Excerpt from “The Projection Room: Two from the Cubist Mist,” pages 44-45.
He pointed and then escorted her to the small demonstration
booth. “It’s actually quite small, so you’ll have to forgive the cramped quarters, but it should be enough to give you an idea of what this experience would be like.”
booth. “It’s actually quite small, so you’ll have to forgive the cramped quarters, but it should be enough to give you an idea of what this experience would be like.”
The prototype was the size of a walk-in shed. Bruce motioned
her to enter first. It was cramped, so they had to stand uncomfortably close together. Noelle was unaware that he was relishing the scent of her hair as he stood slightly behind her.
her to enter first. It was cramped, so they had to stand uncomfortably close together. Noelle was unaware that he was relishing the scent of her hair as he stood slightly behind her.
After an awkward silence that only Bruce was aware of, he spoke up. “While the demonstration is going, you will be tempted to walk around, because the tiles will create the illusion of vast space. Don’t. You’ll smack into a wall and embarrass yourself.”
Noelle chuckled and turned to him. “Gee, thanks for the heads-up.”
Only when she looked back at Bruce as he was looking at her lips did she suspect he was attracted to her. Bruce caught himself, stepped back too far, and bumped the wall with his shoulder.
Quick to recover, Bruce continued nervously, “I was thinking you’ll like to see something from Monet. I downloaded one of his paintings of the Japanese footbridge.”
“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” She nodded.
“It’s getting a little claustrophobic in here. So I’ll set the system to let you view for about five minutes. Sound good?”
She smiled. “Sounds great.”
The room dimmed as Bruce closed the door behind him. She could no longer hear his movements after he closed the booth. She was glad she didn’t suffer from claustrophobia, but the small, dark space was a little unsettling for a brief moment.
Noelle waited in the darkened enclosure. The lights slowly ramped up into a wild kaleidoscope of color that finally jelled into the gardenscape with a drawbridge and lily pads. She felt as if she was there in that garden. She leaned forward to look at the foliage and actually saw the textured brushstrokes of the artist in minute detail. Noelle put her hand forward and touched the wall. That momentarily diminished the illusion, but as soon as she withdrew her hand, it was restored.
Noelle waited in the darkened enclosure. The lights slowly ramped up into a wild kaleidoscope of color that finally jelled into the gardenscape with a drawbridge and lily pads. She felt as if she was there in that garden. She leaned forward to look at the foliage and actually saw the textured brushstrokes of the artist in minute detail. Noelle put her hand forward and touched the wall. That momentarily diminished the illusion, but as soon as she withdrew her hand, it was restored.
Bruce’s voice piped in a comic, robotic manner, “Do not touch the wall, young lady.”
She chuckled and thought, Yes, this definitely would work well at the museum.
Back in the present, Bruce smiled sadly as he thought about their first meetings. He walked up the stairs to the other projection room. Thinking about this just reminded him that he was a widower and lonely man. He hoped throwing himself into his work again would lessen his awareness of that reality, but he doubted it
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