La Photographie Moderne

the music, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you."

  "No you weren't ignoring me. I am glad that you were enjoying the music."

  "I was enjoying holding your hand," Reason replied.

  "You can hold my hand anytime."

  They proceeded to enter the small bakery and were surprised to find it very quiet. The smell of the pastries was wonderful. They looked at each other and smiled. The sign said have a seat anywhere. They found a small table near the back next to a window. This would give them enough privacy to speak freely. When they sat down, Didier pulled the chair around to sit on Reason's right side. Reason felt cozy.

  The waiter came over and welcomed them to Le Chez Desserts and handed them menus. They ordered coffee and began to look over the menu after the waiter departed. Reason had decided on the cocoa New York cheesecake immediately. Didier was taking his time and reading about each dessert. Reason poured some milk in his coffee and stirred it. He omitted the Sweet-N-Low, as the dessert would be sweet enough. Didier finally decided on the peach cobbler with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Reason heard this and thought maybe he would have it as well. He loved when he was a child and his mother would cook fresh peach cobbler. He made up his mind that he would change to what Didier was ordering. He would surprise him and order the same thing.

  The waiter returned with the coffee and asked if they were ready to order and Didier requested the cobbler and ice cream. Reason replied to the waiter, I will have exactly the same thing. Didier turned to Reason when he heard this and smiled. The waiter was off again.

  "So tell me about the person you saw in the photo," Didier asked quietly.

  "Well I had driven along the coast, walked on the beach for awhile, blah, blah, I already told you all that. Well I was there on the Beach taking photos and the place seemed very empty, very still. I was just about finished, when I saw movement. A person seemed to be standing there at the front door of the lighthouse. I had started to look away and saw it thru the corner of my eye. I quickly looked thru the camera lens to get a closer look with the zoom lens. Nothing was there. I stared through the viewfinder for about a minute. I knew that I had seen someone. I looked away again and then looked back. There it was, a shadow of a person standing at the front door. I wanted to get this on film and took a whole role within a matter of just seconds. When I took the last shot, there was nothing once again. I figured when I developed the film I would be able to make it out."

  Didier was listening intently, sipping his coffee. He seemed to be total engrossed in the story. Reason liked that. Reason sipped his coffee too.

  "Later when I developed the film, I could see a figure of a person. This person was making some kind of gesture to me, but I couldn't make it out. Their hand was waving around in the air. I looked at the negatives and blew them all up, but I still couldn't make anything out. In one photo the hand was there, and in the next one it was gone. It was very fantastic."

  "Maybe you would let me look at the photos and see if I could decipher it," Didier interjected.

  Reason nodded his head, "Sure you could look at them sometime. I have them at the gallery. They are a little creepy though. You might get spooked."

  "Oh I don't think so. I love the supernatural. It's one of my favorite things to discuss. I don't study up on anything, but when the topic comes up, I really enjoy hearing what other people have to say."

  "Oh I see," Reason replied.

  The waiter had returned with their desserts, huge portions. Reason was going to eat very slowly, enjoy all of it, savor it. And enjoy looking over at this handsome man sitting next to him. He didn't want to go into anything else that dealt with the supernatural tonight, that was enough of that he said to himself. His gift might be of great interest to Didier too and he'd have to try to explain it, which would wear him out.

  Reason took up his fork and began to dig into the piping hot peach cobbler, the ice cream melting quickly. It was something to be enjoyed hot. Didier had begun eating his dessert as well. Reason was listening and watching silently, he hated a loud eater. Didier ate slowly. Reason thought that this might just be a put on.

  "So how do you like the peach cobbler?" Didier asked.

  "It is delicious. I haven't had this in years. My mother used to make it every Sunday when I was growing up. I actually got tired of eating it after awhile. This is almost as good as hers."

  "I am glad you enjoy it. My mom used to make strawberry shortcake all the time. My Aunt would make peach cobbler every once in awhile and I loved it. She would always put a dollop of vanilla ice cream on it. Boy those were the days," Didier said.

  The waiter came by once again and topped off their coffees. He was very polite and Reason was glad that he was professional and gave good service. Reason always had an issue with good service. He never gave the standard 15% to 20%, but based the tip on how good the service had been.

  Didier sat back in his chair, slumping somewhat and grabbed his coffee to sip on it. "This place is so relaxing, I am so relaxed now," he told Reason.

  "Likewise, I too am relaxed in a very odd way. I can't really describe it, but I will think about it and explain it another time. It is just a really good feeling."

  "Well being with you feels right," Didier added.

  "I agree with you on that as well."

  Now, have you heard about that movie, Alien Resurrection?" Reason asked.

  "Yes I have, is it playing around here?"

  "I'll get a paper in the morning and see if it is. I would love to see it. You do like to go to the movies?"

  "Well I love intense movies and I enjoy going on a weeknight, less of a crowd. Stadium seating is also an added bonus, but I don't snub my nose at the nostalgic theatres either."

  "Oh yes, I would love to visit all the majestic theatres that are still around. I was watching a program on PBS, and it was about that. It was quite amazing with all the grandeur that became these show palaces. I see why they found television to be so threatening."

  "I wondered about the movies that were shot before wide screen and how it would be to see them on the big screen. It was so fun to see Dr. Zhivago, re-mastered digitally on the big screen, there at the State Theatre a couple of years back. I was amazed at how beautiful the movie was on the big screen. Someone should just have a theatre that shows classic movies like that. I'd go often. I just enjoy that large screen, absolutely completely." He liked saying that.

  Didier laughed, "Ditto."

  Reason said, "I have never heard anyone say that before." Both were busting up out loud laughing. It was a good hardy laugh too.

  "Such fun catchy phrases that have entered our vocabulary and our world have made life just a little more bearable and just plain fun," Reason said.

  Didier smiled and lifted up his coffee cup and took another drink.

  Reason was wondering about when he would have his next great laugh. He loved to laugh and wanted to do it more often. TV shows rarely made him laugh, but he still watched some of them never the less. Such a wonderful medicine, laughing.

  Didier was looking out the window and he looked at peace with himself.

  "A great night tonight?" Reason said and then added the question mark tone at the last second. Just to make sure it was a conversation starter. Not a stopper.

  "I was just relaxing, gazing out into the darkness and into the night."

  "I noticed. Shall we take a walk?"

  "Yes. Yes I'd like that. Helps the digestion as well," Didier added.

  "I have it tonight; next time is your turn." Didier smiled at this. His smile was beautiful too. "We can just leave it here on the table."

  "Easier that way as well," Didier added.

  "Okay I am ready, you?"

  "Just one last sip of coffee."

  They left the table and walked out into the night. No jacket was required at this time of year. It was very still. No movement. The angels were watching, Reason thought.

  "I love to walk, especially on a night like this." br />
  "I do too.”

  “I also enjoy a walk in the morning when it's dewy and the air is fresh. What a beautiful part of the day. Are we a pair or what?" Didier asked gaily.

  "We just might be," Reason replied. "Let's go up the street and then cross over and back down again. We can pause and window shop along the way."

  "Lovely."

  As they walked, Reason wondered about if what he was feeling now would be something that lasted, or would it fade. He just knew that he loved this man already. Well not loved, but their mutual attraction to one another, could defiantly be love, the beginning of it. After all what makes people think they are in love, but another that is opening up and given them attention. We call this love most of the time. Love was more than just an attraction that gets you started on the path to it, work was involved. For all relationships are a form of work, Reason believed, even if you were in love. But at least this one was starting off with the least amount of work he had ever done. It was just flowing; he could sit for a while and not have to pick up the oars. He liked this and it was very new to him. He sensed that this man was very different than all the men he had dated in the past. Their attraction was mutual and strong. When one is stronger than the other, it just won't work. It's off balance. And people try to over compensate for this imbalance, but it turns out foul and a bad taste is left in your mouth and you are just a little more jaded after it ends.

  After reaching the end of the street, they crossed and walked