by TJ Thomas
“June?”
“Yes?”
“Will you…will you just make sure she’s okay?”
“Of course I will.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter Six
Dawn had been too distracted to put paint to canvas since Cam left. She had gone to her studio several times with the intention of painting, but each time left the room without even preparing her palette or selecting her brushes. She was currently using the excuse that she had an appointment and needed to keep an eye on the time. But she admitted to herself that she was too churned up from her conversation with Cam to do much of anything. As a result, she spent the time answering emails and looking over design ideas. When the doorbell rang, the nerves in her stomach jumped to her throat and she glanced at her watch. Right on time.
As she walked to the door, she didn’t know how she would be received. June was Cam’s best friend. No doubt she would know if Cam was upset, and Dawn had seen her pull into Cam’s driveway just after she’d left earlier.
When she opened the door to June, she was welcomed into a warm embrace. “Hi, Dawn.”
Dawn returned the hug. “Hi. How are you?”
“I’m good. I decided to stop by Cam’s early so I wouldn’t be late for our meeting.”
Dawn was still cautious. “Oh.” June said nothing further. “Come on in. How’s Kate? I’ve been meaning to invite you two to dinner.”
“Kate’s good. I thought you couldn’t cook.”
“I can’t, but I’m great at making reservations and picking up takeout.”
June’s strong laugh had the last of Dawn’s nerves easing. “We’ll have to do that.”
“Great. Shall we get started?”
“Yes, I’m so excited.”
June followed Dawn into the studio. “Would you like some coffee or something?”
“No, thanks. I just had some at Cam’s,” she said easily.
“Okay. Well, let me show you what I’ve got. Based on the ideas we talked about last time, I sketched out a couple of ideas. Why don’t we look through them and you can tell me what you like and don’t like about them. I mean that. Tell me when you don’t like something. It’s as important as what you do like. We want this piece to be something special for Kate, but it will be in your home and you should enjoy it too.”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that. Okay,” June said.
“Good.” Dawn pulled her sketchbook from the drafting table and flipped to the pages she was looking for. “Okay, start with this one. Then look at the next two. Then we can go through them together and discuss them. But first I want you to just look at them and see if any of these is what you are looking for.”
June took her time with each sketch, all three different places of importance to Kate and June—the beach where they’d declared their love for each other, Balboa Park where they’d gone to walk on their first date, and the caves in La Jolla where June had proposed to Kate. “Dawn, they’re all amazing. I don’t know how I’ll decide.”
Dawn smiled. “That’s what I’m here for. So let’s talk through them. Look at the first one again and tell me what you feel when you look at it. What stands out to you? Is there anything about the picture you like or don’t like?”
They went through this exercise with each sketch. All the while, Dawn took notes. Then she talked to June about what colors she would use and the size of the painting.
“These are incredible. I think whatever you paint will be right for Kate and me. I leave myself completely in your talented hands.”
Dawn had heard variations of this before and easily accepted the challenge. “All right, I’ll give you a call when it’s ready. In the mean time, we should go out to dinner.”
“Absolutely. Let me check with Kate and I’ll let you know what our schedule looks like and we can set something up, maybe late next week?”
“That would be great. I’m pretty open, especially if I have a day’s notice.”
“Excellent. Now that those things are taken care of, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Dawn’s heart started beating fast and she got butterflies in her stomach. Uh-oh, here it comes. This is where June lambasts me for upsetting Cam.
“Relax, it’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think it is. I’m sure it won’t surprise you Cam told me about your…misunderstanding. She was pretty upset when she left here this morning.”
“I know. I feel badly that I jumped to conclusions.”
June shrugged. “I might have thought the same thing in your position, but what I don’t understand is, even if you didn’t feel comfortable asking Cam who Cindy was, why didn’t you ask Kate or me?”
“You’re Cam’s friends.”
“I’m your friend too, so is Kate.”
“But you were both Cam’s friend first, so your loyalty is to her.”
“So you think because Kate and I knew Cam before you, we would cover for her?”
“Yeah, maybe. How would I know?”
“That’s a good point. We have been friends for a very long time and through a lot together. I forget that can be overwhelming for somebody new. But let me be very clear here. Neither Kate nor I would ever lie for Cam. First, she would never want us to, and second, there would be no reason to. Cam is one of the most honest and decent people I’ve ever met. If she ever found out that one of us had lied for her, she would come undone.”
“Okay…then let me ask you this. Why isn’t she dating anyone?”
“Well, since Melanie she just hasn’t dated a whole lot.”
“Melanie?”
“Cam hasn’t mentioned Melanie?”
“No.”
“Hmm…then I should let her tell you.”
Dawn was about to point out that June just told her that she could ask her or Kate anything about Cam, but Dawn had her own secrets and would want the same discretion from her friends. “I understand.”
“Anyway, I wanted to clear the air.”
“I appreciate it.”
*****
“Cam!” June yelled just before she slammed the door.
Cam rushed out of her office alarmed by June’s tone. “What? What happened?”
“You tell me. How can you be upset with Dawn for not telling you about whatever is in her past when you haven’t told her about Melanie?”
Cam’s defenses flared. “What are you talking about? What did you say to her?”
“She asked why you weren’t dating anyone, and I said that since Melanie you haven’t dated a whole lot. When she didn’t know who Mel was, I told her I had to let you tell her in your own time. She said she understood.”
Cam slumped into a chair.
June took a seat on the couch. “Cam, what’s going on?”
Cam scrubbed her hands down her face. “I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t felt anything like this since I first met Melanie. Then I feel bad because Dawn’s not Melanie. I guess I feel guilty. But it doesn’t matter does it? Dawn’s not interested. I should just leave her alone and go on with my life, right? It would certainly be less complicated.”
“Is that what you want to do, forget you ever met Dawn? You could ignore your next-door neighbor, pretend she doesn’t exist. That’s one strategy.”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I don’t think that’s even possible. I already think about her all the time. It seems unlikely that’s going to change, but it needs to. I need to.”
“And that’s the real problem. You feel guilty for thinking about Dawn because you used to spend all your time thinking about Melanie, even after she died.”
“Melanie’s the love of my life.”
“Melanie is gone. She was your first true love. She would want you to be happy. Why do you feel like you can’t move on? She wouldn’t want you to suffer if you have a chance at happiness again, and you can’t get there if you don’t try.”
*****
Once Cam left for work the next morning, Dawn let herself into Cam’s yar
d and started refining the design she had worked on in her head during the night. She wanted to do this for Cam. She just wasn’t sure why. She greeted the curious dogs who welcomed her familiar scent and then got to work. The dogs followed her for a while to see if she was playing a game that included them, but soon gave up and lay down to snooze.
When she and Cam unloaded the truck the day before, Cam helped her put things in the general areas where Dawn indicated based on her plan. This morning she spent some time making adjustments, fine-tuning her plans, and then went to work preparing the soil, planting, and mulching. By midmorning, Dawn stood and stretched. The sun was high overhead as she surveyed the yard to inspect her work. She was pleased with her progress.
The small beds around the perimeter of the patio were dotted with color and different textures. Before she could continue, she needed to talk with Cam about getting a few more things. She’d also realized she needed to add some trees and shrubs to create elevation and interest in the sides of the yard. The main part of the yard would remain open for the dogs to run and play, but by the time Dawn’s plan was completed it would look like a completely different space. She laughed at herself. She was giddy to have a fresh garden canvas to work with.
Chapter Seven
Dawn looked at her sister, Ali, who sat across from her on the couch. An open bottle of wine sat on the table between them. They each had a full glass. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she gushed.
“You know I like to surprise you, sweetie. I couldn’t miss your show,” Ali said.
“I’m happy you’re here, but what about work and school?”
Ali shook her head. “Not a problem. I worked it all out. I wanted to come see my big sister’s show, so I made it happen.” Ali worked hard in her program, and she was very competent.
“Okay. I’ll stop worrying about it then.”
Ali raised her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Dawn raised her glass in salute and then took a sip. “So fill me in. What have you been up to? It feels like forever since we’ve had a real conversation. Life’s been so busy.”
They talked late into the night catching up on each other’s lives. Dawn filled Ali in on the pieces she was finishing up for the show. Ali talked about her classes and her job at the hospital. “Do you still love the research project you’re working on with your professor?” Dawn asked.
“I do. It’s fascinating to be able to see the different ways the human brain works. All that they’re capable of.”
“I bet it is. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. But I still kinda hate that you don’t live closer.”
“I know, but I really like Seattle. Who knows where I’ll end up after I’m done with school? Maybe I’ll be somewhere a bit closer. At least I’m not back East like Mom and Dad.”
“You have a good point. Please don’t ever move that far away.”
“I won’t say never, but I would like to stay close to you if it’s possible.”
Finally heading to bed after three in the morning, Dawn yawned sleepily. “Thanks for coming, Ali. I’m glad you’re here. I love you.”
“You’re welcome. I love you, too. Good night,” Ali said as she walked to the guest room.
“G’night,” Dawn replied softly. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about the surprise she’d left in Cam’s yard and she wondered if she’d seen it yet.
*****
After just three hours of sleep, Dawn woke up energized. She peeked into the guest room and checked on her sister. Leaving Ali to sleep, she slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. She was thrilled Ali was here. Her spirits lifted the moment she’d seen Ali standing on her porch. It was just like Ali not to tell her she was coming, even going so far as to arrive at her front door by taxi.
Dawn busied herself in the kitchen making coffee. She was shocked when Ali came into the kitchen moments after the coffee finished brewing. Even more remarkable, Ali seemed awake. Ali had never been a morning person. Normally after staying up until three, she would have slept until ten or eleven. “Hey, you’re up early.”
“Still not as early as you I see. But yes, balancing work and school, I’ve gotten used to sleeping for short spurts rather than full nights. That rarely happens for me anymore, so I’ve adapted, but I could sure use some of that coffee,” she said as a yawn overtook her.
Dawn finished doctoring one of the mugs and handed it over. “Here you go.”
Ali took a sip and moaned in pleasure. “Thanks. You make the best coffee.”
“One of the few things I can make in the kitchen.” They grinned and stood in silence drinking the first few sips of coffee.
Ali took another long drink of her coffee. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? I can tell something’s troubling you, and I’d love to just wait and let you tell me when you’re ready, but I don’t have much time.”
Dawn didn’t deny it. She knew Ali could see it. “I would really rather not talk about it. Okay?”
“I’ll relent for now and give you some time to figure out how to say what you need to. But you need to. How about we shower and I take you to breakfast?”
“Now, that sounds like a plan. You can go first. Do you remember where everything is?”
“I think so.” Ali moved to the coffee pot. “I’ll just take a refill for the road.”
Dawn was grateful for the reprieve. She didn’t want to talk about Cam, ever. Ali was the one person who could get her to if she pressed the issue. She was glad Ali was willing to give her some time, but she wondered how much. Now if she could only figure out for herself what was going on, she’d be moving in the right direction.
“Earth to Dawn?”
“Hmm?” Dawn had been lost in thought as she often was when it came to Cam. She focused on Ali, her hair wet and a towel draped around her shoulders.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Dawn shrugged. “Yeah. What’s up?”
“I was just saying I borrowed your robe and letting you know the shower’s free.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She wandered into the bathroom without another word.
*****
Cam needed to talk to Dawn and she didn’t want to wait until after work to try to make things right between them. As she walked across the yard, she inhaled the sweet aroma of Dawn’s flowers. It was a scent she knew she would always associate with Dawn. She rang the doorbell, but the woman who answered was definitely not Dawn. The woman was in a robe that left her sculpted legs exposed. Her shiny black hair was still wet from the shower. She obviously felt at home answering the door having just showered and with a coffee mug in her hand.
“Well, hello there.” She smiled and appraised Cam from head to toe. She leaned against the doorjamb. “Can I help you?” she asked with unmistakable seduction in her voice.
Cam wondered why this woman was in Dawn’s home but decided to play this out to see what happened. “Hi. I’m looking for Dawn.”
“Sure. Come on in. She’s just finishing in the shower. If you give me your name, I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“It’s Cam, and you are?”
“I’m Ali.” She held out her hand.
Cam shook it. Then she stepped through the door but took only two steps inside trying to get a sense of the situation. She scanned the room and saw a wine bottle and two glasses on the table by the sofa, obviously left from last night. She watched as Ali moved comfortably around the house and to the bathroom and knocked on the door. Cam heard her clearly.
“Sweetie, Cam’s at the door for you.” She opened the door and peeked inside. A hushed conversation followed, something Cam wasn’t supposed to hear. Then Ali closed the door and returned to Cam. “Dawn’s just about finished in the shower. She’ll be right out.”
Cam felt her body tense as Ali moved fluidly through Dawn’s home. She knew her way around. Who was this Ali woman that she went into Dawn’s bathroom while she showered without hesitation? Dawn said she no longer dated women, and Cam had
believed her, but who was this? There had to be an explanation. Cam considered leaving. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hang around to find out. It was none of her business, but that didn’t stop the jealously that crept in. “You know what? I’ll just come back later. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
Cam turned to leave just as the bathroom door opened. She froze. Dawn left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. Cam felt her mouth go dry. From across the room, she took in the smooth alabaster skin of Dawn’s body. Dawn usually had her long hair pulled back and up, but as she emerged from the bathroom, her hair was loose, and the water made it several shades darker, the deep red locks draped around her neck and shoulders flowed freely. Cam had the urge to run her fingers through Dawn’s hair. Under Cam’s intense scrutiny, Dawn blushed. So beautiful, Cam thought as they both stood speechless.
Finally, Dawn broke the impasse. “Cam, give me just a minute. Would you like some coffee?”
Before Cam could respond, Ali jumped in, “I’ll get it.”
“I’ll be right back,” Dawn said over her shoulder.
As Dawn turned away, her words finally penetrated Cam’s clouded thoughts. “Okay,” Cam replied lamely.
She wasn’t alone for long. Moments later, Ali emerged with a coffee tray. “I didn’t know how you like your coffee. So I left it black and brought cream and sugar.”
“Thank you. Black is fine.” Before Cam could ask any questions, the bedroom door opened and Dawn entered the mix.
Dawn had on jeans and a loose blouse; her hair was swept up into her usual loose bun. Cam wanted to pull it free from its restraints and let it fall around Dawn’s shoulders as it had been moments before. She was sure the loose top was worn to purposely hide Dawn’s sinewy figure, but it made her no less attractive to Cam.
“Ali, will you give us a few minutes please?” Dawn said. It was less a request and more a directive.
“Sure, I’ll just be in the bedroom.”
Dawn turned her attention to Cam. “So, you’ve met my sister. She surprised me last night. She flew in to see my show.”