Sketch Artist

"The good news is there won't be too many people there this time of day," Jude replied with a smile.

The capitol building was just two miles to the east of Stone Cold Creamery, and the traffic wasn't bad at all on East Main Street. As they crossed the Kentucky River, Hannah mentioned how beautiful it was outside in that stark, cold, wintry kind of way.

"It's kinda beautiful inside, too," Jude said with another smile as he quickly looked over at her.

Hannah was both caught off guard and unexpectedly flattered yet again by his flattery. The part of her that wasn't prepared for it caused her to make a 'pffft' sound in reply as her way of playing it off.

"Mom! It's true. You're really pretty," Alicia said, surprising her mom that she'd been paying attention.

"Well, thank you...too," she said while looking at Jude.

"She's right, you know," Jude told her as he quickly looked at her.

The moment he again turned her way again and smiled, Hannah looked down then back straight ahead, focusing up ahead at the looming capitol.

"I'm always amazed at the architecture," she said sincerely, hoping the conversation would move in a different direction.

"It's definitely historic. I'm more contemporary, so I had to put my own preferences aside for this project. The people in charge of building renovations are extremely conservative when it comes to making even the slightest changes."

"Do I detect a liberal bias?" Hannah teased while also kind of probing.

"In me? No. I'm neither liberal nor conservative. Like two other famous politicians from the Great State of Kentucky, I'm proudly Libertarian," Jude told her, hoping Hannah wasn't far Right or far Left.

"Oh. Shame on me. That never even crossed my mind," she admitted as they pulled into the very large parking area.

Jude smiled again then said, "I'm not opposed to discussing politics, but it has to be in the right setting, and I don't think this is it. So could we maybe find something else to talk about?"

"Oh. No objections here," Hannah replied, grateful to have avoided saying something offensive. She had her political beliefs but never pushed them on anyone, so avoiding the topic was just fine with her, even if they were at the state capitol, the center of Kentucky politics.

And yet, politics, at least to some degree, was unavoidable because that was the focal point of the design Jude had recently completed.

"What do you think?" he asked once the three of them inside and were standing in front of it.

"It's...gorgeous," Hannah replied, taken by the dark, rich wood framing the most famous political figures in Kentucky history, with Abraham Lincoln at its center.

In addition to the wood there was an ornate border of what appeared to be gold done in a very appealing pattern surrounding the oil paintings of Kentucky's favored sons and a couple of its most prominent daughters.

"This isn't the kind of thing I'd ever do for fun, but as I said, this pays the bills so I can do the things I enjoy," Jude explained.

"I think the other word that comes to mind is...exquisite," Hannah said as she looked at the paintings and the gold name plates etched with the person's name.

"Oh, gosh. That's very kind of you," Jude said before bending down and asking Alicia what she thought.

Honest to a fault, the young girl said, "Well, not to be mean, but...it's kind of...boring."

Jude saw Hannah's reaction and only laughed.

"It's okay. I actually agree. It is rather...boring."

He moved closer to Hannah then, speaking in just above a whisper said, "Believe it or not, this one project let me buy my truck, so...I'll take boring all day long."

"Oh, my goodness! Jude, that's...that's amazing," Hannah said, knowing he wasn't bragging. She didn't know how much a vehicle like that cost, but it had to be in the $50,000 range, if not more.

Still talking quietly he said, "It's actually almost criminal, don't you think? I mean, wouldn't our tax dollars be better spent on something more...practical?"

Hannah smiled then said, "I don't know. Maybe. But don't you think places like this should preserve history and do so with dignity?"

Jude tilted his head for a second then told her she was probably right.

"At any rate, I'm not complaining. And at the risk of sounding like some kind of braggart, I have another bid in on a project for the governor's mansion, and it's even bigger."

"Braggart? I don't think that at all. I think you're rightly proud of your work, and after seeing it, I have to say I'm very impressed," Hannah told him sincerely.

Jude bowed slightly then said, "Well, thank you, m'lady," causing Hannah to laugh which, in turn, reminded her again that she wasn't thinking about the bank. In fact, she was having one of the best times she'd had since losing her husband.

"Again...thank you," Jude said. "And we should probably get doing. I don't think someone shares our appreciation for the old and..."

He leaned very close then whispered, "BORE-ing!" causing Hannah to laugh so hard she had to cover her mouth.

"Well, I'm not bored at all," she said. "I've had a wonderful time, and you are obviously a very talented young man."

"You never actually answered me before, but I'm not above asking again, so...could we maybe spend some more time together in the near future?" Jude asked, the smile absent, but that look of sincerity very much there.

"I...I don't know, Jude," she began. "I mean, what could we really, you know, have in common?"

"Um...a whole lot of things?" he replied, the smile now back. "It seems like we're doing pretty well so far, don't you think?"

"No offense, but you and I are, well, not quite, you know," Hannah said, assuming he'd understand.

He did but pretended not to when he replied.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure I do know. But unless we spend some more time together, we'll never know, will we?"

Alicia had been daydreaming and paying very little attention until she heard Jude's last comment.

"Mom! Say 'yes'!" she urged, a hopeful look on her face.

"Honey. I just don't know because..."

Before she could offer any reasons, Jude bent down next to Alicia and looked up at Hannah and said, "Yeah, Mom! Say 'yes'!"

Alicia's hopeful look changed to happiness, and when Hannah could no longer keep from smiling, Alicia started laughing, and although she tried not to join in, Hannah lost the battle.

"Okay, okay! I'll say...yes. I have no idea why I'm saying 'yes', but...okay."

Jude turned toward Alicia, held up a hand for a high five, and as they slapped hands, both of them said, "YES!" causing Hannah to laugh again.

"Just one question, though," Hanna said as the two others were still laughing and smiling. "Was this a conspiracy? Did the two of you somehow get together to twist my arm so I'd give in?"

"Nooo!" her daughter said a little too defensively, thinking this was a serious question.

"I didn't see any arm twisting, and it kind of looked to me like you agreed rather willingly," Jude added with a warm smile.

"Well, okay. Maybe you two aren't in cahoots, but I'll be watching you from now on," Hannah warned.

Hannah paused then said, "Both of you."

Jude stood back up, leaned closer again then quietly said, "I wouldn't mind that at all. The whole 'you watching me' thing."

Hannah gave him a puzzled look so he said, "Well, it only seems fair since I've enjoyed watching you from the moment we first met."

For the briefest of moments, Hannah's tummy fluttered when she realized Jude was actually flirting with her. Even so, she tried to downplay what he said again when she replied.

"That wasn't the kind of watching I had in mind," she informed him.

Jude saw her trying not to smile and knew she wasn't upset. He went to say something else but Hannah was already on the move.

"Alicia? Come on, honey. We need to get going."

"You can run—or walk—but you can't hide!" Jude playfully told her as she took her daughter's hand and moved away.

Jude caught up then again kind of leaned her way as they walked and said, "As in you can't hide when it comes to me wanting to see you again or...watching you."

Hannah refused to look at him as they walked, but she did speak.

"You may be a very talented graphic artist, but you aren't exactly making a big impression on me with all this watching talk," she let him know as though she was offended.

"Ah, okay. So what would make a big impression on you?" Jude asked.

"I guess we'll have to spend some more time together to know if that's even possible," Hannah replied, her head held high as though she were some kind of queen bee even though she was nothing of the sort.

"Yes, ma'am! Sign me up, please!" Jude told her.

"You guys are funny!" Alicia said as she listened to their banter.

"I don't think your mom is taking me very seriously," Jude told the 10-year old girl.

"Maybe that's because someone is making it very hard to take him seriously," Hannah countered.

"Then how's this?" Jude said, just as they got outside.

Hannah, who was still holding Alicia's hand, stopped, and when she did, Jude moved in front of her and very seriously said, "I can't ever remember meeting a woman I felt so strongly attracted to so quickly, Hannah."

She went to roll her eyes but didn't as Jude continued talking.

"The physical part is easy. You're...gorgeous. But it's...so much more than that."

Hannah had been staring at him in a direct way, but she found herself unable to hold the stare as he kept going.

"I see the way you and Alicia get along. It's obvious you're a really great mom, and I can tell you're a very nice person. And I want you know I'm not looking for anything...short-term...and I'm honestly hoping that after we do spend some more time together..."

Jude paused, smiled at her, then finished his thought.

"I'm hoping that you'll find me as interesting as I do you."

Hannah looked at him again then looked away before looking back at him.

"I think you're a really great guy yourself, Jude, but you're not blind. What you see here is what you get."

Hannah glanced down at her daughter to indicate the two of them came together as well as another reminder she wasn't his age. Or even close to it.

Jude only smiled again then said, "Yes, I know. And I like what I see. A lot. That's just one more thing I find so appealing about you."

"I...I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I'm not sure when I'll even be free again," Hannah told him as though working at a bank made it impossible to have a social life.

"I see," Jude replied very seriously. "That's a really good point. I hear 'banker's hours' are pretty brutal."

Hannah thought he was kidding because he sounded so serious. She wasn't sure he wasn't until she saw the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Oh. I see," Hannah said as Jude started smiling again. "Yes, I work 24/7 and never have a free moment."

"Mom, you don't work on Saturdays OR Sundays," Alicia chimed in as though the situation needed clarification.

"Does your mom get to come home every night after work, too?" Jude asked just as seriously.

Unlike her mother, Alicia understood he was kidding and started laughing.

"Of course she does. She comes to my school and picks me up then we go home so I can do my homework and have dinner."

"I see," Jude said as he kept up the pretense of being serious. "So it's at least possible that the two of you could maybe, say, have dinner at a restaurant one night then, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Alicia told him, her face brimming with happiness.

"With me, of course," Jude said as he looked at her mother. "After all, she did say she was willing to spend some more time with me, didn't she?"

"I heard her!" Alicia said before her mom could respond.

"Are you sure you two aren't in cahoots?" Hannah asked, finally smiling again herself.

"Where's cahoots?" her daughter asked, causing her mom to have to cover her mouth to avoid Alicia see her laughing at her comment.

"It's right near crazy, the place where this conversation is driving me," her mother replied as she looked at Jude who did a 'who, me?' kind of thing.

"So...dinner? Saturday?" Jude asked with a goofy, hopeful look on his face.

He saw Alicia smiling and pulling on her mom's hand as she said, "Please? Can we?"

"Okay, that's it. It's official. You two are in league together."

Hannah looked down and said, "And don't ask me where 'league' is, okay?"

"Huh?" Alicia said, a confused look on her face again as Jude quietly chuckled.

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Hannah asked him.

"I...I kinda am," Jude told her honestly. "But can you blame me?"

Hannah's demeanor softened and she was much more serious when she said, "No. No, I can't."

As they drove back, Hannah asked Jude what other projects he had in the works, and he told her about the one with the governor's mansion and two other reasonably big ones he'd lined up as well as a few other smaller ones he was working on.

"So do you enjoy doing this?" she asked even though he'd already addressed that.

"It pays the bills. I'd prefer to draw or paint, but there isn't a lot of money in that. My dream job would be to write graphic novels."

"Okay. I have to ask. What is a graphic novel?"

"It's kind of like a comic book in that it's illustrated, but it gets into much deeper themes. In a nutshell, anyway."

Having never seen a graphic novel, but being familiar with comic books, Hannah replied.

"Comic books? Well, you're certainly a very talented artist. Do you do oil paintings or anything more than sketches for the Frankfort Police Department?"

"I do. I've sold a couple of them, but getting established is extremely difficult. As I mentioned before the graphic design stuff allows me to do what I love with my free time, so I have no complaints."

He glanced over at her then said, "Besides, every now and then something really great comes my way from doing the other stuff."

He smiled at her then said, "Like meeting you."

Hannah had been looking at him, but the way he looked at her when he said that caused her to turn away again. She didn't say anything else until Jude dropped them off when she thanked him for sharing his project with them.

"It was my pleasure," he replied, smiling at both of them.

"Bye, Jude!" Alicia said as she smiled back.

"See ya 'round, kiddo," he told her as he bent down.

Without asking, Alicia put her arms around his neck again and told him she had a really nice time. Jude knew the display wasn't interesting to her, but he thanked her nonetheless then stood up to say goodbye to her mother.

"So I'll see you on Saturday then?" he asked more to confirm their date than asking.

"Right. Yes. Sure, that...that sounds fine," Hannah told him as she found herself suddenly second guessing her decision.

As Hannah set down to relax later that evening she wasn't able to do so as she found herself reliving the time she'd spent with Jude from the moment the detective introduced him until he dropped them off. On top of that, Alicia had nearly driven her crazy on the way home talking about Jude this and Jude that and saying things like, "Isn't Jude handsome, Mom?" in several different ways.

The only good thing she could come up with was that all of this business with Jude had caused her to nearly forget about what had happened at work. And that thought made her realize she wasn't thrilled with the idea of going back there again the next day.

And then she laughed out loud when she told herself, "But going to work is what allows me to do the things I enjoy doing," echoing the sentiments of someone she couldn't get off her mind as she found herself asking what it was she actually did enjoy doing anymore.

By the time she was back at her teller position the next day, though, she'd largely recovered from the frazzle of feelings induced by Jude, but was now once again on edge at the thought of being held up by every customer who came in.

Even Mildred Franklin, an 83-year old widow who was maybe 5'3" and 90 pounds caused her to flinch when she walked into the bank. It wasn't until after lunch that she slowly settled back into a routine which allowed her to let go of most of her anxiety.

But just as she was recovering, her phone rang. She had it on vibrate only, and because she was with a customer, Hannah normally would have let it go to voicemail. But when she saw it was from the Frankfort PD, she excused herself and accepted the call.

"Ms. Young," she heard the detective who'd taken her statement said.

"Yes?"

"We believe we've apprehended the man who tried to rob the bank. Is there any way we can get you to come down here and see if you can identify him?"

Hannah's heart nearly stopped from fear when she thought about having to meet this man face to face.

"Identify him?" she asked, her hands and voice trembling.

"From a lineup. You'll be looking through one-way glass so no one inside will be able to see you," he assured her.

"Oh. Um...okay," she replied. "Let me just talk with my manager, okay?"

"I already called and greased the skids," the detective told her. "It's fine with your manager."

"I see," she said as she looked into the office where she got a big thumb's up from her boss. "Well, okay. Let me just close out my drawer then, and I'll be right there."

Hannah was so freaked out by the call that she'd completely forgotten about Jude. That is, until she walked in and saw him talking to the detective who'd called her. They were both laughing about something until Jude noticed Hannah. He immediately stopped talking and excused himself.

"Hannah. Hi," he said as he walked her way.

"Hi. I...I didn't expect to see you here," she said. It wasn't rude in any way, it was just the truth.

"They called me, too. I always look at any suspect they detain to see how close I was on the sketch, and more importantly to learn what I might do better the next time."

"That certainly makes sense," she told him, her anxieties now divided between the suspect and the very attractive young man who'd recently caused such a roller coaster ride of emotion in her life.

"Ms. Young," the detective said after waiting for her to finish replying to Jude. "If you're ready, we have the lineup all set to go."

"Ready or not, right?" she said, trying to sound lighthearted to reduce her growing tension which was manifesting as a knot in her stomach.

The detective explained the process then told her to take her time.

"There's no hurry at all," he explained as five men, all about the same size and race walked in.

Before they even turned her way she said, "That's him. Number 2."

"Just give it a minute, okay?" the detective said as they turned toward the glass that looked like a mirror to them.

"No. I don't need any more time. That's definitely him. Right there."

Hannah was pointing to the man they'd arrested.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Absolutely. One-hundred percent," Hannah told him as the knot in her stomach got bigger and tighter.

He hit the intercom button and told the uniformed officer to have them file out without asking Number 2 to even bother stepping forward.

"Will I have to testify in court?" she asked as soon as the detective looked her way.

"I'm afraid so," he told her. "But don't worry. This guy's not a member of the mafia or a gang. He's a local meth head who was looking to make some quick cash to support his habit. As it turns out, he's going through withdrawals in a jail cell."

Hannah was unaware Jude was standing next to her until he gently put his arm around her shoulder and asked, "You okay?"

She not only didn't flinch, she turned toward him and hugged him.

"Yes. I'm fine," she said as she collapsed into her arms as the sick feeling drained away. "And thank you. Thank you so much."

"This guy's good," the detective interjected having heard Hannah's comment and watched her reaction to it.