by P. G. Van
“Really? Ariya is riding in this measly little jeep?” Stefan wasn’t going to let an opportunity go to tease Ariya.
“Whatever, Stefan. Your star here said I needed to take pictures on our way there,” she grumbled.
“You were going to let her ride the equipment van?” Veer wasn’t pleased.
“It was her choice, and my buddy here is a big girl,” Stefan said turning to look at Ariya and Veer file into the back seat of the jeep.
“I’ve traveled longer distances in a van before.” Ariya started to feel the suffocation from being inside the jeep.
Veer tapped the back of her hand. “Can I hold your wrist?”
“Huh?”
He smiled and took her wrist between his thumb and index finger and applied slight pressure. “Breathe and relax.”
She relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath taking in his masculinity that still lingered in her bathroom. She shut her eyes and took in the calm of the forest and the peace from the greenery.
Veer applied pressure on the back of her wrist on both hands for a few minutes and then released her hands. He looked at her as she rested her head on the headrest of the seat, her eyes shut and a small smile playing on her lips. He wondered if she was feeling sick from the bug bite or something else. He wondered the reason for her to take the bus to the lodge the previous day when they had so many vehicles for transportation all paid for by the network.
“Ariya,” her name resonated in her ears as she opened her eyes to look into Veer’s deep eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, running the back of her hand over her eye. “That was a good power nap. I am ready to go.”
“Let’s go. We have a thirty-minute trek uphill.”
“Easy.” She smiled, gathering her backpack and followed Veer.
Ariya took pictures as the team worked out the logistics. She liked to capture candid pictures and took the pictures as Veer and Andy’s team discussed the details. She wished Veer would look at her so she could get one good, direct picture, but Veer was engrossed in the conversation. He walked around the area playing out the script he had in his mind and wasn’t satisfied until everything seemed to be as per his plan.
“What time do we start?” Andy asked.
“Six.”
“Six, it is then,” Stefan announced, and the team called it a wrap.
“I won’t have time to go to a salon tomorrow morning. Stefan, I want to get my hair cut tonight,” Veer stated and didn’t give anyone a choice.
Stefan nodded and looked at his assistant, Jerry. “Get the hairdresser to meet us at the lodge.”
“No, just have him keep the salon open until we get there.” Veer shook his head to shake out his hair from the pony.
“Andy…” Stefan started to say and stopped when he caught the look on Veer’s face.
“Andy is not going nor is his team… Ariya, you can go if you’d like to take pictures.”
Andy looked at Stefan and Ariya helplessly, but neither of them could say anything to Veer as he walked away from them.
“Ariya, talk to him,” Stefan whispered.
“Are you kidding me? What makes you think he’ll agree especially when he just said what he said.” Ariya shook her head.
“Ariya, he is upset with Andy because you got roped into the online drama. Go tell him you are not upset and that you want Andy at the salon.” Stefan wasn’t ready to take no for an answer.
“This is not what I signed up for, Stefan,” she whined and turned to follow Veer to the jeep.
“You go get him, girl,” Andy encouraged, and she laughed.
Chapter 6
Ariya walked over to where Veer stood by the jeep typing on his phone.
“Responding to your fans?” Her voice was soft, yet steady as she attempted to start a conversation she had no idea where it would lead.
“Yes, telling them that I wasn’t trying to kiss you and that you are not my girlfriend,” he growled without looking up from his phone.
“Why do you have to respond? You already posted a clarification video,” she asked, and that made him look up.
“I don’t need to, but I want to… do I need to send a message to your boyfriend?” His tone was casual.
“Sure, to my non-existent boyfriend.” She snorted.
“Good.” He sounded relieved. Relieved he didn’t have to clarify, or she didn’t have one who might punch him? There was no guy she had met who was as big as Veer. He had the lean structure of a fighter… a warrior.
“What is the big deal? It’s only a picture.” She tried to stay calm.
“It’s not the picture that pisses me off… it’s what he wanted out of it,” he growled looking in Andy’s direction.
“Andy is working for you, your image… you can’t be mad at him.”
“What? Wait, you don’t think it is wrong?” His eyes bore into hers, intrigue welling in them.
“I wish he had told me he was taking my picture… I probably would have given him a better pose.”
“Seriously?”
“Am I the only one who finds this ridiculous?”
“Unless… your girlfriend is offended. I can talk to her.”
“Talk to my non-existent girlfriend?” he taunted, a smile playing on his face.
“Okay, we have nothing to worry about. I don’t mind the picture at all… it was very playful.”
“Well… we did get a lot of hits on the profile, and that gave me a way to get the message out about the pilot episode of the series.” Veer ran his fingers through his long locks.
“You ready to cut your hair?”
“Yes. You and I can go in this vehicle with Jerry.” Veer pointed at the jeep.
“Veer, take Andy and his team. You can’t let your message be a silent one. If you want to inspire your followers, you need this to be part of the show.”
He let out a grunt. “Did Andy ask you to talk to me?”
She shook her head. “Stefan asked me, and I’m not saying this for the sake of it.”
“Andy…”
She held her hand up. “What’s the big deal with the picture if I have no problem being in the picture? Now. Stop with the tantrums and wave to Andy. We should go before it gets too dark.”
Veer looked at her for a long moment before speaking. “Bossy.”
“I’m not bossy, I just know what you should be doing.” She winked at him and turned to look at Andy.
Veer laughed and waved at Andy. “Let’s go, it’s getting late.”
*****
Almost two hours later, Ariya stood waiting for Andy to shoot Veer’s statement about why he grew his hair and who he was donating his hair to and the cause.
“I want you to get as much hair as you can… Give me a buzz cut if you need to…” Veer instructed, and that alarmed Andy.
“Veer, we can’t have you do your buzz cut… you need something new… a new hairstyle.”
“Andy, you are killing me.”
“Veer, Andy is right,” Stefan stated in a calm tone, a tone that got the message out to everyone on the crew, no matter their position on the team. The way Stefan operated was what made him a good producer in the television broadcasting industry.
Veer gave Stefan a long look in the mirror. “Fine, give me a regular cut… nothing overly fancy.”
“Something like this,” Andy showed the salon owner a style on his phone, and the young man smiled in agreement.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Stefan urged.
“Veer, I want to get your statement first.” Andy directed the cameraman, John, to stand right in front of Veer.
“All right. Ready.”
Veer took a deep breath and looked straight at the camera. “It’s been more than a year since I’ve cut my hair, and many of you have asked me when I was going to get my hair cut, and today is the day. I will be donating my hair to the local cancer foundation for children, and I strongly encourage you to show your support, in your own way to everyone fight
ing against cancer.”
Something about the way he spoke stirred deep inside Ariya. The so-called celebrity who looked perfect on camera, had a screen of moisture in his eyes as he spoke into the camera. She was moved by the sincerity in his voice and the depth of his emotion.
Ariya tried to stay out of the cameraman’s way as she took pictures of Veer. She wanted to capture the emotion in his eyes. She squatted by to the chair next to him and shot a picture of his face as the salon owner started to cut through his hair with his sharp scissors. She captured a picture of him with his eyes shut and managed to get another one when he opened his eyes in response to the sound of the camera click.
“Nice,” she whispered, and he smiled at her. The smile, for reasons she couldn’t explain, made her feel sensations deep inside her heart. She clicked the picture of him smiling, a film of saltwater in his eyes, his eyelashes bunched together, and his long, dark wavy hair creating a sheer veil on his proud face.
“Perfect,” Ariya said under her breath when she checked the picture on the camera’s display.
“When do I get to see my pictures?” Veer asked, his eyes lowered on her as she squatted next to his chair hoping to catch a picture of the first bunch of hair.
“Later tonight on your online profile.” She smiled, her face hidden behind the large camera.
The crew returned to the lodge, and Andy told Ariya there was one more segment he wanted for that night. The haircut reveal, as per Andy, needed his female fans swooning and talking about the show even before the previews were published.
Andy instructed Veer to call him once he is done showering so he could capture a ‘stepping out in a towel’ moment for the show. Veer’s expression made Ariya wonder if these were what rubbed him the wrong way, but he didn’t say anything and agreed to what Andy had planned.
Thirty minutes later, Ariya watched Andy and his team fuss about the angle from which they wanted to shoot Veer stepping out of the bathroom in his new hairstyle. Ariya tried to stay out of their way while being part of the conversation so she could capture her pictures at the same time.
Ariya looked online for any pictures of Veer in a towel, sporting his wide, bare chest, and she could not find any. She knew she had to make it count if it was going to be the first time. At that point, she knew why Andy was all excited about the shoot. She was about to exit out of his profile when she noticed the comments on the picture of her and Veer, looking like a cute couple.
Who is that? It better not be what it looks like… he is mine.
Oh no, one day away from here, and he is looking at a local?
One of Veer’s male followers had posted, ‘She is kinda cute,’ and the comment made her roll her eyes.
His followers were having conversations about her, wondering if she was a local from the small town and how they met. She smiled and looked at the comments on Veer's video post where he talked about the venomous bugs in the Amazon rainforest.
I would take any number of bites for him... he said he got the venom out... how?
Ariya felt a warmth creep up to her cheeks at the memory of his lips on her neck. She shook her head as if to distract her mind from the tingle she felt on her skin.
“Ready, here he comes,” Andy called out pulling Ariya out of her thoughts. She held her camera up, and when Veer stepped out of the bathroom, his hair was damp and pushed back, his eyelashes were thick and dark, his chiseled body on display with a sparkling white towel wrapped around his waist, and she began to snap her pictures.
Andy went to work with the video direction, and Ariya was thankful for the camera that covered her face, so her awed expression was hidden. He looked stunning, and there was no denying the admiration. Veer looked at her and held his eyes on her for a long moment before turning away.
“That’s enough, Andy. Get out so I can get dressed and sleep,” Veer called out.
Andy left the room, a happy man with what he was able to capture.
“See you tomorrow, Ariya,” Andy called out as she stepped into her room.
Ariya stepped into her room after taking Veer’s ‘Haircut Reveal’ pictures and all she could think about was a shower, even before eating anything. She rubbed her neck gently massaging the area under the warm water of the shower. She was tired but excited about the assignment and enjoyed working with Veer. He seemed nice, and she still couldn’t figure out why he didn’t get along with other photographers.
Ariya worked on posting the pictures she took that day, online with a small snippet about each picture. She was working on the first draft of her story when she heard a knock on the connecting door. She opened the door to find Veer smiling at her.
“Hello, neighbor.”
“Thank you!” His voice was soft.
“Have you seen the response online to the pictures you posted? The post is trending.” He looked happy.
“Good.” She was excited things were working out and was on the right track to gain new followers for Veer.
“I didn’t think you were up until I heard you type.” He chuckled.
“You can hear me type? Do I type so loudly?”
“I stuck my ear into the door.” He confessed sheepishly.
She laughed shaking her head. “I had fun today.”
“Are you doing okay? Does the bite hurt?”
She rubbed her neck slowly. “It doesn’t hurt that much.”
“May I?” he asked, gesturing he wanted to take a look at the wound.
“Yeah, sure.” She pushed her hair aside and turned her face away from him. He stepped closer, and she took in the musky, spicy smell of his soap. He smelled so good a tingle ran over her skin, and when he nuzzled her neck, she fisted her fingers into her palm, stopping herself from touching and digging her fingers into his flesh.
“You smell good.” His breath was warm on her skin.
She took a step back laughing. “So, no venom, right?”
He nodded, smiling.
“Good. I’m glad.”
“All right, you have a good night while I respond to my fans on your posts.” He turned away from her, and a question surfaced in her mind.
“Veer, how does it feel to know people have the admiration and some other feelings for you?” She questioned.
He turned, a smile playing on his lips. “Why do you ask?”
“I saw the comments… some of your fans were jealous… jealous of me because you were with me…”
He shrugged and smiled. “I can’t return the same feelings they have for me, but I appreciate their admiration.”
“And you are unaffected by the affection and admiration?” She asked intrigued by his response.
He took a deep breath. “It’s just like how you are unaffected by me being bare-chested in a towel or if I have to touch you to check on your bite.”
“That’s different…”
“Were you affected by me being in a towel while you took my pictures?” His question sent tremors through her because there was no denying the tingle she felt, but she smiled shaking her head.
“What I meant to ask was about the affection over a virtual space.”
“All I can say is I’m thankful for the love and enjoy the attention.” He sounded cocky in a cute way.
“Good night… meet me thirty minutes before Stefan’s debrief so we can plan the day,” she called out as he walked away. He nodded before closing the door on his side.
Veer was hot, and there was no denying it, and she wondered why she felt the tingles when she was around him when she didn’t have any feelings for him… or does she?
Chapter 7
Veer rolled out of bed and groaned feeling the ache in his muscles. His muscles felt stiff, and he made a mental note to go for a run later that day. He also had a tough time falling asleep, the night before. Something about Ariya’s dark eyes invaded his thoughts right up to the point he fell asleep. He could not push away the image of her looking at him, looking at him like she could see through his soul. He felt transpa
rent under her perusal.
He growled stretching his rock-solid muscles as he walked into the bathroom. The first time he laid eyes on her, he knew she was different from all the photographers he had worked with and was convinced she would understand him.
One day with her, and he couldn’t stop wondering what made her so different… memorable. Was it the way she looked at him or was it his ego complaining about her not being affected by his presence, not even his touch. She registered every bit of him for her work, but it surprised him that she was unaffected by his presence. He was used to women looking at him differently, not like how she looked at him.
Veer heard her muffled voice as he stepped out of the bathroom. Her voice was filled with excitement making him wonder if she was speaking to a special person… a boyfriend? She said she wasn’t in a relationship but, could she have said she didn’t have a boyfriend to keep her life private.
His body burned at the thought, and he raked his fingers through his damp hair in frustration. He shouldn’t care if she was available, but he couldn’t push his wild feeling of wanting to be with her, her spending time with him… only with him. It surprised him that he felt possessive about her.
“Hey, Doc. You ready to go?” Something stirred inside him when he heard her voice. He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist before opening the door, hoping she wouldn’t see the effect her voice was having on him.
Ariya stood in front of him, her damp hair caressing her cheeks, a casual t-shirt molding her curves and shorts that put her long legs on display. “You’re late.”
“Did you not sleep all night?” His eyes curiously roamed her face for any reaction to his body on display.
“I slept so well I woke up before my alarm went off. Are you planning to be in a towel the entire day?” she teased.
“You have a problem taking pictures of me like this?” He laughed, repeating what Andy said the previous night after his haircut.
