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“It is a dicey situation, though,” Zann said. “Aspen’s wedding photographer was in a car accident and can’t shoot the event tomorrow, so I offered to step in. Only problem is that I’m in the wedding party, so—”
“You need backup.”
“I need backup,” Zann confirmed. “Good backup,” she stressed. “Aspen’s fiancée is an accomplished photographer, and her standards are fucking high. Like, anything short of gallery-worthy will be unacceptable.”
“Shit.”
“Tell me about it,” Zann muttered as Lydia chuckled softly beside her. She gave her a wry look that begged am I wrong?, and when Lydia just shook her head, she told Imani, “But Aspen is—”
“I know,” Imani interrupted kindly. She and Yas were frequent dinner companions whenever Aspen came out to visit, and they’d seen firsthand not just the shell of a woman that Aspen had been when she got out of the Air Force, but the growth she’d made in the time since. They’d spent long nights drinking margaritas on the patio, telling old stories that made them laugh until they cried, and were probably among the rare few who Aspen had let her guard down around enough to just be herself while she was in the process of healing. “All you had to do was say this was for Aspen, and you’d’ve had us. We got you, and her, and her soon-to-be wife with the impossibly high standards. You want us for the wedding ceremony and the reception?”
“I mean, if you guys wouldn’t mind hanging out for both, that’d be a huge help. But I could probably shoot the reception on my own if you have better things to do.”
“Dude, no. This is Aspen’s wedding. You can take some pictures if you want, but you also need to be out there shaking that fine ass of yours on the dance floor. What are you thinking?”
“Well…” Zann pursed her lips as she glanced at her sideview to check that her blind spot was clear before changing lanes. “I’m obviously out of commission for the ceremony and can’t do much there, but I’m torn between doing two cameras or one and a drone.”
“Yas does love playing with drones…”
Zann nodded. “I know.” Yasmine just made the jump to film after years in television, and the last time she’d gone over to their place for dinner, Yas had spent the night raving about the work she’d done with them on Undeniable. “And I’ve got that new, ultra-silent one that shoots in high-speed 4k that we can also grab stills from, so it could pull double-duty. Like, I know that aerial shots aren’t common for this kind of thing, but it could be cool.”
“Shit. Yeah, it would be,” Imani chuckled. “Yas is gonna love that. Where’s the ceremony? And when?”
“Tomorrow afternoon in Santa Barbara. Ceremony is at four, with the reception immediately after, so I’m thinking we’d probably need to start around one-ish? To get pictures of the brides getting ready, the bridal parties, and whatever else before the ceremony on the beach.”
Imani whistled. “FAA will get super-pissy about a drone over the beach.”
“Already thought of that. It’s private property, and Aspen is an old friend of the owners, so permission is a given. We wouldn’t have to worry about clearance so long as we stay over their property. And it’s not going to be a drawn-out thing. I think Aspen said she’s expecting it to be maybe thirty minutes, tops?” Zann frowned and glanced at Lydia for confirmation. When Lydia nodded, she said, “Yeah. That’s what Lydia heard, too. Sorry, guess I should’ve told you we’re in the car right now, driving back to my place so I can get my cameras and stuff, and that you’re on speaker.”
“And Lydia is…”
Zann blushed at Imani’s teasingly interested tone, but smiled at Lydia as she said, “Someone special that I’d really like you to meet.”
“Oh…? And are you someone special to Lydia?” Imani asked.
Zann’s blush deepened. “Shit, Imani. Could you not—”
Lydia chuckled and patted her thigh. “Yes, she is very special to me,” she said, her voice carrying a gentle warmth that conveyed just how much she meant it. “And hello. Thank you for helping with this. Eve is to me what Aspen is to Zann, so…”
“Say no more. It’s our pleasure. Do you have a last name, Lydia?”
“Why?” Lydia countered. “Are you going to Google me?”
“Oh my god.” Zann groaned as she merged into the slow lane and then onto the off-ramp to her house. “No, she is not going to fucking Google you.”
“Bet your ass I am,” Imani replied at the same time.
“No, you’re not,’ Zann said.
Lydia giggled. “My last name is Alexander.”
“Yeah, because that’s not common as fuck,” Imani grumbled.
“I believe my Wikipedia page has my current headshot, if that’d help. And our legal team has an alert set on it so that they’re notified if any changes are made, so you can trust all the biographical data there, too.”
“…Your what, now?”
On the one hand, Zann was appalled at the idea of her friend fucking Googling Lydia, but on the other…
