Just One Kiss

Just One Kiss Ch 9

Wade got up and got up and went to his study. He hoped that he had given them food for thought and things would ease up between them and Tia before she felt like she had no choice but to leave.

Tia flew to Nando's. He met her at the door.

"You want to talk about it?

"No, I just want strangle them but I don't have the energy and what would be the use? Nando, today at the table he and Mom laid into me about such little things I didn't know whether to cry or beat them in the end I did neither I came here."

"Come Ti let's paint. Pour everything into the painting that you're doing for Mrs. Del or sew. Do something, don't keep it all in.

Tia smiled and followed him to the studio.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dad had a show in Tampa. They took Oliver with them and left me to fend for myself for the week."

"Oh. Hey! Maybe I could stay here for the week. If that's ok with you." Tia asked her face brightening at the thought.

"You know I wouldn't mind."

"Cool, I'll ask Wade. Now, let's paint."

Nando nodded and they both crossed the floor to where their paintings stood.

Tia uncovered Mrs. Del's portrait and they both looked at it.

"You're almost finished Ti. A few more weeks and all there'll be left to do is hand it over."

"Yea. Do you think it's alright? Have I captured them right?"

"Ti, you know if you hadn't I would have said something as would Dad. Don't stress."

Tia blew out a breath and smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two got down to business painting while Kat DeLuna played in the background.

How long they were painting they didn't know. It wasn't until they realised that one of the noises they were hearing was not just the music but their stomachs. The two laughed and went to find food but not before they took care of their brushes.

Tia looked in the fridge and whistled, "At least your family didn't leave you hurting for food. What would you like?"

"Last night's spaghetti would do."

Tia took it out as well as some bake chicken. "What did your mother do? It looks like she cooked everything in the house so that you wouldn't have to cook."

"That's the idea."

"Are you that terrible at it?"

"Terrible at what? Oh you mean cooking? Yea, the only thing I can manage to make taste marginally good is breakfast."

"Oh my, we gonna have to do something about that. Get you cooking lessons or something or a good chunk of your money is going to go into the fast food biz instead of your bank."

"True. You cook?"

"Yea, it's the one thing that Mom insisted that me and Rahul learn how to do that I took to willing."

"Cool, maybe you could teach me a few things."

"Maybe I will." Tia said as she heated up some of the food.

They were a few minutes into the meal when Tia said, "Nando, I've been working on something that I'd like to show you."

"Ok."

Tia left the table and was back shortly with one of her sketch pads.

She slid it across the table to him before sitting back down to eat.

As he flipped open the book and began to go through it Tia said, "I've been thinking of creating my own line of clothes. What you are looking at is an idea I have for my first line. I'm thinking of calling it tears. What do you think?"

"These are really good. I especially like this shirt but why call it tears?"

"The clothes are going to have an iridescent look to them just like tears and give the illusion of being transparent just like tears are. Another reason for calling it tears is that tears have a way of cleansing the mind, body and soul and I have a lot of unshed tears. I am hoping that if I use this to symbolize those tears I will be free of them."

"Ok. But Tia there is no reason to keep these tears bottled up. You could always cry on my shoulder."

"I know but they refuse to fall. So what do you think of the clothes?"

"As I said I think they are fantastic and the idea behind them is profound. You have to make me this shirt Ti before you go. I must have it." Nando told her turning the book around so that she could see which one he was talking about.

The shirt was white with light blue stripes but most of the stripes were not straight. Just like tears which rarely fell in a straight line, most of the lines were crooked. Some of them even crisscrossed and joined to form slightly larger lines until you got to the bottom of the shirt where the lines all looked as if they fell off the shirt. Like tears that frequently fell off your face.

To accompany the shirt you had the option of plain black pants or white pants with the same design as the shirt expect the pants had several slits at the bottom.

"I don't know if I can do that but I will try."

"Why aren't you sure?"

"Because I don't know if I'd be able to find the cloth I want here and I most definitely will have to paint on the design that I want on to the cloth and that would take time but I will make every effort to give you that shirt. If I am not successful when I get to my aunt's I will make it and send it for you."

"Ok cool."

They finished their lunch in silence broken only by Nando's comments on her sketches and the phone. After lunch they played soccer and swam before going back to their painting not stopping until it was quite late and Tia decided that she should go home.

Nando walked her to the door and said, "Remember to ask Wade if you could stay with me for the week and try not to let your mother and Rahul bother you so much."

"I'll try." Tia promised hugging him and left.

When she got home the house was notable silent. A quick check confirmed that no one was home. Tia sighed with relief. There would be no more arguments at this time.

She went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich before checking the porcelain pig on the counter. It was the place where the family left messages for one another. There was only one message which was from Wade. It read:

Tia,

Your mother and I have gone out to dinner and will go dancing afterwards. She had her heart set on waiting for you to come home so that she could reprimand you for you the manner in which you left the house so be prepared for a lecture in the morning. It doesn't look as if we're getting through to them Ti. Anyway Rahul went by Sue so he shouldn't be home 'til quite late so you should have some peace for a few hours at least.

Wade

Tia sighed again she knew her mother would not forget to give her a lecture. These days that was like wishing for a waterfall to flow backwards. She washed her plate and went up to her room where she slept like a stone until morning.