You know the drill....
Portrait In Blue
Richard was standing the art museum, looking at a portrait. It was an abstract in blues and reds. It was one of his favorite paintings, although no one knew that. Well, almost no one. Julia didn't know, and Caroline didn't know. Only one person knew.
"I thought I'd find you here," a distinctly female voice said. Richard turned slightly to see a red-headed standing there smiling at him.
"I was wondering if you were going to show," he said dryly. The red-head grinned, paying no attention to his mood.
"Of course. You call, I come," she stood beside him. "So, what's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I can't even begin to explain."
"It's her, isn't it?"
He looked over at her. She'd become one of the few people he truly trusted over the past year or so he'd known her. He trusted her as much as he trusted Caroline, and he couldn't see his life without her either. It was amazing that their meeting had started out as nothing more than a revenge date.
For her part, Janine Melnitz shifted her weight to her other foot, and looked at the man who'd quickly become as close to her as the Ghostbusters. When he'd first walked into the firehouse and into her life, she couldn't imagine what she had in common with the dour man in black. Now, she couldn't imagine life without him.
Slowly, he nodded. He didn't even have to ask which her she was referring to. She sighed, taking his arm. "Let's go to the cafe. You can pour your heart out to me over coffee."
"I thought I was over her," he admitted. "I'm happy with Julia. I could forget her and start a new life," he shook his head. "Then last week changed that."
Janine frowned. "What happened last week?"
"The clutz in me took control of my life," he said dryly. "I ruined both a painting I was working on, and a strip of Caroline's due that day."
Janine said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I fully expected Caroline to be furious with me. She wasn't. While I was in the hallway hyperventalating, she looked at it, and redrew it. By the time I returned, the new strip was on my desk and she never said a word."
"And the painting?' she prompted.
"I went home and tried to work on the painting I've been fooling with. Somehow, I upset the paint table, and it went flying. All over my painting, all over the floor, all over me. Julia came home, and had a fit. She started screaming at me in Italian," he shrugged. "I think I caught parts of floor, paints, mess, and my fault. I just left. I wasn't going to deal with it."
"What did Caroline say?" she asked. She'd met Julia at a premire Peter had drug her to once. The Itlalian woman was glamerous and poised, but she also treated Richard like a trophy. Janine could tell Julia didn't love him, only used him to serve her purpose.
"I came to work the next day, still covered in paint. Caroline asked me what happened, and I told her," he sighed. "She was so sympathetic, and offered me her shower."
He laughed sharply. "My wife screams at me, and the woman who isn't suppose to mean anything to me, is the one who's the most sympathetic."
Janine smiled sadly at him. She sympathized with him. She knew what he was going through. The only difference was she wasn't married.
"So much for sincere amore," she quipped.
He shook his head. "No, I still believe in the theory of sincere amore. I just don't know if it's either woman." Janine reached over and touched his hand lightly. "A year ago, you were sure," she said softly. Richard sighed.
"A year ago, I was sure of everything. Now I'm not sure about anything." He glanced up. "Maybe I'll just date you."
Janine laughed lightly. "You know I'm waiting for my sincere amore."
"You're so sure about who you want to spend the rest of you life with."
Janine snorted. "I'm sure. I'm sure I'll be waiting for the rest of my life for him to make up his mind," she shook her head, "But we're not here to talk about me. Let's figure out your problem."
"That's easy. My problem is Julia."
The minute the words left his mouth, he knew they were true. He'd had problems before, but now that he was married to Julia, all his problems stemmed from her. He turned his attention back to Janine.
"What do you see?" he asked her.
For a long time, Janine didn't speak, only drank her coffee and looked at him. Finally, she spoke.
"I see a man who has to sneak out of his house to see a friend. I see someone who looks foreward to work everyday to see his employer. Someone who spends every moment of his time working to meet the desires of his wife, which isn't wrong," she hastened to add. "But it works both ways," she smiled mischeviously. "All I can figure is that the sex must be incredible."
He laughed; something she'd only seen a couple of times. She hid a smile behind her coffee.
"Well, she is Italian," he teased, then sobered. "But seriously, sex isn't everything. And after a day of arguing with her, sex is usually the last thing on my mind. Most of the time, I escape just to get away from her and clear my thoughts from 'how long can I tiptoe around before I enrage Julia'."
"That isn't a marriage," Janine said simply. "I know you and Julia were deeply in love once, but that was a long time ago. You've both matured since then, and grown apart. It happens, even to the best of us."
He sighed. She was right; he and Julia had grown apart. Neither were the same people that had fallen in love those years ago. He glanced over at Janine. She was drinking her coffee, watching him over her glasses. "You're right. I just don't know what to do now. I can't tell Julia I want a divorce because our marrige was a mistake."
"Talk to her. She can't be happy with her life either. If she ever truly loved you, she'll let you go. It may not be tomorrow, but...soon."
He nodded, glad he'd called her. He glanced at his watch.
"I'd better get back home, before Julia starts calling Caroline to accuse her of kidnapping her husband."
Janine laughed lightly, standing up with him.
"I have to work early tomorrow. It's invoice day."
"How is the illustrious Dr. Spengler these days?"
She rolled her eyes. "Let's just say that one of these days, you'll be returning the favor."
They walked out of the museum together.
"Want a ride home?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No. I need to walk. Clear my head."
Nodding, she reached over and kissed his cheek. "Call me tomorrow. Let me know how you are."
Silently, she slid into her car and drove off. He watched the little car until it was out of sight; then he headed the opposite way towards home.
Portrait In Blue
Richard was standing the art museum, looking at a portrait. It was an abstract in blues and reds. It was one of his favorite paintings, although no one knew that. Well, almost no one. Julia didn't know, and Caroline didn't know. Only one person knew.
"I thought I'd find you here," a distinctly female voice said. Richard turned slightly to see a red-headed standing there smiling at him.
"I was wondering if you were going to show," he said dryly. The red-head grinned, paying no attention to his mood.
"Of course. You call, I come," she stood beside him. "So, what's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I can't even begin to explain."
"It's her, isn't it?"
He looked over at her. She'd become one of the few people he truly trusted over the past year or so he'd known her. He trusted her as much as he trusted Caroline, and he couldn't see his life without her either. It was amazing that their meeting had started out as nothing more than a revenge date.
For her part, Janine Melnitz shifted her weight to her other foot, and looked at the man who'd quickly become as close to her as the Ghostbusters. When he'd first walked into the firehouse and into her life, she couldn't imagine what she had in common with the dour man in black. Now, she couldn't imagine life without him.
Slowly, he nodded. He didn't even have to ask which her she was referring to. She sighed, taking his arm. "Let's go to the cafe. You can pour your heart out to me over coffee."
"I thought I was over her," he admitted. "I'm happy with Julia. I could forget her and start a new life," he shook his head. "Then last week changed that."
Janine frowned. "What happened last week?"
"The clutz in me took control of my life," he said dryly. "I ruined both a painting I was working on, and a strip of Caroline's due that day."
Janine said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I fully expected Caroline to be furious with me. She wasn't. While I was in the hallway hyperventalating, she looked at it, and redrew it. By the time I returned, the new strip was on my desk and she never said a word."
"And the painting?' she prompted.
"I went home and tried to work on the painting I've been fooling with. Somehow, I upset the paint table, and it went flying. All over my painting, all over the floor, all over me. Julia came home, and had a fit. She started screaming at me in Italian," he shrugged. "I think I caught parts of floor, paints, mess, and my fault. I just left. I wasn't going to deal with it."
"What did Caroline say?" she asked. She'd met Julia at a premire Peter had drug her to once. The Itlalian woman was glamerous and poised, but she also treated Richard like a trophy. Janine could tell Julia didn't love him, only used him to serve her purpose.
"I came to work the next day, still covered in paint. Caroline asked me what happened, and I told her," he sighed. "She was so sympathetic, and offered me her shower."
He laughed sharply. "My wife screams at me, and the woman who isn't suppose to mean anything to me, is the one who's the most sympathetic."
Janine smiled sadly at him. She sympathized with him. She knew what he was going through. The only difference was she wasn't married.
"So much for sincere amore," she quipped.
He shook his head. "No, I still believe in the theory of sincere amore. I just don't know if it's either woman." Janine reached over and touched his hand lightly. "A year ago, you were sure," she said softly. Richard sighed.
"A year ago, I was sure of everything. Now I'm not sure about anything." He glanced up. "Maybe I'll just date you."
Janine laughed lightly. "You know I'm waiting for my sincere amore."
"You're so sure about who you want to spend the rest of you life with."
Janine snorted. "I'm sure. I'm sure I'll be waiting for the rest of my life for him to make up his mind," she shook her head, "But we're not here to talk about me. Let's figure out your problem."
"That's easy. My problem is Julia."
The minute the words left his mouth, he knew they were true. He'd had problems before, but now that he was married to Julia, all his problems stemmed from her. He turned his attention back to Janine.
"What do you see?" he asked her.
For a long time, Janine didn't speak, only drank her coffee and looked at him. Finally, she spoke.
"I see a man who has to sneak out of his house to see a friend. I see someone who looks foreward to work everyday to see his employer. Someone who spends every moment of his time working to meet the desires of his wife, which isn't wrong," she hastened to add. "But it works both ways," she smiled mischeviously. "All I can figure is that the sex must be incredible."
He laughed; something she'd only seen a couple of times. She hid a smile behind her coffee.
"Well, she is Italian," he teased, then sobered. "But seriously, sex isn't everything. And after a day of arguing with her, sex is usually the last thing on my mind. Most of the time, I escape just to get away from her and clear my thoughts from 'how long can I tiptoe around before I enrage Julia'."
"That isn't a marriage," Janine said simply. "I know you and Julia were deeply in love once, but that was a long time ago. You've both matured since then, and grown apart. It happens, even to the best of us."
He sighed. She was right; he and Julia had grown apart. Neither were the same people that had fallen in love those years ago. He glanced over at Janine. She was drinking her coffee, watching him over her glasses. "You're right. I just don't know what to do now. I can't tell Julia I want a divorce because our marrige was a mistake."
"Talk to her. She can't be happy with her life either. If she ever truly loved you, she'll let you go. It may not be tomorrow, but...soon."
He nodded, glad he'd called her. He glanced at his watch.
"I'd better get back home, before Julia starts calling Caroline to accuse her of kidnapping her husband."
Janine laughed lightly, standing up with him.
"I have to work early tomorrow. It's invoice day."
"How is the illustrious Dr. Spengler these days?"
She rolled her eyes. "Let's just say that one of these days, you'll be returning the favor."
They walked out of the museum together.
"Want a ride home?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No. I need to walk. Clear my head."
Nodding, she reached over and kissed his cheek. "Call me tomorrow. Let me know how you are."
Silently, she slid into her car and drove off. He watched the little car until it was out of sight; then he headed the opposite way towards home.