Page 2 of Why Not Now?

“Is he a guest, or does he work here?”

“God, I hope he’s a guest. I don’t want to see him whenever we’re here to shoot a wedding.” I shudder at the thought.

“Derek seems pretty chummy with Mr. Golden God. And I’m pretty surehe’sthe event coordinator,” she says, taking some more pictures of the crowd. “And Mr. Golden is definitely dating the maid of honour.”

I don’t bother to ask how she knows. She sees people in a way I don’t, capturing the dynamics and the emotion of a moment. I’ve come to trust her judgment when it comes to people she’s photographed.

“Which maid of honour?”

We’d just finished helping Cindy with the wedding party shots before coming here to capture the grand entrance that should take place any time now.

“Lis. The twin with the rainbow hair.”

Before I can respond, the entrance starts, the emcee announcing the two maids of honour, Lis and Kelly, in their mismatched dusty pink dresses. They’re exactly the same colour and length, but slightly different styles. The twin’s dress is more flowy, matching her sister, while the other bridesmaid has a more fitted dress to match the other bride.

As I’m snapping pictures, I clearly see Lis turn toward the event coordinator, a coy smile on her lips. He’s looking back at her with a matching grin. I’m able to capture them both in frame before taking the picture.

“Good call,” I say to Bethany, preparing for the brides to enter. “Maybe Derek is a friend or something? I mean, my luck can’t be that bad, right? My one-and-only ex working at the same place where my boss just got a contract as the main wedding photographer?”

Bethany laughs. “You’ve done it now. You think Murphy’s Law is bad, but the universe will wreak havoc with a statement like that. Hey, you still need a ride home tonight?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.” I hate asking for help, but with my car in the shop and all the camera equipment I have with me, Bethany had offered.

“Of course not.”

“Thanks. The new alternator goes in on Monday. Hopefully that solves the problems for a while.” I give her a grateful smile and we go our separate ways.

The brides enter and we spend the next half hour taking pictures until dinner. Since the brides had decided they didn’t need pictures of people eating, I take a few stills of a perfectly plated meal and head to the table Cindy mentioned had been set aside for us with some other people who work at the venue. When I get to the table, Bethany is proved right, because there he is, sitting between the event coordinator and a black-haired woman with icy blue eyes.

I can’t stop my hands from shaking as I sit down and his attention turns to me, our gazes colliding. For several heartbeats, he holds all my focus. Then he blinks, and the spell is broken. He turns back to his friend, a smile spreading at something the other man says.

Ah. We’re pretending we don’t know each other. Fine by me.

Cindy’s voice pulls me back, and I realize she’s been speaking the whole time I’d been in the Derek induced haze. Thankfully, not directly to me.

“Adalie is the HR coordinator here,” Cindy says, indicating a woman with riotous red hair seated next to me. “Beside her is Vic, the CEO.”

Bethany shakes Adalie’s hand first, then Vic’s, the black-haired woman.

Cindy starts at the other side where she’s going to sit and says, “You’re Spencer, right?”

He smiles and holds out his hand to shake. “Yes. Event coordinator.”

Finally, Cindy turns tohim. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

Derek gives her a smile and I wonder how she’s not blinded. How is she not a puddle at his feet with all his attention focused on her? Because I would be.

“Derek. Master of acquisitions.” He stretches his hand across to her and they shake.

Bethany has gone around the table shaking everyone’s hand as well, introducing herself. “Is that an official title?” she asks when she gets to him.

He shifts his head side-to-side. “No, but it’s close enough.”

Then everyone turns to me.

I don’t want to shake anyone’s hand because then I’ll be forced to shakehis. I muster up a small smile and an even smaller wave. “I’m Ava,” I say before quickly dropping my hands into my lap.

I’m seated directly across from Derek. Throughout dinner, while I’m trying to focus on a conversation with Bethany and Adalie, seated on either side of me, I keep getting distracted, listening to what he’s saying, who’s talking to him, why he’s laughing.

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