Dawn’s New Day

by TJ Thomas

  Kate laughed. “Maybe a little, but I think it’s cute. You have a crush.” Cam glared at her. “No really, Cam, you have a crush and she’s not making it easy for you. When was the last time you had to work to get to know someone?”

  Cam stopped to think.

  Kate nodded. “Has it ever happened? I know from personal observation you don’t usually have any trouble getting women to talk to you. In college, at clubs there were times when women literally fell over themselves to get your attention. Even you and Melanie clicked immediately. Now there’s someone who seems indifferent to you and you have no idea what to do with that.”

  Cam lifted both hands off the table imploringly. “So what do I do?”

  “Honestly, June and I both thought you would have asked Dawn out weeks ago.”

  “I want to, but I can’t get a read on her. Not completely. I know I’m in trouble because I’m not even sure she’s into women.”

  “You’ve never been wrong in that department. Why are you questioning yourself?”

  Cam shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it. There’s just something different about her. I can’t stop thinking about her, and I want to know her story, her whole story, but she resists. She doesn’t share anything about herself. She’ll talk about her art or gardening, but personal stuff—that’s off limits. I’ve tried to breach that divide with no success. None. In fact, she downright refuses my every suggestion.”

  Kate shrugged. “The way I see it, you have a couple of options. You can wait and see if she warms up to you. Or you can ask her out and get an answer pretty quickly on how she feels about you. Since we’re not in junior high, I’m not going to offer to find out if she likes you.”

  Cam laughed at the absurdity of Kate’s last comment. “Right, I’ll take it from here.”

  “I’m certain you will. I’m always here when you need to talk.”

  “I know, thanks. Anyway, enough about me, what’s happening in your life? How are your new dance classes going?”

  “Things are going okay. Slower than I expected. I’m still trying to drum up more interest. I know there have to be more women out there who want to learn swing dancing. I’ve put flyers up at the Center and I’ve gotten a few calls, but interest seems low. Hopefully, the class that starts in three weeks will fill. Don’t you know anyone who would want to take dance lessons?”

  “I’m not sure, maybe. Let me send some emails. Do you have an extra flyer with all the information?”

  “Sure.” Kate pulled a colorful piece of paper out of her shoulder bag. “Here you go. I’ll email you one, too. You should think about taking the class too.”

  “Why? I already know how to swing.”

  “I know. So come for fun and to help me. I can always use an extra set of hands. Most people need a lot of attention when they’re first learning. Besides, you could come right after work. It’s just down the street. It will get you out of the house and maybe your mind off other things.”

  “I’ll think about it.” A distraction might be exactly what she needed.

  Kate nodded. “That’s all I can ask.”

  Chapter Four

  Cam glanced at the clock by the television when she heard a knock at the door. Both dogs stood facing the door, ears up and tails wagging and low barks alerting her about the soon-to-be intruder. She turned off the iron she was using to prepare her clothes for the week. “Jack, Mozz, settle.” Cam opened the door to see Dawn. “Well, hello.” She smiled but noticed something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?”

  “If I remember right, you’re in IT. Please tell me you know something about computers.”

  “I do. What’s going on?”

  “I’ve been working on a proposal for several weeks, and it’s due by tomorrow morning. All of the sudden, my computer died. I turned it off last night and this morning I can’t get it to turn back on. I’ve called everyone I can think of who knows computers and I can’t get hold of anyone. You’re my last hope. I’m sorry for interrupting your evening, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  Cam didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go take a look.”

  Walking across the yard, Dawn turned to Cam, her relief obvious. “Thank you so much.”

  “I haven’t done anything yet. Let’s wait and see what’s going on.”

  As Dawn led Cam through her house, Cam took a quick look around. She had lived next door for almost two months, and even though Dawn had been to her house several times when June and Kate were over, Cam had never been invited into Dawn’s home. As she followed Dawn, she caught a glimpse of the same pictures that captivated June on her first visit. Even with the abbreviated view, she knew June hadn’t been exaggerating when she said Dawn’s work was marvelous. Cam trailed Dawn through another doorway and stopped, awestruck. She was surrounded by art in all shapes and sizes and mediums. She could see Dawn’s talent spread across the canvasses. “Wow.”

  “Cam, the computer is over here.”

  Dawn’s voice broke through Cam’s thoughts, and she managed to turn away from the canvas she was studying. “Right, okay, let’s see what we have.”

  Right away, Cam noticed that while the monitor had power the computer did not. She checked the connection and found it secure. Cam glanced up at Dawn. “Do you have another power cord?”

  “Um, only the one on the other computer.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “In the other room.” Cam followed Dawn.

  Cam retrieved the power cord from the computer in the living room and returned to the studio. She replaced the power cord, unplugged the monitor, and plugged the computer into the spot where the monitor had been. So she knew she was using a known good cable into a known good outlet, still no power on the computer. “Okay, I think your power supply is toast. I eliminated several possibilities, but we need some parts.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. Can you fix it?”

  “Not tonight. I need a replacement power supply and no store is still open that will have one.” When Cam saw Dawn’s crestfallen face, she added, “But I might have a workaround so you can get your proposal sent out. No promises though.”

  “I’d appreciate anything you can do.”

  The expression on Dawn’s face made Cam want to leap tall buildings to help her. She made quick work of removing the remaining cables from the computer in the studio and took off the cover. She quickly disconnected the hard drive and she stood with it and the extra power cord in her hands.

  Dawn stared at the innards of her computer. She looked at Cam uncertainly. “This looks bad. What are you going to do with that?”

  “I’m going to try to make it a secondary drive on your computer in the living room so you can access your files.” Seeing Dawn confused expression, she asked, “Trust me?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  Cam’s eyes narrowed. “You always have a choice.”

  Dawn started to speak and then stopped. Finally, she said, “Please do whatever you have to.”

  Cam wondered what she’d stopped herself from saying. “Okay, let’s go.”

  They made their way back into the living room. Cam disconnected the components from the computer and removed the cover; she checked the jumper on the hard drive from the studio computer, and connected it to a cable inside the machine. She replaced the cover, then reconnected all the wires and power cord. “Well, here goes our best shot.”

  Dawn held her breath when Cam pushed the power button. She breathed a small sigh of relief when the machine powered on.

  “That’s not the tricky part,” Cam explained. “We need the computer to recognize the hard drive from your work computer.”

  Cam knew what she was doing and was confident in what she did. Soon, the familiar screens appeared on the monitor. In no time at all a file was opening on the screen and Cam pushed the chair back from the desk. She nodded toward the screen. “Is this the proposal you were working on?”

  Dawn’s gaze flew back to the screen. �
��Yes. Oh my God, yes.” She pulled Cam into a quick, hard hug. “I don’t know how I can thank you. This is amazing. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “You seemed pretty desperate,” Cam said.

  “So, you have some ideas on how I can thank you for rescuing me?”

  “I do. I’m hoping you can help me with my yard. It’s in desperate need of color. Next to yours, it’s plain and inadequate. Would you mind helping me with a plan for my yard and go with me to help me pick out some plants and stuff?”

  “Really? You want me to help you with your yard?” Dawn asked excitedly.

  “If I had known how thrilled you would be, I’d have asked ages ago.”

  “I’d love to. I’ve been trying to think of a way to get my hands in your yard since the first day I saw it. It has so much potential. Of course I can help you with it.”

  Cam was surprised by Dawn’s enthusiasm. “Great, then it’s a deal. I’m working from home tomorrow. Are you free to go to the nursery in the morning?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Dawn’s mind seemed to race ahead with what she could do with Cam’s yard.

  “Great. Go ahead and send off your email and I’ll clean up the mess in the other room.” Cam walked to the studio. First, she did what she needed to do and noted the make and model of the computer before squaring it away. She liked to finish what she started, so she would find a new power supply and replace it for Dawn tomorrow. Then, she turned to do what she had wanted to do since the moment she entered the studio. She moved from piece to piece, taking in Dawn’s work. The way Dawn created movement in water when she painted streams, rivers, and the ocean was splendid. But the overall effect of her art was breathtaking.

  Cam reached a piece that stopped her in her tracks. At first glance, it was a simple scene of a turbulent sea during a storm. The harshness of the waves battering the rocks of the cliff was powerful, almost painful. As she stepped closer to take in the details, she noticed the lighthouse but no light shined. No beacon to navigate safely. It made her feel…sad, despondent, and vulnerable. So many people were going to get hurt.

  After she finished sending off the proposal, Dawn returned to the studio and found Cam staring at one of her paintings. She stopped at the threshold and studied Cam. She had never seen anyone look at her work in quite the same way. The intense concentration emphasized the strong angles of Cam’s chiseled face. She was overwhelmed by Cam’s unguarded expression.

  Dawn painted for herself. It was something she was compelled to do, but seeing the effect her art had on others was always a thrill, which is why she occasionally agreed to show her work. However, in all the years she had shared her art with the world, she had never seen the look she saw in Cam’s eyes. It made her heart race. She moved quietly to see what piece captured Cam’s attention. When Cam turned, she hadn’t had time to control her thoughts or feelings. As her gaze locked with Dawn’s, the raw emotion took Dawn’s breath away.

  Dawn felt like she had intruded on a private moment. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” she said softly.

  “Don’t be. It’s your house. I was just appreciating your work. It’s…expressive and passionate. The intensity pulls you in. It’s very powerful.”

  “Thank you.” Dawn focused on the picture Cam had been studying, and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t shown this piece to anyone. She wasn’t ready to until recently. She was considering putting it in her upcoming show. It had been sitting in her studio since she painted it more than two years ago. Cam was the first person to view it. Now the expression Dawn saw on Cam’s face was more special because the emotions still swirling in Cam’s dark eyes reflected the intensity Dawn felt when she painted it.

  Dawn looked back up. Cam studied her face just as she had studied Cam’s moments earlier. She felt her cheeks flush. She and Cam stared intently into one another’s eyes. For the first time, Dawn didn’t look away. She didn’t want to.

  Cam moved to Dawn and lifted the back of her hand to Dawn’s cheek and stroked it. “Do you always do this when someone compliments your work?”

  Dawn pulled back but didn’t drop her eyes. “No.”

  Cam closed the distance once more. “Maybe one day you will tell me about this piece and share what or who caused you such anguish.”

  Dawn’s breathing hitched as Cam hit the mark of the emotion that inspired that piece. She left the comment unanswered. Everything that came to mind seemed inadequate.

  Dawn figured out Cam’s intention the second before it happened, but she didn’t stop it. Her first instinct was to push her away. She raised her hands to Cam’s shoulders but didn’t follow through. Cam held her lightly, tenderly. She lost herself in the kiss. Cam’s mouth was soft but firm. The warmth sent shivers down Dawn’s spine. When Cam’s tongue gently pressed for entry, Dawn didn’t hesitate. She opened her lips, and as Cam’s tongue met hers, her insides melted from the heat.

  Dawn thrust her hands into Cam’s hair, adjusted the angle of her head, and kissed her harder. There was no thought. Lust shot through her, and she craved more…more tongue, more skin, more—

  Cam’s dogs barking loudly finally penetrated her short-circuiting brain. She pulled back. “Cam…”

  “Just ignore them. They’ll stop in a minute.”

  Dawn stepped back as realization crept in. What have I done? Another step away from Cam. “They’re not stopping. You should probably go check on them.”

  “I could come back.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Dawn was trying really hard to remain calm.

  “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning to go to the garden center.”

  Dawn walked Cam to the door and shut it behind her. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there staring at the door. Whoa. She hadn’t expected the kiss, not really. A part of her had been worried something like this would happen from the day she had met Cam, but she’d kept her distance. Dawn started to think maybe it was all in her head.

  Then it hit her. This was the first time she allowed herself to be alone with Cam for more than a few minutes. That’s not fair. True, she kissed you, but you did nothing to stop her. You even participated. You can’t blame her for that without accepting your part in it. Okay, but I’m not attached. What about the blonde Cam is with?

  Dawn was dismayed. How can she kiss me while she’s seeing someone else? Why does it surprise me? That’s one of the reasons I kept my distance. How dare her. She didn’t know Cam that well, but somehow this just didn’t feel like something she would do. Maybe she and the blonde had broken up. Cam had never mentioned her. Maybe it was all in Dawn’s head. Even with the cloud of confusion Dawn worked herself into, she could still feel the heat of Cam’s lips on hers.

  *****

  As Cam crossed the front yard and walked into her house, she thought about the emotion in Dawn’s art and about the kiss. The intensity of the kiss didn’t surprise her. She knew it would be incredible. It also didn’t surprise her that she very much wanted to walk back in there and finish what she started. But she knew Dawn wasn’t ready for that and it would break every rule Cam had to push Dawn before she was ready. Even kissing her as she just had bent the rules because she sensed Dawn was not open to it. She’s just wasn’t sure why. After more than two months of holding herself back whenever Dawn was around, she had to push just a little. She knew it would be immeasurably more difficult to restrain herself in the future. Now that she had a taste, she wanted more, much more.

  Cam hadn’t anticipated the willingness and eagerness of Dawn’s response. She sensed Dawn’s moment of hesitation, and then Dawn wrapped her arms around Cam’s shoulders and pressed her body against Cam. She’d almost lost herself in the kiss. It had taken everything she had to step back from the edge, to move away from Dawn. She didn’t question it was the right thing to do. Sometimes she wished it wasn’t so important to her to do the right thing.

  What disquieted Cam was her reaction to Dawn. She hadn’t felt that intensity from a simple kiss since
Melanie died two years ago. Melanie was the love of her life. She found that one of a kind love early and knew no one could replace her. So what was it about Dawn that had her so intrigued?

  Chapter Five

  Dawn’s usual cheery morning mood was tempered by the events of the previous evening. When she remembered her deal with Cam she covered her head with a pillow. She softened. A deal’s a deal. She would help Cam pick out some plants and give her some ideas for arranging them. Then she’d leave her to execute it. Reluctantly, Dawn climbed out of bed to shower and start the day. Her mood lightened as she anticipated a morning at the garden center, a place full of hope and new budding delight.

  As she pulled on her shoes, the doorbell chimed. She glanced in the mirror above her dresser, satisfied she had successfully camouflaged her rough night. She grabbed her purse and walked into the living room. She braced herself and opened her front door. Damn, Cam is gorgeous. Breathe.

  Cam stood on her porch in jeans and a T-shirt, her dark hair still damp from the shower with that cute crooked grin lighting her strong features. She held salvation in the form of to-go coffee mugs. “I made us coffee for the road.” She thrust a mug toward Dawn.

  “Thank you.”

  Cam crossed the threshold, and with her now free hand, she reached up and rubbed her thumb across the smudges under Dawn’s eye. “Rough night?”

  Dawn steeled herself against Cam’s tender touch and didn’t react visibly. Dawn met Cam’s questioning look and shrugged. “Yeah. There was still a lot to do once you left.” With that, Dawn walked out the door waiting for Cam to follow before she locked up. Dawn was elusive. She didn’t want to tread into the same territory they’d explored last night. There were too many questions or maybe just too many women. Still, being this close to Cam drove her crazy. She wanted to be mad at her, but at the same time, she wanted Cam to kiss her again. She was mad at herself for even going there.