“Just a few days,” he’d said, avoiding my gaze in a way that seemed suspicious.
“Soo…what aren’t you telling me?” I asked, stepping back to narrow my eyes at him.
Clearing his throat, he’d said, “It’s not that. I just wanted to ask if you’d be interested in having me accompany you on the shoot. But no pressure—it’s your call.”
Um, what? Luka Zoric was asking mypermissionto come to one of my photo shoots? For a moment I was so surprised that I didn’t know what to say. In the old days, he’d just show up on set if he felt like it. Now it was my call?
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t wary—he’d definitely made himself a nuisance in the past, arguing with crew and photographers and asserting his artistic opinions left and right—but the truth was, I wanted him with me. Plus, now that we were on more equal footing in our relationship, it was time to see if he could prove himself as both my partner and manager in a professional setting.
“Of course I would,” I answered. “Honestly, I’d love for you to be there.”
And now here we are.
As the plane descends toward Calgary International, I lean over Luka and point out the window at the brilliant blue sky and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Even from ninety miles away, I can tell that the weather is going to be picture-postcard perfect.
“Look at the lake!” I exclaim.
Crystal blue-green water reflects back at us from a heavenly body of water cradled between shallow mountain peaks. The image is enough to keep me smiling even as the plane jostles onto the tarmac with a loud, rough landing. Luka’s arm is around me, our hands entwined, and as the captain comes over the PA to chat with the passengers, I take it as a prime opportunity to pout my lips at my husband and close my eyes for a kiss. Cupping the back of my head, he kisses me slowly, leisurely, neither of us breaking apart until the plane comes to a full stop.
At baggage claim, we’re met by a driver holding a sign that says my name, much to my delight. The older gentleman insists on pushing our luggage cart all the way to the private car, and then we’re treated to a scenic ninety-minute drive to the fancy hotel where we’re staying. As luck would have it, we check in just in time to make the afternoon tea reservation that Steffany & Co. has arranged for us. I feel like an actual princess.
Luka is less impressed, clearly not having years of girlhood tea party memories rushing back to him the way I am, but he goes along with it for my benefit, from choosing his tea to sampling the variety of tiny sandwiches, tea cakes, and scones with cream that are presented to us on a tiered silver tray. We take our time, sipping and nibbling and looking out the huge windows at the amazing view of the mountains.
“It looks like a screensaver,” I murmur with awe.
I’m not sure what’s so funny about that, but my husband can’t stop laughing.
We make our way up to the room, which is just as rustic-luxurious as it looked on the website, but before I can throw myself on the bed and pass out, my phone rings. It’s the photographer’s assistant, who says they’re already waiting for us in the lobby so we can talk about wardrobe, location, and staging. The first shoot is scheduled for this evening.
We’re met downstairs by a tall Frenchman named Remi Duquesne—a photog famous for his stark, iconic celebrity portraits—and his assistant Malia. They welcome us with open arms.
“Such a pleasure to meet you both,” Remi says, his accent pleasingly thick, air-kissing our cheeks in that classic French way that I find so charming. “I don’t normally work on commercial photography, but I could not turn down this opportunity.”
With a smile, he gestures at the view out the windows.
We find out the shoot is going to be really laid back, despite the huge budget. Remi explains that it’s not his style to over-plan things, and that he always gets his best shots by letting his subjects relax and act natural. “Which is why Steffany & Co. hired me,” he adds. “They want something fresh and different, not their usual over-staged, airbrushed ads.”
“So what’s the angle?” I ask, filled with curiosity. I’d figured I’d be doing the usual S & Co. type of modeling—posing stiffly in a foyer or a ballroom in a black sheath dress with a cold expression on my face, exuding steely confidence and wealth. This sounds very different.
Remi confirms by saying, “There’s no precise vision for the campaign—they’ve just asked me to capture ‘diamonds in a winter wonderland.’ To that end, we’ve scouted a nearby farm location, where we’ll have access to canoes, some hiking trails. I would love your input.”
Normally this is where Luka would step in and take charge, but when I glance over expecting him to jump in, he just puts a hand on the small of my back and nods. “I’m sure Brooklyn has some brilliant ideas. She has a great eye for detail.”
My grin widens, and as I start pitching ideas to Remi, I realize how much I’ve actually learned over the last few months of watching Luka rely on his instincts at my shoots.
“So you’re not opposed to being outdoors?” Remi asks.
“Not at all,” I say. “We’ll get better shots the closer we get to the snow. And let’s try the canoe, even if we’re just at the water’s edge. This is the fantasy version of the holidays, right?”
“Excellent,” Malia chimes in. I notice she already has on her hiking boots.
Remi nods. “Good. Mother Nature will be the star. And the stones will sparkle just like the snow, reflect the lake and sky, which is fitting since they’re products of the earth, no?”
Luka tells me, “Just take in all that nature and let the joy play out on your face. That’s what’ll really sell people on Steffany & Co. at the end of the day.”
I’m loving this shoot already.
Remi steps away to take a call, and comes back a minute later with a huge grin.