Link to previous Chapter 7a
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Chapter 7b - 1059 words
Shonda’s plane landed a little after eight. Allison had watched her flight on an app, feeling the excitement build. A new picture finished and her best friend arriving on the same day felt like someone had squashed together her birthday and Thanksgiving.
She looked at the picture sitting on the easel. It would take a while to dry fully, and she’d have to move it before Eartl got back on Wednesday. She was still entranced by the colors she’d imbued the sky with and reflecting them in a lake at the bottom had felt obvious after she’d traipsed around the canyon.
It was a little after nine now. Depending on how quickly Shonda had got through luggage claim, and collected her rental, and what the traffic was like, she could be due anytime. The evening was warm and still. Allison poured a glass of wine and went out to the balcony. Some birds were at the feeder and flitted away when she came through the door. She slid the chair over to the corner furthest from the feeder. Sitting here she could keep an eye on cars turning into the street and, hopefully, the birds might come back. A car on the next street beeped and she looked over the balcony, but it wasn’t turning in. The birds did come back, flitting on to and off the food and water stations in short bursts, as if tarrying could put them in danger.
The wine was chill and crisp and Allison was pouring a second glass when a car turned into the street. It was a compact and in the growing gloom not easy to see if it was green or blue, nor to see who was driving. The rental sticker in the back window made Allison lean forward to follow the progress of the car as it crawled down the street, looking for a parking spot. It squeezed into a place between two SUV that Allison was sure she wouldn’t have attempted. Shonda climbed out of the car.
Allison went to the front door and checked the elevator. It was on the top floor. She called it and, when the door opened, leaned in to press ground floor. She went back in and got another glass, poured some wine in, and placed it on the side. The side began to frost immediately.
She looked round the room, wishing the had a bigger apartment so Shonda could have her own room. They’d bunked up enough on college trips, but nearing thirty?
The elevator pinged and a moment later there was a thunk on the door. Allison opened it to find Shonda’s flight bag collapsing in towards her, Shonda standing with a huge grin, and then they were hugging.
Shonda pulled back. ‘Allybee, let me through. I need to pee.’
Allison laughed and pointed down the hall to the bathroom. She said, ‘I’ll put your case in the room. Sorry we’ve not got a guest room.’
‘It’s fine,’ Shonda called.
Allison put the case on the bed so Shonda could open it easily, she took the large Birkin like bag through to the front room and put it on a chair. She retrieved her wine, sat on the sofa, and took a long sip.
When Shonda came through Allison pointed at the glass on the side and watched her friend down it like it was a fruit juice.
‘Oh, I needed that,’ Shonda said. ‘If I wasn’t driving, I’d have had one on the plane to celebrate making the gate on time. Here, top me up. It looks like I’m one behind you anyway. Ooh, is that a new picture? When did you finish it?’
Allison topped up Shonda’s glass. She said, ‘I finished it today, What do you think?’
‘Oh, I love it!’ How do you get the mountains to look so real? You always were such a good painter, good artist.’ She turned to look at her friend, ‘And how are you?’
‘I’m fine – enjoying time to paint. You’re looking healthy, a little glowy even. Is there someone you’re going to be telling me about?’
‘Oh, I wish. Last time I got laid was at a really boring conference about a year ago.’ The conversation flowed from there and they caught up about people they mutually knew, or had known, and little things in life until Shonda yawned, and said. ‘Oh, girl, I know I talked big about two bottles of wine. But I need to get some sleep.’
‘Sorry we’re bunked up.’
‘The only reason I am is we wont lie talking until the early hours. I hope you got earplugs because my sleep tracking app tells me I snore these days.’
Allison laughed. She said, ‘these days? You have always snored.’
‘Rude!’
‘True, though. C’mon through.’ They went into the bedroom and Allison said, ‘I sleep this side, put your case on the chair, or floor, whatever’s easiest.’
‘What’s the building blocks there?’ Shonda asked.
Two of Earl’s packages had arrived, solid blocks about twelve inches wide, eighteen inches long, and (calculate) inches deep. They were solid and Allison had stacked them against the wall like he’d instructed. She said, ‘There something for Earl’s work. He hasn’t said what. There’s some more coming tomorrow.’
The women took turns using the bathroom and changing then climbed into bed. They lay facing each other, the glow of the city leaking round the edge of the blind and curtains allowed just enough light for them to see each other.
‘This takes me back,’ Shonda said.
‘Me too.’
Shonda yawned. ‘Sorry,’ she said, ‘it’s been a hella long day.’ Moments later her eyes were shut and her breathing settling to long, low breaths.
Allison lay awake, watching her friend sleep. She’d been alone in the bed since Earl left on Sunday. These last few months she’d been used to sleeping alone as he seemed to be away more and more. But she was still used to sharing the bed, it felt normal. Tonight, though, there was a level of calm about having Shonda in the bed which was lacking when Earl was there. She wondered what it was, tried to pin down the ease that was enveloping her. In the twilight of consciousness she ascribed it to tiredness, and Shonda’s smaller frame not filling the bed as aggressively as Earl’s did.
Chapter Break
I wrote this post about a story where I had a first chapter written. I'm trying to push on and finish a first draft in 2024.
If you'd like to be tagged in for future chapters, let me know.
Thanks
Stuart
Link to collated chapters HERE
Link to the short story which is the seed for this is HERE
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words by stuartcturnbull pic by igorelick on Pixabay