Frannie lay in bed, awake in the wee hours as Jon slept on beside her. She should be exhausted after their love making on the couch and then later when they had made it to the bed. Yet she was awake, her brain unable to settle. She got up and pulled on her robe and, leaving Jon sleeping, she headed downstairs to her studio.
Flipping on the light she looked to the project that was giving her so much trouble. She sifted through the photos yet again and finally decided to let it rest for a while. She covered everything with a sheet and turned her attention to the easel in the center of the room. Maybe if she worked on something else for a while she could return to this with fresh eyes and a new perspective.
Jon sighed as he rolled over and found Frannie gone from the bed. She was so much like him when involved in a project it was a bit unnerving. He stretched and pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, wondering how long she had been awake or if she had even slept at all.
Carrying two cups of coffee he found Frannie putting her initials in the corner of the watercolor she had just finished. Frannie turned to him with a smile as she finished, “good morning.” He handed her one of the cups of coffee, “good morning baby. How long have you been up?” He studied the picture as he waited for her to answer. “For a while, I was too restless to sleep and I didn’t want to wake you up.” He wrapped his arm around her, “then I guess I need to work a little harder at wearing you out.” Frannie smiled and shook her head, “you try any harder and I won’t be able to walk.” Jon laughed and turned his attention to the painting, “this is amazing baby. It’s from our trip, right?”
“Yeah, it’s from that first afternoon.” She had painted the beach from their first walk on the beach right after they arrived on Turks and Caicos. “I have a few others I want to do, but I thought I would start with this one.” Jon nodded, “I love it. Are you going to call Tico about doing a show at his gallery?” Frannie sipped her coffee, “I had planned on calling Joan at the Alliance and then him later today.” Jon took her hand, “Okay. Now, how about some breakfast?”
Frannie spent the day in the studio, breaking only see Sophie for a bit before her nap and when Jon interrupted her at dinnertime. He had spent the day in his office and he was ready for a break when Lani informed him that dinner was ready. He left his phone on his desk; he didn’t want to talk on the damn thing anymore that day if he didn’t have to. Most days he felt as if it was permanently attached to the side of his head. He wandered down to see what Frannie was up to and found her on her phone. While she talked he studied the painting that was drying on the easel. She had used acrylics this time, capturing the bold colors of the sunset over the beach. The palm trees swayed on the one side of the painting and you could just make out a sailboat in the distance.
He turned to say something to her and she held up her hand, signaling him to wait. “Okay Tico, end of next month sounds like it will work just fine.” She smiled and finished up the call. “I look forward to it Tico, thanks. See you soon.” When she closed the phone Jon spoke. “You look forward to what?” Frannie took a couple of steps, closing the gap between them, “seeing his studio. He promised to show me his paintings.”
Jon took her hand and pulled her into his embrace, “he does love to show of his work. You’ll love it, I’m sure.” Frannie kissed his cheek, “I’ve no doubt I will. What do you think of this one?” Jon turned his head, “I think it’s wonderful. You really have a way with that paintbrush ma’am.” Her cheeks pinked slightly, a vision of using a paintbrush for an entirely different reason flashed through her head “thanks.”
The look didn’t go unnoticed by Jon, “what? Why are you blushing?” Frannie lowered her head, resting it against his chest. “I’m not blushing.” He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head, “yes you are. What’s going on in that head of yours?” She closed her eyes briefly before meeting his gaze, “I was just thinking about different uses for my paintbrush, that’s all.” He raised his eyebrows, “really, do tell.” She shook her head and loosed herself from his embrace, “I do show better than tell. I’ll show you later.” She turned to walk out of the room and he grabbed her hand, “later better come quick” he told her as they shut the light off and headed to dinner.
Flipping on the light she looked to the project that was giving her so much trouble. She sifted through the photos yet again and finally decided to let it rest for a while. She covered everything with a sheet and turned her attention to the easel in the center of the room. Maybe if she worked on something else for a while she could return to this with fresh eyes and a new perspective.
Jon sighed as he rolled over and found Frannie gone from the bed. She was so much like him when involved in a project it was a bit unnerving. He stretched and pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, wondering how long she had been awake or if she had even slept at all.
Carrying two cups of coffee he found Frannie putting her initials in the corner of the watercolor she had just finished. Frannie turned to him with a smile as she finished, “good morning.” He handed her one of the cups of coffee, “good morning baby. How long have you been up?” He studied the picture as he waited for her to answer. “For a while, I was too restless to sleep and I didn’t want to wake you up.” He wrapped his arm around her, “then I guess I need to work a little harder at wearing you out.” Frannie smiled and shook her head, “you try any harder and I won’t be able to walk.” Jon laughed and turned his attention to the painting, “this is amazing baby. It’s from our trip, right?”
“Yeah, it’s from that first afternoon.” She had painted the beach from their first walk on the beach right after they arrived on Turks and Caicos. “I have a few others I want to do, but I thought I would start with this one.” Jon nodded, “I love it. Are you going to call Tico about doing a show at his gallery?” Frannie sipped her coffee, “I had planned on calling Joan at the Alliance and then him later today.” Jon took her hand, “Okay. Now, how about some breakfast?”
Frannie spent the day in the studio, breaking only see Sophie for a bit before her nap and when Jon interrupted her at dinnertime. He had spent the day in his office and he was ready for a break when Lani informed him that dinner was ready. He left his phone on his desk; he didn’t want to talk on the damn thing anymore that day if he didn’t have to. Most days he felt as if it was permanently attached to the side of his head. He wandered down to see what Frannie was up to and found her on her phone. While she talked he studied the painting that was drying on the easel. She had used acrylics this time, capturing the bold colors of the sunset over the beach. The palm trees swayed on the one side of the painting and you could just make out a sailboat in the distance.
He turned to say something to her and she held up her hand, signaling him to wait. “Okay Tico, end of next month sounds like it will work just fine.” She smiled and finished up the call. “I look forward to it Tico, thanks. See you soon.” When she closed the phone Jon spoke. “You look forward to what?” Frannie took a couple of steps, closing the gap between them, “seeing his studio. He promised to show me his paintings.”
Jon took her hand and pulled her into his embrace, “he does love to show of his work. You’ll love it, I’m sure.” Frannie kissed his cheek, “I’ve no doubt I will. What do you think of this one?” Jon turned his head, “I think it’s wonderful. You really have a way with that paintbrush ma’am.” Her cheeks pinked slightly, a vision of using a paintbrush for an entirely different reason flashed through her head “thanks.”
The look didn’t go unnoticed by Jon, “what? Why are you blushing?” Frannie lowered her head, resting it against his chest. “I’m not blushing.” He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her head, “yes you are. What’s going on in that head of yours?” She closed her eyes briefly before meeting his gaze, “I was just thinking about different uses for my paintbrush, that’s all.” He raised his eyebrows, “really, do tell.” She shook her head and loosed herself from his embrace, “I do show better than tell. I’ll show you later.” She turned to walk out of the room and he grabbed her hand, “later better come quick” he told her as they shut the light off and headed to dinner.
4 comments:
Oh, I just loved that last paragraph! The easy and playful banter between them just makes me feel warm and fuzzy! You write these characters so well that I feel like I know them and get a chance to be a fly on the wall with a glimpse into what they are like when the cameras aren't always on them! I just love this couple together! Each chapter is such a gem and they really are worth waiting for!
Can't wait to read about the paintbrushes!
Ohh. I do love this. I love how at ease they are with each other now, and ok now I need to know what she's going to do with the paintbrushes.
Great job as always. :)
Well I finally got caught up. Yep they seem to be much more believable as a couple now. Comfortable with each other yet still aroused easily when they touch. I love that..
Great job!!!
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