Lights Camera Action

By Allyson M. Deese

The heat Janiyah Wade feels when she's under the bright lights during her photo shoots, is nothing compared to the heat she and her husband, Gun feel when their blessed union is exposed for all of the western regions of North Carolina to see. Can she reclaim her rightful place in the spotlight and keep her man too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allyson Deese
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393612155

Book preview

Chapter One

Flash, flash, flash.

Janiyah worked to time the blinks of her eyelashes by Angel Eyes, so that the sharp beams emitting from the photographer’s Cannon T5i DSLR camera wouldn’t blind her. She wanted to rub her eyes in an effort to deal with the burgeoning headache that seemed to get bigger by the second, as Cardi B’s Money blared in the background.  Janiyah wanted to stop for an ibuprofen but decided against it. The photo shoot wasn’t supposed to last for another fifteen minutes and she felt she could hold out until then. Her arm was getting tired of holding onto her hip. And the four-inch red bottoms were working a number on her spine, legs and feet.

And this big girl wanted a break.

Good Janiyah, keep up the pose! The photographer shouted over the noise and the huge fan being blown. Her hair had taken flight and moved as if it was going to fly off her head.

Why don’t you strike a pose? Janiyah wanted to ask, but she kept quiet. Her focus was on making sure she didn’t break a sweat. She could still smell the Rogue Love by Rhianna lotion that she wore, and her deodorant was keeping her secret under her arms, well. With all of the heat in such a small space, she didn’t want it to give out and have to take a break to freshen up.

Janiyah found it funny that most of the people behind the camera couldn’t do poetry with her body the way she could, yet, they were able to command her like a drill sergeant giving orders to a private.

Okay, to the left. Her photographer directed with both a verbal and a visual cue.

Another order. Janiyah quickly followed the and got in to position.

Flash, flash, flash.

The phone, power, car note and other bills she worked with her husband to pay depended on her ability to keep composure and her mouth shut. And her temper in check.

She couldn’t remember the photographer’s name at the moment. In Janiyah’s opinion, the photographer was inexperienced as he continued to rush the shots. As the man would ask her to get into this position or that pose, he’d be snapping random shots. The flash was on too bright and in her opinion, he could’ve turned some of the lights off.

Still, Janiyah continued smiling and posing, working diligently to follow the nonverbal cues the photographer continued to give her.

We’re almost done. The photographer encouraged and gave a visual prompt to turn around.

That was the nicest he’d been to her throughout the shoot. Janiyah felt herself start to tremble as she felt her heel starting to sink to the floor. She wanted to look down to see if it were broken but she didn’t dare break her stride.

A couple of more pictures. Maybe we can get some of you and the Reverend before the day is over. The photographer suggested.

They’d been at this shoot for four hours and after fifteen outfit changes, she’d forgotten his name. All she remembered was that they were shooting for a magazine that catered to full-figured career women. Janiyah couldn’t remember which one. She did remember that she’d collect a check after the shoot and that the magazine agreed to highlight women of faith.

Full-figured women of faith that is. Single ministers and power couples who were moving up and pushing fame and faith to their limits.

Janiyah looked at Reverend Gun Wade. The appeal of another photo shoot with one of the most popular and well-respected pastors in the country brought a smile to her face. 

And that’s when his name hit her. Cable...John Cable but he preferred to go by his last name. The man was surprisingly thick, not rotund, but Cable had a little stomach pouch that a few crunches, sit-ups and trips to the gym and a small diet could cure. His arms were rippled like a man who spent hours lifting weights daily, which Janiyah found complimented his square face.

Cable pointed his finger at Gun and pointed for him to join Janiyah in front of the camera. Janiyah shook her head at his unprofessionalism. She glared at Cable as he switched on Toni Braxton’s sensual classic, How Many Ways, and as her husband walked closer, she silently swooned, wanting Cable to go away and to make love to Gun right then and there.  

Pointing, then directing was not the way one asked for something to be done. Janiyah took note of that as the heat continued to rise and she noticed her foundation breaking and starting to sweat on her cheek and jawbone. Every woman in America fantasizes about what it will be like to be with my husband and in an hour, I’m going to get that experience again.

Motivated, Janiyah suffered through the increasing temperature and the old fan that seemed to make the studio she was filming in feel like she was working in a sweat house. The end result was worth the minor pain and suffering.

Gun flashed his award-winning smile. His teeth shined as if he were doing ads for a tooth-whitening commercial. His cinnamon-colored skinned shined and played off his softer cheek bones, clean-shaven face, except for his mustache and round facial features that gave him a baby-ish face.

Gun’s non-verbal actions gave consent to participate in the photo shoot and for that, Janiyah was grateful. While Cable continued to take pictures, Janiyah watched as Gun headed to the dressing room. In her eyes, Gun was perfect. He didn’t need to straighten his green and blue silk tie, which was in the perfect Windsor knot. She loved the way his sea green button up shirt and black three-button suit draped across his tall frame.

In another life, Gun could’ve been a model for GQ or Complex magazine.

Okay Rev, you’re in, Cable was very informal with Gun.

Janiyah saw the look in Gun’s eyes. The way his eyes scrunched closed and his lip twisted up quickly let her know that he was pissed. Gun hated being addressed as Rev and preferred to be called Gun when he was away from the church. Gun once told her that being called Rev was the church equivalent to being called Peanut, Man-Man, Junebug or whatever name he wanted to leave behind in his past.

Gun got behind his wife and wrapped his arms around Janiyah’s curvaceous body. She could feel him take a deep breath. She knew he loved the smell of the lotion and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to get closer to the scent intimately.

Um—pastor—I need y’all to loosen up and have fun. Cable suggested as he walked up to the couple. He reached into Gun’s personal space and started undoing the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt. Unbutton that suit jacket and take it off—and loosen the tie.

Janiyah was shocked to see her husband follow the photographer’s directions. Loosen up?? The request was the complete opposite for the demeanor Gun Wade was known for, at least to others.  True—he used to be a big-time street pharmacist. He was one of the fortunate ones not to get caught by the police but after a near-fatal attempt on his life by a rival dealer—Gun had a revelation from God and he knew then he had to get serious about turning his life around and the life of the members of his community.

Gun took his new life as minister of the Word and church leader seriously. And he made sure that his attire reflected his new outlook on life. Gun wasn’t so uptight that he couldn’t wear the popular brands sported by today’s athletes and artists, but Gun understood that image was everything and as a man of God, he felt this dress should reflect his walk.

Yeah man, Cable flashed his ugly yellow teeth. Janiyah shook her head. For as much money as the magazine was paying this man—she couldn’t believe Cable couldn’t get his dental needs taken care of.

But that was none of Janiyah’s business and she felt a pang of guilt for judging the man. She’d only met Cable on one other shoot a few weeks ago and Janiyah knew that the publication was giving him a chance as they had given her one. There weren’t many black photographers who shot for well known publications and Janiyah had always felt that everyone deserved a break. Who knew, maybe Cable had some gems in his collections of random thoughts and picture taking.

She’d have to give him a chance.

The camera continued the flash and the hot wind continued to blow as Cable directed Janiyah and Gun through a few poses—some that were suggestive. Janiyah didn’t mind the world knowing that she and Gun were in love or that they promoted a healthy, intimate relationship to their congregation. It was her opinion that more married couples, even those who led a flock, should be in-tune