Page 14

Twelve

Lady Luck

Emryn

B lade called earlier to tell me he’ll be by sooner than expected with some great news.

He sounded so excited on the phone that I pleaded for him to share, but he refused and told me we were going out so he could show me his surprise.

He wants to celebrate by having dinner at a new restaurant that just opened.

The restaurant is fancier than the diner and Hanna’s and totally out of my budget, but the menu looks amazing and it’s on my list of places to try when I have a steadier flow of clients.

Today was extraordinary. I worked on my website, uploading some of the newer photos I’ve taken of special occasions I’ve been part of, with the permission of the couples who hired me, of course.

In college, I studied business, but nothing prepares you for social media promotion like jumping in with both feet.

You can learn the inner workings of the sites, but there’s a whole marketing piece that I struggle with.

The stuff they call “keyword optimization” is a whole new language to me.

The best part of my day was booking two more weddings for the spring.

Word of mouth is the best advertisement, and it’s nice to know that the work I’ve done up till now is appreciated.

That reminds me to put a thank-you card along with a fifteen-percent-off voucher to the Robinsons, who referred my newest bookings.

I’ve been so caught up in figuring out the back end of my website that I forgot to eat lunch.

When I look at my watch, I see that it’s almost four o’clock, and eating now would spoil my appetite for dinner.

I grab an apple from the fruit bowl to tide me over and appease the growl in my belly.

A rap on the door catches my attention, but when I open it, expecting to see Blade, I see Vi and Orion instead.

“Hi!” I greet them happily. After getting to know Orion better, I discovered that he’s a sweetie, and when he’s with his wife, I can see the love between them. The distraction from my computer is also welcome because I’m getting frustrated from not getting any closer to where I want to be.

“You’re chipper this afternoon,” Vi says. “I thought you’d be exhausted after yesterday.”

I laugh. “I have these amazing friends who came over, and they did most of the work.”

“What have you been up to all day?” Vi asks, looking over my shoulder at the table piled high with books on social media marketing.

I step aside to let them through, throwing my hand out to the table. “It’s a nightmare, I tell you. This social media stuff is impossible for me to wrap my head around.”

Orion walks over to the desk and lifts the book I have open. “You’re trying to do keyword optimization,” he says. “I can help you with that.”

Immediately, I get a pang in my gut. Everything inside me is screaming to let Orion help me out. But this one little voice tells me that I have to do this on my own. It’s illogical, and I know it, but I hear my father’s voice in my head telling me I’ll never make it on my own.

Ever since I confided my dream of owning my own photo studio to my father, he made it all about him.

Dad would fund the studio, and his team was going to create the image for the business.

It stopped being about me the minute I opened my mouth.

When I took a stand and told him I wanted to do this on my own, Dad went on and on about how I’d never be able to get it off the ground.

After too many arguments to count, I left.

I didn’t take any of the money my father offered, and I refused to let my mother “put in a good word” for me at her club meetings.

All the work I contracted has been my own.

It’s only been a couple of years, but I’ve managed to make enough money to buy the advanced equipment I need to make the photographs clearer and sharper, hopefully drawing in more clients and finally opening up a small studio in town.

“Emmy, hon, are you still with us?” Vi says to snap me out of my walk down memory lane.

“Oh yeah, sorry. I’m a little scattered.” I walk over to Orion. My notebook is open with pages of my handwriting scrawled all over it, trying to make heads or tails out of the book he’s holding. “I kind of need to learn how to do it myself,” I say quietly.

“I get that, but I can teach you.” Orion shrugs. “This book is complicated, and it doesn’t have to be. I can teach you enough to get by for now. And just saying, everyone has something they’re good at. This is my expertise.”

“I can’t afford?—”

“This isn’t a handout. We’ll barter. I’ll teach you this stuff, you do a photoshoot of my family,” Orion suggests. “My wife’s going to get her pictures regardless, so you might as well do me the favor of trading off.”

Vi has come to stand by her man, her arm hooked through his, looking up adoringly at her husband’s face.

“Oh, babe, that would be awesome. We’ve never had family photos done.

I know exactly which wall I’ll mount them on when they’re done.

” Vi exclaims. She turns to me. “You’ve gotta say yes!

I can’t wait. When can we do this? I would love the autumn colors as a background.

We can use the park and set up there. Gabby will have a blast picking out her new outfit.

” Vi is on a roll and has already decided that this is a go.

Orion gives me a grin. “Good luck trying to talk her out of it,” he says with a chuckle.

“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” I ask him earnestly.

“I can do this in my sleep. And I can show you how,” he says decisively.

Orion promises to come back tomorrow and is going to go through the basics. Vi is busy on her phone exploring clothing options for the shoot, after deciding that next Sunday works best. “Babe, would you consider a red shirt?” she coos when she thinks Orion’s distracted.

“Black, gray, or blue, and all tees. I’m wearing my leather jacket and jeans. Not an option,” he responds. It seems that Orion bends for Vi, but only so far.

Vi doesn’t fight it. In fact, she comes up on her toes and plants a kiss on his lips.

“Wouldn’t want you any other way,” she says.

Then she turns to me. “I’m so glad we popped by.

We just stopped in to say hello. We have to pick up the kids, but next week, after the shoot, we’ll see you at the barbecue.

It’s the last outdoor grilling we do before the snow hits. See you then.”

I don’t even have a chance to reply because she’s already out the door, and Blade is walking up the drive toward me.

He stops to greet Vi and Orion but makes it quick, and suddenly, I’m in his arms and he’s kissing me.

My arms wrap tightly around his neck, and I kiss him back with the same eagerness.

When he finally pulls away, I see the brightness in his eyes, the crinkles of happiness that form when he’s smiling, making him look even more beautiful. “I missed you, baby,” he murmurs, his lips brushing over mine once more.

“Missed you too,” I answer, still trying to regulate my breathing. Every time Blade kisses me, I feel like I’m floating on a wispy cloud in the sky.

“Did you have a good day?” he asks. I know he has news to share, but he still takes the time to ask about me and my day.

“I had a great day. I booked two more weddings, and Orion is going to teach me SEO so I can get a higher ranking on my website.” I’m so impressed with myself that I’m using Orion’s tech lingo that I do a little happy dance inside.

“We’re bartering. Orion will teach me stuff, and I’ll do a family photo shoot. Vi loves the idea.”

“That’s awesome, Emmy. I’m proud of you. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to get a business off the ground, and you’re doing it,” he says.

“Thanks.” I can’t help but blush. I don’t get many compliments, and I’m always embarrassed when I do. I change the subject and ask, “You said you had some good news too. Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Let’s go inside first.” We’re still standing in the doorway, which I completely forgot. Blade leads me to my couch and sits me down. “I still can’t believe it.”

His smile is so big that I’m already happy for him, and I don’t even know why. “I’m dying of curiosity.”

“Guard and Satan’s Pride are opening another location in town.

A new garage, smaller than the first, but that’s only because it’s for elite customers and restoration of vintage bikes and cars, and they want me to run it, with the option of buying into the place and becoming an owner.

This is what I’ve wanted since the first day I held a wrench in my hand,” he tells me.

He then says, “I’ve checked the contract out with Sofia, Demon’s wife, who is a lawyer, but she wanted me to seek independent counsel because she drew up the contract.

I know Demon and Sofia and my brothers would never screw me over, but Sofia insisted.

Then I went to see my father, and he took me to see his lawyer, who basically said that the contract was more than fair.

My father was really impressed, and he’s even agreed to come to the gathering next Sunday with my mom and sister.

You’ll get to meet my family. I just can’t believe it! ”

“I’m so thrilled for you. You deserve this. Your brothers have faith in you, and you’re an amazing mechanic, if I do say so myself. My wheel hasn’t fallen off yet!” I say with a giggle.

He cradles my face in his hands. “Christ, Lady Luck is smiling on me. I never thought it would all come together the way it has. I love my work, I’m becoming my own boss, my dad is coming around, and I have a girl who I can’t keep my hands off of.”

His words melt my heart, especially the part about having a girl, because that’s me.

“Are you going to show me your new garage, handsome?” I tease.

“Babe, we’ve got reasons to celebrate. Two new clients for you, and Orion is a master with technology. Lady Luck is smiling on you too,” Blade replies. “Go get changed, and after I show off the new shop, we’ll go to La Grotta for dinner.”

I go in to change into my little black dress.

It’s a simple knee-length dress that I can either dress up or keep simple.

I pair the dress with stilettos, wearing more dramatic evening makeup than I normally would, but this is a special occasion, and I put on a chunky silver bracelet with a double strand of pearls.

Blade says that Lady Luck is smiling on both of us.

And I want to believe this to be true, but it seems that whenever I feel like I’m moving in the right direction, catastrophe hits.

I inhale deeply, close my eyes, then let out my breath slowly and count to five. I chant my mantra. I believe in me .

I hear Blade call my name, calling out that he’s hungry. I smile into the mirror, grab my clutch off the end of the bed, and join my man.