No More Games

59

Narrator's Point Of View

"Is this it?" Michael looked out the window as Dean pulled into a driveway leading up to a contemporary style home surrounded by these beautiful healthy trees and hundreds upon hundreds of flowers. "This place is beautiful."

"Are we waiting for Sasha or are we going in?" Dean asked.

"We should go in." Michael opened the door and hopped out of the car. "I wanna check this lady out for myself and see if I could trust her or not."

"Boss, are you su—"

"Yeah, c'mon." Michael grabbed a large bouquet of flowers and a big red box from the car before closing the door.

Dean turned the car off and got out. He followed Michael up the rest of the beautiful cobblestone driveway to the front door of the home.

Before Michael could even ring the doorbell, the door opens and a woman who looks like she couldn't be any older than seventy, stands before them with a beautiful smile on her face. "Am I finally meeting de young man Sasha has been telling me so much about?"

"Uhh," Michael chuckled, "I guess so."

The woman laughed and pulled Michael into an embrace. "It is so nice to finally meet yuh, young man. I'm madam Adalaine." She said in her bajan accent.

"It's nice to meet you as well." Michael pulled away and gestured towards Dean. "This is my good friend and bodyguard, Dean."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Dean held his hand out and shook hers.

"Please come in," Madam Adelaine said, allowing Michael and Dean to enter into her residence. "I assume Sasha is not too far behind since she is comin' from work."

"Yeah," Michael was so indulged into the art that decorated the walls of the home, he barely heard what she said. "This. . .this painting," he pointed to a portrait, admiring its eccentricity, "who is this by?"

"Oh, dat painting is by de great Kerry James Marshall." Madam Adelaine smiled. "He's one of my all time favorite artist. Yuh like?"

Michael handed Dean the flowers and the red box to hold so he could take a better look at the painting. "How much did you pay for it?" Michael turned to her. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Ahh," she chuckled, "yuh like dat one a lot, eh? Well, I bought it from an auction a few years back. How much I paid for it. . .I will not say."

"I'll give you triple the amount you bought it for."

"Ah," she laughed and shook her head, "no, no, no. Yuh can even quadruple it. I will refuse it. Dis paintin' mean more to me den money, young man."

"I'll write you a check right now." Michael continued to push, hoping he can go home with the painting. "Just tell me any price and I'll—"

"Come have seat here," she walked away, heading towards her living room and Michael and Dean followed her. "Now I see what Sasha meant when she said yuh were a compulsive shopper."

Michael grimaced and looked at Dean. Dean just shrugged, trying to mind his business like he always does. "She said that?" Michael chuckled nervously as she turned and offered them to sit.

"She did," Madam Adelaine sat across from them,"but I will not get into that until she gets here."

Michael let it go but it definitely did not sit well with him.