Jay, putting teacups in the sink and turning on the water, reflected on the evening. He had thought she looked quite chic in her little black dress with the golden belt slung on her hips. The leggings had been ingeniously sexy and the gold ballet slippers had been rather cute. Altogether, it had looked fairly artistic.
Seeing her work had been a revelation.
Colour had been used sparingly but where it was applied features leapt out and her vision of nature and man was clear. Quite unmistakable.
The exhibition showed sets of drawings featuring a human and an animal between which Karen had clearly seen a resemblance. One had been a well-known local singer and a canary. The singer posed with yellow eye make up in the first picture, one hand holding a microphone and the other arm outstretched. The next picture had been of her face only- the delicate features uncoloured except for the clearly drawn yellow eye shadow. The next picture had been the head and breast of a yellow bird followed by a canary in flight, the only flash of colour amidst the flowers and bush. The final picture had been the same bird perched on a branch. It was still the only flash of colour but the bark on the tree was so detailed, it didn't need any.
The other sets had been interesting. Among them a man and lizard, a young girl and caged lion, another popular politician and a predatory bird. Decidedly it had been a great show of creativity and artistic perception.
Jay brushed his teeth and began to undress when he heard a thud overhead.
Karen was trying to get her clothes off, but all she'd managed was the ebony clips in her hair. The last thing she had thought of doing was asking Cheryl how she was supposed to get undressed after her dinner date.
She stamped a foot in frustration as she fumbled to get out of her slippers. Cheryl had tied them deviously slowly and now they were proving difficult to take off. She expected to be at it for a while. She could always sleep in the dress and ask Mrs Brown to help her in the morning.
What Karen didn't expect was a knock on the door followed by Jay's accented voice calling, "Karen, are you alright?"
Reluctantly, Karen weighed her options and went to the door, opening it part way- enough to see Jay clearly.
He was barefoot, the cuffs were loose on his shirt and it was partly unbuttoned revealing a strong throat and smooth, slightly tanned skin.
"Hi. I'm fine. I just can't take my shoes off!"
The Briton's face creased into a relieved smile. "Would you like some help?"
"Yes, please," she replied, opening the door further, thanking God that her room had been tidied after the search for an outfit. Then she went to sit on the bed.
Jay followed her, mentally noting how different the room smelled already. Not letting himself dwell on that for another moment, he crouched down and placed one knee on the floor. He reached for one small foot, his left hand cradling her ankle while the right tugged at the gold satin ribbons.
"Who tied your shoes for you?" he asked a moment later.
He sounded puzzled.
"Cheryl! She's always up to mischief."
Jay had no problem believing that because there was something akin to a knot under the bow. He made an amused sound and finished untying the shoe before tugging it off her foot and putting it on the floor. Then he reached for the second and it was done just as quickly.
"Thank you," she said as they both stood up.
He nodded and headed back to the door.
After a moment's hesitation, Karen spoke out, stopping him from leaving. "Wait... I was wondering if you would do me one more favour."
YOU ARE READING
Stroke of Love
Romance(Previously entitled Karen's Story) Getting hit by a car brings Karen Fox into Jay Madison's quiet life. More specifically, it brings her right into his home. Before he knows it, he's falling in love and she's running away! A tale about a southern b...
