Kim and Dan had just bought their first house, after moving back to Dan's hometown in Ohio from California. It was in a lovely neighborhood, but their limited finances had only allowed them to afford a fixer-upper. It wasn't feasible to keep their apartment and pay for the house so they had to move in while they cleaned and repaired the house. Lucky for them, Dan and Kim's friend, Lora, and Dan's older brother, Chaz had offered to help out and they jumped at the offer.
Lora arrived that Friday afternoon, after work and began helping clean the living room and kitchen; getting ready to paint. She was a sweet and feisty brunette with long dark curls, which she had pulled up in a clip; and a full, voluptuous figure, which she generally hid beneath slightly baggy clothing. To say she wasn't comfortable with her body wasn't accurate, but she found it offensive when women wore clothes that were too small. Since she would be helping all weekend, she had packed a small bag so she could stay and help as many hours as possible.
As Kim and Lora were laying down the plastic and getting ready, they danced around to the radio. Lora loved to dance and was never embarrassed to do so whenever and wherever she was. Music had always been a passion of hers, since she was a young girl. Her parents had brought her up on Motown and Rock, which she still listened to every chance she got, but she also loved classical, country and hip hop. If it had a beat, she was moving to it.
In the late afternoon, Lora had set to work painting one of the walls in the living room as Dan and Kim started on the kitchen walls. She heard the roar of a motorcycle and looked out the window to see a man pulling into the driveway. Figuring it was Dan's brother, she turned back to the task at hand.
The front door flung open, as Chaz walked in bellowing, "Dan, where's the brews? I'm ready to get to work."
Kim and Dan walked in the living room to greet him. With a beer in her hand for him, Kim snapped, "Chaz, you better wipe your damn feet before you walk in my house," as they all started laughing.
Lora laughed but kept painting. She had never met Chaz but one look at him and she wondered how the weekend was going to go if she had to work in the same room with someone so loud and boisterous. She hoped he wasn't the type to get trashed and act like an obnoxious ass but if he did, she'd just roll out her sleeping bag in the spare room and give him the run of the living room. No big deal.
Dan introduced Chaz and Lora. Chaz greeted her amicably, shaking her hand. Upon further inspection, she had her serious doubts about him. Though he was ruggedly handsome, with his strawberry blonde, spiked hair and blue eyes, he had tattoos running up and down his muscular arms. Though she had nothing against tattoos, she had never really understood why some people felt the need to have them everywhere.
With everyone situated with something to drink, Kim handed Chaz a paintbrush and told him to get to work. He started on the opposite wall and, for the most part, things were quiet but for a few shouts back and forth between the brothers. Dan and Kim went back into the kitchen, resuming their work in there. They worked this way for a couple of hours, when Chaz set down his brush and walked through the kitchen and out the back door. He was gone for about half an hour then returned to pick up where he left off. By now, the sun was down and the stars were starting to twinkle in the sky.
Chaz briefly stopped at the doorway and watched her work. Though his taste was more along the lines of the tall, slender model type, he didn't find her unappealing at all. He was rather intrigued by the way she moved to the music as she painted in a neat and orderly fashion. The combination of form and function certainly was interesting, to say the least. He walked back over and picked up his brush.
"So, Lora, Kim tells me you like to draw. Are you any good at it?" he asked.
"I guess so. I don't sell art or anything like that but I drew a portrait of Dan and Kim, they like. Though they may just be trying to spare my feelings by acting like they do," she giggled.
"You're the one who drew that portrait of them?"
"Yes," she responded cautiously. She was waiting for him to start laughing or tell her how hideous it really was.
"Well then, I'd say you've got some mad skills," he said in a tone that sounded admiring and sincere.
"Thank you." She wanted to say more but wasn't quite sure what to say. She had always been shy around guys and the only reason she and Dan had become such good friends in school was because he was so genuine and friendly, she felt at ease with him. It seems like those might be family traits, she thought.
"Besides dancing and drawing, do you have any other creative skills?" he asked.
"I also like writing but don't have time to pursue all my passions," she mused.
"There's always time to pursue what we are passionate about. God didn't intend for us for all work and no play," he said in a meaningful tone.
"Is that why you have so many tattoos? Is that your passion?" she inquired.
