Jamais Vu

Chapter 11

Her belly hurt and she was doubled over with tears streaming down her face, but still Nessa couldn't stop laughing. Gasping for breath, she managed to say, "Wait! Wait! I can't breathe! You told him you painted it with your-" She collapsed into giggles again, clutching at her sides.

Dan, the young Dan she'd spent the afternoon falling in love with, grinned impishly. "Look, I didn't specifically say that I painted it with my... self. I just implied that I used an unconventional part of my anatomy, and did a lot of subtle crotch pointing."

Through her chortles, Nessa said, "Why would you do that? Why would anyone want that?"

"Because the gallery guy wasn't interested in mainstream stuff. Everyone is always looking for an angle, so I gave him one." Dan took a massive mouthful of pizza, and said through the cheese, "I have no regrets – it worked, and I sold him two pieces. The art world is weird, sunshine."

"Sunshine?" Nessa's giggles died away at the familiar endearment. It was like hearing a former lover in the room with her new boyfriend – except her former lover was actually her future husband, and she was only on a first date with his younger self.

Dan glanced up, his scruffy face concerned. "Sorry, I didn't offend you, did I? I know some girls don't like being called pet names because they think they're demeaning, and I gotta admit I don't normally use them myself, but it's just how I think of you."

"How?"

"As sunshine. Light." He leaned in, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You glow. Or maybe you just glow to me."

Nessa bobbed her head down, embarrassed and smitten at once.

Dan smacked himself on the forehead. "Oh man, I've blown it now, haven't I? You think I'm the world's biggest idiot, and you're going to make an excuse to leave right now, like your cat is on fire, and then you'll probably shred that painting and never think about me again. Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen?" Dan stood on his seat, calling loudly for the attention of the half a dozen customers in the greasy pizza joint. "I, Dan Sanson, must share a message that might just save you all. Never, never call a girl by a pet name, or else you doom yourself to a lifetime alone, roaming the streets and creating affectionate monikers for your cardboard box friends."

"Oh my gosh, stop!" she said, laughing again and pulling him down. "I'm not offended. I like it. You can call me sunshine whenever you like."

"Can I call you sunshine this weekend?" Dan's shoulders crept up to his ears in adorable uncertainty. "I was thinking about taking a drive to the beach, find an octopus, draw him doing octopus stuff. Maybe, you want to come with?"

"I'm not sure you can just 'find' an octopus," said Nessa, gently teasing him rather than answer the question. "Unless you're planning to go to a seafood restaurant."

"That's what we'll do then. Fishy dinner, on me – although you might have to order crab, because I need the octopus to model nude in the middle of our table."

Nessa found herself giggling again. She hadn't realised Dan was funny; whenever she'd been with him in the future, there was always a serious air around him. He was kind and warm but sad, like there was a layer of fresh grief hidden just under his skin.

This Dan was different. Energetic, silly, uncertain. She didn't mind – in fact, a dark part of her was convinced this Dan was far more compatible than the other, mythical one. She angled her shoulders closer to him and said, "I've always wanted to see a nude octopus modelling session. I'd love to go with you."