The Photographer and the handsome Wolf

The Photographer and the handsome wolf.

Ashley notices the handsome wolf as soon as she came in the hotel door that was hosting the unique “Bridal Event with a Difference.”

She had been a bit hesitant about being the official photographer. She checked yet again to make sure the film was in the manual camera and that her digital one had batteries that were fully charged.

Hello,” a sexy voice said at her elbow. Even before she turned around she knew it was him.

“Hi,” she smiled. I hope he didn’t see me ogling him earlier; she thought then, wished she hadn’t had that thought, as her face began to heat up. Oh, for God sake, Ashley Dwyer she thought, get a grip. You’re acting like a lovelorn schoolgirl instead of a thirty year old woman who has travelled the world.

Leon Lafitte smiled. He was used to women falling in love with him at first sight. He’d just wait until she stopped swooning over his good looks and then he’d offer to bury her drink.

Ashley shivered in anticipation at the thought of his full lips on her mouth. What’s happening to you, girl? A small voice giggled inside her head. Would it have anything to do with you being the only woman who has never been a bride in the midst of all these second time arounds including your own mother? She could just hear her mother and sister’s saying, “Go on Ashley,” don’t let this one go like you did all the other lovely manly specimens you’ve brought home.”

Leon placing his hand in the small of her back and steered her towards the bar in the centre of the room.

“Wait a minute,” she protested. I have photographs to take.”

He raised his dark well manicured eyebrows and looked at her with sultry eyes like dark pools you could drown in.

“Let someone else take them,” he pouted. He wasn’t used to be refused by a woman.

Well, Ashley fumed, he may look like George Clooney, but this guy is about to get his come-uppings

 

“It very nice of you to offer a drink,” she said smiling sweetly at him. Turning she put her fingers into her mouth and gave a long low whistle. Bride’s young old in an array of wedding dress styles swarmed towards the bar. Spying the handsome wolf they gather round Leon mewing and pawing at him and smiling like cats that had just been offered a double helping of cream.

“Enjoy, “Ashley quipped winking at his horrified face. Climbing on a low bar stool she focused the camera. .She could hardly keep it from shaking as she laughed at the shocked, mortified look on the wolf’s face as an elderly “second time “bride,” with a distinct hair lip growth and moles on her chin gripped his face firmly between her plump sweaty palms and kissed him hungrily on the mouth.

“One more for Facebook and Twitter,” Ashley called gaily as the wolf struggled to beat off the roaming hands and avoid the sea of upturned faces fighting for a kiss. “That should keep him off the prowl for a week or two,” Ashley chuckled. .

The following day as she finished the article to go with the event’s photographs, Ashley stopped to consider. The hotel’s ballroom had been packed to capacity with brides of all ages. “It’s amazing,” she murmured,” who would ever have believed that women as old as eighty would get dressed up in their wedding dresses and have a bridal reunion with other brides?” She flicked through the images again.

A giggled escaped her. More than a few of the wedding dresses were obviously under serious fat attack. Others showed signs of a careful seamstress’s skilled hand where fresh material had been added. Some of the older brides had just gone the whole hog and bought stunning- up- to- the-minute designer dresses.

She looked at the photos she had taken of her mother. She had to admit she hadn’t been happy, even a bit jealous when he mother had married a man more than twenty years younger than her. And he had been one of Ashley’s ‘failures’ as her sister called the long line of boyfriends that passed through Ashley’s life.

The whistling sound emitting from her IPhone made her jump. She had been so engrossed in the photos she had forgotten it was on her desk.

“Hello, she said holding it close to her ear and smiling automatically.

“Hi,” a male voice said. “I hope you’re still not mad at me.?” “It’s Leon Lafitte.”

“Oh! Hiya,” Ashlee said checking her makeup on the screen of her computer. “I was just looking at the photos.” She hoped he didn’t hear the excitement in her voice.

“Yeah,” he said with feeling. “I’ve been looking at them on Facebook and Twitter and getting hundreds of emails about them.”

Ashlee fought down the urge to giggle. “Yes? They like my photographers then?

“They’ll probably go viral on UTube,” he said glumly.

“Oh, sorry about that,” Ashlee said laughing, “but you were a bit of a shi…”

“I know,” Leon said. “ “I wondered…could I make it up to you”.

Ashlee did a silent, yes, yes as she punched the air. “What did you have in mind,” she said, in what she hoped was a suitably uninterested voice.

“Same venue – nice dinner,” Leon said, holding his breath.

Just then Ashlee’s office phone started to ring.

“Sounds, OK,” she said. “Hold on. I have to take this. No, tell you what, why don’t you ring me after work and we can talk about it then. How did you get my number?” She asked curiously.

“Remember the old biddy – the bride who snogged the face off me. I couldn’t get rid of her. Insisted on buying me a drink at the bar.”

“Must have been a woman libber in her day,” Ashlee snickered.

“She knew your mother and she got me your number.”

“Twenty-first century woman then. If she knows my mother,” Ashlee said quietly. She made a mental note to self not to bring Leon near the house.

“Mother is determined to get me married like the rest of them,” she mused as she put down the phone.

But he is very handsome, she sighed as she slipped the individual photos of him she had taken secretly into her handbag.