The Swan

by Aja

  He ran his large palm down his face and finally took a seat in the chair across from where she sat on the couch.

  “No. After I saw her and her girls go in on you that day, I broke up with her. I mean no more keeping up appearances―it didn’t matter.”

  “Why?” Nova was shocked.

  “I could say it was something noble like I hated seeing the look in your eyes that day, and I did, but it wasn’t about you. It was about me. I hated the way it made me feel. She and her bullying reminded me of how my father looked down on me. I had had enough.”

  Nova looked down at her clasped hands. Since they started seeing each other, he’d opened up more and more about how his father was hard on him but she had never thought about how that might have impacted how well he might have been able to respond to the school’s bullies. She had always seen him as super confident and quite frankly, had lumped him into the crowd.

  “After she and I ended things, I pulled away from the group and when I injured my knee, I didn’t have a reason to hang out with most of my friends. Well teammates.”

  “I suppose I never looked back after that one incident, her words were scathing, so full of rage, I didn’t want to ever bump into you or her again.”

  “I think that was why she was that way.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My mom would always say, women have a sixth sense about things. Specifically when other women are interested in their man. Don’t ask,” he added when she got a look on her face. “We had a neighbor, Ms. Suzy, who my mom says was sweet on Pops. Pops denied it but my Mom said she knew. Didn’t need any evidence.”

  Nova smiled and shook her head, “I’m going to agree with your mom, we women can sense the hunger in other women. I just don’t get why that would have been an issue for Toya.” Though Nova had been hungry for Mikhail all those years ago, she would not use this time to admit it.

  “The issue was my attraction to you.”

  Her head tilted ever so slighted and he started smiling.

  “Okay the glasses were thick and you didn’t do all the stuff the other girls did to make themselves stand out and be noticed but you were beautiful then. It might have been harder to see but something inside of me had no problem noticing that. Today, you are that same girl Nova, but you came out of hiding making it impossible for anyone to not see your beauty. Like a swan.”

  Chapter fifteen

  A large sign was posted at the entrance of Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. Chi-Flavor Afro-Caribbean Carnivale: We put the color in life.

  He knew before coming that the parking situation would be impossible so he kept his car parked in front of his house on South Lavergne on Chicago’s Southwest side and took an Uber there to see her. He wanted to see her face.

  Over an hour later, he made in through the thick crowd. There was no aggravation on his part, he loved seeing his people come together to celebrate their culture. A local dancehall band, he’d heard of as regular performers at the Wild Hare, were currently running through their set and many brown bodies gyrated and swayed to the beats as he spotted his woman at her booth.

  Yes, Nova and he were able to see eye to eye and then body to body at the end of their talk. He was blessed by it. Toya could no longer hurt him because he was finally able to convince her he saw the woman he loved. He didn’t see what ugly words were spat. They were the words of a jealous woman. He saw the woman who captured his heart and made him feel joy again.

  He was painting almost every day when he wasn’t with her and soon she would be privy to it. He had to keep it a secret in order to surprise her today.

  She looked up as if she sensed him and his heart raced. She was such a beauty.

  “I didn’t expect to see you until later, Mikhail.” Looking splendid in a flowing red dress, she was now walking around the table where she had been sitting to meet him as he walked into her tent. He pressed his lips against hers and took pleasure in her body leaning into his for more. She was the first to pull away, fanning as if he was the one who made her hot and not the eighty-five degree weather that was typical for the 3rd week in July.

  “I needed to see your face sooner. Couldn’t wait.”

  This time she was the one to leaned up on her tippy toes to give him a kiss before walking away mumbling about how she was a little behind.

  “Anything I can help you with?”

  “No, not really. I just have a package to open. I acquired one last piece for the festival and she delivered it right as I got my first customer. I need to get it out of the box so it can be showcased.

  Smiling, he told her, “Do it now or you’ll miss out of selling it.”

  “Okay Mr. Salesman, I will.”

  He held his breath as she went to the box and started to break the edges away. He closed his eyes to wait. He was almost afraid to see her reaction. Before long he could hear her as if she were carefully, almost reverently, sliding the canvas out of the box and with a gasp, she grew silent.

  He opened his eyes to see her looking at him with unshed tears in her beautiful eyes.

  “Do you like it, baby?”

  She seemed choked up and unable to speak but she nodded her head. After a few moments and swallows, she said,” Mikhail, this is beautiful. You did this? You’re Ray?”

  “Yes,” he admitted as he walked over to her and took the painting from her hands to place on the table.

  He looked down at the masterpiece. The sight of Nova leaning against the railing of a ship, the ocean behind her, the breeze moving her curly tresses up into the air.

  She had on an orange wrap that flapped out with the wind. The movement he painted revealed her shapely legs, her taut abdomen and part of the globe of her left breast. It was provocative, but it was who she was when she was with him. She had posed like that unknowingly. One morning outside of his cabin on the balcony, he thanked God he was there with no roommate because she stood there just like that looking at him as he sat on the edge of the bed naked waiting for her to come back to him. The sun was rising and so had his dick. Slowly she paced back to him, straddled his lap, and took his body into hers.

  “I love it, Mikhail. Not only that, but your art should be all over my gallery.”

  “Soon, baby. Soon.”

  Holding her in his arms, he realized that he could never let this woman go.

  He helped her in the booth that day at the festival, making it very clear that The Swan was not actually for sale to the public when she suggested he hang it up. Instead, he would help her sell ten pieces from her collection.

  It was dark by time they packed up, and he walked with her through the pavilion to her the van she rented for events. So worn out, she handed him the keys to drive her home and he chuckled as she slid in and pulled the door shut.

  He took her to the gallery to drop off the art where it would be insured and protected. Then brought her home where he made love to her until she said, “No more. We need sleep.”

  Albeit reluctantly, he granted her wish, and pulled her close to him. As he began to doze off he heard her whisper, “You are a swan too, Mikhail. You’ve been transformed.”

  With her love he had.

  Chapter sixteen

  It had been a long time coming, but the day that Mikhail and Nova were waiting for had finally come. A little over a year ago, they got a second chance and though there were a few bumps, they found their way. What started as a reunion cruise that neither of them were all that hyped about going on, turned into something special. Something that each had been looking for. Something that that each hoped would last a lifetime and what better way to celebrate it than to go on another cruise.

  “Only this time, we’ll be going together,” Nova said and rested her head on Mikhail’s large shoulder. He put his arm around and pulled her into him tightly as if he was afraid to let her get too far away from him. In fact, that’s exactly what it was. They had been apart for too many years when they could have been building and loving.
<
br />   “Together. I like the sound of that,” he said as they stood in line waiting to board Freedom of the Seas for a seven-day southern Caribbean cruise.

  The loving couple had arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico the night before and stayed in a nice little bed and breakfast for the night. Although they weren’t scheduled to leave port until eight-thirty that evening, Nova wanted to take a walking tour of Old San Juan before they left. As they stood in line with their fellow travels, enjoying the music of Eddie Palmieri’s Mi Luz Mayor, preparing to board the ship that would take them to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. John’s, Antigua, Castries, St. Lucia and Bridgetown, Barbados before returning to San Juan.

  Although they were both excited about the trip celebrating them finding their way together, and it was Mikhail that casually suggested it, it was Nova that quickly embraced the idea and her enthusiasm that got them to San Juan. She researched the cruise lines and selected a ship and what it had to offer and then made all the reservations. With that out of the way, Nova meticulously selected onboard activities and excursions for the port-intensive cruise. After discussing and at times, debating the activities with Mikhail, they made decision about what they wanted to do. Some items were decided by a challenge.

  “Whoever cums first, loses,” Nova challenged though she knew she would be the one losing. Mikhail’s stamina was legendary.

  “You’re on,” Mikhail accepted knowing what she knew. She’d be the loser in this game. She didn’t care, she had won in the game of love.

  Nova stepped out onto the balcony of their cabin and leaned against the rail. She took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh ocean air as she watched the sunrise over the island of Antigua. She had been up every morning to watch the splendor. It was awe-inspiring to watch it begin with just a flash of light in the far-off horizon, piercing the dawn and ascending brightly to the highest point in the sky.

  “It is beautiful,” Mikhail said as he came out behind her. His hands moved around her waist and pulled her back into his hard body.

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” He breathed out as his took the opportunity to lean into her neck and place a sweet kiss there, the way she liked it. “And so are you.”

  He was excited about the day that Nova had planned for them and just a bit apprehensive because he had a plan for the day as well. And it’s a little deeper than us playing in the water at Rum Bus Beach. He paused and thought for a moment. That might work, he thought with a smile on his face. He held Nova a little tighter and hoped that it would work out as he planned.

  As their ten o’clock departure time drew closer, Mikhail and Nova got their things together for a relaxing day at the beach, and to sip cocktails at Rum Bus Beach Bar, which was famous for its idyllic beachfront setting and a vast array of different Caribbean rums. You could also rent cabanas, hammocks or and sun chairs for a relaxing day at the beach, soaking up the sun, and taking a dip in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean sea.

  “I think I’ve got everything we need; towels and sunscreen,” she said, putting items in the beach bag that she bought in St. Kitts. “I just need to find what I did with—”

  “Your SeaPass,” Mikhail said, holding it out for her to grab.

  “Thank you,” she said and kissed him on his cheek. “And now we can go.”

  Once the pair disembarked, they were met at the pier by an escort and were taken by shuttle on the twenty-five-minute drive to Crab Hill and Rum Bus Beach Bar.

  After lunching on grilled spiny lobster tail and frozen Rum Runners, Mikhail went to see about renting an umbrella and a couple of lounge chairs while Nova ventured off to find them a spot. When she saw him approaching with the beach boy, Nova stood up and waved him over.

  Once they were set up, instead of sitting down, Nova dropped her wrap and began walking toward the water to cool off.

  She is the finest woman out here, he thought as Nova looked back at him with her smile.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Right behind you,” he said, taking off his shirt and following after her.

  As soon as he was close enough, she began splashing water at him. Mikhail dove underwater and swam toward her. Squealing, she took a few steps back and prepared to resume her splash attack as soon as he came up for air but when Mikhail burst out of the water, he immediately wrapped both of his arms around her.

  “Got you,” he said and kissed her taking her breath away.

  She put her arms around his neck and looked up into his dark eyes and smiled. “No, you don’t!” she exclaimed before wiggling out of his embrace and swimming away. He gave chase, watch her slip under the water and was in perfect position in front of her when she came up for air. His heart beat hard and fast as she wiped the water from her face and moved her mass of curls back. She was about to start splashing him again when she noticed that he held out something to her.

  “Nova, will you marry me?” In his palm was a white gold pear-shaped diamond ring with pavé diamonds that extended three-fourths of the way around the ring.

  Nova stood in stunned silence looking into his eyes as Mikhail reached for her hand, hoping he could slide the ring onto her finger.

  Nova glanced at her hand. “Say something, Nova.” And then she looked back into Mikhail eyes. “Will you marry me?”

  “Yes, yes,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Also by Aja

  I Am Yours

  One Night

  Good Old Soul

  Love’s Required

  Love Taps

  She’s Got Soul

  Unexpected

  Be With Me

  The Pursuit

  Coming Soon

  Deep In My Soul

  About the Author

  Aja is the writer of sensually erotic and passionate women’s fiction. Her stories allow readers to experience realistic, inspiring, and soulful interactions and intense passion while overcoming life’s challenges. She is inspired by soulful music and sensual art to craft her stories.

  www.ajathewriter.com