Random my loveprize in viewfinder stories.

all I want for Christmas is... chapter 3 by AlexRT

He'd worked with this designer and director before and they seemed to remember him too when he arrived. They'd acquired a conference room in one of the hotels along the strip to be used as a dressing and staging space for the models. The designer explained the inspirations for his latest line and the director reinterpreted his "vision" into a more concrete plan for the images they wanted to capture. Aki listened closely, slightly amused by the seeming disconnect between what the one wanted and the other was telling him to do.

The models came out as each was finished being dressed and having their hair and make-up done. The director introduced them to Aki who then proceeded to photographing each of their individual ensembles before moving on to do different pairings and finally a large group number with the whole collection.

Despite their best efforts they still seemed to constantly be obstructing traffic or drawing gawkers. They moved to the park before they could cause any more of a disturbance to the shops and restaurants they were in front of. Some members of the larger crew set up a warming and touch-up area there for people to rest and be re-done.

The director finally called for a break period in the late afternoon and ushered everyone back to the conference space for lunch and to properly warm-up, as it was hovering just around the freezing point outside. Once there, the models went behind the partitioned area to change and everyone else picked-up a bento box and made their way to a table.

Aki sat alone but was soon joined by a couple members of the crew and some of the models as they filed back out. Being Christmas Eve, the topic of conversation soon moved to everyone's plans for the evening. Like before, a couple of the ladies talked about what they expected of their boyfriends but this time having both male and female models, the guys mentioned what they had planned as well. The ladies were quick to both judge and reassure them on their plans and choices and offer up suggestions of their own.

"Takaba-san what are your plans for this evening?" one asked.

Before he could answer another chimed in "What did you get for your girlfriend?" having been less than impressed with the other guys' present choices.

It was a question he still didn't really know how to answer "Well....I don't have a girlfriend so I didn't get anything...but I may hang out with some friends or something..." It wasn't completely a lie, he had a boyfriend not a girlfriend and he still hadn't gotten him any kind of present.

"Really?!" They both seemed surprised, why was everyone always so interested in his partnership or lack-there-of? The two looked at each other and then shared a knowing smile. Aki decided to ignore them and went back to finishing his food. Everyone broke off into their own two or three person conversation groups and soon thereafter the director came up to him to talk about the plan for the rest of the day.

For right now they were really just waiting for sunset and the illumination to be turned on. Low light and evening photography was particularly challenging, which luckily this director seemed fairly knowledgeable and understanding of. He beckoned over the lighting crew so that Aki could talk with them as well for what would be needed and how they all wanted to do things.

For once he was glad about the early sunsets that winter brought, as it meant that they could start shooting, and hopefully finish, soon. They all still had some time to kill until then and so continued to mingle. Aki flipped through the pictures he had taken earlier, not sure what else to do with this time. He thought about the evening to come and realized that Asami had never specified a specific location, only the general area. He pulled out his phone and shot him a text "Where should I meet you tonight?".

From the corner of his eye he saw a group approaching and so looked up from his phone.

"Takaba-san" one of the ladies from earlier sang out his name "can you show us some of the pictures from earlier?" A group of four of them came closer.