by Neil Crenner
back, which was a little darker and they both in turn were less talky and more brisk in their step. This made Reason feel good too; they were both in tune with each other. Once they were back at the car, they paused to just gather their breath and enjoy the feeling. Reason wanted to end the night in good spirits and the walk really just brought him to a total relaxed state. He always believed that it reduced stress and a first date is stressful, usually.
The drive home was pleasant and another masterpiece was playing on the radio, quietly this time. Just loud enough to keep awkwardness at bay. Reason didn't want to hear what Didier was going to ask when they were back at his home. Reason would just politely say that it was a wonderful experience and they would do it again soon. And it's late, but he loved Didier holding his hand.
Didier was just about to get out of the car and he leaned over and kissed Reason. "Thanks, I really had a wonderful time tonight. Can we do it again soon?"
"Definitely, absolutely," Reason uttered with as sincere tone of voice that he could. He was just in shock. Maybe this man was as crazy about him as he imagined.
"I'll call you tomorrow evening, we can discuss it then. Good Night Reason Simon," As he exited the car.
"Bon soir Didier Gauthier," Reason said lavishly, without an accent, never with one.
He pulled out of the drive and headed home. The music needs to be just a little louder he thought and turned it up. What a night, what a man. I am going to really enjoy this chapter in my life he thought as he drove home.
15 minutes later.
Colbert was waiting at the door when he arrived home. "Oh poor baby, you've been home alone all night. Come let's go to bed. Reason went to bed thinking about Didier. Colbert next to him snuggled up in the covers. Reason was playing the date backwards in his mind, to the beginning, then the first meeting and then the picture hanging. He was falling asleep. What a wonderful way to fall asleep. Out.
Chapitre 7
Tuesday morning.
When Reason woke he felt groggy. He was craving a strong cup of dark roasted coffee this morning as he lay in bed. He felt that he could lay in bed just a few more minutes and then get up. He was thinking about Didier, trying to see his face in his mind. He was getting excited. How could he be so lucky to have met such a wonderful man? Or was it luck? In the back of his mind there was a knowing again. It was the vision he had. How would this play out? he asked himself out loud. He paused, looked up. No answer from above, time for coffee then.
He went to the kitchen to make the coffee. He wanted to sit down and relax while he drank his coffee this morning. Enjoy it, enjoy the morning. What's the weather like today he wondered? He went out to the porch and couldn't see the newspaper. He walked all the way out to the street. He glanced at his neighbor's lawns and porches and couldn't see any papers anywhere. Maybe the paperboy was sick he thought and went back inside.
He didn't watch the news the night before. How would he find out about the weather? He hated to turn the TV on in the morning. This would change the atmosphere prematurely. Getting on the computer this early was too much of an effort. He would wait and buy a paper on the way to work. After the weather would probably be the same as it was yesterday.
The coffee was black, strong and hot, and a nice aftertaste in the mouth. Some sourdough toast with butter went well with it. He looked at the paper from the day before, it had the forecast, however, he wasn’t skeptical of it. He finished his relaxing moment after 30 minutes and went to shower; Colbert was still in bed, lazy dog.
'Relax,' he kept telling himself. Just take your time. You'll see him again soon. He wanted to call him as soon as he was finished showering. Doing this would be the first red flag. He kept his hands off the phone. Don't seem needy. You're not needy. After all you've been single for many years now. You've be waiting for Mr. Right patiently all this time. Take it easy, take it slow.
He wanted to wear some khaki shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, weather fitting or not. He wore what he felt, not what the weather dictated. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror, boy that facial cleanser really does make your skin glow.
Off to work in less than two hours as he walked out the door and glanced at the clock on the wall. Time is so slow sometimes, usually when love has started.
"Colbert, come on, let's go to work." Colbert came running out of the bedroom.
20 minutes later.
The fresh morning air he inhaled deeply as he got out of the Jaguar. There was nothing like it except the feeling of love, he said out loudly. Does that feeling ever go away he wondered? He stood there waiting for Colbert to climb out of the backseat. Was it only the second day after meeting Didier Gauthier, soon it would fade he knew.
This is what we all want, us humans; of man the word meant. We are of man? Reason's mind streamed thoughts like these most of the time. We all want love, a companion. We are not loners, by choice are we? Our separation from our creator or just what the general plan turned out so far?
He unlocked the back door to the gallery and went inside, Colbert following. He was early and didn't open for another 30 minutes or so. He would read the paper. He had taken Colbert with him; she liked to walk and behaved well on a leash. The paper said a beautiful clear day, as Reason already knew that, temperature around 74 F. The five-day forecast, the same. Reason sighed at this. No time like the present to start a relationship. Good weather meant a good start. Smooth sailing, for now.
After reading the paper for twenty minutes, Reason got out the negatives of the lighthouse where he saw the figure of the person. This was on his mind. He needed to look at them once again to verify that there was such a figure there. That his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, as it did sometimes.
He was looking at the negatives one at a time through a powerful magnifying lenses that sat on top of the negative over a glass table with a light underneath it. He could see that they captured the movement of the figure very distinctly, if it was even one. Maybe it was a shadow of a tree blowing in the wind. No, the trees were too far away. That was a person for sure. Someone he might meet very soon? With this thought he began to think about the other vision again. Would Didier be the cause of all this? Surely not he answered himself.
He began to build a grand scheme picture in his mind. He did this often after things happened, rarely before they happened. He would feel it actually. In this feeling he could see the timeline of things from the past to the present to the future. It took some focusing to accomplish this, and afterwards it would give him a strange feeling, like he shouldn't be so lucky to be able to do this. Did others do this? He had never asked.
He saw the meeting with Didier, the picture on the wall, the restaurant, it was gone. He shrugged. How odd that feeling was that he would be in. He was spooked for a second. Why him he wondered? Was he lucky to be gifted or was it a curse? Too many issues to deal with right now, he was in love.
He would keep up his guard for his own good. He often listened to his gut feelings, in dealing with certain situations. He felt confident that it would not fail him.
The bell on the front door was ringing. A customer he thought. Reason glanced up to see Trevor Chace. "So you have come to visit me," Reason remarked as he watched Trevor walk up to the light table. Reason felt strange, afraid to see Trevor again, afraid that he might have another vision. Unfounded fear, he told himself. He will face him with his nonchalant persona, one of his favorites.
"Hi Reason, how are you?"
"Hey there," Reason said in his fun voice. "What's up?"
"I am perfectly fine. I just came to thank you for referring me to your friend Joe Handel. I took my work over to him yesterday and he said he'd give me a show, son, all booked up for now. He also invited me to one of his galas, I'm so excited. Where's Colbert?"
Reason was surprised with his yapping. "She's in the back. Colbert!" He said out loud. "Well that's lovely. I knew Joe would like your work. So you're going to have your very first showing. Am I invited?"
&nb
sp; Colbert came running out from the back of the studio. She ran up to Trevor and stood up on her hind legs.
"Oh hi sweetie, how are you? You're so beautiful. I love you so much." Reason was used to people fawning over Colbert. She was so beautiful and sweet, especially for a Shar Pei. Trevor sat down on the floor, crossing his legs, so he could get a better view of Colbert, to rub her and talk with her.
"Well of course you are invited," he exclaimed. “I want you to come, and see my work. By the way I have a gift for you."
This last statement didn't get Reason's attention, there was a moment that lapsed before he realized what Trevor had said? Trevor pointed to a package wrapped in brown paper that he had laid down on the floor. "The best presents come in the plainest wrapping."
"For moi?" Reason picked up the package and started to pull off the wrapping and found a photograph done in black and white of his gallery facade. It was several different negatives overlapping and being exposed on top of one another, creating a very dramatic effect.
Reason stared at it with great sincerity. He really thought it original. Reason would like to try this with Didier and himself. Such a plagiarist at heart, he sighed.
"I love it, absolutely completely," he said sincerely. He really did love it. Trevor smiled a great big smile