Minenhle didn’t know how to feel about what was in front of her. There in Mike’s gallery, dressed in jeans and a plain tank top, she stood looking at the painting of a black girl with long black braids by a man she had ‘broken up’ with.
The painting was titled “Black Mona Lisa”. The painting was broken up onto two. It was a black girl with dark endless eyes and long braids. She wore a simple Grecian style white dress as she lay atop a surfboard. She looked up as the sea seemed to carry her, careless.
The second half began beneath her waist, showcasing a curvy figure 8 body. Her brown legs were covered in flowing material and she didn’t seem to notice it much. As she gave the painter, the person looking at her a soft look that was reflected pale grey in her eyes.
Just a simple mere shadow.
She looked at it in awe.
Minnie had never felt as if she were ugly, but she could never say she saw herself as the beautiful girl in the painting. She looked ethereal, a goddess of sorts. She smiled at the painting, she could see Nic standing in front of an easel painting the night away. Was she the reason for sleepless nights?
“You came?” Michael asked, studying her. An unsteady smile on his face. She knew better than to ask why he was smiling at her.
“Don’t be so surprised.” She laughed drawing her attention back to the painting. “I said I would.” Mike shook his head. “Is he here?” She asked, her voice quiet and shaking.
“Who?” He feigned confusion, but she knew that he knew who she was talking about.
“The artist.” She answered. In the background of her in the painting was vast ocean. She hadn’t noticed it before as she was certain that nothing looked better to her than the way her face was illuminated in the sunlight.
“You mean Nicholas?” He asked. Trying to draw the name from her lips but she wouldn’t fall for it.
“Yes.” She kept the word clipped, trying to push out all thought of him from her head.
“Ja, somewhere around here.” Mike looked around the room, he towered over nearly everyone. “You don’t like the painting?”
How could she express how much she liked it? But she couldn’t admit it out loud. She felt like Meg from Hercules. Trying to deny her feelings for a man who was beyond handsome and dream worthy.
And just like Hercules, he was going to have to leave. He wasn’t from this place at all but the more she tried to move on, she caught herself back to the kiss. The feel of his lips and his touch. The smell of the sea around them and coming from him, the feel of him against her fingertips. All of it flooding back to her.
Her face heated up and she couldn’t meet Michael’s eyes. She tried to hide a bashful smile by biting her bottom lip.
“I’ll tell him that you love it.” He smiled, shaking his head at her.
“I never said that.” She hushed.
“It’s too late.” The voice came from behind her and it caused her stomach to flip.
She turned around to find Nicholas standing right there, looking back at her. He looked even better in real life than she remembered him. He wore a simple pair of black trousers and a plain white shirt, tucked in but his sleeves rolled up. His arms were pale compared to his hands. He wore black business shoes; his hair was ruffled as if he just woke up.
“Nicholas.” His name flowed right off her tongue and she regretted it.
“Minnie.” Her name was soft on his tongue and a melody to her ears. She had missed it so much.
“You’re looking good for a pirate.” She pulled herself together. The top button of his shirt was untied, and she knew from the way that everybody dressed that it was not a formal event, but he had just come from one. Imagining him in a suit was rather dangerous for her mind and headspace.
“I would say you are stealing my look.” He stepped towards her and Michael disappeared. His eyes that twinkle that dangerous, oh so dangerous twinkle.
“Well, I was the captive. I had nothing else.” She took her own step towards him, trying to shoo the butterflies that danced around her stomach. She should not have been doing this, she shouldn’t feel that way about him. He wasn’t willing to try, so she shouldn’t be willing to try as well.
“I think I should start looking after my captives better.” He said with a sad smile. She could see the regret of hurting her in his eyes and it made her smile. Not in an evil way, in a I still have hope way. One that was pushing her towards him.
“You really should.” She said.
“I’m sorry for everything.” He didn’t move closer, his eyes sought hers and searched. Searched her, searched her for forgiveness and something else she couldn’t tell what else.
“I know.” She told him, the smile stuck to her face. She was certain she was going mad.
“I should have told you how I felt as soon as I realised it and not played with your feelings.” He took another step forward and her heart was beating loud in her head. Not in a painful way but one that was begging her to kiss him.
“I know.” She nodded at him, taking her own step to meet him. There were no more steps to take, they were in each other’s faces. Far enough to feel the distance as a vast ocean but close enough to raise suspicion from the gallery’s people all around them.
But she couldn’t care less.
“What don’t you know?” He asked, his signature smirk taking its place on his face.
“I know so much already.” She assured him, “But I want you to tell me why I am here.”
“I wanted to properly apologize and tell you how I feel.” Nicholas explained, he kept his voice quiet. The words privy to only her ears. “You are a princess and you don’t deserve the shit I’ve given you.”
“You know you never seemed like the type to cuss.” She said, casual with her smirk. He seemed frozen by her statement. “I think it suits you, though.”
“What?” He asked, the smirk fell off his face. He looked at her in blank wonder.
“Such a shame that you don’t cuss that often.” She continued. “I mean, I would have thought a pirate would have a potty mouth.” She shrugged, meeting his eyes. “But I don’t mind.” She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked down at her in wonder and amazement. “I don’t mind, at all.”
And right there, in front of the painting of her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him as she reached up and kissed his lips.
It was an explosive kiss, better than the one that they had shared before. She was drowning and drowning. She was the one to pull away.
“I hope you sleep well tonight.” She untangled herself from him, breathless. Taking a step towards the gallery exit.
“Where are you going?” He asked, frozen in his place and anxiety crept in his voice.
“It’s getting late and I need to be on time for our daily captive lessons.” Minnie shrugged, smiling at him over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring lunch.”
“Don’t I get a goodbye kiss?” He asked, a warm smile spread over his face. She returned it, her insides beaming.
“How about, if you show up tomorrow at the beach fully rested. Maybe I’ll give you another one.” She proposed. He looked at her as if trying to piece together a puzzle. A complex living puzzle.
“Deal.” He agreed, and she felt his gaze follow her out of the gallery.
****
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