Chapter 1: "Old Friends, New Beginnings"

Alex and Taylor’s friendship has been tested for well over a decade in the middle of New York City. The friendship that started during college has stood the test of time and being in their professional lives. Alex is an artist who has a room where he practices his art as well as sleeps. The room is a mess of canvases, paints, and half-finished paintings, which could also be due to his creativity. This morning, Alex is in front of a painting that is half done, with the New York skyline visible through the window. The depicted painting imitates New York, and its vibe is intrinsically urban. Still, the painting, which is characterized by the brightness of the colors and the movement of the lines, does not seem to give Alex what he needs. He shakes his head in frustration and steps back, as if he might remove his clothes and swim to the other side of the boat. His creative block is not just in the painting but in his life in general, and this shows that he is lost. A knock interrupts it. Someone knocks at the door. Alex looks at the clock; Taylor is right on time, as usual. When he opens the door, he is met with her happy face and two cups of coffee on the tray. Taylor, who is Alex’s business partner, is the complete opposite of Alex: organized, practical, and neat. Today she is in a business-like blazer over a simple blouse and jeans, with her blonde hair cut to shoulder length. “Morning, Alex. I brought coffee,” she says, offering him a cup. “You are heaven-sent,” Alex responds with a grin. He opens the door for her and lets her in. Taylor does not even wait for the whole sentence to be read, and his eyes are already directed to the canvas. “New piece?” she asks, with her head slightly tilted to one side. “Well, yes, it is, but it is not right,” Alex replies, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. I still do not know what the missing item is. Taylor looks at the painting very carefully. “Well, to me, it looks great,” she says encouragingly. “Perhaps you are overemphasizing it.” Alex sighs, nodding. “Perhaps I have been feeling, I don’t know, low for some time now, not only with painting but with everything.” Taylor looks at him, concerned, shining in her eyes before she comments. "What do you mean?" ‘I’m not sure,’ Alex says, frowning. ‘It is as if I am in a creative and personal slump. ’ Taylor nods understandingly. “Perhaps you should rest for a while. We can go out this weekend, maybe to a place in the countryside.” Alex hesitates. The very thought of going on a weekend trip with Taylor is rather attractive and, at the same time, rather scary. Recently, he has found her in a different way—her laugh, the way she looks at him, and even the smell of her perfume. These are rather complex feelings, and he is not quite sure about how to deal with them. But a break sounds good—an opportunity to get his mind off things. “Yes, that would be nice.” He nodded, feeling strange yet smiling. ‘’So, where do you wish to be?’’ ”The mountains? A little cabin, get away,” Taylor says, smiling brightly. “I guess it is time for us to do something random. I think the last time we did that was ages ago.” Alex laughs. ”Spontaneous?” Upon hearing the word, Taylor shook his head. The man was as meticulous as they come; nothing was ever left to chance, not even the time of the day. She grins, shrugging. ‘Yes’, but planned spontaneity is spontaneity nonetheless, isn’t it? They laugh, and the relaxed atmosphere dispels most of Alex’s stress. The two then spend the next hour planning the trips as well as Taylor’s business ventures. Taylor is a young, rather newly minted, entrepreneur who owns a small start-up company that is still developing. Alex tries to comfort her; he knows that she does not rest at all and loves her business so much. With the day advancing to the afternoon, they discuss the matters of life and do not discuss them at all, having fallen into the usual pattern. They talk about their college life, the fun part of getting wasted, and the serious part of studying late into the night. With them, they talk about their families, their dreams, and their frustrations. When they are talking, Alex notices that all the tension and anger that he felt before have disappeared. But there is also a hint of something deeper beneath the veneer of society. They are in love, and Alex can see it in the way Taylor stares at him and in the manner in which she laughs as though the world is a warm blanket around her. It is just wondrous and bewildering, and he is in a dilemma as to how to cope with it. It was after quarter past three in the afternoon, and the shadows of the trees fell across the room. Taylor looks at the watch and frowns. Taylor looks at the watch and looks unhappy. ‘I have to leave now. I have a meeting with a client within an hour. ’ Finally, standing up, Alex feels some unfamiliar reluctance. “Okay,” he responds, looking for a way to wish her luck without sounding too obvious about it. “I’ll be waiting to hear the outcome. ” She smiles gently; he feels it in his chest—that funny jolt of attraction that he didn’t expect. “I will,” she says, making her way to the door. “And what about the weekend?” asked Sam softly. “I think we both need it. ”He nods his head, and when she walks away, he still detects the sweet scent of her perfume. When the door slams shut, Alex returns to his easel, the silence engulfing the room. He picks up his brush, and his thoughts are immediately filled with a whirl of ideas. What was the cause of him feeling this way about Taylor, his best friend? It was crazy, and yet... he got the feeling that there was something—something he didn’t know he could deny—that had changed between them. He groans, then begins to paint. He takes the brush and immerses it in the paint, trying to concentrate. But as he continues to blend the colors on the canvas, his mind wanders back to Taylor and his feelings towards him. Is it possible that she feels the same way? It is the kind of idea that is at once inspiring and scary. He understands that they are different, but they have something that others do not—a bond of friendship that was strengthened by numerous trials. For most people, to risk that for something uncertain is akin to walking on a thin wire without a safety net beneath. Still, he couldn’t help imagining the possibility of holding her hand, kissing her, or even telling her the truth about his feelings. For a moment, Alex takes a step back and examines the painting once more. Perhaps that’s what is lacking—a closure—an ending to the narrative that he is attempting to paint. It’s just like how he needs to find a way to express feelings for Taylor, and he needs to find a way to put all of it together. He has to choose whether he wants to possibly lose his friend for a potential opportunity at a deeper relationship. It is nighttime in New York, and the sun is setting, giving a beautiful auburn and orange color to the city skyline. Alex lets himself watch the light disappear, and a soft, satisfied smile appears on his face. It can be stated that this weekend may mark the start of something new. He just has to muster the courage to begin the process of change. As the outside lights of the city are switched on, Alex awakens with a feeble ray of hope. Perhaps, for the first time, this is where the dream of having friends turn into lovers begins to unfold. With the encouragement, Alex returns to his easel and continues with painting. He takes his brush and soaks it in a good red color. As he takes it to the painting, he gets one more idea, even though the weekend and the emotions Taylor provoked in him are still at play. Alex continues to work even late into the night, the view of the city’s lights resembling stars outside his window. With every stroke, he is becoming alive, able to embrace his art and himself. And as the painting gains a new perspective, the main character understands that he is on the verge of a change as well. The dawn is breaking over New York, and the first rays of sunlight fall on the loft where Alex has been painting feverishly to complete his masterpiece. He has not only painted a picture; he has embarked on a proposal towards a new life—one that he wishes to share with Taylor in ways he has yet to explore.