“Yes and no.” Molly smiles. “We are here for the wedding consult, but we’re not Simon and Elaine. Unfortunately, they had a medical issue and couldn’t make it. But, I’m Molly, the maid of honor, and this is Everett, the bride’s brother. I’d love to meet with you to get some information. I’ll run it over to them tonight, so they can take a look and see what it is you have to offer.”
Lori hesitates a moment, but this doesn’t slow Molly down one bit. “These pictures are absolutely gorgeous. And my best friend is so photogenic—I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with, so I can show her.”
Mollified in more ways than one, Lori smiles and leads us over to a spacious desk surrounded by deep bucket chairs. We all take a seat, and she begins to outline package details, explaining that everything she’s telling us will be included in a folder of information that we can take along, saving us the trouble of trying to write all these notes down or remember them. And thank God, because most of my attention is not focused on Lori, or her list, or the damn folder.
Molly sits next to me, her attention turned slightly to the right, toward the photographer. Exactly where it should be. My attention, however, is on Molly’s calf. The fitted leather of her boots cradles the sensuous curve of her leg. Her skirt rides up as she crosses her leg, affording me a delicious view of her thigh. I remember all too well what is hidden beneath those tights. I recall vividly how tightly those thick thighs squeezed my head like a vise as I—
“What do you think? Do you think Simon and Elaine plan on indoor or outdoor photos? Or maybe a combination of both? Many couples choose that these days, weather permitting, of course.” Lori’s question is directed at me, and I can tell she realizes this whole consult has basically been a conversation between Molly and her, and she’s aiming to correct that. If she excludes me, it’s possible I’ll give a bad report, I guess.
This presents me with the perfect opportunity. “Oh, I’m not really sure,” I hedge. “I guess it’s ultimately their decision, but if they wanted my input, I would definitely tell them to do both. Those pictures you have of the wedding party in that gazebo? They’re really stunning. And I guess I’m being selfish,” I shoot a heated look in Molly’s direction, before reaching out to caress her thigh. My hand spans her flesh, and I squeeze gently as I stroke. “But I’d love to have a shot of you in the sunshine, baby, just like that one.” I point to a pose in the gallery of photos that is spread before us. “It’d be perfect on my desk.”
Her momentary blink as my skin touched hers is the only outward sign that I caught her off guard. That’s just more confirmation that my girl likes to be in the driver’s seat. And as sexy as that is, she’ll soon learn who’s really in control.
As anticipated, she doesn’t miss a beat. “Such a good idea, lover. And I definitely want a shot of you in that tux. So sexy.” She practically purrs as she wraps her hand around mine, heightening the intensity of my touch.
“Uh, yes.” Lori clears her throat. “We take many pictures of each member of the wedding party. You said there were four men and four women in addition to the bride and groom. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Molly confirms. And really, she had a point earlier, outside the car. She doesn’t need me. I don’t even know how many people are in the wedding party. But, she’s stuck with me.
“Though, really,” she adds, “who’s even going to notice those other guys with this stud muffin in the picture.” She growls playfully and grabs my tie. “And you’re no stranger to posing for the camera, are you, Pookie Bear? I’ve got the pics on my phone to prove it.” Swinging her leg in my direction, she intertwines our calves and, in doing so, scoots us that much closer together. We’re practically in each other’s laps.
I feel a momentary twinge of guilt for putting Lori through our little escapade, and I’m sure these antics will cement our place in the ranks of obnoxious couples she never wants to see again. But I can’t quite convince myself to worry about that right now. Molly has thrown down the gauntlet, and I need to let her know this game is far from over.
“What can I say? I love taking pictures for my little bonbon.” My hand reaches out to take hold of a lock of her hair. It’s like spun gold. I twist it around my finger and inhale the scent of honey. Molly laughs flirtatiously, but the look in her eyes is far from loving. That’s all the encouragement I need.
“So, Lori, I know we’re here for Elaine and Simon, but I do have a quick non-wedding question.”
“Of course.” She’s back to being nonplussed.
“Do you do boudoir shots?”
Molly’s hand encircles my wrist, and she squeezes. She’s strong, I’ll give her that. But the pain doesn’t bother me at all.
“Uh, yes, actually, we do offer that service. We can do it here at the studio, or even in your home.”
“That’s fantastic. I think we’d prefer to do it at our place, wouldn’t we, sweetums? All the props are already there.”
I can tell by the quickened pace of her breathing that I’ve, yet again, caught Molly off guard, something she really doesn’t like. However, that pulse also tells me I’ve turned her on. Our chemistry at the bar that night, and in her bedroom, wasn’t a one-off. I know it. She knows it. The question is, what are we going to do about it?
“We can set up a date for that, if you’re ready to book, or I can include those package details in your folder along with the wedding info.”
“Yes, thanks, if you could put that in the folder, that’d be great. I do have one more quick question. Is anyone here equipped to do a photo shoot with a live bear?”
“Uhhh…”
“We don’t have a live bear, of course. But I’m sure we could rent one. It’s just that we have this bear-skin rug we like to, uh, use and I thought…”
The squeak I hear from Molly before she covers it with a coughing fit is the trophy I’ve been waiting for. She just barely manages to hold back her laughter. “Ev, you animal.” She admonishes with a smile. “I think we’ve taken up more than enough of your time, Lori. Thank you so much for all of this information. Your work truly is incredible. I’ll relay that to Elaine, and I’m sure she’ll give you a call this week.”
Relief is evident on Lori’s face as she returns the pleasantries and reminds us that spring and summer dates are booking up fast.
We’re securely in the car—Molly behind the wheel me in the passenger seat—when she swats my arm and yells, “you asshole! Live bear? What the fuck, Ev?”
“I was just following your lead,lover.” I repeat the word that started it all.
“Bullshit. You started it by grabbing my thigh!”
Okay, she has a point.
