SWNOVELS Chapter Meet Me in the Penalty Box: CHAPTER 15
As I stood inside the bridal suite, I took pictures of the bride and all of her bridesmaids while they were getting their hair and makeup done. Leila, the bride, looked absolutely stunning in her white lace dress and her mother stood behind her as they stared into the mirror. I snapped a few shots of them as they had a private conversation between one another.
It was such a sweet moment, watching the tender moments between a daughter and her mother as she got ready to walk down the aisle to marry the man she chose to spend the rest of her life with. Standing in the background as I observed and took candid photos, I realized I would never have these moments in sports photography.
There was a part of me that loved the action and the excitement. Every game was adrenaline-fueled and it was impossible to not feel the energy. It was high stress and much more demanding than something like this. You got to witness amazing moments while photographing a game, but nothing compared to something like this.
There just weren’t words that quite described it in a way that would do it justice.
Watching Leila and her mother made me realize that this was the career move I needed to make. It was my first official shoot like this, but if I were able to impress them, then it would only help to build my portfolio and résumé.
When I first got into photography, it was always my goal to have my own business. I wanted to be the one in control and capture moments in time like a wedding or a birth. Different lifelong milestones that people would look at the pictures for years to come. Sports photography was just something I got into almost by accident.
It started when I was in college and I needed something to get started with. That’s how I ended up shooting sports and primarily hockey. It just built from there and I was riding the path, even though it wasn’t the one I was destined to be on.
“Harper, would we be able to get some shots of Evan when Leila comes walking down the aisle?” Leila’s mother asked me as she walked over in her soft coral dress.
They had hired me but asked that I bring someone else along with me because they wanted to have images from every possible angle. There was no way I would have been able to capture everything they wanted just by myself, so I asked Ava if she would come with me. I didn’t have a team; I didn’t have an established business.
Ava was more than happy to come along. She knew this was my dream and she only wanted the best for me. This was all such a great learning experience, but I now knew that if I were going to start my own business, I would need to have someone for situations like this.
“Absolutely. I will make sure to get some of him and Leila walking down the aisle to him,” I assured her with a smile. “I’ll also make sure to take some of the ceremony from that angle and side as well.”
“That sounds perfect.” She smiled back at me and nodded. The bridal party gathered around the bride and I took one last picture of them before heading out to where the ceremony would be.
They were having it at an upscale hotel that had a room they were able to transform into one they could hold a ceremony in. It was amazing the way they had everything set up. It didn’t even feel like you were in a hotel, but almost as if it were somewhere ethereal with the flowers and glowing lights around.
Everyone was already in their seats waiting and I found a spot I had chosen earlier in the day that I felt would give me a good angle for these shots. Evan was standing at the front of the room with his groomsmen lined up alongside of him. I spotted Ava and waved to her. She was set up in a position where she would get Leila as she walked down the aisle, along with the ceremony from her side of the room.
A few minutes had passed and we were waiting for everyone to be in place and the music to shift. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I knew I had a moment to spare, so I pulled it out and checked my messages.
NICO
I know I told you good luck earlier, but I realized that wasn’t appropriate. You don’t need luck. You’re amazing and you are going to nail this job.
His message warmed my soul and I reread it three times while trying to calm my heart in my chest. Nico Cirone seemed like a smooth talker, but he actually meant the words he spoke. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, but he was the first text I woke up to and the last I went to sleep to every night. He was the best part of my day and I found myself missing him when I didn’t get to see him.
HARPER
Thank you. I will let you know how it goes afterward. The ceremony is about to start now.
He responded immediately.
NICO
I can’t wait to hear about it 🙂
I smiled down at my phone in my hand just as the music shifted into the song that Leila picked to walk down the aisle to. I quickly got my camera into position and zoomed in to focus on Evan and no one but him.
His face cracked as his bride stepped into the aisle. My shutter flickered as I pressed down on the button in rapid succession. I couldn’t stop the smile from pulling my lips upward as I watched Evan fight his emotions until the tears were springing from his eyes.
Leila joined him at the front of the room and the ceremony commenced. I moved around, taking pictures of their special day from various angles. I was pretty sure everyone was crying by the time the ceremony was over. They wrote their own vows and the love between them was something to be envious of. It was what everyone was looking for and it was radiating from them, drifting across the room in waves.
After the ceremony, I went to take pictures of the bridal party while Ava got set up in the reception room. The positive energy was contagious and I felt myself moving along to the music as we took pictures of everyone dancing during the reception. Leila’s mother found Ava and I and told the two of us that there were plates of food for us at one of the tables and that we needed to take a break.
Ava and I got ourselves drinks from the bar and found our spots at the table Leila’s mother directed us to. I looked over at my friend who was wearing the biggest smile as she watched everyone out on the dance floor.
“I think Ryan is going to propose,” she mused out loud as she looked over at me. “He’s been acting really strange and nervous around me lately. My sister said he stopped by to talk to our parents, which I found strange. There’s no reason why he would be there without me unless it was something he didn’t want me to know about.”
I stared at her for a moment as I smiled. “This is amazing, Ava. Have you guys talked about it at all?”
She shrugged. “I mean, yeah, but nothing in depth. I don’t know. He weirdly asked me to go to dinner with him next Friday night, which seems weird too. Like, since when do we need to plan ahead for a date?”
“Oh my god.” My eyes widened as everything she was saying was pointing in the direction she was thinking. “He’s definitely going to ask you. This feels like something straight out of a movie.”
“I feel like I could vomit,” she said with a laugh as she shook her head. “I mean, not about saying yes or anything, but like the anticipation. He’s either going to propose or break up with me.”
“He’s definitely going to propose,” I assured her. “Everyone sees the way he looks at you. He’s obsessed. He’s not breaking up with you.”
Ava turned to face me and raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of obsessed… Nico Cirone?!”
I grimaced in an attempt to hide the way my lips were curling upward and I ducked my head. “I know, I know. You can’t say anything to anyone, though.”
“He’s the guy from the club that night too, isn’t he?”
I looked back up at her and nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything because that was obviously just something random. But yeah… we’ve been hanging out and talking since then.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” she said loudly before taking a sip of her drink. “I mean, I can understand why you wouldn’t want anyone to know, but shit. He’s fucking hot as hell and I’m your best friend.”
“I’ll lose my job if anyone finds out about it and I can’t afford to lose it right now.”
Ava nodded and fell silent as she looked around the room. “What if you didn’t have to work for the Vipers anymore? What if you could make your dreams come true and do this full-time instead?”
I looked at her as I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I mean, that’s what my goal is. There’s no guarantee that it will happen or work out. Working for the Vipers right now is a sure thing. That’s what pays my bills, and I can’t jeopardize that.”
“Tonight is obviously going so well. If we can use this to get the ball rolling, you’re going to have people calling you all the time.” Ava pulled out her phone. “My cousin is due in, like, two weeks to have a baby. I’m forcing her to book a newborn shoot with you.” She looked up at me and her eyes were wide. “And my one friend who is getting married. The photographer she originally hired recently backed out, so she’s going to need you too.”
“Ava,” I started as I shook my head at her. “You can’t just force all of these people to hire me.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Nonsense. I’m not forcing them. It’s all word of mouth. You’re a talented photographer and we’re going to make this happen for you.” She smirked and winked. “That way you don’t have to be Nico Cirone’s dirty little secret.”
“I’m not his dirty little secret,” I argued as I lifted my glass to my mouth.
Ava nodded. “You’re right. He’s your little secret.”
I almost spat my drink out and half choked on it as I swallowed down the liquid and laughed. “Oh my gosh, Ava,” I laughed as I shook my head at her. “That sounds so bad.”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not,” I said as we both giggled. We quickly finished eating as the wedding began to shift again and it was time for the two of us to get back to work.
As much as I didn’t want her pushing my work on other people, I was excited for the possibilities. For the different jobs and making my dreams come true.
But more importantly, I was excited for what this could do for Nico and I.
He wouldn’t have to be my secret anymore…