Chapter Three Eliott
TWO YEARS LATER
The bride-to-be accosts me as soon as I walk through the door. She’s wearing a short, feathery white dress and even the six-inch heels she’s wearing can’t stop her from launching herself across the space between us and into my arms.
‘Eliott!’ Bailey cheers my name and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug like we’re lifelong friends and she didn’t just find me on Instagram a week ago. ‘I’m so glad you could make it. You’re a lifesaver, you know that?’
‘I don’t know about lifesaver.’ I force a laugh as she unravels herself from me and takes a step back. ‘But I’ll do what I can.’
Her fiancé – Caspian, if I’m remembering the details of the frantic messages Bailey sent me correctly – comes up behind her and rests a gentle hand on her waist. Her smile softens into something sweeter, something just for him, and she melts into his touch.
I bring my camera up to my face and snap a quick candid shot of the two of them.
They don’t even notice. That’s how lost they are in each other’s gaze.
It’s cute – nauseatingly cute – but I’m used to it.
Between being a wedding photographer and living with Sasha and Wes, navigating loved-up couples has quickly become my new normal.
I barely even feel the slight pang of longing in my chest as I watch Caspian tilt his head and whisper something in Bailey’s ear that makes her giggle.
Barely.
I turn away from them, feeling like I’m intruding on something private, and glance around the room. They’ve hired out this restaurant to celebrate their recent engagement and the large space is already starting to fill with friends and family.
I always enjoy engagement party jobs. They practically guarantee the couple will book me for their big day, and it’s a slightly more relaxed way of getting to know them, understanding how they operate, and seeing how comfortable they are in front of the camera.
If any red flags pop up tonight, we’ve got the chance to iron them out before the big day.
‘Thanks so much for fitting us in,’ Bailey says, pulling my attention back to the happy couple. ‘I know it was late notice, but our first photographer bailed on us.’
‘We thought it was a sign that maybe we shouldn’t bother with one for tonight,’ Caspian says.
‘But then we saw your portfolio online and fell in love!’ Bailey finishes with a bright grin.
Pride blooms in me, and I bite back a pleased smile.
I’d known that Bailey was a fan of my work, given the fact that she liked and reshared almost my entire feed within a span of five minutes one evening, but still .
I’ve put a lot of effort into working on my craft over the years, and it always feels good to hear that recognised.
‘Have you guys settled on a date for the big day yet?’
They exchange a look and both break out into identical, slightly weary grins.
I get the distinct impression that I’m watching a silent conversation play out in front of me.
It’s the kind of thing Sasha and Wes do all the time.
Like one of the side-effects of being so ridiculously in love with someone is developing the power of mind-reading.
Annoying, but also cute. So goddamn cute.
‘We’re still working on a few things,’ Caspian says.
‘But don’t worry,’ Bailey says. ‘As soon as we’ve got it all sorted, we’ll be able to confirm a date and get you booked in.’
‘Sure,’ I say with an easy shrug. I’ve got no doubt in my mind that I’ll take on Bailey and Caspian as a couple.
They’re friendly, easy-going and open in a way that a lot of couples aren’t – and it definitely helps that they’re paying double my fee tonight thanks to the late notice.
‘I tend to book out pretty quickly, but if you let me know as soon as you have rough dates in mind, I can block out some time in my schedule for you.’
Bailey’s smile widens. ‘Like I said, Eliott. You’re a lifesaver.’
We’ve gone over the specifics in our messages already, but Bailey and Cash – as I quickly learn he prefers to go by – give me a brief rundown of what they’d like me to do for the night.
‘We don’t want too many staged photos,’ Bailey explains. ‘We’ll save that for the wedding. Tonight we just want candid photos of the night. Just shots that really capture the atmosphere and the energy.’
‘We should probably make sure to get some with Amber and Finn,’ Cash cuts in.
‘Right. Amber’s my best friend and my maid of honour.
’ A sad look crosses over Bailey’s face for a brief second before her smile is back.
‘But she’s moving abroad soon, so she won’t be here in person for most of the wedding planning.
It’d be nice if we could get a few photos of us together tonight. For the memories, you know?’
‘Should we get Dane in as well?’ Cash asks.
The name sparks something in me. A memory I’ve desperately been shoving to the side for the last two years. I push it right back to the recesses of my mind where it belongs.
Besides, Dane is a perfectly common name.
I think.
‘He’s my best man,’ Cash says, thankfully interpreting the look on my face as one of confusion and not of sudden panic.
‘And my brother,’ Bailey says cheerfully. ‘You’re right. Let’s make sure to get a couple shots of the five of us together.’
‘Just point them out to me and I’ll wrangle everyone together at some point to get the shot.
’ Along with the staged photos, I make a mental note to get as many candid photos of Bailey and Amber as I can throughout the night.
If Sasha were moving abroad right before my wedding, I know I’d want as many photos as possible.
‘Amber’s not here yet,’ Bailey says. ‘But I’ll let you know when they get here. And Dane…’ She trails off, her brows furrowing slightly as she peers around the room.
‘He’s definitely here,’ Cash says as he surveys the room himself. ‘I saw him about ten minutes ago.’
A few more guests spill through the doors of the entrance and immediately make a beeline for Bailey and Cash. Bailey shoots me an apologetic grin, and I wave them both off.
‘Don’t worry about it. Once you spot him, point him out to me. Amber too.’
Cash’s reminder to grab myself a plate to eat later is quickly swallowed up by a squeal of congratulations from their new guests as the happy couple is pulled into a small crowd of cheers and laughter.
I get a shot of them, capturing the moment Bailey and Cash are crushed into a five-person hug, and then slink away ready to start doing what I do best.
There’s a long table in the middle of the room that’s rapidly filling with laughing guests. I take my time circling the room, snapping photos of them all, my SD card rapidly filling with casual candid moments of Bailey and Cash’s friends and family celebrating their love.
I lean against a nearby wall and get a photo of Cash and a woman I’m fairly certain has to be his mother on the impromptu dance floor.
The look on her face is one of pure adoration as she cups her son’s cheeks and says something to him that makes his whole face light up.
I watch as his eyes dart over to Bailey across the room before coming back to settle on his mother.
He gives her a little nod, and she beams up at him.
This is my favourite part of the job. Getting the candid and unfiltered moments, the quiet moments when people think nobody is watching, and capturing them for a lifetime.
They might not remember this conversation ten years down the line, but every time Cash looks at this photo, he’ll see the look of love and pride on his mother’s face in this moment.
I glance around the rest of the room. Aside from a small cluster of Bailey and a group of friends, most people are settled around the table digging into their plates, and it feels like we’ve reached a natural lull in the night.
I let my camera swing around my neck and head towards the buffet table, fully intending to take advantage of Cash’s reminder to eat before my services are needed again.
I’m stopped briefly by a group of screaming children as they sprint across the room, all of them moving in unison like some kind of hyperactive caterpillar.
‘Quickly!’ the apparent leader of the pack squawks. ‘He’s gonna get us!’
The other children scream even louder and I bring my camera up just in time to capture the moment a tall man jumps out from behind a corner and scoops the last child up into his arms. The child cackles – somehow both delighted and outraged at having been caught – and my thumb freezes over the shutter button as my heart climbs into my throat.
His hair’s a little longer, his beard a little thicker, but he’s just as handsome, just as striking, as he was two years ago.
Dane.
‘All right, all right,’ he drawls as he sets the child back down onto the floor. ‘I won.’
‘Nuh- uh .’ The group of kids swarm around him, their faces red, sweaty and grinning. The leader sticks out a hand and points at the recently captured child. ‘You only caught one of us.’
Dane heaves an overdramatic sigh. ‘ Fine . I’ll give you guys a thirty-second head start.’
They all scream again and rush to dart away – even the one who was just caught, which seems against the rules. But Dane just grins as he watches them sprint off into another dark corner of the restaurant.
‘ Dane ,’ a reproachful voice calls. An older woman brushes past him and gives him a disapproving look. ‘Don’t get the little ones so riled up, especially this late at night.’
Dane’s grin doesn’t waver, like he’s completely unbothered by the light scolding he’s just received. ‘Hey, Aunt Jay.’
His aunt titters but still leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
He’s so tall she just about reaches his shoulders even when he bends over to meet her, and she ends up settling for leaving a red lipstick stain on the collar of his white shirt.
‘I mean it, Dane. If Callum’s still bouncing off the walls by the time we leave, you’re going to have to deal with him. ’