"Dad, where are we?" AJ's son asked with a small pout on his lips.

Sighing heavily, Anthony turned to him and smiled. "We're in the São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa."

Worst decision of his life.

No, that was an exaggeration and AJ knew it. But, safe to say, it was one of the more depressing decisions he had made in his life. And it was no one's fault but his.

Ben, Anthony's cousin, placed his hand on his nephew's shoulders. "Your father here has been getting into so much trouble of late that I decided to drag him with me as I go scouting for one of the greatest artists to exist."

" What kind of artist?"

Anthony looked at his cousin with irritation. His eight-year-old son was one to ask too many questions and he was in no mood to answer any of them. Not when the weather in this foreign land was irritating him to the core.

He got on one knee. "Ben flew us over continents in pursuit of a woman who doesn't want him." Anthony ruffled his curly, brown hair with a smile. "You and I are going to help him get her and hopefully, find something fun to do in this godforsaken place."

Ben sighed. "It's a beautiful country."

Anthony got up and moved to the window. They were staying in the Bom Bom resort which was right next to the beach. There was nothing much to see if you looked past the front other than large trees and the clear blue water. No buildings in proximity and very few people on the small island. "Well, beauty is subjective."

Ben laughed. "If you weren't so hell-bent on ruining your image because of your anger, if you didn't pick up fights with every human being that said something that doesn't appease you then we wouldn't be here."

"I'm a pro boxer bro," Anthony shrugged. "It's what I do."

"You're gettin' way ahead of yourself," Ben said. "You got a call from God to do somethin' deeper bro you get what I'm saying? The callings where you make a difference but you're wasting your talent on anger. I'm trying to protect your image."

"Of course. I just didn't think it would entail you dragging me to some place in the middle of nowhere, out of my comfort zone, with no WiFi."

"There are plenty of women for you to indulge yourself in while we're here. Trust me, they are as beautiful as the landscape in this country," Ben said, deep in thought, as if he was reminiscing on a memory that was etched so deep in his mind.

"Like I said, beauty is subjective. Besides, I like women who have particular features."

"You mean someone who looks like Joe's mother?" Ben asked.

The atmosphere in the room changed suddenly.

"We aren't talking about Aubrey," Anthony answered harshly, before picking up his backpack and walking to the direction where his son had run off to.

Three hours after settling into a place Anthony wanted no part of, Ben convinced him to tag along while he went to visit the artist he had been obsessing over for the past year and a half.

Ben always insisted that she was a fascinating woman. Not only was she beautiful, but apparently with a brush in her hand, she was breathtaking.

Several years back, during his first visit to Sao Tome, Ben had come across one of her painting in a children's shelter that he had volunteered in and made it his mission to sign her.

The only thing was, the woman, whose name Anthony couldn't seem to recall for the life of him, wanted no part in showcasing her work in Ben's studio in Manchester.

The sun that was orange only an hour ago, shining warmly upon the night-chilled soil had become a yellow inferno. There was no more softness to the world, no more hint of the coolness he had liked earlier.

"This woman better be worth it," Anthony complained as they sat on one of the motorbikes that the locals in the area used as a means of transport.

Ben smiled mischievously. "She's like pure temptation in the flesh. Man, am I glad that she isn't your type. I'm not only going to make her my client but she's going to be the mother of my children."

Anthony laughed as the motorbike started cruising down the rough, bumpy road.

A rustic cabin dotted the grassy hills as trees stood up like spikes, zigzagging the border of brick roads and empty lands. It was tucked away between bamboos and silk trees with a river right in the background.

"Can we get this over with," he whined yet again.

"Relax," Ben cooed. "Enjoy the scenery, breathe in the fresh air and maybe it will help you in this journey of self-discovery."

He rolled his eyes.

"Tallulah?" Ben called as they walked deeper into the back of her house.

"Does she know that we're coming because walking to her back yard seems rather invasive."

"Yeah," Ben said. "She's expecting me. She's always either painting at the back or gardening."

He glanced across the garden, searching for some sign of the woman his cousin seemed to be infatuated by. Anthony looked closely into the river and saw a small frame of what he could only assume was his cousin's conquest.

"Is that her?"

They both turned and looked at the woman who got out of the water naked. Her dark skin glistened under the bright sun, putting them in a trance as they stared. She had on waist-long dreads that covered the most part of her front area, including her breasts but regardless, AJ's gaze kept dropping to her mounds.

"Oi, Ben! Tudo bem?" (Hi, how are you?)

The words rolled off her tongue with warmth, the melodic sounds distinctly foreign. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that she was stark naked in front of them and Ben didn't act like this was the first time he had seen her that way.

"Oi, Tallulah! Tudo bem! E você?" (Hi, Tallulah! I'm fine and you?) Ben answered, shocking AJ. He wasn't aware that his cousin could speak Portuguese so fluently.

"Você desiste?" ("Do you give up?")The corners of her mouth lifted up in a dazzling smile. "I'm not interested in your offer. My art isn't for sale, I give out art to people who need comfort."

The words she spoke in English were enunciated in a way Anthony had heard before from his African side of the family.

"I don't give up easily," Ben said.

She smiled mischievously as if she liked the fact that Ben was sweating to get her to agree to him being her agent.

"Who's your friend?" she asked, finally looking at AJ.

"This is my cousin AJ," Ben answered. "AJ, meet the famous painter I've been rambling about, Tallulah Narcassie."

Her eyes were a hickory as rich as the earth's soil; stained with the color of hot chocolate on a cold, winter night that wrapped around you like a blanket; engulfed you in its warmth and made you feel at home.

"I don't like strangers, Ben. You're lucky I allow you into my sanctuary, to begin with. Now you're bringing in people I don't know?"

***
🙌🙌
I'm just completely in love with Anthony Joshua, he is so fine, so tall and so humble...

Lord if you could please work your magic and makes us meet & fall in love & have 100 babies.

#sigh

Anyway... I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. This is going to be about 10/13 chapters. You guys won't have to wait too long...

Please leave a comment below & let me know if you enjoyed this chapter or not. Your feedback would be really appreciated. Thank you!!