I. L'instant [H.S]

XXII

"C'me on, Mike!"

I follow him around the store with my hands drawn together, begging him for the fifth time to let me take a few photos of him. He shakes his head, looking through the racks of old vinyls and fishing out a few.

"Not gonna happen, Em." he says, again.

"Why not? It's just a couple of photos.. you're the tallest man I know and also the most photogenic." I add with a smile but he simply chuckles at my shit attempt to be cheeky.

"What is it that you want to do, exactly?" he asks, reading through the cover of an Ozzy Osbourne album.

I sigh, taking my time to tell him exactly what I want to do. "My boss wants me to show him just how good I can be with portraits, not events or stock photography."

Martin joins us, looking around the store to make sure there's nobody needing his assistance. "What's up, kids? What's the fuzz about?"

"Emilia here is trying to seduce me into being a model." Mike jokes, taking the Ozzy album and another one of UFO. "I just don't think I'd be good at it.."

"You don't have to model!" I wave, feeling desperate. "Besides, I think I might use all of you. I want to showcase the personality of each one of you, not just your looks."

"You're saying I'm pretty?" Mike sings with a hand above his chin. "Because I am."

"You're a twat, that's what you are." Martin laughs, swinging an arm around my shoulders. "So you're gonna ask everyone? Does that include me?"

I don't have the concept fully finished, but I nod. "Yeah, probably. I've been thinking about you, Mike here if he actually agrees, Eric, Alex, even Joe.."

"All guys, then?" Martin asks with curiosity. "What's it about?"

"What about Matt and Harry?" Mike asks with a smirk. "Aren't they not included in your master plan?"

"Maybe, yeah." I try to sound as neutral as possible. "I don't have it all figured it out yet."

The truth is, I haven't even talked or seen Harry in two weeks. Just last night I thought of sending him a message but then decided against it. I don't know where we stand and the fact that he hasn't tried to contact me either tells me he's probably in the same place as me.

Or maybe he already forgot about the whole thing because he actually has much more important shit to do than to talk to me.

"Okay, fine." Mike sighs as we all walk to the front of the store. "And what would I be doing?"

"The thing is, the concept for the whole thing is London Lads, I know it sounds weird and probably a bit stupid, but I want to show the diversity and the contrasts between one another. You're all friends and still you're so incredibly different from one another, personality and physically-wise." I explain, feeling a big more reassured now that I listen to my own words.

"I know some of you weren't actually born here, but that's the common ground between one another, you live here and the culture of the city and its surroundings it's what's brought you together." I finish, feeling a bit shy but excited at the same time. "I don't know, maybe it's too simple but that's what I'm aiming for."

Martin nods and Mike whistles. "Sounds weird, but I like it. It could be interesting, Em." he says with a smile. "I actually never thought about it, y'know? Our differences and shit."

I laugh at the shit part but I'm relieved to see none of them looks like they're gonna laugh at my idea. "So you'll do it?" I ask both.

"Sure, why not?" Martin agrees, taking a place behind the register to charge Mike for the albums.