To Love Free by Paynter Chris

Author:Paynter, Chris [Paynter, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Genre Fiction, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance, Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 9781942204114
Amazon: B00NVN8W3A
Goodreads: 23270552
Publisher: Companion Publications
Published: 2014-09-22T22:00:00+00:00

* * *

The hostess seated them at a small table in front of the expansive windows overlooking the ocean. She set their menus on the table and told them their server would be by soon. The words had barely left her lips when he arrived.

“Hello. My name is Henri. I’ll be your server tonight.” He zipped through the specials for the evening and left after taking their drink orders.

Gabrielle took in their view. “There’s something about the ocean that always brings me such peace,” she said wistfully. “I don’t know why I didn’t come down to Islamorada before now.”

Henri returned with their iced teas. “Need a little time before you order?”

“I know what I want, and I believe you do, too, right, Gabrielle?”

“I do. I’ll have Sherry’s Seafood Platter with a baked potato, butter on the side, and balsamic vinaigrette for my salad, if you have that.”

“We do. And for you, ma’am?”

“Eight-ounce sirloin, medium, with lobster tail. I’ll also have a baked potato, sour cream and butter, and honey mustard for my salad.”

“Thank you. Salads should be out shortly,” Henri said as he took their menus.

As he walked away, the lighting dimmed in the restaurant and made it much more intimate. Servers went table-to-table lighting the small candles. Madison handed theirs to a young male server and set the glass-encased candle back at the end of the table to Gabrielle’s right.

Gabrielle gazed out on the water. Fishing boats and sailboats bobbed on the horizon. Although the sun had set to the west, it still made its last presence known across the expanse of the Atlantic, visible as far as Gabrielle could see. The dying rays bathed the small whitecaps in a golden hue as if someone had painted them there. Madison’s paintings came to mind—how she conveyed emotion through light. She wondered if Madison would be any more receptive to discussing her work.

She tore her attention away from the view and found Madison looking at her. The candlelight captured the deep planes of Madison’s face—her high cheekbones and sensual lips.

“You seemed somewhere else there for a moment,” Madison said.

Gabrielle motioned to the window. “This makes me think of your painting. The light on the water, the tranquil beauty, all of it brings to mind your work. I’d love to talk about your painting. You seemed reluctant before.” At first, she was afraid she’d said something wrong, and Madison wasn’t going to respond. Gabrielle could almost see the debate going on inside her head.

“I started painting when I was a kid.” Madison’s voice was distant, as if she were there in the past. “Even though we lived in Kansas City, I dreamed of the ocean and light. Always light on the water, in the sky, somewhere in each painting. I’m not sure where that came from, but it’s something that’s stayed with me.”

“So different from your mother’s style.”

Madison chuckled. “Definitely. My mom always strived to be ‘with it.’” She curled her fingers in the air as she said the words. “Mom’s pretty calculated in how she paints.

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