Welcome to part four.
I googled the Van Gogh mentioned in part three and was surprised to find out that the painting was deemed a forgery just a couple of years ago. According to art experts, it was painted some fifty years after Vincent Van Gogh's death. What a bummer for the people who owned it.
The encounter with the Japanese couple, Kira and Emiko from Tokyo was a heavily documented event on the flash drive. For some reason, lots of people were very interested on what went on in that hotel room. Almost everyone in the room had been interviewed by more than one source. The only point of view missing was Gwen's and I had to construct her actions from what the other three had said. See you in part five.
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Chapter 25 The First Three
As the semester rolled on, I started spending more time with Matthew Anderson and Paul Gleason. Even, Hawk developed a friendship with the pair. For the guys, it started with their mutual interest in pro football. Hawk is a Chargers fan, Matt likes the Browns, and Paul the Jets. I have a small affection for the 49ers because of my dad, but generally football bores me to tears. As an artist and feminist, I view all organized male sports as misogynistic wastes of money that could and should be spent on anything else. Because of my anti sports views, I'm excluded from participating in the conversation. Men sure waste a time of time talking about sports.
Midterms arrived and it swept over campus like a dark cloud of locus. During a tiny lull in the madness, Matt, Hawk, Paul and I sat at Mama Rosa's, a popular off campus hangout that served cheap pitchers of beer, watered down shots, and the most awesome hot sandwiches on the island.
"Dude? Can you help me with a research grant proposal?" Hawk asked Matt, as he refilled his mug with beer.
"You're asking for help with that thing?" I asked mildly surprised. Hawk rarely asking for help with anything. "He asked me to read it and it was too boring to get through," I said to Matt.
"That's why I'm asking for help. I need an art major to understand it." Hawk said.
I slapped him on the arm for the jibe.
"You got it with you?" Matt asked.
Hawk seemed surprised at Matt's immediate request. He dug through his book bag and handed the paper to Matt. Right there at the table, Matt started reading the proposal.
Paul drained the last of his beer and stood up, "Unlike you geniuses, I gotta go study. Kleckner's art history is kicking my ass."
"I mistook a Georges Braque for a Picasso on one of his slide tests," I said. "Wrong or not write all you know. He'll give you points for that."
Paul gave a thumbs up and left.
Five minutes later Matt looked up from reading Hawk's document. "It's a little stodgy," he said.
"See, I told you it was boring," I said.
"Shut up." Hawk said affectionately. "Can you help me fix this?"
I blinked in astonishment; Hawk was almost pleading for help. Envy and admiration enveloped me as I looked at Matt. This twenty-year-old grunge reject was able to get through Hawk's thick defenses faster and deeper than I had.
"I can squeeze you in between hot dates tomorrow night," Matt said.
End of term fatigue shortened the night the rest of us too. Matt walked back to the dorms and Hawk gave me a ride back to Waikiki in his Bronco. He parked in front of my building to let me out. I leaned in and kissed his warm mouth. It didn't take long for the kiss to arouse him, it never took much to get him going. I loved that about him.
"Tomorrow's your birthday we should celebrate," I said.
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I showed up at Hawk's room at around seven in the evening totting a large canvas wrapped in brown craft paper. With a dramatic flair, I tore the paper away to reveal 'Damaged but Likable' the newly titled nude inspired by 'Shelly's New Dance.'
"Holly shit!" Hawk barked, his mind totally blown. He took down the framed painting of the Ka'a'awa shore I had given him a while back and hung the unframed canvas in its place. He slipped behind me with his arm around me shoulders and we stood looking at the painting.
"Awesome," he said.
"I think so too."
Hawk spun me in his arms, hugged and kissed me deeply, his erection a conspicuously twitching between us. The kiss ended and he spun me back around, cuddled behind me too admired my painting some more.
"Is the boner against my ass for me or the painting?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
I laughed at his vague answer. "I wanna bring Matt in tonight," I said.
"I thought after the Kokuras you got it all out of your system?" he said.
We looked at my painting for a long time and then I said, "If you don't want me to do this just tell me."
Another lengthy silence fell as I waited for his answer. Finally he spoke.
"How are you going to do it?"
Relieved and pleased that he was still on board, I said, "I have no idea. This would be easier if you and he weren't such good buddies all of a sudden."
"You could call this off too you know?" he said.
"Maybe I will, but I think you just wanna get your stupid proposal shored up."
He laughed. "I'm busted."