer, Ethan, and he’s willing to do the kind of shots you”re doing right now. As you know, the client comes first, so I”m trying to ensure that they get the very best.”
“Are you trying to say that she’s not the best?” Aurora asked, to my surprise.
I smiled then, however, just before I could respond, she kept going.
“You know what, you’re pretty annoying, and I don’t want you as my wedding planner. Don”t bother changing the photographer; you can just drop the project altogether.”
Victoria stared at her, mouth wide open, and so did everyone else. It took everything inside of me not to laugh out loud.
“I think it”s high time we called it a day,” her brother said, “It”s way past time for me to get back to the office, so I’ll leave whatever is left here for you all to handle.”
With this, he turned around but after taking only a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at me.
“Send me a few of the pictures you’ve taken so far. I want to understand Aurora”s insistence on having you.”
He pulled out a business card then and held it out.
I hated that I had to go over to receive it, but he was the boss, so I did as asked, and he handed it over. I tried as much as possible to avoid our hands touching during the exchange, but in the end, it wasn’t entirely possible.
Sparks flared through me at the touch, so much so that I couldn’t quite look him in the eyes.
“My personal email is attached as well as my phone number,” he replied.
I nodded in response, and he went on his way.