The Painting in the Background

Chapter One

The ocean waves danced in a slow, soothing rhythm. There were no less than fifteen people scattered on the private beach of Grayson's holiday resort. Gusts of warm wind rushed through Robin's shoulder length, honey brown curls and caressed his golden tan skin. The afternoon sun grew intense, releasing light perspiration. The sound of rustling palm tree leaves and crashing waves added to the spirit of relaxation. His thoughts strayed, tossed out there somewhere in the sparkling waters. Two people surfed in the distance. He used his old camera to capture colorful frames of the coast.

A glimpse of a brilliant rainbow fading behind a lighthouse piqued his interest. He kicked a heap of sand in a rush to stand at a better angle. About twenty clicks were enough photographs to grace a piling collection. Being a photographer for more than twelve years, he knew taking hundreds of frames a day was all it took to find the one. There were several places on the coast of Mena Lagoon, a private beach overlooking the Mena islands.

"Rob! Get back here. It's time to go," his friend Kevin called. He had long, mopey black hair. He liked to wear rock band tshirt, skinny jeans, and converse sneakers. Standing at the edge of the walkway, he signaled Robin to come over.

Robin had lost track of time ambling and taking clicks—he had forgotten about the others. He stashed the camera in the maroon carrier bag draped over his shoulder.

Amy, Kevin's girlfriend, waited behind the red Jeep, her long, pink floral dress dancing in the wind around her slim hips down to her ankles. The blonde beauty had fine facial features. Gary was already in the driver's seat. Robin took his place next to him while the couple occupied the back seat. Even as they drove along the coast, Robin watched the white capped waves move toward the shore, dissolved by the sand in the distance.

The sweltering heat dropped in the early evening as the sunset painted the clear blue sky into a light color. Out of habit, Robin saw an opportunity to take more shots. A line of cafes and restaurants were on the opposite side of the road in between several hotels.

"I don't get why you guys want us to go to the beach when it's almost empty. No girls to meet," Gary complained, his booming voice in full effect. The muscular stud had thick brown skin and a buzz cut. He thought any girl would easily fall for his charm.

"You were surfing it up without a care. Didn't you have a great time?" Amy asked.

"Well I did, but I like it when there's a bunch of people around."

"We closed school early. The place is yet to be crowded. I'd rather enjoy the vacant space now," Kevin said, struggling to keep his blowing strands off his face.

"I'm craving chocolate ice cream," Amy mused.

"You're always craving something," Kevin said.

It was a short drive back to one of Grayson's holiday homes. The white mansion was a majestic double story surrounded by green leaf tree canopies. Different kinds of tropical flowers popped out of the bushes on a well-maintained lawn. The house had an interior of astonishing beauty. Cream sofas with gold framing graced the center of the living room, facing a massive television, and vintage antiques.

Robin rushed into his assigned bedroom on the upper floor. He was always in awe of its meticulous arrangements. A huge flat screen was placed before a king-sized bed adorned with a black and gray cover. In the far corner was a tiny mini bar with a coffee set and wine goblets placed on a glass shelf at the top. Long silver drapes flowed back and forth in the light breeze coming through the open window at the end of the room. Beyond the railing of the wide balcony, the vast ocean twinkling under the fiery sunset on the horizon gave a spectacular view.

Robin walked to the most cherished side of the room that displayed his personal gallery. Multiple silver frames, placed in a grid on the wall, held old and new photographs. His pictures hung everywhere he went, and it was a chance he'd taken to ask Gary's father to install the frame for the duration of his stay. For inspiration. He dropped on the chair near a small desk and scrolled through the film he had been working on all day. He printed the best and resisted the urge to run his fingers over the lovely images of the sunny coast.

The door opened. Amy peeped inside with a look of anticipation. "Remember, we're going back tonight for the bonfire. Be ready in the next hour."

"And why is it that you never bother to knock?"

"Oh, damn, sorry about that. I'll keep in mind to do so next time."

"You better," he mumbled when she closed the door.

Taking one final, lingering moment gazing at the exquisite shots, he then got up and stripped naked. After a quick, warm shower, he trudged to the closet with wet feet and put on blue jeans, a white vest, and a purple pullover. Without paying attention to his grumbling stomach, he proceeded to upload the remainder of his stills to his laptop. As the grating feeling in his tummy got worse, he was forced to close the application and rush downstairs. The others were already gathering around the rectangular table in the dining hall.

Suzanne, the chef, brought in the main dishes. They were each served with fried potatoes, green salad, and prawns. Other foods were added to the table, but Robin was busy scrolling through his phone, trying to get a feel for the endless pictures and whether he should post them up on his blog.

"Oh, my God. Robin, are you even paying attention to what we're talking about?" Amy said.

"He's always on that thing," Kevin said, then dropped a prawn in his mouth.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"We were just saying that we've invited more people," Gary said.

"Oh, cool, and they agreed?"

"Of course they agreed, dude. I'm a freakin' celebrity, why wouldn't they?" Gary bragged. The rising football star always spoke about his rise to fame playing quarterback for their college team.

"I guess you really got ticked from the lack of an audience this afternoon," Robin said.

"I just want to enjoy my holidays to the fullest, guy, it's that simple."

Robin shrugged. "Sure, dude, we all deserve to enjoy ourselves. I'm definitely having a good time working on my portfolio."

"That's all sweet, but you can't do that at the bonfire, people don't like being ignored," Amy said.

"I get it." Robin put his phone away and finished his meal.

When they were done, Kevin gathered beer from the fridge. Gary was the first one to pack all the necessities. They all trooped outside. A warm breeze lingered after a hot day. The full moon had a delicate, shimmering glow against the black sky.

Once they'd traveled to the beach, Gary drove the Jeep onto the sand. A group of people sat around a fire, a few feet from the dying waves. Their laughter and chatter reached Robin a few feet from where they were standing.

"It's already started." Robin looked over at Gary.

"Yes, well I got some guys to do that for me."

All the camping chairs were occupied, and Robin had to sit on the sand next to a brown-skinned girl with long braids. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Kevin took his guitar from out of the trunk and joined them on the chairs. He strummed a slow, lulling melody. Soon it was drowned by more conversing people, the numbers growing every minute around the roaring fire.

"You know I recognize you from campus," Robin said to the girl next to him.

"Oh, well I haven't seen you around. My name is Tracy."

"I'm Robin. Do you live here?"

"Yeah, I live uphill, farther away from the resort."

"I'm here visiting some friends—a few weeks of new people and new scenes for my photography."

"That sounds exciting. Maybe I can be a model one of these days." She flashed him an adorable smile.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind, you have the loveliest skin tone."

"Thank you." She gave him a bright smile. Her skin almost blended in with the sand but only a shade darker.

Tracy brushed aside her long, dark braids, the light from the flames playing on her bold features. Robin was delighted to see the beauty of her gentle, innocent face up close.

"What are you studying?" she asked.

"Visual arts, although I ventured into photography after my first year. Once I'm done, I'll take photography full time. What do you do?"

"Drama, my first love. I have to start another theater gig next week so I won't be here for long."

"Cool, I'd like to see you perform."

"Unless you want to drive all the way back to campus, I think you'll have to wait for the next semester."

"That's okay, we'll make a plan," Robin assured her.

After drinking half his beer, he rose and excused himself, heading for the edge of the dry sand. A forceful wave brought splashing water against his ankles. He looked up at the moon and took his phone out of his pocket. Can't let this one slide. He captured the photo and returned the phone back in his pocket. A short pause of the guitar melody was replaced by Gary's loud radio, hip-hop music blasting out of the Jeep speakers. This upbeat turn seemed to draw more people in—some strangers strayed over from around the area. Robin hadn't expected it to be a full-on party, but judging from Gary's reactions, he didn't mind at all. When Robin rejoined them, the football star was chatting up a tall brunette nearly his height.

Robin searched the crowd, disappointed to see that Tracy had left. He walked over to Amy, who was tucked under Kevin's left arm.

"Have you seen the girl I was talking to a while ago?"

"Oh, Tracy? She said she had to go. But not before asking for your number." Amy gave him a sly smile.

"Where does she live?"

"She lives nearby. Relax, dude, she promised to drive up to chill with us. If you do the right thing and answer her calls that would be great."

"I'll probably talk to her again, she's nice."

It was past midnight when the crowd dispersed. Gary stumbled sideways toward the car. Robin had to support him by lifting his heavy arm, guiding him into the passenger's seat. Not quite the tough guy when you're wasted. Robin sucked in a long breath and climbed into the driver's seat.

Nothing he had ever seen in photographs or film compared to the raw beauty of the moonlight.

Two men appeared out of nowhere, standing near the fading fire. He couldn't make out their facial features, shaded beneath black hoodies. For a moment, he felt one of them gazing at him, the other kept looking around. They give me the chills. He swerved the Jeep off the sand, back to the main street.

Chapter Two

The next day, Robin spent the afternoon in the backyard looking over the work of other photographers on his phone. Birds chirped all around the sheltered green. The flower garden was swarming with bees and butterflies, some escaping toward the porch where he relaxed on a recliner. He was glad to discover such a comforting environment. Voices came from behind the bushes beyond the yard. Kevin appeared with Amy trying to keep up behind him.

"Hey, dude, we're off to the music store. You want to tag along?"

"Sure, why not?"

Kevin took them to the corner of a street lined with colorful window displays, the last remaining relics of a gentrified neighborhood. The arts and crafts store stood right next to the bookshop. Definitely coming back here. The music store was filled with classic records and contemporary discs. There was a section dedicated to gaming, and it wasn't long before Kevin and Amy were pulled in.

Something across the street caught Robin's attention, a flash of black that came into clear view after a van passed by. Just when Robin thought he was seeing things, a young man stood still at the end of the blur, puffing on a cigarette. The pale man in a navy tshirt and black jeans crossed the road without checking for oncoming vehicles. He stood out even more as he neared Robin with a bothered expression on his face. The breeze stirred his short, wavy black hair. He took one final pull of the stub and dropped it on the ground to stomp on it. It seemed he followed Robin's every move until he disappeared into the shop next door. Robin tried to wrap his head around the enigma he had just seen.

"Hey, guys," Robin called. "I'll be in the arts and craft shop."

Robin hovered on the sidewalk, looking up at the sign. Mike's Arts and Crafts Store. When he entered, the bell over the door rang and startled him. He sauntered to the far end of the store to peruse a spectrum of oil colors. Whilst pretending to be absorbed by the selection, he sneaked a glance behind the counter at the glum fellow reading a magazine.

"See anything you like?" a soft voice came from behind him.

Robin nearly jumped out of his skin. A short, redheaded woman raised her eyebrows at him. She had a pierced nose and colorful tattoos adorning both arms. Robin read her nametag. Jessie.

"Not yet, I would like to get some pencils and watercolors."

Jessie smiled. "This way."

He followed her to the other side of the aisle where countless pencil sets were laid in order. After picking a random brand, he trailed behind Jessie until they reached the section with watercolors.

"These are awesome, thank you." Robin picked another brand he had never seen before. With him having enough art material from school, he figured he'd give them to his niece as a gift.

The time came to face the mystery behind the counter. The man didn't look up from the magazine until Robin cleared his throat. His nametag read Jared. Calmly, Jared peered up from between the pages. Overwhelming black eyes gazed at Robin with eyelids that had a slight droop. His full bottom lip had a reddish color. Robin found himself engrossed by the striking features of his angular face. Behind him hung a large golden frame holding a captivating painting of the beach. A man and a woman stood at the edge looking out into a sunny horizon. Jared rose from his high chair and obscured Robin's view of the masterpiece.

"Good afternoon." Jared had a low, deep voice. He dropped the items in a packet and handed them over to Robin. "Wait, I think I've seen you before."

"Really? Where?" Robin asked.

"The local Art and Design College, or maybe I'm mistaken."

"Oh yeah, I go there. Doing my final my year."

"We were there to get some candidates for Turner's art convention."

"I've heard something about it." He looked at Jared's dark eyes and tried to clear the rasping note in his voice. "I just didn't participate because I was busy with photography."

Jared nodded—his drawn expression was a surprise. His tense posture relaxed, then he sat down and leaned back in the chair.

"Who did that?" Robin pointed at the painting.

"Oh that. I did it long ago, I was still a teenager."

Robin's mouth fell open. The details of every color were immaculate finishes over drawing. He couldn't believe the dark figure seated in front of him created such beauty. He returned his attention to Jared's face. Something indescribable blossomed inside Robin, tangled with wonder and curiosity. He was eager to enter Jared's mind and explore his vibrant imagination.

"It's a sensational painting," Robin admitted.

Jared shrugged dismissively, and yet his eyes lost some of the wariness, but he clearly wasn't about to engage in a conversation about his remarkable talent. He picked up his magazine and proceeded to ignore everything around him.

It was Robin's cue to leave.

He walked outside, straight into the baking heat of the sun, wondering why his mind played tricks on him. He could've sworn that earlier Jared had moved at a speed that was humanly impossible. Staring at too many photos is messing with my head.

Robin brushed locks of tawny hair blowing over his face as he went back into the music store to find Kevin and Amy struggling to pick which records were worthy of being bought. They finally made a decision on a dozen that were mostly alternative rock.

Amy eyed the packet in his hand with keen interest. "What did you get?"

"I bought some pencils and watercolors for my niece, that's all."

"Oh, so cute," Amy gushed, leading them out of the cool store and into the sun slowly losing its blistering force.

His heartbeat skidded when he saw Jared standing on the sidewalk, lighting up a cigarette. Jared turned his head. Some of the smoke blew in their direction, and Jared's penetrating gaze got under Robin's skin.

"Hey, you, come over here." He called Robin over as if he was a little boy.

Robin moved toward him, blinking when the smoke hit his face. He hated the smell of tobacco and wondered why he was tolerating it for a second from a guy who clearly had no respect for him.

"My name is Robin."

"All right, sorry about that. I applied to your school a while ago. They want a portfolio. I need your help on how to put it together."

"Okay," Robin replied. "You're invited to come and see what I've done where I stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't mind at all. We can start anytime."

"Give me your phone."

Robin obeyed, wondering why he was so quick to trust a stranger. Jared gave it back, and Robin saw that he'd saved his number. Jared stared at him for a long moment, his cigarette abandoned between his fingers. Then he looked ahead, ignoring him again.

Robin turned and joined Kevin and Amy in the car.

"Who's that?" Amy asked.

"Jared, he works in the art store, wants help putting together a portfolio."

"Cool, you invited him to the dinner party tonight?"

Robin thought about it. "I doubt he'll agree to that. I just met the guy, and he seems closed up. And I'm not sure if Gary will allow it."

"Oh, you know him, he doesn't care who we invite as long as the place is packed."

Robin took the road that led back to the mansion. He moved to his bedroom the moment they entered the living room. Gary was nowhere to be seen. Robin spent the evening organizing a courier to deliver his old portfolios. Too nervous to call Jared, Robin sent him a text as an invite.

The guests arrived around eight, and everything was set in the dining hall. Gary finally appeared with a girl on his arm. After a few hours, clusters of people were filling up the living room, some having discussions outside. Beyond the open glass doors, Robin spent most of his time chatting with a cute brunette girl named Heather. She held most of the conversation, and all he had to do was smile and agree with everything she said.

A dark-haired figure appeared near the bushes, jerking Robin's attention. Jared froze in place, watching them with a weary expression as if regretting being there. Robin asked Heather to excuse him and made his way toward Jared.

"Nice party," Jared acknowledged him.

When Robin stood before him, they were almost the same height, not more than five-feet-eight-inches. Jared wore a crisp gray shirt and black pants.

"I didn't think you were coming."

"Well, I'm here now. What's the occasion?"

"Gary's birthday party. I'll introduce you to him and the others."

Jared nodded dully. As Robin stared into the black depths of his eyes, he wondered why Jared made him edgy. With a sigh, Jared turned and walked to a nearby sitting area. Taking his place next to him, Robin felt the dark weight of his presence causing his restlessness. Jared pulled out a small carton from his pocket, sliding a cigarette out of it. He sighed again, the cigarette hanging loosely between his thick lips, and glanced in Robin's direction.

"Do you mind if I smoke?"

"Yes I do actually, I hate the smell."

Fearing that his visitor would stand and leave, he was rather surprised when Jared raised his eyebrows. He toyed with the cigarette balanced on his bottom lip, then he finally took it off and returned it to the carton.