La Photographie Moderne

His heart was pounding and he was having the rush of a lifetime.

  "Hey there to you," he replied. The man extended his hand towards Reason, "Didier Gautier, a pleasure to meet you?"

  "Reason Simon," he uttered stumbling over his tongue. He was so surprised by the sudden introduction he couldn't remember his own name. His mind new his hand was moving towards Didier, but it seemed like it was in slow motion. Finally he felt a grip. Squeeze your hand, he told himself. He tried as hard as he could, but his hand felt so weak. Didier's hand was so soothing and firm. Reason couldn't let go. He was gazing straight into Didier's blue eyes, lost in a handshake. He felt Didier let go, but his hand wouldn't let go, he squeezed it one more time and Didier again squeezed. He finally let go.

  Didier smiled. Reason was a little embarrassed realizing they must have been holding hands for more than a few seconds. He looked around to see if anyone was watching them and to his relief all the patrons were busy eating and chatting away, all in their own worlds. He turned back to Didier, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Do you come here often?"

  "Well, no, this is the first time I've been to this bagel shop. I was in the area looking at a project of mine, just down on South La Cumbra Road. I'm an architect," he said so smoothly without sounded like one was blowing his own horn.

  "Well they have great bagel's here. So what project were you looking at?" Reason asked just to keep the conversation going.

  "Like I said, I was looking at the office building over on South La Cumbra Road I designed. It's under construction," Didier started, "It's a new solar building." He grinned with this statement and his eyes narrowed.

  Reason new there was a connection between them. He didn't realize that Didier said it twice. He smiled, "I have a gallery down the street." As he finished this statement, they called out Didier's order.

  "That's my order," Didier uttered matter-of-factly and walked over to the pick-up counter. Reason just stood there still in shock.

  'I can't let this man go, but how do I re-approach him?' He pondered.

  Didier turned and headed back towards Reason. "Well it was nice to meet you."

  "Likewise," Reason loved saying this, "I am having a sale today, at my gallery. Why don't you stop by later this afternoon?" He got it out: an open invitation.

  "Well I just might take you up on that invite. I'll have to check my schedule. What's the name of your gallery and where is it?"

  Reason pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed to him. "Here's my card."

  "La Photographie Moderne," Didier read the card very quietly. "Okay, I'll stop by later. It was a pleasure to meet you Reason Simon." He grinned when he said this, showing a row of perfect white teeth.

  "The pleasure was all mine," Reason uttered and they shook hands once again, nodding at one another. This time though he was aware of time and made it just a brief couple of seconds.

  "See you later," Reason said with a big smile and Didier walked away and was gone in just a matter of seconds. Reason sighed. He was glowing, beaming in fact. On cloud nine. He heard his order called and picked it up and practically ran out the bagel shop to hurry to his gallery. In his car, he was in a state of pure bliss. It's like walking on a cloud of air. I am going to have this feeling all day and I won't let it go. Love comes quickly. Chance meetings are grand, hangover or not.

  Chapitre 4

  That afternoon a breeze had picked up just after one o'clock.

  The sky was a canvas of deep blue. Reason wasn't planning to continue the Sale another day, but he had to now. Didier was coming by later, and he had to keep it truthful. He propped open the door to let the breeze into the gallery, "Opportunities, let's make lots of money Colbert," Reason said as he walked around the gallery.

  Colbert was awake and milling around like she always did, staring here and there. He had gone home at lunch and picked her up. Before he opened, he spent several minutes that morning re-pricing various pieces around the gallery and figured that his labor would not be in vain writing short one liner quips under the amounts. He had sold some small and medium photos earlier in the day he was so excited about seeing Didier again that he needed some patrons milling around just to distract him throughout the day, and the Sale did bring them in once again.

  Reason hoped that when Didier stopped in they would get to talk some more and not just say "Hi" and "Bye". He wondered about the vision again. Was Didier the man in it? He really couldn't say it was Didier, but they both had blonde hair. He knew that. He couldn't remember the man in the vision. What a coincidence if he was. It must be fate he thought. What else could it be? He did something good by stepping in and saving Trevor Chace and now he was being rewarded. It seemed too fantastic to believe? It made Reason feel good.

  There was a time in his life when he was so afraid of his gift. Nowadays, well, he was still afraid of the things he saw, but he took it all with a grain of salt. Everyone is born, lives their life and dies. Was there anyway of cheating death? Time would tell, especially for Trevor Chase.

  He was sitting at his desk in the back office and he heard the bell on the front door ring. It was a brass bell and small hammer that Reason had connected via a series of pulleys, which would bend a rubber stick at the top of the door as it was being opened. The door was heavy and therefore had to be opened at a much slower velocity than the new moderne aluminum doors on the strip malls down the street. This would pull up a small hammer to a certain height, which then would slip off and fall striking the small brass bell. Reason was very proud of his door bell.

  Reason's heart began to race as he suspected that this might be Didier coming in. It was just after 4:45 and Reason knew it must be Didier. He didn't want to rush out there and seem like he was desperate. He stood there for a moment and took in a deep breath and allowed it to slowly leave his lungs. He had goose bumps, and he shivered in his body. This was it. He walked out into the room. There was Didier, his heart raced, pounding, pounding. He looked even more handsome than he remembered. Sometimes he actually would forget what a person looked like after just one meeting. He had a concept of their looks, but the details were fuzzy.

  Now Didier was standing looking at a black and white photo of a beautiful beach and in the background a beautiful cliff with a lighthouse sitting atop it. This pleased him as he had taking the photo himself one summer a few years back. Reason just stood there gazing upon what was the most beautiful man to come into his life. 'I found him, now what?' He thought. Dating would be a good thing, soon. He was lost in thought as Didier turned to look at the far wall and saw Reason.

  "Hello there," Didier said with a smile.

  "Hello to you, Didier."

  "What a beautiful day it was, just like this photo."

  "Yes, it was a beautiful day," Reason replied.

  "I hated being cooped up in that office all day looking over blueprints."

  "I hated you being cooped up too. I am so glad you had a chance to come by."

  "Well I told you I would come by. Is it too late?"

  "Not at all, I was just doing some paperwork in the back. I do stock photography for various clients. I am glad you came by." Reason tried to say this without sounding overzealous, but he felt the nervousness in his voice and his hand was shaking and he put it behind his back.

  "This is a nice gallery you have here. I love this old building. Have you had it long?"

  "I have been here just about four years now. Come look around, you may find something you like." Reason said.

  "I will if you give me a guided tour." Didier said with a smile. "I don't know very much about photography. I did take a couple of art classes in college, but that was awhile back."

  "Well if you like something, then that's all that matters. It's not really art unless you think it is."

  "It's not," Didier asked with surprise.

  "It's a personal thing. Everyone sees it from their viewpoint, or their life point. Everyone has a unique perspective. It's like looks, the one w
ho beholds." Reason just merrily spoke as if he truly believed what he was talking about, although he was just really having fun and he would tell Didier later how he felt about his work, when he knew him a little more intimately. He really was on cloud nine.

  "I see, well did you take all these yourself? Some of them are very nice."

  "No, not all, I showcase some artists, every now and then. Ads some flavor to the fusion. I usually like the moderne pieces. Some people love nature or architecture. I like more abstract. But I don't like crazy or loud."

  "I see," Didier replied. "I like the moderne myself. The buildings that I design are usually moderne, especially when it is using solar and other ecological features. Have you heard of Frank Lloyd Wright?"

  "Yes I love his designs. I would live in any of his houses. I got to see one first hand in Chicago, a couple of years ago. It was magnificent, a true master piece."

  "Which one was it?"

  "The Wellington House, it's not huge, but still extraordinary."

  "Yes, that place is extraordinary. I would like to see it myself one day. So which ones have you taken?"

  "Oh let's talk about you. Being an architect must be fun, designing buildings. Do you design homes too?"

  "Not any lately, a big grand estate would be fun.”

  "I see." He picked up on Didier's statement earlier. "So how long have you lived in the area? Are you a local?"

  "I have been living here in