Black Sparkle Romance by AMARA NICOLE OKOLO Read Free Book Online Page A

grove. “What do coconut and palm trees have to do with our photo shoot?” she demanded.
    “Can’t you see it?” he asked. “This is perfect! Look how the trees were planted … like sculptures waiting to be used!” He leaned on a nearby coconut tree and she watched him with a sceptical raised eyebrow. “The model would lean here, her flowing gown caught in the wind. We won’t need all the studio fans to create that effect. I can see it already, unique and natural.”
    “I don’t know …”
    “The crew and I found it yesterday. It’s a lovely place, Mira, you can surely see that. It would be perfect for the cover shot; I mean, how many magazines have a beach on their cover? All we do is take pictures in studios, instead of using the streets and the nature of this city.” He looked at her, his eyes shining with anticipation, like a pirate who had just stumbled upon a cave with bountiful treasure. “Be an exception, Mira. Make this month’s edition of Black Sparkle something memorable. What do you say?”
    She gazed at the selected spot. She had to admit – it was magical. She could visualise Ifeoma Ogendu in a flowing blue chiffon Ankara gown, a smile on her dimpled cheeks. She imagined Ifeoma’s long, dark hair as the wind fluttered through her curls. Dominic was right – it would be spectacular. “What about Lauren? What if she dismisses the idea?” she asked.
    Without hesitating, he shook his head. “She’ll love the idea … I mean, look at this place! Come on.”
    “I’ll have to ask her first.” She noticed his shoulders slump with disappointment, so she cheered him up. “But well done for finding it, Dominic. It’s perfect.”
    He grinned. Mira frowned, her heart racing. “What?”
    “Hmm, that sounded nice – the whole commendation speech.” He winked at her. “You should consider running for Governor of Las gidi … you’ll make a good orator to the humble people of Lagos state.”
    She hit him playfully on the shoulder. “Shut up.”
    “Thanks for doing this, really,” he said as they retraced their steps. “It means a lot.” He said the last sentence with so much feeling Mira felt her heart jolt.
    Inadvertently her mouth curved into a genuine smile. “No problem … glad to help.”
    Dominic smiled at her. “Good. And please … it’s just Dominic … just as you called me a few seconds ago. Rufus said the “Mr” Dominic nametag makes me sound like a sex offender.”
    She threw her head back and laughed.

Six
    They began the photo shoot on Friday. It was a balmy morning, and Mira was buzzing with excitement as she drove down to Badagry for the second time that week. Dominic had suggested shooting on the beach at Coconut Island and at the Badagry market, and they decided to do a tour of the sites before the shoot. They started with the Point Of No Return, a historical site where people were taken from Nigeria and sold into slavery in the 18th century. The environment was solemn with the centuries-old monuments standing high and silent, but full of secrets and history, the palm trees surrounding the area bright shades of green as their branches swayed in the wind. Mira was spellbound by its beauty, and cried when she saw the slave houses. Ifeoma was more emotional – she sobbed inconsolably for 30 minutes and ruined two make-up sessions, much to the chagrin of Ajoke. During the photo shoot, Ifeoma begged Rufus to make funny faces and crack jokes, which put her in the mood to pose for the camera.
    At noon, they had an hour lunch break and Ifeoma disappeared to a resort for a massage. Rufus and Ajoke went for lunch, while Dominic suggested to Mira that they go for a walk. She agreed, delight tingling in her abdomen. Dressed in a green cotton summer dress, a white jacket and sandals, she was ready for the beach thistime. But at intervals she caught herself tiptoeing on the sand, her eyes peeled for any arachnids or crustaceans, dead or alive. They stopped at a small seaside