UnConventional Love

Part 8 - Jem

Photo credit:  Maria Archilla

https://www.pexels.com/@maria-archilla-232560

Left alone with Dom, Jem could feel the air crackling, her skin tingling from the back of her neck to her toes. Trying to calm her nerves, she walked towrds the table where Dom left the beer mugs, quite aware of his eyes on her.

"Thanks for bringing drinks," she said, picking up the mugs and walking towards Dom. Handing him one, she continued, "I should be the one taking care of you but here you are making sure I'm hydrated. Chin chin*."

"Or is that just an extra drink for me?" Dom replied with a silly grin on his face.

"You can wrestle me to the ground for this mug, but you won't win." Jem replied equably, smiling as she took a big long gulp of the beer and thankful of the refreshing coolness it brought to her throat. She saw the questioning look on Dom's face, but she just let it pass. There's no need to let him know she knows Krav Maga and Arnis.

"How long will you be on break for?" Dom was already halfway his own mug, he licked the froth from his upperlip but he did not quite get all of it, which Jem found awfully distracting.

Resisting the urge to look at the white mini bubbles on Dom's day old beard, she sat on the stool beside him and dragged the laptop a bit to face her. "I'm not exactly on a break. We've just finished selecting promotional photos for the event and I'm now uploading these onto the convention's website and Instagram," she replied, pausing a while to look at her watch and then deftly working on her laptop. "Maybe upload a few photos on my pages as well. 10 minutes tops before I head out there again to capture JC's grand finale."

"Who's JC?" Dom was already leaning his good elbow and arm on the table, placing his mug carefully away from Jem's laptop. "Surely you don't mean Jace?!"

"Not a Shadowhunter reference," briefly rolling her eyes at him. "He's the DJ." By now she's on her website, carefully clicking on the photos she preselected earlier. "He was the one who helped me put together the playlist you so thoroughly enjoyed during our shoot earlier."

"You guys work together often? With Erika's company? And on other projects?" Dom asked, his eyes following Jem's nimble work on the laptop screen.

"We spend a lot of time together since he's also a stylist." She was now posting a few convention photos on her instagram. "But he personally gets involved mostly for the playlist prep, which happens at home since we live together. So I guess that doesn't count as work?"

"And you don't think he would mind us hanging out together?" Dom was starting to stand up.

"Wait, what?" reflexively, Jem grabbed hold of Dom's wrist.

Just then, her laptop erupted into a chorus of pings and dings. They both stared at the increasing number of likes and shares on her instagram account. "Would you look at that, you guys sure are famous." She leaned in, letting go of Dom's wrist, and toggled the screens, "200 likes in just one minute, I've never had that much engagement this year.." She's now browsing the convention's Instagram account, "Let's see the comments.. Oh, they're looking for more Clace photos, Malec.. Domberto.."

She looked at him then, noticing his silence. "Not so interested or surprised about this, huh?"

Dom shook his head and looked at her straight in the eyes, "No. I'm more interested of your answer to my question."

"Oh!" Jem said in surprise, suddenly remembering what they have been talking about. "Gosh no! JC would be excited in fact! He'll grill me for hours about you if he knew we hung out. He has a big crush on you but don't tell his boyfriend!"

"He has a boyfriend?" Dom was now smiling, apparently amused.

"Yes. And he loves Malec with every fiber of his being," Jem was now finishing off her beer.

"Can I?" Dom asked softly, leaning towards her. She felt herself flush when Dom reached out, only to move her laptop closer to him. She can only nod in response.

He switched the screen back to her Instagram account and browsed through her photos. "Wait you're going way down. I have only uploaded a number of con photos.."

Dom interrupted, "I just want to see your other works.."

It has been 2 minutes since Dom started browsing through her works online. "So, what do you think?" Jem asked. She has already fetched a camera from her bag and was standing an arm's length from Dom.

"I love your editorial shots but not as much as the candid ones. You do have an eye for capturing emotions," he chuckled. "Even those of animals! Boy, would Daddario love these shots!" he mused, pointing at a photo of 2 funny looking canines.

"Would you mind if I take your photo?" Jem asked softly.

Dom turned to look at her and she was already clicking her camera. "The candid ones are also my favorite," she said, taking another one of him.

He can't help but smile, "Can I take a look at it, at least?"

"What, and let you drool on my camera over your pretty face? No way!" Leaning closer to him, "Besides," she whispered, "I wanted to immortalize you and your silly white foamy beard." She was wiping his mouth gently with a tissue.

Seeing his quirky smile she added, "It's on film, anyway." She quickly straightened up and leaned on the table again.

Dom looked thoughtfully at his mug, slowly twirling it using his good hand, "When will I get to see it?"

"Well, it takes me an hour to develop a roll. But I would have to finish off this one first," she said, tapping the vintage camera.

"We're leaving the day after tomorrow," Dom said, and Jem wondered what he meant to say.

"I can send it to your agent's address. I could easily scan it and DM it to you. But, where's the fun in that?" she said, shrugging her shoulder.

"Okay so you just made a promise," Dom said, carefully standing up. Jem was only as tall as Kat and Emeraude in heels.  Picking up his mug he said, "We'll seal it with a drink. But," he paused, noticing her empty mug, "you already finished off your beer."

She tiptoed up to him then, gently holding on to his good arm for support and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "I'm sealing it with a kiss then," she said smiling up at him.

—-

*Cheers