"What is that? Is that supposed to be a tree?"
"Ha! Ha! Hey everyone! Look at this stupid thing Bryan made!"
"Bryan, that is NOT how you draw a horse. Now do it over and do it the way I told you..."
I�ve always wished in my heart that I could draw or paint but my complete lack of talent keeps me from even the simplest forms of self-expression. In fact, I don�t even doodle when I talk on the phone...
I was suddenly startled to discover that behind the front counter, a most unusually handsome man stood smiling at me.
He was tall and wide shouldered and his glossy, salt and pepper hair (much more pepper than salt) was swept back in an immaculate haircut. Even from where I was standing I could see how pale and smooth his skin was. It was a striking contrast to his dark hair and his full mustache/goatee. A beam of sunlight though the skylight above charged his large aqua eyes and reflected off his perfectly white teeth, displayed in the most mischievous, but welcoming grin. The sight of him filled me with such a tempting curiosity, I knew then what it must feel like to meet the devil in a friendly form.
"Come in." he said simply with a nod of his head. In spite of the fact that he was inside the store and I was out, I could hear him as clearly as though he were standing right next to me.
"Oh, no... That's o.k." I replied through the glass door, suddenly unsure of the strength of my curiosity. "I don't draw anyway..."
Without moving a muscle, he must have pressed a hidden button for the door buzzed. The little bit of weight I had on it easily pushed it open and I suddenly found myself inside where I felt I had no right to be.
"Hi. I'm..."
"Bryan. Bryan-with-a-Y. My, what a handsome young man you've grown up to be."
"You remember me? You know who I am?"
"Oh sure. My wife and I enjoyed watching you grow up in this neighborhood. We lived very near you."
How can this be? I thought to myself. This man couldn't possibly be much older than I am. "Have we actually met?" I asked, unconsciously backing away from him ever so slightly.
"Oh our paths have crossed many times, you probably just don't remember Bry-Boy." He said using the nickname I shed oh so long ago...
"No, I'm sorry. I guess I don't. Um... You have a wonderful store. It's nice to see something do well here." I said from the tentative safety of my place near the door. Part of me wanted to make a quick exit after a polite "hello" but the rest of me wanted to stay and explore this oasis of color and motion. I didn't know which side was going to win and that only made me more nervous. Another thing that was unsettling was that something was missing from the picture and I couldn�t figure out what it was. Then I realized that there was no scent of paints, erasers, chalks or solutions. Instead the store smelled like a bakery in full progress...
"You said you don't draw, huh Bry?"
"Oh, no, I have no talent at all. Can't even draw the proverbial straight line. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
"If you come over here, I'll tell it to you." He said smiling the same wicked grin that I had seen a few minutes ago.
I had no choice but to leave the safety of my spot and walk over to the counter to shake the outstretched hand he was offering me.
"I'm Dante" he said as he wrapped his large, soft and incredibly warm hand around mine, shaking it firmly. Up close, he was even more beautiful. Not a single wrinkle was evident anywhere on his face no matter how hard I tried to find one. I had heard of and read about eyes that sparkled before but didn't know such a thing actually existed until this man's pale aqua beacons glittered like a sequined dress before me. It was almost impossible to look away from him...
"You're trying to figure out how old I am." He said simply.
Flustered, I replied "Well, yes I am."
"I'm older than you." He said laughing gently. I got the hint that he had no intention of sharing his secret with me.
"Well, you can't be that much older than I am. And if you are, then you really look great. You must truly love what you do."
He leaned over the counter slightly and whispered, "You just guessed one of the secrets that I was going to share with you."
"There are others?"
"Yes there are Bry Boy."
I could not comprehend how in the matter of a few moments, the conversation had turned completely familiar and I was speaking to this man as though he had never been a stranger. I felt my defenses leave me with each second I stood near him...
