on a ride | englot | hiatus

twenty two

"Charlotte, move closer."

"Charlotte, up close."

"Charlotte, your hands."

"Charlotte, don't be stiff."

"Charlotte, look at the side; look at her."

The photographer keeps on commenting on Charlotte's positions and poses; he keeps on telling her what to do with her hands and arms, where to put her eyes, or where to settle her gaze.

He sounds so annoyed; Charlotte can feel it, and she can't blame him for sounding like one. She's a pain in the ass, she knows it.

What and why it's happening? Well, she keeps on blushing—like, really hard blushing. You can see her face tinted in a bright pink shade, and that is not because of the make-up they put on her face or her cheeks, but because Charlotte Austin is all over Engfa Waraha.

This photoshoot, Charlotte did not expect it will be this extreme.

Of all the first experiences she had and will have with Engfa in the future, this is the first time Charlotte is aware that she is super-likely near Engfa Waraha's face and whole body. Aside from the hugs they consistently made from the days that Charlotte spent with Engfa, this is the first time she's this close, where she can see Engfa's confident face looking at her expressionless.

A lot of people are looking expectantly at them, and Charlotte is such a disappointment.

Charlotte can't help but stand there from time to time, not moving like a doll in a glass box that will break anytime if you move it alone. Honestly, she doesn't know how to act or why her body is reacting that way to the sudden touch of her skin with Engfa's flawless surface.

She doesn't know why she can't stay focused on those eyes that are looking at her.

Charlotte also added the possible reason why she's acting weird is because of Engfa Waraha's black satin dress that reveals her slender shoulders plus her exposed long right leg is on display because of the slit design of the fabric she's wearing.

It is not helping Charlotte's mind because she's panicking for an unknown reason.

They have the same dress, they mirror each other. The difference is Charlotte's dress is white.

Engfa is undeniably gorgeous, and Charlotte is so shy with those obvious facts. She's starting to feel awkward when the photographer keeps on telling her to move her face closer to the superstar, put her hands on Engfa's face, and look directly into Engfa's eyes without blinking.

Sure, she can now hold Engfa Waraha, but her hands are shaking, and she can't even look at this artist for a long time. Charlotte was always the one breaking the eye contact they made.

Charlotte is so frustrated, not with the photographer or any of the staff members, but with herself. How she can't act professionally around them at a moment like this is giving her anxiety and embarrassment for herself, especially since she's working alongside Engfa Waraha and her outstanding team.

Here she is, messing up.

"Can we take a break for a minute, please?" Engfa finally said something, looking at the photographers and other staff.

Charlotte can see how the photographer sighs and nods his head to Engfa and mentions his staff leaving the area as if it were what Engfa means by taking a "break."

"Charlotte, look at me," Engfa said, with a bit of authority in her voice. Charlotte was looking at the floor at that time out of embarrassment she felt. She wanted to scold herself so badly.

How dare she, call herself a model and actress when she can't even project herself as one? Charlotte most likely wanted to cry.

But all of that thought was stopped when she heard Engfa's authoritative voice, Charlotte immediately looked up.

Instead of the angry face, she's expecting. Engfa's face is smiling, contrary to her voice a while ago. Engfa looks so encouraging now while looking at her.

Charlotte once again redirects her eyes away.

"Tell me, are you shy being with me?" Engfa put her right hand to Charlotte's face as she took it up to make eye contact with Charlotte, who felt like looking somewhere else was safer than looking directly at Engfa Waraha.

Engfa is like a black hole that can shallow Charlotte's whole being.

"That's not it P'fa, I'm nervous right now," Charlotte answered honestly, her eyes still avoiding the stares Engfa was giving her.

It's true, it is what she feels, and it is the situation they are in that did this to her. It made Charlotte tense.

"Don't be nervous; you should be comfortable with me," Engfa tells Charlotte those words as if it is so easy to feel comfortable around someone you idolize and so far away from your skills and attributes.

"You should be able to look at me in the eyes; look at me and show me what you see without saying a word." Engfa continued to lecture her. As if they are in a workshop.

Charlotte let go of a deep inhale and exhale and now tried to look at the eye of the person who was still holding her chin upward.

She blinks for seconds. Their eyes meet again. Charlotte talks to herself about doing something good and stops embarrassing herself to Engfa and other people.

Charlotte can see Engfa's eyes looking intently at her as if they were trying to hypnotize Charlotte to just stay still and look forever at it.

"That's right, keep on looking." Engfa continues, saying it in a low tone, almost like a whisper.

This time Engfa's face is so close to Charlotte that she can see the thick and long eyelashes of Engfa's eyes.

"You should be able to handle this, me being this close to you." Engfa kept on talking while her face was so close, inches away. But this time she let go of the hold she had on Charlotte's chin.

Charlotte stares; magically, she can't keep her eyes away. Like Engfa Waraha's words, there is some kind of spell that only she can cause and break.

"Hold my face with both of your hands this time," Engfa instructed her, something like that would make Charlotte or anyone panic, but this time she did not, her heart and mind were surprisingly calm.

At this point, it feels like Charlotte is bewitched to do anything Engfa commands.

"Trace every part you like, that for you I am mesmerizing," Engfa added other magical words, and Charlotte's hands automatically traced gently the cheeks of Engfa, like it was some kind of delicate object.

Engfa closes her eyes when she feels Charlotte's hands on her face. Charlotte felt that small electricity that travels within her.

They are like that for a minute, Charlotte just looking at Engfa.

Charlotte didn't know but she wanted to stay like that for more minutes.

"I think she's ready," Engfa suddenly opened her eyes and said that.

like a spell breaker that it is. Charlotte feels like she is pulled back to her reality, and she finally lets go of Engfa's face and looks at her surroundings.

She saw all the staff, including the photographer, looking intently at them, amazement was visible on their face.

"Okay, let's start again," said the photographer, who clapped excitedly. He sounded enthusiastic this time.

All the anxiety and awkwardness Charlotte felt was now gone. Engfa Waraha made a beautiful spell and cast it to her.

Charlotte Austin is now confident she will rock this photoshoot with Engfa Waraha by her side as her power source.