by Lowe, T. I.
As soon as we push through the gallery entrance, JP’s phone starts going off. He pulls it out and sighs. “I got some business to go take care of.” He seems reluctant to leave as he grabs an oversized portfolio.
I glance around and notice he has changed out all of the photos again. “Go ahead and take care of your business,” I tease. “I got my own business to take care of. I need to go on a photo walk,” I say in awe.
I start to walk off, but JP places his hand on my elbow. “Willow, I’m really glad you’re back.”
I smile up at him. “Me too. Thanks.”
He shakes his head. “No ma’am. Thank you.” He drops his hand and heads towards the exit.
“JP,” I call out and he stops to look back at me.
“Yeah?”
“I know I don’t have a right, but I also like knowing where you are.”
He smiles at this admission. It was the root of our little tiff after all. “We’ll work on that. Okay?”
I nod my head as he strolls out the back. I begin my walk around the gallery, and become absorbed in the scenes. This fresh new batch seems to be bidding the summer season adieu. It’s hard to believe Labor Day is only a few weeks away. It felt like just yesterday we were in the midst of early May and I was stepping foot in this place for the first time.
Photos of fireworks splitting the night sky, crowded beach scenes with vibrant colored umbrellas, a few tropical island landscapes, people surfing, the sun shining in various positions in the sky, an ice cream cone in a little kid’s hand—the endless summer images entertain me for a few hours before I head to my room to unpack.
~~~~~
Things feel pretty much back to order these last few days. I’m back to my spot in front of the filing cabinet and JP is in his at the desk working nonstop on the computer. Today he is editing shots of the pregnant woman I met several weeks back. She is accompanied by her husband in the shots, which have been captured in a lush meadow. They are warm and soft with the couple being bathed in buttery light, and I find myself staring at them as he works more than I should.
He lets out a sigh after a long spell of editing. “This place is the pits today.”
I glance up and find him staring out the window. “It’s the tropical storm warning. It’s forced the entire coast into hiding,” I say as I place another stack of files into the cabinet. Each drawer is a different year. The drawer is filed by month, and each file is in order by date. The system seems to be the most sufficient. I’ve already seen it come in handy with JP needing to find a backlogged photo.
His phone chimes and he sighs again as he checks it. “Bad news?” I ask.
“No,” he answers as he studies the phone screen. “Surf forecast. It’s killer out there today.”
“Killer?”
He looks up, smiling sadly. “It’s perfect surfing weather.”
“Then go. This place is a ghost town anyway.”
He looks at the clock and I can tell he is considering it. He glances back at me. “You wanna go?”
“Me? I don’t surf.” I shake my head vigorously.
“No? Well, you could go and just enjoy the fresh air.” He looks back at his phone. “First storm squalls shouldn’t make it for another few hours.”
“Sure. Why not? Let’s blow this joint.” I stand up and stretch before closing the gallery down, while JP changes. He’s seems right giddy with the chance to hit the surf.
I’m not sure what I expected to see when we got to the beach, but it certainly isn’t this...
Not only is he a proficient surfer, but an absolute maven. JP has totally blown me away. I’ve been sitting on the shore with my toes playing in the warm sand for over an hour now, watching him tame the wild waves. The ocean is in an ugly uproar with the storm prowling the coast, but that doesn’t seem to deter him in the least.
With the forceful wind brushing against my body, I continue to stay frozen in a trance of watching him pop up fluidly over and over again. When he takes to walking on the board while it rides a wave, I’m slack-jawed. It’s like JP and the surfboard are one. He glides along the waves and makes it look effortless. The guy possesses some kind of otherworldly balance. I’m in pure awe as he goes out there and plays so smoothly. The guy is totally in his element.
He absolutely owns the waves and they seem to be possessed by him, because not once does he lose control of his board. When he tires of a wave, he either simply walks off the surfboard or executes a flawless backflip or springboards off in a dive. He’s only wearing black wetsuit bottoms that hit him mid-calf and ride low on his lean hips, showing off a perfect V to his lower abdomen. Wow. The backside view is just about overwhelming. I must admit, I’m enjoying the view and wish I had brought my camera. He’s just so nicely well-built. I feel very lacking sitting in my baggy cutoff jeans and plain shirt.
Another hour passes, when the sky begins to darken considerably with the storm approaching. I’m getting antsy thinking he has no plans of ever returning to shore. I’m ready to flag him down, but he finally wades out of the choppy water and plops beside me. He seems to be more invigorated than spent after all of that exercise.
“Wow,” I say.
He looks at me sideways with a grin, but says nothing. I can’t keep my eyes off of him. I’m taking in his bare back when I spot an oblong scar on his left shoulder. I resist no longer and run my fingers over the mark. “What caused that?”
He shakes his head and keeps quiet for a few beats as I’m guessing he is recalling the reason behind it. “I spent last summer in Italy. Found me an Italian hot mama in Naples. She lured me back to her cottage. I spoke no Italian and she spoke no English, but we really needed no words.” He looks over at me full of smugness. “Or so that’s what I thought until her husband showed up, waving a gun in my face and all Hades broke loose. I had to make a run for it half-dressed. Dude got a shot off and grazed my shoulder.” He looks over his shoulder and touches the scar. “Only needed a handful of stitches.”
I pop him hard on the shoulder. “I’m calling you out on this one.”
JP chuckles before growing serious. “I was involved in a car wreck. Nothing serious. I consider myself blessed. Not everyone walks away with just a scratch.” He taps the scar once more before his attention settles on the scars on my left arm. He runs his fingers over the small blemishes. “What about you?”
I shrug. “Just a broken arm that needed surgery to put it back together.” I change the subject, not wanting to discuss it any further. “Tell me how you learned to surf like that. You’re magnificent.”
“I sold my soul to the devil himself.”
“Seriously.” I nudge against his side. He places his damp arm around me and holds me there before I can lean away. I settle there, enjoying it immensely, not caring that he’s dripping on my shirt.
“Close. The devil did introduce me to the sport, but I like to think I honed my own skills over the years. You should see my sister Savannah on a board. She can ride a gnarly wave, too.”
I look up to see if he’s pulling my leg, but I find his expression to be honest. I want to ask him who he keeps referring to as the devil, but I think that topic is off the table for discussion. Instead I ask, “Did the, umm, devil teach Savannah as well?”
“No.” JP takes a deep breath, seemingly trying to shake off something. He opens his eyes and offers me a small smile before gazing out over the ocean. “My sister is a tomboy at heart, but more than that, she’s the most stubborn person I have ever met. That girl can do anything she wants as long as it’s something she wants to do, and don’t ever try talking her into something she doesn’t.” He chuckles. “There’s no give with that one.”
“JP?”
He looks down at me where I’m tucked against his chest. “Yeah?”
“Is the devil behind your nightmares?”
“No… I’m behind my nightmares.” He offers another weak smile, but his blue eyes are riddled with hurt. I want nothing more than to take it away. It
looks to be haunting him. I rest my head back on his chest and try to think of something comforting to say, but I’m coming up empty-handed.
Before I can say anything else, the rain decides to show up in the form of a relentless downpour. We both jump up, but I’m surprised when JP picks me up and heads to the surf instead of the Jeep. He wades us in until we are about hip-deep and submerges us both. I try to be perturbed but end up giggling instead. JP takes this as encouragement and places me on his back as he goes a bit deeper until we are up to his upper chest. I wrap my legs and arms around him securely. The ocean is quite aggressive today, but he makes me feel so safe.
“Surf with me!” he shouts over the roar of the ocean as he looks back at me. His blue eyes sparkle with elation in the midst of the turbulent greys surrounding us.
“I don’t know how!” I shout back, pushing my wet hair away from my face.
“I’ll be the surfboard. Just hold tight to me!” he instructs as he turns to face the shore. I hold on as he says and the next thing I know, a wave is catapulting us towards the shore. I squeal and holler as JP bodysurfs us over and over. The man seems so free out in the midst of this chaotic weather with the waves beating and the rain pelting us and I’m feeling the same way, oddly.
We stay out in the midst of the raging waves and rain with me clinging to him until the first bolts of lightning cut through the sky. We abruptly hightail it after this.
By the time we make it back to the gallery, the full force of the storm has hit and we lose power. Duke joins us in the main gallery section and we all camp out for the night while we munch on anything we can scrounge up. All of that playing in the ocean worked up a mean appetite. JP has done nothing but eat since we’ve returned. Well, that and stare at me. I’m not minding it either.
The place is illuminated by flashlights and one lantern as we spend the night listening to the tropical storm barrel through. Howling winds and deep rumbling thunder keep us company as the guys tell tall-tales. They are quite a pair when they come together and I laugh until my ribs hurt. JP goes on a long tangent about Duke auditioning for an off-Broadway performance where he would have to dress as a drag queen. The details he weaves into the story are absurdly convincing and I find myself asking Duke repeatedly if it is actually true.
“If the dude’s lips are moving, Willow, he’s lying.” Duke rolls his eyes dramatically.
“I don’t know… I have seen you wear makeup…” I give him a knowing look.
JP barks in laughter and I join in.
“You two think you’re so funny. I think I liked it better when you were bickering and Willow was on my side.” Duke tosses an Oreo and pops JP in the head with it.
It only makes JP laugh harder. He grabs up the cookie and crams it in his mouth. I can’t help but watch him as I eat my own cookie. It’s like he is on some high from the surfing and the storm, like a weight has been alleviated. I can only hope it doesn’t return, but from watching him over the summer, I have my doubts. Hot and cold.
Duke gets a wicked glint in his eye before bringing up a sore subject. “We had a good time at Case’s that night, didn’t we, Willow?” He raises the pierced eyebrow towards me in a challenge.
I cut my eyes sharply at him. “It was all right.”
“Tell JP who you met?”
I shrug and glance over at JP, who seems all kinds of interested in my answer. “Some guy named Liam. Duke and Case tattooed him.” I shrug again.
JP looks away from me and punches Duke in the arm. “You little punk! You were supposed to bring me when you tattooed Liam Hayes!” Well, it’s obvious JP is into professional fighting. Relief washes through me when I figure out this is between the two of them and not me this time.
“It’s what you get for leaving me and Willow to man the gallery all by ourselves at the last minute.” He’s laughing, so JP leans over and punches him again. Next thing I know, the two of them are rolling around wrestling like two kids. It’s hilarious.
“I ort to yank that thing off your lip. Maybe that’ll shut your smart mouth,” JP threatens as he pretends to grab ahold of Duke’s lip ring. I’m laughing so hard, tears escape.
I know we are in the midst of a tropical storm, but this has to be my favorite day of this unexpected summer. The farm day is a close second, though. I hunker down in my sleeping bag close to the guys and listen to the howling wind until I doze off.
Chapter Nineteen
Well, today is my twenty-first birthday. I’m officially a grownup by the world’s standards. Although I feel like I have already reached the adult milestone a while back. Dad had plans on taking me to Savannah for the weekend. I love going there and exploring all of the town’s rich history, but he was called up and invited to take part in a special experimental procedure at the last minute. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and I encouraged him to go. He reluctantly went. Mom, on the other hand, is on her honeymoon with none other than the plumber. Yes. He has a name and I’ll call him by it when I have to.
So my mom is on her honeymoon during my birthday. Well, I don’t have anything I care to say about that. As already acknowledged, I’m an official adult now, so I think I can handle a birthday without my parents holding my hand. Sure, I’ve had to repeat this a few times to myself and I’m sure I will believe it soon.
I think out of guilt for leaving me, Dad agreed to let me have some friends over to the island. We are just going to hang out on the beach and have a bonfire. Nothing extravagant. Tonight I want to see how my childhood friends and my new friends mesh. Both are important to me, so fingers crossed, they will get along great. How can they not? Sure, they have different backgrounds but they are all absolutely wonderful people.
My mind wanders away from the hopes of tonight and back to JP’s workroom. I try to look like I’m paying attention as he goes over all of the functions on my new camera Dad surprised me with before he left for Seattle yesterday.
This camera is beyond magnificent, too. It’s a Canon EOS-10. Dad got all the bells and whistles to go with it. The hefty camera bag holds a 250mm telephoto zoom lens, a 50mm standard lens, and an ultra-wide zoom lens. I honestly don’t know what to do with it all. More than that, I don’t know how to work up enough nerve to ask JP to go to the party tonight for fear he’ll turn me down.
“This baby is sweet. It’s nicer than mine.” JP says this reverently as he studies it. “Your old man did you right and then some.”
I shrug and look at the camera apprehensively. “I think it’s too much camera for me. All of those buttons are overwhelming.”
“You’ll get the hang of it,” JP says as he sets the camera on the worktable and starts flipping through the camera manual.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I mumble as I hop up on the table and work on freeing the memory card from the impossible plastic package.
“What did you do? Ace your summer class or something to earn this baby?”
I hand him the card and he places it in the designated spot on the camera. “Birthday gift,” I mumble as I watch him.
He looks over at me. “Birthday?”
“Twenty-first. Today.”
He leans over casually until he’s directly in my face and gives me a stern look. “And I’m just hearing about this now?”
I pick up the zoom lens and look through it at him. “I should have run around shouting it at the top of my lungs all day,” I sass.
“You should be celebrated,” he says matter-of-factly before leaning away from me.
“I’m having some friends over to my dad’s house tonight. I would really like for you to be there.”
He considers this for a few moments, but shakes his head. “A bunch of drunk college kids… Not my scene.”
“Mine neither.”
“The big twenty-one and no drinking. Ain’t that the rite of passage?”
“Not for me. I have enough trouble keeping my mind straight sober. I have no desire to try it drunk.”
JP doesn�
�t respond to this. Instead, he goes back to the camera, checking the battery and setting up the back screen information. I lean towards him until he has no choice but to look at me. “Will you please go?”
“I’ll try to swing by. Text the address to my phone.” He looks away and goes back to work on the camera.
I pull my phone out and punch the address and send it to his phone that is sitting beside me on the table. I try not to grin too big when his phone lights up with my message and see he has set the peony picture of me for my profile.
Dad’s house practically sits on the beach and so the bonfire is technically in the backyard. Duke has the small fire pit crackling away as the late day is turning to night. He also has his phone set on a speaker dock with massive sound. The guy has great taste in music. We’ve been jamming away to American Authors, Imagine Dragons, One Republic, Bleu Streak and several others. His gift to me was the exact playlist downloaded on a new iPod. I thought the gift was a bit much, but love it so I ended up only giving him minimal lip about it. Yes, these guys are tearing me away from my country music bit by bit. I think it’s very intentional since they are both adamant about me never having the reign over the radio.
I’ve been quite entertained with the mix of friends trying to mingle together tonight. One group, my childhood friends, look to be from a Tommy Hilfiger ad. While the other group, my new friends, look to be straight from a bikes and tattoos ad. It’s definitely a motley crew, but they seem to really like each other. Trina, who could be Miss America with her long silky blonde hair and fresh as a peach complexion, is completely charmed by my purple-haired Duke. Those two have danced almost nonstop since the music got cranked up earlier. He is one charmer, though. I can see any girl falling for him. He has such a presence, and it has nothing to do with the piercings and hairdo.
Jace just got here and this is a great birthday gift. He and his dad stroll up to the beach carrying pizza boxes. He insisted he provide pizza for the party. Mr. Wiles hands over the pizza and says he will be on the back patio when Jace is ready to go. I thank him for bringing Jace. He smiles proudly over to his son before disappearing so that Jace can get the whole college party experience. I see now how I would strive for the same for my child if they had special needs. So many things I take for granted…