Going Barefoot In Love

Chapter Six : Good Tidings

“All ready?” the photographer asks while cleaning his lens for maybe the hundredth time.

“Yah. Ready Alaric.” I say showing a thumbs up to the photographer. He smiles finally lifting his head, to look away from his camera.

“Get the models out” Alaric stands up.

“Who do you want first?”

“The female model please”

“Okay” I go to get her.

I open her vanity van door and see she’s still sitting on that black chair and scrolling through her phone.

“Christina we’re starting the shoot. You ready?"

“It’s Christine. Why can’t you get anything right?” she walks past me, eyeing me coldly.

“Yah. Christine. I’m sorry.”

Twenty minutes into the shoot and my phone starts to ring. It’s Liz.

“Hey Liz. I’m actually in the middle of something. As much as I’d love to talk to you right now. I can’t.”

“But...”

“I’ll call you immediately after I’m done with work here. For sure...” I hear Alaric asking to bring Aaron out, I signal Olivia to bring him. “Okay now I really need to go. Take care. Bye” and I slip my phone back into the back pocket of my jeans.

I look up and Aaron’s looking in my direction. Is he looking at me? Just when that thought pops up in my head, he looks away, as if answering my question saying I’m wrong. Or maybe he was just looking at the café behind me, never mind. Focus Emma. Focus.

Finally after an hour we’re done with the shoot. We’re almost done packing up, when Alaric comes up to me, “ Hey it was nice working with you. And maybe I should’ve listened to your suggestion of having a backup.”

“It was great working with you too.”

It’s almost 4 and everything’s packed up, and I can finally leave. I need to call Liz. I’ll call her once I find a taxi. Just as I am about to stop a taxi Aaron walks up to me.

“Hello Emma”

“Hello Aaron”

“So...the shoot went well?”

“Yes it did. Did you have to face any problems? If so I’m sorry. It was my first time and I tried my best to get everything right.”

“No no everything was good. You have a great team.”

“Thanks. That’s a huge compliment considering it’s my first time.”

“So you’re not going with the team for dinner?”

“No. I just want to get home. These heels hurt a lot. This is the first time I’m wearing such high heels and that too for this long.”

“Do you want to sit? I’ll stop a taxi for you.”

“No th—”

“No please sit.” He goes to the corner of the street and when he finds a taxi steps off the curb, not stepping too far into the street. He sticks out his arm to stop the driver. I get in and before he closed my door he looked up at me and asked “Where can I find you?”

I smile and reply “At my office. You know where I work.” Both of us laugh at that and he closes the door waving bye.

Once I’ve told the driver the destination I pull out my phone to call Liz. Just when I’m about to hit the call button I realize it’s 2AM in Los Angeles. I text her.

*Are you awake?*

*Yes obviously. I’ve been waiting for your call.*

Damn it’s 2 in the morning and she hasn’t slept. What on earth could be so urgent.

“Liz?”

“Emma I have some news. Good news.”

“Wait. You and David are buying a new house?”

“What? No. Wait I’m video calling you. I and David want to tell it to you together.”

“Okay.” I’m confused. What could it be that they want to tell it together. Wait. If they’ve decided on adopting a dog without me there. They’re dead.

Oh and by the way Elizabeth is married. Married to David Collins. Which makes Elizabeth, Elizabeth Collins and not Elizabeth Young. It’s been two years since they got married and I’m still not used to her new surname. Since second year of college Liz grew fond of the concept of arranged marriages. Many people might think it’s an old fashioned custom, but not Liz. And I’m happy she found someone who believes in arranged marriages as much as she does. They do some weird stuff when together but they’re really cute.
There’s an incoming video call coming from Liz. I click on the accept button and there they are, sitting with beaming faces. Almost like their faces were about to explode with all the happiness. Neither of them looked like they were supposed to be sleeping at this time.

“Hi Emma. How are you?” David asks although he’s clearly not interested in knowing how I am when he has some good news to tell.

“Hi David. I’m good and looks like you people are doing great too. So what’s the good news?”

They both look at each other for a brief second and together scream “We’re pregnant.”

“What?” I was totally not expecting this. It took me a few minutes to let that sink in. “Wow this is great news you guys. I mean like I don’t know what to say... I’m just so happy. Congratulations.”

“Okay I’ll leave you guys to talk and I’m going to sleep. Goodnight Emma.” David leaves kissing Liz goodnight on her forehead.

Liz stands up showing her stomach “Can you believe there’s going to be a baby growing in here. Emma I’m going to become a mother.” She’s almost about to cry and so am I. The thought of one of us becoming a mother seemed so distant until now.

“So you’re expecting a girl or a boy?”

“We’ve actually decided to not know the gender”

“Wow the wait just got even better.” A soft laugh escaped my throat. “Start eating and sleeping properly now.”

“Yah starting from tomorrow I’m going to make a whole new diet and timetable for myself.”

“It’s getting late go sleep now.”

“Yah. Okay I’ll call you later. Bye Ro goodnight. Love you.”

“Bye. Love you. Take care.”

I cut the call and gazed out the taxi window letting the conversation we just had still sink in. This month was going great, first my brother tells me he’s going to ask Suzanne to marry him and now Liz is pregnant. Everybody was getting settled in life. When will I find someone and get settled too.