Art Is Life

The start of the school year always generated a buzz in the student union, especially around the coffee shop and its seating area. Matt walked gingerly with his laptop bag in one hand, and his coffee, extra hot for some reason, slowly cooking his other. He saw only one empty seat and he made a beeline toward it.

"Hi," he said to the young woman already seated at the two-person table. "Is this seat taken?"

The woman looked him over with a smirk, then shrugged and motioned for him to sit. Matt wasted no time putting his coffee down.

"Thanks for sharing your table," he said setting his laptop bag next to his chair before seating himself. "I don't know who's make the coffee back there but it is nuclear-hot tonight." Then he added, "Would you like some? I could get you a coffee or tea for you as a thank you."

The woman smiled and said, "You're very sweet, but I'm fine."

"Matt Jones," he said extending his hand. "I'm glad to meet you. And you're a lifesaver. I think you had the last seat in the whole cafeteria."

They shook hands and she said, "Star Williams. Pleased to meet you, too."

Matt looked over the sketchbook open before Star and said, "Wow, those are really good. Are they yours?"

Star nodded.

"I've always been in awe of people that can draw or paint or sculpt. To me, it's a kind of genius," he said.

She brightened at that. "Thank you. You're very kind. Are you involved in the arts?"

He dared sip at his coffee before replying. "No. Computer Science and Mathematics here. But I do try to draw occasionally." Matt leaned in. "My favorite teacher in high school taught physics and he said, 'If you can't draw the picture you don't understand the problem.' That was probably the best advice I got in all of high school. So, I've worked hard to at least be able to draw diagrams well. But, nothing like that, of course," he said motioning toward her sketchbooks.

"It's just a matter of training and practice," she said.

"May I see some of them?"

She nodded, and he scooted his chair closer to her's.

"Some of these are abstract, or just broad sketches of projects I'd considered," she said. "But some are more serious."

Matt motioned for her to stop turning pages. "Whoa. My goodness! This one is amazing!"

The page contained a pencil drawing of a nude, a man with his back turned, arms raised above his shoulders with his hands on his head. The contours of his muscles, the shading and the light, every nuance was captured with the minimum of marks. Even the imperfections, a scar on the model's shoulder blade, for example, seemed to add depth.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "This was during a phase when I was studying shadow and light. I loved doing these drawings."

He reached for his coffee, careful not to spill any on the sketchbooks. After sipping, he said, "Are you sure I can't get you something? It's no trouble."

"You are very kind, but I can't stay long," she said.

Matt took another sip then looked over his table-mate. "Are you new to campus? I don't think I've seen you before."

Star hesitated, then replied, "This is my first year here."

"You must have transferred in," he said. "Where were you before?"

Again Star didn't reply immediately. "UNC," she said, and she began packing her sketchbooks into her bag.

Matt said, "Well, Star Williams, you are way too interesting for me to just let you wander off! Please. Have dinner with me tonight. Your drawings are amazing. I don't get to see things like that very often. There's a restaurant right across the street from campus: Stavros. It sounds Greek, but really it's just a hamburger joint. My idea so my treat. Please?"

Star smiled. "You really are sweet," she said. After a few moments of apparent indecision, she took a slip of paper from one of the sketchbooks and scribbled an address. "Yes to dinner, but different venue. My house, eight o'clock. Don't be late."

Matt took the paper and said, "Can I bring anything?"

"You bring the wine," she said.

Matt stood before the house, a small Cape, and admired it before knocking. This was no student rental; it was in good repair, freshly painted, with recent landscaping work. Before he could ponder more, the door opened and Star appeared. He held up the two bottles.

"Didn't know what we were having so I did the typical safety thing: one red, one white," he said.

Star shook her head and giggled. "You must have been a Boy Scout: be prepared."

The door swung open and he entered. Again, there was clear evidence this was not a student rental.

"Let me take those," she said. "I hope you like spaghetti."

"I'm a student," he replied. "We're contractually obligated to like pasta."

A stripped brown tabby cat smoothed around Matt's legs, looking up expectantly.

"Who do we have here?" He said.

Star peeked out from the kitchen. "That's Pablo. He's an excellent judge of character. Good thing he likes you or I'd have to throw you out." She disappeared around the corner but reappeared almost immediately. "But I'm keeping the wine," she said with a laugh.

Matt stroked the cat behind the ears and under its chin. It wasn't long before the cat was rolling on the floor, butter in Matt's hands.

"Wow! He's really taken a shine to you!" She said as she positioned the plates and flatware. "Go ahead and sit on the loveseat. He'll probably follow you."

He made his way to the loveseat and was rewarded by Pablo stretching out across his lap. There was still something off, he could feel it, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Fortunately, Pablo's purrs filled the room putting them both at ease.

Star placed a decanter on the table and said, "Dinner will be in about ten minutes. I needed to set the wine out to breathe anyway." She then walked to the loveseat and joined Matt and Pablo. She stroked the cat while Matt looked on.

"I don't think he's taken to anyone this quickly," she said as she leaned her shoulder to his. "You must have a way with cats."

"I've just always liked them," he said. "They are intelligent, sensitive creatures. They also understand a lot of what you say, though they might not let on that they do."

"Hmmm," she said as she continued to stoke the cat.

Matt took a breath and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she said.

"This is a lovely house--"

"Thank you!" She said.

Matt smiled and continued. "But, this is not a typical student housing unit. The landscaping is immaculate, the house is freshly painted, the interior is wood flooring with trim of mitered hardwoods, and it's in a neighborhood that would never have students. How did you find this place?"

Pablo took that opportunity to hop down and head to his food bowl. Star continued to snuggle next to Matt.

"You are a very observant fellow," she said. "You've got the eye of an artist, even if you've not had the training or practice." Then she fell silent.

Matt glanced to her and said, "You're avoiding the question."

Star took Matt's hand and said, "This was my aunt's house. She had no children, and I was her only niece. So, I inherited the house. It is lovely. I adore all the things you noticed and more. Pablo and I have been very happy here."

A kitchen timer began chiming and Star rose. "Come sit. Dinner is served!"

Matt stood and stretched. Then he spotted it: a diploma. He walked to it and saw "University of North Carolina." He also saw "Magna Cum Laude." Finally, he saw, "Master of Arts" and last year's date.

He made his way to the table and she motioned for him to sit.

"Please pour the wine," she said. "I've got bread that needs to come out of the oven.

Plates were filled and wine was poured. Finally, they began to eat.

"I meant to say thank you for dressing up," she said. "Decent slacks, grown-up shoes, and a dress shirt. I'm impressed."

"Ah," he said. "I don't get invited to dinner often, and I like playing dress-up as much as the next fellow. Again, thank you so much for the invitation."

"You're very welcome," she said. "Now, I feel like we've only talked about me. That's very sweet, of course, but I'd like to know more about you. Computer Science and Math. What drew you to those areas?"

Matt put his fork down and folded his hands in his lap. He smiled and made eye contact with Star when he spoke. "I'd love to tell you about it," he said, "but may I ask you a question before I do?"

"Sure," she said.

"When were you going to tell me you weren't a transfer student, or an undergrad?"

Star broke her gaze and looked down. "How did you know?"

"Lots of little things that were easy to dismiss," he said, "but the diploma is a dead giveaway. Congratulations on Magna Cum Laude, by the way. Yet another reason to be impressed by you."

She didn't look up, but smiled a little. "Nothing gets by you, does it?" After a deep breath she said, "I'm an Adjunct in the Visual Arts department this year. The pay is crappy, but I get teaching experience, which I really wanted."

Matt didn't say anything. He just sat there looking pensive.

"Are you angry?" Said Star. "I'm sorry. I didn't--"

"I'm not angry," he said. Matt smiled and shrugged. "I'm having too good a time to be angry. You're amazing, this is a cool house, Pablo is my new best friend, and you're a good cook. Your sauce is really good. Thank you for dinner."

"But?" She said.

"But nothing," he said. Matt stretched in his chair, then leaned in. "Okay. Cards on the table. I'm twenty four years old. I spent a year after high school working construction to save money. The next year my mom got sick and I needed to be her caretaker. She's divorced and I'm an only child. So, that set me back another year. Actually, only about a half-of-a-year. I spent the second half backpacking out west."

He paused to see if she was still with him. She just nodded.

"So," he said, "I'm a little older than my classmates, not that it matters." He took a deep breath. "You probably went to college right after high school. Bachelors at twenty three. Masters at twenty five or twenty six. You're a year or two older than me at most. You already have your Masters. And you are extremely talented and a great student. So, where are you doing it?"

"Doing it?" She said, puzzled.

"You're Ph.D.?"

She couldn't help herself. She grinned from ear-to-ear. "Absolutely nothing gets by you. I'll fill you in after dinner."

Pablo popped up on an empty chair and weighed in. "Brrrroowwwww!"

"Smart cat," said Matt as he continued to work on his dinner.

Matt pushed back from the table a bit and said, "That was amazing. Thank you."

"Thank you," she said. "Why don't you and Pablo relax in the living room while I clean up."

"No way," said Matt. "I'll wash; you dry?"

Star began collecting plates and said, "That's not necessary."

Matt moved to her and touched her arm. "It was just my mom and me growing up. She always said the sooner we clean up, the sooner we can start having fun."

She shrugged and smiled. "Smart gal. Okay. Together then."

The two sat on the loveseat in silence watching Pablo bathing.

"I wish I had that kind of confidence to just let it all hang out without feeling self-conscious," said Matt. "I also wish I could bend like that."

He quickly shifted his gaze to Star who was still watching Pablo. When she noticed him staring, she said, "What?"

Matt said, "I offered to take you to dinner when we were on campus, but you seemed reluctant. Were you nervous about being seen in public with me?"

Star's face fell. "Don't be mad. You were clearly a student and I'm now staff. I don't know what the rules are. I didn't want to get fired in my first week."

Matt nodded. "I'm not mad. That makes sense. I guess I put you in an awkward position. Anyway, this was so much better. Thanks again for inviting me."

"My turn," she said. "You're a senior? And you're studying Computer Science and Mathematics? Why those things?"

"Same reason you study art," he said. "I like creating things. It makes me happy. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I solve a problem or make something work."

"You're not saying programming is like making art, are you?" She said with a dash of side-eye.

Matt leaned in. "I absolutely am saying that, though I think your kind of art is much harder. I can do something, fail, try again, fail, and repeat that over and over. But, when I don't fail, the source code doesn't show signs of pencil erasures or pieces glued in to cover an ugly gouge, my canvas is fresh and clean as the day it was created."

"I've done art on the computer, of course, but it doesn't feel real, if that makes sense," she said.

"I can believe that," he said. "The struggles on the computer are probably different than your struggles when you're working in pencil, or pastels, or acrylic. I can't even imagine how hard sculpture is. That piece over there," said Matt as he motioned toward a bust sitting in a corner. "Did you do that, too?"

Star rose and walked to the bust. She touched it tenderly and said, "I'm very proud of this. It took a long time. And," she said sheepishly, "it cost me a fortune in wasted marble!"

Matt walked to her and the bust. Reaching, he gently ran a finger along the figure's temple. "It seems impossible to visualize," he said. "How do you do it? I mean, I know the joke about Michelangelo and his statue of David. When asked how he did it, he replied, 'Just chip away the parts that don't look like David.' Yeah, really helpful."

Star faced him, and said, "It's about seeing with more than your eyes. Say you wanted to sculpt me. You need to become familiar with every aspect of your subject, every line, every curve, every rumple. Here," she said taking his hand and moving it to her cheek. "Close your eyes. Feel, get a sense of your subject, the textures, the hair, the skin, what's dry and what's moist. Sense it all."

Matt kept his eyes closed and moved along her face with the lightest touch.

"Your face is so smooth," he said, his fingertips barely touching her skin.

When he moved to her ears he smiled. "I love those ear rings with their blue and pink stones. I love how the light shines through them, and how they compliment those blue and pink streaks in your hair. You are so cute! I almost didn't have the courage to talk to you, but that coffee was burning a hole in my hand. I had no choice."

"Keep your eyes closed," she said. "Don't cheat."

He moved to her nose and her lips, giving each the most gentle brush.

Impatient, Star guided his hand lower. "You're sculpting more than my face. Sense. Touch. Explore," She said.

When his hand was on her breast, and his thumb teased a nipple, Star hissed, "Yes."

She kissed him. Only when the kiss broke did he open his eyes again. His hand was still on her breast. She kissed him again and pulled him toward the bedroom.

Matt hesitated at the bedroom door.

"I'm sorry. I brought wine but didn't bring condoms. It never occurred to me," he said.

Star pulled at his collar and kissed him again.

"I got you covered, big guy," she said.

Matt's shirt was quickly unbutton and discarded. Star dragged her fingernails down his chest before finding his belt, button, and zipper. He was already at half-staff.

"Shouldn't it be my turn?" He asked.

Star's blouse was unbuttoned, though progress was much slower as each button was accompanied by several kisses. Even as he worked, Star pulled and worked his cock. She only paused to slide her thumbs into her skirt and panties to drop them to the floor.

"Lie down," she said, and while he moved to the bed she dimmed the lights.

She climbed into his arms and kissed him, resuming the assault on his cock which had become achingly hard.

"It's been a while," he said. "I'm a little nervous."

"Me, too," she said. "I never do this on a first date. It seems too close to a hook-up, which I don't do. But you are a wonderful person. I trust my instincts."

Pablo jumped on to the bed and smoothed around Matt's head, eventually giving him a little head butt.

"Anyway," she said, "if Pablo likes you, you must be all right."

"Hey buddy," said Matt, "I don't want you to watch. You're going to give me performance anxiety."

Star, still jacking his cock, sunk her mouth on to his shaft. Matt threw back his head and sighed. After a few moments she pulled off and rolled so she could reach her night stand. She extracted a condom and a small bottle of lube.

Shaking the bottle, she said, "I can already tell I'm going to need this. You're bigger than I'm used to."

"You're doing wonders for my ego," he said.

She rolled the condom down his cock and added some lube.

"Oh," he said. "Chilly."

"I'll warm it up next time," she said.

He smiled as he centered himself in the bed. "I love the sound of that: next time."

Star applied some lube to herself and carefully slid down his shaft. They both sighed.

As they held each other in the dim light there was silence--except for the loud purrs of Pablo.

"Think he's jealous?" Asked Matt.

"Maybe," she said. "He's not used to sharing me."

Matt pulled up on to an elbow and looked down at Star. "I don't think I've ever felt so close to someone after such a short time." He brushed away the locks from her eyes before kissing her.

Star continued to rub his chest. "I don't want to damn you with faint praise, but you are the nicest man I've ever been with."

"Thank you!" Said Matt.

"Well, that's because most of my ex-boyfriends were artists and shitheads," she said.

Matt snickered. "I'm starting to understand the faint praise thing."

She pulled him down for a deep kiss, then gazed into his eyes.

"You were right: I was afraid to be seen in public with you," she said. "But you intrigued me. You were polite, and generous, and genuinely interested in my art. Plus, you were, you know, pretty."

Matt couldn't help himself. "Pretty?!"

"Yeah, 'pretty' ", she said. "Handsome is too remote, too sterile. Pretty is comfortable, approachable, dependable, someone who makes you smile."

"Okay," he said, "pretty it is. I want to make you smile."

Once the novelty of Matt coming around had worn off, Pablo would head to his cat-bed when Matt and Star went to their bedroom. The two spent most nights together and were only separated when Matt's studies went deep into the night, or his work in the labs kept him away.

Their casual closeness eventually extended into their on-campus encounters. A couple of times a week they would meet in the student union cafeteria and try to eat at the table where they first met. They tried to not be demonstrative of their affections, but would occasionally lapse.

During one such lapse, a young woman approached them.

"Ms. Williams?" Said the woman.

"Hello, Allison," said Star. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had office hours later today," said Allison. "I'm having trouble with my project."

"I normally hold office hours only on Tuesdays and Fridays, but my last class is over at 3:30 today. I could see you at 4:00," said Star.

"Thank you," said Allison. "I'll see you then." But instead of walking away, Allison lingered, glaring at Matt. After a few moments, she finally turned and disappeared around the corner.

"Wow," said Matt. "That had a weird vibe. What's her deal?"

"She's in my Introduction to the History of Art class and she's not doing well. She's just not putting in the work. I think she thought it would be a class where she could slack off and still get by, but I don't teach it like that."

"She got it in for you?" He asked.

Star didn't respond immediately. "Maybe."

A week later, Star received the email she'd been dreading. Matt found her seated at the table, motionless.

"Star? You okay? What happened?" He asked.

He turned the laptop so he could read the message.