Chapter 13: The Photo Shoot

“Nina! Darling! How are you?” Lillian's mom greeted me immediately I step into their home where the photoshoot will be taking place.

“I'm good! mom Amelia” I greeted her, as a hug her, she ushers me in smiling brightly.

“ Mom where is daddy Jose,” I ask her after I sat down in the garden, I look around for Lilian's dad but he was nowhere to be found.

“Dear, he has gone to pick Mr. Andre up, he was confused with the address to this place”

“Ok, mom Amelia” I smile brightly at her, she turned and left me by myself. I took out my phone and try to reply to some nasty comments on my Instagram when I overheard mum Amelia ushering in someone.

I gasp, immediately I saw Debbie and Michael walking, hand in hand inside to where I was seated.

“Look who is here,” Deborah said smilingly Immediately she spotted me, running with open arms to come and hug me. I was excited, I stood up to hug her happily, happy that she was no longer annoyed with me.

“hey! You” I greeted her back with a smile

“I miss you, darling. My morning run has been boring without you. And I'm sorry about Friday” She apologizes as she sat down beside Michael opposite me.

“I'm sorry about that too” I smiled sadly at her.

“So where is your sensational boyfriend,” she said sarcastically. I look at her sadly, immediately she saw my face, she corrected herself “I'm sorry I was only joking”.

“He's…………..” I couldn't complete my sentence cos my phone chooses that moment to ring. I turn to pull out my phone from my clutch and smile brightly as soon as I saw the caller's ID.

“hey love” I called sweetly into the phone, happy that dad was calling me. Michael and Deborah gasp at me when they heard me say “love”. I stood up and walked to the extreme of the garden Michael's eyes follow me closely like a hawk.

“Hey, baby girl. You seem excited today”

I laugh happily into the phone. Gosh, it's been long I've laughed out so loud since Friday night.

“Hmmm! Where are you, baby girl?”

“I'm at Lillian's parents for the pre-wedding photoshoot”

“Oh!. It's today?”

“Yes, Dad” Michael seem to relax when he heard that I was talking to my father, he returns to typing away on his phone.

“Ok. Return to your place on time and no late-night parties” my dad warned me like I was a two years old child.

“Dad!!!!?” I scream. “ I'm no longer a baby”

He laughs wholeheartedly “but darling you are my baby. Anyway I called to let you know that your mum and brother miss you”

“Awnnn!! I miss all of you too. Dad” I told him smilingly.

“We know that baby. That's why I and your mum have decided to relocate to New York”

“Really!!!” ice cream jump up and down startling Deborah and Michael who were watching funnily.

“Yes, angel. I Will let you know when we've relocated”

“Ok Dad”

“Bye Angel. Do take care of yourself”

“And you too Dad. Extend my greetings to Mum and baby brother”

“Ok bye” Just as Austin walks in to kiss me and wrap his arms around me. I smiled brightly at him. He sat down beside me just as Lilian, Danny, and the photographer walk in.

Lillian walks up to me, she hugs me and smiles whispering “ I'm sorry” into my ear, as I smile at her.

Danny and Michael were discussing at the far corner while Deborah and Austin were staring at each other. The photographer and his assistants were assembling their instruments getting ready for the shoot.

“Okay ladies and gentlemen, we are all set to go,” Mr. Andre said clapping his hands excitedly.

“Now for the first, can we have the bride and groom” Lillian and Danny walk hand-in-hand to the couple swing and sat down looking at each other with love.

Andre click away and smile “Now, I need you Danny” He pointed to him “ to hold her close and slowly reach forward to kiss her”

Danny immediately reaches out to Lillian to hold her and kiss her.

“That's not what I ask you to do, Danny” Andrea scream making all of us laugh including Michael

“I guess he just couldn't wait to kiss his bride” Michael jokingly said making us all erupt into another round of laughter.

“ I. Need. You. To. Hold. Her. And. Slowly. Reach. Forward. To. Kiss. Her” Andre said calling the words one by one. Danny did just as he had said, while Andre was clicking away on his camera.

“Good!! Good!!” he said excitedly as he took three more shots of that position and then stop.

“Now they have the best lady and the best man join them” Michael when I rise to stand beside each of them on the swing.

“You!!” he pointed at me “ put one of your hands around the bride and bend slowly to her”.

“And you” he points to Michael “stand beside the groom and just smile at him”

“Ok. Good” he said when was satisfied with our position. He walks to his camera and clicks away.

“Ok. That's good. Can we have the groom's and bride's parents join them” He took three-shot of that?

“Can the groom's and bride's friends join them” he pointed to Houston and Debbie why the boat Scramble to their feet to come and join us.

“Okay, guys. That was good. Now I need the bride and groom only” We all went back to our seats while Danny and Lilian stood near each other and stare into their eyes while Andrea took a shot of them each.

“Now, can we have only the best lady and best man only” Lillian and Danny smile as they walk past Michael and me?

We stood 1 meter apart from each other as Andre watch us silently with one hand under his chin.

“What do you think you guys are doing?. Michael holds her like you would hold Deborah here and Nina looks at him like you would do to Austin”.

“ But he's not Austin” I muster for Michael's ear only. He frowns without saying anything.

“Sorry what did you say?” and ask

“Nothing” I reply

“ Good. Like that. Ok. bit closer. Yeah. Perfect” he clicks away while Deborah was already fuming on her seat.

“Why Deborah? Don't be jealous. It's just a shoot” Lillian smiled sweetly in her ears as Deborah walk away from her. Lillian turns and smiles at me. I look at her questionably, she shrugs and went into the house.

“Ok guys. That will be all for now ” Andrea said just as his assistant who has been quiet the whole while, went to pack the instruments. Andrea walks to us and turns to Michael.

“ The pictures will be ready by Thursday, will send it by mail. Bye guys” he turns to leave just as mom Amelia went to escort him out.

We all turned to leave as it was already late in the evening.

Lillian clear her throat “Not so fast guys” we all turn to look at her “Nina and Michael, Danny and I need your help with the wedding guest list”

“Our help?” I said not believing her as I turned to look at Michael who only looks lost. I turned back to look at Lillian and slightly raising my eyebrow at her “How do you need our help?”

She claps her hands she turned to face Michael smiling “Why don't you drop Deborah off, then I will text you the address of where you could meet us”

Michael turns to work out while Deborah follows closely behind him slightly annoyed. Austin turns to smile at me as he straight forth his hands to me. I follow him outside to where I parked my car and get inside it, driving home while Austin went his way.

An hour later, Danny and Lillian were sitting in my sitting room chewing popcorn with Coca-Cola.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now,” I ask her frowning.

“Because I'm your bestie,” she said rolling her eyes at me and smiling before swallowing a handful of popcorn.

I snort “Really?. Bestie my foot” I huff “ Is this your idea of the wedding guest list” I ask her gesturing to the popcorn she was eating. She snorted at me. I stood her up and went into the kitchen to get a cup of water.

The doorbell ringing caught my attention as I walked back to the sitting room to meet Lillian running open the door for someone.

Michael walks in putting on casual wear of short white knickers with a blue v neck top which enhances his blue eyes. I gasp at him as he smirks at me. I quickly close my mouth embarrassed.

Lillian stood up quickly “ Danny love, I'm suddenly craving ice cream” she pouts at Danny, who quickly stood up and hold her hands.

“Why?. Are you pregnant?” I mimic her voice and stick my tongue out at her.

She snorts and sticks her tongue back at me as she walks out of the door.

Immediately Lillian and Danny left I stood up and went to the kitchen with the excuse of getting Michael a drink, but I just wanted to put some distance between us. It's been ten years since we've ever sat down together alone in a room and my crazy heart won't stop beating fast.

“Are you ok” Michael calls from the sitting room. I quickly took red wine from the fridge and take two glass cups and walk back to the sitting room, I placed it beside us as he pours us a drink.

“Do you love Austin Walker?" Michael asks as he sips his wine.

“Yes,” I reply and shrug nonchalantly.

He gazed at me and frown, raising his eyebrows slightly “ Nina?” He questions softly as he sucks in a breath. My mouth went dry at that simple gesture. I rest my head on the couch as I struggle to look elsewhere but his eyes.

“ I'm sorry for leaving like that, I should have explained things better. But I guess it was for the better” He said unsure of himself anymore.

“You guess?” I look at him “ You were playing games with my feelings and here you say you were guessing ” I stood up and pace around the sitting room.

He also stood up and walk closer to where I stood and try to reach out to me but when he saw my face, he withdraws his hands and runs them through his hair.

“I just need to warn you about Austin, he's not who you think he is ”

“Oh!. So you think you are now in the position to warn me on who to date, right?” I scream at him.

“ No, I…..”

“ Don't you dare tell me who to date and not? You are not my father. We are meeting his parents tomorrow ” I lied sweetly to spite him.

“ Why are you doing this to me?”

“ Why?. Because I love Aus……” He slams his lips on mine, making me fought to maintain balance.

I wrap my hands around his neck as he deepens the kiss. I ran my hands through his silky hair and lean into his touch. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him as he kisses me deeply. Gosh! How I've missed him.

All my nerves come alive in his hands. His fingers graze my breast lightly, I gasp. He repeated it again and again, I couldn't help the moan that escapes my lips. Every cell in my body was sending a warning signal but I was too weak to resist him.

“ Oh. My. God!!”

Lillian scream alerted us, I scramble out of Michael's arm and straightened my dress embarrassed. Michael laugh happily and smirked at me. We all sat down and listen to Danny's tales of her and Michael's childhood.

Lillian wouldn't stop teasing me at any chance she got, and I like always I'll blush red. I refuse to make eye contact with Michael as the night drag on until they all left and I went to bed still thinking about the kiss.