Who Am I (A Jai Courtney Fanfic) Book 2

Chapter 108-Meg

After lunch, Jai tells me he'll help out in the kitchen until the cable guy arrives.  He assures me he'll handle it so I can get some work done.  I thank him with a kiss. Izaak is going to work on the wiring for the cooktop, wall oven, dishwasher, and microwave. Floyd will handle the plumbing for the sink and dishwasher along with the gas connections for the oven and cooktop. The rest are installing the remaining cabinets and countertops.
I decide to work on some cyanotypes I thought would be a nice edition to one of the hotel rooms for Ethyl Philips.  It'll also be a thank you for everything she's done for me.  I mix and paint the emulsion onto some paper.  While it dries.  I assemble my light fixture with my wire sculpture.  I have to make sort of a base to hold the light but it's not too difficult.  I add more detail to the sculpture and make some finishing touches.  I step back and flip the light switch on down here.  The power is working so I have electricity at the moment.  I plug the light in and hold it up to see how it would hang with a similar bracket on the ceiling to the last one he bought.  It looks incredible—much better and more sophisticated than the first.  I feel like Izaak's help made all the difference in transforming my work from amateur to budding artist. 
I set it down and unplug it.  I decide to go upstairs and check on their progress.  I see Floyd underneath the sink base installing the water pipes.  Izaak looks to be wiring for the ovens.  Everyone else is either carrying in countertops or adjusting cabinet doors.  It looks like they may be finished soon. 
"Where's Jai?" I inquire. 
"Hey, Megan.  He's talking to the cable guy," Khalan replies as he straightens a cabinet door. He motions to the living room.
I nod. 
"Do you guys have the power turned off?" I ask. 
"Everywhere is on but this room," Izaak says. 
"You're sure?" I question worriedly. 
"Yeah," he nods.  "I tested everything in this room before I started working on it," he confirms.  "The water's on everywhere, too. Floyd's got some fixture shutoff valves he's using."
"Okay," I reply.  "Be careful."
"Always," he grins. 
I see him use a tester and I know he is. 
I figure that I'll dry my cyanotypes with a hairdryer downstairs.  When they're finished, I put them in a light-tight box.  I'll expose them later. 
I decide to set up for color prints.  I get the trays and chemicals ready.  I start with my color infrared negatives.  I print a contact sheet and process it.  I turn on the lights and look them over.  They look incredible—better than I would've imagined.  I determine that the middle bracket is what I should go with.  I get out my notebook that I kept track of everything on and they're all the same kind of exposure.  I'll use that from now on.  I grin in that I should be good to shoot with this in the future.  I select several images I like.  They're all landscapes and nature but I think Eliza and my customers will like them.  I print off my favorites with large prints and then dry the papers. 
I start to go through my color negatives and print off a few night shots of Sydney—several that would work as a series together.  I print out a triptych of the Blue Mountains with the thunderstorm in the background.  I mark off which ones on my contact sheets with a silver marker that I've printed so I don't try to replicate them again.  I'm drying my photos when there's a knock on the door. 
"Coming," I say pulling back the curtain.  I unbolt the door. 
Jai is standing there. 
"Hey," he grins.  "Are you still working on something?"
"I'm almost done," I shrug.  "I'm just drying a few prints."
"Can I see them?" he questions intrigued. 
"Sure," I nod stepping into the lab. 
I spread out all of the images I've printed series by series.  I teach him to handle them by the edges. 
"These are incredible, love," he says. 
I thank him blushing bashfully. 
"You want to go car shopping when you're done?" he asks. 
"Sure," I nod.  I dry the last two prints and set them aside.  I wash my hands and we're off. 
Jai said he found one online he wants to test drive.  I drive him to an area of town with a ton of car dealerships packed all together.  We go to the dealership with the car he has in mind.  I park and we climb out.  Jai steps into the showroom and a salesman immediately greets us.  Jai explains what he wants and we're taken through the dealership to the back lot behind the building.  The two of them gather around a blue and black sports car.  It's another muscle car but it's new.  I thought he'd get something he wouldn't mind if the weather here ruins.  I guess we'll have to look into getting the undercarriage treated every year or so.  I wouldn't risk it on the classic but there are several of these available.  I glance at the specs on the car to see this is a Camero.  The price tag is shocking... but if this is what he wants, I won't protest.  We climb in and he test drives it.  I'm much more comfortable with his driving than another.  This isn't a sports car, though.  It's a muscle car.  These seem to be his preference. 
"Do you like it?" I ask him as he heads back to the dealership. 
"I do," he nods. 
I smile at him as we return.  He fills out the paperwork and it's his.  He shakes the salesman's hand. 
"I've got to go to the license bureau for the Chevelle," Jai informs me as we start to leave. 
"Ok," I nod.  "How about I get some more mats, frames, and other supplies for my prints while you do that?  I'm ready to start finishing some of them."
"Alright, love," he nods as we step out of the dealership.  "Is there anything I can pick up for you while I'm out?" he asks. 
I grin and think about the prints for Ethyl.  "How about some flowers?" I ask him. 
He chuckles and grins pulling me closer. 
"All you had to do was ask," he whispers before kissing me.  I smile into the kiss.  "Any requests?"
"Something classic with variety," I smile.  "I'm going to use them for a gift for Mrs Philips—the hotel owner."
"Anything for you, love," he says softly.  He kisses me once more before walking me to my SUV. 
"I'll meet you at home?" I confirm. 
He sighs and nods.  I smile and blow him a kiss as I drive off.  I head for an area of town with several craft stores. I think in the future I might order my supplies in bulk from a distributor but for now I'll get them in town again.
I pull into the lot of one craft store.  I take a shopping cart and an ad by the entrance before I walk to the back.  I see a couple coupons and some of their stocked frames are on sale.  I shop that area and clear out their entire supply of mat board sheets.  I grab some frames in the sizes and quantities I'm looking for for a couple of my series's.  Some are wood, some metal but they're all simple and will draw the attention to the artwork rather than an intricate frame.  I checkout and the total isn't too bad. 
I drive across the street to my favorite store.  They have a decent ad, too.  Some items are on sale as well and there're a couple coupons also.  I start with the foam core and clear out their stock since it's half price.  I get some mounting materials because I'll probably run out at this rate.  I decide to clear out their mat board just because I know I need more and I'll use it. 
As I walk down the main aisle, I notice some wood blanks. For some reason I think about Jada—Will's wife. I see something in my mind like a parent comforting a child in their embrace—like God does—but in the style of her African art sculptures. I select a type of wood with contrasting hues and an interesting grain. I grab some dark stain and varnish before I move onto the frames.  There are several I like so I get those in the proportions and materials I need.  I look around for options of frames for my canvas paintings.  I find some interesting floating frames.  I pick one up and examine it. 
"Are you finding everything okay?" a salesman asks. 
"I'm wondering about these floating frames," I mention. 
I turn to see the same guy who helped me load up for my last show.  He was nice and helpful... and interested in me.  He handed me his business card with his phone number. 
He smiles at me.  "Long time, no see," he says. 
"Yeah," I reply softly. 
He smiles again and tells me about the frames.  He's very informative and knowledgeable.  I actually like the potential of this frame for my paintings. 
"What size are you looking for?" he asks. 
"My canvases are 16x20," I reply. 
"The same size should work," he says. 
"I think I'll take them," I nod. 
"How many do you need?" he questions. 
"I think I'll use two black for the darker paintings and the natural wood for the others.  There are... six of those," I tell him. 
"So, you paint?" he asks loading them into my cart for me.
"I do, among other things," I nod.
He asks about what else and I explain my photographs, drawings, and other images.
"Are you the local artist with the show in Chicago?" he asks. "The one I read about in the paper?"
"Yeah, that's me," I reply.
"I thought so," he grins. "Would you like some help out with all of this?"
I think about how windy it is today but I don't know if I should accept his help.
"I'm off anyway," he shrugs.
"Alright," I agree.
I go through the checkout and he does happen to leave as I do. He walks me to my SUV and holds the mats and foam core down from blowing away. I open the trunk.
"Different car?" he asks.
"Oh, the last one was my mom's," I tell him.
He nods at that but helps me load everything up. I close the trunk when we've finished.
"Thanks," I tell him.
"You never called," he says softly.
"I'm sorry. It's just that..." I reply gently over the wind.
"Engaged?" he questions noticing my ring as I fidget with it.
I nod.
"Congratulations. I wish you the best," he tells me shaking my hand. "Megan Wright is it?" he asks.
"For now," I nod.
"It looks like you're going places," he says. "It was nice meeting you."
"It was nice to meet you, too," I reply as he leaves.
He was actually kind—not like the others. I honestly appreciate that. I climb in and head home. I arrive to see Jai has parked his new car in the driveway. It's a different shade of blue than mine. His is more vivid, mine a little lighter but complimentary. Both of ours have black on them, too.
Jai exits the front door and helps me to carry my purchases into the house. Once everything is inside, I walk to the kitchen to see how it turned out. It looks incredible. All the cabinets and countertops are in place. The cabinets are white with an antiqued wash over them giving a light grey sort of feel. They reach the ceiling in here with a modest crown moulding. The medium grey wood plank flooring that goes throughout the whole house is beautiful and complimentary. The countertops are a black soapstone with a few white swirls through it. The white farmhouse sink is installed. We're just waiting on the appliances now.
I feel a gentle arm snake around my midsection on one side, then the other. I hear a crinkle and look down to see a beautiful arrangement of flowers. I smile at them and bite my lip glancing back at Jai over my shoulder.
"They're beautiful," I tell him.
"And so are you," he whispers.
He kisses me. I grin and take them from him.
"I didn't put them in water. I figured you might need them dry," he mentions.
"I do. Thank you," I say. 
"Your mum invited us for tea in an hour," he tells me as he holds me nuzzling closer. 
"I was going to print some cyanotypes.  You wanna watch?" I offer. 
"Sure," he says kissing me gently. 
I smile and grasp his hand leading him downstairs.  We step into my darkroom and I set up the water bath with distilled water and the mixed bath with hydrogen peroxide for intensifying the color immediately.  I step aside and Jai looks surprised. 
"That's all?" he questions. 
"Just for this process.  The other print paper processes have much more. I used vinegar in my self-portraits from the last show for mid-tones but these are like an outline," I tell him. 
He nods.  I get out some of my glass panels that are the proper size for the paper I primed.  I choose four small ones to design the images of the flowers on for now.  I get my box out with the dried papers I made earlier.  I open the gorgeous bouquet Jai gave me of roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, and various greenery.  I start to arrange the flowers on each piece of glass.  Jai grins and adds a few flowers and greenery onto a piece of glass from the ones I set aside.  I smile.  It looks incredible—different from what I would've done, yet it's in keeping with the motif of the collection. 
"I like it," I tell him. 
He smiles at me. 
I set one of mine below the enlarger and change the bulb. "Technically we could do this outside but I don't feel like going up and down the stairs repeatedly," I tell him.
"Neither do I," he mumbles as he wraps me up in his arms.
I have him pass me my paper box.
"Could you turn the light off?" I ask him.
"Sure thing, love," he responds.
He flips the switch off. I already turned the safelight on when we entered. He makes his way back over to me. Meanwhile I've taken out a sheet of test paper and ripped it in half.
"Why'd you tear it, love?" he mumbles as he nudges me.
"It's just a test," I explain. I set the paper beneath the flowers and rearrange them how I intended. I cover most of it with my box and turn the light on for fifteen seconds, then thirty moving the box slightly, then forty-five followed by a minute with the box completely removed.
I turn the light off.
"Okay, let's process this," I tell him.
"It's that simple?" he questions.
"Sometimes it can be. This may be too long or too short," I shrug. I flip the lights on and set the paper into the water bath. I wash it.
"It doesn't look too bad," I say when the images appear.
"That is sick," Jai comments beside me. "Do you think she'd actually like something like this, though? It's kind of modern-looking."
"Cyanotypes were traditionally used for blueprints. It's an old method of printing. Mrs Philips even mentioned that she likes them," I tell him.
"Hmm," he replies.
I set the washed print into the peroxide mixture and the darkness really pops out. I rinse it again and take it out of the water. "Okay... this is fifteen seconds, thirty, forty-five, and a minute," I tell Jai motioning to the various increments of exposure. "I'm thinking between forty-five and a minute."
"I think you're right, love," he agrees.
"We'll do another test strip with the other half for an exact time," I decide. I do several with five second increments of difference between them. I have Jai decide between fifty and fifty-five.
"I'm thinking fifty. There's more detail in the shadow there," he mentions.
"Good point," I grin.
I put out the whole piece of paper, rearrange the flowers, then expose and process it.
"You are defo in the right field, love. These are incredible," he tells me.
"Thanks," I say to him. "Let's do yours next."
"Alright," he agrees a little hesitantly. I set the paper out and he arranges his just like before. We expose it for the same time frame. Afterward, I encourage him to wash the print.
"You want me to do this?" he questions surprised.
"Sure," I shrug.
"Aren't you afraid I'll ruin it?" he asks skeptically.
"Not at all," I laugh.
"Alright," he agrees taking the sheet and setting it in the water. He agitates it just like I did. He lifts it with the tongs by the corner like me, then places it in the peroxide. "I see why you enjoy this so much," he comments.
I grin at that and kiss him.
The last two we work together to create and print. I show him how to dry them and I'm so happy with them. I feel my phone buzz. I check my messages to see a text from my mom asking us to join her for dinner. I reply telling her we'll leave soon.
I remove the prints from the dryer when they're done and spread them out on the counter. I collect my flowers and wrap them back up like how they were originally assembled.
"I got you a vase, too," Jai mentions softly.
"Oh?" I question grinning.
He hums a reply. He takes me by the hand and leads me upstairs. I see a blue glass vase on the kitchen table that I hadn't noticed before. It's beautiful. 
"Can I use the sink?" I question.
"They said it needs to dry but it's fine as long as we don't soak it," he tells me.
I set the bouquet beside the enormous apron sink. Jai hands me the vase and I fill it halfway with water getting nothing inside the sink. I take the arrangement back out of the wrap and set it into the vase. I hug it to me so pleased with how gorgeous it is.
He takes me by the hand leading me to the living room.  I place the vase down on the coffee table.  It's lovely.  I feel a tug and I'm instantly on Jai's lap.  I chuckle in surprise.  He begins kissing me staring with my cheek, moving to my ear and neck.  I feel another buzz from my phone. 
"My mom's waiting on us," I remind him. 
He sighs and releases me. 
"Alright.  Let's go," he replies. 
I grab my purse and he wants to drive his new car.  I agree and climb in.  It is really comfortable.  It has a full black interior with leather seats.  He starts it up and he actually does seem pleased with it. I'm glad it makes him happy. I was afraid he'd be upset just getting an SUV or something to please me but he appears content. He drives the back roads to my parents house. I think he's thoroughly enjoying this—there's no speed limit here. He's a safe, cautious driver, though—not scary. He seems to like his new toy.
"Be careful at dusk on the return," I tell him.
"Why's that, love?" he asks.
"A deer at that speed could total your car," I warn as he slows down nearing the neighborhoods.
"Like a kangaroo," he mumbles.
"Probably," I agree.
I saw just as much roadkill on the side of the roads in Australia as I do here—but I've noticed we remove it generally, either that or predators take care of it. I'd seen some there that was never removed. I chuckle thinking about his friends asking me if I believed Australians rode kangaroo.
"What are you laughing about?" he asks me curiously as we drive down the streets of my parents' neighborhood.
I explain what's on my mind and he laughs as well.
"I had no idea they'd ask you something so stupid," he guffaws.
"I was honestly expecting it when they wanted to talk about stereotypes," I divulge.
"You knew they would ask that?" he questions disbelievingly.
"I'd never heard of the kangaroo riding tale but I assumed something outrageous and ridiculous would be in there somewhere," I mention.
He chuckles again. "Kangaroo riding," he laughs. "Your response was ingenious."
I chuckle in reply. He parks in the driveway and opens my door before I've even grabbed my purse.
"Thank you," I say softly as he takes me by the hand and helps me out.
We go inside and enjoy dinner with my parents. Mikey is out somewhere with Jada so it's just the four of us. We chat and Jai tells jokes. He and my dad get along so well. I just sit in awe watching them laughing and smiling. My mom catches my eyes and gives me a knowing look. We thank them for dinner hugging them goodbye. I'll be back tonight but probably after my dad has gone to bed. We return to the house. As we pull in the driveway, I notice a small herd of deer drinking at our pond.
"Look," I tell Jai motioning to them.
"You weren't kidding, love," he says softly.
We watch them drinking for a moment.
"They're beautiful," I whisper. "Maybe someday I can catch a few pictures of them."
"Yeah, this property is pretty fantastic," he says.
"Yeah," I agree looking longingly at him. "Thank you," I tell him softly as we reach for each other. He kisses me gently and we melt into each other.
"God, I love you," he tells me barely audibly.
I smile and hold him—the love of my life. Only twelve days...