Mike had taken Paul's request to show Debbie around as a subtle request to get out of the house for a little while so that he could be alone with Lynnell. Mike took Debbie's hand in his and guided her to the kitchen and out the back door as he related the history of the property and Paul's involvement in it's restoration. As they walked around the front of the house, Mike stopped and pointed out the lone mountain where Paul's wife and daughter had died. Debbie asked several probing questions which led to Mike telling her Paul's life story as he knew it. They continued walking around the house and on reaching the back side again, headed for the barn-like structure that served as storage shed and garage. Mike saw instantly that the large door was open and led Debbie inside to show her the skis Paul had not worn since that fateful day.
Mike
and Debbie emerged just as the sun broke through the morning mist and peeked
between the tall fir trees to illuminate the pool, shop and back yard. As Debbie
stopped to take it all in, Mike slipped his arm around her waist and asked,
"Feel like a morning swim?" "Mmmm, that sounds good but, I think
I'll pass. What's in the other building?" She replied as she snaked her arm
around his waist and urged him towards the workshop door. "This side is
Paul's workshop. Did I tell you that he's an accomplished potter? I imagine that
most of his work is in the truck in the drive; he's got a show in San Diego next
weekend." Mike opened the door and flipped on the lights, stepping back so
that she could enter first. Debbie had never been in an artist's workshop before
and the dust and clutter surprised her after the spotless home she had just been
in. Her attention was drawn to the heat radiating from the large box-shaped kiln
that sat against the right wall. "Paul seems to be doing some last minute
work from the heat of the kiln." Mike said as he walked behind her. Debbie
casually looked around the room and walked to the shelves that were parallel to
the long walls, stopping now and then to look at various pieces. "Mike,
look at this set of bowls. They're absolutely gorgeous I've never seen anything
like them." Debbie reached out and touched the largest bowl with one
finger, feeling the texture of the piece before continuing, "These bowls
are different from everything else in here, Mike. I don't think they were done
by the same person." As Mike moved closer to see the bowls, Lynnell quietly
entered the shop. Immediately aware of the point of their attention she remained
silent, listening to their comments.
"Do
you like them?" Debbie guiltily snatched her hand away from the bowls and
stepped back looking towards the door where Lynnell stood smiling. "Oh yes,
they're wonderful, especially the biggest one." Debbie replied as her eyes
were drawn back to the largest bowl, some 24 inches across. "Do you think
Paul would be willing to sell this one?" She asked as she admired the bowl
again. Lynnell, no longer depressed, glowed with pride at their comments and in
a playful mood replied, "No, he wouldn't dare sell it, or the entire set.
They aren't finished yet. They still have to be glazed. They are what's known as
bisque; fired once, but unglazed. Why do you like it?" Debbie looked at the
large bowl, disappointment evident in her expression and said, "I guess
it's the simplicity of it that attracts me. No wasted effort, nothing fancy,
functional. I think that it's size, coupled with its shallow depth give it a
beauty beyond anything else I've seen in here. It's so different from anything
else in here it's almost like someone else made it." Lynnell could hold
back no longer and began giggling. "That's why Paul would never sell it.
The bowls are some of my work. Do you really like them?" She asked. Mike
and Debbie's jaws dropped simultaneously, eyes widening in astonishment at her
declaration. Mike was the first to recover and blurted out, "My God! Paul
told me that you had a natural talent for the wheel but I had no idea. Young
lady you are to be commended. Like Debbie said, it's beauty is unsurpassed and
now knowing the artist, would you be willing to sell the set?"
It
was Lynnell's jaw that dropped now but she recovered even faster than they had.
"Mr. James, I told you that they weren't finished. I could never sell an
uncompleted work." Mike smiled at Lynnell and looked at Debbie for
confirmation, an ever so slight nod allowed him to continue, "I understand
your reluctance but, would you consider them a commissioned work to be delivered
on completion for say, five hundred dollars?" Debbie gasped and elbowed
Mike hard in the ribs as Lynnell could only look from the bowls to Mike and
stammer,
"Did
you say five hundred?" Lynnell swallowed and was suddenly at a loss for
words. Paul walked in at that moment to see both Debbie and Lynnell staring at
Mike and Mike's smile beaming like a searchlight at Lynnell. "I obviously
missed something here but do I want to know what it was?" He asked no one
in particular. Lynnell spun around and in a high pitched voice that bordered on
a squeal exclaimed, "Mike just offered me five hundred dollars for the bowl
set." Paul quickly looked at Mike questioningly and received a nod of
affirmation from him. Looking down at Lynnell he asked, "And did you accept
his offer?" "Should I?" She asked hopefully. Paul decided to have
a little fun with Mike and answered, "No, I don't think so. If he's willing
to wait until you finish them, I think you could get him to pay at least twelve
hundred for them." Lynnell gasped and Mike winced at the figure but it was
Debbie who spoke first "Now wait just a damn minute here. I'm the one who
saw them first and" Lynnell interrupted her and said, "I won't sell
them to either of you but if I may, can I give them to you as a friendship gift?
I mean when they're finished of course." Debbie gasped and her eyes became
glassy with tears as she rushed to Lynnell and clasped the girl's hands in hers
said, "You're to kind. I thank you for the offer but I could never accept
such a valuable gift. After all, we just met and haven't even gotten to know
each other." Mike could no longer remain silent. "Now just a dog-gone
minute. Since Debbie refuses to accept the bowls as a gift, I demand the right
to buy them. After all, I did make the first offer and I'm willing to pay you
what Paul says they're worth. What about it Lynnell, will you sell them to
me?" Lynnell turned to Paul and pleaded for help, "Paul, what should I
do?" Paul thought for a moment and replied, "Lynnell, you're the
artist. It's up to you to decide what happens to your work. I will tell you
this; if Mike offered me that much money for one of my pieces, I'd take it on
the grounds that I know his offer is sincere and that the piece would become
part of his collection and would be placed in a very prominent place in his
office or home." Lynnell nodded her understanding and looking at Mike said,
"Mr. James, you have a deal." and stuck out her hand to him to close
the deal. Mike took her hand in his and as he shook it, made a request.
"One thing though, can I pick out the glaze so that it will complement the
space I have in mind for the set?" "Sure," she replied and
continued, "how do you want them done?" Mike thought for a moment and
turning to Paul said, "Paul, do you remember the last piece I bought, the
one at the estate sale in Denver?" Paul nodded and said, "A beautiful
piece Mike, I remember it well." Mike continued, "Do you think you
could re-create the glaze?" Paul answered quickly, "Sure, that's easy
enough to do but I can't guarantee the luster of the finish." Mike turned
back to Lynnell and went on, "Will you let Paul help mix the glaze?"
Lynnell nodded her assent and Mike beamed and said, "Then young lady, we
have a deal." and again gave her hand a shake.
"It
seems that we have something to celebrate. Congratulations on your first
sale." and leaned down and kissed Lynnell's cheek. Lynnell was in a daze;
overwhelmed with emotion, she broke into tears and turned to cling to Paul.
After
an extended moment that threatened to become embarrassing, Mike spoke out to one
and all, "Ladies and gentleman, if we are going to celebrate, I suggest
that we go back inside and make plans for the evening." As he took Debbie
by the hand to lead her from the room, Lynnell regained her composure and
stopped him. "Wait, Mr. James, Debbie hasn't seen the rest of the place and
I would appreciate the chance to finish showing her around. Why don't you and
Paul go an inside and make your plans while I finish giving her the grand
tour?" Paul enthusiastically endorsed her suggestion and Debbie voiced her
approval as well. Turning to Debbie, Lynnell exclaimed, "Wait till you see
what's next." and taking her hand half dragged Debbie out the door and
towards the rest of the building.
As
the women disappeared from sight and moved out of the range of hearing, Mike
turned to Paul and said with a grin, "You rotten shit. I thought five
hundred was a more than generous offer for the bowls." Paul looked at Mike
and said in his most serious and sincere voice, "Mike, that girl has more
talent for this than I could ever dream of having. I promise you pal, ten years
from now those eight bowls will be worth twenty times what you paid for them.
And besides, I saw the agony in her eyes every time her efforts to make the big
one failed. It took her over thirty attempts to bring out that bowl from the
clay. Did you happen to notice her hands? They're covered with half healed cuts
from all the grout she added to the clay to give it the strength to hold up its
own weight. If you measure the thickness of the bowl from base to rim you'll
find that it is a uniform three eighths of and inch. You may think I'm good but,
by God Mike, I couldn't have done what she did." Mike's expression sobered
at Paul's declaration. "She's really that good?" He asked. "Oh
yeah, she's that good. The really scary thing is that she's just a beginner. I
can't even imagine what she will accomplish with more practice and
experience." Mike rubbed his chin thoughtfully and asked, "Paul, does
she have any finished works in here?" "No, as a matter of fact she has
only finished four pieces and I secretly packed them to take to the show. I plan
to display them prominently as my protege's work to surprise her." Paul
replied. Mike smiled and said, "Paul, I was just going to suggest that you
do just that." Both men chuckled and headed for the door and the house.
Lynnell
opened the door to the bath house and turned on the lights. Debbie stepped in
and looked around before turning to Lynnell saying, "What's so special
about this?" Lynnell took Debbie's hand and pulled her to the sauna and
opened the door. The scent of warm cedar filled the room with its perfume and
Debbie looked in and exclaimed, "Wow. Mike said that Paul did most of the
work himself. Is this part of his handiwork?" Lynnell said yes and then
pulled Debbie to the back of the room and opened the door to the room with the
tanning bed. Debbie looked in and was duly impressed. it was only after she had
turned around that she noticed the sunken spa and the multiple headed shower
area in the front corner of the room. Debbie gasped and said, "It's like a
personal piece of heaven isn't it?" Lynnell let go of Debbie's hand and
looking into her eyes said, "Ms. Taylor, you can't imagine what it's like
for me to live here."
Debbie
immediately broke in and replied, "You're in love with him aren't
you?" Lynnell turned away and looked out the distant window watching Paul
and Mike move out of sight towards the house before answering, "Is it that
obvious? I guess I am. I've never felt like this before. I'm so confused about
the whole thing. I just don't know how to deal with this, it's all so new and
strange. I'm not a virgin in case you were wondering but, sex was just something
to do with your boyfriend, you know. All my friends do, I mean did it, so I did
too. This so different though. I've tried to have sex with Paul but he won't
have anything to do with it. I just don't know how else to express the way I
feel for him." Debbie's heart went out to the young girl as she remembered
her own first love and the anguish it caused her. She reached out to Lynnell and
gathered the young girl in her arms, the physical contact releasing a flood of
tears from Lynnell. Debbie held her and cooed softly to her as she rocked the
girl gentle back and forth whispering softly to let it all out, all the
confusion, all the frustration, all the doubts. When Lynnell had cried herself
out, Debbie took her by the shoulders and looked at her asking, "Feels
better now doesn't it?" Lynnell sniffed a couple of times and nodded her
head yes.
"Lynnell, honey I want you to stop calling me Ms. Taylor and call me Debbie, okay?" "Alright, Debbie." Lynnell replied and Debbie continued, "And I want you to stop calling Mike Mr. James, too." "Are you sure I should? I wouldn't want to upset him after all he's done for me." Lynnell asked. "I assure you it won't upset him in the least. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he says the same thing to you if you call him Mr. James again." When Lynnell shook her head affirmatively, Debbie continued, "Now young lady, I don't know about you, but I have absolutely nothing to wear if the men are taking us out to celebrate. What do you say we go inside and see if we can talk them out of their credit cards and go shopping? Is there a mall anywhere close by?" Lynnell pulled back and said, "I couldn't do that. Paul has already spent hundreds of dollars on clothes for me. I just couldn't ask him to spend more." Debbie laughed and exclaimed, "Oh do you have a lot to learn about men. You're not going to ask Paul, you're going to tell him. I promise you he will hand over his credit card and encourage you to buy what ever you want." Lynnell looked at Debbie in astonishment saying, "How can you be so sure?" Debbie laughed again and said, "There are two reasons. First, because it's the nature of the male animal to want to please his woman. And two, because silly, he loves you as much as you love him." Lynnell's jaw dropped like a rock as she gasped out a strangled, "Do you think so?" "Honey, I know love when I see it and I see it in his eyes when he looks at you." She replied. Lynnell's face beamed with happiness as she took Debbie's hand and together, they headed for the door.
HOME
BACK
NEXT LAST CHAPTER