Jason was attracted to a very specific type of woman. He liked them natural, classy, and able to hold an intelligent conversation. In short, he liked the opposite of everything this bar fly had to offer. Doug nodded to Jason. He knew the drill.
Jason smiled sheepishly at the woman, and Doug leaned across him to wink at the bar fly. “Hi darlin’. My friend here forgot his wallet, but I’d be happy to buy you a drink.”
She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment, but she shrugged and repositioned herself on Doug’s end of the bar. Doug was an attractive man in his own right, and he knew it. He didn’t let Jason’s popularity with the female of the species affect his confidence. He couldn’t blame them. If he were a chick, he’d be panting after Jason too.
Jason finished off his second beer and grabbed Doug’s shoulder as he stood. “Thanks for the beers, brau. I’ll get ya next time.” With a polite nod to Doug’s new friend, he excused himself and headed home.
Alli thought she would be embarrassed to see Jason again so soon after their impromptu swim, but the next morning found her eager to go to the barn.
She laughed to herself as she made her way down the trail to the Taylor’s, remembering the Skype conversation she had had with Margot the night before. They had both been watching Dirty Dancing on a classic movie channel, Margot in the city, Alli on the farm. It was a ritual they had started the year before when Margot had gone off to college. A way to stay close, and have some sister time. Margot had given Alli a wireless internet card for just such occasions, knowing the farm house probably still used dial up.
When it got to the part with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey trying to master the lift in the river, Alli had choked on a kernel of popcorn, coughing and wheezing into the camera.
“Jeeze Alli. You okay?” Asked Margot.
“Sorry.” Cough, cough - “Wrong pipe.” She wheezed. When her breathing had returned to normal, she smiled shyly at the computer screen and spoke softly in the direction of the mic.
“Margot? How did you know that you wanted Brian to be your first?”
Margot shot to attention and pulled her laptop into her lap. “Why do you ask? Are you thinking about going all the way with your college boy?”
Alli grimaced. “‘Going all the way’? What is this, an eighties coming of age movie? I’m just wondering how you knew he was the one.”
Margot gifted her with suspicious squinty eyes. “Mmm hmm.” She tilted the computer screen to a more comfortable angle. “Well, I wouldn’t say I knew he was the one, and that’s why we did it. It was more of an ‘it just happened’ kind of thing. I felt like I was the only virgin in the world, and I wanted to know what all the hype was about.”
Alli frowned. “That’s actually really sad.”
Margot looked non-plussed. “I know. I don’t recommend losing it out of curiosity. Frankly, it wasn’t that great.”
Alli raised her brows.
“Don’t get me wrong, it got better. It just wasn’t the way I imagined my first time would go, you know? I wish it had been a result of being overcome with passion. Does that sound cheesy?”
Alli gave a heartfelt, wistful smile. “Not at all. That sounds perfect.”
Margot cleared her throat. “So, have you been overcome with passion lately Alli?”
Alli blushed crimson. “He kissed me. Twice.”
“Aaand?” Margot prompted. “I’m guessing it was better than the Josh Saunders incident of last summer?”
“Oh God yes! It was straight out of a romance novel, Go-go.” Margot smiled at Alli’s use of her childhood pet name. “He kisses me, and it’s like everything else in the world ceases to matter. Suddenly all I know are his lips, and his hands are everywhere at once, making everything tingly and alive.” Alli stopped, embarrassed by her enthusiasm.
“Wow. Sounds like college boy has skills.”
Alli laughed. “He’s amazing.”
Margot gave Alli that look that only well-intentioned big sisters can pull off without looking patronizing. “It sounds like it’s too late for me to caution you against falling for this guy, but try to keep in mind that he’ll be going back to school come September, and you will too for that matter. Oh, and get on the pill.”
“Really? You think I’m ready for sex?”
“Well, only you know if you’re ready for sex Alli, but you don’t have to have sex just because you’re on the pill. As your big sister, it’s my duty to remind you that it’s better to have something and not need it, than to need it and not have it.”
“Margot? You would have made an excellent girl scout.”
Margot gave a humorless snort. “Oh, and Alli? It’s probably a good idea to tell him you’re really seventeen. Sex is a big deal. Do you really want your first time to be with a guy - albeit a hot guy - that doesn’t even know your age? I mean, flirting is one thing, but sex is a game changer, you know?”
Alli chewed on her lower lip, nodding in seeming agreement. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
* * * * *
Alli’s heart skipped a beat as the barn came into view. Jason had finished the goat pen the previous Friday with the intention of bringing home goats last Saturday, but Alli’s poison oak had way-laid their trip to the auction. Not dissuaded by the emptiness of the barn, she made her way down the drive toward some out buildings. Mr. Taylor was now able to walk short distances, but Alli didn’t think he had the strength to venture this far away from his house. Just in case she was underestimating Jason’s father, she held back a moment to be sure Jason was alone when she spotted him milling around near the back shop.
He was loading large, wrapped canvasses onto a trailer.
“You paint?” She asked.
He had seen her coming across the yard, but still wasn’t prepared for the little jolt of adrenalin he felt at seeing her close up.
“As a matter of fact I do, but these are my mom’s. She’s displaying them at the Gardening Club’s annual art show.”
Alli was delighted to learn yet another interesting thing about this renaissance man she was infatuated with. “What sort of stuff do you paint?”
Jason looked her over suggestively. “Nudes. Why? You interested in doing some modeling?” He cringed inwardly. Why was lewd innuendo his immediate go-to move with this girl?
Alli just smiled. “Of the two of us, you’re the one more likely to be found wandering about naked.”
“Touché.” He answered. In apology, he offered to show her inside. “Would you like to see the studio?”
The studio was really just a large shop lined with shelves and work benches.
There were vertical racks built into a corner to hold large canvasses. Natural light for painting was achieved by opening the massive rolling doors.
Alli noted a large easel angled toward the door. It was holding a half finished still life of a vase with wilted flowers inside. Glancing behind the easel revealed the still life scene set up on a small table. “Is this one of yours?” She asked.
Jason shook his head. “No, my mom is the one in to still life. I have a few in the rack somewhere, but they aren’t that great. It’s been a while since I painted.”
“Will you show me?” Alli’s eyes sparkled with interest.
Jason flipped through a few canvass frames in the rack, finally pulling out a large, four by six piece. It was a beautifully rendered oil nude of a woman in an advanced state of pregnancy. Her face was a mask of serenity, her attention focused on the life she held within. More than the technical skill and talent of the painter, you noticed the artist’s ability to capture a moment in time rather than just an image. Alli was speechless.
“You painted this?” She finally asked.
“Years ago. My sophomore year. I have several sketches of this particular model.” He glanced at Alli to judge her reaction. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I painted nudes. There’s incredible beauty in the human form, no?”
Alli nodded, not taking her eyes from the canvass
.
“This model was one of my favorites. Her and another woman, a large woman. I loved the way the light played off their curves.”
He studied the painting intently for a moment longer, then slipped it back into the rack.
Eager to see more, Alli tugged gently at another canvass. “May I?” She asked.
Jason nodded, delighted that she was so interested in his work. He stiffened and stifled a gasp when he saw the painting she had pulled out. He was sure he had destroyed all of his Rebecca pieces, but there she was, mocking him stoically from the canvass. How had he missed this one? It was one of the last he had done of her. She had already been cheating on him for months when he had done this one. Knowing it was just his own psyche projecting things that weren’t actually there, he couldn’t help but see the cruelty in her eyes. He seemed to have captured it perfectly.
“She has a secret.” Alli said, hovering her fingers over Rebecca’s piercing blue eyes, but being careful not to touch the painting.
Jason barked a laugh, surprised that there was no pain behind it, just genuine amusement. “Yeah. She had a lot of secrets.”
“Jason, this is amazing. Why don’t you paint anymore?”
Jason shrugged. “I really don’t know. I lost the passion for it somewhere along the way.”
Alli studied him intently, as if weighing the truth of his words. He met her stare with one of his own. “Maybe I’ll dust off the ol’ palette again, now that I’m home.” He took her chin and gently nudged it upward so the light fell across her cheek bones. “Would you want to sit for me?” He asked again, this time in seriousness. “You wouldn’t have to be nude, of course.”
Alli was lost in his eyes again. “I would be honored.” she answered, softly.
Jason was surprised by the excitement that her answer spawned in him. For the first time in ages he genuinely wanted to pick up a brush. He dropped his hand and stepped back from her, giving himself a small shake. “I’m finished loading the art show pieces. Do you want to come with me to drop them off?”
Alli nodded, and followed him out of the shop.
* * * * *
Jason shrugged into his blazer and checked his reflection in the mirror. He gave a silent thanks to the “business casual” description on the invitation for his not having to wear a tie. His mother, Mary, came up behind him, beaming.
“Oh Jason, you’re so handsome.”
“You look amazing yourself, Mom. I’m sorry Dad has to miss your big night.”
Mary waved away the thought. “He gets so bored at these things anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was planning another accident to coincide with next year’s art show. Besides, it’s not every day that a mother gets to go on a date with her son.”
Jason gave her a hug. “I’m glad I get to be your escort.”
She returned the hug, enjoying this quiet moment with her grown son. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you another ticket. My goodness, you’d think it was some hoity-toity event, instead of our silly little Garden Club show.”
Jason was disappointed that he wasn’t able to get a hold of another ticket too. He had wanted to invite Alli to the show. She had been so enthusiastic yesterday afternoon when they dropped off his mother’s paintings. He really thought she would have enjoyed the show.
Mary watched him closely in the mirror. “Who was it that you wanted to bring? Anyone I know” She was excited to have her son home again, especially after thinking him lost to her forever when he had taken that teaching job in the city fresh out of school. If he had any romantic prospects here in town, it was yet another reason for him to stay, in addition to the new teaching job he had just landed.
Jason smiled at his mother’s reflection in the mirror. He could see her curiosity eating away at her under her practiced look of polite interest.
“Actually yes, you do know her. I was hoping to invite the neighbor girl. Alli.”
Mary’s brow knit slightly in thought. “You mean Evelyn’s granddaughter? Isn’t she a bit young to be associating with? I thought she was still in high school.”
Jason shook his head reassuringly. “No, you’re thinking of her sister, Margot. Alli’s nineteen.”
Mary’s expression relaxed in relief. “Oh, that’s right. Those girls look so much alike I always get them confused.” Mary grabbed her clutch off a side table, then paused. “She is quite a lovely creature, isn’t she.”
Jason knew where this conversation was leading. “Yes, mom, she’s a ‘lovely creature’. She also happens to have a real appreciation for your work, so I thought it would have been a nice gesture to invite her to the show. That’s all.”
Mary had a twinkle in her eye. “I see. And when was it that she saw my paintings?”
“She came with me to drop them off at the venue-” Mary flashed a triumphant look. Jason realized his slip immediately.
“Well, how nice of her to help you out. I know those canvasses can be quite heavy to lift. You’re lucky we live next door to such a strong, muscular, art enthusiast.”
Jason inclined his head in defeat. His mother was on to him. Now that Alli was on her radar, she would pester him relentlessly until he agreed to bring her around to be gawked at and made to feel uncomfortable. He stared pointedly at his mom. “Please don’t make a big deal out of this. I barely know her.”
Mary raised her brows, feigning innocence. “What did I say?”
“I’m not kidding, mom. She’s just a friendly neighbor that happens to have an interest in the arts. Don’t make any more of it than it is.”
Mary pursed her lips. “Who’s making anything out of anything? If you’re as disinterested as you say, you wont mind my inviting Evelyn and her family over for dinner...”
“Mom. We’re going to be late.”
Mary chuckled at her son’s chagrin and followed him out to the car.
Alli double checked the address above the door, but she was confident she had the right place. This was clearly an art gallery.
A quiet tone hummed as she opened the heavy glass door. A cute, pixie-like young woman around Alli’s age looked up from a glossy magazine. She was sitting behind a counter with a corrugated metal façade. “Hello,” She chimed in greeting. “Welcome to Black Goat Gallery. I’m Emiline. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.”
Alli took in a large canvass and a free standing sculpture as she approached Emiline. “Yes, hello. I was wondering if Mr. Ogden was available?”
As Alli reached the counter, Emiline’s eyes lit up with sudden recognition. “Oh! Of course! He’s in his studio. I’ll go get him! Please make yourself comfortable.” Emiline scurried around the counter toward a back hallway, then halted and turned back to Alli. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”
Alli smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
Emiline nodded and continued down the hallway. Alli watched her leave, then turned her attention to a group of black and white photographs arranged on a near wall. She quickly disregarded them and moved on to a painting. It was a nude of a woman. The perspective was unusual. The painter had set the scene so you as the viewer were peering over the woman’s shoulder. She had a delicate neck, and a gentle roundness to her shoulder as if she were slouching the slightest bit. Her dark hair was swept over her other shoulder, but small tendrils curled down in places at the nape of her neck.
Alli’s heart started to beat a little bit faster. The artist’s style - there was no denying the familiarity. She tried to calm herself with a deep breath. She could be wrong. It was very likely that she was wrong. Her fingers shook as she ran them along the slope of the painted woman’s shoulder, careful not to touch the canvass. “No.” She whispered to herself. “I’m not wrong. I’ve found you.”
* * * * *
“Jason!” Emiline knocked unnecessarily on Jason’s open studio door. “There’s a woman here to see you.” She was out of breath from having sprinted up the two flights of stairs.
Jason eyed Emiline speculatively. He was confused by her giddy delivery of such mundane news. “Oh? Did she give her name?” He asked.
Emiline looked nonplused. “I didn’t think to ask, sir, but she obviously knows you.” She gestured vaguely toward Jason’s canvass rack.
“Hmm. It must be Laurel. She said she might stop by today. You can show her up, please, Emiline.” Emiline nodded rapidly. “Yes sir. Right away.” She paused for a beat, then, “Is she here to sit for you sir? Should I get her a robe?”
Jason was thrown by the odd question. “Uh, no. That wont be necessary. Just show her up. Thank you, Emiline.”
Emiline disappeared as rapidly as she had come.
Jason began rinsing his brushes and didn’t hear Alli come in over the sound of rushing water in the sink.
Alli’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He had the same broad shoulders and well muscled back that she remembered. Her knees began to quiver uncontrollably and she prayed she’d have the strength to remain upright. She stood in the doorway, waiting for him to turn around, her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears.
Jason finished rinsing his brushes and deposited them in a ceramic mug. Taking the mug, he turned to place it near his easel when he caught sight of Alli. He stopped mid-turn.
Alli had to remind herself to breathe. She was grabbing tightly to the strap of her purse in an effort to control her shaking. She was startled by the loud shattering sound of the mug Jason had been holding. He didn’t even look down at the ceramic shards and scattered brushes at his feet. His expression had gone blank. She could see his throat working, but otherwise he gave no indication of what he was feeling.
Finally Alli spoke. “‘Ogden’, huh?”
Jason nodded and cleared his throat. “It is-” He cleared his throat again. “It is my mother’s maiden name.”
“Oh.”
“I was starting a business. I couldn’t very well keep the name Taylor. Google is a cruel mistress.”
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