“I said ‘repaired’- so yes.”
“Then let’s take your photo,” she hedged nervously, taking a second to set down the keys to his car and tuck her hair behind her ear. He opened the camera app on his phone, held it up, and she stopped him. “Hang on – another rule. Any photos taken by either member get texted to the other person…”
“Fair enough – but your phone is broken, remember?” Drake agreed and held up his phone once more. “Smile.”
She smiled wanly, frustrated that he was right; she had broken her phone when she threw it and heard his heavy sigh. Drake rolled his eyes before lowering his arm.
“Um, we’re supposed to sell this – remember? Let’s try again – and try to look enthusiastic. Remember, engaged means two people in a tender relationship…”
“Who knew you’d be such a stickler for details?” she muttered and heard him say something under his breath as he raised his arm again to hold the phone aloft for a selfie. This time, Steffi turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek at the last second, capturing a playful kiss between them.
“I never said anything about kissing,” he hesitated as a wide smile touched his lips. “Is kissing on the table, because we’re gonna take another photo.”
“No,” she grimaced at the impetuousness of her actions. “Kissing isn’t on the table. You said to sell it, and I remembered that my parents had a photo like that when I was a little girl.”
“Fine. Let’s do this one more time, same thing, but I want to be smiling in this photo.”
“Seriously? You’re gonna stage this?”
“Uh, absolutely I am… now come on, line up, and…” he held the camera aloft again, his eyes holding hers on the screen, waiting.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked pointedly.
“For you to kiss my cheek.”
“I will, right at the last second.”
“You can do it now – and then I’ll take the photo.”
“I’m not sure I want that much lip-to-skin contact between us.”
“Well, that’s a first for me,” he chuckled, grinning – and she leaned forward once more to kiss his cheek as he jumped slightly right before she pulled away. “I missed it – and this is why we were staging things.”
“I guess you should pay attention.”
“I suppose so. Let’s try it one more time – and I’m going to focus now.”
“Why do I have a feeling you are toying with me?”
“Nope, one more photo for my mama…”
Steffi lifted up on her toes, got close to his cheek, and whispered against his skin. “Are you ready?”
“Ready,” he replied hoarsely, not moving. “And three… two… one…”
Steffi pressed her lips to his cheek, her hand cupping his cheek on the opposite side of his face. She felt his cheeks widen as he smiled, smiling at the weirdness of this whole thing, and picturing the image in her mind. Her weird neighbor was coordinating afakephoto for theirfakeengagement…for his mother.
Backing away slightly, Drake turned his head slowly to look at her. Their eyes met, and she felt something spark between them as she gingerly let her feet fall to the floor. He was looking at her in confusion, wonder, and something else as she swallowed nervously.
“Did that photo work?” she began hoarsely – and saw his slight nod, before he turned the phone to hold it up.
There, on the screen, were the two of them in what anyone would think was an embrace. Their faces were close together. Her lips pressed to his cheeks while he stood there looking so deliriously happy in that moment. She had a slight secretive smile on her lips, cradling him to her, and his eyes seemed alit with a fire from within. It was a tender photo, a beautiful yet simple picture taken at a candid moment… or as far as anyone knew, it was ‘candid’.
“That’s… nice,” she admitted.
“It’s perfect,” he nodded, and his tan cheeks reddened slightly, causing her lips to part in surprise. Was he blushing? “I’m gonna have my agent use this instead of the plunger photo to talk about our engagement.”
“It's much better – isn’t it?”