When Rain - a dreamy designer - buys an antique cross, she begins to see visions of her previous life in her lucid dreams. A series of accidental events begin to bring the people from her dreams into her real life: Charlie - a quirky girl from the p...
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"As soon as I rake out all the papers with the club, expect me for a glass of whiskey. Thank you, John."
Edmund Jameson hung up and spun his chair. He crossed his arms and took a bleak look at his own reflection.
He had the look of a tired man with empty, colorless eyes, a three-day stubble on his face and a thin curl to his lips, more bitter than venomous. He ruffled the hair laying on his forehead and said drowsily to himself, "You, buddy, need to have a good sleep."
The coffee in his mug had already gotten cold and turned into a disgusting, unpalatable swill. Ed turned back to his laptop and clicked a few times, opening his e-mail.
He'd already seen the portfolio of the designer he had picked to work on his club, but now he wanted to look at something else.
Edmund fixed his eyes on a picture: a classy, elegant interior. Not the type you'd want to see in a club of course, but there was something magnetic in it, something special that made you hold still and just gaze. Every line was distinct, and the colors combined in harmony, creating a wholesome view. Everything was close to perfect and could've seemed boring if it hadn't been for a bright flare of keys on the wall. As if a simple room was awakened by a drop of madness.
Involuntarily, Ed started painting the designer's portrait in his mind. It looked like this Rain Kaudenne was an interesting person after all. If there was at least a part of her soul in this interior, she must be. Ed could swear he felt it even looking at the pictures. She'd probably been driving men crazy with the same drop of madness, only in her eyes.
Ed could for sure tell something about an author from their work. He did take a psychology course twice in uni. Well, considering the fact that he failed the first course because he had too much fun with his best buddy. His friend was later suspended from the university for being drunk and peeing in a cactus pot in the hall of the main building. It was a good thing that Ed came to his senses fast enough after that. This story made him laugh, but then he looked back at his laptop and slid to the next picture.
It turned out to be a completely different side of Rain, a mild one, homey maybe. The project was warm looking, toned in orange and sienna. Ed was enchanted by the light that low-hanging, tangerine-colored lamps projected onto the polished tables. Leather armchairs reminded him of old libraries. How did they call this style? Eclo...ecla...eclectic?
The place itself seemed so cozy. Ed made a promise to himself to visit it some time for a cup of coffee. He once again noticed his mug with the brown undrinkable dirt. Yeah, it was time to get out of this cave. And, by the way, he had to go visit his parents.
Another family reunion was taking place next weekend, and missing the party was something none of the Jamesons could afford. Apparently, all the family members from all over the country were going to discuss "how fine Eddie-boy turned out." They sure as hell were already preparing their questions like, "Why haven't you brought Anna?" And to top it all, his mother, for sure, wouldn't miss an opportunity to terrorize Edmund's mind, inquiring if he was ever going to marry his girlfriend.
Ed wasn't rushing into married life. Something was keeping him, didn't let him dive blindly into becoming a family man. However, he had no idea what that was.
He actually never took time to think about it. Lately, Ed was preoccupied with his club, so he had to spend almost every night in his office, counting, drawing up the balance, and burying himself in tons of paperwork.
Anna helped him sometimes, but she seemed less than enthusiastic about the whole idea. Not that she hated it, no, she just wasn't exactly sharing the passion Ed had. For this, he had to quit his previous job, and it only led to people asking him all the same questions.
"Wasn't everything you had enough?"
"Do you have to start over?"
He did.
The door opened, making absolutely no sound, and Ed felt tingles down his spine as if Anna was looking at him.
"You've been here for two days now." She walked slowly towards a small window in the corner of the room and opened it, letting in some fresh air. "You've spent the night here. Again," she concluded, then put her bags on a chair. "You aren't shaved and you're probably starving."
She came closer and gave Ed a kiss on a cheek. He said nothing.
"I brought coffee and fresh pastry." She started rustling with the paper bags. This fuss of hers gave Ed a slight headache. Anna got a plastic cup and cinnamon rolls out of the bag.
Ed wasn't hungry.
"I found a designer," he said quietly and with a trace of apathy in his voice.
"Is that the one we both liked?"
Ed shook his head and a shadow of annoyance passed over Anna's face.
"Let me see his portfolio."
Ed turned his laptop with a picture of the cozy coffee shop around so that Anna could see it. Somehow, this photo stung him to the quick.
"You like it?"
Anna shrugged and slid through few pictures. She turned her gaze from the display to Ed.
"Is that it?" She sounded disappointed. "Did he ever work in any clubs?"
"I don't know. Do you like it?" he asked again.
"You know, dear, I'd rather we did grunge. The brick wall, well, you know. That second guy had pretty places. Do you think we could still hire him?"
Bingo.
This argument could go on and on, but Ed had neither time nor desire for this today. After all, it was his club, his decision, and his designer.
"I've made up my mind. I want this designer." Ed did not raise his voice, but this phrase sure sounded disconcerting to her.
"All right, I'll call him and make the arrangements." Anna surrendered and reached for the phone.
"Her," Ed said with no emotions. Anna barely moved, but swallowed her grudge and dialed the number.
"Sunday?"
"Monday night," Ed corrected and reverted his eyes from Anna to dusty plywood sheets leaning against the wall. "I'll be out of town, but I get back in time for the meeting."
For a minute, Anna just stared at Ed's shaggy nape.
"When were you going to inform me?" A dead-ender. Sooner or later, she would've noticed that he was gone. "Where are you going?"
"Family weekend."
"I thought I was a part of your family." Anna was twirling the phone in her hands. Ed looked right at her. All he wanted at the moment was to be left alone to take some time off everything, including those little arguments with Anna.
"It's not a good time for this conversation. Make the arrangements with the designer, please." Ed locked his arms behind his neck and nodded at his laptop. If he wasn't imagining it, Rain left her number in the letter. Anna obediently dialed and waited for Rain to answer.
