Page 1 of The Brides Brother

Chapter One

Evelyn

The high school photos had to be my favorite so far. As I went through the scenes of the couple sitting on the seats where they’d met, by their lockers and where he’d first asked her on a date to the cafeteria, my heart fluttered a little. It was a lovely story, but the way I'd captured every scene in different lighting made me feel very happy. In these pictures, I had told their history, the cracks on the wall, the rust on bars, the chipped paint, broken ceiling corners, and the beaming smiles of the couple themselves. It was fairytale-like and yet it was real.

I was so in love with what I had created.

There was one problem, though. Given that they were my cousin’s friends, and they were both blue-collar workers, I hadn't been able to charge them what I normally would. Not that it was much, but even then, they had trouble paying for my photography.

I looked at the time once again, wondering just how long I'd been in the cafe. I didn't think they had a limit of how long you could stay after buying the cheapest possible drink, which was an iced Americano, but I was ready to pack my things and leave the second any of the staff started heading towards me.

I needed to charge more, and I needed more high-profile clients so I could have something left over after paying my exorbitant, blood-sucking New York rent to repair my broken AC. My inability to call a repairman until I got my next paycheck was once again a wakeup call. I continued on with my edits, anxious to complete it as quickly as possible so that I could post some of them on Instagram and attract some potential new clients.

I had no connections nor did I know any socialites, so this was my only way. This was my fault, though. Rather than spend time during college going to parties and meeting people, I was taking on as many part-time jobs as I could and ignoring the social aspect, which I now realize was the most important aspect of my job.

Sighing, I continued on with my work. When I briefly glanced up to look around the cafe, I met the eyes of someone standing in a corner. She seemed to have purchased some pastries and was sipping on her coffee. However, her attention on me was rapt. It immediately made me self-conscious because this was also sure to draw the attention of the cafe staff.

Annoyed, I looked away from her and continued with my work, but I sent a deep frown her way, hoping that this would immediately put her off showing any interest in me.

I returned to my photos and forgot all about her until I felt someone start to pull out the stool beside me. It was to be expected since I had opted for the window seats rather than an actual table in order to curry more grace for overstaying, so I wasn’t bothered, but when I noticed that the person seemed to have their entire focus on me, I looked up and was shocked to see it was the girl that was staring at me before.

She was stunning in a way that made me unable to look away, even though I was unhappy at her intrusion. Her hair was bone straight, shiny, sleek, and jet black, and her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green I had ever seen. Due to my annoyance earlier, I hadn't noticed any of these, but now as I stared straight at her, I couldn’t help noticing her beauty.

“Hello?” She smiled.

I nodded in response. "Hi.”

“I’m sorry I was a bit nervous to come over.” Her glance went to my laptop. “I see you’re working, so I know I’m interrupting you.” She smiled apologetically, but continued to stare at me. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ve loved your work for so long; I just can’t believe I'm actually meeting you in person. You do gorgeous work and I’m just so happy to meet you.”

Upon hearing this, all of my annoyance, doubts, and reservations immediately dissipated because she was obviously someone who followed me on social media and loved my work, so how could I in any way be offended or put off by her approach?

Instantly, I gave her a heartfelt smile and offered my hand for a handshake.

I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I'm just a bit stressed, so I came off unapproachable. Thank you for coming over regardless. I'm so glad to know you know and like my work; that means so much to me. I mean, I just started so I don’t have that many followers.”

“You just need time for the right kind of people to find you,” she said earnestly. “Because your work is unique… very rustic and special. Most people just go anything pink and glittery.”

I nearly laughed out loud at this, liking her even more because she was a hundred percent right. “Thank you so much for saying that; your words mean the world to me because I was just thinking how my style might be affecting my ability to eat.” I laughed. “And that maybe, I should start going the way that everybody else is going.”

“Oh no!” she exclaimed, nearly startling me. “Don't. You're unique. Please don’t change.”

I shrugged and laughed. “It’s very kind of you to say that, but New York charges even for air, so I might have to start following the crowd soon.”

She looked suddenly bright and happy. “You know what, I want to work with you. The style I want is exactly right up your alley. Everyone else in my family didn’t seem too taken with it. I’m pregnant and just so exhausted, so I didn’t push too hard. But now that I've run into you against all odds, I think it’s a sign from the universe.”

I stared at her, my mouth nearly open, wondering for a moment if she was playing a trick on me.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

She nodded happily. “I am. We already have a wedding planner and all that, and she’s been suggesting photographers to me, but I haven’t paid any attention because I hated all her big name photographers. And… I just know you’ll love the location. It's a small ancient church. Its stained-glass windows are the most beautiful things you’ll ever see, and its domed ceilings are painted with angels.”

My mouth nearly fell open. “Are you joking? Where is this?”

“In the Hamptons,” she replied.

I thanked my lucky stars that I wouldn’t have to travel too far, but still, all of this was sounding too good to be true. I decided to have a little faith, especially since I didn’t have much of a choice.

“Sounds wonderful,” I replied.