Chapter Text
The brightness burned as Therese stepped off the seaplane. It was like turning on the bedside lamp in the middle of the night, such a sudden change that she hung back a moment, needing to let her eyes adjust. She squinted into the light, raising a hand to her brow. And when she opened her eyes fully, all she saw was blue. The vast sky that stretched uninterrupted by chemtrails and clouds, the calm ocean, still as a pond, with its surface sparkling in the sunlight, like glitter spilled over a glass table. Blue, cut in half by a splash of green, a thick forest of palm trees, and white, the long beach with sand like sugar.
This was worlds away from what she'd left behind 18 hours ago. The dreary November afternoon in New York, grey and brown concrete looking as dull as ever beneath overcast skies. She couldn't compare it to Qatar either; her stop there had been uneventful, with only 40 minutes to dash for her connecting flight. She'd transited through the airport in Doha many times, but still never even stepped outside.
No, here and now was another world entirely. The Maldives was unlike anywhere else on Earth. It was a contradiction in itself. Of course, it was a natural oasis, unspoiled by human activity, by industry and pollution. But there was something so artificial about that too. A scattering of private islands with no purpose other than to serve as a retreat for rich vacationers seeking a slice of paradise, totally removed from the rest of the world and all its many problems. Picture perfect. A temporary break from reality.
Not for Therese, though. She was here to work. This was her third time in the Maldives, though she'd never been to this particular resort. It was her job that brought her to these luxurious places. If it wasn't for work, she'd probably have never even left the US, and she knew her friends back there could only dream of some of the places she'd seen. None of them would ever be able to afford to stay somewhere like this. It was a thought that lingered in the back of her mind, and while it sometimes made her resentful of these lavish resorts and the glamorous people who frequented them, she'd learned by now to push those feelings aside.
She almost wobbled as her feet hit the tarmac. It seemed supporting her own body weight was a struggle after the hours she'd spent cooped up with too little legroom. Therese wasn't a particularly tall person, but even she felt cramped in economy class, especially riding in the seaplane. After a moment though, as she began to follow the other passengers down the runway towards main reception, the stretch in her legs felt good, the relief of finally moving her body again after a whole day of sitting down.
She carried only her backpack, slung over one shoulder. Her luggage would be delivered to her room in the next hour, she assumed. She'd be there eagerly awaiting it, wanting nothing more than to slip into her bathing suit and take a refreshing dip in the pool. That is, if she didn't fall asleep first. It was only midday, but with this much jet lag, time was almost meaningless.
'Therese!'
She snapped to attention suddenly, seeking the source of the shout.
'Therese!' the voice called again. Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she could finally see who was shouting. A young South Asian woman with long black hair that trailed down her back in a thick French braid was smiling and waving at her.
'Therese!' she greeted her excitedly as she approached. 'I'm Uma. We spoke on the phone'.
Therese grinned as she realised who she was meeting. Uma worked on the concierge desk at the resort, and she'd been in contact ever since Therese had been booked for the new brochure photoshoots, making sure everything was set up for her arrival, including her accommodation. This particular resort was being exceptionally kind to her, arranging a two-week stay, free of charge. It was more time than she needed to get her work done, but they were insistent. And who was she to refuse?
She and Uma had spoken often on the phone the past few weeks, so much so that Therese already felt she had found a friend on the island before she'd even arrived. Uma was her own age and was born and raised in India, though she'd spent some years living with an aunt in Australia before moving to the Maldives. Her dark brown eyes were rich like chocolate, and her smile so brilliant that it might inspire joy in even the most miserable of people.
'Hey, it's good to finally meet you in person!' Therese exclaimed.
'I know, I'm so glad you're here!' Uma agreed, linking an arm through Therese's and falling into step beside her. 'How was your journey?'
'Long'.
'But comfortable?'
Therese shrugged. 'As comfortable as it can be', she said vaguely, thinking about the bumpy flight in that rickety seaplane.
Uma nodded, apparently reading her mind. 'I understand. I always take the speedboat instead. Anyway, are you hungry?'
'A little. Tired, mostly'.
'Ah. I hoped you wouldn't say that'.
Therese frowned at her. 'Why?'
'Well, I was hoping to ask you a favour', Uma replied, the faintest trace of guilt in her voice. Whatever it was she was about to ask, Therese assumed she'd been put up to it by someone else.
'Okay . . .'
'There's a wedding, this afternoon. VIP clients, staying in the Presidential Villa. They've got all the family here'.
'And?'
'The photographer called this morning. He's sick'.
'Ah', Therese realised. They want me to fill in.
'Would you cover it?' Uma asked hopefully. 'I know you wanted to get settled, but . . .'
Therese shrugged awkwardly. 'I'm really not much of a wedding photographer, Uma'.
'I know. But we don't have another option'.
Therese looked at her, saw her dark eyes wide with pleading, and knew instantly that if she said no, she wouldn't be able to enjoy that relaxing afternoon she'd planned. She'd spend hours sipping cocktails by her private pool and mulling over what a horrible person she was for choosing that over helping a friend in need.
'Then I'll do it', she decided.
Uma let out a sigh of relief. 'Thank you, Therese', she said earnestly.
'That's alright'.
'I'll make it up to you, I promise'.
Therese smiled. 'You don't have to. So, who's the couple?'
The Presidential Villa was tucked away at the very tip of the island, the only one of its kind in the resort. The front entrance was accessible from the main path, but the house sprawled out at the back, it's private pool and terrace shrouded by the lush green foliage.
It was very different from Therese's own accommodation. For starters, it sat with its foundations firmly in the ground, where Therese's was suspended over the shallows on stilts. She was staying in one of the water villas on the opposite side of the resort. There were around 35 of them in total, clustered in smaller groups and connected by wooden jetties that ran along various parts of the island or curved out into crystal clear ocean. Therese's was on the far end of the longest jetty, almost as far out as she could be before turquoise dropped off into deep blue. To the right of the front door was an enormous bedroom with a high domed ceiling, and to the left a bright and airy bathroom with a walk-in shower. Outside was a curved terrace with a small swimming pool, and a set of wooden steps that led down to a lower terrace with a table and two chairs sitting just above sea level. The little home was completely gorgeous, but, as with the other villas she'd stayed in before, it was far too big for one, and it made Therese feel both very uncomfortable and very alone. She sometimes wondered if the hotels she stayed in expected her to bring a partner while she travelled. Everything was always set up for two, like they were so used to hosting romantic getaways that they'd simply forgotten Therese was there to work. It didn't bother her, honestly. It only served to remind her how totally single she was.
As soon as she'd let herself into her villa, she set an alarm and crashed out on the bed for a 20 minute power nap, though she spent almost all of that time willing sleep to take her and getting annoyed when it wouldn't. She was disturbed anyway by a knock at the door, her luggage delivered to her from the back of a van no bigger than a golf buggy. Therese was just glad it had arrived so quickly.
She then took a quick shower and changed into something a little more professional. She put on a pair of smart camel-coloured dress pants with a brown leather belt, and a silky cream tank top with a couple of thin gold chains layered around her neck. Her chocolate brown hair fell in gentle waves just past her shoulders. She wore tiny gold hoops in her ears and rings on her fingers that made a satisfying click when they bumped against her camera.
And, suddenly, she found herself standing outside the Presidential Villa, gazing up at the majestic two-storey house as the sun beat down on her bare shoulders, with only her key in her pocket and her camera hanging on its strap around her neck. It hadn't been difficult to find, just one long walk all the way along the jetty and along the main path, past the tennis courts and the spa and a handful of restaurants.
Without thinking about it too much, she went and knocked on the glassy front door. Noise kept erupting from one side of the house, and then the other, and Therese wondered whether anyone would hear her. But, as she raised her hand to knock again, she was greeted by a smiling woman in a powder blue chiffon dress and fiery red hair worn in a neat pixie crop.
'Hi', she grinned as she opened the door. 'You must be Therese? I'm Zelda, I'm Fern's sister'.
She extended a pale, manicured hand to Therese.
'Hi', Therese smiled back at her, shaking her hand. 'It's nice to meet you'.
Zelda stood back and opened the door a little wider. 'Please, come in'.
Therese did as she asked, stepping into a bright, elegant foyer that revealed the large swimming pool out back, and the private beach just beyond that. There were chairs set up in rows in the sand, and an arch entwined with a vine of white gardenias, framed by the glittering blue of the ocean. So that's where the ceremony is happening, Therese noted.
To her right, through an open set of double doors, was an open lounge and bar area, where five men in crisp white shirts and navy trousers were each enjoying a glass of bourbon. The identical double doors to her left were closed, perhaps leading to a bedroom or two, she thought. Above her, the stairs wound upwards to an open corridor, with entrances leading off to each side.
Zelda started for the stairs, and gestured for Therese to follow her, sandals slapping against the tiled floor.
'This place is beautiful', Therese commented, watching how the reflection on the swimming pool painted the white walls with dancing golden light.
'I know, isn't it?' Zelda exclaimed. 'Could house half the wedding party if they didn't all want their own villas!'
'How many guests are here?'
'Around 45. That's a very small party, for Fern'.
Therese smirked. 'I wouldn't call that small'.
'No', Zelda agreed. 'But that's my sister, and my sister-in-law. Social butterflies'.
They stopped suddenly outside a closed door about half-way down the right-hand corridor. Zelda turned around to face her.
'Fern isn't dressed yet', she explained, 'so I'm gonna leave you with Abby, okay?'
Abby. The other bride.
'Sure', Therese nodded.
'She's just through this door. I haven't seen her yet, but she's expecting you'. Zelda reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. 'I'll see you later!' Then she spun on her heel and hurried off, back out into the hall.
'Thanks, I'll see you later', Therese called out after her, her voice trailing off as she watched her disappear down the stairs, leaving her alone in the corridor. Alone, in a strange house, on a strange island, in a strange country. Therese's stomach flipped.
Well, I'm here now, she told herself determinedly, hoping a strong inner voice might convince herself that she was feeling confident. That wasn't true at all. Therese was always shy around new people, especially since she'd had such little time to mentally prepare herself for this meeting. Just two hours ago she had no idea this was how her day would turn out, and suddenly she was standing outside the door of someone she'd never met, ready to shove a camera in her face as she recited her vows to the woman she loved. There was something so obscene about it, Therese thought. An intrusion on such an intimate moment, on such an important day.
Still, this was just what wedding photographers did, and, since that was her title for the afternoon, she figured she might as well get used to it.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
'Come in!' a voice called from inside.
Therese pushed on the handle gently. 'Hello?'
The door opened into a bedroom not unlike her own back in the water villa; a king-sized bed, a coffee table and chairs, a chest of drawers with a small television fixed above it, sliding doors that led out onto a spacious balcony. Therese looked to the other side of the room. Sitting at the dressing table, with a glass of champagne in her hand, was Abby Gerhard. And on the bed, a woman with long, sprawling black hair that cascaded down her back, wearing the same powder blue dress as Zelda.
Abby put down her glass and stood up. 'Are you Therese?' she asked hopefully.
Therese smiled. 'That's me'.
Abby clasped her hands together with glee. 'Oh thank God, you're here!' she exclaimed, rushing over to throw her arms around Therese as if she were embracing an old friend after a long time apart. 'I didn't know if you'd come, it was so last minute!'
Therese laughed awkwardly, hugging her back. 'It's okay, I'm happy to help', she said politely. 'Though I must say, I'm not exactly experienced in wedding photography-'
'Doesn't matter', Abby promised, releasing her from her grasp. 'You'll do just fine'.
'Well, I'm glad you think so. You look beautiful'.
Therese knew that was what you were supposed to say to a bride on her wedding day, but she really meant it. Abby was stunning. Her wedding dress was sleeveless and fitted to her slim figure, with a heart-shaped neckline and a layer of lace embroidery over the white silk underneath. Her make-up was minimal, showing off her naturally glowing skin, and her mousy brown hair was styled in simple loose waves. A dainty flower crown was placed delicately on her head, adorned with little white gardenias, like the ones on the arch on the beach. Therese appreciated the eye for detail.
Abby smiled bashfully. 'Thank you, honey'. Then, as if she had just remembered, she gestured behind her, to where the other woman was still sitting on the bed, watching the meeting in front of her without attempting to get involved. 'This is my best friend, Genevieve, she's one of the bridesmaids'.
Therese nodded at her in greeting. 'Nice to meet you'.
Genevieve just stared at her, unblinking, trapping her with wide, icy blue eyes that sent a shiver down Therese's spine as she looked into them. She was beautiful too, but she was nothing like Abby. Where Abby put her at ease, Genevieve seemed to take delight in seeing Therese uncomfortable, her full lips turning up at the corners in a smug grin.
'Where do you come from, baby?' she asked in a cut-glass English accent. What would have sounded like small talk to anyone else sounded like an interrogation, coming from Genevieve. Therese squirmed under her gaze, feeling as though a huge spotlight had been cast down upon her.
'New York', she answered, struggling to keep her voice even.
'Us too!' Abby chipped in. 'I mean, now at least. Gen's from London, originally'.
'I can tell', Therese remarked.
'Now we both live in Tribeca. What about you?'
'I'm in the East Village, when I'm home'.
'You must travel a lot!'
'Yeah, I have -'
'Abby, you really need to talk to - oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?'
Therese turned back, startled by the low, velvety voice behind her. There was another bridesmaid standing in the doorway. That much was clear from the same powder blue dress she wore. But this woman was different too, not like Genevieve, or like Zelda. She was taller, slim and statuesque. Her elegantly curled golden hair was short, just grazing the tops of her bare shoulders, and her flawless skin was radiant despite its pale shade. Blue-grey eyes looked Therese up and down, but they sparkled with curiosity, not condescension. And as the woman noticed her looking back at her, she smiled, and Therese had to remind herself to keep breathing.
As if I haven't been surrounded by enough beautiful women today, Therese thought, she might just be the death of me.
'Not at all', Abby said nonchalantly. 'Therese, this is my other best friend, Carol'.
'Carol', Therese repeated under her breath. It sounded wondrous on her own tongue, like learning a new word in a language she didn't speak. A language she'd like to learn.
'Therese', Carol confirmed. 'Not Theresa?'
'No. Just Therese'.
'I like it'.
Therese felt her face grow warm. 'Thanks'.
'Crap, I left my earrings in the other bedroom!' Abby exclaimed, waking Therese from her daydream state with an unpleasant jolt.
'Want me to go get them?' Carol offered.
'It's fine, I'll go. And Gen, will you go tell Fern that we have a photographer?'
Gen gave a theatrical sigh, like a sullen teenager being scolded by their mother. 'Yes, boss, whatever you say, boss', she said snarkily, before flouncing out of the room. Abby followed her, bickering voices echoing down the hall until they faded out completely.
'You're really doing her a favour, you know', Carol said, filling the silence her friends had left behind before Therese had time to contemplate being alone with her. 'She's thought of everything for this wedding. Every tiny little detail accounted for. I should know, I planned it all'.
Therese shrugged. 'Last minute emergencies happen'.
Carol shook her head. 'Not with Abby, they don't'.
'That kind of bride, huh?'
'Yep. It's been a long year. I'll be relieved when it's all over, to be honest. Of course, the wedding today is just symbolic, they'll make it official when we all get back to New York. Same-sex marriage isn't legal in the Maldives. In fact, even same-sex relationships are illegal outside the tourist resorts'.
Therese nodded. 'Right'. She couldn't think of anything else to say about that. All she knew was that she felt a little twinge in her heart whenever she was reminded of the discrimination people like Abby still faced around the world. People like Therese herself still faced.
'Still, it's what Abby wanted', Carol continued. 'A big extravagant wedding in paradise. I knew what I was in for as soon as Fern proposed. Have you met Fern yet?'
'No'.
'She's a little more laid-back. But, be warned, Abby will kill you if these pictures don't turn out well'.
'Oh', Therese said flatly. 'Thanks for the heads-up'.
Carol laughed, a sound so lovely that Therese couldn't help but feel lighter, just hearing it. 'Don't worry', Carol assured her. 'I have every faith in you'.
Therese smiled, her heart swelling in her chest. As easily as that, she knew she'd be okay.