* * * * * * * * * *
"Perfect, perfect, perfect," said the photographer, Olivia, as she snapped pictures of Joseph on his motorcycle. "You're doing great, Joe."
Alyson stood behind, watching with the makeup crew who was ready to give him a touch-up, on Olivia's say.
Thanks to Alyson's connections, she was able to get Joseph on the front cover of People's Magazine where his interview about his father and his adjustment to running the company is going to be. Since he was coming out with a new bottle of wine, Alyson figured it would be good publicity.
He was doing so well, which surprised her. Not because he wasn't photogenic but because he was a very low key guy, who would rather be in the shadows through his new job put him in the light.
When she told him about the interview and the photoshoot he said, "if you think this is a good move then, I'll do it with a smile on my face."
Joseph couldn't further reiterate how much he trusted Alyson. Things have been going so well with the company and it was all because she knew what she was doing and what moves to make. He might have been the face but she was the one teaching him and he was okay with that.
As for the photo shoot, he was actually having a great time. Mostly because he got to look cool on his bike. Even better, the photoshoot was being held right at the house, in the field.
"Okay," Olivia starts going through the photos. "I think that's good. Let's get some with the leather jacket and touch you up a bit."
At her command, the make-up team goes over to give him the leather jacket and touch up his make-up.
"Hm, hm, hm," Olivia walks over to Alyson.
"What? Did the pictures come out okay?"
"Did they?" Olivia let out a laugh, "girl, Joseph is fione."
"Oh my god, shh," Alyson gestured her to lower her tone. "Olivia!"
"Look at them," Olivia starts showing her the photos. "Look at him."
Alyson shook her head, "you're crazy."
"Look, hearing about him and seeing him in person is two different things. Not to mention, how sweet he is."
Alyson looked over at Joseph, who gave her a thumbs up and a smile.
She smiles in return and put her attention back on Olivia who asked, "you've been working with him for what, a little over six months now? You can't tell me you never noticed."
"Of course, I've noticed but he's -"
Remembering that Olivia didn't know the connection between them via Evan, Alyson shrugged, "it's a business thing, you know. Gotta be professional unlike you right now."
"If telling the truth is unprofessional, consider me as such. I mean, you haven't even thought about -"
"I'm married, remember," Alyson points to her wedding ring.
Olivia scoffs, "that doesn't stop most."
"Oh my god," Alyson holds the bridge of her nose, chuckling. "You're so crazy."
"But you love me," Olivia smiled sweetly. "Hey, Joseph, you ready?"
"Yep," Joseph adjusted his leather jacket, thanking the make-up crew nicely.
While they went back to taking pictures, Alyson's phone rang in her back pocket. Walking a few feet away, she answers, shielding her face from the shining sun.
Joseph didn't know who she was talking to but whoever it was, they said something that made her very excited. It was hard for him to concentrate on the photos when he was wondering what Alyson was talking about on the phone.
In the middle of his shoot, his housekeeper Erica respectfully interrupted. She came with a beautiful gold box that had a red ribbon on it.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," the older woman said sweetly, "Joseph, this arrived for you."
"Is that what I think it is?" Joseph walks over to take it, "thank you, Erica."
"What is it?" Alyson had just gotten off the phone and noticed the shoot had stopped.
He went over to her, "it's what I've been working on for the last few months."
"Here, open it," he told her.
Sliding her phone in her back pocket, Alyson unties the red bow and opens the box to reveal a colorful stain glass wine bottle.
"The final product," Alyson examined the bottle in amazement. "Joseph, I didn't even know you finished, I thought you were still in the process of -"
"I wanted to surprise you," Joseph confessed. "To show you that everything you taught me hasn't gone to waste."
"Oh my god, that's so nice and the bottle is beautiful," Alyson's stared at it in awe. "Since we're sharing good news, I have some for you too. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine and you are going to star in your own commercial for your new bottle of wine."
"You're messing with me."
"No," Aly laughs, "I'm serious!"
"That's amazing!" Joseph was so excited, he picked Alyson up by the waist and spun her around. "Oh, I'm sorry," he put her back down.
"It's okay," she laughed. "see? I knew we would make a good team," Alyson gives him a high five.
"We should celebrate," suggested Joseph.
Olivia cleared her throat, grabbing their attention.
"After the shoot of course," Joseph told her.
"Here, I'll take this," Alyson puts the wine bottle back inside and takes the box, "how should we celebrate?"
"We should go to this place I heard about. It's called Welcome Diner."
"Okay, cool, where is it?"
"Pheonix?"
Alyson's eyebrows raised, "Pheonix?"
"Yeah, it's just four hours away from here. We can take my bike."
It seemed a little outrageous to drive four hours away just to go to a diner but Joseph was treating it like it was nothing.
"We can do four hours there and back in a day, it'll be fun," said an adventurous Joseph. "You up for it?"
"Yeah, I guess," Alyson didn't have a real reason to decline.
Well, there was one reason.
"However," she stopped Joseph before he could get back in front of the camera, "the thing is, I think it'd be better if we drove."
"Let me guess, you've never written a motorcycle."
"You are correct," Alyson wasn't afraid to admit.
"This is is gonna be fun," Joseph smiled brightly, backing away.
* * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * *
The first few minutes of the ride was completely frightening for Alyson. She was holding on to Joseph so tight, he became tense himself. While at the same time, he found how scared she was so adorable. Every time he looked back to make sure she was okay, she gave an awkward smile, only squinting since she had her eyes clenched closed for most of the beginning.
After a few miles into the ride, Alyson actually started to enjoy herself. For the first time in a long time, she felt free. The wind felt good against her skin, it made her feel so - alive.
It was feeling she never wanted to forget, if she could she would've stayed on that bike forever. Lucky for her, they had a four-hour drive back, even though the ride felt like half of that due to the speed.
By the time they got to the Welcome diner, it was a little over four. It was a weekday, so as popular as the place was, it wasn't full. Even on a weekday, the party didn't come till late at night since they served alcoholic drinks.
They decided to sit outside since it was so nice day.
"How did you find out about this place?" Alyson asked, sitting across from Joseph, opening her menu, "it's really cool. I love the 1940s feel inside."
Joseph shrugs, "I'm always looking to try something some new. Saw an ad about it on the internet."
"Wow," Alyson looked up from her menu, "I don't know a lot of people who would drive four hours away just to try a restaurant they've never been before."
"What can I say?" Joseph smiled, "I love adventure and doing things on the spot makes it even better. I like to live in the moment you know, do and ask questions later."
Alyson squinted thoughtfully, "a little dangerous, don't you think?"
"Can't speak for others but a little danger ain't never scared me," Joseph opened his menu.
Alyson stared at him with an intrigued look in her eyes. Giving a small smile, she put her attention back on her menu.
It wasn't long before the waiter came to take the order. Though it was a diner, they had really unique dishes and were vegetarian and vegan-friendly. For example their champion burger consisted of bacon jam, cheddar, thousand island dressing, and arugula.
So many things on their menu sounded really good, so, they decided to order almost everything. Well, Joseph did, since everything was on him tonight. So they got one of most of the menu and decided to share. Since they had to drive back, instead of drinking they got lemonade.
Once they ordered and got their drinks, they were left to talk.
"So," Alyson started a conversation, mixing her lemonade with her straw, "Is this what you did all your life? Travel from country to country, eating all types of different foods?"
"Something like that," Joseph sat back in his seat. "I'd stay in one place for a little bit, get acquainted with the people and the culture and when it felt right, I was on to the next place."
"How'd you make a living?" a fascinated Alyson, leaned on the table.
"Small jobs, you know? I wasn't actually vacationing. I preferred the rural parts of town. I mostly helped locals who needed an extra hand, especially older folks. I also draw, so I did some artwork, sold it, did some tattoos, nothing grand or anything like I'm doing now."
"I beg to differ," Alyson scoffed, "so what you didn't wake up every morning putting on a suit and tie? You've seen the world and you've allowed yourself to be put in other people's shoes. Not a lot of people are willing to do that. I know that not everyone is struggling outside the USA but I also know, freedom here and freedom out there looks completely different."
"Yeah," Joseph nodded, "my favorite part of traveling was talking to the old folks who've been going at it for a while. They talk about the past and what they've been through and it's almost unbelievable."
"But like you said, they were always smiling."
"Yeah," he smiled, remembering, "they always pushed on. I miss it out there."
"I bet. Also, I realized something."
Joseph leans on the table, "what?"
"You always talk about you not wanting to be like your father but you are like him. You basically did the same thing as him, you just did it differently. You got your hands dirty and he made it so, he had money and resources to give. You're not that different, you've both helped people. I say that to say, I think your father was proud of you regardless."
"Wow," Joseph ran his fingers through his scruff, "I didn't think of it like that."
"Yeah, I know," Alyson's sassy response made him chuckle, "you talk about yourself, like your a monster and you're literally the nicest monster I've ever met."
"I may not be a monster but I'm definitely not a saint."
"Oh come on, what's the worst thing you've done in your life?"
"Other than not fight for my son who hates me?"
The look of pure sadness on his face shifted the atmosphere instantly. It was obvious that it was something that still bothered him which showed a lot about Joseph. Even though he had come to terms with Evan's decision to keep him out of his life, it didn't mean he didn't think about his son or didn't even contemplate whether he should try and reach out.
Poor Alyson not only felt bad for him but knew what it was like to love Evan, only to have him spit right in your face. She and Evan hadn't been on the same page since Kelly's birthday which was two months ago.
"I'm sorry," Joseph realized how quickly he shifted the mood. "I didn't mean to make it weird. I don't really talk about him but the last person I should be talking about him to is his wife."
"Hey," Alyson gave a slight shrug, "I've been there, you know that."
"Yeah, but we're supposed to be celebrating," Joseph lifted his lemonade and held it out to her, "so let's celebrate. To the company and to us, being a great team."
Alyson picks up her lemonade and clinks it with his, "cheers to that."
* * * * * *
For the next three hours, they ate, they talked, and even got to see the sunset. Most of the conversation consisted of Joseph telling her about his adventures outside the country. He had even come back to the states for a little bit, hopping around like he did internationally. But once he again, he found himself outside the country where he felt like he belonged.
He had been to so many places, he couldn't really pick his favorite. But he did confess if there was one place he had to go back to, it would be Bogota, Columbia.
Though they had eaten so much, they couldn't end the night without dessert. In this case, blueberry pie which was delicious.
"Alright, alright, alright, enough about me," Joseph set his fork down, letting Alyson have the last bite of the pie, "let's talk about you?"
"What about me?" Alyson visibly tensed up, eating the last of the pie.
"Well, everything," replied a curious Joseph. "I want to know the Alyson before Evan."
"Wow, no one's ever asked me that," she pushed her hair behind her ears, "but I'm willing to share."
As she started to share, Joseph got a pen from a waiter passing by, took a napkin and started scribbling.
"Well, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia in a very musical household. My mother and father were actually a duo."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, my mom sang and my dad played, well, everything. There wasn't anything he couldn't play. He and my mom owned a club together. It was a place where creatives could come and just be themselves while eating good food and having a drink."
Alyson sat back in her seat, a distant look in her eyes, "Mia and I loved being able to come and see the different performances. From singing to playing instruments, to spoken word, poetry, you name it, we loved to see the different talents. But, we could only go on the weekends because we had school. We always begged our parents to let us come just when they were tucking us in, but you know how it is."
"That's awesome," Joseph smiled, continuing to write on the napkin, "so do you or your sister sing or . . . "
"We can but it wasn't really our dream. Our parents were musical but, we come from a family of entrepreneurs, you know? Everyone has their own thing and they do something with it. On my mother's side, our grandmother who lived in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, loved fashion, made her own clothes, had her own shop. On my father's side, I had an uncle, who started his own law firm and the list goes on."
"Is that why you majored in business in college?"
"That is exactly why," Alyson nodded. "I was raised to believe that if you have a talent or an idea, and the drive to go through with it, do it, work hard and go far. Poverty is more of a mindset than a lifestyle, as my dad used to say."
"Sounds like a wise man."
"He was," Alyson leans on the table, leaning on her fist. "I remember how he used to wake us up in the morning for school, blasting old school jams. His favorite was P.Y.T by Michael Jackson. He'd sing his lungs out and wouldn't stop until we got up and danced with him."
Realizing that Joseph was drawing on the napkin, Alyson's eyebrows furrowed, "what are you -"
"Don't worry, I'm listening," he smiled, keeping his gaze on the napkin.
Reluctantly, Alyson kept talking, "so, I majored in business, while Mia went to medical school. We ended up leaving home and to California, we went. Not too long after that, we got the call that our parents were gone and my world came crashing down. By this time, I was already with Evan and honestly, I don't think I would have gotten through it without him."
She shrugs, "but that's kind of it about me. I'm not that exciting."
"I disagree," Joseph slid the napkin over to reveal his drawing of Alyson.
"Oh my god," Alyson picked it up, "this is amazing." She turns it around, "its a very accurate picture of me."
"Not my best work, but -"
"Are you kidding?" she scoffed, "you're talented. Consider me impressed."
"Well, thank you," Joseph gave the pen back to the waiter who happened to be passing by.
He puts his attention back on Alyson who couldn't break her gaze away from the drawing.
"So, what did you plan on doing with your business degree?"
"I wanted to open my own businesses. I'm kind of all over the place, I like fashion but also like food and music, there are so many things to do, it was hard to choose but I was ready to do it all. Even help people who don't really know how business works. But, I got married to Evan, so all those things got put on hold, not that I'm complaining. It's not like things have always been bad between us."
"But if you could go back knowing what you know now, would you put your dreams on hold?"
Alyson went quiet, not because she had to think about her answer but because she didn't have to think about it.