Lights and Shadows (Oregon In Love) (5 page)

When his coffee was ready, he gingerly handled the hot
cup and scanned the shop for a vacant table. A woman seated near the
window caught his attention. She turned and looked in his direction.

“
Julia!” Her name came out in spite of a half-desire
to escape without being seen.

Julia’s eyes widened when she saw him. She waved him
over and invited him to sit at her table. “What a surprise!”

“
I was going to say the same thing,” he said, easing
down onto the spindly chair opposite her.

She gave a gracious smile, her face lit by the diffused
sunlight. Marc felt as if a tractor beam had been switched on. He
took a sip of his coffee, hoping he hadn’t stared at her too long.
“So, what brings you to Portland?”

Julia gave a soft laugh. “As charming as Buell Creek
is, it’s a tad remote. I’ve been missing the frantic pace of my
hometown, I guess, and thought maybe a trip to the big city for the
day would help me cope.”

Marc smiled in spite of himself. “And is it working?”

“
It’s a little different from San Diego, but I’m
having a nice time.”

“
Where have you been so far?”

“
Mostly just here, downtown.”

“
If you like, I’d be glad to show you around to some
of the more interesting places.” Once the words were out, Marc
wished he could grab them back. Although he found Julia lovely and
intriguing, he also felt sure spending any time in her presence would
be unwise.

She gave him a quizzical look. “Do you come to
Portland often?”

“
I live here. My apartment is just a few blocks from
Pioneer Courthouse Square.”

No wonder Sara wanted me to see the place, that
stinker
. Julia raised her brows a notch. “Are you sure I won’t
be keeping you from anything?”

He shook his head. “Nothing important anyway. I was
just doing some research for a class I’ll be teaching in the fall.”

“
On photography?”

“
Yes. I’d prefer to exclusively freelance, but
teaching helps pay the bills.”

“
Is the school here in town?”

“
It’s a small community college on the outskirts of
the city.”

Julia took a sip of her coffee. The gold bracelets on
her arm tinkled as she set her cup down. “Where to first?”

***

Julia was surprised to find herself excited at the
thought of spending time with Marc. After they left the coffee shop,
he thought she'd enjoy using the MAX train—the local electric mass
transit system—instead of fighting traffic. She agreed and after a
short walk to the stop, they boarded the train.

Sharing a seat with him made Julia uncomfortably aware
of his attractiveness. When his arm brushed against her own, she
experienced a tiny jolt. She ignored it, blaming it on some oddball
physiological quirk of nature. Marc pointed out scenes of interest
and Julia made an effort to concentrate on what he said, despite her
continued reaction to his nearness.

She was relieved when they finally got off the MAX
train. Outside, with several more inches between them, she began to
relax. Minutes later they arrived at their destination on the West
Side. Marc ushered her into a huge bookstore that was obviously a
favorite of his. New and used books were crammed onto mismatched
antique bookshelves from floor to ceiling. People from many walks of
life milled about reading, searching, conversing in low tones, or
just hanging out to be seen. She loved the private coves and coffee
room that made it a welcome place to commune with the printed word.

“
Is your book here?” Julia asked.

“
Not yet,” he said, threading her through the crowd.
“It was just released and they won’t get their shipment until
next week. I had a few advance copies I gave out to friends.”

A woman, trailed by several children, ran into Julia’s
side, which in turn caused her to bump into Marc. At the unexpected
contact, she murmured an apology, feeling impatient with herself for
the way her pulse skittered in reaction.

He led her out of the way. “In two weeks the store
will be featuring authors from the Northwest who will be here in
person to sign books.”

“
You’ll be here then?”

Marc sent her a lazy grin. “Gotta pay those bills.”

Julia blinked. In a white linen shirt with a dark, nubby
vest and faded blue jeans, he looked unbelievably handsome. She
cleared her throat. “Can they reserve copies of your book?”

“
I’m sure it would be no problem.”

“
Then I’ll do that now. I want to support the only
celebrity I know. At least make sure his lights stay on.”

With a low laugh, he followed her to the front counter.
After Julia finished her order at the front desk, they walked among
the rows of books. Marc showed her some of his favorite
sections—including a section of old Bibles. He mused about the many
hands each copy must have passed through. His words brought a vague
sense of guilt. She hadn’t been reading her Bible as often as she
ought.

After a while, he went off to find a specific title.
Julia assured him she was content to browse by herself. In a corner
section, she found a selection of cookbooks. Noticing several titles
by her favorite chef, she scanned the row for the book she wanted.
Julia pulled it off the shelf and tucked it under her arm. Just as
she was about to begin a search for Marc, she looked up and found her
way blocked by a large man dressed in a neo-bohemian style. The odor
emanating from him indicated he apparently didn’t bathe often.

“
Excuse me,” she said.

At first it appeared he wouldn’t move, then after
leering at her, he stepped to the side. The man seemed to enjoy the
way she had to edge around him as she pressed herself hard against
the opposite bookshelf. Her pulse raced with fear. Just as she made
it past, he snatched her book away.

“
This is the one I was looking for,” he said, his
eyes raking her from head to toe.

“
Are you ready to go?”

Julia recognized Marc’s voice from behind. When he
touched her upper arm, she leaned against him in relief. In a moment,
he had her well away from the man and out into the open where she
could catch her breath.

“
Sorry about that,” he said, his dark eyes full of
concern. “Are you okay?”

Julia gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Yes. For some reason, being as short as I am seems to bring out
the bully in people.”

“
Or it can make them feel protective.”

Julia bit her lip. His comment upset her equilibrium
even more than her encounter with the stranger. Deciding not to
refine too much on Marc’s words, she asked him if he was ready to
leave.

“
What about your book? Do you want me to get back and
get it from that guy?”

Suppressing a shiver, she shook her head. “No. It
wasn’t anything important.”

Outside, Julia noticed the sun had disappeared. Clouds
piled up in the sky as they hopped on the train. They got off a few
blocks from the coffee shop, the sky growing blacker by the minute.

She looked up in awe. “It's like night out here!”

Marc glanced up at the sky. “It changes fast, that’s
for sure.”

A chill wind caused goose bumps to form on her bare
arms. Fat raindrops splattered onto her cheek. In quick succession,
several more landed on her head and neck, drizzling into cold streams
down her skin.

Marc grabbed her hand. “Come on, my place is right up
the street.”

They hurried up the sidewalk just as the heavens opened,
sending down a deluge. They were soaking wet by the time they reached
his building—an old brick structure embellished with wrought iron
and creeping ivy. Her teeth chattered from the cold as Marc unlocked
his door and pulled her into his living room. He settled her on a
futon couch, placing a soft cotton throw blanket over her shoulders.

“
S-Sara was right,” she said. “I should have
brought an umbrella. And a coat!”

He smiled. “This isn’t southern California, that’s
for sure. I have a jacket you can borrow for the trip home.”

“
Thank you.”

Marc left the room. When he was out of sight, Julia
grabbed a comb and mirror out of her purse. Tendrils of her hair had
escaped the pins and were plastered against her neck. After repairing
the damage to her hair, she tugged the blanket more snugly around her
frame. Once she began to warm up a bit, she scanned the space.

The living room was small, probably part of a studio
apartment. Aside from the couch and an art table, there was a sturdy
oak chair next to an eclectic floor lamp and a leather steamer trunk,
which served as a coffee table. A few framed photographs decorated
the walls. Julia noticed every horizontal surface was covered with
semi-neat stacks of books and magazines. Rocks of various
descriptions filled nooks and crannies around camera equipment and
potted plants.

“
Welcome to organized chaos,” Marc said, returning
to the living room with two steaming mugs.

He handed one to Julia. She murmured her thanks as he
sat down next to her. She took a sip, pleasantly surprised by the
taste of hot chocolate. “You have a nice place. I’m told most
bachelor pads are littered with empty beer cans and pizza boxes.”

“
I hid them all before you got here,” he teased.
Marc got up and went to the window. “It’s
pouring
. You’re
welcome to stay as long as you like.”

“
Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that. At least
until my core body temperature gets back to normal.”

He smiled and sat down in the oak chair. Feeling vaguely
disappointed at the distance between them, Julia glanced at him,
surprised to find him gazing at her.

“
So, how long have you been into photography?” she
asked, hoping conversation would dispel the sensation of awareness
she sensed shimmering between them.

“
For about fourteen years now. I took a photography
class in school and have been hooked ever since.”

“
Based on what I saw in the book, your work is
exceptional.”

“
Thank you.”

Julia took another sip of her hot chocolate. “I
noticed you used some techniques I’m not familiar with. What do you
call them?”

“
I used several. Is there one you’re referring to in
particular?”

She frowned, trying to remember. “Do you have a copy
so I can show you?”

Marc grinned. “Of course.”

Her attention followed him as he left the room to go
into his bedroom. She could see a small desk with a laptop and a
bookshelf above it. His bed was right next to the desk. The blankets
were rumpled. Julia’s face grew warm. She turned away, feeling as
if she’d just invaded his privacy.

Marc returned with his copy of
Facets
and sat
down beside her, allowing her to open it to the page she desired.
Julia pointed to a photograph of an older man holding up a handful of
polished pebbles. “That brownish look is called sepia tone, right?”

He nodded. “Then I touched the print up with special
hand-tinting colors. I could do it digitally, but there's something
about going old school. By the way, this is a picture of my dad.”

“
I can see the resemblance.”

“
He was a jeweler, but also had a rock tumbler out on
our back porch. On my way home from school, I’d pick up dusty,
dirty rocks and bring them to him. He’d put them in the tumbler and
several days later, beautiful, shiny stones came out.”

He turned the page and pointed to a photo of black
velvet covered by a myriad of sparkling gems. “As I got older, he
allowed me to help him with the jewelry. He would show me the stones
when they came in the rough and as I watched, he’d cut them to
optimal brilliance, all the while telling me about the lore attached
to each gem.”

Marc looked at her, his gaze steady. “What makes a gem
special, different from just another mineral, is that it’s
beautiful, rare, and durable.”

Julia swallowed.

He pointed to gems on the page. “This smooth cut is
called cabochon, and then there are emerald, baguette, and brilliant
cut techniques. Each is catered to the characteristics of the gem to
bring out the most fire.”

Julia chanced a peek up at him through her lashes,
enjoying the way his dark eyes glowed as he spoke. “Why didn’t
you become a jeweler like your father?”

“
In a way, we both do the same thing. We deal with
light. A jeweler mathematically facets a gem to split white light
into spectral colors, which is dispersion, or fire. As a
photographer, I use light to bring out the most depth and contrast to
otherwise ordinary objects.”

He motioned to the book. “In my travels, I took
pictures of different rocks and jewels and recorded the legends and
lore that went with them. The variation, and similarity, from country
to country is fascinating. I did the book because I wanted to explore
how combinations of minerals, gems, and rocks have affected cultures
throughout history.”