Author's note: Hi there guys. This is my first Naomily fanfic and I'm quite nervous about it. But to be fair Naomily makes me nervous all the time. Thank you for taking the time in checking my story out. My summary sucks but give it a try?
Emily's POV.
The alarm clock started making that annoying high pitched noise again. I blindly reached over my bedside table and smacked it to stop, basking on the silence that followed. Reluctantly, I peeled my eyes open. They adjusted to the light that the morning sun brings through the windows as I stare at the yellow ceiling of my room for a couple of minutes to get my bearing on things. I stretched my arms over my head, trying to shake the remaining sleep off my eyes and attempted to remember why I was awake at 7am. Right. I have a wedding to shoot. Yawning loudly, I get out of bed, fixing the duvet and stacking the pillows into a neat pile before I padded to my kitchen.
I should be having a heavy breakfast so I could go around my task for today without passing out but I was too lazy to cook anything decent plus I'm not really hungry. So I opened the cupboard and took the cereal out, making a detour to the fridge to grab the jug of milk. Propping myself on the bar stool, I started eating my breakfast, thinking about the day ahead.
I find myself smiling. I love my job, most of the time it doesn't feel like work at all. I'm a photographer and I take pictures for a living. My dad said I was born for it. He often tells me the time I got my first camera, him and mum were stunned to see pictures that a nine- year- old couldn't have possibly taken. Katie's camera was all snapshots of boys in school while mine contained landscapes and people high with their emotions. I always got drawn to them, how colors of nature complement each other wonderfully. Or how beautiful the human face could be, expressing wide range of emotions in just a matter of seconds. All I want to do is take those moments with my camera and immortalize it for other generations to see. Seems very idealistic isn't it? Yeah, I haven't lost that idealism in me. Most of my mates from uni have probably lost it by now, having exposed to the harsh bitterness of the real world where money what really matters.
On our twelfth birthday, Katie got two pairs of new heels while I got my first decent camera. From then on I was unstoppable, filling up one photo album at a time.
After college I went to uni and spent four years perfecting my craft. It was worth it, probably the best years of my life. I got exposed to a whole different level of photography. It wasn't just a hobby anymore; it's a profession.
So here I am three years later and it's still fucking wonderful. I freelance, mostly because I didn't want to have a boss to order me around. In that way I get to work on my own pace. I live by sending my works to various magazines and other publications and getting paid decent amount for it. My works have been part of photo exhibits two times already, and they pay generous money for that. I was able to convert one of the rooms in my apartment to a studio with the money from both exhibits.
Sometimes however when Katie and mum's wedding planning business is short with photographers, I fill in. This is one of those times. Mark, one of their regular camera men, has his wife in the hospital so I took his post in the mean time.
I was rudely snapped out of my trance by the telephone ringing. I sighed, knowing who it would be. I went over to the wall on the other side of the counter where the phone hangs and answered on the fifth ring.
"Hello?"
"Took you so long to answer lezza," Katie's voice cut through the line.
"Good morning to you too Katie," I replied calmly. "What do you want?"
Katie scoffed and I could feel her eye roll through the phone. "I'm making sure you didn't drink yourself sick last night, pass out on another house and forgot you have work today."
I rolled my eyes and let out a heavy breath, my patience wearing thin. "Well I didn't. I stayed in last night."
"These are high- paying people Emily, don't fuck it up."
"Fuck sake Katie, I know how to be a professional okay?" I answered with a hint of annoyance. "If you'll be treating me like this, go look for another camera man to fill your gap up."
Katie must have hinted the irritation in my voice and when she talked again, her voice had less venom in it. "I can't do that now, you need to go yeah? I was just making sure everything's fine. Mum would kill me if anything goes wrong with this. Alright, Em?"
She still hasn't entirely gotten over the fact that I grew away from her shadow when we went separate ways after college. She went to another uni to study interior and fashion designing. Every time I talk back at her or don't take her crap, it still threw her off. Uni gave me that backbone that Katie took away from me, whether that's intentional or intentional on her part. It was liberating to say the least how I grew as my own person. Because there, I was just Emily. I didn't have a twin for them to throw comparisons with. I fucking loved the freedom.
I sighed and decided to lay off her. Knowing how Jenna Fitch handle's the business, Katie's definitely in a lot of pressure right now. "Fine. I'll be there at 10 to set things up, it wouldn't take long anyway."
"Right. Thanks Ems." I was hanging up when I heard Katie call out.
"Anything else?" I asked, pressing the phone back to my ear.
"No charming the guests now, alright?" she warned.
I smirked at myself. "Katiekins, you know I can't promise you that," I said with my seductive Fitch voice.
Katie made a gagging noise on the other line and I waited for a lesbian joke for her to throw my way but it didn't come."Just… fucking behave yourself Emily. Don't go all friendly to the girls then upset them later."
"Hold on, are you giving me relationship advice?" I asked with a grin. "Let me get my pen so I can jot it down."
"Fuck off, loser," Katie said and hung up. That's the best goodbye she could give me.
I hopped in the shower not long after I finished my cereal. After all the hot water was gone, I went back to my bedroom with just my towel on and looked for something to wear. Since I'll move around a lot, I decided to wear something comfortable that won't hassle my movements. I picked out a black skinny jeans and a crisp white shirt. Plain and simple. To be honest, I didn't want to draw attention to myself. The past weddings I had to shoot, a couple of guys tried charming their way into my pants because I was dressed rather… let's just say they liked what they saw. The shock on their faces though when I tell them I was gay. Never gets old. I had to snicker when I remember a guy called Charles choked on his vodka when I told him about my sexuality on mid- sip of his drink. Vodka poured out his nose, the poor guy. On those previous weddings, a couple of girls shoot me looks of interest too. Now that kind of attention I would welcome. There was Emma, Lauren, Sophie, Natalie. Really, I could go on.
I hastily dried my hair and jumped into my clothes, leaving three buttons undid on my shirt. After, I put make up on and tied my hair into a messy ponytail. I placed my things on one back pack: two cameras, a tripod, camera lenses, charging equipments and other stuff I'll be needing for the shoot. Thinking it would be chilly out, I put a leather jacket over my shirt and put on my black beaten Vans shoes. Now I look inconspicuous. Or at least I think so.
My moped was parked on a lot beside the building I'm staying. It's orange and looks as beaten up as my shoes but it's still sturdy. I bought it off for 300 quids from a garage sale I happen to pass by on my way home two years ago. It can sneak around traffic and it isn't as high maintenance as a car: I think it's perfect. Katie would insult it from time to time on how I look ridiculous driving around with that 'toy'. I just wink at her and tell her the girls think it's cute. That shuts her up immediately.
She hasn't entirely adjusted to the fact I am gay even if I knew she knew it all along. I think she didn't want to admit to herself that I won't be the same as her. Dad and James were fine with it, didn't make a big fuss. Mum though, up to now I shudder at the look on her face when I finally came out to them. After, she was constantly on my back trying to turn me straight, setting me up with her friend's son and other whatnot. That's why I moved out as soon as I could afford a place for my own where I could be gay as much as I want to be. Yeah, a place to bring home all the girls. Until now, anything that reminds her I'm gay, she develops selective hearing and ignores it entirely.
I rode up to the church where the wedding will be held. It's a big white building on top of a hill overlooking Bristol. The wedding's at 11 and I have an hour to sort things out. People are already piling up inside as I parked my moped alongside the guests' cars on the parking lot. I rounded up the back where I would meet Thomas. Thomas is one of the regular photographers of Fitch Wedding Plans. Yeah, that's the name of mum and Katie's business. Their tagline: changing your life, one Fitch wedding at a time. It's embarrassing, really.
Thomas is a nice bloke, he's always smiling with that genuine smile of his and treats everybody like they're his long time friends. He's really nice to work with and I find myself liking his company.
"Hello Emily, it's so glad to see you," Thomas greeted me with his Congolese accent and I smiled immediately that his politeness always bring. When Thomas was newly hired on Fitch Wedding Plans, Katie had a thing for him. His fluent French made my sister's knickers tie in a knot. But unfortunately, Thomas was already taken. His girlfriend's name is Pandora. I've met her twice and she and Thomas are just the cutest couple ever. Pandora has a weird style of talking but Thomas seems to understand her completely. It's probably why they're perfect for each other.
"Hey Thomas, ready for today then?" I asked laying my bag on the floor. I take one of the cameras out and started attaching the wide- range lens on it.
"Yes, I am very excited today. The weather is magnificent and we have a good- looking couple to shoot," he said with smile. I haven't seen the couple yet but Thomas already had since he did their prenuptial photo shoot. I heard that the couple's about the same age as me and Katie said the groom's 'well lush and fit'. So much for being a professional Katiekins.
Thomas and I divided the work. He'll be documenting the ceremony while I go around taking pictures of the guests. Another guy, Justin, will be videotaping the wedding.
Katie showed up ten minutes later clad with her purple cocktail dress. Thank fuck she isn't wearing leopard print. She still thinks those things are fashionable. She stopped short when she saw what I was wearing.
"What's that? You look like a total lezzer," she said running her eyes over my clothes.
"Well I am," I found defending myself. "And you told me not to charm the guests so…" I said looking down at myself.
"As if that would stop you from jumping them." Katie had an awful talent of making me sound like a sex fiend.
"You're not paying me to dress up like you so keep schtum alright?" I countered, already getting tired of this argument.
"Whatever, wedding starts in twenty, get yourself out there." Katie shoved a wedding invitation on my hands before she stormed off. I opened it to look at the schedule of the events before I glanced over the couple's names: Frederick McLair and Elizabeth Stonem. The woman's name sounds familiar but I couldn't place where I've heard or read it before so I shrugged it off and followed Thomas out.
Thomas and I went our separate ways. Him on the front by the altar while I positioned myself over the guests, just like what we agreed to do. The wedding started not long after and I set to work. Katie was right, Mr. McLair was fit and lush. He's a tall man with brown complexion. He's got messy black hair and a boyish grin. Exactly what Katie's types are. Elizabeth Stonem looks as gorgeous as her groom with her wedding gown, in my humble lesbian opinion. I took a lot of shots when she was walking down the aisle and when she reached the altar, I sneaked a peak of the images. Beautiful. There's an air of mystery on her and her blue eyes are really captivating.
The ceremony lasted for an hour and the photo shoot in the church took another before we all went to the reception area.
I rode my moped to the reception, it was set outdoor just ten minutes away from the church. The place looks magnificent. Big tents are put up over the grassland and they used white cloths to shade the place which billows in the wind, adding beauty to the scene. Tables and chairs are everywhere and there's a stage set up for the band to play on for later with the band's equipment is set up. Paper lanterns are suspended by lamp posts but won't be light up until tonight. "Nicely done Fitch Wedding Plans," I mumbled to myself. I positioned myself on the entrance, taking pictures of the arriving guests with my other camera. And that's when I saw her.
My heart and mind went overdrive. My palms started to get clammy and thank god my camera strap's over my neck or the poor thing would have landed on the ground the moment I lose grip on it. I looked at her face and I wondered why I didn't see her at the church. She has a shoulder- length slightly wavy platinum blonde hair that's faintly moving from the wind. Her eyes are what caught my attention though. They're the bluest eyes I've ever seen and I couldn't look away for the life of me. If Elizabeth's eyes are beautiful, hers are stunning. I was able to pry my eyes away from hers and examined the rest of her. My gaze moved down to her lips which are fixed on a line, no expression on them. But I also noticed how kissable they are. Whoa there Fitch. She's wearing a pale blue dress that reaches her knees. It accentuates every curve of her body and makes the color of her eyes stand out more. I unconsciously licked my lips on the exposed skin of her shoulders with only the thin straps of her dress going over them. Her creamy white skin looks so soft I want to sink my teeth in them. Good riddance. She has heels on that makes her taller than she already is. I snapped out of my blue- eyed blonde- filled daydream and decided to take a picture of that beautiful gorgeous lady. Just as my finger clicks the shutter, she must have sensed my presence because she looked up straight to the camera and shone those dangerous blue eyes directly at me.
I only had the power to press the shutter before I timidly dropped the camera, trying to act like I wasn't some stalker and smiled at her. She studied me for a second, flicking her eyes downwards trailing them up and locking her gaze with mine. Oh god, those eyes. I could spend my life staring at them. She must have sorted that it's my job to shoot people with my Canon because she smiled back, the expression of her eyes changing from suspicious to friendly. She has the most expressive eyes I've ever seen. She walked pass me to the tables and I got a good whiff of her perfume. It's a mix of something sweet like vanilla and lavender.
Oh Emily Fitch, you're a goner.
Naomi's POV next time. :)