Seize The Day

Chapter Nine

Awkward! No other word to describe it thought Sophie as she buried herself in her work. The final piece for her project with a submission date looming.  And her inspiration was gone, all gone. All that occupied her mind were the events of the weekend and how disastrously it had ended.

Scrunching up yet another piece of her expensive cellulose hand pressed watercolour paper in anger, paper that she favoured over all other paper, but was several pounds a sheet she balked at the waste scattered across her floor, then started over, trying desperately to control her warring emotions.

She’d woken early after the midnight encounter in that plush hotel room, or rather she  hadn’t slept at all but got up at 6am, was dressed and packed by seven she found it was too early for breakfast. Bill had woken and reciprocated her actions, so they’d checked out and he’d driven them home in silence.

Vincenza had been in the kitchen making breakfast when they’d burst in through the front door...breakfast for two!

                “Oh Vin!” Sophie exclaimed, so glad to have something else to focus on. “Did we have a visitor last night?” It was hard to believe that they’d only been away for one night, the cocoon that her and Bill had been wrapped up in meant that it felt like weeks since they’d been just house mates in the real world. And now it seemed their absence had helped the fledgling relationship between Vincenza and Edward to develop further.

Vincenza was blushing and stuttering, obviously she presumed it’d take longer for them to get home than it had, and was creating a situation she’d been keen to avoid. “How did it go?”

                “Nice change of subject Vin!” Bill answered quite naturally, “but a good question. Mr Miles Langley was putty in Sophie’s hands...” Sophie couldn’t help note the scathing quality to his resume. “And she dazzled everyone beyond believe!”

                “And you didn’t burp or pick your teeth in public?” Vin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bill laughed, “believe it or not she pulled off the lady card without dropping her cover once!” He stole a piece of toast from the breakfast tray. “I’m getting changed then heading out with the cycling club, ok? Quick jaunt to the coast.”

And that had been the last she’d seen of him.

It was now early evening and the fact that her any inspiration or creativity had deserted her, this was a bad situation only getting worse. She wanted more than anything to relax...Bill was her usual companion when she felt like this, sharing a bottle of wine and philosophising their way around life. But she still hadn’t come to terms with that kiss, and it sat in the room like a white elephant. Bill was apparently happy to acknowledge it; he’d got back on with life as though nothing had happened. So maybe she should.

Frustration caused yet more paper to hit the deck, and this time she gave a scream, she was skint as it was, the way things were going her disasters would cost more than the commission would pay. 

Within moments Vincenza burst into the room.“You ok?”

Sophie turned to her and smiled sadly, “sorry just frustrated. Got this deadline.”

Vin nodded, “maybe you should just give up for today, maybe the trip down memory lane has been enough this weekend, you know you can’t work with an active occupied mind.”

Her friend was so astute, she really couldn’t create new work when she had problems, they had all found that out to their peril over the years. Swirling her fine hair watercolour brushes in the variety of water jars until they were perfectly clean, she placed them to dry, hanging near the window in the loving way she handled all her equipment, then followed her friend out of the room.