Submission {UNFIN}

Chapter Fifteen.

8:17 p.m., New York City, New York, Binkley's Fine Dining

I precisely could not help myself from creeping a sly grin onto my lips when the awed expression on Shawn's face came into my line of vision. Much like I'd instructed my chauffeur, whom I booked the day prior, I was a bit behind the schedule that Carter insisted that I abide by. The photographer, Kalani, was readily at attention from the moment my foot stepped outside of the Rolls-Royce, with its distinctive, and all but cheap looking exterior. If I weren't so accustomed to photos being snapped of me without my entire preparation, perhaps I would have been blinded by the flash of the Nikon in front of me, but instead rather, I continued on my way inside of the restaurant with one of the valets pooling my train to shield it from the damp ground that had been kissed by the rain earlier in the day. My blonde tresses had been styled upward into a simplistic bun, with the help of a hairstylist and some much-needed weave, due to my hair's short length. The dress adorning my skin had been one of my favorite gifts from Zuhair Murad, and I deemed it appropriate enough for the photos of me that Kalani was to be taking. If there was one thing that I appeared as on camera, it was elegant and flawless, and that night was no exception. I'd been featured on several red carpets and photographed at multiple fashion shows, award shows, benefit dinners, and the list goes on, so I was no stranger to the lens of a camera.

From the looks of things, Shawn had arranged to have to restaurant cleared for the interview, which I greatly appreciated. I was sure that after the fluffy, less interesting questions, I'd face the daunting task of dodging, yet still answering questions about my secretly mixed up past. His features contorted into a grin when he was blessed with the chance of greeting me, much to my amusement considering he knew that I'd caught a glimpse of his shocked countenance. He then lifted the back of my hand to his lips with a subtle kiss, garnering my eye contact while doing so.

"You clean up nice, Knowles." I offered up an affable laugh.

"Well you don't do too bad yourself, writer boy," I teased, turning away when I heard Kalani calling my name. I only hoped that we'd be shooting the photos inside, but if they were to be taken outside, I prayed it would be brief. For one, I was not a fan of the lingering humidity that the rain left us with. Second, I'm sure we all are aware that edges do not hold up well in muggy air. "Kalani, would you mind shooting inside?" I requested, trying to remain a positive standing with the photographer, at least for the night. She'd be retouching my shots as well, and I wanted to ensure that she had no reason to want me to look terrible in a magazine that would be distributed nation-wide.

"Of course not," a man soon rushed to my side with an umbrella above my head to shield me from the abrupt on-pour. Luckily, he reached me before it began. Others, however, were not as fortunate and began to get drenched from the onslaught of rain. Shawn had simply stepped inside of the building, seeing as we were standing beside the threshold. "Wait," Kalani asked, pulling up the hood on her cute-as-a-button yellow raincoat. "This is a good shot with the rain, just let me get one. Sir, do you mind coming onto the sidewalk?" The array of people who were now revolving around me- one holding my train, the other my umbrella, and the last, the carpet to rest my train on- helped me to the sidewalk, facing as if we were to begin walking on the path. "Okay, I only want the man with the umbrella in the shot, if you don't mind." The others hurried away, and the one pitching up my umbrella stood toward the side so that the only thing seen in the photo would be his arm and the umbrella that he held hoisted for me. "Pose." My eyes flitted upward to some unidentified spot in the rain, and my hand rested delicately against my jaw bone. "Perfect." The flash went off, and Kalani checked to ensure it came out to my standards before we finally entered the establishment. We finished off the photo shoot in roughly thirty minutes, some shots more casual and others as if I were an actual model. Once finished, Kalani helped me to the table in the center of the room where Shawn sat stationary and surprisingly patient. Each round table's centerpiece was lit with a candle, and the lights were dimmed comfortably, but our table was the only one housing silverware and china.