“It’s not that. I just didn’t think anyone would be interested in buying one. No use in creating a website not to get any sales.”
A’ja’s mouth hung open. “Are you serious right now?” She looked at the phone again. “I’d gladly pay a few hundred dollars for most of these, and I say that because I’m cheap. Do you know there are people out here that will pay thousands of dollars for art?”
“Yeah of course I know that. They pay that kind of money for paintings from other people. Not me. I’m a nobody. I post my pictures for sale with a $5,000 price tag, and people will think I’m on drugs.”
A’ja shook her head. “I know you aren’t sitting here doubting yourself like that. That’s really a shame. You don’t have to be known. Your talent speaks for itself. What about this one? Where is it?”
She showed Naasson the photo that she was inquiring about. It was a picture of a black man laid back in bed with smoke wafting out of his mouth. A black woman lay on his chest with her eyes closed. The picture spoke volumes. A’ja knew that the woman was the man’s peace, and he was her calm. How she longed for that kind of connection again.
“It’ back at my home in Diamond Cove.”
“When I get back to the states, I want it. You can ship it to me. I’ll pay whatever price you ask.”
Naasson chuckled. “I can’t do that. If you want the painting, you can have i?”
“You are about to piss me off,” A’ja cut him off. “I said I will pay for it. If you don’t give me a price, I’ll throw one out there. How about $400? And I feel like that offer should insult you.”
Naasson was floored that she would really be willing to pay that much for something he created when he already told her she could have it for free. Naasson had no way of knowing when his money would run out or how long he’d be in London. What he did know was that for however long he was on the run, he wasn’t in the position to turn down any money.
“You got it,” he finally agreed.
The waitress came over and took their orders. “I still think it’s dope that you play in the WNBA.”
“Thank you. I grew to love the game of basketball, and I played all through school. I just knew college would be the end of the road for me. I honestly didn’t believe I’d get picked up by a team.”
“I see I’m not the only one that doubts himself.”
A’ja smirked. “Getting drafted into the league is super hard and rare. You’d have a better chance of selling a million-dollar painting than some of the most talented players have of making it into the league. Male or female.”
“I can dig that,” Naasson nodded. “We don’t have to talk about anything that you don’t want to talk about. But since we’re getting to know each other, I’m kind of curious as to what led to your divorce?”
The sadness in her eyes made him regret the question, but it was too late to take it back. “Stupid, petty stuff mostly. The communication was off, and I was over trying to make it work. I can’t be with a person that I can’t even talk to. If I have our bestinterests at heart, and you think I’m nagging every time I speak, it will never work. When a person isn’t open to anything that you suggest, it gets draining.”
“I feel you on that. Relationships can be hard as hell. I know marriage is far from easy. You think you’ll ever get married again?”
A’ja scoffed. “Tuh. Now is the wrong time to be asking. My divorce isn’t even final yet, but I think it’s a strong no for me. What about you?”
“Marriage? I doubt it. I don’t have anything against it. I just don’t see it in the cards for me.”
“Not everyone wants to get married. I get it. I don’t regret my marriage. It wasn’t all bad, and it’s an experience that I’ll live with forever.”
The drinks arrived followed by the food, and Naasson and A’ja ate and got acquainted. When lunch was over, he invited her back to his hotel to see what he’d been working on. She had on heels, so he didn’t walk back.
“This place is nice and expensive. You going to stay here the entire time you’re in London?” A’ja asked as they stepped onto the elevator.
“Hell nah. I’m giving it a few more days. I inquired about an Airbnb this morning. Since I’m doing an extended stay, it would be smart to do that versus a hotel.”
“It most definitely would be.”
Inside the room, A’ja walked over to the easel, and her eyes widened. “This is amazing,” she marveled over the painting. It wasn’t even finished, and she knew it was going to be a masterpiece.
“I could decorate an entire wall in my home with your work.”
“For real?” Naasson looked over at A’ja.
His mother and sister always gushed over how talented he was. His nieces and nephews thought it was super cool that hecould draw so well. Anyone that saw his paintings complimented them, but no one had ever pushed him to sell them or even hyped him like A’ja did, and he liked that. Disha had never suggested he sell them or even asked for one.
“Yes for real. Your work is so powerful. I swear it’s like I can feel everything that it’s saying. Like it was painted in words and not a picture if that makes sense. The one that I want, I want it because it makes me sad and happy at the same time. Sad because it represents what I don’t have. And happy because it gives me hope for the future.”
