Brigit's Flame January Week 1: Angels
Always the procrastinator, I'm dallying in bed, glad that the posting time for this week's entry is Saturday evening. My story for the first week of this month is a continuation of last month's "Truth" entry. It concerns Jeremy and Serena and their blossoming relationship. If you want to read the first segment, here's the link: http://triplescorpio.livejournal.com/63623.html#cutid1
I think I missed the opportunity to sign up for editing, so any comments will be greatly appreciated!
PROMPT: Angels
January 10, 2009
Jeremy walked in the cold the few streets to his apartment on the second floor of a block of retail stores. Though nothing as fashionable as a loft, the space suited him. It was older, vintage he liked to think. The building was originally constructed in the 1940’s, and had been updated over the years. The second floor had always been sectioned into apartments, although with much less remodeling. But that is what Jeremy found so soul-satisfying. He loved the ambience of arched entrances between rooms, the large paned windows (not necessarily energy efficient, but so beautiful), and the now-quaint bathroom fixtures. Artistically and emotionally, the apartment suited him.
Unlocking the door, Jeremy opened it into the front room which contained his battered and faded denim sofa and his TV, which at 15 inches, was really too small to invite much viewing. There was a fireplace, more decorative than useable, and the mantel above it held photographs of his family - his long dead father, taken about the same age Jeremy was now, his mother and sisters taken with various nieces and nephews. He kept in touch with them regularly, by phone and email, but visiting was rarer because of the distance.
Jeremy sat down at the paint-splotched roll top desk and turned on his computer. He had tried to strip the old paint last summer, when he could open the windows, but had been lured from the task by his desire to paint something more satisfying from his imagination. Those paintings lined the wall of the living room, overflowing from the studio. Originally meant to be a sunroom, it had originally been accessed through French doors, which had been taken down, and apparently lost, years ago.
The studio was Jeremy’s favorite room, not only for it’s design, but for it’s function. It was comprised of windows on three sides, which he had left curtainless to keep the area as bright as possible. His easel stool in the south corner flanked by the old oak flat file he had found along the side of the road with a “Take Me” sign attached to it. Extremely heavy, it had taken Jeremy several hours, and three friends, to get it to his apartment and up the stairs. Maneuvering it through the door had been dicey, too, and some of the paint from the doorframe had been scraped off when they had finally managed to push it into the front room. Fortunately, the entry into the studio was wide. Low shelves under the windows held Jeremy’s supplies, which were also scattered over any available working space. Along the one plastered wall, painted a serene blue, his paintings were stacked.
Like many artists, Jeremy had gone through distinct “periods.” Currently, Jeremy was obsessed with angels.
Which brought his thoughts to Serena. Her face excited him, not only because of his attraction to her personally, but for what he saw there artistically. He had found his angel, he knew it. Three more hours, and he would be walking back to La Peep to pick her up. His smile filled his body with an anticipatory thrill.
******************************
As the lunchtime crowed began to ebb, Serena had more time to let her thoughts consider the encounter with Jeremy. She had been aware of his interest, but unsure of what to do with it. Somewhat shy, especially with boys, Serena had smiled at him often when he came into La Peep, and had flirted in her subdued fashion. The prospect of seeing him after her shift made her smile to herself.
“What are you looking so happy about?” Desiree asked as she bussed one of the remaining tables.
“Umm, I seem to have a date after work,” Serena replied. She set out the restaurant’s signature placemats embellished with the La Peep logo on the table she had just finished wiping down. Only three customers remained; the dinner crowd would start around 4:00 after her shift ended. By 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon, they only had a few customers coming in for coffee and dessert, although these customers usually dallied and talked, passing time.
“With who?”
“Have you ever noticed that good looking guy who comes in here all the time?” Serena asked. “He has wavy brown hair, kind of longish, and usually just orders soup.”
Oh, yeah. He is cute. Kind of old for you, though, isn’t he?” Desiree was 23, a graduate student at the university studying to be a psychologist. It was a difficult program and she was often bemoaning her lack of a social life.
“I dunno. Can’t tell. How old do you think I look?”
Desiree studied Serena for a second. “I think you could pass for 18. So what are you going to do?”
“He said something about taking a walk and having dinner somewhere. Although it’s cold, so I don’t know how much time the walk will take.”
As Serena completed her shift, her excitement grew. She felt as if bubbles were effervescing through her veins and her stomach fluttered. After clocking out, she went into the employee bathroom, took down the ponytail she wore at work, shook her dark hair and finger combed the curls to frame her face. She took the tinted Chapstick from her purse and applied it to her full lips, darkening them with cherry stain. “Best it gets at the moment,” she said to her reflection in the mirror, and left the bathroom. She grabbed her coat.
“See you all tomorrow!” Serena called as she made for the front entrance. She could see Jeremy waiting just outside the door. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped outside.
Her eyes met Jeremy’s. Their smiles connected and he reached for her gloved hand with his.
I think I missed the opportunity to sign up for editing, so any comments will be greatly appreciated!
PROMPT: Angels
January 10, 2009
Jeremy walked in the cold the few streets to his apartment on the second floor of a block of retail stores. Though nothing as fashionable as a loft, the space suited him. It was older, vintage he liked to think. The building was originally constructed in the 1940’s, and had been updated over the years. The second floor had always been sectioned into apartments, although with much less remodeling. But that is what Jeremy found so soul-satisfying. He loved the ambience of arched entrances between rooms, the large paned windows (not necessarily energy efficient, but so beautiful), and the now-quaint bathroom fixtures. Artistically and emotionally, the apartment suited him.
Unlocking the door, Jeremy opened it into the front room which contained his battered and faded denim sofa and his TV, which at 15 inches, was really too small to invite much viewing. There was a fireplace, more decorative than useable, and the mantel above it held photographs of his family - his long dead father, taken about the same age Jeremy was now, his mother and sisters taken with various nieces and nephews. He kept in touch with them regularly, by phone and email, but visiting was rarer because of the distance.
Jeremy sat down at the paint-splotched roll top desk and turned on his computer. He had tried to strip the old paint last summer, when he could open the windows, but had been lured from the task by his desire to paint something more satisfying from his imagination. Those paintings lined the wall of the living room, overflowing from the studio. Originally meant to be a sunroom, it had originally been accessed through French doors, which had been taken down, and apparently lost, years ago.
The studio was Jeremy’s favorite room, not only for it’s design, but for it’s function. It was comprised of windows on three sides, which he had left curtainless to keep the area as bright as possible. His easel stool in the south corner flanked by the old oak flat file he had found along the side of the road with a “Take Me” sign attached to it. Extremely heavy, it had taken Jeremy several hours, and three friends, to get it to his apartment and up the stairs. Maneuvering it through the door had been dicey, too, and some of the paint from the doorframe had been scraped off when they had finally managed to push it into the front room. Fortunately, the entry into the studio was wide. Low shelves under the windows held Jeremy’s supplies, which were also scattered over any available working space. Along the one plastered wall, painted a serene blue, his paintings were stacked.
Like many artists, Jeremy had gone through distinct “periods.” Currently, Jeremy was obsessed with angels.
Which brought his thoughts to Serena. Her face excited him, not only because of his attraction to her personally, but for what he saw there artistically. He had found his angel, he knew it. Three more hours, and he would be walking back to La Peep to pick her up. His smile filled his body with an anticipatory thrill.
******************************
As the lunchtime crowed began to ebb, Serena had more time to let her thoughts consider the encounter with Jeremy. She had been aware of his interest, but unsure of what to do with it. Somewhat shy, especially with boys, Serena had smiled at him often when he came into La Peep, and had flirted in her subdued fashion. The prospect of seeing him after her shift made her smile to herself.
“What are you looking so happy about?” Desiree asked as she bussed one of the remaining tables.
“Umm, I seem to have a date after work,” Serena replied. She set out the restaurant’s signature placemats embellished with the La Peep logo on the table she had just finished wiping down. Only three customers remained; the dinner crowd would start around 4:00 after her shift ended. By 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon, they only had a few customers coming in for coffee and dessert, although these customers usually dallied and talked, passing time.
“With who?”
“Have you ever noticed that good looking guy who comes in here all the time?” Serena asked. “He has wavy brown hair, kind of longish, and usually just orders soup.”
Oh, yeah. He is cute. Kind of old for you, though, isn’t he?” Desiree was 23, a graduate student at the university studying to be a psychologist. It was a difficult program and she was often bemoaning her lack of a social life.
“I dunno. Can’t tell. How old do you think I look?”
Desiree studied Serena for a second. “I think you could pass for 18. So what are you going to do?”
“He said something about taking a walk and having dinner somewhere. Although it’s cold, so I don’t know how much time the walk will take.”
As Serena completed her shift, her excitement grew. She felt as if bubbles were effervescing through her veins and her stomach fluttered. After clocking out, she went into the employee bathroom, took down the ponytail she wore at work, shook her dark hair and finger combed the curls to frame her face. She took the tinted Chapstick from her purse and applied it to her full lips, darkening them with cherry stain. “Best it gets at the moment,” she said to her reflection in the mirror, and left the bathroom. She grabbed her coat.
“See you all tomorrow!” Serena called as she made for the front entrance. She could see Jeremy waiting just outside the door. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped outside.
Her eyes met Jeremy’s. Their smiles connected and he reached for her gloved hand with his.