The Girl He Didn't Want

Chapter 2

Mayas POV

I looked at the canvas for a long time. Something was missing... But what could it be? I started to scan from the bottom to the top of the painting and suddenly a smile started to blossom on my face. I picked up my palette and the paintbrush with some orange acrylic color on. I made a stroke on the left side of the canvas and was beginning to get satisfied with the art that I spent several weeks on. 

A hair strand was getting in the way in front of my eyes and I tried to blow it away. I stood up and walked a few meters back from the canvas to get a better picture of the finished work that I just made. While putting both of my hands on my waist I tilted my head a little bit to one side and admired my hard work. I smiled and couldn't resist it anymore.

I was in my studio by myself, so I went over to my speakers and turned the volume up. I started to move my hips to the rhythm of the music and started to dance like a freak. I. Made. It. 

Finally, I had a finished series of paintings that would be shown at the local gallery center. One of my dreams were finally coming true. In total, I now had 8 paintings of abstract art. 

This had been my passion for years. To become an artist. I knew very well that this choice of career wouldn't satisfy my parents, as they wanted me to be something bigger and become someone with a fixed income monthly.

A career as an artist wouldn't exactly let that happen always. But this was my passion. I wanted to put colors on blank white backgrounds to make life seem more colorful. In both homes and in the souls of human beings. 

I started to whip my hair to the music and started laughing on my own just out of pure happiness. I picked up my phone from the jacket pocket and started to dial Rose. 

"Guess who finished her 8-series paintings" I yelled in the phone. 

"Are you for real, Maya?", Rose started screaming on the phone too. We both laughed over our own joy and we started to talk about our day. 

Rose was my best friend who I was living with. We had an apartment together in New York. I met her a few years ago to a mutual friend's party and we instantly connected. As Rose just had moved from Jersey she was looking for a roommate to live with. I myself also just moved at that time when we met each other. 

All my life I had been living in Brooklyn with my parents. My parents came to America as immigrants because of the whole civil war going on in Sri Lanka. My parents were quick to learn the English language, but they still struggled in Brooklyn. We were raised to become greater than them educational wise. 

My parents were hardworking people who did their best to meet our needs. I was the oldest of three siblings. My two other sisters were still located in Brooklyn. Sascha was 23 and lived really close to my parents while Vinni lived at her parents home as she was still 19 years old. 

I myself had now been living in New York City for three years and was struggling to make a career on my own. Even though my parents didn't like my way of living, I strived to live a life that made me feel independent. 

"Rose, are you up for a celebration day tomorrow? Let's go to Woodbury Common Outlet center and go shopping!".

"You bet I am a girl! And you know what else? I got you a date!" she squealed on the other line. I paused and my right which was up in the air a while ago in pure excitement slowly came down again. 

"Rose, I really appreciate you helping me out to find a guy, but I think I can do it by myself," I said. 

"Relax Maya. I got you. And besides, if I let you do it on your own it will never happen. The only thing that occupies you right now is your artwork and your part-time job at Cafe Oaks. You need a man!"

I closed my eyes and dragged my one hand over my face. But she was right. I didn't really have the time to make an effort to meet a guy. I could sense Rose smiling on the other side as I didn't say anything. 

"Fine... But what is he like? And when do I meet him?"

"YAAAAY! I knew you would come around. Girl, I got you okay?"

"Rose, just tell me. How is he?" I waited for her answer but she hesitated to give me a reply.

"You know, I thought that it could be great to try something new yeah?... So actually it's a blind date. And when I say that, I mean... It's literally a blind date, Maya". 

I got confused and waited for her to finish up. 

"See, you actually don't get to see your date until the dinner is over. Listen, Maya, it's more interesting this way. There is a cool restaurant where they have this awesome way of giving people an experience. You show up at the restaurant, the lights will turn off and you both will be guided to a table... and you will talk. 

I stood at my studio with my jaw open and tried to comprehend what my friend just told me. So she didn't know anything about my date except his name. And if we ended up liking the date and had an interest in having another date with that person again, the lights would be turned on to expose each other. 

"Where in the world have you heard about this place?!". I was in total shock. 

Rose cleared her throat and answered with ease: "That's where I met Connor".