Page 11 of Loving Lauren
Sierra lowered into a crouch behind her camera, finger resting above the shutter.
Click. Click. Click.
It wasn’t just the model who was captivating, but Lauren too. There was something magnetic in the way she worked. The precision, the softness, the trust between her and the client. Watching her felt like watching art in motion, as if Lauren had reached inside the model and pulled confidence forward to sit on her skin.
Between shots, Lauren snapped behind-the-scenes photos on her phone, stealing moments of the process. Once, Sierra caught her pointing the lens toward her instead. Their eyes met, and Lauren smiled before turning away with a small laugh under her breath.
“These are going to be amazing.” Lauren touched Sierra’s hand. Her voice was light, but her eyes held something warmer. “I mean it. You’re making me look real good right now.”
Sierra’s heart skittered. “I could say the same.”
The shoot kept its energy light and playful. The model shifted from fierce to goofy without warning, tossing a wink toward Sierra or striking a mock runway pose with a hair flip. Lauren laughed more freely now, her voice rising above the shutterclicks. When Sierra caught a frame where Lauren was adjusting a collar with her tongue poking out in concentration, she couldn’t help but smile behind the camera.
After it wrapped, Sierra grabbed her laptop and slid the SD card in with careful fingers. Images bloomed onto the screen, one after another. The model’s cheekbones gleamed, glitter catching like frost. There was Lauren too, mid-motion, hand on a brush, or reaching to tuck a strand of hair. Sierra stole a glance at Lauren, chin nearly brushing her shoulder.
Lauren’s expression softened with each photo. “These are... damn. You’re seriously talented.”
Sierra felt the compliment curl through her like a warm hug. “You’re the one doing all the magic.”
“I push powders around, but you’re the one catching lightning.” She hesitated, then tugged out her phone. “Look, I got some of you too.”
Lauren flipped through a few quick snapshots of Sierra behind her camera, head tilted in focus. One where she was laughing with the model and another mid-squint as she adjusted her lens. The angles weren’t perfect, but the feeling was there.
Lauren questioned with self-doubt. “These are cute, right? Not professional or anything, but good vibes.”
Sierra smiled. “They’re more than cute, and they’re honest.”
Lauren glanced up. “Do you mind if I post a couple of these?”
“Only if you promise to tag me.”
Lauren’s eyes sparkled. “Well obviously I will.”
A few taps later, Sierra’s phone buzzed.
Lauren:My girl @SierraFrames absolutely crushed this shoot today. Camera magic. I can’t wait to do it again.????
Sierra stared at the words on her screen, warmth blooming across her chest.My girl.Her cheeks ached from smiling.
As they packed up the equipment, their hands brushed over a compact. The touch was brief, a little clumsy, but neither of thempulled away too fast. They shared a look, a flicker of unspoken emotion that both of them felt.
“You have an eye for this.” Lauren’s voice had dropped to something gentler. “It’s not just technical. You see people.”
Sierra blinked. “That means a lot, especially coming from someone who makes people feel beautiful for a living.”
Lauren looked like she had something else to add, but she just nodded. “We make a good team.”
Back at home, Sierra sank into her couch, still riding the high. Afternoon sun spilled across the floor. Salem sprawled on the cushion with his usual disdain. Sierra set her tea on the coffee table, reached for her phone and dialed Thalia without thinking.
“Thalia, I’m on cloud nine, and I can’t feel my feet.”
“That sounds dramatic, even for you, so what happened?”
Sierra flopped backward, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers. “Lauren asked me to shoot a makeup session and it was amazing. Like, actually amazing, but it wasn’t just the shoot. I mean, that was great, but... being around her.”
“She’s kind of magnetic, isn’t she?”
“Magnetic isn’t even the right word. It’s like she walks into the room and the light listens.”
