Love unfolding

Meeting.

1999

Saturday November 27th

I'm meeting with Abigail Murphy today, so right now I'm on my way to the bookstore, and there should be a car waiting for me to pick me up, I'm excited to meet the brides to be. I arrive at the bookstore and sure enough there is a black Mercedes waiting for me, the windows are tinted and when I stand outside the bookstore looking around a bit confused the window roll down and a man dressed in a suit starts speaking: "Are you Harlow?"

"Yeah I am."

"Good hop in, I'm your driver for the day. My name is Charles I work for Abigail Murphy." He says.

"Okay." I say and then jump in, on the backseat of the Mercedes, and we drive for almost an hour, and then I see an almost castle like mansion, the trees around it are almost pink and there is a lake surrounded by flaming red beeches and I just want to take photos of everything, I brought Ginny's camera just in case.

Charles stop the car and then get out and open the door for me, I feel royal at that moment, but I snap out of it when Charles' raspy voice breaks through my head and says: "Just up there a butler named James will show you to the meeting room."

"Thank you."

Charles nods and I start walking towards a massive staircase, I walk up slowly, not wanting to rush anything, but then my eyes meet a butler dressed in the same black suit as Charles, just with a white bowtie and a black vest. I leads me to a room filled with lights and flowers, and gestures me to sit down in a red velvet arm chair and I do so. 

James leaves again just as silent as before, and I sit for a minute and take pictures of everything, the chandeliers, the flowers, the lights, everything. Then suddenly the door get's opened by James again and this time three women comes trough the door, one of them being Abigail Murphy, and the others must be Miranda and her fiance.

Abigail clears her throt and says: "Tea, James." 

I see James nodding and then he hurries off to get tea, and then Abigail turns to me: "Hello dear Harlow, this is my daughter Miranda and her fiance Ashley."

"It's good to meet you both." I say.

"I haven't shown them any of your work, as I didnt have any pictures, and I was hoping you had your sketchbook with you." Abigail says firmly.

"I most certainly do, I don't go anywhere without it." I say hastily. 

I then take my old sketchbook from my bag, I decided at home that I wanted to take the old one, as that was the one I was drawing in when I met Abigail the first time, and as I filled this one and had to get a new one, there wasn't that many drawings in the new one to show anyway. So I hand my sketchbook to Abigail and she eagerly pages through it, and then she finds the drawing of me and Ginny, and then she says: "So girls, this was the one drawing that made me realise that Harlow is talented and the one who should do your live wedding painting."

"This is all great mom, but how can you judge talent from one drawing, no offense." Miranda says steadily.

"None taken, I know it can be hard to judge from one drawing, but that is why I brought my girlfriends camera as well, she took some pictures of the gallery I arranged at our old school" I say taking the camera and starts showing Miranda and Ashley the pictures of the gallery and some of the paintings I have done over the years. When I reach to the one I made of Ginny and her pygmy puff Arnold, Miranda stops me: "You made all these?"

"Yes, I did."

Miranda: "My mom is right you are talented, and you have sense for detail, I can see the way you have painted her eyes, they are almost lifelike."

"Thank you, this is the first painting of my girlfriend that I ever showed her, and it was on the day we had our first kiss as well."

Ashley: "So she saw this and then she kissed you?"

"Not exactly, we both had boyfriends at that moment, but neither of us were happy, and Ginny, my girlfriend told me that she wanted a 'practise kiss' for her first kiss with her boyfriend, but I later found out that she had lied, and just wanted to know if she had feelings for me instead of her boyfriend." I carefully explain.

Ashley: "What a lovestory, but what is that on her shoulder?"

"That is a pygmy puff, it's a stuffed animal."

Miranda: "Okay, so I'm sure my mom have told you that the wedding is in Brazil in February, right?"

"Yes, that's right, she told me over the phone."

Miranda: "Great, so we'll cover all expences, plane in first class of course, hotelroom at a five star hotel nothing less, and everything else you might need during the week in Brazil."

"A week?" I ask surprised.

Miranda: "Yes, we get a few days where you go around and migle with the guests and then comes the weddingday, where you will be painting during the party, doing whatever you want to do. And then a few days we just spend in Brazil sobering up and enjoying the weather. Does this all work for you?"

"Yes, certainly, everything works just fine."

Miranda: "I'll send you some pictures of what we want, as soon as we have decided, and then I think you'll take some pictures and then start painting on the weddingday?"

"Yes definitely, I'll make it work, but I dont take great pictures, my girlfriend does."

Ashley: "Then bring her along right love?"

Miranda: "Yes, bring her along, a wedding is a party for love right?"

Abigail: "Right, I think that was it for today, Harlow Charles is waiting for you outside."

I get outside and sit back in the Mercedes and Charles drive me back home to the bookstore and I walk home to my apartment and cuddle with Ginny while telling her all about Brazil and the wedding. 

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Puplished: 30-07-23