Emily's POV
Our next stop for the day is this set of blocks in the Bronx. Street after street, beautiful murals and intricate graffiti tags cover the brick walls. We stop and take pictures in front of my favorites. Alison's playing rap music to help me get in the "mood of a pretty young thug" as she calls it. Only this girl could make me bust out laughing like this. A couple of kids playing in the street approach us and ask us what we are doing. Ali and I explain that we're just having fun taking pictures. This one little boy, probably around ten years old, asks if I want to play basketball with them.
"You're tall" he says. "You can help us win".
Of course I couldn't resist these little cuties so I decide to play along for a bit. I'm having the best time laughing, playing, and being goofy with these kids. I look over on occasion and see Ali standing on the sidelines laughing and snapping a few pictures.
"Alright guys, I should head out. But thanks for letting me play with you guys. I had a lot of fun" I say giving them all high fives.
The same little boy that asked me to play replies, "Hey, before you go, lemme get your number pretty young thang".
I couldn't help but laugh. I bend down to his level and say, "While I'm flattered, you see that beauty over there? I'm with her".
His eyes widened and he says, "Well dang. It was worth a shot though".
"Sorry little man. Your queen will come one day" I say standing up again and waving goodbye.
Next up, we head to Manhattan for a "fragrant surprise" as she describes it. I'm pretty sure we're going to the big, extensive garden with hundreds of types of butterflies. Sure enough, I was right.
"Oh I've never been here before. I've always wanted to though" I say taking her hand and walking inside. This place is seriously beautiful and smells amazing. Ali and I just casually walk around and explore the garden while I occasionally stop to strike a pose.
"Wait. Don't move" Ali says suddenly. "A butterfly is flying close to your face. Maybe it will land on you".
Before she could finish the sentence, a large Monarch butterfly lands on my cheek causing Alison to snap photos left and right.
"What are you? A butterfly whisper?" I say laughing.
"I have many hidden talents" she replies jokingly.
For the rest of the day, Alison takes me to the zoo, the aquarium, a chocolate factory, lunch at a little Italian restaurant, and the waterfront just across the Statue of Liberty. I'm seriously having the best day with her. The thing I'm noticing most of all is just how comfortable I am with her behind the camera. I've never been this relaxed with another photographer. She's made this day so relaxing and effortless with her quick, spunky humor and her perfect timing with capturing moments. I can't wait to see how all of these photos have turned out.
"Ready to head back to my place" Ali asks while taking my hand. "I think I have everything I need".
"Sounds great" I reply happily. We walk towards the subway station to head back to her place. Once at the station, we wait for the subway and I take this moment to share with her how I'm feeling in the moment. "Ali, I just really want to say thank you for today. This was such a fun idea and you've really made me feel even more comfortable with you. And... I don't know. I'm just really happy right now" I say as I begin to blush.
Stepping closer to me, Ali replies smiling, "I'm so happy you had fun today. I did too. It's been awhile since I've stared through the lens of a camera and it felt right to see you on the other end of it".
A huge smile escapes my lips and I feel an intense urge to kiss her, even in front of all of these people waiting for the subway. The moment is just too perfect to pass up, so I give in to my desires and kiss her. Then the all too familiar lashes of light and snapping noises can be heard not too far from us. We brake the kiss just in time to brace ourselves for the onslaught of paparazzi rushing towards us, throwing questions at us left and right. "Emily! Emily! Look over here! Is this your new girlfriend? Can you tell us your name? Can you make it all official for us? How long have you two been together? How did you meet? Is she just another toy for you to play with? Come on, give us the scoop" they yell at us.
I protectively step in front of Ali, shielding her from their onslaught and invasion of privacy. I can feel the anger building inside of me with every flash and every question.
"No comment. Please go away. You got your picture, now go collect your money" I say forcefully. But this only brings them closer to us and I can feel them closing in on us. God where is the subway when you need it? I can feel Ali nervously holding my hand behind me, trying to hide her face from their intrusive cameras. The paparazzi are beginning to be too much to handle and I'm beginning to consider having us run away. I turn my head and see that she's starting to cry while she stands behind shaking in fear. I get ready to tell her to run when all of the sudden, a random young woman and two big guys shield us from the paparazzi.
"Leave, now before I shove that camera down your throat" yells one of the men angrily.
"Yea you heard what he said. Leave! You got your precious picture. Leave these poor women alone. They aren't bothering anyone" yelled the other man as he begins to threateningly walk towards the paparazzi.
This seems to do the trick cause they begin to disperse and leave the subway station.
Turning her focus to us, the young woman says "Are you guys okay? I'm sorry they did that to you. That was just awful".
Both of the men join in and say, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand their rudeness anymore and had to step in".
"I agree. That was uncalled for. You were just minding your own business. They had no right to corner you like that".
"Thanks guys. We really appreciate it. You have no idea how much that meant to us" I say while holding Ali close to me and rubbing her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
The two men say goodbye and the young woman turns her focus to us once more. She takes a deep breath and says, "If you don't mind me saying this before I leave y'all alone, I just think you two are adorable. Emily, I've seen how awful they are to you in the press lately and I think it's just horrible. Promise me that you guys won't let the media get in the way of the success of your relationship. It's very evident that you two are perfect for each other and you seem incredibly happy. Don't ever forget that. And Emily, just know that you have fans out there that wish you nothing but endless success and happiness".
I let go of Alison and give her a huge hug. "Thank you so much. You're so sweet. We promise that we'll always focus on just us and tune out what anyone else thinks about us" I say as I pull Ali close again.
The young woman says goodbye and Alison and I get on the trail in total silence. The ride back to her place and the walk to her apartment is silent as well. Once inside, Alison immediately puts her things down and goes to sit on the couch. In that moment, I feel horrible for her. I can't even imagine what that was like for her. That was one of the worst paparazzi invasions I've ever experienced. I quietly walk towards the couch, sit next to Ali, face her, and wait for her to talk to me.
"Ali, do you want to talk about it?" I ask reaching out for her hands.
"I... I just felt so overwhelmed. One minute, we are completely happy in our own little world, just kissing and minding our own business. The next minute, we're being swarmed by those monsters. God Em that was awful" she says as she begins to cry again. "I just panicked and froze in total fear behind you. Thank God those kind people stepped in" she said as she wiped her tears off her cheeks.
"Baby I know and I'm so sorry. I wanted to be able to protect you, but I failed" I say as I begin to feel tears streaming down my cheeks.
"No no Emily don't say that! You instantly stepped in front and tried to shield me from them. You did your best to get them to go away but there were just too many of them" Ali replies while wiping my tears off my cheeks.
"I just never want you to feel like I can't protect you and come through when you need me the most" I say looking down and feeling completely ashamed.
"Emily please don't talk like that. I don't doubt your ability to be there for me and to protect me. That's never going to change. I know you'll always have my back. That was just the first time I'd experienced that and it really overwhelmed me. I'm sure the next time I'll be able to handle it a little better" she says with a small laugh.
"Here. Let's not talk about this anymore. I don't want to give them any power over us and our happiness. Let's look at the pictures from today" she says as she starts to upload them to her computer.
Once they upload, I scoot closer to Alison on the couch as she begins to flip through the pictures.
"Oh I like that one. Oh that one's hilarious, aww that one's cute" I say as she continues to flip through them.
"You know, you really have an eye for this Ali. You've got real talent" I say as I nudge her shoulder.
Smiling wide she replies, "Thanks Em. You're really easy to photograph. You're a natural in front of the camera. You made my job easy".
Reaching for her hand I say, "The thing that I want to thank you for the most is how you made me feel today. You made me feel special and like I could just be me in front of the camera. I didn't have to portray some character, some theme, whatever. I could just be me. Ali, you brought out the best in me today and I can't thank you enough for that. You made me feel truly beautiful with just the real me showing".
"That makes me so happy to hear" she says smiling sweetly at me. "I just wanted you to see that you are so much more than the expensive clothes and the extravagant photoshoots you do. The natural, everyday you is far more beautiful than I think you know. Sometimes I think you don't realize how beautiful you are not only on the outside, but more importantly on the inside. I wanted to capture those moments so you'd be able to remember them forever. I just hope you never lose that special feeling. And I hope you can see how much you mean to me in just the short amount of time we've been together".
Without saying anything, I pull her in and give her a long, passionate kiss. I hope she can feel how much she means to me. Pulling away for air, I finally say, "Ali I need you in my life. Life is just better with you in it".
A genuine, happy smile forms on her face and she pulls me in again for another kiss.
"I'm going to take a shower. Feel free to post your favorite picture from today and have anything you'd like to eat or drink. And of course you can take a shower later if you'd like. I'm not letting you go tonight. You're stuck with me" she says winking at me as she heads for the other room.
I instantly know which picture I'm going to post. It's my favorite from the day. Once on Instagram, I upload the first picture she took of me watching the sunrise followed by the caption, "Taking in a special moment with the one I hold dear to my heart".