The photo shoot was in a real studio. I don't know what I was expecting. I thought about the family photos that I'd taken over the years, usually at a Sears Studio or at a tiny shop at the mall that appears ever years around Christmas time. I'd never been to a real photographer's studio. I walked in, awestruck by the team of professionals who were busy setting up lighting and props.
"I thought this was going to be simple," I say to Rayyan who looks a little green around the gills, but none the worse for wear.
"This is simple," he says.
"This is like a real photo shoot. I'm not a model."
"Neither am I, but if we're going to do this we should do it right."
I'm not convinced, but I decide to let it go. there's no reason to argue with him. This is for our safety, after all. If we are going to do this thing, let's do it big.
"Here are your clothes, miss," says Enzo, delivering a rack of clothing in my size.
"For me?"
"Choose what you like and I'll be sure to get everything back at the end.," he says, ignoring my question. This new, passive-aggressive Enzo seems to only hear the questions he thinks are worth answering. I can't help but think that now that he knows what I've survived he has a little more respect for me as a person and as his boss's wife. It's an improvement.
OKay, its annoying as fuck, but it's a step up from his usual catty ways, so I ignore it for now.
I spy London on the corner in front of a large makeup station. She is diligently unpacking a huge case full of powders and creams in every color of the rainbow. She stops every once in a while to test the bristles on a brush or the texture of a sponge. Like almost everybody else here, she is wearing black pants and a black t-shirt. He ankle boots and elaborate jewelry are in no way diminished by the plain attire.
A bright smile erupts across her face the moment she sees me and she quickly prances over to greet me.
"Oh honey, I'm so happy to see you. You look well loved," she says, nudging me with her ample hips.
"I'm..." I don't know how to answer that. despite sleeping together we still haven't been physically intimate, at least not while we were sober.
"You don't have to say a single thing. I see you done sweated you edged out, girl. I was thinking about giving you the full Beyonce glam routine today, but now that I see you glowing like this, I don't think I'll have to work too hard," she says, taking me by the hands and leading me over to her workstation.
"She needs to choose her wardrobe first," Enzo says, stepping into her path. London doesn't appear very amused by Enzo's intrusion.
The two glare at each other. I feel that I have to step it because, despite having seen Enzo use his martial arts skill, there is nothing like the fury a southern chick can unleash.
"Why don't we choose some clothes together," I suggest to London. "This way you can make sure that my makeup and my outfit work together."
London turns and looks at my pleading face.
"Sounds great to me, honey. YOU'RE the boss," she says, shooting Enzo a look so evil I wonder why he doesn't keel over and die on the spot.
We settle on two outfits. One a yellow blouse and royal blue wide-legged pants with a tapered high waist. The other a beautiful sundress that cascades down to the floor like a waterfall of blue and white chiffon.
"What am I going to do with my hair?" I muse out loud. Since taking my braids down I hadn't had the chance to give it the kind of care it deserved. "My grandma always says a woman's hair is-"
YOU ARE READING
Unintended Consequences (Act One) Completed
Spiritual"It's simple; you help me convince everybody that we're a normal married couple and I help you hide from your homicidal gangster ex-boyfriend." "And the cuffs?" Unique held up their shackled wrists. "Don't look at me! I was as drunk as you were!" *...
