Love's Rendition
Part 13
by Tragedy88
E-Mail: Tragedy88@goplay.com
Disclaimers: See
Part 1.
The
good thing about painting was that I could watch Allison, but not for the
reasons she thought. She looked good
this morning. Very good. A few more lines, a couple more shadows and
the painting would be finished. So
would Allison and I. My throat
tightened and I swallowed against it.
Don't be foolish. I was little
more then a client to her.
My hand shook over the canvas.
•••
Allison
watched Grace carefully. She was
shaking. Everytime she’d said something
before Grace had just brushed her off.
Was she sick? Should she even
bother to ask?
“Want to take a small break?”
Allison asked gently.
Grace looked up and their eyes
met. She hesitated. “Sure, I guess.” But she didn’t get up from the stool. Her lower lip twitched and it looked like she was about to say
something.
“Care to join me in the library for
a drink?” Allison asked.
“I’ll be right behind you.”
But when Allison paused and glanced
back around the corner Grace was only starting to get off the stool. She watched with wide eyes as Grace
collapsed and brought the stool crashing to the brick patio. Without hesitation she rushed to Grace’s
side.
•••
“I’m
fine,” I said as soon as I felt a hand on my arm tugging me to my feet. “Just tripped.”
“Don’t lie to me anymore, Grace.”
Startled, I looked up into Allison’s
brilliant eyes. This was not something
I could hide, and certainly not from someone as intelligent as Alli. I should have realized that.
“Back strain,” I finally said, after
Alli had righted the stool and I stood, painfully gripping the edges. Her hand rested on my back.
“Here?” she asked, and gently rubbed
her palm in a circle.
I grimaced and nodded.
“Here?”
I nodded again.
“Why don’t you come sit down and
relax? I’ll see if I can find some pain
relievers-“
“No, Alli, it’ll be ok.” I looked at her in time to see her doubtful
look. “Okay, relaxing would be good.”
•••
For
such a stiff looking lounge it was really comfortable. I sank down into it and waited till Allison
brought a glass of water and some Motrin.
“Anytime you want to take a break
just say so, Grace.” She sat down
beside me. Her hand stretched out then
dropped to her side. “I’d understand.”
I shrugged. “So’k.
Sometimes it’s better just sitting still.”
“It’s hurt for awhile now?”
What would it hurt to tell her the
truth? There was nothing she could
do. “It started about a year ago.” I was looking at my hands and nearly missed
her startled expression. “It’ll go
away.”
“A year, Grace? You should really see a doctor.” She took the glass from my hand and set it
on a coaster on the coffee table.
“I went to the walk in clinic. They said it was stress and that I should
take a vacation.”
She made a 'phffhting' sound and I
looked at her curiously.
“You should go to a real doctor.”
Immediately my hackles went up. “I saw
a real doctor.”
“I know what you meant.” My lips trembled and my hands shook again as
I looked back down. Her warm, gentle
fingers touched my chin and turned my face to look at her. A whole new kind of tingle chased through my
body as her eyes captured mine.
“If it’s a question of mon-“
“Don’t even go there,” I whispered,
anger gone and fear suddenly replacing it.
Her eyes drew away from mine and her
hand dropped away. “I only meant I
could advance your pay-“
“You’ve already advanced it. There’s nothing left.” This time I looked her square in the
eye. “All the stuff you’ve gotten for
me, and done for me…there’s nothing left.”
“No. That was my money. We
agreed on the dress, and that’s it, remember?”
I shook my head.
“Grace.”
God, how her voice still sent a
chill through me.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
“There’s something else, isn’t
there?” Her hand rested on my shoulder.
No more lies. No more secrets, I told myself. “I–Will you go with me?” I asked uncertainly
instead.
Quietly she turned and picked up a
portable phone off the end table. She
punched in a number and handed me the phone.
It rang a couple times before a pleasant voice said, “Hello, Doctor
James' office. May I help you?”
After a deep breath and a reassuring
pat from Allison I set up an appointment for Monday morning. Now
there would be nothing left from my paycheck.
I’d probably end up owing the hospital a few thousand dollars.
•••
“Here?” Ed turned briefly to glance at me as I
slumped in the passenger seat. “Not
your apartment? It’s awfully
dangerous-“
“Here,” I said firmly. The limo pulled to a stop under the lip of
the bridge and I got out. “Can you pick
me up here Monday?”
Ed’s mouth opened and closed before
he nodded silently. “And if Ms. Parker
should ask?"
“Tell her….” No secrets, no lies. “Tell her I moved out of the apartment.”
As the limo pulled away I stood
watching the tail lights disappear, before I looked for the Professor. He was in the same place he always was and
looked up as I approached.
"Hey," he mumbled.
"Hey, Professor," I said,
then sat as he gestured to his little fire and the spot next to him. I crossed my legs and silently regarded
him. He'd been a professor at one time,
years of college, and more years of teaching.
I once asked what had happened to him and he'd explained that all the
little chraa's in the world had fucked him over. I'd thought him completely crazy then, till I found out what the
word meant. And, found out that he knew
hundreds of other curses. My favorites
had been the Arabic ones, since the syllables crashed together and the words
sounded ten times tougher then what they actually meant.
"So, how's life?" I asked.
"Same old. You?"
He turned dull eyes on me. The
years had taken their toll on him.
I shrugged. "Same old." My arm twitched as a knot of pain traveled
to my shoulder.
"You should have that looked
at," he commented.
"Yeah," was all I
said. It had always been like that
between us. He'd grown into the father
figure I'd lost, and I loved him. I'd
even gone so far as to go back for him, and offer him a place in my new home. He'd refused, no matter how much I pleaded
with him. I hadn't understood till now.
He'd given up.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He pushed another stick into the fire,
watching as it shot up momentarily, then died back down.
"If someone gave you everything
you needed- money, clothes, uh food and stuff.... What would you do?" I watched him intently.
"Question the motive, my
girl."
"Motive," I said, but it
wasn't a question, as I rolled the word around my mind.
"What do they get from giving
you everything?" he asked.
"Nothing," I replied. "I don't think I have anything to give
them."
"Then there is your
answer."
"I don't understand." I wrapped my arms around my body, beginning
to tremble as the brisk air picked up, and screamed beneath the bridge. He retrieved a blanket from somewhere behind
him and handed it to me. Gratefully I
wrapped it around my shoulders, thanking him.
"Welcome." He paused, and I could see some flash of
life in his eyes. But then maybe it was
just a reflection from the fire.
"A gift given freely- whether it's money or food- is the greatest
gift of all. If it's given with no
strings attached and nothing required in return then it's from the heart."
"But, how will I know?" I
asked.
He smiled. "When you have something to give in return."
We returned to silence, as I thought
long and hard about what he'd said. I
knew I had nothing to give to Allison.
So, what could she possibly want from me?
•••
(c) 2000, Tragedy88