The Photographer (Ignazio Boschetto Fanfiction)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

          Finally we finished with the Canadian concerts and re-entered the U.S. I was glad to be back, and we spent our first night back at the same condos in Los Angeles we had been staying in when I first met the boys.

          The following night was the banquet, and I let Barbara into my condo to pin up my hair for me. She had insisted on doing it, and I sat in front of the bathroom mirror and watched her in a handheld mirror. I squirmed and protested, and she constantly had to force me to be still, but when she finished I had to admit it was as beautiful as she said it would be. Then she left and I changed out of my T-shirt and jeans and got out the brilliant red dress. I held it in front of me in the mirror, admiring it for a few moments before I slipped it on and let the perfect rich red silk fall around me. I stood in front of the mirror for a long while in astonishment, turning and eyeing every part of the gown. I left the mirror to put on my shoes, and then returned to it. I smiled at my appearance, and then immediately heard a knock on the condo door.

          “It’s open!” I called, and Ignazio opened the door and came in alone, dressed up in his black suit, smart black shoes, and red bow-tie, with his hair looking silky and his eyes glittering with eager excitement. He closed the door and then turned to me, and froze on the spot. His smile faded, and he stared at me, his eyes widening slightly.

          “What?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

          He watched me in awe and smiled slowly, gazing so sweetly at me that I dropped my arms and waited for him to speak.

          “Wow…” he breathed, “You look…incredible.” I smiled and looked down at the shining red cloth and then at my face in the mirror, seeing Ignazio smiling at me from behind in the reflection.

          “Are you ready to go?” he asked, and I turned back to him and nodded.

          “Yeah, I guess so. It feels weird to be without my camera, though.”

          “You’ll adjust. We’ll have so much fun tonight!”

          He came close to me and held out his arm, which I dismissed and instead reached up to adjust his crooked bow tie.

          “Now!” I said, and then decided it’d be appropriate to take his arm.

          As he led me out the door and down the steps, he looked at me and smiled.

          “Tamzin, will you dance with me tonight?”

          I shrugged.

          “I guess so.”

          “Is that a promise?”

          “Sure, I guess so.”

          He observed me for moment, then smiled.

          “You’re not wearing heels, are you? You’re the same height.”

          “Nah, I’m not really into heels. I prefer these.”

          I lifted up the bottom of the dress and extended my red high-topped foot, and Ignazio looked down at it and then began to laugh. He pulled his arm closer to himself, pulling me closer with it. He leaned forward as if to kiss my cheek, but I tensed up with surprise and looked away.

          We went to find the rest of our group, and Barbara was ecstatic to see me in the dress, though she chastised me for the shoes when she noticed them. She demanded that the boys and I take a picture together, which we did, but it made me feel funny again that I didn’t have my camera. As we all went to the car and got in, I kept having the urge to locate the camera, but then I realized that it was back at the condo.