Love Like Ours

“I don’t need to see a graph to make my decision,” Keira stammered. “I don’t want to be on the cover, period. I’m not attractive enough. You know there’s a reason some people chose to spend their days hiding behind a laptop!”

“Don’t be silly, Keira!” Cristiano cried. “You’re beautiful. You just don’t see it. Maybe a professional photoshoot would be just the thing to boost your confidence.”

Keira shook her head, stunned, shocked. This couldn’t be happening. This was her nightmare, stepping out from behind the scenes and taking the limelight. She thought of Bryn, the actually beautiful one. She wouldn’t look plain standing next to Cristiano like Keira would.

Just then, the doors opened then and Stella came in, her large black camera case slung over her shoulder. It looked so intimidating to Keira.

Nina waved her over.

“We were just telling Keira and Cristiano about the cover shot,” she said to Stella. “Do you have time to do it today?”

“Absolutely,” Stella said, her gaze fixed on Cristiano approvingly.

Keira felt even worse. He was all anyone wanted to see, not her. She’d just ruin the photos.

“Come on my love,” Cristiano said to her gently. “It’s just a bit of fun. A memory we can look back on. Something to show our parents. And our children, one day.”

Keira couldn’t help but let his gentle cajoling sooth her fears. If Cristiano was thinking of future children then he was at least hoping to be in this for the long haul. Maybe capturing some images of their love while they were young and wrinkle free wasn’t the worst idea in the world.

“What would I have to do?” she asked Stella, relenting just a smidgen.

“It’s France,” Stella said. “So we’re doing a black and white romantic movie theme. Rooftops. Skyline with the Eiffel Tower backdrop. Pretty dress. A romantic kiss.”

“A kiss?” Keira groaned, her anxiety returning.

“But black and white,” Cristiano said, grinning. “Everyone looks perfect in black and white.”

He took her hand and gently tugged her. She let him guide her over to the photoshoot area, where there were bright lights pointing at a large white screen, two similar screens either side to make a sort of three-walled box. There was also a makeup artist there, working on a beautiful model, and a rack of clothes.

“Oh God,” Keira muttered.

Stella went over and spoke to the makeup artist. Their conversation was out of earshot for Keira, but they were both looking at her. Of course she’d need to be made up for the shot, unlike Cristiano who pretty much woke up camera ready.

The artist spoke to the model, who then stood and went over to the couch, looking a bit put out that she’d been interrupted halfway through her makeover. Keira watched her go, looking at her incredible figure and long lean legs. She was so tall, unlike Keira whose height was a little below average.

Stella whisked over and took Keira’s hand.

“Free professional makeover,” Cristiano said, shrugging. “It’s worth it just for that.”

Keira clenched her teeth and allowed Stella to pull her to the makeup chair.

“I won’t need to do much,” the artist told Keira. “This shot is all about looking classic. Black and white movie style. Just some mascara and lipstick really.”

Keira felt no choice but to go along with it. After getting her makeup and hair done, she put on a pretty blue dress of billowing lace.

“It’s too long for me,” Keira said, looking at the piles of fabric by her feet.

“It’s fine,” Stella said. “We’re having you stand on this.”

Keira looked over then and saw that there was a prop chimney top protruding from the prop rooftops. So in this shot they were going to be kissing on the roofs of Paris. It just got more and more intimidating by the moment.

Keira was reunited with Cristiano, who’d been dressed in dark trousers and a striped top, his hair swept to one side in an old movie-star style. He looked stunning, as usual. If there was any good to be taken from his whole ordeal, it was that mental picture of Cristiano!

They stepped onto the set and listened to Stella’s instructions. Keira was to stand on the chimney top, one leg bent, kissing Cristiano.

The whole thing was mortifying for her. She felt so self conscious as she twisted her body into the uncomfortable position, kissing on demand. Cristiano on the other hand seemed to be loving it.

“How are you enjoying this so much?” she asked him.

“I get to kiss you over and over again,” he said. “What’s not to love?”

An audience of admiring women swooned as they watched on. The thought of getting out of New York couldn’t come soon enough for Keira. She wanted everything back to how it had been before, when it was just the two of them, instead of everyone trying to get a piece of Cristiano.

At last, the flashing lights stopped.

“I think we’ve got it,” Stella said.

Cristiano helped her down from the chimney step and they went over to see the digital pictures on Stella’s camera reel.

“Imagine the Paris skyline,” Stella said. “We’re photoshopping that in.”

If Keira hadn’t been in the photo, she’d probably love it. It was romantic, and the chemistry between her and Cristiano was very real. Even though she’d felt nothing but awkward during the whole shot, Stella had somehow managed to capture one perfect moment. But the problem was that it was her in the image. Not just Cristiano, who looked like the French movie star he was portraying.

“Don’t you just love it?” Stella said. “You’ll be celebrities in no time!”

Maybe Cristiano would, Keira thought. He was clearly the star of the shoot, and the star of the article by the sounds of it. What if he found someone better as a result of all this? She couldn’t help wondering what would happen if they broke up. These photos would be a horrible reminder. And awkward, for her to be on the front of a magazine declaring her love with a guy who had left her for someone better.

Elliot took Keira to one side then.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said in my office,” he said. “About this being your life. I think that maybe we’ve given you a schedule that’s been a bit gruelling. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? There’s no need for you to be in the office and it would be better to have some time to get your ducks in a row, say goodbye to your family, that sort of thing.”

“You’re just worried I’ll get home sick again and want to quit,” Keira said, seeing straight through Elliot’s intentions.

“I just want you to be happy and relaxed,” he said, unconvincingly.

But Keira wasn’t about to argue. She’d had about as much of people swanning around Cristiano as she could handle. She went over to where he was surrounded by a group of writers swooning over the photo, and took him by the arm.

“We have the rest of the day to ourselves,” she told him. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh, okay,” Cristiano said, giving in to her gentle tug. He waved at the Viatorum staff. “I guess I’ll see you all another time. Nice to have met you! Bye!”

They watched him all the way out the doors.

As soon as they were outside, Keira took a deep breath. That whole thing had been so stressful, she felt like she needed the rest of the day just to recover.

They headed for the subway. But they’d barely made it down one street before Keira received the first of what was to become a succession of emails, some from Nina, some from Elliot, others from Heather with the Paris itinerary, flight times, boarding pass code, hotel details. So much for having the rest of the day off!

They’d just reached the stairs and were about to head down into the subway when Keira’s phone pinged again, this time with a text message. To Keira’s surprise, it was from Zachary. For one brief second she allowed herself to feel excited that it may be confirmation that he’d returned her money, but those hopes were immediately dashed when she read it.