"Dominic's house was built for entertaining," Maria said. "The previous owners had house parties all the time. The Thanksgiving feast is a huge hit every year. He hires a band and other entertainers, and feeds everyone a gourmet meal."
"It's not that big of a deal." He looked at his mom. "I don't want to get her hopes up. It's a big house, but it's not an amusement park or anything."
"Frankie said it had a bowling alley and three koi ponds."
"The previous owners were bowlers," he said humbly. "And it's just two lanes. The koi ponds, however, were my idea."
I smiled, but didn't know what to say.
"I'm excited to see it," Laura said.
"We could have done this shoot out there, but I didn't want to take up too much of your time this morning. Like I said, the trip's about an hour."
"We should let them get started," Maria said. "Oh, were you gonna tell her?"
"Tell her what?" Dominic asked.
"What you were telling me before they came in," Maria said.
"She probably doesn't want to hear," he said, looking at me.
"Hear what?" I asked. I figured they might be talking about the contest and I was already buzzing with nerves.
"That you made the top ten," Dominic said, casually.
"I did?" I asked with wide eyes.
He smiled. "Yes."
I squealed and instinctually reached out to hug him. I gave him a quick squeeze. He was as hard as a rock, much firmer to the touch than Anthony was, and my first thought was that he must work out a lot. I quickly let him go.
"Did I really make the top ten?" I asked.
"Yes," he said, smiling broadly.
"No cheating?" I asked.
He held his hands up in surrender. "No cheating."
I squealed again. Laura came over for a hug. She and Maria were both delighted at my excitement and congratulated me on their way out.
Chapter 8
Dominic walked me through the process of photographing someone in a studio setting. He had everything prepped, and was perfectly willing to explain the tools and their function as we went along. I'd never worked with a strobe (the big lights on a stand with an umbrella), and he gave me the beginner's version of how to use a light meter.
He also told me what to say to draw a certain emotion or pose from him, and then he'd wait for me to ask for it. I was really nervous at first, but settled into it quickly on account of his laid-back approach to the whole thing. Basically, he knew what sort of photos he wanted to take, and he just allowed me to be the instrument he used to get them.
I learned so much in the process. I was a hands-on type of person, and was so grateful that Dominic was so generous with his equipment and advice.
Something else happened during the shoot, though.
Taking Dominic's picture was eye opening on so many levels, and I'm not just talking about photography skills. Staring at him through the lens made me look at his face differently.
I knew it was way too early to be attracted to another man only a couple months after I lost Anthony, but I caught myself feeling nervous butterflies as I looked at his face through the lens. I reprimanded myself internally and tried to focus, but I'd become increasingly distracted by his dark, handsome features. His jaw was dusted with some dark stubble, and the lines of his cheekbones and nose were masculine and defined.
I swallowed against the growing sense of dread that I was going to start having trouble ignoring my attraction to his face.
"You okay?" he asked, noticing me staring into the camera intensely.
I jumped back and looked up to regard him face to face. "Me? Fine. I'm good. It's all good. You're easy to take pictures of. I was just thinking about what an easy subject you were."
"I don't want to be easy, Rae." I gave him a questioning glance and he continued, "I don't want you to just focus the camera and push a button. I want you to take a picture that represents me."
"That's too much pressure," I said.
"No it's not." He gestured at the camera. "Take it off the tripod."
I did as he said, trying my best not to be clumsy with it.
"I'll sit here with my eyes closed so I can't see what you're doing. Look at me from different angles and with different lighting. Take a photo and look at it on the screen, studying where the lights are falling on my face. Be mindful of shadows. Notice how they change when I shift. I'll just sit here for a minute while you try some new angles. Let me know if you want me to reposition and I will."
At that, he leaned on his hand for support and closed his eyes.
I was shy at first, but he just sat there with his eyes closed comfortably, and soon I got into trying different angles. I snapped some pictures, reviewed them, and moved around, trying new positions.
At first things were very clinical. I was nervous about moving around him, and approached it with nothing more than a photographer's eye. But the more I studied the lines of his face and the way the shadows fell on it, the more focused I became.
"Shift your shoulders to the left a little bit. Actually, go ahead and shift your whole body to the left just a little." He smiled but kept his eyes closed as he did what I said. "Okay sit up straight and look at me." He did that too, and right when he opened his eyes, I snapped a picture. He smiled at my readiness, and when he did, I snapped another one. We had a little exchange of smiles as I snapped a few in a row.
It was my newfound attraction to his face that ultimately helped me take the photo we needed. So, in that way, it was a positive thing. That was the only good that could come of being attracted to Dominic, though. I knew it would break Laura's heart if I developed feelings for someone else so quickly, and I hated myself for it even being an issue.
I was thinking about that when Maria and Laura walked back into the apartment. We'd just finished, and Dominic had gone in his bedroom to return a phone call he missed while we were busy. I was unnerved by my own feelings and was relieved to see Laura so we could get out of there.
I thanked him again for everything on our way out. Laura asked him to email me a few of the best photos so she could look at them. I didn't object even though I dreaded having to stare at his face with Laura sitting right next to me, thinking my recent attraction to him might somehow be obvious to her.
She and I had lots to talk about when we left there. The Thanksgiving feast would take place in less than a week, and there was also the little fact that I'd somehow managed to make my way into the top ten photos of the contest.
I wondered what others had made the top ten, and exactly what place I'd come in, but I didn't ask either of those questions. Funny thing was, I think Dominic would have told me if I had asked.
"We have to RSVP to the Thanksgiving thing by Monday," I said later that evening when Laura and I were just hanging out in the living room. She was just starting to want to socialize with people again, and I wondered if a grand event like that might be too much. Truth was, I thought it might be too much for me and would like to be able to blame it on Laura. I wasn't so sure it was good for me to see Dominic's palace when I was already having trouble dealing with his handsome face.
"I think we should go. I want to see Dominic's place. Don't you?"
"No. Not really. I mean, it sounds cool and all, but I'm good with just having a quiet Thanksgiving around here. I can't believe so many people show up to that thing if it's an hour away."
"Maria said it's worth going. She and Willy go every year. I think it'll be fun."
I couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth. "Fun?"
She shrugged. "Why not? Don't you like Dominic?"
"You mean as a boss?" I asked. I instantly began blushing guiltily. I stretched out on the couch and casually put my head on the pillow, seeming as nonchalant and unaffected as I could. She didn't answer me right away, but I just stayed quiet, lest I put my foot even further into my mouth.
"It seems like you two get along well," she said. "And there's nothing wrong with you fin
ding love again, Rae baby. In fact, it would make me extremely happy to see you with someone like Dominic."
I felt a wave of about five different emotions wash over me at the same time.
1: Confusion about what I was hearing.
2: Disbelief that Laura would say something like that when I thought she'd view it as me cheating on Anthony's memory.
3: Fear that I could fall for Dominic and ultimately be rejected.
4: Elation at the thought of picking up the pieces and moving on with someone as wonderful as Dominic.
5: Hopeless at the thought that it could never really amount to anything. Seriously, he could have anybody he chose, and there were probably a hundred other girls in line ahead of me.
Not that I was in line.
I groaned at the ceiling since I didn't know what else to do.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Don't you think it's too soon to think about that?"
She came to sit on the ottoman in front of me and regarded me sweetly. "You're the only one who knows the answer to that question," she said. "You have to decide when you're ready, but I thought you should know that I have no expectations." She reached over and stroked my forehead before continuing. "I can't help but notice the way Dominic looks at you, and I want you to know I'm okay with it—happy about it, actually. It would make me happy to see you with him. He's probably the best match you could ever hope for."
I was tempted to smile when she said the part about noticing how he looks at me, but tried to hold it in. I absolutely couldn't believe she was giving me the go-ahead to like someone else. Before today, I'd never even considered it as an option, and here she was mentioning it as if she were reading my mind.
I stared at the ceiling and put my hand over my face as I spoke. "I was attracted to him today and I felt really bad about it." I didn't look at her but I could feel her reach down and rub my forearm as if to reassure me. My eyes filled with tears as I thought about Anthony. "It sort of feels like cheating," I said, trying not to let the tightening in my jaw affect my voice.
"You could be loyal to Tony's memory and still move on with your life, "she said. "He would want you to be happy. He would want you to be taken care of. I think Dominic could give you both of those things."
We were quiet for a long minute. "I don't think he'd go for me. Maybe for a fling or whatever, but nothing more."
Another minute passed with just the low murmur of the television in the background. "I'm not trying to encourage you to do anything you're not ready for, but Maria told me she thought he was smitten with you."
I put the other hand over my face, reinforcing my embarrassment.
"Did he email you the photos from today?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, not removing my hands.
"Can I see them?" she asked.
I grabbed my phone from its place on the ottoman next to her and opened the email he sent me earlier.
Rae,
Thanks again for the great photos. These haven't been edited, so please don't share with anyone besides Lu for now. I'll send you the final version once I finish editing it. You're more talented than you know, and I'm excited about watching you realize your potential. Let's do it again sometime, but with me behind the camera.
Best, Dominic
I scrolled past the message to get to the photos and handed her the phone. She gasped. "These are amazing Rae! Aww, he's handsome, isn't he?"
I smiled, thinking of the way I had gawked at him through the camera. "He's extremely handsome," I said, "…and smart, and rich, and all the other good things you can think of."
"Oh sweetheart, it makes my heart sing to think about you finding happiness with Dominic. I was so afraid I would hold you back by bringing you to New York with me."
"I can't even comprehend something working out with Dominic," I said, honestly. "He's just too good, and I've heard enough guys joking around at the deli to know that these Italian men don't just run off and marry little blonde girls like me."
"My Anthony did."
"Yeah, but he was in Arizona. I think the guys here get more pressure to date Italian girls."
"Where'd you hear that?"
"I heard one of the men that always sit outside the deli mention the fact that I was blonde. He asked what my maiden name was, and when I said McBride, he said I must be pretty great if you and Gianni were okay with Anthony marrying me. I think he meant it as a compliment, but I got the idea that I was a different breed to them."
"Don't listen to those old men," she said. "Dominic is his own man and he can decide who he wants to go out with."
I sat up and stared at her seriously.
"Do you honestly think he would ever go for me?"
She reached out and cupped a hand on my cheek. "Yes. And I think he already knows he would be lucky to have you."
I put my head in my hands again, feeling overwhelmed by the mix of fear and hope. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about this," I said.
"I think you two could have something beautiful together," she said. I was stunned speechless by her support in the matter. I sat there for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. I thought for sure she'd be protective of Anthony and want me to wait years before I even considered moving on.
I reached out for my phone and she handed it to me. I glanced at the screen, taking in the photo. He was perhaps the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on and I got butterflies in my stomach at the thought of having the green light to pursue him.
"I don't know what to do to make him notice me like that. I'm sure there are about a hundred other girls in line ahead of me, and I don't want to throw myself at him."
"Well, there's not much you can do with your work uniform, but we can get you all fixed up for the Thanksgiving feast and see if you can catch his eye."
I giggled. "Are you serious?"
She smiled down at me. "Why not?"
I spent the rest of the weekend thinking about Dominic and wondering how things would play out between us. It was the first time something else consumed my thoughts besides my sadness over losing Anthony, and it was refreshing.
Chapter 9
My photo of the one-man band was displayed with the others in the top ten when I got to work that Monday. It was surreal seeing a photograph I took displayed in an official setting like that. Because there were so few photos comparatively, Dominic had the final ten printed 11x17 instead of the original 8x10.
They were beautifully framed.
The presentation was amazing.
But the whole thing was still overshadowed by my developing feelings for Dominic. I can't explain how it's possible for me to love someone as much as I loved Anthony, and develop feelings for someone else just a few months after he passed away. I struggled with guilt about it, until for some unexplainable reason, it sunk in that Anthony would want me to move on and be happy. It sunk into my soul like an undeniable truth, and it wasn't just because Dominic was so appealing.
It seemed like once I came to terms with that, I couldn't get Dominic off my mind. I had no idea whether or not I had a chance with him for anything long-term, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. He consumed my thoughts more than making the top ten, and that was a miracle.
Thanksgiving week went by quickly. Laura stopped by the store twice that week. Once was to buy a pack of mints and vote for my photo (I didn't even see her that time). And the other was to meet me after work so we could go shopping for something for me to wear to Dominic's. Of course, she voted again while she was there.
It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and shipping and receiving closed at 2PM. I was off work for the next four days, and felt giddy at the knowledge that within those days, I was going to try to make some sort of impression on Dominic.
Laura and I went to three different stores before my outfit came together. She also surprised me by making an appointment for me to get my hair done. The stylist cut my hair, put a shine treatment on it, and played up the waves by painstaki
ngly adding polished curls with a curling wand.
Laura watched the whole process. I could see her reflection in the mirror and knew she was taking notes. One of the girls came over and put some makeup on me when Gwen, the stylist, was working on curling my hair. She stood between me and the mirror so I couldn't see what was going on until they were both finished.
I stared at myself slack-jawed. I usually just wore my hair pulled back, and seeing it cascading gloriously over my shoulders made me look like a different creature. Laura came over to see me up close when they were finished. She had her hand over her mouth, and was starting to tear up.
"If Dominic doesn't get on one knee and ask you to marry him, I'll eat my hat."
I gave her wide eyes for mentioning his name. As far as I knew, everyone knew what Dominic she was talking about.
"Seriously, I think I'm in love with her myself," the makeup girl said.
I gave her a big smile.
"I'm taking a picture of you for my Instagram," Gwen said.
"Me too," the makeup girl said.
They put me under a light and both snapped a few pictures. I was still in my work uniform and was relatively sure I looked like a big dork from the neck down, but it was hard not to beam when I loved what they did to me. Laura took a picture too.
"I'm sending this picture to Maria and telling her get ready for your new daughter-in-law," she said to me from the back of the cab on the way home.
"You are not!" I said, in a foreboding tone.
She laughed. "I'm just joking with you, but you look really beautiful, baby. I seriously want to email this picture to everyone I know so they can see you."
"Thanks for doing that for me. I never dreamed we'd get my hair done while we were out."
"I'm so glad it worked out," she said. "And I'm almost positive we could get close to reproducing this look tomorrow."
"I don't think I should go this far, do you?"
She gave me a confused look. "Why not? You look stunning. In fact, I thought about asking you to sleep like that so we could just keep it the same tomorrow and touch it up."
Another Shot: A Modern-Day Ruth and Boaz Story Page 6