Chapter 5
739 Words
She didn’t think Friday would ever get here. But it did. She decided to go chic, wearing a rich plum turtleneck with a tan leather pencil skirt paired with warm suede booties. She topped it off with a beautiful Mètis printed scarf and her beaded earrings. She hoped she wasn’t the first one to the gallery, waiting in brightly lit places for your date to show up was excruciating.
As she walked up the steps to the brightly lit, glass building, she could see Jason just inside the door sitting on a bench with his head c****d to one side as he stared at something on the wall. Jaunting up the steps she texted him “Just arrived, I’ll be right in”
She watched as he fumbled for his phone and a smile spread across his face as he looked up at the door watching for her. That was gratifying to see, he really was looking forward to seeing her.
She slipped in and said a breathy “Hello” as he walked up to her.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“A little, that wind is a little cutting isn’t it?”
“Well do you want to walk around and get warm that way? Or grab a glass of something and just talk?”
“What I want is to see what you were looking at while I was coming up the steps, you seemed, unsure.”
He laughed. “Oh that! It’s right here,” He said leading the way. “I can’t figure it out, but I think its made out of ...hair?” He gave a little shake of his head.
She stared at it and it did seem as if it was something felted like a huge hairball. She stared at the accompanying card. “Well it does say hair fibre and mixed media. So yes? “
“I don’t always get it, but I think that’s the point sometimes isn’t it?” Jason laughed.
“I took some art classes in university and I seem to recall the important part of art is to evoke a reaction, a feeling, a thought, just a reaction. So clearly, you reacted. It’s done it’s job. It’s not always about understanding the why or what.”
Jason nodded. “That makes sense. Art classes huh? Budding artist?” He motioned at her earrings.
“Actually my aunt made me these, I didn’t. I don’t really have an artistic bone in my body, I’m more the art historian type. I know the details and history. I had to fill those electives somehow!” She laughs.
Jason leads her over to the bar and orders them both a glass of red. “I’m sorry, I should have asked what you wanted.” “No I’m ok with red, thanks” “Good, anyways, those earrings are beautiful.”
“Thank you again. I love them, they are dear to me.”
“So are you close with your family?”
“Absolutely, I grew up really close with all my cousins, aunties and uncles. I saw my grandparents every weekend. You?”
“Well not like that, but I’m very close with my mom, dad and my brother, in fact, I told them that I met this little firecracker at a speed dating event and my brother is already campaigning for me to join the married couples brigade. He said he can’t handle being the only married one, with the bachelor brother making single life looking like so much less of a headache.” Jason laughed.
Nika blushed at his “little firecracker comment” “As flattered as I am, I am hardly little.” She flushed.
“You are perfect to me, and compared to me, you seem little.” He stopped and stared in her eyes, showing his desire for her in a look.
She blushed harder. “Uhmm I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything at all.”
He cleared his throat and said “So what do you think of this piece?”
She laughed softly, thankful for the reprieve as they slipped into a comfortable camaraderie for the rest of the night, sharing stories, laughter, and the occasional odd look at an installment that didn’t make sense to their eyes.
At the end of the evening, she thanked him for a lovely evening and went home, glowing and happy. Hoping he felt the same.
As she was preparing for bed, she felt the vibration of her phone. Pulling it out of her leggings pocket she saw a text from him. “Sweet dreams little firecracker.”
She smiled and did indeed have sweet dreams.
- Writer
