Valentine's Day Romance: Finding Love (6 page)

Looking in the mirror as she put on her make-up, she smiled.
I’m looking forward going back to Raze, I’m just not sure why he would want to go jump again.
Putting her lipstick on, she heard her phone begin to ring. It was Vivian from work.

“Hello?” Rebecca answered.

“Sorry to bother you! I just had a quick question on this week’s Greenhouse Article.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“Do you want the article on how to construct your lean-to greenhouse before or after the Little Greenhouse interview with Mrs. Robertson?”

“Go ahead and do it before,” Rebecca said.

“Ok, thanks!” Vivian said hanging up the phone. Looking at her phone after she hung up, she saw it was quarter to 7 and Jonathan was going to be arriving any moment to pick her up for the Raze dinner and dive. She heard the doorbell ring.
That must be him.
Checking herself once more, she smiled and flipped the light off exiting the bathroom.

“Just a moment!” Rebecca hollered as she hurried down the hall towards the front door. Opening the door, she found nobody was there. She stuck her head out and looked down both ways of the hallway. Nobody was anywhere to be seen.
That’s strange.
Shutting the door, she went into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. The doorbell rang again and she quickly set her water down and ran over to the door to open it. It was Jonathan.

“Oh thank goodness!” She said with relief. Jonathan smiled and stepped into her apartment kissing her on the cheek. He looked dashing in his suit. “Do you have some shorts underneath there to dive in?” Rebecca asked jokingly as she returned to the counter to grab her water.

“Nah… They are in the car. Kind of stupid they supplied them the first time but said that I need to bring my own shorts this time… but oh welel,” He said. Walking over to Rebecca’s wall decorated in art, he stopped at the painting of The Independent Woman. “This one is new…” He said looking back at Rebecca.

“Yeah, I picked it up from the art gallery yesterday. I’m so happy I got a hold of Shawna’s agent and got her to agree to sell me a reproduction print. I really hope to meet her someday.”

“What gallery?”

“It’s just a little gallery that’s part of the college at MCC,” Rebecca said.

“Where Mike works?” Jonathan asked in a serious tone. They had talked out everything that went on between Rebecca and Mike on one of the first dates after Jonathan got out of the hospital. After that it was just about them, Mike wasn’t even an issue over the last month.

“Yeah, but I made sure he wasn’t in when I picked up the painting.” She didn’t think she could face him anyways. She was mortified how she just ran away when he was talking about his feelings. It has been over a month since she had heard anything from him.

“Ok. Cool. Who’s the artist?”

“I said Shawna, but you might not have heard me… Her full name is Shawna Knightly,” Rebecca said.

“Wow… Really? What a coincidence. They are having an auction tonight of a few of her paintings. Larry over at the Raze called me and let me know it would be going on. He had hoped not to upset me with the art being on auction during the jump.”

“Awesome! I’m excited to see more of her work. This piece…” Rebecca moved next to Jonathan’s side as she continued, “It’s amazing and encapsulates the essence of my nature in its entirety.” Jonathan leaned in a bit closer, and stared for a moment.

“I don’t know about that… but it looks cool for sure,” He said. Rebecca smiled at him and he wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her out the door.

Upon arrival at Raze, they were led into the dining area. Rebecca leaned over Jonathan’s shoulder, “Hopefully you don’t break any bones this time!” She said snickering.

He grinned at her and said, “I’ll try to refrain myself!” Being seated at the table they sat before, Jonathan looked over at the pool and Rebecca joined his gaze.
That’s where they pulled him up out of the water…I had no clue if he was dead or alive.

“Do you regret jumping?” Rebecca asked looking over at Jonathan. His eyes stayed focused on the waterfall.

“Not at all,” He turned smiling at her. Rebecca was baffled that he had no regrets about jumping and almost dying. He had missed tons of work not to mention the physical toll it took on his body. His life hung in the balance as a result of the jump, yet he had not a single regret.

“How do you not regret it?” Rebecca asked intrigued.

“Sometimes in life… we have to take a leap and hope it works out. That’s what I did. That’s what I’m doing today also.”

“With your jump tonight?” Rebecca asked.

“Yes, there’s that… But also, I’m starting my own company. It’s called Gyzer Enterprises; I’m going to travel the country working with news agencies that need consulting.”

“Wow,” Rebecca said tilting her head. “How did I have no idea about this?” Rebecca became flushed as anger began to overtake her. “When did you plan on telling me about this Jonathan?”

“Uhh… We are just dating. I thought I didn’t have to clue you in on everything that is going on in my life,” Jonathan responded sharply with agitation in his tone.

“Yeah… well, we are dating, so things like this should be brought to each other’s attention. Dang… You are such an idiot sometimes…”

“Don’t talk to me that way. I did drop hints back on the rooftop last month. I’ve been working on putting things in place for a while now.”

“Things in place? Like what?” Rebecca asked skeptically.

“Yeah, I already have six clients lined up.” A lady came over and interrupted their conversation.

“Mr. Bateman?” the lady asked. She had a feathered dress and a train that dragged across the floor behind her.

“Yes?” He said looking up at her. She smiled.

“Please come prepare for your leap,” the lady motioned him to come with her.

“Wish me luck!” Jonathan told Rebecca as he got up and grinned back at her.

“Break a leg!” Rebecca said with a sinister grin in agitation with him.

“I’ll see you in a bit.” Jonathan vanished out of sight to go prepare for his jump. Directing her attention to the stage that sat in the middle of the dining area, she saw paintings on easels.
That must be more of Shawna’s work.
A man came up on stage and a spotlight beamed down on him. He had gray hair and a smile that wouldn’t cease.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” He said into a microphone that sat in front of him. The lights dimmed and the waterfalls lit up with blues and purples.
Wow… that’s so beautiful!
Rebecca thought to herself looking around. “We are here to celebrate the recovery of Jonathan Bateman and also to recognize a local author that has blown away the art community with his painting Rebecca. The spotlight shifted to a painting sitting on a stand. It was The Independent Woman painting she had hanging on her wall at home.
Rebecca?
Looking around, she became confused.

“Going by the pseudonym Shawna Knightly to keep his identity protected, Mike Lowe has been an inspiration to the art community here in Spokane.”
Mike? Shawna Knightly is Mike?
That must mean…he painted that portrait after me?
Rebecca remembered back to the gallery that day.

It’s called The Independent Woman.

It represents the struggle between her good and evil

The red backdrop that also has shades of blue

Is the blood, sweat and tears that made her life

And her

Independent

Rebecca was startled,
He knew me so well, with so little time… how’s that possible?
The announcer continued up on the stage, “The pieces in tonight’s auction will be sold through a silent auction format. Bidding will begin now and will run until 9pm. Winners will be announced at the end.” Stepping off the stage, the spotlight dimmed and the lights in the dining room brightened back up.

Standing up, Rebecca frantically looked around the room trying to spot Mike.
Where is he? This is a new level of creepy.
Searching through the crowd, she spotted Mike greeting people at a nearby table. He was laughing and smiling, shaking their hands and carrying on. Rushing over to him, she grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

“Rebecca!” He said with a smile. “It’s so good to see you!” He put out his hand to shake hers. She looked him up and down and stomped her foot.

“Hey! Dude. That painting over there…” Rebecca pointed to the picture she knew as The Independent Woman. “Is super creepy and strange.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about Rebecca…”

“Yeah I do, that picture is me. You painted a picture of me.”

“You think so? Let me show you something.” Rebecca followed Mike over to the painting. He pushed the painting forward off the easel to show her the back. Crouching to see, Rebecca read the date:
05/24/2008
.
What?
Rebecca looked at Mike.

“How’s that possible?” she asked.

“It’s not you… It’s my late wife,” Mike said softly. “I had kept this painting, along with-” A loud booming voice came over the speakers in the ceiling.

“Please direct your attention to the Northeast waterfall.” The spotlight lit up Jonathan as he stood on top of the waterfall. This time he had equipment wrapped around his waist and a person on each side holding him.

Jonathan raised his hands up in the air and smiled waving at everyone down below that was cheering and clapping on the dining room floor. Stepping forward, the workers unlatched him from the safety harness and he leaped off the cliff.

Turning to Mike, Rebecca saw he had left her side. Glancing back around the room, she saw Mike as he was exiting. Running through the crowd, Rebecca followed Mike outside to the parking lot. “Mike!” She yelled.

“What Rebecca?” he asked turning around.

“What were you saying?”

“Does it matter? Look around Rebecca. It doesn’t matter. Go back inside and have fun on your date with your boss.” Mike turned away from Rebecca and continued to his car. Catching up behind him, she turned him around.

“Tell me what you were saying. You said you kept that painting…? Why was that date so old?”

“It was my wife! It wasn’t you, it was never you… I use to paint until she passed and I put all the art away and I didn’t want to bring it out until I met you. You reminded me so much of Rebecca and I felt invigorated… I felt amazing spending time with you and talking with you…”

“So the painting is not me?”

“No…” He said shaking his head. “I can see how you would think that with how I described the painting. You and my late wife are very similar. But not in a way that I was trying to replace her. Trust me; you are very unique and charming in your own way.”

Jonathan came running out of the restaurant with just shorts and a towel on, catching Rebecca and Mike talking. He looked sad as he said, “I’ll leave you two to talk.” Turning around quickly, Jonathan started to go back into Raze. Rebecca chased after him and grabbed his arm; he turned to her and looked her in the eyes.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca asked Jonathan panicked that he was leaving her.

“I am going to go dry off and change, enjoy my meal, and start my new life without you… I can see it in your eyes Rebecca…” Jonathan looked up at Mike and then back at her. “You are crazy about that guy. Sure what we had was awesome and maybe could’ve been something more, but I’m going to be traveling and long distance doesn’t work very well. I wouldn’t want it to work anyway, too much of a lock down…”

Rebecca shook her head.