Page 86 of Love Off-Limits
Olivia fell into step beside me as we moved inside and headed down the hall toward her office. “So these guys actually work together,” she explained while her fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on her arm.
Was she nervous because of the event? Nervous because of me? Maybe some of both?
“They own a boutique advertising agency in Charlotte, specializing in long-form advertising. The kind of entertaining videos you see on social media, three or four-minute-long ads that are funny and quirky and hook you without you even realizing it.”
“Right. I think I know what you mean.”
“Remember the men’s shampoo ad that compared men’s hair to horse’s manes and tails and kept making jokes about the only time it’s acceptable to be a horse’s ass?”
“Yeah. It was brilliant.”
“Right? That was them.”
We paused in the hallway that led back to Olivia’s office. “I assume Tall Ethan has some ideas about the moments they want captured and the vibe they’re going for.”
“For sure. That makes sense.” I glanced at my watch. “When does the ceremony start?”
“It’s supposed to start at five, but we can delay if we need to.”
I nodded. “I’ll need time to get mics on everyone and familiarize myself with the space.”
“Right. And I also think the photographer wants to talk? Something about making sure you stay out of each other’s shots?”
I nodded, not at all confident I could convince a wedding photographer I knew what I was doing.
Olivia pressed a hand to her midsection and took a slow, deep breath. “This is going to work, right?”
“I was hoping you could reassureme,” I said. “I don’t—”
“There you are,” a voice said from down the hall.
I turned to see a man in a pale gray suit standing in the doorway of Olivia’s office. His dark hair was peppered with white and swept elaborately away from his face. His eyes were a piercing pale blue.
“You must be the hero of the hour.” He walked forward and extended his hand. “I’m Ethan Vestry. Thank you for coming so last minute.”
I swallowed the reservations I’d almost shared with Olivia and shook his hand. “I’m happy to help.”
Ethan looked me up and down. “I admit, I’m a little disappointed you’re not ugly like Tom.” He looked at Olivia. “How will anyone keep their eyes on me and Ethan ifthisguy is walking around distracting everyone?” He shook his head dramatically, his eyes alight with humor. “You should have warned me, Olivia.”
Olivia smiled and laughed, and I sucked in a breath, the sight nearly taking my breath away.
“Oh,” Ethan said, eyeing me curiously. “Oh, I see.” He looked between us pointedly. “Well, that explains why she was able to get you here last minute. You’d do anything for her, wouldn’t you?”
I nodded, not even caring that this stranger had read me so easily. “Anything.”
Ethan pressed a hand to his chest. “Ah. Young love. Alas, it’s time to get to work!”
We spent the next fifteen minutes going over his ideas and preferences for what moments to include in the video, then I headed upstairs to grab a few shots of Short Ethan getting ready. Short Ethan was just as dapper as his fiancé, decked out in a gray-blue suit with a matching vest and a floral tie. He looked younger than Tall Ethan by ten years or so and had what looked like his entire family crammed into the suite. A couple I guessed were his parents sat on the sofa at the foot of the bed, their hands clasped. Five women in matching dresses were clustered around Ethan, all of them looking at him with adoring eyes.
“My sisters,” Ethan said by way of explanation.
“Two of us single,” one of them said, stepping forward, her hand raised. She eyed me appreciatively.
“Don’t distract him,” another sister said. “This is Ethan’s day. Let the guy do his job.”
I got a few shots of the family, focusing on the way they interacted with gentle touches and earnest expressions. Then I pulled the parents aside, settling them next to the large bay window, the sunlight filtering through the curtains providing great light for the shot. This wasn’t something either Ethan had asked for, but I was trusting my gut. I asked them a few questions about Ethan. When did they learn he’d fallen in love? How did they feel about his wedding day?
“When his fiancé looks at my Ethan, there is so much unconditional love in his eyes,” Mrs. Bradshaw said. “They belong together, these two. It’s good for my mama heart to see my baby so happy.”
