Now that it was just the two of them, she grabbed Nolan and said, “Can we do it now?”
Before he had a chance to speak, the door opened and in walked an older gentleman, several camera bags in hand.
“Hello, hello! I’m so sorry I’m late! They told me noon but Miss Junelle told me that you all got started early. That’s okay! We can make it just like everything’s happening right now.” As he made it to them, he shook their hands. “I am Chester Morgan, one of the photographers here at Cupid of the Mountains Wedding Chapel. I’ve been doing this many years and always take care of my couples.”
It took several minutes, but he set his cameras out on one of the benches nearby. “Okay, stand up in front of the flowers at the front here, let’s get a few.”
By now, the entire event felt so surreal that Lynn simply moved through the motions, following Chester’s instructions without question. She and Nolan posed with their arms around each other at the front of the chapel, some facing the camera and some staring into each other’s eyes. They followed Chester outside where they stood next to a stream, in the gazebo, under a weeping cherry tree, and by the cupid’s sign. There were pictures of her hand resting on Nolan’s, their white gold bands glistening in the sunlight.
She thought that with each picture it would get easier but, instead, the emotional toll of the sham wedding was weighing on her. It wasn’t supposed to be like this! We were going to get here early, get into the empty office, and then sneak out before the ceremony took place.
“You’re getting all dreamy-eyed on me, Mrs. Bell,” Chester called out, jerking her gaze back to his.
“I’m sorry?”
“I asked your groom if he wanted a kissy-kissy picture.”
Before she had a chance to reply, Nolan turned her gently and pulled her flush against his body. Mumbling against her lips, he said, “I know we need to get inside, but how about a kissy-kissy picture to remember this crazy-ass day?”
A laugh-snort slipped out, and she could not think of a good reason why she shouldn’t enjoy another kiss with Nolan. Closing her eyes, she wiped out all other thoughts as his lips took hers once again. The kiss was long and slow, building in intensity like the crescendo of an orchestra. It was not until Chester cackled aloud that they separated quickly, both blinking as though dazed.
“Alrighty, folks, I think I got enough pictures. I’ll get them out to Miss Junelle tomorrow and she can send the link to you so you can choose the ones you want.” Shaking their hands, they watched as he climbed into his old car and pulled out of the parking lot.
Her shoulders slumped and once again she was glad Nolan had his arm around her waist. “Nolan, this was nothing like what we planned.”
“I know, and I’m so fuckin’ sorry, Lynn. The only thing we could’ve done was to call a halt to it before it got started and then they would’ve expected us to leave. At that point, we would’ve had to try to break in to get into his office.”
Shaking her head quickly, she glanced toward the building they were standing next to. “No, no, we couldn’t have done that. The risk of getting caught would be too great.”
Feeling his gaze, she looked upward at Nolan. “I’ll take your lead ‘cause you have to tell me what to do now.”
“Okay, we go back in and stick to our original plan. We tell Junelle that we're going to use their restroom, and I’ll make sure that Errol’s office door is open. If it’s locked, then I can get it unlocked. You get in and do what you need, just like we planned. I’ll stay on the outside and run interference in case Junelle comes down the hall. Five minutes, right?”
“Yes, I just need five minutes.”
A smile spread across Nolan’s face, and she could not help but feel her shoulders relax. He was so handsome, so much more than when he was a teenager. She knew it was a sham, but also intended to keep one of the photos. Just one… to remind me of this day.
Following through on their plan, they walked back into the reception area, seeing Junelle behind the counter. She looked up with her ever-present smile and asked, “Are y’all finished with the pictures?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “We’re getting ready to head out, but would you mind if we used your restrooms?”
Waving toward the back, Junelle bobbed her head, her tall hair bouncing up and down. “Absolutely! Take your time ‘cause I know y’all have a little drive ahead of you to get to the resort.”
He reached down to link fingers with her again, and it struck her how easily they reached for each other’s hands now. So natural. So needed.
As they walked down the hall away from the front reception area and Junelle, their footsteps were muffled by the plush carpet. Errol’s door was closed, and she watched as Nolan slipped on a glove and pulled a thin metal tool from his pocket. She was stunned to see how quickly he was able to jimmy the door open. He turned to look at her, and for a second, it was as though she forgot why they were there. Seeing his lifted brow, she bolted into action, walking briskly past him into the office, confident that he would keep a safe watch.
He grabbed her arm, and she turned back, her brow lifted in silent question. He handed her a pair of gloves and the air rushed from her lungs, embarrassed at her forgetfulness. Nodding her thanks, she slipped them on.
Just as Sally had indicated, Errol’s office was neat and his computer sat on the exact center of his
