Many thanks again to Estragon for everything. Words can never fully express the amount gratitude for your help and edits.
As always, comments/feedback/suggestions are always welcomed.
Cheers!
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"Dammit! How in the hell am I supposed to find anything?" Hadley exclaimed to herself while she was driving. "Give a girl some mountains, something!" She blew out a frustrated breath and looked down at the directions Sam had given her on how to get to the house. She had gotten off at the right exit, turned left, gone down four miles—she had gotten lost.
One of the traffic lights turned red, giving her a minute to glance around for landmarks. Spotting a Dunkin' Donuts and a small insurance company, she picked up the phone and called Samantha. The telephone rang several times and went unanswered. Of course it did, she thought.
She's hosting a party and figured you'd find your way to her house.
Shaking her head as the light turned green, Hadley reached down and re-examined the directions. Carefully glancing down and back up at the road, she caught her fatal mistake and had missed a turn off.
Looking for the nearest street where she could turn around, Hadley swiftly got back on track and within ten minutes finally pulled up into the long drive leading to the house. Expensive cars littered the drive and the paved area surrounding the house. Her trusty little Civic did her justice and got her from one place to the next, and she decided it was just as good as some over-the-top gas guzzler. She parked the car and got out as people were walking around outside. Loud voices were bellowing out from behind the house, so she assumed there was something happening back there. Music was playing but not blaring, as it seemed there were children running around.
Just as she started to walk up the front steps leading toward the house, a voice she would recognize anywhere called out to her. "You're late!"
"Yeah, well blame my den mother. She gave crap directions."
"I gave you the easiest directions ever!"
"Okay, yeah you did. How do you even get around here? I got lost." Hadley stepped off of the porch and walked to the woman.
Laughing, Samantha rushed over and hugged Hadley. "I am so glad you're here!" For several minutes, the two hugged, laughed and hugged some more. "I still can't get over you moved to Chicago."
Nodding, "It's crazy, right?"
"Crazy, but it works! I want to hear everything. You were whispering yesterday so I have no idea what's going on with your roommate."
"Oh my God, Sam. I need a drink first."
"That can be done, but first you have to come in so you can get introduced." Hadley raised a fine eyebrow at her friend. "It's standard, sorry. And please, as if you don't want to give Gabe a hard time!"
"It's my job. This is really your house?" She followed Samantha around the side of the house to where there were a gaggle of men and women lounging around with cups and beer bottles in their hands. The luscious aroma from the grill filled the air.
"Yes, but it still doesn't feel like I live here. Don't get me wrong, our stuff is scattered all over the place, but home is at the cabin." Samantha waved over to her fiancé and he amiably walked over to the women, a big smile across his face at the sight of Hadley.
As if he'd known her for a lifetime, but really only met a couple of times in person, Gabe Russell pulled Hadley in for a giant bear hug causing her to squeak. "You smell like coffee."
She struggled but managed to get out of his grasp, gasping she gave him a pointed look. "You smell like pigskin and it's giving me a headache."
If she'd expected to offend him, she should have known better. Gabe only laughed; "I'm not hearing any complaints."
Hadley shook her head and flapped her hands, "I just complained!" Laughing, she turned to Samantha.
"Don't look at me, I live with this."
"Glad you made it, Hadley. What are you drinking? And if you tell me something skim I'm handing you a beer."
"Wine would be fine, thanks Gabe."
Before walking away to grab a drink for Hadley, Gabe turned and gave a swift kiss across Samantha's lips. The sight of the two of them together made the humid air thicker to breathe. Samantha slipped her arm through Hadley's and walked her along the backyard, introducing her. Several of the people around had said their hellos, others nodded and kept on with their conversations. Grabbing the drinks from Gabe, Samantha steered them into the house where Hadley got the full tour. Pictures were scattered on the walls, some from Gabe and others from Samantha and then several of the two of them together.
The house was definitely comfortable, but she knew her friend all too well and understood immediately. Even though the couple had been living within the confines of familiar articles, the house itself seemed a little more closed off, something that was definitely a far cry from who the residents really were. As they made their way back down, rather than heading back into the backyard, Hadley followed Samantha to the front porch. Before they made it outside, however, Hadley froze in place causing Samantha to jerk slightly.
Hadley's eyes were riveted on a large picture that hung on the wall near the front door. Her eyes widened and her chest expanded. "This looks wonderful here."
Samantha rested her head on Hadley's shoulder. "I know, thank you for this one. I had this up at the cabin and made Gabe take it down to bring it here. There are just some things that you need to make a place feel like home, and this is one of those things."
Hadley had spent so many nights haunted by visions for the canvas she had painted for them. One night, she had been lying in bed when all of the sudden the idea came at her. Her friend had always loved flowers, so naturally she started to use the shape of a single stem as the foundation. In the hours of the evening, her hand became possessed, the colors combined to create such variations and textures that by the time she finished it—it was one of her finest. Her works had all bits of metal infused with the paints, but Samantha's was different. It was to embody a powerful union of people that was rich and true. Through deep reds and piercing ambers, the flower became a tree filled with branches extending out. Naturally abstract, it represented the life Sam and Gabe were creating. It touched her, that they had taken the canvas with them from one house to the next.
"Okay, sit. We won't get bothered out here." Samantha gestured to the glider on the porch and both women sat down.
