November 15, 2007, Word Count 25282

October 16, 2007

Josie’s house was just around the bend on Flambeau – a beach cottage just like mine, but hidden in a grove of live oaks that were twisted and turned by the salt air and the constant wind from the Atlantic. I pulled into her driveway and got out of the car just as she was stepping out onto her front deck. “Hi, neighbor!” she called. I waved and walked around back to open the hatch. She was carrying a jewelry case to take along to the gallery and a couple of cups of something that looked warm and steamy. We stowed it in the back securely and got in the car for the trek up the coast.

“Here – I hope your coffee black and strong. I just got a new espresso machine and I decided to test out my own Americano on you.” I laughed. “Perfect – that’s exactly how I take my coffee…how did you know?” “I just guessed that about you – you’re not exactly the high-maintenance type, I think.” I smiled at her. “No, not high maintenance at all, actually. How about you?” “Two sugars, cream, a little cinnamon…just a touch high maintenance.” We laughed and turned out onto Highway 12. “Where’s your portfolio?” She asked. “It’s right there on the back seat, next to the painting. She turned around and grabbed the portfolio. The painting was wrapped in brown paper. “You don’t want me to see that one, or what?” “No, that’s not it. I just finished it and don’t have a picture of it, so I thought I would just bring it along. I wrapped it to make sure it didn’t get damaged.” She opened the portfolio and started thumbing through. “Wow, Annie – these are great! You really use some color, don’t you, girl?”

After she had looked through all of them, she placed them back on the seat and turned around. “So. On Sunday, I told you everything in the world about me, but I realized after I got home that I knew nothing about you. So. Spill. Who are you, Annie Bradford? What are you doing on Hatteras Island, anyway?” “Well, Josie…I am here because I didn’t know where else to go. I’m not sure yet what it means for me to be here, or anywhere for that matter. I’m just a woman trying to find her way in this world and I don’t even know how to explain it to you. I’m afraid the story is a bit of a downer – it would make for a depressing ride. Maybe we’d better save it for a time when we could have a bottle of wine and some tissues handy.” I tried to act flippant, but my voice cracked and she looked at me with concern. “Okay, Annie. If you aren’t ready to talk about it, I understand. I’ve been through some things that took me a long time to talk out, too. I’ll tell you what. Let’s talk about stupid things until we get back from Manteo, and I’ll spring for the wine, if you’ll cook dinner. I’m a terrible cook.” I looked at her gratefully. “Thanks, Josie. That sounds wonderful. We’ll stop in Avon on the way back and get supplies. I know just what to make.”

We talked of light things all the way to Manteo – art school experiences, the worst paintings we had ever made. She told me about her switch into jewelry design while at SCAD and I told her about my first illustration job. When we got to Manteo, we hauled our arts into the gallery and met with the two board members who were working. They looked through my portfolio and made nice noises about this painting or that one and they oohed and aahed over Josie’s jewelry. I unwrapped the turtle girl painting and turned it around and they, along with Josie gasped. Tears sprang into Josie’s eyes as she looked at the girl who had harnessed the turtle. “It’s beautiful, Annie. She’s you, isn’t she?” I blushed and looked away. The board members asked me if I had any others like it, but I said no, but that I was thinking of doing a series of turtle girls. One of them asked if I could have some ready by the end of January. I said I supposed I could. Then they offered Josie and me a month long combined show in February of my turtle paintings and her turtle and marine life jewelry. We accepted and shook hands and signed contracts and smiled and shook hands some more. It was all a blur. I was going to have a show. In Manteo. With Josie.