Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (6 page)

“I refuse to let my life be ruled by some jerk on a sick
power trip.”

I woke the next morning with excitement coursing through my
veins. I thought for sure the flirting between us the night before would have
me wracked with nerves, but I was happy to think that Mr. Stone’s emails
somehow removed some of the fear from my mind and replaced it with a thrill at
our possible ventures on Thursday.

With all this pent-up energy, I decided to go for my morning
run, pacing my breathing to the beat of Kings of Leon.

I’d never been much of a runner. I usually ran only about a
mile or two at a slow pace. But I enjoyed the peace and tranquility of just the
pavement and my music, while my blood pumped through my body, renewing my
strength and making my muscles tingle.

A nervous tickle itched the back of my mind. Aware
he
now knew where I lived made me want
to vomit.

Could he be watching
me now?

I felt where my thoughts were headed and tried courageously
to rid my mind of the fear he instilled inside my bones. I didn’t want to live
in fear. I refused to let my life be ruled by some jerk on a sick power trip.

I shook my head, trying to purge my mind of the memories.

As I ran, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from analyzing my
situation. Yesterday, I met two men who were both very sexy. One man obviously
lacked the courage, but still managed to ask me out, and I accepted. The other
man had more than enough courage and was eager to display his attraction to me,
but was ultimately inaccessible.

There were also several other challenges.

Vic was cute, but I wasn’t very interested. In all honesty,
I accepted his invitation because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings and I would
probably end up spending Wednesday night alone since Sid switched shifts with Becky.

Aiden was unattainable in my book. There was no way I should
be getting involved with my professor. But, God, he was absolutely gorgeous. And
when he looked at me, he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. Being
around him just felt right.

I was very eager to spend time with Aiden later that week,
yet at the same time, I knew it was just going to lead me to heartache. But
wouldn’t he be worth it?

Maddy lived about an hour outside of town, so she chose to
pick me up since my apartment was on her way to the small antique shops we
planned to visit.

She arrived at nine in the morning and we set off on our
venture, talking about the interesting events between her and the publication
judge.

The drive was absolutely gorgeous. Springtime blooms filled
the trees, the deep blue skies were covered with white, puffy clouds, and the
temperature was a perfect seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit.

“So… don’t mind my bluntness, but what the hell is going on
with you and Mr. Stone?” Maddy asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned and looked at her to assess her seriousness. She
just stared out onto the road and continued driving, not a single hint of humor
on her face.

“Uh, I really don’t know,” I said as I shook my head and
grimaced. “Honestly? I completely clam up around him. I’m usually so much
stronger and push people away with my sarcastic humor. But, just his presence
makes my heart flutter like a hummingbird’s wings. And, I think he senses my
reaction to him, because it seems like he tries to get a rise out of me. I’m
not sure whether to be nervous or elated.”

“Well, this is exciting! He’s only, like, twenty-seven or twenty-eight…
not much older than you. And he’s very cute. He seems to have shown an interest
in you, that’s for sure,” she brusquely stated as she flashed a brief smile.

“But, he’s my damn teacher, Mad! Not only will he get in
some serious trouble, but what will people think?” I huffed, crossing my arms
over my chest. “I take great pride in my work and my grades. The last thing I
need is people thinking I’m earning my grades by sleeping with the professor.”

“Of course, you can’t make your interests public, Jules. You’re
going to have to stay quiet about it all. I think he’ll be smart enough to know
that…” she trailed off and paused for a moment before continuing. “Of course,
his attraction was pretty damn obvious yesterday.”

“Oh. My. God. Was it really that obvious? Could you tell how
he flustered me? Was I that transparent?” My questions rattled out of my mouth
with a nervous fervor. I hoped my attraction wasn’t common knowledge amongst
everyone. I’d never live it down.

“No, you actually played it really cool. I was proud of you.
Worried though, because I knew you had to stay behind. I almost didn’t want to
leave you there, but I had a live model in my drawing class and couldn’t miss
it.”

“Oh, so that’s why you asked me if I was okay? Well, you don’t
have to worry about me. He is actually pretty aggressive when it comes to
words, but was nothing but a gentleman even though we were alone for over an
hour,” I reassured her. We sat in silence for a few moments. I wondered what
she was thinking and tried to come up with a way to change the subject.

“Ooh! You would not believe what he came up with for my
spring project!” I exclaimed as I completely turned toward her in my seat. “He
spent a good twenty minutes rearranging all of my prints around until he managed
to situate nine prints together to make an astonishing-looking abstract
collection. I have a few more prints I want to play around with to possibly
make it a twelve piece. But, it is truly amazing how he had an eye for the
details.”

“I had a feeling he would be a really good teacher. No one
can replace Mr. Barnes, but I was sincerely hoping this new guy would be a
decent substitution at least,” Maddy said with a small smile on her face.

I decided I needed to talk to someone about him. So, I
braved up and began to spill. “So, if you promise not to tell anyone, would you
like to know more about him? About… us?” I asked with one eyebrow cocked and a
sly smile on my face.

“Of course! Tell me all the juicy details please, and don’t
leave anything out!”

“Okay, well…” I hesitated, unsure of where to start. “He
calls me ‘Angel’ and he emailed me last night to find out what my usual lab
schedule is. He also wants to take me to a certain property not too far from
here, possibly this weekend. He said since I enjoy infrared photography, it
would be a great place for me to poke around. And, he likes to get close. Unnervingly
close. Not in a bad way. He doesn’t make me nervous like I’m worried I’m in
danger. He makes me feel nervous, like… first-kiss-nervous. Oh, and he said he
wants me to call him Aiden when we’re alone,” I added with a smile.

“Well, I’ll-be-damned! The professor has a crush on Miss
Petersen!” she said with a huge grin.

“I think you have that the other way around, Maddy. I’ve
been crushing on him since he stole my parking spot yesterday morning,” I
mumbled, grinning wildly, while looking out the window at the beautiful day.

“What? He stole parking?” she asked with confusion.

“Oh, I left that part out,” I said as I chuckled lightly. “That’s
why I was late for class yesterday morning. I was waiting for some chick to
pull out of her spot and he just zipped in with his little bitty car and snaked
it from me. I was so pissed. I rolled my window down and nearly fell out on my
face as I yelled at him. But when he turned around and just shrugged and smiled
at me, he took my breath away. Once he was gone and out of my sight, I was
absolutely furious. But, I figured I would never see him again. Little did I
know he would be the one standing in front of the class. He took me completely
off guard.”

“Well, if that ain’t romantic, I don’t know what is,” she
said with a sarcastic lilt to her laugh. “Wait. Don’t teachers get special
parking?”

“That’s what I thought too. But he said the dumb-ass
administrators forgot to assign him parking and he didn’t want to be late for
his first class. I got over it,” I shrugged with a contrite look on my face.

I looked at our surroundings again and noticed we were
getting off the highway. Then I remembered Aiden’s recommendations.

“I almost forgot. Aiden said the first building we come to
on the main drag that has a cow on their sign has a beautiful butterfly garden
out back we should check out.”

She snorted. “Well, isn’t he resourceful?”

Sure enough, only a minute later, we were pulling up in
front of an old antique store with a small picture of a cow on a hand-carved
sign hanging from the porch rafters.

Just as I was about to get out of the car, my phone rang.

“It’s my boss, Mad. Go on without me. I’ll catch up in a
sec,” I explained with a wave of my hand.

Lib called to ask me if I could fill in for her early today.
As much as I wanted to work in the ceramics studio, I could really use the
extra cash. So, I agreed I would go in at the same time as Sid instead.

I hung up and quickly sent a text to Sid, letting her know
of the schedule change so we could ride together.

Sticking my phone in my back pocket and slinging my camera
over my shoulder, I quickly made my way to the backside of the shop.

I definitely wasn’t prepared for what was on the other side.

“I didn’t blame them. I would’ve lived there if I could.”

A rather large, lush landscape of various tropical trees and
plants surrounded my friend.

Maddy just stood there in awe, turning in circles as butterflies
fluttered around her.

There was a small creek that ran parallel to the back of the
building with a cute, little wooden bridge to aid people in crossing over.

To the far back left were what I assumed to be a man-made
pond and waterfall, with koi and other various fish swimming freely. All kinds
of wildlife, like birds, turtles, frogs, and more were just milling around like
this was their home.

I didn’t blame them. I would’ve lived there if I could.

Maddy immediately began snapping photos of all the wildlife,
which was what she enjoyed to do. Meanwhile, I just canvassed the area with my
eyes, focusing on all the unique, yet simple, things that mingled with the
plants.

So many antiques were strategically placed around, acting as
support for various plants and vines. In one area, there was even an old ford
pickup truck. The bed served as a storage area for bags of potting soil and
fertilizer, while the hood was gone and the engine block was filled with
various plants, overgrowing the front end like it belonged as part of the
earth.

While Maddy haphazardly snapped photo after photo, I decided
it might be best if we got permission to photograph the property first.

I made my way back around to the front entrance and walked
inside.

A small bell chimed as I opened the door. The place smelled
just like an antique shop should. Musty air mixed with various woods and
lacquers filled my nostrils and almost made me sneeze. A little wiggle of my
nose quickly relieved me of my discomfort as I walked in further to find the
owner.

“Welcome, dear. My name is Pat. What can I do for you?” A
gray-haired, older lady asked politely as she dried her hands with a dishtowel.

“Good morning, Pat. My name is Julia,” I said as I held out
my hand to offer her a polite handshake. “I actually came out here upon
recommendation of my photography teacher to view your beautiful garden. I must
say, it takes my breath away. I had no idea such paradise was hiding in this
little town. I’ve always loved this area for its abundant nature, but your
garden is by far the most amazing thing I’ve seen in these parts.”

“Why thank you, dear. You’re a sweet one, aren’t you?” she
said with a sincere smile as she shook my hand. “Who is your teacher, if I may
ask?”

“Oh, he is the new photography professor out at the community
college. Mr. Aiden Stone,” I said, with his name coming out sounding more like
a question than a statement.

“Ahh, yes. Handsome little devil, he is,” she stated
matter-of-factly with a crinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. “I’m so
glad he chose to share the knowledge of my lovely garden. My husband, Roy, and
I just love to spend time out there and slowly made it our own throughout the
years. We welcome any visitors who wish to enjoy it with us.”

Wow. This was such a sweet, old lady. She made my heart melt
with every word.

“Thank you for being so welcoming, Pat. You and your husband
truly have a gift for gardening,” I said as I gestured in the direction of the
back door.

“Thank you, dear. The trick is to nurture plants that are
native to this area. With a little care, they will flourish on their own and
invite many of their animal and insect friends along for the fun.” She spoke
with such passion and delight—it almost made me envy her.

“That sounds like excellent advice. I was
wondering—would you mind if I took some photographs of your grounds while
I’m here?” I asked, holding up my camera as if it were evidence. “Not only for
my class, but now that I’ve seen how lovely this place is and all the beautiful
antiques you offer as well, I would love to feature your shop and gardens on my
blog.”

“I don’t know much about technology dear, but you are more
than welcome to take photos of whatever you like. I welcome anyone who wishes
to share their joy of nature with me and I also welcome any exposure you see
fit,” she said kindly.

“Thank you! Oh, this place is such a treasure. I will be
right back with my digital camera,” I said, almost ready to turn and bolt to
the car.

“But what is that you have hanging on you, dear?” she asked
with confusion.

“Oh, this is my black and white film camera for my fine art
photography class. But I also have a digital photography class and would love
to take some color photos as well. Some of the colorful beauty in the gardens
should not be wasted on black and white,” I said with a smile.

“You are so correct, my dear.
 
Now run along! I’d love to see what you come up with,” she replied
with both hands shooing me out the door.

As I began to leave, I spotted a beautifully framed mirror
that hung on a wall near the door. Its intricate metal frame looked like it
could be brass and the mirror was in mint condition. I just stood there,
staring at myself in awe. Not in awe at myself, but in awe of this beautiful,
antique mirror.

“You like it, dear?” I heard Pat’s question from behind me,
making me jump slightly.

“Oh, yes. It’s very beautiful, and in such good condition. How
much is it?” I asked as I turned to face her.

“That one there is definitely an original. It’s so unique. I
haven’t been able to find another one like it. I had a couple in here several
months ago wanting to redo their master bathroom. The wife fell in love with
this beauty, but because they had two sinks, they also wanted two matching
mirrors. I wasn’t able to sell it without a match, which is a pity because it
is priced at $600.”

My heart fell and my shoulders sagged.
Damn.
There was no way I could afford that.

“Oh, that’s too bad they couldn’t buy it. It would be a
perfect addition to a sink vanity,” I said, trying not to show my
disappointment. I think I failed.

“I can see that you love it, dear,” she said as she placed
her hand on my shoulder. I could see her face through the mirror and feigned a
polite smile. “I wish I could just give it to you to see your face light up
like it did when you first saw it. But, alas, I paid over $300 for it myself
and would need to make at least a 25% profit.”

Now I felt bad. I didn’t want her to feel like she owed me
anything. If anything, I owed her. “Please, don’t feel any obligation toward me.
Being a college student, I know I cannot afford beautiful antiques such as
these. I do love the mirror, but I never anticipated being able to own it
anyway,” I said softly.

“I would still love to take some photos and feature your
place. Is that okay?”

“Well, of course, my dear. By all means. Enjoy yourself. And
tell your friend she can enjoy herself too,” Pat said with a wink. She must
have noticed Maddy out back already. Then she turned and went into the back
room she first appeared from.

As I gathered my digital camera from the car and walked around
back, Maddy nearly mauled me and exclaimed, “Where have you been? This place is
absolutely breathtaking!”

“I was just asking the owner if it was okay that we took
photos. I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries,” I explained quickly.

“Oh, shit, Julia. This place took me by such surprise, I
totally forgot about asking,” she said as she wiped her brow with her fingers
in frustration.

“It’s okay, Maddy. The owner, Pat… she’s a really sweet, old
lady. She said she loves and welcomes any visitors who share a love of nature
with her. I also told her I would feature her shop and gardens on my blog.”

“It’s a good thing you’re skilled with all that technical
stuff, ‘cause God knows I’m not. I tell ya…” she trailed off, rolling her eyes.

“I also grabbed my digital so I can take a few color shots
for the blog,” I mentioned, while patting the digital camera at my side.

As I began taking infrared shots of all the various antiques
around the gardens, I also took digital shots and even a few from my phone so I
could upload them to the web right away.

Lastly, I took some digital photos of the front and inside. I
couldn’t help myself and had to take a few infrared shots of the sun shining
through the windowed door, the sun’s glow framing the mirror from the angle I
was at.

Maddy and I traveled around for another hour or so, taking
various landscape photos. One in particular I was excited to see developed was
one of her standing underneath an extremely large oak tree, right in the center
of a huge field. With the infrared, I was confident it would come out good.

After our morning ventures, we decided to eat lunch at a
little café downtown.

The quaint hole-in-the-wall café was famous for their
coffee, but also offered deli sandwiches and desserts. In the dining area, they
had various board games so people could sit and play with each other while they
enjoyed their lattes and cheesecakes.

Maddy dropped me back at my apartment shortly after one in
the afternoon, which meant I had roughly two hours to get ready for work.

I looked around the parking lot of our apartment building
and frowned when I didn’t see Sid’s car anywhere.