"Nik?!" Elena uttered after the first shockwave had passed.
"Cinderella!" Klaus joked a little, "fancy seeing you again!"
Marcel shook his head a little and remarked, "you two know each other?!"
"We met once in New Orleans" Klaus said, adding, "it's a very brief story."
"Right. I will leave you to reminisce." Marcel shot a look at both of them and left.
"My friend said to look for Klaus - I guess that is your artistic pseudonym?!" Elena stepped forward now, regaining her cool, professional demeanour.
"No, not really. My full name is Niklaus. And most of my friends call me Nik. Same as my sister." Klaus found himself rambling, strange kind of nervousness streaming through him.
"Right - uhm - Nik - Klaus - my friend, Camille, the Gallerist, asked me to look and assess your art work. So -"
"You're a valuer?"
"Sort of - yes. I'm an art historian. But I do that job as well. I'm an art connoisseur, actually." Elena clarified, continuing, "Can I-?"
"Yes, of course-" Klaus motioned to the canvas that was on the easel, his latest piece and went to get his other paintings ready for her to see and value, trying hard to maintain his cool.
That she was there was a dream. That she was the one who was silently probing his work had him somewhat delightfully anxious.
Elena suddenly stopped at one abstract piece and turned to him.
"I'd like to buy this one."
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"Excuse me?" Klaus was looking at the brunette taken in.
"Don't tell me it's for sale?"
"It is - I just - no - it's not for sale, as it already is taken."
"Oh- right. Damn, I really love it. The colours are so powerful and magnetic. Love the wings motif." Elena said, her eyes still glued to the painting.
"It's yours" Klaus said.
"What - but you just said that it's taken?"
"Yeah, by you," Klaus said, "if you like it so much it is yours."
"Don't do that -"
"Do what?"
"You can't just give me the painting-"
"Why not? It's mine to give."
"This is magnificent. It's worth a couple thousand dollars."
"You would give that kind of money for one painting!?" Klaus was gobsmacked.
"Yes. It is really good. Really good and I don't say that lightly and don't open my check book for any kind of work."
