The Mural Closed)

[slowandeasy]

November Rain has graciously consented to join me in this rp story. Please read along and enjoy, any and all comments are welcome.



His father had wanted him to be a pianist, his mother thought he’d become a surgeon. Even though he had made an attempt at college and he’d taken piano lessons with genuine interest, he had become neither of these. He looked at his delicate hands his long supple fingers and wondered why not.? He knew of course, because ever since he was a child he had loved to paint. Was he an artist? Perhaps simply by definition for at 34 he was, he painted portraits landscapes, sometimes abstractly sometimes realistically, whatever struck his fancy. He wasn't famous and he didn't make much money, but he could afford to do this, his parents had given him money than he could spend in a lifetime.

He rubbed his hands together. It was a cold January afternoon, the grey clouds that hung ominously threatening another snow storm kept what precious little light there was from entering the one large window in his studio. He could have afforded a much warmer well lit atmosphere to paint in but he told himself this place had ‘ambiance’

“Ambiance hell!” he told himself today as he watched his model fidget and squirm trying to hold a pose while goose bumps covered her naked body.

I’m outa here Charles Van Pelt!” She said suddenly as she jumped to her feet and started dressing. Call me when you get some heat in this place and you’re actually ready to paint.

Charles shrugged his shoulders. This was the third model the agency had sent over this week. He couldn’t blame her he had hardly lifted his brush to the canvas, a few preliminary sketches, Some experimenting with different combinations of colors, and hues, an attempt to move his easel to a different part of the room. An attempt to move her to a different part of the room. An hour in this frigid room naked with no sign of progress would make any model upset.

After she left he went to the window and watched the scene three stories below. Pedestrians sloshing along the slush covered sidewalks holding their coats and hats against the bitter wind. Dirty cars and trucks slipping along ice covered streets. He turned on the radio. “More snow tomorrow.” The weatherman said. “Sub zero temperatures again tonight.”

"That’s it!" Charles announced to the empty room. "I’m outa here too. To hell with the mural! to hell with this damn cold weather!"

 

[November Rain]

Lisa Doyle could hardly believe what she had just heard. “You mean, you’re just letting me go? But when I took this assignment six months ago, you said there was a strong possibility that it could lead to a permanent job.”

Dwight, the group head, looked embarrassed. “I know, Lisa. But things were different six months ago. The firm’s had two bad quarters in a row, so they’re looking to cut back. It’s a hiring freeze, effective immediately. I got the word from HR today. In fact, we won’t even be able to keep you as a temp past Friday.”

Lisa’s shoulders slumped. She felt as if she might cry any moment. When Dwight had asked her to step into his office for a private talk, she hadn’t been expecting this. In fact, she had thought that this was The Big Moment, when he finally told her that he was hiring her as a permanent employee. Dwight couldn’t have shocked her more if he had punched her in the mouth.

“I’m sorry, Lisa. I wish I could change things.” Dwight played with his pen. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to keep control. After a moment or two she was able to look up at him again, her face neutral. “So Friday’s my last day, then?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Good. At least I’ll have a chance to say goodbye to everyone.” She pushed her chair back and prepared to stand up. Dwight held out his hand to stop her, and she settled back in her chair. Was this conversation ever going to end?

“Lisa, for what it’s worth, I intend to give you a very good evaluation. You’ve earned it. Your work has been outstanding. I want you to leave me a copy of your resume, so that I can give you a call in case things change.”

She forced herself to smile. “Thank you, Dwight. I appreciate that.” It was a lie, of course – she wasn’t feeling very appreciative right now – but if there was one thing she had learned in nearly three years of temping it was never to burn bridges.

The rest of the afternoon crawled by, and when five o’clock finally came Lisa shut down her computer, put on her coat and fled the building as if she were escaping from jail. Usually she stuck around to chat with her friends, or to see if Dwight or Henry, the other vice president, needed anything else from her. Today, however, she didn’t want to spend one more minute in that office.

Outside it was already dark as she joined the crowd of commuters trudging through the gray slush to the subway. Her breath plumed out in front of her as she shoved her hands in her pockets and concentrated on not slipping and falling. That would just be the perfect ending to the day.

The three blocks to the subway seemed interminable, and by the time she reached the station the cold, damp air had already penetrated her coat. Two more days of this, and then what? Go back to the agency and find another assignment? Spend another six months slaving away while the bosses dangled the carrot of a permanent job in front of her nose?

The hell with that, she thought. I need a change of scene. Hop on a plane and go someplace warm. Leave all this crap behind.

 

[slowandeasy]

It was After 10:00 pm by the time Charles zipped his duffle bag shut and gathered together a few personal items which he put in a smaller bag along with a sketch pad some soft-lead pencils, his journal, his cell phone and his passport. A notepad he had left on his desk contained a to-do list that he had checked off one by one. He had called for airline reservations He was booked on flight 716 at gate 29 at 11:30 PM tonight. The time share one bedroom bungalow he had reserved for the first two weeks in February faced the ocean. It was small, cozy and very private, just what he wanted for the next two weeks. The refrigerator was being stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and beverages, the cupboards were being filled with canned goods, condiments bread pasta and rice insuring that the next two week would be trouble free and leisurely. Fresh towels and bathing articles would be at his disposal daily and the building would be cleaned and aired out prior to arrival at his destination, just before dawn tomorrow morning. A sailboat he had borrowed from a friend would arrive at the pier and be waiting for him when he wished to use it. He had told no one of his departure or his final destination only a brief message on his answering machine that said he would be indisposed for the next two weeks. A messenger service would pick up his incoming calls and he would check them from time to time in case of an emergency. Everything had been taken care of. He could relax and enjoy the next two weeks undisturbed and free.

************************************************************
“Flight Number 716 will be departing at gate 29 in fifteen minutes.”

The announcement came over the loudspeaker and Charles picked up his bag and headed toward the loading platform. Ahead of him he noticed that a young woman struggling with two cumbersome bags had dropped her boarding pass, and as he stooped over to retrieve it for her he found himself looking up into her soft brown eyes. He dropped his gaze to where their hands were touching.

“ Thank you.” he heard her say as he relinquished his hold. "Maybe I should have checked one of these bags in. but I’m making another stop before I get to my final destination and I was afraid…You know how easy it is to lose bags.”

Charles grinned he had packed light for that same reason. Re-boarding in Miami could get tricky as he only had a few minutes to make his connection with a much smaller plane. “Yes I know.” he replied. “Here let me help you.” He tucked his smaller bag under his arm and grabbed both bags as the travelers behind them urged them forward again.

As the stewardess took their boarding passes she smiled “ Seats 18 A and B. She pointed to the rear of the plane and then added. “Enjoy your stay in St Thomas.”

 

[November Rain]

Lisa found her seat and hesitated as the tall man with her bags joined her. She reached up and opened the overhead compartment, and with his help she stowed both bags. He managed to find enough room for his smaller bag, then closed the compartment. They stood for a moment, looking at each other. His eyes were a lovely shade of blue.

She cleared her throat, smiled and said, “Well. Thanks again for your help.”

“Sure, glad to help,” he said, smiling. He had a nice smile.

She broke eye contact and eased into the window seat, aware that he had the seat next to her. She buckled her seatbelt, then opened her purse and took out the paperback she had bought just for the plane ride. Some thick, trashy novel about forbidden romance – just right for vacation. But she didn’t feel like opening the book just yet, just sat there with it on her lap. There was too much excitement pulsing through her.

The last few days had been full of preparations. She didn’t know how she could have done it all without her sister Laura’s help. Laura had taken her shopping, had promised to water the plants and collect the mail while she was away, had offered Lisa the use of her big travel bag, and, most importantly, had helped her put the trip together. Her best friend Gloria was a travel agent, and the three of them got together and planned everything down to the last detail. Gloria had suggested St. Thomas, and Laura, who had honeymooned there, had enthusiastically supported the idea. When most of the major hotels turned out to be booked solid, Gloria had gotten her a great deal on a two-week rental of a private condominium.

“All the comforts of home, and a fantastic view of the ocean,” Gloria had said. “Maid service, fully stocked fridge, beach chairs, hammocks, even cable TV. And you’re near all the good stuff: beaches, restaurants, marinas. You can even rent some gear and go scuba diving, if you want.” It had all sounded wonderful, and Lisa could hardly wait. Two weeks in St. Thomas! This was her reward for working all that overtime.

All the passengers were seated now, and the stewardesses went through their preflight routine. A voice came over the loudspeaker, reminding them that there was no smoking, and that they should fasten their seatbelts. The plane began to move, and Lisa looked out the window at the gray skies, mentally bidding goodbye to the wintry city.

 

[slowandeasy]

leaving the cold behind

The four hour flight to Miami had begun pleasantly. Charles Van Pelt introducing himself to Lisa Doyle and she in turn had told him her name. Even though he wasn’t the kind of man who craved social interaction, being more the solitary type, he saw no reason for two people who were sitting side by side on a four hour flight to remain strangers. He had observed when she had turned to him as she spoke, she was an attractive woman maybe a bit younger than some of his friends but he was comfortable in the company of younger women who from time to time modeled for him. He admired the soft texture of her hair and how it caught in the light creating an array of complimentary brown tones. He noticed at once the naturalness of her complexion, the fact that she seemed to prefer to let the real colors of her skin accent her face and eyes rather than create a distraction with makeup. He was sure he would enjoy her company for the next four hours. Beyond that he could only guess. The stewardess had implied that they both were headed for St Thomas. Perhaps even to the same location on the island. He had become curious now that he knew her name and had a shared a smile and the sound of unpretentious laughter.

There had been that typical thirty seconds of silence that occurs between two strangers while they try to decide if they want to go somewhere with the information that they have just obtained and then, most importantly who is going to go first.

As often happens, this impasse had been followed by a question from either party in order to give the ensuing conversation momentum.

“Are you going on to St. Thomas?” They had both buoyantly asked and then laughed at their identical, spontaneous questions

“Yes.” Their replies again had been in unison, just as upbeat and followed by the same spontaneous laughter.

They could have gone anywhere from here now that they had broken the ice, felt the warmth in each others laughter and headed the conversation toward tomorrow instead of yesterday. That had set well in Charles’ mind. Wanting to forget the cold and frustrating feeling he had left behind, he relaxed looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

He had the sense that it suited Lisa’s as well as she seemed to relax and settle back into her seat. He had noticed the title and brightly colored cover of the book in her lap and took it as a sign that if she chose to, she could let it entertain her or put it to the side if she found something more interesting or important to attend to. Knowing that Charles relaxed also and let his imagination wander undisturbed.

His spirit had been lifted as soon as the frozen ground had disappeared into the darkness, and a cloudless night sky had greeted him. He had already began to see images in his mind of white sandy beaches, crystal clear Caribbean water, tropical breezes, sizzling hot days and cool starry nights. St Thomas had become his favorite place to “get away from it all” and renew himself and his creative energy. Years ago when in his youth he had spent many carefree seasons island hopping, with his college friends. Not a year went by that he didn’t venture south and savor the romantic carefree atmosphere that he had come to look forward to. Every year a new experience offered itself to him and his sense of creativity, which he either recorded with canvas and paint, in his sketchbook or indelibly stored away in his minds eye for future reference. This season would be no different with the exception of forgetting about that damn mural he had promised he would create. He had pushed it out of his mind and vowed to himself not to even think about it for the next two weeks.

The plane banked to the east and Charles turned his gaze to the window where a panorama of the clear north sky presented itself.

"Wow!” He whispered. unable to hide his exuberance. The milky way was spilling it’s contents of twinkling treasure into the depths of the universe. He reached over to touch the back of Lisa’s hand to share this beauty and smiled when he saw that she was gazing in awe also. Her silence and the profile of her face reflected in the star filled cabin window triggered a response from his body that was neither a shiver and a warm glow, but something in between that he was unable to define, even though he knew he had experienced it before. That response created a feeling that lingered long after the plane banked south again and climbed higher in the night sky. He saw that Lisa had closed her eyes so he turned to the front and shut his eyes also, becoming mesmerized by the drone of the engines and the light contact of her skin against his fingers.

 

[November Rain]

Lisa had a mild fear of flying, and for that reason she had been dreading the four-hour flight to Miami. But as soon as her seatmate introduced himself and they began to chat, she forgot all about her nerves (and the book on her lap). Charles Van Pelt was very charming and he put her at ease immediately. She also couldn’t help noticing that he was quite attractive, with light brown hair that nearly reached his shirt collar and bright blue eyes that seemed to take in every detail of his surroundings. He looked to be in his early thirties, which was a bit older than the men she usually thought of as her “type”, but that little detail didn’t bother her. They were enjoying each other’s company, and that was all that mattered right now.

She felt a little jolt of excitement when she found out that he too was headed to St. Thomas. He must also have been sick and tired of the gray, seemingly endless winter. She recalled the beautiful brochures Gloria had shown her, and it didn’t take much effort for her to conjure up a mental image of the two of them strolling along a sandy beach, gazing out at the brilliant blue sea. It was only an idle fantasy, but it made her feel good. Smiling slightly, she turned to the window and looked out. The night sky was the color of rich black ink, dotted with countless gemlike stars. She had never seen anything quite like it, and the beauty was overwhelming.

“Wow!” Charles said softly, and she thrilled suddenly as he touched the back of her hand. She could see the reflection of both their faces in the window, gazing out at the sky, and she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was just as taken with the view as she was. He kept his hand where it was, lightly touching hers, and the sensation was very pleasant. No, more than that – it filled her with the same kind of happy glow that her fantasy had given her just a few moments ago.

Lisa didn’t trust herself to speak as a rush of emotions flooded her, making her throat feel tight. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, heaving a long, contented sigh.

* * *

A sudden jolt startled her out of her reverie. She sat bolt upright and looked around, momentarily disoriented, heart beating fast. It took a moment or two for her to remember where she was: on a plane bound for St. Thomas, for two weeks of a dream vacation.

“Just a little turbulence,” Charles said, and she turned to face him. A sheepish smile spread slowly across her face.

“I’ve never been all that fond of flying,” she said, chuckling slightly at her own silliness.

He smiled back at her. “Nothing unusual about that. Lots of people hate to fly.” He glanced at his watch. “But look at it this way: One hour down, three to go.”

She settled back in her seat. “Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not half as nervous as I usually am on a plane, and I think I owe it all to you. I hope you won’t think I’m being too forward when I say this, but I am really enjoying your company, Charles.” She looked at him, admired those brilliant blue eyes, then felt a little rush of embarrassment and dropped her gaze.

 

[slowandeasy]

. “I like people who are open and honest.” Charles said while not even thinking about what his words were. What he was thinking was how much he wanted to paint that face that had just turned to him. How he wanted to capture every detail, the warmth of her smile, her soft brown eyes that sparkled with life as she spoke, how they reflected her uninhibited reaction to their conversation, to her surroundings, to her thoughts, her feelings. In a word hers was the most natural face he had seen in a long time and he so much wanted to paint it. If only he could see her in the sunlight with the blue green Caribbean in the background.

“Don’t even go there.” he admonished himself. He knew better than to assume that this young woman sitting alongside of him practically a complete stranger would even consider posing for a hard to please artist such as himself, much less spend her vacation sitting in one spot while she could be enjoying the sights, swimming and basking in the sun, taking in the nightlife, the music ,the dancing. "That’s what she was here for, not to answer to the whims of a perfectionist who was intent on satisfying his own personal wishes.'

And what about him? What about his intentions, when he decided to leave his brushes and paints and canvas behind, to forget about painting for two weeks, sail, swim, lay in the sun. Eat food he wasn’t supposed to, drink some of the local wine. Rent a car drive into Havensite take in a stage show, go dancing, there were a million things he rather do than paint for two weeks. He’d just put that thought out of his mind right now. He had left his stuff at home, so that was that, case closed.

Lisa looked up having recovered from her embarrassment and soothed by Charles kind words. She was about to speak when he continued after recovering himself from his thoughts. “I’m really enjoying your company too, Lisa.” Somehow that seemed to enough to make her feel more secure for she settled back in the seat again and closed her eyes.

The stewardess came by with a blanket and two pillows and Charles spread the blanket out over the two of them and gently stuffed a pillow under Lisa’s head where she lay slumped against his shoulder. He heard her murmur a thank you and felt her settle into the softness he had provided. He turned off the overhead lights and leaning down to her whispered. “Two hours and we’ll be in Miami. I’ll wake you before we begin the descent.” From there it will be a hop and a skip to St Thomas.” We should be there just about sunrise. There are few more beautiful sights from the air than the sun rising out of the ocean”.

An hour went by. For some reason Charles wasn’t tired, He dug out his journal, wrote briefly about the day’ events and then checked his calendar He had a rental car waiting at the airport and it was just a twenty minute trip to the cottage he had rented. He’d get there in time for an invigorating swim and then make himself breakfast before he started his day, First on his list of things that needed to be done was to check out the sailboat he had borrowed from his friend. If things had gone as planned it would be at the marina and if it was ready to sail, he’d bring it around to anchor it in Lemontree Bay in front of his home for the next two weeks. Next he dug out his sketch book and a couple of soft lead pencils. He grinned thinking of his promise to himself that he was now breaking. Actually it was very easy to rationalize the situation by telling himself he was sketching to relax , that it wasn’t really painting or serious art, just doodles to keep his fingers busy and his mind blank. His fingers moved quickly across the paper drawing hard solid lines and soft shaded spaces. In the dim light of the cabin he could hardly see his paper but he was drawing from memory and his mind told his fingers what to do while bypassing his eyes. He hardly realized, he was so intensely concentrating, but the vision his mind was seeing and his hands were eagerly portraying and was sitting next to him, had awakened and was watching him intently

 

[November Rain]

A plane wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, Lisa reflected upon awakening from her brief doze. Her body felt stiff from sitting in one place for so long. It would feel great to get up and stretch her legs once they had arrived at their destination. She raised her head from where it had been resting on a pillow propped against Charles’s shoulder. Her neck creaked a little bit and she smiled, thinking that she might need more than a walk to loosen up her stiff joints. Maybe an oilcan was in order.

She shifted position slightly and then looked at her seatmate. Charles was holding a pad of paper with one hand. The other held a pencil and was scribbling something on the paper. Lisa took a closer look and realized that he was holding an artist’s sketch pad, and he was using the pencil to draw something. She watched silently, fascinated. He worked quickly, seemingly lost in his own world as he sketched in details, then added shading where appropriate. Right before her eyes a face was taking shape on the paper. A woman’s face, with long, wavy dark hair, small nose, cupid’s bow lips stretched in a smile –

“Oh! That’s me!” she exclaimed softly.

Charles flinched slightly and nearly dropped his pencil. He recovered himself, then turned to her. “You’re awake.” He seemed a little nervous, as if he expected her to be angry with him for sketching her.

Lisa couldn’t take her eyes off the drawing. He had really captured her features. It was a little disconcerting to see her face reproduced in a sketch. Disconcerting, and yet exciting. “Wow, I’m so flattered. Nobody’s ever drawn me before. You’re really talented. Do you do this for a living?”

 

[slowandeasy]

Charles lost his nervousness when he discovered the look of genuine interest that lit up her brown eyes and heard her sincere words. He laughed a deep unpretentious laugh, not at Lisa but at himself, at the situation. His smile followed along with his hand, reached out to lightly touch hers. He could sense that she really wanted to know, that she just wasn’t trying to flatter him.

“Oh my … no.” he said in just the same light friendly tone. "Well…, He cocked his head looking upwards as he pondered out loud. “I guess it’s more like a hobby… or a way to express myself. I enjoy it too much to make a job of it. Besides there’s no money in the visual arts anyway, Even if one does it well.

He returned his gaze to meet hers and continued. That doesn’t really matter now does it? what matters is that it moved you, that you saw what was real. And it made you feel something. Few people see this, especially if it’s their own portrait. They make judgments about what they think they should see and miss the real beauty of it.”

Charles paused and then laughed again, “Hey.” he said when he had regained his composure. “Thanks for your compliment and please don’t take it the wrong way but when I see something or someone I want to put to canvas I can’t stop myself and do it without thinking. I sometimes get into trouble, make people uncomfortable, even angry. I hope you’re not one of those people.” He pulled his hand away and then wished he hadn’t. He knew she wasn’t, one of those people, but he felt he had to say it anyway just as a matter of moving the conversation along. He wanted to ask her if he could paint her portrait put some color to her cheeks her eyes her throat capture the high lights in her hair. Instead he tore off the sketch from his pad and handed it to her.

She hesitated, her hand moving to take it and then pulling back. He smiled I really want you to have it. Her face relaxed and a smile of acceptance broke out. her hand came forward again.

“Thank you.” her voice was little more than a whisper but it buried itself so deep in Charles mind that he knew the sound would be there for a long time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[November Rain]

The rest of the flight passed pleasantly enough. After she put the sketch into her handbag, conversation between Lisa and Charles dried up. It wasn’t an awkward silence, however; rather it was as if they retreated into their private thoughts. At some point Lisa dozed off again, and as promised Charles woke her as the plane began its descent.

They’d had to move really fast in order to make their connection in Miami, but they managed to do it with a few minutes to spare. Lisa had been mildly disappointed to find that she and Charles were not sitting together for the flight to St. Thomas. Charles’s dour expression indicated that he was also unhappy about the circumstances. Before they took their seats he offered to meet up with her once they landed, and to help her to her condo. She accepted, and they went to their respective seats.

The flight to St. Thomas was as brief as Charles had said, and before long they met up again at the airport. After they retrieved their luggage Charles led them to the Hertz counter. Within minutes they were driving away from the airport, towards Lisa’s condo on the eastern tip of the island.

Neither of them spoke during the ride. Lisa was too tired to do much sightseeing along the way, so she just settled into the passenger seat and rested while Charles drove. She was thinking ahead to her arrival at the condo, and to their parting.

She had enjoyed their brief time together, and she didn’t want to think that he would just fall out of her life once he dropped her off. Her mind kept returning to the little thrill that had passed through her when he had touched her hand. Had he felt it too? He seemed to like her, that much was certain. She didn’t think that he would have volunteered to drive her if she was nothing more to him than just a seatmate on a plane ride. Besides, he had sketched her, so he must have seen something he liked in her.

Perhaps she ought to ask him out for a drink. Nothing too elaborate, just a friendly get-together. The idea was exciting, but something held her back. Would he misread her intentions? What, exactly, were her intentions anyway? Was she looking for a vacation romance? For that matter, was Charles? Maybe he only saw her as a friend he had made during a boring plane trip.

Lost in her conflicted feelings, Lisa hardly noticed that the car had stopped. “Here we are,” Charles said.

She looked up and saw the sign: OCEANVIEW CONDOS. “Oh wow, that didn’t take long,” she said.