Page 7 of Try Easy

Mondays at Jeffersons

Seattle,Washington

January 20

Lou

Mary Lou Hunterhopped over a pothole on the street and landed in a puddle. Dirty water splashed over her legs, soaking her stockings.

Holding tight to her umbrella, she hurried across the street to her car, an early ’50s model Pontiac Star Chief that had seen better days. Lou had a fondness for the Star Chief that she called Bertha. Even though Bertha had more scratches than paint and refused to start on cold or rainy days of which today was both, Lou loved the car she’d bought with her own money.

Lou could hardly blame Bertha for not wanting to start. She shared the car’s disdain for Seattle’s weather.

“Please start,” Lou whispered before turning the key in the ignition. “I’m going to be late.”

The engine rumbled and then sputtered out. Lou leaned her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes tightly, willing Bertha to start. She didn’t want to be late on her last date with Paul before she left for vacation. Paul hated it when she was late, and dinner would not go as planned.

Lou tried turning the key again, and this time after a bit of grumbling, Bertha roared to life. Lou smiled and patted the steering wheel, then pulled away from the curb. Before she met Paul at their usual Monday night spot, Lou had one stop to make. She’d called the camera store and told them she was coming by, and since she was such a good customer, the owner was staying open late for her. Lou swung into a parking spot in front of Pacific Camera and ran through the rain to the storefront.

Standing under the protection of the awning, Lou knocked on the glass door. She stood shivering in the cold until the owner opened the door.

“Come in, dear girl. Come in out of the cold.” Oliver Tollison opened the door for Lou and welcomed her inside.

Pacific Camera was Lou’s favorite store in Seattle. It consisted of a tiny storefront with cameras and equipment for sale and a darkroom for processing pictures in the back. It was family owned and operated. Mr. Tollison and his son did all the developing, and Mrs. Tollison usually ran the front counter.

Lou walked into the store, looking first at the wall of photographs that served as an inspiration to customers. There was nothing new, so she continued to the counter and bent down to inspect the lenses behind the glass.

“I need that 300mm lens,” she said, tapping the counter over the one she wanted. “And four rolls of film.”

Mr. Tollison’s bushy mustache lifted as he smiled. “Saved up enough, did you, now?”

Lou nodded. Ever since she and her roommate, Penny, had decided to take a vacation to Hawaii, Lou had known she wanted a telescopic lens. Between the plane tickets and the lens, she’d pretty much cleaned out her bank account.

Mr. Tollison reached behind the counter and pulled out the lens Lou wanted. “Black and white or color?” he asked.

“I’m going to Hawaii,” Lou said, smiling.

“Black and white, then?” Mr. Tollison said with a straight face.

Lou shook her head. “Color.”

“You need black and white.”

Mr. Tollison was a purist who believed that good photographers shot in black and white only. Lou had listened to countless lectures about the virtues of shadows and contrasts between light and dark. Color film was too new, too gimmicky for Oliver Tollison’s tastes.

“Fine,” Lou said, not wanting to hurt his feelings since he had stayed open late for her. “I’ll take three color and one black and white.”

Mr. Tollison rang up her purchases, and Lou handed over her hard-earned money.

“When you bring the film back here for processing, I’ll give you a good discount,” he said, walking her slowly to the door. “I can’t wait to see what you do.” He gave her a wink. “Especially with that black and white.”

“Thank you,” Lou said and hurried out the door into the rain.

Bertha was still warm from her recent drive and started on the first try. Lou rushed to Jefferson’s, where she and Paul had been meeting regularly on Monday nights for almost a year.

When Lou arrived, Paul was already sitting at a table with a view of the waterfront. Behind him was the lake and Mt. Rainier in the distance.

Lou smiled, realizing Paul had intentionally left her the best seat with the panoramic view. She took a moment to appreciate her good fortune. She was going on a fabulous trip to an exotic island tomorrow, but tonight, she had the best-looking man in the restaurant waiting for her arrival.

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