Stevie's Room
part I of a two part story
by DK Ward
Updated 08/30/07
The sky was drenched in grayish blue from a storm that was making its way up the east coast. It was half past seven and Shawn Maloney was working meticulously—a resilient persistence on a single drawing. Every morning she woke at six thirty to the delicious smell wafting from her kitchen as her coffee maker brewed the liquid that would sustain her for the next few hours. A tepid shower would wash away any resistance remaining in her system. Settling down with her cup, every morning, half past seven, she stared into the face that haunted her.
Today, the woman had allowed her a momentary relief. Shawn had added eyebrows to the portrait. She could breathe her, she could imagine her clearly. She just couldn’t draw her completely.
Glancing down at her watch, she knew she'd have to leave the obsession soon. Her normal life must be lived.
As she left her there—so gloriously seductive, yet so serene, so elusive—half created with that evocative look in her eyes, that mouth faintly smiling; she wondered if today she'd find her dream woman…
*
"And this is my slob." Mrs. Delaware indicated the sleeping lump under a king sized comforter. She hoped to contract Shawn to redecorate her daughter’s room. "She works nights and has to sleep during the day, so I hope you can overlook her presence and make some drastic changes in here."
Shawn looked down at the sleeping pile of woman and bedclothes and grimaced inwardly. Her own daughter came to mind as her eyes took in the horrible mess one person was capable of making. There were dishes piled in all four corners of the room, and Lord help her, was that food still on them? On the areas she could see through the clutter, splotches scattered the beige rug in a mixture of dark and light stains. Clothing littered nearly the entire floor, hung from the bed canopy, the dressers, out of the opened draws and even the bed. Crumpled papers were tossed all over. CD’s were scattered around the floor near the desk where a computer sat, its screen black. There were soda pop cans sitting on top of it, and littering the entire desk. Bags of chips—some empty and half full—added a nice color combination to the overall appearance of the pigsty. Below the desk was a small blue trashcan, empty.
"Will she be here the entire time, Mrs. Delaware?"
"Oh please, you're not much younger than I, call me Brandy. And yes, unfortunately, she will be." She almost shuddered as she glanced around the great mayhem. "She’s a sweetie, but a profound pig!" Her eyes swooped around the room once more then settled on Shawn. You'll never take this job. "It’s a wonderful room, if you could see it."
"I can imagine it must still be once all this rubbish is cleaned up." Shawn wondered who would get that unfortunate task.
"Oh don’t worry," Brandy piped up, as if reading her mind, "I already have someone that’s going to try and make your job easier." She turned toward the door and gestured for Shawn to pass.
Shawn took one more look at the lump under the knoll of sheets, papers, power bar wrappers, comforter, pillows and clothing and then headed out the door with Brandy following behind. They went down stairs to the living room to continue their talk.
"Well?" she could only hope.
"You've got yourself a decorator."
"Bless you!" Brandy was over the moon. "I should have it cleared out by next Tuesday and you can start any time you'd like after that. I have some basic ideas, but you can have free reign with the overall design." She went on to explain her vision.
"So you're thinking about a total makeover?" Shawn flashed Brandy a startling white grin.
The woman must have been beating the men off, Brandy surmised; especially with those gray eyes and that long dark hair and golden tan. Then again, not too many men were looking for single mothers with a college age daughter as she herself had found out. "I'll leave that up to you to decide."
"Okay then." Uneasy with the scrutiny, Shawn grabbed her leather jacket and headed to the front door. "I'll put some ideas on paper and get back to you within the week."
"Will you be here to supervise the work after?" She followed closely behind Shawn.
"Who do you think does the work?"
"But surely you have a crew?" Brandy looked uncertain.
Shawn held up her hands. "Yes, two of them." She reached into her jacket pocket and extracted her business card. "If you have any other ideas you'd like to discuss and not reach me at the office; my cell phone number is on here. I'll see you later this week, Brandy." Shawn reached out her hand and met Brandy's in a strong grasp that did for a handshake.
*
Stevie Parker was standing in line at the cashier in Bradlees Department store when she was suddenly bumped from behind with a run away carriage. She turned, her surprised green gaze coming into contact with the lightest eyes she’d ever seen set in an aesthetic masterpiece of a face. Stevie took in the pleasing appearance slowly, her glance traveling the long length of the woman appreciatively.
"I’m so sorry!" An apologizing smile began to emerge on the dark ruby lips of the woman, but faltered midway. The face of this young woman was almost like the one Shawn had been struggling over for months to draw.
"Don’t worry about it; I’ve goosed a few people in my time." Stevie's own mouth spread in a radiant grin for Shawn, and she extended a hand, her outgoing personality asserting itself. "Hello, I'm Stevie Parker."
Shawn found herself fully flushed. "Shawn Maloney." She shook the shorter girl’s hand, marveling over fate.
When Stevie caught herself staring again, she turned back to the cashier just as the man was ringing her last item up. "One hundred dollars and thirty two cents," he reported in a dull drawl to Stevie.
"And I only came in for a bottle of shampoo." Stevie laughed, taking another quick look at Shawn.
Lovely laugh. Matches her lovely face. Shawn almost released a sigh, surreptitiously studying the back of Stevie when she turned away to pay the cashier. Her hair was a golden mass, cascading down her shoulders nearly to the middle of her back, and smelled like flowers. The sun coming through the storefront windows shone in the red shimmering highlights. Her gaze moved enthusiastically over the rest of Stevie’s smaller frame. She was dressed in shorts and a tank top, which emphasized her large breasts and petite waist.
Stevie turned back to Shawn. "It was nice to have met you, Shawn; maybe you'll bang into me again sometime." With that she picked up her bags and turned to go.
Shawn was mesmerized with the young creature. She knew as soon as she got home she would finally be able to complete that face. She would not sleep until she had each and every detail down on paper. She paid for her order, bagged the three items herself and left the store. Her gaze searched the parking lot for Stevie, for just one more glimpse, but Stevie was like a dream, vanishing when you woke but lingering in wisps of memory.
Shawn plopped into her Firebird, tossing her bag into the back seat; turned the key in the ignition and put it in reverse. She looked one way, and was about to look the other when she backed into a Chevy Monte Carlo Landau. She cursed before yanking on the door handle.
By the time she was out of her vehicle, Stevie was just stepping from her own; a blast of Dolly Parton's '9 to 5' following her. Shawn couldn’t help the smile spilling onto her face.
"Drive much?" Stevie teased.
"Not enough to keep in practice it seems."
Stevie giggled and Shawn’s heart did a flip-flop. "We have got to stop meeting like this."
"I swear this wasn't on purpose." All right, she's as young as your own daughter, cut it out. But there was no escaping the pleasurable feelings being near this small goddess evoked. She felt like a deer frozen in time as an eighteen wheeler came burling along the highway on the downhill towards her.
"I just can’t control myself today. You sure you aren’t carrying a magnet on you somewhere?" She dragged air into her lungs and moved closer to Stevie’s car to assess the damage. There wasn’t much. Her eyes moved to her own car, and she noted the rather large dent in her fender.
"Whoops!" Stevie spotted the dent at the same time and placed her hand on Shawn’s forearm.
Shawn noted the heat and a small shiver run through the shorter woman before she dropped her hand from Shawn's arm quickly.
"Well, at least the damage is only on my car, not yours. I’m not quite insured yet."
"Tell you what, why don’t we just forget it happened?"
"Okay." Shawn smiled brightly, leaning back against her trunk. "How about dinner?" Fingers crossed. Nothing like rushing in… "It would make up for the delay if nothing else." She could deny all she wanted, but couldn't disguise the desire in her eyes.
Stevie thought about it a moment. "All right, I'm pretty booked this week though, how's next Saturday sound?"
"Sure."
"Great, happen to have something I can jot my number down on?"
Shawn took a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Stevie.
Stevie fished around her car for a pen. Not finding one, she looked up at Shawn with a crooked slant gracing her lips. "Would you mind if I used lipstick?"
"I wouldn't mind if you used a crayon—" Okay, now you're acting like a teenager, and for heaven's sakes, stop grinning at her like a monkey.
Stevie chuckled and Shawn could only stare hard at her, wondering what she was thinking as all those conflicting emotions lit in Stevie's eyes despite her laughter.
"Here you go, and don't lose it, okay?"
A fate worse than death. "Right-O!" She flashed Stevie another bemused beam, "Talk to you next week," and hopped back into her car. She tooted her horn, pulling off to Stevie’s wave.
*
"She sleeps like the dead," Brandy assured her as Shawn was hefting in equipment for pulling up the rug and scraping the walls for the new wallpaper. Brandy followed her in with a heat gun, trailing yards of extension cord.
Shawn smiled her thanks and relieved the exquisitely dressed women of the cumbersome machine. "I'd never be able to sleep with unknown people filtering through my room." She made small talk as she set up her ladder. Brandy sat on a stool and watched her. Shawn knew she'd have an audience, she always did. At least this time it wasn't a five year old with something sticky that she'd have to run behind and clean up after.
"Would you like to help?" She knew that would get Brandy out of there. It always worked on her other jobs. Usually these rich women didn't like getting all mussed up. Not when they had a luncheon date as she was sure Brandy had scheduled in her busy planner. Her attire was too dressy for a normal flop around the house.
"Wish I could, but I'm out of here in three minutes. Just figured I'd sit to see if you needed anything that I may have forgotten." Brandy quickly hopped off the stool. "Take a rain check on that help for tomorrow?" She was already standing at the doorway.
"We'll see." Shawn didn't like to commit herself. She would get more done without the added help.
"Well, the kitchen's stocked." Shawn knew it would be. "And I left my cell number if you run into trouble." Shawn already had the number in her front jean pocket.
"Anything else?" Shawn flashed Brandy a dazzling smile.
"Guess that's it." Brandy knew Shawn was giving her an exit. "I'll see you later this afternoon."
*
Shawn was a few hours into her heating and scraping when she felt the most satisfying ripple shoot down her spine. For reasons unknown to her, she knew what had caused the sudden feeling. Her head swiveled on her neck to gaze upon the lump under that comforter.
Stevie Parker was propped up against the headboard watching her in confusion. Shawn saw her mouth move but couldn't hear what she was saying. She grasped the headset off her ears with a free hand and smiled down at Stevie.
"So far so good, you haven't dropped that heat gun on me yet." Stevie paused to enjoy Shawn's chuckle.
"How come your last name is different than your mothers?" A warning to the predicament she had gotten herself into would have been nice.
"She remarried when I was eighteen. Divorced when I was twenty." She studied Shawn a moment, and then wondered, "What are you doing here, Shawn?"
Shawn firmly reminded her heart it was getting all worked up over a twenty-two year old. The swelling organ, however, was unfazed by her determination to ignore the young woman, and those sparkling light green eyes that were flashing merrily up at her. Isn't she just the most darling thing with her blonde hair all unruly like that?
Focus.
"Your mother hired me to redecorate this…" Well, she couldn't call it a pigsty anymore because whomever Brandy had hired to clean it had done a very good job. "Didn't she inform you?"
"My mother always takes it upon herself to do things for me she thinks I'll like." Stevie flung the comforter off and then her legs over the side of the bed, scowling. "I thought she'd accepted my 'NO' yesterday."
Shawn had a concupiscent look in her gaze and a death grip on the ladder prongs; sure she'd fall any minute. Perhaps Stevie hadn't remembered she was stark naked under that comforter?! She couldn't help admiring the toned young thing as she moved around the room to dresser and closet. The shorts and tank top she had on that other day left little to the imagination, and today's blatant exposure answered any lingering musings Shawn may have had.
She was mildly relieved when Stevie disappeared into the adjoining bath and she took her time and made her way slowly down the ladder with a grateful gulp of air as she safely touched bottom. How would she maintain any form of sanity knowing that incredible girl would be underfoot as she worked there?
She felt Stevie more than heard her coming back. This time, she ordered her eyes to remain off the young woman. When she was sure Stevie was gone again, she glanced at the chair nearest the door. Stevie had come out for a robe.
Her despair grew steadily. How can you let someone barely out of their teens traumatize you in this manner? She found the sound of music and running water coming from the room behind her soothing. She focused on the shower, and then the images flooded her mind: That beautiful body glistening, tiny drops of water clinging to the pubic hair that was slightly darker than the hair on Stevie’s head. She saw in her minds eye again the golden hairs on that forearm glimmering in the suns light as they shook hands at the store.
"How's it going?"
Shawn started and glanced towards the open door. Brandy was standing there.
"Uh, well, your daughter isn't pleased…"
"Don't pay any attention to her."
No problem there.
"That girl never wants change; it took three days of pleading and planning just to get the cleaners in here." She briskly walked over to the closed bathroom door and gave it a thump. "Stevie!"
"What??"
"When you're finished in there, I'd like a word with you in the den." It wasn't a request, it was an order.
Shawn smiled uneasily as Brandy huffed by her and out of the room. "I'll just continue where I left off," she said to no one in particular and climbed back up the ladder.
*
"So, what's it going to look like when you're done?" Stevie's attitude hadn't changed much. She leaned on the bathroom doorframe in her robe, oblivious to a spreading puddle of water that was pooling at her feet.
"The sketches and the swatches are over there." Shawn nodded her chin towards Stevie's desk. She described the plan of action as Stevie thumbed through a few matte boards, finishing with. "For a final touch, the natural-toned wicker chairs will be softened with deep cushions covered in black cotton ticking. Sophisticated neutrals—grays, taupe's, ivories, and browns—will blend peacefully, highlighted only by a kiss of pink in the new pieces of art your mother purchased."
Stevie glanced up at her. "What about my Xena posters?"
"Uh… that I'm afraid you'll have to take up with your mother, who's still waiting in the den for you I would imagine." During all of it, she had watched Stevie's facial expressions and body movements. She could tell the girl was impressed and would indeed like the overall effect in the end.
Stevie disappeared into the bathroom to change. When she returned, she got down on all fours and searched under her bed for her sneakers.
"They're over here by the window." Shawn gestured with the scraper to the tattered footwear just below her. "Must be hard to find anything anymore, what with it being clean in here and all…"
Stevie smirked as she moved around the ladder. She sat on the window seat, pulling on her sneakers. She could feel Shawn's stare on her and looked up quickly and caught the open look of craving in Shawn's eyes that had been trained on her the entire time. "I'd like to think of it as a lived in look."
"If you were a cave dweller…"
"So I'm a tad messy." She shrugged. "Are you going to hold it against me?"
At that moment, Shawn knew if the girl were an axe murderer she'd be hard pressed to hold even that against her. She reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out the slip of paper with Stevie's scrawled phone number and smiled. "I believe we have a dinner date scheduled for this evening."
*
Life and spirit. Was that too much to ask for? This paltry attempt was unacceptable. Shawn tossed her pencil down, disgusted. She was no closer to finishing the portrait that evening than she had a week ago. She stared at her tools and materials as if they'd suddenly come to life and dance upon the surface of the Strathmore 2ply drawing paper. Her eyes moved around the studio. All of her other illustrations looked as if they could walk right off the paper, so why was she having such a frustrating time on this particular piece? She glanced down at her spiral bound sketchbook sitting besides the drawing. She'd had no problem stopped at red lights, or propped up against a tree in the neighboring park doodling away endlessly on the woman's face. But now that she was committing—trying to commit it to a professional looking work of art, she found that the well of creativity had dried.
You're trying too hard.
She got up and walked around, turning to face the opposing force sitting atop her drawing table. "Even in tone and value you have to put up a fight." Her eyes gleamed with acceptance of the challenge the partial portrait seemed to be posing her. "You're in these hands, just as deep as you've nestled yourself in my mind and heart. I'll capture you if it's the last thing I do."
Maybe it was lack of mental retention. She needed a diversion. Perhaps a little visual inspiration was in order?
No. What reason would you have for going over there so late? Absolutely none.
“Well, 'I love your daughter madly' would do for an excuse if it came to that.”
I need music. She became obsessed looking for her headset.
You’re distracting yourself is what you’re doing. You have three stereos and how many channels on the satellite?
“No, I need my Walkman!”
Fine, believe what you want.
She finally realized where she had last seen it, sitting on Stevie's computer monitor earlier that afternoon before she left for the day.
Ah ha! An excuse.
*
The house was dark except for a blue light coming from the second floor window. Stevie's Room, she knew. Brandy's car was gone from the driveway. Out of force of habit, Shawn used her key and entered the house. It wasn't as if you’re a stranger, she reasoned, she had been in and out of this house countless times the past three weeks. And she'd only be there a second to collect her player then be on her way.
That girl has made quite a few gears slip the ratchet, now you're just running amuck, her mind complained.
Yep, her heart agreed.
As she ascended the stairs, she could hear one of Donna Summer's richly uplifting anthemic tunes drifting down at her. The name of the song escaped her for the moment. There was a strip of blue light seeping from the crack where Stevie's door stood ajar. She saw a blur filter by the opening, and again. Moving so she was not in direct view, or exposed by the beam of light, she stood diagonal to the one inch opening and peered in. It looked like… hmm, like a routine. Stevie was performing some sort of dance ritual. No, not a ritual, she finally realized when the song began playing again. Why would you think that? Stevie passed by again, drawing her mind to the vision and away from her musings.
Stevie was dressed in a pinstripe pantsuit, with tie. An outfit that although Shawn would have never imagined Stevie in, looked surprisingly at home on her toned body.
She felt a transitory erotic pulse of yearning below growing stronger as her eyes were riveted to the girls' limbs moving fluidly, becoming acutely entranced with her. Serene and simple: Beautiful.
Here we go again. I should have been a man. I have a mental disorder. There's probably a penis in my head instead of a brain.
Not to relegate the constant sexual attraction that had started almost from the moment she laid eyes on Stevie, she knew she wanted to offer Stevie something deeper, something permanent.
"If you're going to watch, you may as well come in." Stevie opened the door wider.
Shawn wondered how she'd collect her composure from the floor and not look conspicuous. She glanced nervously around. "Uh, sorry, didn't mean to disturb you." She turned away quickly, hoping to make a clean escape.
"You didn't disturb me." Stevie grabbed her arm, causing Shawn to spin with her own momentum thrust back on her. "Come on in, I need a non-biased opinion."
"For what?"
"My dance, silly." She pulled Shawn over the threshold. Leading her to the bed, she sat Shawn down, moving away to the stereo where she kept her back to Shawn for a few agonizing minutes.
At last she turned towards her one woman audience. Shedding inhibitions and any uncertainty she may have had at first, Stevie began moving with the rhythm, feeling sexy, an excitement that normally wasn't present swelling inside from showing off her curves to Shawn. She stripped off one sleeve first, and wrapped it around Shawn's shoulders, while still maintaining an air of reserve.
It was becoming apparent what "dance" Stevie was performing for her to critique. Her outfit wasn't merely clothing she had picked to wear, it was a theme. Shawn flushed about the neck and face, growing hotter as Stevie gyrated to the music in that blue light, continuing her striptease as she removed the other sleeve, her body movements expressing a perfect symmetry with the type of music she had chosen. Shawn's breath came out in quickened gasps. Darkened eyes were staring directly into her, making her feel as if Stevie could see into her soul. All movement stilled within her, even her heart's pumping. She watched the minute shifting over Stevie's face, she looked immersed in the moment, but there was a pinch of pain, drawing her brows inward.
Stevie reached down for Shawn's hands and brought them up to her burning cheeks. "Touch me…"
Shawn's eyes closed and her fingers took in Stevie's facial structure, outlining eyebrows, slowly moving down over her straight nose. She could feel the slight smile pulling the corners of Stevie's lips wider. Her fingers collected every bit of information for later. By the time she was done exploring Stevie's face, she knew she could draw her blindfolded.
"You're beautiful, Stevie," she whispered.
Stevie felt her heart squeeze. "I'm in a relationship, Shawn," she blurted all of a sudden, eyes expressing her aching, misting with a sheen of the pain she felt.
Shawn's eyes opened slowly, foggy with feeling. She looked anywhere but at Stevie. "Why are you telling me? That's your business."
"I think why is obvious, Shawn. It's all over you, and I do want what you want, but…"
"I just want to draw you, Stevie, that's all." That should cover anything in a nutshell.
"Oh, I see..." Stevie paused, tugging Shawn to her feet, lifting Shawn's chin to meet her eyes, not releasing her; would not allow her to comfortably avert her eyes again. "If you don't want me, then this shouldn't affect you at all." Stevie slid her hand from her chin and caressed Shawn's lips with a gentle stroking thumb. She pulled her into a loving embrace and stared at Shawn then slowly kissed her. She would make Shawn admit with her heart what her mind was trying to deny.
Shawn's brain reeled and she pulled her lips away before she fainted. She stood there, chest going up and down a little faster than normal, lips shining from their kiss. "Didn't feel a thing—"
To prove Shawn a liar, she started kissing her again, biting her lips and tongue just enough, grinding her lower body against Shawn's. They began a hypnotizing rhythmic dance and Stevie's consciousness became enlarged, her mind and body reaching for a deeper level of closeness.
After many minutes, Stevie pulled her mouth away and stared into Shawn's glazed eyes. They were extremely bright; a true sign Shawn was floating on a cloud somewhere, somewhat in relation to what she was experiencing. She thought about the feelings for a moment, needing to get the words right, wanting Shawn to envision them with her. "You've elevated me to a new realm. Yet I can feel every part of you touching me. You're transcending with me, Shawn, it's quite mind bending, but the most clearest of feeling." She was quiet for a while, experiencing the emotions, enthralled in them. She kissed Shawn tenderly, joining their clouds.
Lost in the imagery, Shawn stroked her tongue along Stevie's lips, giving in momentarily to the sweet kiss.
Stevie danced away, circling in time with the beat. She faced Shawn, still slinking her erotic moves, knowing her effect on Shawn and continued grinding with the song, keeping her gaze locked on Shawn's.
Without taking her eyes from Stevie, Shawn moved toward her, brushing her hands up the length of Stevie's thighs and curved her fingers around Stevie's rolling hips. Her grip tightened and she rubbed up the zippered front of her slacks.
Stevie shook her head with a slow rising grin and pulled away, then danced back to her, turning, she gently writhed her firm bottom against Shawn's quickly pulsating groin. "Feeling anything yet, Shawn?"
"Mm-hm."
Stevie's tone was a seductive tease as she continued to lightly brush herself against Shawn's ache. Shawn was already growing mindless with need. "What do you want—hmm?" Stevie pulled away with a slight jerk, then back into Shawn to continue her slow grind.
Shawn almost came, but she took hold of herself, an excruciating task with the unbelievable tension Stevie was causing in her mind and body. "I want to touch you, everywhere…"
"Then do it, Shawn…"
Shawn pulled Stevie into her, grinding soft and slow. Her hands moved in opposite directions, one up Stevie's back while the other rubbed down and stroked Stevie's undulating ass.
They moved together, their eyes locked, pumping lightly against each other in time with the song. Stevie's hands slowly roved down Shawn's denim seam, came back up and brushed her breasts, and then kneaded tenderly until they stood at full attention.
"I want to kiss you, everywhere." Shawn drew in her breath.
"Kiss me…" Stevie's lids were growing heavy.
Shawn pulled Stevie close for a kiss, but she evaded Shawn's lips and hovered her mouth near Shawn's ear, allowing her erratic breath to fill her mind, then she licked the delicate hairs on the edge of the lobe, continuing down and around her throat, sucking lightly.
Shawn sighed and pressed Stevie into her, reaching down to stroke Stevie's crotch. "We have to stop, you're involved..." She drew back and felt Stevie's arms come around her tightly, preventing her from pulling completely away.
Stevie made no verbal response, she was busy moving her mouth along Shawn's neck, and leaving a love mark there and then another just below Shawn's left collar bone. When she felt Shawn's fingers running through the back of her hair, she kissed lower, opening the first button on Shawn's shirt, touching her lips and tongue along the solid muscles of her chest.
Angry tears filled the black eyes staring at them. Fury rose in her stomach, knotting there. She could take watching no more. "You fucker!"
Stevie stumbled from Shawn's arms, her glance going quickly to the doorway. "Shit, Haley…"
"Haley?" Shawn stared at her daughter, her confused mind numbing to this sudden clarity.
"So this is who you've been cheating with? My mother?!"
"You've got it all wrong, Haley."
"Which part do I have wrong, Stevie? The part where you stuck your tongue down her throat, or when you left hickey's on her?"
"That's enough Haley!"
Haley's coal eyes fell on her mother at her interruption. "I guess saddling me with dad all my life wasn't an adequate pain, now you have to hurt me further by stealing my girlfriend?"
Before Shawn could offer any form of explanation or apology, Haley turned on her heel and they could hear her stomping down the stairs.
Stevie glanced at Shawn, her heart in her eyes. She solemnly watched one lone tear fall down Shawn's cheek and made to step closer but Shawn shook her head and she stopped. "Well, I've made an absolute mess haven't I?" Stevie trembled, not wanting to have hurt either of them. "I'm sorry, Shawn."
*
"Well?" Brandy asked again.
Shawn's mind came back from dreaming, and she looked startled to find that she had been so lost. How long had she been daydreaming anyway? "Uh, I'm afraid I can't take the job, Brandy, I'm sorry to have wasted your time." She grabbed her leather jacket and headed towards the door.
Brandy's spirits sank quickly. "I'll never find anyone to do that room of hers." She offered Shawn a sad smile, knowing it wasn't this woman's fault. "Thanks for at least coming by."
*
When Shawn returned home, she went to her studio immediately; cautiously stepping up to the partial drawing.
"Okay, now you're messing with my life." She reached a hand out and lifted the piece of paper. She almost crumpled it up, but she couldn't. She laid it back down and reached for the phone. Haley's father answered on the fourth ring.
"Is Haley there?"
"Hello to you too." He was gruff, and dropped the receiver. A moment later, Haley picked it up.
"Hi mom, what's up?"
"Hey kiddo, how's about you and I take in a movie or something?"
"Sure, not tonight, I have a date with John. Rain check?"
"All right." They talked for a while more, and Shawn felt relief flooding her. Perhaps there wasn't a meaning to that daydream at all. Their relationship was fine. She had been concerned all for nothing. But maybe it did tell her something. The woman of her dreams wasn't involved with her daughter…
After the call, Shawn rang up Brandy. "On second thought, I'd be delighted to redecorate Stevie's room…"
Continue on to section II "Half Past Seven"
