A Million Ways To Spend Our Time

Part 4: The Visitation and The Chance at an Art Career

In my pink dress, pearl necklace and silver heels, I got in the car to drive to Ray and Dorothy's house. I had no idea what to expect, and was just focusing on not losing my cool and acting sane. I also brought a couple of paintings I had been working on to show them, and possibly to get some insight on possible improvements. A form of writer's block existed in my paintings on occasion too. About twenty minutes later I managed to pull into their driveway. I could not believe my good fortune, hoping I wouldn't do anything to blow it.

I stepped out of the car and walked up the steps. I was just about to knock when the door opened before me. "Hey!" Ray smiled warmly. "Come on in." I stepped inside to see that Dorothy was cooking steak and potatoes, and mixing up some salad. "Hi Dorothy." "Hello." She smiled at me.

"Just give me one second and let me get these into the oven." "Oh, you're fine." Dorothy finished getting the potatoes ready and began taking me on a tour of the house, explaining her décor and color schemes.

She was showing me the white, black and yellow accents in the living room when I heard the door close a second time. I thought maybe Ray had went outside, but then I remembered he had said that he was going to finish the steaks while Dorothy and I discussed the house. "Hey Ray," I heard Jim say in his unforgettable voice. I nearly froze, wondering what in the world he was doing here. "What are we having for dinner?" "Steaks, salad and baked potatoes, Jim. Straight out of the rich man's plate." "First royalty check was nice, huh?" "Oh, yeah." "Pamela wants me to buy her a boutique." Does he really just come into other people's houses and think he's automatically getting dinner? Had fame really gone that far to his head? "Hey Jim, that girl from the Mexican restaurant is here. She's gonna paint a couple of paintings for the house for me and Dorothy." "The clumsy waitress? Really? How did you run into her?" "I saw her at the art gallery when Dorothy and I were going in there to look at paintings. I'd rather her make them than somebody commercial that isn't a beatnik." Jim smirked. "I figured she was an artist." Jim began making himself at home, taking off his jacket, putting it around his chair and washing his hands at the kitchen sink. "Yeah man, she's actually very good. Really detailed. She's gonna be in the art show at that art gallery downtown soon, too. I think she can do really good for herself." "Well, good. I'm curious to see what it is that she creates." I tried to pay attention to Dorothy and not act like I was eavesdropping instead. Dorothy did have a good eye for decorating. "Jim must have just got home. He lives with us, you know." My eyes got larger. "He does?" "Yeah. Ray felt sorry for him so we invited him to stay here. He was living on the roof of the place of a friend of his, living off oranges and avocados." Damn, Jim. "Wow....I had no idea." "With Jim's type sometimes you have to try to make him do the right thing. He has a good heart and is very smart,and of course an amazing writer. He's just young and rebellious and wants to be an immortal Dionysus." I chuckled. "Sounds about right." Dorothy and I finished examining the house, and I was brainstorming up some more landscape and floral paintings.

We re-entered the kitchen to see Ray and Jim sitting at the table drinking beers and chatting. Jim's eyes met mine as soon as he saw me. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Alana. I knew you had a name," Jim snickered at me as he spoke."Of course I do. You'd never asked." "Well." Jim made a mock shocked face. "Pardon me." Dorothy placed the salad bowl on the table, got the potatoes out of the oven and Ray made sure the steaks were done. I looked at Ray as Dorothy sat down next to him. "Dorothy and I went over all of the rooms and the decorating she started." "Yeah? That's good. Did you get any ideas?" "Oh yeah. I should be able to make it work." "Would you like to stay for dinner, Alana?" Ray was full of surprises lately. "Oh....I wouldn't want to impose." "It's no problem. And if it is, I'll just steal the money back from Jim tonight while he's asleep." Ray smirked. "Hey! I stole you these steaks the last time, remember?" Ray chuckled. "Yeah, you did. You charming sneaky bastard. Like wearing a coat in the summer wasn't obvious." "The cashier fell for it.""True." Ray and Jim smiled and laughed, until Ray remembered that Alana was still standing nearby. "Well, go ahead and sit down, Alana. Jim won't bite." I was beginning to dread that the seat next to Jim was the only one vacant. "Okay, as long as you're sure." "Ray's a good man," Jim said."Always has been. I'm the one you gotta watch out for." "Nah," Ray replied. "You're good when you want to be, Jim." I slowly sat down in the chair next to Jim, making myself a plate of food.