Nowhere To Go But Up ⋆ Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Chapter Six

Alas, it was time to call it a day.

The Zoo needed to close up and we were fast losing the light. Iron-grey clouds were looming ominously overhead as the shorter autumn day began to draw in; and even as our team began to tidy up after ourselves, I could hear a distant threatening rumble of thunder.

Shoulders slumping, I huffed out a great sigh of relief and removed the camera strap from around my neck.

I had done it! I had got through my first ever celebrity shoot - and it hadn't been a complete shambles! I hadn't managed to kill anyone. Not even a penguin.

I was so happy that my pictures had turned out well! Even though I knew my job was far from over, I just hoped with all my heart that they would be enough...

I ventured into the visitor centre to pay the bathroom a visit, and then went traipsing round the admin offices to track down the Zoo's director and thank him for being so kind enough for allowing us to use their pool as a location.

By the time I'd returned outside to the penguin enclosure about fifteen minutes later, it was to find Craig and the others gathering up our equipment. I went to help, and thanked the rest of the crew for all their efforts today.

Craig bounded over to give me a congratulatory hug. 

"Yaaay! You did it, well done, babes! Mwah!" he squealed, air kissing me.

"Well done, you!" I grinned, happily returning the hug, "You were the one who made Lin look so amazing!" I praised, and Craig pretended to preen.

"D'aww, shucks, you make me blush! He did look divine though, didn't he? Lordy...leave me alone with him in that outfit and I'd climb that guy like a tree!"

"You are terrible! You're a happily married man!" I laughed, giving him a shove in admonishment.

"I'm only kidding, you know I have eyes for no one but my Gary... Hey, you should come out with me and Gaz for a cheeky beer tonight to celebrate!" he suggested, his lean arm draped friendlily across my shoulders.

"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves...they haven't agreed my pictures are even going to be used yet. And I'd love to but I can't," I added with an apologetic look.

"Whyyyy??" Craig whined.

"Once I've reported back, I'm off home...gonna get cracking with getting these babies edited so they can be sent back to Claudia."

I patted my camera case in emphasis and Craig sighed dramatically.

"Pfft...party pooper! Girl, all you do is work, work, work! There is more to life, y'know. It won't kill you to give yourself some time off for once," he chuckled.

I only shrugged in reply.

A day off? What even was that? Alright, I had to admit so maybe I was a teensy bit of a workaholic. There was nothing wrong in that, surely? And this was really important to me; the sooner I got started on those photos, the better.

"I'll text you when I'm free," I assured my friend. 

"Yeah, yeah, heard that one before," Craig said with a roll of his eyes but it was spoken with affection, "You want a lift back?" he added, picking up the lights we'd just taken apart, ready to pack into his car.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks, I'll be there in a sec..." I said as he headed in the direction of the Zoo's car park.

As I went to grab my bag, however, my eyes swept the area, seeking out a certain someone who was conspicuous by his absence.