After Kay had successfully covered Sakura’s love bite with makeup, Jane immediately turned up to fetch her for wardrobe. Now some half an hour later, she was staring at herself in the full-length mirror, feeling just a little bit sick at the sight.
She was utterly nervous and could feel her whole body shaking with anxiety. Soon, she’d be posing in front of the camera. Sure, she was a photographer and knew the ins and outs of that profession, but her genre in that field was a world away from this current one she found herself unwillingly participating in. She, after all, took photos of landscapes, scenery, and nature, while this was all about fashion, of which she knew very little.
Ultimately, when the time came, she prayed it’d just be her, Nicolas, Mr. Tachibana, Jane, and the cameraman—whose name she had yet to learn—and no one else. At least then, if she really did mess things up, she wouldn’t feel as if she did it in front of the whole world.
Once again, she returned her attention to her image in the mirror, marveling at the outfit that seemed to snuggly hug her slender figure, showing off her small waist.
Gosh, she really was dolled up from head to toe, wasn’t she? From the look of it, she was sure this very outfit would have cost in the hundreds of thousands per item, and it made her look like a billionaire’s daughter, or an exotic princess from some wealthy country.
The dress was exquisite, made of a dark-blue and white satin, with short sleeves and a skirt hitting at mid-thigh, thus revealing her long, slender legs, which were accentuated by the four-inch, glittery silver heels that Sakura knew would break her ankles if she wasn’t careful. Her hair was coiffured into an elegant knot, while her face was made up classically, highlighting her sensual lips. Topping off this posh look was the sapphire and platinum jewelry from her biological mother’s company. A mixture of silvery-white and dark-blue gemstones hung about her ears, neck, and wrists.
Yes, she had to admit she looked amazing, breathtaking even. But she reminded herself again that this was because of the makeup, clothing, and accessories, and she, as the model, must show these pieces to perfection.
Once again, she took another deep breath to calm her nerves.
It was then that Jane came in. “Wow! You look amazing, Sakura.”
Sakura didn’t say anything. Instead, she took another deep breath to calm down.
“You’re going to be all right,” Jane said. “Are you ready?”
Sakura chuckled nervously, giving her friend a frightened smile. “As ready as I can be.”
“Don’t worry,” Jane said. “Mr. Tachibana won’t eat you alive if you can’t follow his instructions.”
Sakura laughed brokenly. “Yeah, right. Right now, I’m so nervous I don’t even think I can walk properly, especially in these heels.”
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” Jane said. “Come on. It’s not exactly your turn yet, but I thought you might want to watch how the professionals do it.”
Sakura nodded, and a moment later, the two headed out of the room. They came through a maze of corridors and then finally into a large office that had a great view of the ocean beyond. Sakura didn’t know it, but it was Nicolas’s office when he came here to do business in Hawaii. Now it acted as a set for the photo shoot.
Nicolas was currently posing with Alaina and Tara. Both women wore expensive, sexy dresses, while Nicolas was wearing Mr. Tachibana’s sleek, powerful suit that fit his authoritative image perfectly as the CEO of Princeton Group.
The moment they stepped into the room, Sakura sucked in her breath. Holy crap! It was jam-packed. Apart from the important people, such as Mr. Tachibana, Ms. Ruka, the photographer, and the lighting and computer people, there was also Akira, Sosuke, and the Princeton brothers. All of them. And they were sitting so comfortably on chairs provided for them, too.
She had thought they’d either be waiting in their makeup room or, if their turn didn’t come until the afternoon, they’d be out and about, doing their own things, enjoying Hawaii and chillaxing. But no, here they were, their eyes glued to the whole episode as if they were watching a very entertaining blockbuster movie. She was sure if they’d had popcorn, it’d be perfect.
But really, what’s going on? Why are they here?
Then Sakura reasoned with herself that perhaps, like her, they were here to get some idea as to how the process of a fashion photo shoot went, and to see how the professionals did it, as Jane said earlier.
Acknowledging that was certainly the case, she breathed out a sigh of relief. Yes, they’d all be leaving once the first session was over, once they’d gotten some idea as to how things worked, and gained some tips from watching the professionals. Although, Nicolas wasn’t a professional model, was he? Alaina and Tara, however, were.
Sakura quietly came to stand beside Akira, who was looking more than a little pissed as she glared at Nicolas.
Nicolas, who at that moment was the sole subject of everyone’s attention, wasn’t even looking at the camera. His eyes were on Akira, a handsome smirk on his face.
Sakura wondered if he was mischievously flirting with Tara on purpose to make Akira angry.
“Good job, Nicolas. Good job, Tara, Alaina,” Jason, the photographer, said.
Mr. Tachibana rushed over and straightened Nicolas’s suit, while Ms. Ruka fussed over his hair. Then more shooting ensued.
Sakura watched, noting how relaxed Nicolas, Alaina, and Tara were, posing so professionally and effortlessly. Would she be able to do that, too?
For the next fifteen minutes, she silently watched, taking in every detail as to how both Alaina and Tara worked, and by the end of it, she had gained a few ideas.
“That’s it,” Jason said. “Well done.”
As Nicolas, Tara, and Alaina started moving away, Mr. Tachibana asked, “Akira darling, are you ready?”
With her eyes still on Nicolas, Akira said loudly, “Hai, Tachibana-sensei.”
The moment she answered, all eyes turned to her, including the Princeton brothers. And it was then they glimpsed Sakura hiding behind Akira.
Sakura had felt safe standing beside Akira, no one noticing her. When Akira moved and made her way to Nicolas by the desk, however, she felt exposed.
“Oh, my Lord,” Tristan said. “An angel.”
“Damned right,” Logan said, walking over to Sakura. And he wasn’t alone. Tristan, Hayden, and Conrad came along with him.
Sakura grinned nervously as they surrounded her, their eyes taking in her polished look in appreciation.
“Hey, guys,” she said in greeting.
Conrad said, “Wow! You look like a princess.”
Tristan nodded. “A very posh and innocent princess I just want to mess with.”
Hayden slapped Tristan on the shoulder. “Mind your words, stupid brother. She’s a princess today, so treat her like one.”
Tristan chuckled. “Sorry, darling princess sis,” he said.
Logan said, “Come on. Let’s get you a better view.”
He took her by the arm and led her toward where Sebastian was sitting. Of course, she found it hard to resist, since standing for the last fifteen minutes in the four-inch heels had already pained her feet, and she sorely wanted to sit.
“Move over, Seb,” Logan demanded the moment they arrived. “Princess Sakura has to have the best view.”
Sakura didn’t miss the fact that Sebastian was giving her a dashing smile and that his eyes lingered a little too long on her neck. Is he checking for the hickey? The blasted man! He had caused trouble for her on purpose.
Suddenly, her neck felt sensitive and her tummy fluttered deliciously.
She got a grip on herself and said, with a sarcastic smile on her face, “Yes, please move, Sebastian. This princess needs to have the best view.”
She wanted to taunt him for what he had done to her and found this was the only way to get back at him.
He graciously nodded and then got up from the seat. “There you go, princess,” he said. He even gave her a wink.
“What a flirt,” Tristan commented. Turning to Sakura, he said, “Please don’t be affected by that wink and dashing smile, princess. An angel like you shouldn’t get yourself dirty with the likes of that Seb.”
Sakura chuckled. “I won’t.” But as she sat down, she touched the side of her neck. Why, oh why was it feeling very sensitive today? Well, it was Sebastian’s fault of course.
Logan took the seat on her right, while Tristan sat on her left. Hayden and Conrad took the two empty seats to the left and right of Tristan and Logan respectively. Meanwhile, Sebastian went to stand beside Sosuke at the back.
Once she was settled, Sakura glanced around the room, looking for Darcy. She was pretty sure she had seen him sitting beside Sebastian when she’d entered the room some fifteen minutes before the brothers had noticed her presence. So, where is he now?
Currently, Mr. Tachibana and Jason were prepping Nicolas and Akira, briefing them on how they wanted the pair to pose, while Ms. Ruka was adjusting the last-minute details on Akira.