CHAPTER 91: What Julia Did Next

 

Julia Epstein said goodbye to Barbara and Jeremy and headed off for her "special evening".  She was nervous about this event:  She was wearing a brand new outfit, recommended to her by Barbara and mutual neighbour Suzy, which was...apparently...this season's "look" but one in which made her feel self conscious.  A bright colour, short and more elaborate than what she normally wore she was worried that it was too attention seeking.  However, she wanted to make a good impression.

But on whom?  Jeremy thought she had a hot date.  Barbara thought she was just trying to look good for the event she was attending.  The truth was somewhere in between.  She wanted to go and see a new exhibition of modern art at the Casbah Gallery and wanted to look stylish for that.  But her parents had also mentioned that the son of an old family friend was new in town and liked art so maybe it would be nice if they met up....clearly they were attempting to match-make for Julia, which she baulked at.  Why the pressure to find a husband?  Julia had never been the romantic type, never had a boyfriend at High School or even College.  She went through med school without ever going on a date.  It didn't interest her at all but...best pander to the folks, she thought, and enjoy the show.  Maybe this guy would be good company for the evening?

It was a beautifully serene dusk as she entered the gallery.  Already the place was filling up with interested art lovers and the Casbah was the premier gallery in Sim City.  It was also one of Julia's favourite places to hang out in.

She had a name and description of the man she was supposed to meet but the first person she encountered inside the gallery was someone she knew very well, but had mixed feelings about seeing.  Her auntie Elle.  Elle had a troubled mental history and could be very volatile.

"Hello Aunt Elle.  I didn't expect to see you here?  How are you?" she said.

"Thanks for asking.  I have my daily burdens to bear." replied Elle, coldly.

"What are you doing all dressed up like that?" said Elle, looking dismissively at Julia.  "That's not usually the look you go for"

"I know...I thought I'd try something a bit different as...well..." Julia stumbled over her answer.

"You're on a date?  A blind date by the looks of it!" said Elle, sharply.

"No, it's not like that....it's something mom and dad had planned"

"Tsch! I might have known!  Always meddling those two!  Well, don't hold out much hope that the person they've set you up with is some 40 year old fat accountant who's the son of one of their gossipy, judgmental friends of theirs!  That's about the best you can hope for!" and with that, Elle went on another of her rants.  Julia had to make her apologies and get away.

"Ugh...what is it with her?" thought Julia to herself.  "She's always undermining me and I've only ever tried to help her!"  she went off to the Ladies' to calm down and regain her composure...after all, this guy she was supposed to meet could be here already and she didn't want to make a bad impression.

"Families!" she thought.  "I'm always being the loyal daughter, niece, cousin...I have to respect the family, no matter how.....mad they make me!" that last thought worried her.  Both her aunt and one of her grandparents had psychological illnesses and she worried that it could be hereditary.  When she had more time, she would have to look deeper into the condition and learn more.

"OK....take a deep breath" she thought.  "I look.....what do I look like?  Got to look smart...presentable....were Suzy and Barbara right about this outfit!  Oh, I don't know anymore!"

She did her best, stepped out of the Ladies' room and continued to amble around the gallery looking for this man she was supposed to meet.  She made her way to the information desk to ask someone if anyone had left a message for her with them.

"Is there any message for Julia Epstein, or Doctor Julia Epstein....from a gentleman called Kerry Fry?"

"Let me see..." said the woman at the desk.  "Ah, yes, a Mr Kerry Fry did leave a message for you.  It said that he will be waiting in the mezzanine gallery on floor 1."

Julia thanked the woman and nervously went upstairs to the mezzanine gallery to meet this person.  She had a rough description of him: Late 20s, beard, dark hair, brown eyes and he had one of her...but she forgot to add that tonight she'd be wearing contact lenses instead of glasses.  She looked around for a guy matching his description on his own.

She didn't have to wait long:  Kerry Fry turned out to be the only man there who was on his own.

"Are you Kerry?" asked Julia

"Julia?" replied the man.

"Yes.  Nice to meet you" she responded.  "I hope you haven't been waiting long"

"I got here too early so I was just checking out a gallery or two.  Not to worry.  So....you look a little different to who I was expecting" said Kerry.  Julia gulped in nervousness.  "I mean I was expecting someone in glasses.  But you look nice; cool outfit you're wearing there"

Julia relaxed.  "Thanks.  It's new and I thought I'd give wearing contact lenses a go today." She looked at him and noticed he looked more hippyish than the description she was given of him:  The cheesecloth shirt worn open at the neck, the trendy striped pants and the Native American necklace he was wearing.

"It all works" he said.  "So, I've not been here before...have you?" 

"Oh I'm often down here; time permitting.  I could show you around?" she said.

"That'd be cool" he said, nodding.

They took a stroll around the 1st floor galleries with Julia pointing out works of interest.  "This section is for more modern work.  If you prefer the classics, then through here." 

"I dig it all; this is a great place" said Kerry.  "I think this one looks impressive"

"Ah the Matisse" said Julia as they stopped to look at the painting that had caught Kerry's interest.  "Such bold strokes of the brush!"

"It's a Manet" said a little boy standing nearby.

"I think you'll find it's a Matisse" replied Julia, politely.

"It's a MANET!" said the boy.  "I should know, my father is a world famous art expert.  The best.  And that painting is by Manet"

"I think the kid's correct, Julia" said Kerry, inspecting the sign next to the painting.

"Pthhhhht!  Told you so!" said the boy, sticking out his tongue before running off.

Julia felt embarrassed.  She had put her foot in her mouth and in front of this guy she'd just met.  He was a good looking guy and clearly a with-it person.  How could she recover from this?

"Kids, eh?" he said, shrugging his shoulders.  "Reminds me of this girl I went to school with...she always had to be right about everything" he chuckled.

"I guess" shrugged Julia.

"Hey, don't knock yourself out over that brat" said Kerry.  "The number of times I've had my confidence knocked by a kid have been too many to count!"

Julia smiled.  "Well, next time I'll read the labels more closely.  Anyway, would you like to see another gallery....or something else?"

"Actually, there's a guy I know over there who I've just got to say hi to otherwise he'll pester us as well.  I'll be five minutes, tops" and with that Kerry ran off.

Great.  She thought.  Could this date...or rendezvous or whatever this was supposed to be get any worse?  This is why she hated the idea and reality of dating:  All that effort and risk of showing yourself up.  She could see the wisdom in the tradition of the village matchmaker:  That's how her grandparents would have done it.

 Julia strolled around the gallery waiting to see if Kerry would return but she didn't have to wait long, he came jogging back.  "Sorry about that...now you have my undivided attention"

"Shall we go upstairs to see more?" she said, indicating the stairs.

"Yeah, groovy" replied Kerry.  

As they walked along they got to chatting more.  "So" Kerry began.  "I hear you're a doctor"

"That's right, at Sim City General.  I'm pretty newly qualified.  How about yourself?"

"Well, I'm in the medical profession as well but nowhere near your level.  I'm a physiotherapist."  

"Oh, so the next time I throw my shoulder out..."

"Come and see me" he said, smiling.  

"My folks told me that you'd only recently moved back here" she asked.

"Yes.  About a couple of months ago.  Yeah, for the last year I was living and hanging out in 'Frisco...Haight Ashbury to be exact.  Really exciting scene there.  Before that I was practicing down in Greenwich Village, New York.  Really cool scene there as well."

Those places didn't mean much to Julia.  "And how do you know my folks?"

"I don't...my folks know your folks through their Bridge club and so on"

They chatted some more and Julia felt more relaxed.  Finally, Kerry said "well, I've got a really early shift tomorrow so, yeah, this has been great meeting you and I had a fab time.  We should do this again sometime"

"Yes, I'd like that too" replied Julia smiling.  

There was a pause where neither one wanted to make the next move until it got too much and Kerry waved goodbye and left.  Julia turned on her heel and made her way in the opposite direction where she bumped into her next door neighbour, Neil Humphries.  Neil was by a canvass, doing some painting outdoors.

"Hey Neil" she said as she approached him.  

"Julia...nice to see you here.  What have you been up to?" he replied.

"Erm...kind of a date" she said.

"Kind of a date?" Neil was puzzled.

"Well, I met a guy but it wasn't a romantic date or anything like that...just a friendship, see how we got along thing."

"And did you?"

"Yes...he seems nice.  A relaxed, Bohemian type."

"Well that's good, isn't it?  I'm a bit like you, Julia:  I'm not normally the dating type...I have to force myself into social situations sometimes."

"But you met Suzy and that seems to be going well?"

"Oh yes...I sure got lucky there.  She's way above my league"

"I never knew you thought that way about yourself." Julia sighed.  "It's all so complicated to me...I just want to work, play music and go to nice places.  Adding romance just complicates things.  Anyway, I must be getting on now.  Nice painting, by the way."

Julia started to walk towards the subway station when a young, handsome man approached her.

"Excuse me, Miss, but do you have the time?" he asked.

"Yes, it's 8:50pm" she said, checking her watch.

"Thank you....I say, I saw you in the gallery earlier.  Do you like art?  I'm very into it" the man said, awkwardly.

"I do.  It was a good exhibition today, don't you think?"

"Definitely!" said the young man "By the way, my name is Rez"

"Julia.  Nice to meet you."

"I...I...think you are a very beautiful young woman.  When I saw you in the gallery I thought you were..."

Julia put up her hands.  "No...I'm sorry.  I don't know who you are!  I don't feel comfortable talking about this and here.  Please...I'm going home now.  Nice to meet you...bye!"

Julia headed on home to Foundry Cove but via Crawdad Quarter.  She was hoping to bump into a friend such as Suzy, Jeremy or Joelene to share her story of what happened that evening.  Fortunately, at the Blue Velvet club, she found Jeremy and Barbara.

"Hey" said an enthusiastic Jeremy.  "How did this evening go?"

"I think it went well....it was a good exhibition" said Julia.

"And anything else?" asked Jeremy, provocatively, as he suspected she was actually on a date.

"I met some interesting people.  Let's just leave it at that" she replied.