“Because I was afraid he wouldn’t come to visit if he knew I was your roommate. I think I scared him the last time we met.”
“Tell me about your photographs,” I said before we had to talk about my big hands.
“The marketing piece I wrote explains that the mirrored images are meant to represent the duality of life. There are always two sides to every story. The yin and yang of it, if you will.”
“What’s the real meaning?” I asked.
“I just liked how it looks,” Jocelyn said.
“Well, I agree. How did you do it?” I asked.
“I found it works best with a wide-angle lens. Stitching the images together isn’t too hard with the right software. When my photography professor saw the images, he loved them.”
“Show me the rest,” I urged.
The next image was of one of my favorite old covered bridges that crossed a small river only a few miles from us. The picture had been taken on a cloudless day, so the clear blue sky looked like calm water that captured the reflection of the bridge.
“How did you do this one?” I asked.
“That was the hardest one to do. I had to frame it so it showed only the bridge. I actually waded out into the river up to my waist to get the shot.”
Then Jocelyn showed me a picture of the reverse. This one showed a tailgate party at a football game with an RV next to a canopy where a group of people barbecued and drank adult beverages. She’d taken a great picture that told a story and then twisted it when she flipped the image upside down and it looked to be crashing down on everyone. Jocelyn had taken a cute picture and given it a sense of being both claustrophobic and intense.
She walked me through several others, and they were equal parts disturbing and beautiful.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I have two thoughts. First, you need to immediately find a publisher and create a coffee-table book with these pictures. It’ll sell like crazy. Second, your next endeavor should be done in video. If you were to add movement to this technique, it would take it to another level,” I said.
“Young man, you have an eye,” I heard as someone came up from behind to stand beside me.
“David Dawson, this is my professor, Dr. Garrison,” Jocelyn said.
The next thing I knew, I was in an in-depth conversation about her art and different ways to tweak it. Before we concluded, I’d called Mr. Hill at Hill Advertising and introduced him to Jocelyn and Dr. Garrison. I’d also bought the covered bridge picture and the rights to it. Both Jocelyn and Dr. Garrison were excited. I mentioned that I could help her sell more of her artwork if she were so inclined. I was thinking of Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Wesleyan and their design businesses, along with the internet resources I might use to sell this particular type of art.
If my stomach hadn’t loudly announced that it hadn’t been fed, I might have spent the rest of the night talking. I was going to love college.
◊◊◊
Jocelyn came to dinner with us. College kids do not pass up free food.
Tracy picked Alexander’s Steak House, making me a happy boy. While in no way did it compare to some of the steak places I’d been to, it was budget-friendly. They also had a salad bar that you could fill up on. The restaurant was unique in that they gave you the option to cook your own steaks. Somehow, the girls put me in charge of that.
When I came back to the table, Jocelyn was grilling Tracy and Pam.
“You never told me that you dated him,” she said pointedly to Tracy.
“Pam did too. We actually have a son together,” I said as I sat down. “Want to see pictures?”
Jocelyn looked at me funny, but I no longer felt any guilt about having kids at my age. It was what it was.
“I think someone did say something about that,” Jocelyn said.
You would imagine that whipping out your wallet and showing a girl pictures of five little ones would slow her down. Think again.
“Does he really have a big … uh … you know?” Jocelyn asked.
Both Pam and Tracy looked at me.
“Please! You know that as soon as she gets you back to your dorm room, you’re going to tell her,” I said.
“Well, okay, then. Yes, David is big all over,” Tracy shared.
“I knew it,” Jocelyn said triumphantly, and then locked eyes with me. “Word is you’re currently single.”
Oh, Hell, No!
“I’ve been put on notice that I can’t date anyone older than I am until I graduate high school. So, don’t even go there.”
“He’s taking me out this Friday,” Pam added to slow Jocelyn down.
“Send me the video,” Jocelyn said.
I suddenly liked her. She had a sense of humor and seemed just the right amount of slutty. I was ready to drop out of high school right now.
◊◊◊
This evening confirmed that I should have visited Tracy sooner. I ended up having a great time. The best part was that my parents were in bed by the time I got home, so I didn’t have to rehash the Valentine’s Day debacle.
◊◊◊ Thursday, February 16
