simmering."
"Good, let me go do that right now." Didier went into the bedroom and Reason followed. "Hey babe," Reason said as he came into the room, Didier turned and gave him a kiss.
"That's what I was looking for. I will leave you to shower."
"Thanks babe." Reason went back into the kitchen and checked on the sauce.
"He's fine, it's the mental tiredness that is hard to shake once he leaves work."
"Oh I bet. So how is the sauce coming along? Is there anything I can do?"
"You can set the table in the dining room, let's eat in there and light some candles."
"Oh how romantic," Catherine remarked.
10 minutes later.
"Didier." Reason asked walking down the hall. "You dressed yet?"
"Oh yes. I was just looking over some plans here. Did you have fun visiting with my mother?"
"She was telling me how she took interior design classes at the junior college and never told your dad or you."
"What?" Didier exclaimed. "She has been telling me things I never dreamed she did. Just last week she started talking about the past. Do you think she was blocked by living there in that house with my Aunt Annabelle for all those years?"
"Yes, and now that she has left there, she's free. A burden is off her shoulders, and now she can be herself. I am so glad that she came to live here in California. She needs to be close to her son."
"She's a little too close. I need some privacy," Didier said, "I am still getting used to someone else being in the house. I do love her being here, but it takes time to get adjusted."
"Yes, it does." Reason held Didier in his arms and gave him a big bear hug. Then he kissed him long and deep.
After dinner.
"I am telling you that was the best spaghetti I have ever had. I am so full," Catherine exclaimed.
"It's my favorite, so meaty and thick."
"I use plenty of ground turkey."
"I've never eaten black olives in spaghetti before. They are delicious."
"I am so glad you enjoyed it."
"Anyone for dessert?" Catherine asked.
"Dessert? I didn't buy any."
"I made a peach cobbler this afternoon before you came over."
"I am stuffed, maybe a little later. I want to relax," Didier admitted.
"I will clean up in here and you too go relax," Catherine offered.
"That is so sweet of you mother."
"It's the least that I can do."
They got up and went to the bedroom. Didier undressed and climbed into bed. "I am never too tired to make love, come here."
"You beast you, I thought you were exhausted." Reason undressed and made sure the door was locked. He climbed into bed.
40 minutes later.
Didier fell asleep after as he lay there in Reasons arms. Reason slipped away from his embrace, got up and put on his Didier's robe and went to the kitchen, he wanted some Peach cobbler. He poured himself a glass of milk as the cobbler was being heated in the microwave. Just then Catherine came in.
"Oh hi, I was just dying to try your peach cobbler."
"Oh go right ahead. I had a piece myself."
"I saw that. I was just heating it up in the microwave."
"Mind you don't get it too hot, you will burn your mouth."
"I am very cautious of doing that." Reason took the cobbler from the microwave and sat down at the table. "It is steaming."
"Is Didier awake?"
"No he fell asleep."
"The poor dear. He works too hard."
"He's fine, just sometimes a project will have some snags and it's stressful and wearing and such. He is going to take Friday off and we are going to hang out all day relaxing. I hope the weather is good. Might lay out and get some sun."
"I am glad to hear that. He works so hard."
"He often leaves work by one p.m. on Fridays."
"Well that's nice. Makes for a longer weekend."
"Indeed it does. That is the best peach cobbler I have ever had."
"I use butter in the dough instead of shortening."
"It is amazing. Teach me how to make it."
"I will."
"Well I am off to bed. Thanks again for that fabulous treat. I will have some for breakfast."
"That is if Didier doesn't eat it all before you wake up."
"He will love it."
"Good night dear." Catherine said and gave Reason a hug.
Chapitre 25
The next morning.
"Colbert, what are we going to do today?" Reason asked this as he was letting her out of the back seat of the Jaguar. He had picked it up earlier from the repair shop. Catherine had dropped him off. Didier had a Fiat X19 he kept in the garage and rarely drove it. Catherine loved driving it. It made her feel young again she said. She had put her car in storage before she flew to California. They first dropped off the rental car before going to the repair shop.
During the drive to his studio, he thought about what Didier had said and wondered if it really was that hard to live with his mother. He didn't even act like it was a problem or he was having a hard go of it. He hid his feelings well. Maybe he hides his feelings from me. He was so sweet to want to make love the other night.
They had a great sex life he thought. He unlocked the back door to the gallery and went inside to face the day. He turned on the lights and opened the shutters. He picked up the receiver and heard the beeping noise informing him there was a voice message. He called his voice service and listened, 'Reason, Jeff here, I need some shots of laptops, a few of them. If you don't have any current ones I can get some for you and we can set it up tomorrow. This is for a technology article and they want three good photographs. Call me back.'
Reason was glad to hear he had something to do, something to keep his mind off the lighthouse. He wanted the week to go by faster. He went to the back office and unlocked the door to another room, he flipped on the switch, it was cooler in this room. All his stock he moved here after the break in. It had a dead bolt that had a guarantee to keep the ones you didn't want in out. He went to the cabinets that were up against the wall.
They had locks on them as well, small keys that looked like the sign of a man. He unlocked it and then began to flip thru the books that were in alphabetical order. He went to technology, then to computers. He pulled it out and headed to the light table. He flipped thru it to find some laptops. He knew that he might have one that was moderne enough, but not three. Maybe a shoot would be good.
He decided to call Jeff and tell him to bring the laptops, and find out what back drop they wanted. This took only a few minutes, and he tried to talk him into coming over this afternoon. He wouldn't come, but he could send his assistant Jimmy, a cute beefy boy with strawberry blond hair and blues eyes.
He always liked Jimmy, when he saw him. The boy wore kakis, always pressed. Button up shirts to his neck and boat shoes. He was always very polite and smiled at everything you said to him. He was a 'yes sir' man. Jimmy would be over around 11:30 a.m. this afternoon, so Reason decided to clean up the studio and set up his camera. He would take a few digital and a few film.
10 a.m.
Reason unlocked the front doors and flipped the sign. He walked out and looked around. A new tenant had moved in a few doors down and was selling moderne furniture. He hadn't had the chance to go check it out. He loved moderne furniture and wanted a new chair for his desk at the gallery.
Maybe he would take a lunch break and walk over there. There wasn't much to do this morning, so he decided to go back to his desk and book the bed & breakfast for next weekend. That would be fun. His time at the computer made time fly sometimes.
11:30 a.m.
Jimmy arrived promptly, carrying three boxes. "Hello Reason," Jimmy said as he came into the gallery.
"Do you want some help?"
"I go it." Jimmy sat them down on Reason's desk.
"So what have you brought me today, Jimmy?" Reason said with a smile.
"I have here the latest laptops: a Hewlett Packard Pavilion, a Compaq Presario and a Dell Inspirion."
"How fun."
"The Inspirion is a much lighter color than the other two, they are black and gray."
"Let's take a look, do you want to unpack them in the studio? There's a workbench that you can use." Reason showed Jimmy the studio,
"Do you want any help?"
"I can manage." Reason left him alone.
About 15 minutes he went back into the studio and Jimmy was looking one over.
"Okay so do we know what kind of a background they want?" Reason asked.
Jimmy pulled open a folder that had a generic ad mock up.
"Let me see," Reason said as he moved over to where Jimmy was standing.
"Here, take a look." Jimmy gladly handed over the folder. Reason examined it and then decided to take the pictures with a white back grown that would show off the black and gray ones, and a black back drop for the other one.
He had a special holder that would elevate the computers at different angles, opened at various angles. This would be easy. He set up the first one and after a few digital shots, he took the film shots. "Next." Reason said to Jimmy, insinuating that he could remove the first laptop and set up the second one.
"Okay, that looks good. Now open it more, more. So how have you been Jimmy?" Reason asked easily.
"Who me?" Jimmy asked in surprise.
"Yes, you. How's life, how's your job?" Reason was taking pictures.
"I am doing very good. I love my job. Jeff is a fantastic boss. Very precise in his work. He rarely needs my help and then the rest of the time I just do my job without him watching over me. I like that." He smiled.
"What about this weather, getting cold soon. Do you like the