Carpe Diem

By Edna Stewart

Carpe Diem is full of romance set in the 1980s and featuring classy southern author Julia Evans and her artful blue collar biker friends at a local hang out called the Red Barn. Curious New York city slicker and publishing tycoon Thomas Bartholomew crosses the path of the beautiful, famed southern author Julia Evans. Thomas, who has been divorced several times, loves his Mercedes and hates his neighbors free-roaming Pomeranian. Now hes on a mission to get Julia to work for his publishing company. After raising two boys alonehaving been divorced from her ex-husband James for several yearsexperiencing hard times, Julia tires to resist Thomass calls for love, which sets him on a risky affair to a small town to Onslow County in North Carolina. An event sends Julia over the top, and the advice of her best friend, Millie, sends Julia to become an adventurous gal. Seize the moment!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490814278

Edna Stewart

Edna Stewart resides in the Crystal Coast area of North Carolina and attends the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, pursuing a BA in media arts and animation. She is also the author of The Call of the Christmas Pecan Tree. She continues to write, attend writers conferences, and build her own storyboard/production and animation company. She started writing after a car accident.

Book preview

Contents

Chapter 1- Grip and Grin

Chapter 2- It’s A Date

Chapter 3- The Red Barn

Chapter 4- Weekend Get Away

Chapter 5- Training Day

Chapter 6- Easy Rider

Chapter 7- Carpi Diem

Thanks for the ride Doug and Lisa

For Harriette Austin - Harriette Austin Writers Conference

Go Georgia Bull Dogs!

To be great is to be misunderstood…. Ralph Waldo Emerson

CHAPTER ONE

Grip and Grin

D ing!

The brown elevator door in the old grand hotel opens slowly to a shadowy lobby on the fourteenth floor. The woman places her hand gently on the edge of the door. Her thick diamond bracelet dangles, and then slips down her arm. With a little hesitation, she gathers up her dress and steps her foot delicately onto the floor. Julia emerges from the elevator. She takes another step forward. The long satin gray gown flows gracefully as she walks carefully. Suddenly, she hears a rumble. Then, the elevator door closes behind her, and within an earshot, a man’s dull monotone voice says,

. . . Don’t trip over that beautiful gown.

She is motionless and alarm to who stands behind her. In the corner dangles a crystal chandler. It shines bright on the fine artisanship of antique oil paintings that hang neatly on the beige walls. The hallway leads to a tunnel of dark shadow. Julia clutches her small glittery purse and places it directly over her heart, It beats fast. She trembles as she turns her head slowly towards the left. She captures a glimpse of a black silhouette of a tall man. A dull white oval circle outlines the center of it. As the dark shadow leans with its left arm onto the cold window seal, the moonlight glows through the scruffy bushy scraggly hair. She hears him drum his fingers slowly. She breathes shallow and fast breaths.

Are you alright sir? she speaks with nervousness in her voice.

She watches the man tilt his head slightly as he say with a sarcastic boring tone of disappointment in his voice,

Yes and no.

Her eyes glance around the dark corridor. Immediately, Julia walks a little faster towards the light that shines from the other hallway. Then, she asks,

Can you come out of the dark so I can see you?

The man steps directly in front of Julia with both hands in his pockets. Her mind is blank, and Julia cannot move which frightens and confuses her mind. She feels his breath and the heat from his body that stands over her. Suddenly, she takes a step back and turns her head slightly away from his face. She tries to decide which way to run. Julia cannot see his cruel devilish smile.

Then Julia watches, him take a step back towards the edge of the dark hall as he steps into the light, and stares at her. Julia notices that his hair contains a colorful mixture of grays, whites, and browns, just like a lamb’s coat; and in the midst of his face are wrinkles and baby smooth cheeks from a generation of worry.

His droopy blue eyes are misty with a little twinkle of hope. Suddenly, he takes a step forward. Julia sees his large potbelly decorate with a white vest nudge through the black tuxedo Jacket; she notices that it gives her a little distance from him. He is persistent with his hands which jingle peculiar and un-peculiar things in his pockets. He speaks with fretfulness,

I’m taking a break from the festive affair, then he mumbles under his breath, —It’s a wedding.

Julia watches him as he moves forward again. Julia nods her head as she glance around the hall. She clutches her purse. She feels a presence. Then for a moment, she stares directly at him. She takes another step back. She watches him as she moves around him to the other side. He walks towards the end of the corridor. He steps out further into the light, and her thoughts are deep in terror. She can see his receding hair and in a mess, he looks like the conductor of an orchestra pit who has spent all evening under the hot lights with sweat stains on his tuxedo jacket and shirt. She imagines him as he sway his arms in the air, and then, taps his baton on a music stand as he pulls every musical note from a beautiful score.

He leans forward again, and Julia feels his nose touch her nose. She listens to the things that jingle around inside of his pockets again, and Julia imagines him ready to clinch his fist. Now, she’s even more frightened. Then, Julia decides to step back from him, and the man leans further towards her. Suddenly, he pokes his finger hard into his chest several times, and in disgust he says,

"—And I paid for everything!"

Julia ponders his angry words as he breathes fire of hot breaths on her face. She watches him with her eyes as he steadily rocks back and forth on his feet. Then, he breathes once more. She smells his breath again. It reeks of unpleasant cocktails. Julia looks directly at his large nose and notices that his nostril hairs are very long. The man speaks with sarcasm.

I’m sorry;—By no means did I mean to frighten you.

Suddenly, they hear voices echo down the hallway. She knows she can scream. Julia stares at the strange man and peers directly into the soul of a cruel wretched man. She notices that he gazes right into her eyes, and peers deep down into the midst of her soul. Julia eyes widen as the man chuckles and mumbles with a stern face,

You’re very beautiful.

Confound to hear such words from a strange and provocative man, Julia glances over her shoulder and immediately gathers her thoughts and starts to walk back slowly. Deep down inside, immediately she knows that he has no fear of who sees him. She stumbles over her dress, and he grabs her arm. Feeling timid, Julia wraps her fingers tighter around the small hard purse as he moves her gown to one side. She clears her throat.

She turns around, and she walks at a fast pace down the hallway. The man catches up with her. You’re a bit too close, she says with fear,

You smell so good, he whispers.

She feels him brush against her arm again as he walks fast right beside her. He says fast,

"You must be a speed walker, are you?"

Without warning, his hand comes out of his pocket, and he grabs her arm. Julia feels his ice-cold fingers again that send chills down her spine. She looks at him as he smiles at her. In a low tone, he says in a happy voice,

Oh, as I was telling you someone got married.

Julia becomes angry and snatches her arm away from him. She shouts,

Get your hands off me.

She glances up and down at him and immediately turns around and walks a little faster down the hallway. She shakes her head to her private thoughts of him. He follows close behind her. Julia wants to say unkind words to the unruly man. Still aware of her fragile nerves, Julia feels the anger grows deep inside of her soul.

Julia stops dead in her tracks, turns around, and stands directly in front of him. She stares directly into his eyes. She places her hands on her hips and breathes deeper and deeper. With sarcasm, she acknowledges him,

Yes, and you paid for everything!—Right?

The man loves Julia’s comment. All at once, he composes himself,

That’s about right, and he mocks her with a disdainful laugh.

Julia feels embarrass as he chuckles a little more at her words. They stare at each other. Julia and the man Breaths are intense. They both feel a presence, and then air clears. Julia keeps an eye on him as he glances up and down at her with his eyes, and he pays close attention to her hand with the purse in it; Julia raises her hand and flips her hair behind her shoulder. He flinches. She notices that he became a bit nervous because of her movement, and she senses the power of a woman.

He gazes at her full lips and begins to sing off key. He annoys her, and she murmurs,

You don’t even know me.

Julia thinks of how much she wants to give him a piece of her mind and a-little of something else up side his head. He flinches again as she moves her arms to adjusts her dress. Julia teases him with a smile. Somehow, in that moment, compassion fills her, and he touches her heart deeply.

Then she notices that he has a sincere smile on his face, and Julia thinks to herself that he is not so intimidating after all. Julia and the strange man start to stroll slowly down the hallway. The man clasps his hands behind his back, and Julia still watches him with caution. He leans towards Julia and whispers,

I mean no harm to you, not at all. I wanted just a little conversation,

He says in a normal tone of voice, That’s all and nothing else.

He continues to walk by Julia’s side. Julia begins to scrutinize every move he makes. Now, Julia is very curious of him as he talks a little bit more about himself. Then, he immediately reaches his hand up and flips on a light switch. Hours pass. They listen and talk very open and deeply to each other. They pass Julia’s room and other rooms several times.

Julia observes each Do not disturb sign that hang on the doorknobs, and at times, she stare at a sign for a moment and let her mind wonder about the sounds behind each door they pass. Julia notices that the sounds did not faze him at all. Behind a set of double doors with embellishments, they could hear sounds of pinging silverware, the clings of glasses, and the chatters of merry voices in the air from a wedding banquet. Julia looks up at him and smiles, then she says,

Seems like they’re having a great time.

Then, Julia realizes that she likes the bizarre man who paints a beautiful picture of himself to a total stranger. Near the end of the hall, the man stops, places his hand over his heart and ask,

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Please forgive me my dear,"

He sway his hand towards the floral decorative bench,

Would you like to have a seat?

Julia flutters her eyes with surprise at his good manners, and gathers her gown together as it should be.

Well, I’m quite worn-out of stops, stand here or there in one place, and short walks,

Julia laughs a little, then says,

Yes.

Julia sits down and clutches her purse, and she still eyes him as he sits down. He looks down at her feet.

"You know you shouldn’t wear heels that high, even though they are verry feminine,"

he says as he smile.

Julia scoffs and flirts saying,

"Are you a doctor? A man of medicine −A foot doctor?"

The man did not say a word; He just smile and changes the conversation. Then they begin to enjoy each other’s company once more; Julia notices that his sadness is gone, and now she is even more comfortable with the eccentric man. He leans back against the wall and props his arm up on one side of the side table. Then he crosses his leg like a professor. He continues to chitchat more about all his wonderful qualities. Without warning, his mood changes as he begins to tell the story about his life. Julia listens close as he says,

My family make me feel just like what my grandfather called me every day of his life that he lived.

Now, he becomes very angry,

You crazy crank!

Then, he tells Julia,

My family always call me for everything. How about fixing some of the problems in their lives themselves! . . .

Julia says, Oh, I agree.

Julia watches him as he calms down a little. He says,

"You know I grew up a poor boy in a small town, several miles outside of the city of Baltimore. I enjoyed being out early in the morning standing on the street corners selling newspapers to make extra money, Some afternoons, I would go to the library to escape the dreadful poverty. Sometimes I would go with my mother; she worked as a housekeeper, you know for the very wealthy… Her days were so long and hard!"

Julia can see in her mind the vivid images of his story come to life.

Julia thinks deep on his words as she listens. The man says,

"One day while I wait on the corner for the city bus, I look up at my mother, tug on the sleeve of her old coat, and I point at a man in a black chauffeur driven car. I said to my mother, when I grow up, I want be just like him. She just smile at me and did not say one word… It was the look of I know my Son! —Is going to be successful!"

The man points his finger as he says,

—A long hard road, but successful!

Julia continues to listen to the man as he continues to talk about himself. He tells Julia of his plan,

As a young man, I plan to become a very wealthy tycoon.

Julia’s eyes lit up as she says,

Really?

Oh Yeah,

he tells Julia,

Selling books, newspapers, and magazines. When things were rough in my life as a young man, I would always remind myself that people always want something good to read even in bad times. I saved every dime I had earned… Then one day, a sharply dressed businessperson noticed my persistence and determination and offered me a job at the local bank, at age fourteen.

Wow,

Julia expresses. The man’s story amazes Julia.

You know, I helped with the accounting books after school and during the summer months,

He sighs. The man tells more,

I dealt with all the taunts and jeers of my classmates because I worked so much. Then a businessman and the town’s banker taught me everything about money, and a couple of years later, the owner of the bank obtained a scholarship for me at a college, and I graduated with an education in business and literature and then, I went into business for myself.

Wow! You’re a self-made man,

She says.

Julia is even more curious. Then, the man tells Julia,

My dream to publish good wholesome books for people to read is a reality. After a person reads one of my books,

the man leans over to Julia and says,

The person can go out and enjoys life.

Julia smiles at him. The man tells her more.

Julia stares at the man. She imagines a couple snuggle up under a soft blanket together with a book. The children sit on the floor with eyes wide, imaginations running wild while they listen to one of the parents read their favorite bedtime story.

Then, the man smiles back. His eyes lit up as he says,

You know I could see it right now—A happy father who looks through his black reading glasses and peeks out from behind the newspaper, catch a glimpse of a moment of his bountiful blessings as puffy white clouds of smoke rise as he smokes an old wooden pipe.

The man starts to drum his fingers on the side table. Julia sticks her finger in her ear and rubs it gently. She looks at the man who talks about himself so much. Then, he says with a joyous smile,

You know, I feel like I can just talk to you with just about anything!

Julia stops rubbing her ear and says,

I’m sorry, what did you say?

The man says in a soft tone,

I said I feel like I can talk with you with just about anything,

Julia says with surprise,

Oh.

She watches him as he sits back against the wall and places both of his hands face down. He moves his hands forward and grabs the edge of the bench. He looks at Julia as he chats away like a little school boy in puppy love with the best girl in the class.

Julia can see his lips move as he’s talks about a whole lot of nothing, but she is aware of his view of life because of his trials and test in his life. Then, she touches his arm with gentleness. With peace in her heart, Julia smiles at him and says with tenderness,

Excuse me, but what is your name?

The man place his hands over his mouth with great embarrassment. He’s blush in his face like an adolescent. Then he snickers with a lot of loud continuous snorts. The diamond in the gold ring on his right hand catches Julia’s eye. He turns around to Julia, and he says with great clumsiness,

Oh my! I am so sorry.

He reaches his hand out to touch Julia’s arm.

Please, forgive me,

Julia looks on with wonder at him as he laughs at his own amusement of words. He looks at Julia and right away, the man composes himself. He says,

"I’m sorry, these snort episodes happen when I’m embarrassed, a little laugh or giggle, whew! Oh boy."

Julia frowns and shakes her head in disbelief of how can a mature man do such a thing. Yet she knows and feels deep in her heart and can see the man never has time to talk to anyone. He leans back against the wall. He snickers and snorts again. He looks up at the ceiling and rests his hands on his thighs. Then, he looks at Julia and he extends his hand out and says,

My name is,

and deepens his voice and affirms as he says,

Mr. Bartholomew, Thomas, Bartholomew that is—.

Julia waits for him to reveal a Roman numeral behind his name. He smiles. Her diamond bracelet slips down her arm again as she reaches her hand out and smiles. She tells him,

Please to meet you, I’m Julia, and sarcastically states, "Ms. Julia—Evans."

Her gorgeous hand emits warmth as he touches it. He raises her hand up and tries to kiss it, He watches with his eyes because he is afraid of a slap a-crossed the face. Julia moves her hand back. Then he eases his hand back and adjusts his jacket. He pretends to look at the artwork that hangs on the other wall.

Little crooked isn’t it? He says.

He smiles, turns to her and says humbly,

Well, Julia I’m please to me you.

Mr. Bartholomew’s eyes fix on Julia’s delightful smile, and he stares in a trance at her. Soon, a maître d’ from the wedding banquet clothe in a white shirt and black bowtie, comes out of the double doors. His black corduroy pants made a whoosh sound as he walks fast by Mr. Bartholomew and Julia. Mr. Bartholomew turns away from Julia, lifts up one finger in the air to get the maître d’s attention. Mr. Bartholomew turns into a childish manor and says,

Excuse me.

Julia watches as Mr. Bartholomew leans to one side of the bench. He grabs his wallet. He opens it and pulls out a crisp one-hundred dollar bill. Mr. Bartholomew hands it maître d’s as he says,

I want a delicious bowl of Old Fashion Charlie Spoons Vanilla Ice Cream with one bright red cherry on top, And — two gold spoons, please.

The maître d’ carefully takes the money from Mr. Bartholomew’s hand. He holds it up to the light and examines it. The At that moment, maître d’ puts the money in his pocket and looks at Mr. Bartholomew and says with curiosity,

You mean, two gold spoons, Sir?

Julia watches as Mr. Bartholomew rolls his eyes. He looks up at the ceiling in disbelief. He lifts both hands into the air and clutches his wallet. Then he looks down and slaps his hands on his thighs, rubs them twice on his black pants. He starts to tap his fingers. He sits there for a moment. Mr. Bartholomew looks at the maître d’, and then he raises his voice at maître d’,

That’s what I Said—didn’t I?

The waiter becomes nervous and drops the money. He stoops down with quickness to pick it up. He looks at the outlandish Mr. Bartholomew. The maître d’ stands up right away and begins to walk fast towards the elevator. The maître d’ says,

Yes sir! Right away!

Julia just sits there and observes Mr. Bartholomew. He places both elbows on his knees and taps his fingers on his wallet. He looks at Julia and say,

Oh, I’m sorry,

and at that moment, Mr. Bartholomew says,

I always get a bowl of ice cream before I go to bed at night.

Then, he mumbles softly,

It reminds me of when I was a little kid and my mother before she’d tucked me into bed at night.

Mr. Bartholomew places his wallet in his back pocket. He sits back, clasps his hands together, and stares at the wall again. He looks down at the floor. Julia glances down at his black patent leather shoes and watches him as he taps one foot up and down and then the other. He mumbles under his breath, and Julia sat there silently and gracefully. After a moment, she says in a soft voice,

I see.

She looks up at his Adams apple above his white bowtie. Julia watches him take a swallow as he sits in silence. Then she looks at his eyes. His eyes are ominous with tears which express his heartache. Julia sit there and reflects on the chaos over woes in his life.

Now, Mr. Bartholomew sits in deep reflection. Then he says,

"My mother use to clean houses for a living. After she come home, my mother would sit me down at the blue wooden kitchen table. You know, some dog had gnawed on the two old chairs. At midnight, she’d give me a big silver bowl of delicious vanilla ice cream, and that was the highlight of the night.

Then, he says,

Sometimes I would wait for her and listened to the late night game shows on the radio, and boy was it comfort just to hear other voices. My mother use to work for a man who owned a huge chain of ice cream parlors.

Julia looked at him as he says,

One night, my mother fixed a bowl of ice cream and placed a big bright red cherry on top. She would always say with great excitement in her voice, ‘Honey, you’re this little single red cherry standing on top of the world!—I loved my mother’s bright eyes. love just would emit from them for her only son."

Then, he continues on to say,

Her smile made the old house of blank dirty walls, rickety floors, and all the old furniture vanish into a spectacular room full of new things just like in the catalogs. That night, she placed the two gold spoons in the bowl and pulled from her dress pocket another red cherry from a napkin. She placed it on top of the ice cream. Afterward, she went to bed as usual. I stayed at the table. I remembered when I looked up at the cracked in the ceiling. I shouted to God ‘If you can hear me through that crack, thank you for my mom and for this delicious bowl of ice cream! —And I licked that spoon clean.

His face becomes sad as he says,

The room turned brighter as I raised the bowl up and placed it up to my mouth. I sipped the melted ice cream. Then I went to bed with a creamy milk mustache. I dreamed big sweet dreams of a great big world. The next morning, I went into my mother’s bedroom to wake her, and she had a big smile on her face… and I touched her hand. It was cold.

Julia sees he is upset. He says,

My mother died in her sleep.

Then he rubs his face with his hand and says,

She never stop to admire the flowers and take in their fragrance at the corner store flower shop after a very hard day at work. She just always smile and walked away because she couldn’t afford them. This time, when she came home from work, she decided to stop and smell all of them. She never had the chance again, and she never said goodbye. My life was never the same.

Then, Mr. Bartholomew’s eyes glazes over. He leans forward and places his elbows on his knees with his hands still clasp together. He looks down at his shoes and moves his feet from side to side. Mr. Bartholomew says humbleness,

Those are the days I miss so much.

Then, Mr. Bartholomew turns to Julia with a helpless and hopeless look on his face.

Julia turns in the direction of Mr. Bartholomew and stares deep into his sad eyes. Her heart sinks in sorrow for him with deep kindness, and her eyes are full of