Chapter 13Emir

Chapter 13 Emir

I shouldn’t have been spying on her. Had I not learned anything from that trip to the forest? I’d just finished fixing the fence and made it back to the house, when I saw the small, blond man in some kind of G.I. Joe outfit carrying a large LED light.

My interest in photography and lighting went back years. It had been a handy skill when managing my brother. His public image depended on photos and videos, and Cem was as fragile as any actor. A bad photo attracted mean comments which in turn ruined days and weeks. It was bad business. My brother was an exceptionally handsome man, but anyone looked undesirable from an unflattering angle, or in poor lighting. So, I’d learned to do it right. I’d always made sure he looked his absolute best, even after a rough night.

I told myself it was my professional curiosity that drew me closer. Watching the blond guy enter through the front door, I circled the building, peeking in through the living room window.

“Shh,” I told Gru, who’d found me in the field and kept following me around, climbing up to the windowsill to peer inside. I didn’t mind the company. The dog was excitable but surprisingly smart.

I’m not getting involved, I told myself. This is none of my business.

The two guys had their backs to me, allowing me to observe how they set up the worst three-point lighting I’d ever witnessed. Cranking the huge LED screens to their highest setting, they lit poor Janie like a late-night football game, throwing dark shadows under her nose and chin. Even from a few yards away, through a windowpane, I could tell how bad the picture looked.

She was such a gorgeous woman that even the substandard lighting couldn’t hide her beauty. It made me angry, though. So angry that I stayed, getting more involved by the minute.

I snuck into the house through the back door and tracked all the way to the living room doorway, giving Gru another warning to stay quiet. Not wanting to disturb them in the middle of a take, no matter how poorly lit, I waited behind the door until I heard sounds of conversation. I cracked the door, listening to assess the situation.

My heart pounded in my ribcage as I heard the stupid excuses and gaslighting from the pompous, bearded guy. How could he talk to her like that? Something about his manner made the blood chill in my veins. This guy wasn’t just a terrible filmmaker. He was bad news.

As Janie left the room, her footsteps fading away, my anger grew even more palpable. Before I had time to think it through, I barged in. The two guys turned to me, startled.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing with that lighting setup?” My voice was edged with barely controlled rage, my eyes locked onto the bearded guy. “Do you have any idea how unflattering that is? You’re casting harsh shadows and making her look older than she is.”

The bearded guy’s initial surprise turned to defensiveness. “I know what I’m doing. This is classic three-point lighting, which achieves—”

“Nothing! The only thing you achieved is counting to three! The lights are too hot, too high and everything is too close together.” I gestured at the screen with a terrifying freeze frame of Janie. “She looks like she’s being interrogated at a police station.”

The smaller guy whipped his head from side to side like he was watching a tennis game, not sure who to root for.

I moved closer to the lighting equipment, assessing it critically. “You need to lower these two and add a hair light here. Do you have anything to bounce the light off? A white board? You can’t point those LED lights to her face at full volume or you’ll have her squinting through the entire shoot.”

The bigger guy straightened his back, which made him look a little less like a sack of potatoes. He couldn’t reach my height though. I glared down at him until he finally shuffled his feet and began adjusting the lights.

“I don’t usually take direction from non-professionals,” he muttered.

My lips curled. “Well, it’s your lucky day. I have a master’s degree in photography.”

I’d only minored in it, but he didn’t need to know that. I watched for a moment as he haplessly moved the lights down, then up again, until I pushed him aside and did it myself. Asking the small guy to sit in Janie’s spot, I adjusted the angles, added a diffuser, and tweaked the color temperature until the blond guy bathed in a warm soft glow. Taking a test shot, I asked them to view the new picture on the screen.

The blond guy stared at it in awe. “Man, you’re a pro! I’m Caleb, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

He offered his hand, and I shook it, ignoring the scoff from the bearded dude.

“I’ve been learning from Gus,” Caleb said, gesturing at him, “but I’d love to learn from you as well. Anything you could teach me.”

I gave him a distracted nod. “Sure. I’ll explain it later.”

My mind was already on Janie. Where was she? How was she feeling? Leaving the makeshift set, I walked down the corridor towards where I thought Janie’s bedroom must have been. Out of the three doors, only one was closed. I knocked on it.

“One minute,” she called from inside, her voice strained.

“It’s me. Emir.”

After a moment, the door opened a crack and her red-rimmed eyes peered at me. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes.”

The door flung open. “What? Is it Molly?”

I shook my head, my chest squeezing from frustration. “Your horse is fine. You’re not.”

She shook her head, her eyebrows drawn. “I’m okay. Just, regrouping for the next take. I—”

“You’re working with idiots.” There was no polite way to say it. And I didn’t feel like being polite. I felt like punching someone. Preferably someone with a scraggly beard and a stupid sneer on their face.

Janie’s eyes flicked down the hallway. “Yeah, it’s hard to find talent in Napier. But at least they have a lot of gear. I’m grateful.”

“I redid the lighting. They botched it up. Horrible. I haven’t seen anything that bad in a long time.”

Hope lit up her eyes. “Seriously? You think the lighting was bad?”

Her voice broke and something inside me snapped.

“Stay,” I told Gru, leaving him in the hallway as I grabbed Janie by the shoulders and pushed us into the bedroom, closing the door behind us.

She responded to my touch like a dance partner, matching my steps, giving in just enough to keep us moving, reversing until I had her pinned against the opposite wall.

How could I make her see what I saw? One hand on her shoulder, my fingers traced her face, catching wayward tears, brushing soft, pink lips. I spoke quietly, my face a breath away from hers. “You’re gorgeous, Janie. Someone like you needs to be lit like a goddess. Those morons…” My jaw tightened.

Her breath turned shallow, and she blinked at me. “Emir. Why are you so angry?”

Why, indeed?

I shook my head. “Because it’s not right. Those halfwits don’t deserve to be anywhere near you. I’ll shoot your film, Janie. Let me do it. I can’t watch that incompetence.”

“You want to shoot my documentary?” She looked confused.

I couldn’t blame her. Part of me was equally confused by the words pouring out of me. This wasn’t what I’d come here to say, although I hadn’t planned any words at all. I’d only wanted to see her, make sure she was okay.

“I’ll do what I can in the time we have. I promise.”

She frowned. “But we’re supposed to prepare for the engagement party. There’s no time. I was only planning to film the teaser so that I can pitch the project and maybe secure some funding. The filming will happen later. If it ever happens.”

“Perfect! I’ll shoot the teaser for you. And when you get funding, you hire a better crew, okay?”

Her palms pressed against the wall, her chest rising and falling. “Okay.”

The silky fabric of her top dipped lower in the middle, offering a glimpse between her breasts. Not that I was looking. With heroic effort, I coaxed my gaze higher, admiring those cheekbones and the elegant arch of her eyebrows. She was a work of art, and I couldn’t wait to film her.

The corner of her mouth tugged into a small smile. “Do you like me, Emir?”

I swallowed, lifting my hand off her shoulder and taking half a step back. “You’re my hostess. I appreciate you. I—”

“Emir. I keep telling myself it’s a cultural thing, that you have this protective streak and a misplaced sense of responsibility, because you’re staying in my house. But I’m confused.”

She was right. As much as I wanted to pretend my feelings were appropriate and my actions logical, we were currently standing in her bedroom and the pulsing in my groin told me my body had made note of the fact before my conscious brain even kicked in. I wanted her, and she deserved the truth.

“I’m sorry, Janie. I’m attracted to you, and that’s obviously confusing things. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I only wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“You’re not making me uncomfortable,” she said, reaching for my arm.

Her fingers grazed the hair on my arm, making it stand up. “You’re making me frustrated.”

“Frustrated?”

“And undesirable.”

“Undesirable?” That was the last thing I wanted. “Why?”

She gave me a sad smile. “Because you don’t want me.” She held up her hand. “And it’s okay. I respect your reasons, whatever they are. I’m just telling you how I feel. How it makes me feel.”

I rubbed my forehead, trying to banish the sting of pain that had settled in again. “But you are so desirable. You should feel like… a queen.”

“Then kiss me.”