Dean came out of his memories to see a woman staring at him. He knew right away it was Mrs. Cox.
“Sorry. I was thinking,” he said and pushed his trolley along the deli section. He ordered some pancetta and cheeses.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, Dean," Mrs. Cox said. "I just wanted to thank you for taking care of Laura.”
“That reminds me,” he said. “Laura wants some extra help with her English over the summer and I’ve offered to give her a hand. If you have any problems with my helping her, I’ll call the whole thing off.”
Laura's mother shook her head. “Don’t worry about it and call me, Deirdre.”
Dean took the offered hand and continued on. Everywhere he went he noticed that women were giving him the nod and men were glaring at him. He didn’t want any of their wives. For the rest of his life he’d be happy to spend time alone.
When he was back in his car, he found himself staring toward the diner. Laura would make a good writer at least he hoped so. He didn’t want to be the one to tell her to give up her dream if it turned out that she was awful at creating.
Dean started up the engine and drove back home. He’d moved to Cape Falls after finding that being in his old house in the city had become unbearable. Dealing with the memories was too painful. This new house was supposed to be a new life and a new start. As always, he’d go and visit his wife and child at their grave sites.
The front door opened easily and he went straight to the kitchen to put away his purchases. After making a steaming cup of coffee, he walked to his study where his laptop and livelihood awaited. The blank screen was not a comforting sight. He sat down and leaned back in his chair. He then closed his eyes and waited for the muse to come back, the muse who’d abandoned him when he first moved in. Seconds trickled by and then a thought. Dean opened his eyes and began typing.
She’d blasted
into his world from the unknown. No one knew her, nor could see her, but to him she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. To many, her brown hair might seem a dull shade. To him, the many tints of brown sparkled in the sun and glowed as if to bring warmth to a winter's day. He yearned to reach out and see if it was as silky smooth as it looked. Like many times, his hand moved and yet didn’t touch. Forever he’d be void of the pleasure.
He sat back and looked over the words. There was no clue as to what he was writing. The words didn’t sound right. They were a start and, according to his editor, either he lighten the tone or they’d have to reconsider his contract. Closing and rubbing his eyes, he went back to typing.
All summer he’d been alone and now this lightness had appeared. The other people in the village didn’t have the first clue as to what to make of her. They only saw a freak, a woman too perfect to understand. He saw passed the fear and the pain. For many years he’d fought worse demons and now was the opportunity to find peace.
“What is your name?” he asked of her when he found her by the lake. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, merely staring out at the water.
“I can’t tell you,” she whispered.
“If you can’t tell me, what shall I call you?”
The mystery woman turned to him and smiled. “You shall have to give me a name until you’re ready to hear mine.”
Dean sat back and took a sip of coffee. His mind was working overtime. Was this piece a historical? A futuristic? A paranormal? He did not know. The words simply flowed out of him with ease, an ease he hadn’t felt in too many months. Had offering to help Laura opened the floodgates to his own writing?
Chapter Four
Dear Diary,
The most amazing thing happened today. Not only did I get to meet Dean and to talk to him, he offered to teach me all the details of writing my very own story. Do you know how wonderful that is?
Laura glanced up from her notebook to see Dean waiting for her outside the college grounds. He’d phoned the previous day and offered to pick her up from campus. Earlier in the day she’d been informed there would be only one week left of classes as the rest of the faculty members would be leaving for early vacation. She didn’t mind. More spare time for her and the job at the library in Cape Falls had finally opened.. After spending time with Dean, she intended to go to the library and apply for the position and then quit her waitress work at the diner.
“Afternoon,” he said as she got into the car.
“And to you. It’s so hot,” she complained.
“Last time I checked, heat in summer was a good thing,” he joked.
Laura saw Peter staring at the car and she gave him a wave. There was no need to be rude.
“I guess," she replied. "But if you think about global warming, then we should worry.”
“No," Dean responded. "I recycle and try to walk everywhere. I figure, providing we all do our bit, then we should be okay. Leave it to the scientists of this world to tell us what we’re doing wrong.”
Dean pulled up outside his house and they walked together through the main door. He stopped as they got to another door.
“I have to warn you. No human besides me has ever passed through this doorway. What you see is top secret and shouldn’t be told to anyone else,” he warned her.