Forever a Stallion. Deborah Fletcher Mello

really sorry to hear about your mother, Phaedra. She was a really sweet lady.”

      Phaedra took a deep breath and forced her mouth into a slight smile. “Thanks, Hooper. And thank you for the flowers! I really appreciated you thinking of me.”

      “Hey, what are friends for?” the man said. There was a sudden rush of noise behind them as the audience cheered something going on in the center of the arena. Both Phaedra and Hooper both turned to stare as a horse and rider went through their paces.

      “I should be shooting this,” Phaedra said absently, her gaze shifting for a split second toward the stands and the men who were still sitting in observation.

      “Speaking of shoot, I loved that LeBron James layout you did for Sports Illustrated. Creative, challenging, technically proficient. That was some nice work, woman. That shot where you had him hanging upside down from the basketball hoop was seriously dope!”

      Phaedra turned her attention back to her friend. “Thank you! It was fun to do and LeBron was a dream client. So, what are you working on here?”

      “I’m here to shoot the wedding.”

      Phaedra eyed him curiously. “What wedding?”

      “The Stallion wedding. I’m the wedding photographer.”

      Phaedra laughed. “I didn’t know you did weddings.”

      Hooper shrugged. “I usually don’t, not in a good long time, but I bend the rules for my very special friends. The bride,” he said, lifting his eyebrows, “is Joanne Lake. We were roomies for a short time back in Cali when she was going to art school and I was aspiring to make movies.”

      “I didn’t know you made movies.”

      Hooper laughed. “It was a very short porn career because I was very short.”

      Phaedra shook her head, laughing with him. “So, this Joanne Lake is getting married to one of the Stallions?”

      “Yep!” Hooper nodded. “The youngest brother, Luke Stallion. Great guy! They make a nice couple.”

      Phaedra felt her heart skip a quick beat. Knowing where she fell in the lineup of Stallion offspring had been a point of angst for her mother. During their short tryst, James Stallion had been married, the truth of that coming as a complete surprise. Although he’d been separated from his wife during the time they were together, the revelation of his marital connection had not sat well with the matriarch. James returning to his wife and three older sons had been earth-shattering, completely devastating Arneta’s world. Now here Phaedra was, discovering that her younger brother was about to be married. She took a deep breath, holding it for a brief moment before blowing the air out slowly.

      “Hey,” Hooper said suddenly. “What are you doing tonight? You interested in working?”

      Phaedra lifted her eyebrows questioningly. “What do you need?”

      “I have an assistant who will be helping me, but I could always use another photographer. You interested in working? I mean, since you already have your equipment with you.”

      “At the wedding?”

      “The wedding and the reception. You game?”

      Taking another quick glance toward where the Stallion men were seated, Phaedra suddenly saw opportunity where none had existed before. Unable to resist, she took note of the handsome stranger one last time, then without a second thought nodded, her answer emphatic. “Yes!”

      * * *

      Joanne Lake stood in the center of the room, a hand fanning in front of her face as she tried to catch her breath.

      “I swear,” she said, breathing heavily, “I’m so nervous that I can’t breathe!”

      Marah laughed, moving to the young woman’s side. “I felt the same way when John and I were married,” she said, remembering the moment as if it had just happened. “Just take a deep breath, hold it and relax. Everything is going to be perfect.”

      “Absolutely,” Joanne’s mother, Lillian Taylor, echoed as she slowly laced the back of her only daughter’s wedding gown. “Everything will be beautiful, ma fille chéri,” the woman said, the warm lilt of her deep French accent comforting.

      Tears misted in Joanne’s eyes as she took in her image in the mirror. The gown she’d designed for herself accentuated every ounce of her curvaceous frame. She was an absolutely stunning bride in the silk-and-organza creation and she couldn’t wait for Luke to see her coming down the aisle that very first time. She took in a deep breath, fighting to ease the rise of nervous energy.

      There was a low knock at the door and Marah’s older sister, Eden, moved to see who was waiting on the other side. When Eden pulled the entrance open, Phaedra was smiling brightly, waving her camera in greeting.

      “Hi, I’ve come to take some preliminary shots of the bride, if that’s okay?” Phaedra said, meeting Eden’s questioning gaze.

      “Oh, yes, definitely,” the woman responded as she reached for Phaedra’s hand and pulled her into the room. “Your timing is perfect.”

      Phaedra nodded as she entered the space, the women inside all turning to stare in her direction. Joanne’s bright smile eased the moment.

      “Hi, I’m Joanne. Hooper said you’d be coming. It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” she said excitedly.

      “It’s nice to meet you, too. My name’s Phaedra. Phaedra Parrish,” she said, pausing momentarily as if she hoped there might be some recognition that she was family, too. “Congratulations!”

      “Thank you,” Joanne intoned. “Thank you so much. Well, just tell us where you want us.”

      Phaedra smiled back. “I just want you to finish getting dressed. Just interact the way you were doing before I arrived and pretend I’m not even here. The best shots are those where you’re most natural, so just be yourself.”

      Joanne nodded as her mother moved back to lacing the last few ties on her gown. As she did, Phaedra lifted her camera and took a quick shot. She began to slowly move around the room, snapping photo after photo of Joanne and her bridal party as they completed the finishing touches on their makeup and hair. It was an extravaganza of ivory-colored lace, chocolate charmeuse and tan chiffon.

      “This is so exciting!” Katrina commented, smoothing the front of her own gown across her pregnant belly.

      “This family has definitely had its fair share of weddings and baby showers!” an elderly woman intoned. “It’s been a blessing!” She swiped at a tear that pressed anxiously at the edge of her eye.

      Phaedra paused to look where the voice had come from. Seated on the couch was a woman close to her mother’s age. She looked quite smart in a two-piece dress suit the color of sweet tea. She smiled when she saw Phaedra staring. Phaedra smiled back as she lifted her camera and took a snapshot of the woman’s smiling face.

      “Don’t you start crying, Aunt Juanita,” someone scolded. “If you start you’ll have us all crying up in here.”

      The women all laughed, the warmth of it echoing around the room.

      “Y’all know I’m gonna cry,” the woman named Juanita said. “The last of my babies is getting married,” she said with a loud sniffle. A blanket of silence dropped down against the room as they all stopped to take in her comment.

      Phaedra’s gaze danced from face to face as she took them all in. Juanita caught her staring and Phaedra fiddled with her camera as the woman stared back.

      “Are you from around here?” Juanita asked, her question directed at Phaedra.

      The young woman met the matriarch’s curious gaze. “No, ma’am. I’m from New Orleans,” she said softly.

      Juanita smiled, still staring. “You look like you could be related to the family,”