“Usually,” I said, dropping my knapsack. “Bonnie,” I said gently, “No offense, but are you nervous about this shoot?”
She nodded, flashing a guilty smile. “Yes. Quite. I need a photo to send to my relatives in England, and they always expect perfection.” Amber was whining and crying, pulling at her light blue dress as if she were truly miserable.
“May I?” I asked.
Bonnie nodded, and I picked up the baby, instantly rocking her while walking around the room. “She’s picking up your nerves,” I said. “Why don’t you go take a breath, and I’ll settle her down.”
“Thank you,” she said, seeming relieved. She went down the hall to what seemed to be a small washroom, and I noticed Ben was giving me a strange look.
He cocked his head, and his gaze softened, staring at me with the baby in my arms. “You’re amazing.”
I took Amber to the window, placing her chin up on my shoulder so that she could watch cars going by outside while I rubbed her back. I began to hum, still rocking her from side to side. She stopped fussing and zoned out completely as she stared at the moving objects.
“How did you do that?” Ben whispered.
“Sometimes they stop crying if they can’t hear themselves,” I murmured, humming softly right beside Amber’s ear.
In a few moments, Bonnie sat back down, looking much calmer. She absolutely grinned when she saw that Amber was quiet. I rocked her all the way to her mom’s lap, arranged her dress, then jumped back while wiggling my fingers so she would follow the movement. She giggled, making Bonnie smile as Ben clicked wildly.
It was amazing watching him work. His fingers moved so quickly any time he made an adjustment, it was like second nature.
Still wiggling my fingers at Amber, I stepped closer to Ben so that she was looking toward the lens. His hand darted out, grabbing me by the wrist and holding it higher. Amber followed the movement and giggled again. That must have been funny to Bonnie, as she burst into a beautiful peal of laughter.
That was definitely the shot.
“Ladies, we have a winner,” Ben said. “Bonnie, there are at least ten shots that I know you’ll love. I’ll do the editing in the morning and you should have them by end of day tomorrow.”
“Thank you both so much,” Bonnie said. She bundl
ed Amber into her stroller, while Ben put away his equipment, and I waved goodbye, watching tiny chubby fingers try to wave back.
Ben took my hand and pulled me down beside him on the couch. “How did you know how to do that?”
I shrugged. “I read it somewhere. I didn’t know if it would actually work, but it makes sense that if Bonnie was nervous, her baby would be stressed out too. I figured it couldn’t hurt to pretend I knew exactly what I was doing to make them both relax.”
Ben squeezed my hand. “Your timing was perfect,” he said. He almost looked nervous as he said, “I liked seeing you with a baby. You were so natural and sweet with her. Do you want kids someday?”
I nodded, feeling incredibly close to him. “Yes. Only one or two. And not until I’m at least twenty-seven-ish. What about you?”
His smile was so warm. “I’d like two. But not for a while. I know a lot of fathers put their work ahead of their kids, but I want to be able to slow down and really be there for them as much as possible.”
Ben got up suddenly, locking the front door, and pulling the curtain above the couch closed. “What are you doing?” I asked.
He sat back down beside me, taking my hands in his. “Chelsea, sweetheart, I know you’ve been nervous, but I’d like to know where your head is now that you’ve had a little time to process things. I’d really like you to be both my assistant and my girlfriend. What do you think?”
I nodded slowly.
“Not good enough, baby. I need to hear you say it.”
I loved the way he always made me laugh. “Ben, I would like to officially be your girlfriend, and your assistant.”
“How do you feel about your new boss taking advantage of you right here at work?”
I answered by reaching out and pulling off his t-shirt. “Only after hours when that door is locked.”
“Whatever you say, baby.” He kissed me softly, then smiled. “Sweetheart, I want you to know that you can make all of the rules you want. I know I’m your first boyfriend, and this is your first real job. So if there are any lines you don’t want crossed, or anything that will make it easier for you, just tell me.”
I pressed my lips together so they wouldn’t tremble. “Thank you.” He was so thoughtful, and I realized how incredibly lucky I was.