From Russia with Love

I Have a Tumblr

2010-04-20T19:06:00.001-07:00

You are all welcome to follow me if you would like.

http://dixiequeen.tumblr.com/

Update coming soon. Sorry about the delay, I've had a huge workload lately.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

2010-04-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Walking through Moscow was breathtaking. The giant cathedrals were especially impressive with their unique architecture.

"Khram Bozhy," Evgeni had said. Temples of God. Past that, there were huge skyscrapers and other buildings that looked so mysterious to me because of the foreign alphabet. Statues were everywhere, honoring many different Russians. Evgeni pointed out to a statue of a man on a horse.

"Yuri Dolguruki," he said. "He make this." Evgeni swept his arms out as if to encompass all of Moscow. "He start this.. most beautiful city!"

I smiled wide at his enthusiasm and took his hand again as we continued to walk. We were heading to the Red Square, a sight I was especially anxious to see. When we finally arrived, I was not disappointed. I stood still to take in the sights, first St. Basil's Cathedral in its eccentric glory. Then, Evgeni pointed to a monument.

"Is Minin-Pozharzsky monument. Over there," he said, turning to point, "is Kazan, uhh.."

"Cathedral?"

"Yes. We say, khram."

I smiled as he led me through the mass of people walking through the Red Square. I wasn't sure where we were going now, but I was more than happy to be walking with him through one of the most beautiful places I'd ever been.

Finally, he stopped us outside of a restaurant and kissed my hand.

"No need be nervous," he started. "My friend know you not speak Russian. They okay."

"I'll try not to be..."

"Okay, come on then."

Once inside, we were led to a table near the back of the restaurant. A chorus of excited "Evgenis!" sounded out as his friends jumped from the table to hug him. Once the excitement had left, Evgeni grabbed my hand and introduced me to his friends. At least, I was assuming that's what he was doing. I smiled nervously and choked out, "Privyet" which was met with a good-natured laughter.

I sat beside him at the table and took in the faces of the people around us while he and his friends talked. Across from me, there was a blonde girl who could've been Oksana's twin if she'd received collagen injections in her lips as well. She was lightly holding the arm of the man she was with, a short, burly, brunette man with a loud voice that powered over the restaurant. Both of them were smiling wide, and I wondered what the conversation was about.

On Evgeni's other side, a man as tall and as lanky as Evgeni sat. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him in my mind. I thought that maybe I'd glanced at a picture of him in one of Evgeni's picture frames before. Next to him sat another guy. I couldn't really get a clear view of his face and I didn't want to lean too far forward in fear of looking stupid. I could see that his arms were thick and his fingers reminded me of little sausages, though he wasn't fat. Just very thick.

My head moved back up when a waitress stood beside me. She seemed cheerful and spoke in a clear voice. I'm sure she was asking what I wanted to drink, but the drinks were listed in Cyrillic and I wasn't entirely sure that's what she was asking. I just figured that the process of ordering food was the same here as back in the United States. Even if she was asking what I wanted, I certainly couldn't order if I wanted to.

I elbowed Evgeni in the ribs.

"Help me," I hissed when he turned around. He furrowed his eyebrows, and, still talking in Russian, he said something to the waitress. She started to write down something and I noticed a smile form across her lips. When she looked up, she replied something to him that sent the table in an uproar. I was sure they were making fun of me. I felt my skin start to prickle and my face flush no matter how much I tried to hold back.

I looked down at my hands and played with my shirt until the waitress came back with our drinks. I tasted mine. He'd ordered me a Coke, or at least something similar. He spoke for me without my prodding and ordered for me as well. I felt a little annoyed, but let it slide. He was with his friends and probably wanted to enjoy them without having to translate for me on every word.

I sipped on my Coke and smiled when one of his friends smiled at me. None actually talked to me until the man sitting beside Evgeni leaned back in his chair and tapped my arm with his long arm.

"Hello," he said in a gruff voice. "I'm Denis, Evgeni's brother."

"Evie, nice to meet you," I said with a smile. I felt relieved someone was paying attention to me.

"My brother forget his manners," He said, a smile curling on his lips. "But he speak often of you. Truly, you are as beautiful as he say."

"Thank you," I said shyly. I noticed that Evgeni and his friends had stopped their conversation. Evgeni snapped his head toward his brother and muttered something in Russian. Denis rolled his eyes and sat properly, promptly ending our mini conversation. I thought that maybe this meant Evgeni would include me in the conversation, but he simply squeezed my hand and kissed it before returning to his native language.

I sat in silence and played with my straw. I was definitely going to have a talk with him once we get back to the hotel. I did not come to Russia to sit in silence and watch him have fun.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Denis get up from his chair. He stumbled over his feet as he got up and had to grab my chair to get steady. At first I thought he was either drunk or really clumsy, but while everyone was distracted with him, he managed to slyly drop a small piece of paper in my lap.

"Club later?" was all that was written on it. Once Evgeni and his friends returned to each other, I looked at Denis's retreating form. He looked over his shoulder at me and winked.

I winked back at him. I felt like I deserved a little fun and it had been a while since I let my hair down. I crumpled the note and let it drop to the floor before anyone could notice it had ever been there, and I started running through the few Russian words that I knew in my head.

I was ready to see a whole new side to Russia besides churches and statues.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

2010-04-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Privyet" Evgeni said slowly.

"Privyet" I repeated, finally able to say it. My mouth didn't want to work with Russian words.

"Close enough," he chuckled. "We must move on more words. Hello not good enough."

I groaned. "I'm gonna look like an idiot in front of your friends."

He kissed my forehead.

"Now, you say 'thank you'. You say spasibo"

"Spasipa"

Evgeni chuckled more. "You know? Is very long flight. We have lots of time for practice."

I grumbled and let myself curl into him. He whispered softly in my ear, "Ya tebya lyublyu".

"And what does that mean?" I asked, smirking.

"It mean, you no longer make fun for me not know some word in English," he said softly, kissing my temple.

"So, Sbasipa?"

His smile returned and with a little grin, he corrected me. "Spasibo".

--------------------

We landed in Moscow sometime early in the morning - it was still dark outside. I was groggy and tired. Evgeni woke me up and held my hand tight as we navigated off of the plane and through the airport. I felt so lost as I heard people speaking rapidly in Russian. I looked at the signs – all written in the strange Cyrillic alphabet. Everything was so very foreign to me.

Evgeni, of course, knew the way and took us to our bags. I helped him load them onto a cart.

“So, where are we going now?” I asked as the last bag went into place.

“We go hotel. Sleep. Then, we spend time in city.”

I nodded and walked beside him. He put his arm around me tight.

“What is it? I don’t mind PDA, but you’re squeezing the life out me here,” I said in a half laugh. Evgeni wasn’t smiling.

“Is just best for everyone know you are with me.”

“I’m not in danger or anything, right?”

“Not now. Not with me. Don’t worry…” his smile returned. I shivered from a bit more than the crisp night air when we got outside. He opened the passenger side door of the rental car for me, and I got in, waiting for him to load our bags up. He kissed my hand once he got in.

"You've been extremely, extremely sweet lately," I mused.

"You here with me."

---------------------

When I woke up in the hotel, I was laying diagonally, tangled up in sheets with the comforter off of the bed. I groaned and sat up.

"Evgeni?" I called out. I rubbed my eyes and then started to rip the sheets off. "Evgeni! I swear to God if you left in me in fucking Russia...!"

I wrestled the comforter back on the bed. His stuff was still sitting on the floor. I walked to the bathroom and saw he wasn't there either. I pouted and sat back on the bed, Indian style.

Just when I was ready to call the KGB, he sauntered into the hotel room, blabbering in Russian on his cell phone with two paper bags in his hands. His eyes were twinkling as he talked, his mouth stretched into a permanent smile. He kissed me deeply immediately after hanging up, even gently pushing me back into the bed.

"Good morning, Tiger," I said, all of my frustration dissolved.

"Dobrey ootro! Good morning! Actually, afternoon."

"You're way too happy."

"Is good thing!"

"Uh huh. Who were you talking to and what did they tell you to put you in this good of a mood?"

He handed me a paper bag before sitting beside me on the bed. "Is just good hear from friend," he said. "Is good be home. I miss home so much. I miss my Russian."

I opened the bag and pulled out a pastry. I tore a part off and ate some while a silence settled between us.

"I love States," he continued after taking a bite out of his pastry. "But is nothing like home."

I kissed his cheek.

"This is absolutely delicious," I commented as I finished eating my pastry. I wasn't sure what else I could add to what he'd just said.

"Good. I try pick something you like," he replied.

"You're always good at that," I said as I got up to throw away the bags.

Once we had finished eating, I went to take a shower and dress while he relaxed on the bed. I came out in a nice purple top and jeans with flip-flops. He was watching a TV show, which was, of course, in Russian.

"I watch this all time," he said. I climbed behind him on the bed and wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my chin on his forehead. He leaned back into me a bit.

"What is it?"

"Is just children show. Don't know why I like so much. You ready?"

"Yeah.. what are we doing?"

"We go meet some my friend. We eat."

"Okay, okay," I said, moving off of him. I got off the bed and stood in front of the TV.

"Privyet. Da. Nyet. Spasibo. Dobry vecher. Meenya zavut Evie. And... and... Do svidaniya"

"Very good. Am great teacher," He grinned and stood up, kissing me softly. "Don't worry... you beautiful."

I groaned. "Can't you just snap your fingers and make me fluent?"

He chuckled. "Just eat. And after, I make up to you, I promise."

He took my hand and led me out of the room, locking up behind us. I felt his large hand rest at the small of my back. And yet, the knots in my stomach kept twisting more and more.

------------------

*A/N*

Sorry if the phonetic spellings aren't correct. I've learned those words in cyrillic, but throwing in a whole new alphabet just doesn't work for a story, haha. Some of the spellings are debatable. I do know that some may be incorrect, but I suppose phonetic spelling is always debatable.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

2010-03-20T17:38:00.001-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Mario have party," Evgeni said to me through the phone. I picked at the frayed strands on the end of my blue jeans while I sat in my bed. "You go?"

"When is it?" I asked.

"Tomorrow."

"You really want me to go? Isn't that like, official?"

"Why I not want you go?"

"Just making sure you aren't getting tired of me."

I heard him sigh. "No," he started. "I try spend time with you before I go. You not go, so I spend time with you here."

I sighed as well and laid down in bed. "I'm sorry... I wish I could go.. I just don't have money."

"I do," he said softly. "Evie, I know you not take from me. I know you. Don't think I think you want money."

"Let's talk about something else, shall we?"

"I come pick you up tomorrow at eleven."

----

Waking up the next morning in my bed felt strange. I'd grown so used to Evgeni's plush, soft, warm bed that I'd forgotten what it was like to sleep in my old lumpy one. I groaned as I sat up and stretched my arms wide.

Slowly, I ambled to my closet and pulled out a yellow sundress. I threw it on the bed and went to shower. It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous, no matter how much I told myself that the butterflies in my stomach were caused by hunger. No, I was quite nervous. I'd met some of Evgeni's teammates before, but this time, I'd be meeting his boss.

I washed my hair twice to make sure it smelled as good as my shampoo. I scrubbed my body until it was red, hoping all of my blemishes would disappear. I triple checked to make sure my legs were shaved smooth. Finally, I just stood under the spray and let the water wash any last particle of dirt off. If he was going to present me at this party, I wanted to look like someone a millionaire would date.

I finished dressing by ten-thirty. I wore white sandals with my yellow dress, and had my hair pulled up in a nice ponytail. I kept my makeup as natural as possible - I knew that girls with heavy makeup were often mistaken as gold diggers, or, at least, they looked like they were trying too hard. Finally, at eleven exactly, my doorbell rang and Evgeni stood in front of me in just a t-shirt, jeans, and a cap.

"You look great," he said, flashing me a toothy grin.

"And you look like you aren't going to a party thrown by your boss," I joked, closing the door and locking it behind me.

"Well, hey, I Evgeni. I do what I want," he smirked, placing his large hand at the small of my back. Together, we headed to the party.

----

"So, why aren't you going with him to Russia?"

I looked over and saw Max - now beardless - taking a seat beside me.

"What, did Evgeni tell you I wasn't going?"

"Yes, he did. He's frustrated with you over the deal. So I figured I'd ask you now that the big lug's away taking pictures. Why aren't you going to Russia?"

"Just like I told him, I can't afford it."

"Well, lucky for you, your boyfriend is a multimillionaire with money to burn," Max replied, flashing me a winning grin.

"I can't do that to him, Max. I can't take his money."

"Well, if you ask me, I think you're being selfish," he said pointedly. "Yeah, I get you're trying to play up the whole 'I'm-not-a-gold-digger' thing, but he really wants you to go and he'll pay for you. You're just wanting to prove something to the world when, in reality, no one gives a shit what he does with his money. That includes taking you to meet his family."

I sat still for a moment and played with the rim of my glass. "People care," I finally said.

"Who? Some girls on the internet? They'll get over it."

"Yeah, well, I have college, y'know? I have to stay and make money for that or else I'm not going."

"Look, I know I can't really tell you how to live your life, but, if you ask me, college is overrated."

"Easy for you to say. You have a talent that makes you money."

"I just think that you're the type of person who's gonna hate it anyway."

"So where will I work?" I countered. "Like I said, the no college stuff is great for you guys because you're all hockey players. As for me, I have to find something or else I'll be on the streets."

Max shrugged. "All I'm saying is that it's not every day you get to go to Russia."

I shrugged as well and smiled as Evgeni walked back to me with a triumphant grin on his face. God, I'd miss him this summer.

----

After the party, I went back with Evgeni to his place. I was curled up with him in his bed while he watched TV. I had his laptop between us while I looked at colleges and universities. Evgeni played with my hair and looked down at the laptop screen from time to time. I calculated the costs in my mind - even if I worked a whole summer, I'd never afford a nice university. Grudgingly, I went to the Community College of Allegheny County's homepage. The tuition was much more affordable. My parents could afford to send me there.

I sighed and closed the laptop and put it away, snuggling closer to Evgeni. He kissed my forehead.

"I miss you," he said. "Is not too late, if you want go..."

"I want to, I do..."

"Then go."

I sighed softly. He lifted my chin so that my eyes met his. He kissed me softly.

"Come with me. We figure everything later."

I bit my lip hard. "I want to, Evgeni, I really do, but-"

"No, come with me. I promise everything work. I promise you. I make sure everything work."

He kissed me again, but deeper. "Come with me, please."

He ran his lips from my mouth down to my neck, where he lightly nipped and sucked. I suppressed a moan. "Come with me."

His hand started to rub my hip and he moved the strap of my dress from my shoulder, kissing along my collarbone. I closed my eyes, enjoying how good it felt. He nipped my collarbone, causing me to open my eyes again.

"Come with me."

"Okay," I said. The word rushed from me before I could think.

"You go?"

"Yes," I said. "I'll go."

He grinned and immediately sat up, grabbing his cell phone.

"Who are you calling? You're not done here yet!" I said. I wanted his lips back on me.

"I call agent to get thing together."

Before I could say another word, he was on the phone and getting things organized for me to go to Russia. I laid my head on his shoulder and listened as he excitedly spoke. A large smile graced his face as well. Maybe Max was right... maybe it was selfish of me to want to protect my image over giving him happiness. Either way, I hoped I was making the right decision here.

Chapter Twenty-Six

2010-03-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

It was early June. While I'd had tickets to attend Game 7 of the Finals with Evgeni, I told him that I thought it was best that I didn't go. After all, we weren't too far removed from our from our fights in the early part of these playoffs. Besides, he should be focused on his game and not so much on me at the moment.

I wasn't too upset though. He'd left me a spare key to his house, and I happily took advantage of having the huge place to myself. I sat in his theater room, in one of his leather recliners with the Penguins' emblem on it, watching the game intently. I could honestly say that I didn't understand a lot of the rules and at times I completely lost sight of the puck.

But I did understand scoring. And I understood how big Max's first goal was, and how much bigger his second goal was. I felt a smile tug at my lips as the clock wound down, and the smile quickly spread across my face as the buzzer sounded. I curled up in the chair and felt a pang of regret. I would have loved to celebrate the happiest moment of his life with him.

I felt a sudden rush of emotion as he picked up the Conn Smythe... the first Russian to ever win the award. He glowed with pride and I couldn't help but feel my own heart swell for him. The pang of regret grew bigger; all I could think of was how I wish there was someone there who could give him a huge hug and a passionate kiss and tell him how wonderful he was. With a sigh, I kept smiling at the screen and turned off the huge TV once I'd seen him lift the Stanley Cup.

----

I woke up around six o'clock in the morning when I heard the annoying beeps of the alarm system going off from someone opening the door. Slowly, I sat up. I heard the subsequent beeps as someone typed in the code, and I threw off the pristine white comforter from around me. I bounded out of the room and down the stairs and grinned widely at the tall Russian in front of me.

"Good morning," he said tiredly. His eyes were red and droopy and he smelled of stale champagne and sweat from the continuous celebrations. Still, he gave me a big smile and set the Conn Smythe on the nearest table.

"Good morning, champ," I replied. Once the trophy was safe, I ran into his arms and hugged him tight, kissing his neck. As soon as he felt my lips, he moved his head back and kissed me properly, running his hand slowly through my hair.

"I miss you," He said softly, cupping my cheek with his big hand. I nuzzled his palm and kissed his wrist.

"I regret not going."

"Yes. Is good game you miss."

"C'mon.. let's get you to bed.. You've got to be exhausted."

Evgeni managed to crack a half-smile for me, but didn't object as I took his hand and went upstairs with him to his bedroom. He slid off his shoes and started to fumble with his shirt. His fingers couldn't seem to unbutton it, and he kept gazing at the bed as though he wanted to just sleep in his clothes. I smiled softly and took his hands.

"Here, I'll get it..."

"Spasibo.."

"What?" I asked as I began to unbutton his shirt for him.

"I say, thank you. Sorry. I tire.." He yawned. I slid off his shirt and unbuttoned his dress pants for him. After getting off his undershirt and sliding out of his pants, he slid off his socks and eased his way to the bed. I believe he was already asleep before his head touched his pillow. I moved in the bed as well and kissed his forehead. His breathing stayed even and a small smile continued to grace his lips.

---

I officially got out of bed around nine o'clock. After showering, dressing, and putting on makeup, I spent most of the day watching TV. Around four in the afternoon, I got up and looked through Evgeni's refrigerator and pantry for food to cook. There were chicken cutlets in the freezer, cream of mushroom soup and rice in the pantry - perfect for chicken and rice. While waiting for the food to finish baking, I sat up at the counter and used Evgeni's laptop to fill out more loan and scholarship applications.

I bit my lip softly. I knew that job applications were far more relevant in my life. I figured if I could get a job, then all the scholarships I wasn't getting wouldn't matter so much. I quickly closed the window for scholarship applications when I heard Evgeni's large feet pad across the tile floor. I looked over and saw him leaning against the door frame, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts with extremely disheveled hair. He still had a huge grin on his face.

"What time?"

"It's almost five in the afternoon now," I chuckled. He pushed off the door frame and walked to me, catching me in a kiss immediately. I could taste his mint toothpaste. I wanted to melt when I felt his strong arms wrap around me. He pulled his lips from mine after a minute and rested his forehead against mine.

"Life not get better," he said softly, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Life can always get better," I started. I heard a guttural objection. "But, I agree, it can't get much better right now," I quickly added. The smile returned and he slowly pulled away from me.

"Food?" He asked, looking toward the oven.

"Yeah, chicken and rice."

"You cook?" His tone sounded surprised and he didn't do a great job of hiding the surprise from his face.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

He clicked his tongue and smiled - seemingly satisfied with my answer - and took a seat next to me at the counter. I could look at him and tell he was miles away. His dark brown eyes were focused on the granite countertops. Yet, he still continued to smile.

"What are you thinking about?" I finally asked, wondering what was going on in his head.

"I think of Russia. I think of family, of friend. I want go home.. I ready go home.." He mused out loud.

"Oh..." was all I said. It was all I really said. I'd managed to forget that he had to go back sometime. I don't know why I thought he'd remain here in Pittsburgh all summer.

We fell quiet; Evgeni dreamed of Russia and I dreamed of him staying in Pittsburgh for the summer. What would I do without him? But I didn't say any of that to him - I could never say that to him. I smiled with him and kissed his cheek.

"Well," I finally said after our period of silence, "I'm sure everyone is very proud of you. Your family will be happy to see you."

He nodded and then turned in his chair to face me.

"I want you go. To Russia," He said firmly. I was glad I wasn't eating or drinking. Otherwise, there would've been food and/or drink across the countertop.

"What?" I asked. I knew what he said, but I wanted to hear it again to make sure that's what he said.

"Russia. I want you go. With me."

"Evgeni, I don't think I can..."

"Why?"

"I don't think my parents are going to let me go."

Confusion flashed across his face. "Your family not know where you at most time. Why they care?"

"Well, I mean... I... I have college soon, y'know?"

"Not start til August. I be back by then."

"But, I just.. I don't have any money to go," I huffed. I was running out of excuses and we both knew it.

"I have money. Lot of money. Don't worry."

"You can't just buy me a plane ticket."

Confusion swept over him. "Why not?"

"Because.. because... I need a passport... I don't have one."

"Is fine. My agent get one quick for you."

"Evgeni.. just stop this.. I can't go, alright?"

"Why? You not want go?" he asked softly. I could tell he was hurt. While he was partially right - I didn't want to meet his family so soon - I just didn't want to admit the fact that I had an uphill battle ahead of me as far as tuition went.

"I just.. I can't. I have to work."

"I tell you, I pay for-"

"No," I interrupted. "It's not just that I don't have money for Russia. I don't have money for college. I have to work..."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Evie, you need money? I have."

"I can't ask you for money, and I won't."

"Why not? I have plenty and more is come."

"Because I can't take your money, Evgeni. That's so wrong. Just enjoy your family and friends this summer and I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

He kissed my hand softly. "Food burn," he said softly.

"Dammit!" I cursed. I quickly slid off the barstool and got the chicken and rice out of the oven before it became inedible. Evgeni watched, clearly amused with my cooking abilities. I waved the oven mitt over the crispy chicken, hoping the black flakes would just disappear so we could have a nice dinner. Unfortunately, life doesn't work like that. Life just doesn't work out the way you want sometimes. At least, that's what I told myself as I kept waving the mitt over the dinner. I had to do something to stop me from going crazy - part of me (most of me) wanted to go with him and share this huge part of his life.

Fucking college...

----------------------------

*Author's Note*

Fucking college is right. Sorry for the long delay, guys. It's been quite a transitional year for me getting used to things. I've kept a packed schedule, and when Christmas came around, I just lounged around the most I could. I barely had the energy to put on something other than sweatpants, haha.

The good news is that at the rate I'm going, I'll be graduating a year early from college. The other good news is that it's my Spring Break and I'm feeling inspired at the moment. I'll try to crank out some more chapters before I have to leave again on Sunday. Please leave comments.. it's been awhile since I worked on this story and so I may be rusty getting back into the style of it.

Thank you so much to everyone for your patience. As I said, I'm sorry about not updating for so long, but writing essays and research papers and researching Russia's GDP and PPP since 1917 (after the Bolshevik Revolution) has been filling up my time. I mention the Russia thing because I get to do a detailed country profile on Geno's motherland - chronicling its history from the 1200s and onward, detailing GDPs, polity scores, military power, etc etc. And I'm also learning Russian now. My life is quite filled with the Motherland. :P

Update on the Coming Chapter

2009-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted y'all to know that my Fall Break is coming up on Wednesday. I will be home from then until Sunday, and I will update during that time. I appreciate all of the patience and understanding that y'all have given me!

College has been a blast! I love it here so, so, so much! I hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to get back into the swing of things once I get home.

Thank you all so much for your patience! Be looking for an update next week!

Hiatus

2009-08-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. It's probably going to be a longer before I manage to. I'm in college now and have been for a week doing volunteer, honors-college-sponsored community service. What a mouthful. So now that I've made a ton of friends, I've literally barely sat down since I got here. Last night I didn't get in until midnight. XD

On an awesome note, I'm pretty sure I've lost about 5 pounds or more from all my walking, lmfao.

So anyway, I'm sorry I didn't finish this over the summer like I should've. But I'm so entrenched in the collegiate atmosphere that I just don't see a feasible time to update soon. I WILL finish this, but it may take a while. I thank everyone for their patience and understanding, and I appreciate every single one of my readers and reviewers.

Roll Tide! Support The University of Alabama this year in football. WOOO.

Chapter Twenty-Five

2009-07-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

Once Evgeni and I had fully made up, I took a quick shower. I gingerly touched the place where my head made contact with the floor days ago, yet there wasn't more pain than a little sting. I had healed up. I smiled as I finished washing up, and once I was done, I happily returned to my room with my hair and body wrapped in a towel. Evgeni was on my computer, looking at a Russian website. I peered over his shoulder.

"What does that even mean?" I asked, glancing at all the cyrillic symbols.

"Don't worry. Get dress," he said playfully. He turned in his spot in the chair and watched me as I walked to my closet. "Or not. I like in towel."

"You're a pervert. Now turn your head while I change."

"Are you serious?" he asked with disbelief. "I see you naked."

"So. It's not lady-like to allow a man to ogle you."

"When that stop you?"

I threw one of my pillows at him, which he caught. He smirked wide but obediently turned to look at the computer screen. I let both of my towels fall as I pulled out a green sundress and quickly put it on. I smoothed out the front of it and then ran my hands through my wet hair.

"Don't give me a virus," I said as I walked back to the bathroom to dry my hair. I put a bit of product in it to tone down the frizz, though I knew it was probably of little use. Stray strands of hair still stuck up in random places once it was finished drying, but I smoothed it out using a little hair spray. I put on a bit of eyeshadow and used eyeliner and mascara. My face was too clear to not celebrate by not using concealers and base creams and powder. Once I put on a bit of lip gloss, I was done.

As I walked back to my room, I saw that Evgeni had shut my door. I tried to open it, but he'd locked it too.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked through the door. Long, drawn out moans answered me. "I swear to God, if you get cum on anything, I will be pissed!" I shrieked.

His moans got louder and louder until he opened the door with a smirk.

"I kid," he said. "Now we go, I hungry."

"So you're going to go to Umi in a track suit?"

"They know me."

"Ugh, you're unbelievable sometimes," I said. I grabbed a pair of white sandals and slipped them on and sprayed two squirts of perfume on me. "And you still haven't told me I look hot."

"You know. Why I tell?" he winked.

"Because I want you to."

"You look hot."

I rolled my eyes and linked my arm with his.

---------

After delicious sushi, Evgeni took me back to his house. The large place seemed empty and Evgeni's heavy footsteps echoed through the living room as he plodded on the hard wood floor.

"I never get used to how big this place is."

"Is not very big," Evgeni said with a shrug. "Gonchar - bigger. Mario - bigger. Me? Just big for me."

"It's huge to me. I've lived in a one story, two bedroom, two bath house with a living room and small kitchen all my life."

Evgeni gently placed his hand on my lower back.

"You see where I grow up. Is smaller where you live."

He smiled softly at me and when I looked up at him, he suddenly looked much older. When I was with him, I often forgot that he was Russian and that he'd lived through the Soviet collapse - albeit he was very young - and that no doubt his parents and grandparents had lived through hard times. I often forgot that when he had a history outside of being a hockey star.

I kissed his cheek and moved his hand as he took off his shoes. He plopped onto the couch and I took off my sandals and moved beside him. He wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder. I curled into him more and laid my head on his chest. It wasn't long before I fell asleep.

------------

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in Evgeni's huge bed. I stretched and scooted onto his side and pulled his pillow close, nuzzling the soft fabric.

"Mmmm," I groaned as I yawned. He'd raised the windows and the curtains were swaying as the wind blew. Sunlight filled the entire room, and the brightness was enhanced by his all-white bedding. I groaned again.

"Bad morning?" I heard. Evgeni re-entered the room, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts over his boxers.

"Mmm. Why's it so bright?"

I rubbed my eyes to see him more clearly. He walked to the bed and crawled in beside me, wrapping me in his arms.

"Is morning. Is why bright!" He grinned. I buried my head in the crook of neck and sighed as he rubbed my back. "You happy?" He asked softly.

"Yeah.. I am."

"Good. I want you be."

"Your family won't be upset, will they?"

Evgeni chuckled. "With my money, they never mad at me. Is amazing."

I smiled a little and kissed his neck.

"I make food," he said, playing with my hair.

"Want me to help you?"

"No, I make food."

"You made food?"

"Yes."

I smiled and untangled myself from his arms and sat up. "Well then. Why didn't you say so?"

--------------

A/N

Sorry it took so long to update. I was on a flow for a while, then I lost it. XD But I'm going to try to update more often. If you're wondering why this was such a fluff chapter, it's because there's still a bit more left. I'm not done yet. :)

Chapter Twenty-Four

2009-06-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

I was released from the hospital later that afternoon. Confusion, blurry vision, and especially headaches would all be normal for the next week. I got into the taxi that my nurse had called for me. I gave the cabbie my address and then gingerly touched the back of my head. I imagine the pain that followed was the equivalent of a nail puncturing your skull.

Once he stopped at my house, I paid the cabbie his fare and gave him an extra fifty dollars from Evgeni's money. He started to say something, but I talked over him.

"I know how much I gave you. It's an ex's money. Use it well," I said with a wink. He nodded vigorously and put the extra money in his pocket. I slowly got out of the car and made my way to the front door. With each step that I made, a throb in my head responded.

Once inside, I sprawled out on the couch. I felt too tired to move another step. I pulled the quilt that rested on the top of the couch over me and instantly fell back asleep.

-------

During the next week, I slowly recovered. The first day alone was killer. I felt dizzy and sometimes my vision blurred, but that was all normal. I made sure to stay hydrated and I ate healthy - most importantly, I rested.

The texts and calls from Evgeni the first day were endless. At first, they began with the usual "I'm sorry", but the newest ones were pleas of, "call me, let me know you're okay" and "please, please, please answer me". I deleted every voicemail and every text message.

The second day of recovery was better. I didn't feel as nauseated and I was able to walk around for longer periods of time. I still had a few dizzy spells, but my blurry and double vision had ended.

This was the day that I received flowers - a large spray of daisies and tulips in different colors - red, white, orange, and pink. I looked at the card attached to it. It simply said, "Get well soon, Evgeni" in a florist's handwriting. I threw the card away and set the flowers on the kitchen table to add a decorative touch.

By the third day, the only way to tell I had a concussion was the throbbing headache that was left. I had a single dizzy spell when I shot up off the couch too fast to answer the door for the UPS guy. The UPS guy brought me my second, "I'm sorry" present from Evgeni. I signed off for it and slowly walked back to my spot on the couch. Inside was a stuffed penguin and a shirt with his name on the back. A note on the shirt said, "I could use your luck tonight..." Clearly, someone had written the note for him; I'd seen his attempts to write in English and they weren't pretty.

I rolled my eyes and crumpled the note in my hand. "You coulda just sent me flowers," I said with a sigh.

Still, my emotions didn't stop me from watching the Penguins' game that night against Detroit. I curled up with the stuffed penguin and flicked my eyes to my closet where his t-shirt hung. When the game was over and the team had won, I turned off my lamp and fell asleep watching the post-game interviews.

On the fourth day, my headache regressed into periodic throbs. Although the headaches could be pretty bad, I still had a couple of hours in between without pain. This was the day my next "I'm sorry" gift came. This one was small enough to fit inside the mailbox. I carried it inside with the rest of the mail and opened it. A small card saying, "Get well soon" harbored a ticket to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. I arched my eyebrow and threw the card away, keeping the ticket as a souvenir to show my future grandchildren.

"I mean, really, what happened to the flowers?" I asked as I gently touched a daisy in the spray of flowers.

On the fifth day, there was a day's break between games. I was feeling much better and opened the windows throughout the house to let fresh air in. I wasn't used to staying in hemmed up in the house for so long. I caught up on a bit of reading and enjoyed watching daytime TV for the first time in years.

A little after two, I heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I got up as I heard the car door open and close and was at the front door to open it as soon as there was a knock.

Evgeni stood before me in a Penguins' track suit with a cap pulled down over his face.

"Yes?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"I come make sure you okay..." he said, glancing over me.

"I'm fine."

"You get everything..?" he asked softly.

"I got flowers, a penguin, one of your shirts, and a ticket to go watch you get a couple trophies."

He sighed softly and readjusted his cap nervously. "I not know what you like," he admitted softly.

"It's not that hard to figure me out. You've been in my room plenty of times... couldn't you tell something from that?"

"I not pay attention. We alway do other thing," He started. "Beside, what you know of me?"

"I know your favorite color is red and your favorite food is borscht. You like watching kung-fu movies dubbed in Russian and that your favorite band is Ruki Vverh. You started playing hockey when you were about five. One of your most sensitive spots is the area right behind your ear," I said softly. "Want me to go on?"

"No.. I get."

We both were silent for a few minutes. He put his hands in his pockets and stared at my floor as if something magical might come out of it. I kept my arms crossed over my chest and took notes of his hulking figure.

"I never mean feel like this," he said faintly, breaking the silence. "You just suppose be some girl, but you not..."

I didn't say anything. He sighed and moved his head up and took off his cap. His deep brown eyes gazed into mine.

"Evie, I try tell me you not real. That real girl is Oksana, that she my love. But she not. I leave her for you."

"That's funny. You told me she left you for a friend of hers."

"No," he sighed, rubbing his face. "No, I make leave."

"Then why the fuck did you flip out in the hotel?" I demanded. "And I want the truth."

Evgeni's eyes stayed locked firmly on mine for the first time since our ordeal had started. "I mad because I feel I mess up. I see you in bed with Max; you act like do no wrong!" he said firmly. "It not fair. You may not sleep with him, but you still kiss-"

"This is irrelevant when I'm talking to the man who had a girlfriend and then me on the side. Now finish answering my question."

Evgeni's jaw tensed, but he let out a long sigh. His potential flare-up vanished. He softly bit his lip, then continued, "It hurt see you with him. I send her back, see you with him. I got mad because I mess up."

"So why not tell me this in the first place?"

"Is lie to me. I want believe she hurt me so I feel better of let go after what I see with you."

"So what did Max tell you?"

"That I freak out for nothing. That you did nothing. So I believe. I wanted think I make right choice."

"So if you really did know that we didn't sleep together, why did you freak out the day we had sex and go bat-shit insane?"

It took him a minute to process "bat-shit insane", but he got the general tone and put his hands back into his pockets. His eyes stayed locked onto mine.

"I freak out because I realize that I want you."

"Truth. Now."

"That is truth. I freak out because I want you - I not want anyone else before like this."

"So your perfect response is giving me a concussion?" I asked. If his eyes hadn't stayed unblinking in mine, and his body stay comfortable in its spot inches outside my door, I would've thought he was spewing the worst lie ever.

"I not mean to. You not understand; Russian marry Russian. Sometime girl marry American. But most men marry Russian."

"So, what, because I'm not Russian your family won't like me?"

"They like you until time to marry. Then, it Russian bride." He took a small step forward and uncrossed my arms, taking my hands in his. "I have mad problem. I don't deal with problems; never could. Sometime hockey help, sometime not. I see you. I want you. But I know if I with you, my family may not accept. Is frustrate to think of. I take my frustrate out on you. Is not right or good."

Things fell silent between us. Evgeni still held my small hands in his much larger ones. I could feel his rough callouses as they scratched against my soft palm. I slowly took my hands out of his. Hurt visibly reflected in his eyes.

"So what are you going to do? Will your family dictate the course of your life?"

"No. I talk Gonchar. He tell me I get help for mad. He also tell me I not help who I want."

"And so what does this all mean. In a nutshell."

"It mean I go see doctor, get help. It mean no matter what family say, I want be with you. It mean when I get sad or frustrate, I talk you and not take out on you again."

"We can't just pick up where we left off."

"I know," he said, stepping back. He closed the door, and then the doorbell rang. I fought a small smile as I opened the door. He still stood there in the doorway and smiled at me. He stuck out his right hand. "I Evgeni," he said.

I finally smiled and clasped my hand in his. "And I'm Evelyn. But call me Evie."

"Nice meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"I want go Umi's. You come?"

"Only if you're paying, 'cuz I'm broke."

His smile spread a bit more and we moved in for a hug. "I sorry," he said softly. "And is last time you hear it too."

----------

Quick Author's Note:

Sorry about not updating last night! I wasn't feeling very well, so I hit the hay early. This isn't the last chapter of the story, there's still a few more to go. I will be updating tomorrow, provided there isn't a heart-attack inducing acquiring, leaving, or trade tomorrow in the Free Agency. Thank you for reading up to this point! There's still a bit left to go!

Chapter Twenty-Three

2009-06-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Shamefully, I let Evgeni stay so we could make up the best way we knew how. I knew it was wrong, I knew it was sluttish, but I couldn't help it. His hands on my hips were dangerous. His body on top of mine was so provocative. And his lips on mine was just so sinful. I found myself clawing at his back, screaming his name before I could even remember why he hadn't been in my bed to begin with.

Evgeni laid beside me once we were finished. I was used to him cuddling against me and kissing me, but he was suspiciously quiet. I turned on my side to face him and slowly rubbed his chest.

"Evgeni.. are you okay...?" I asked softly. I laid my head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent that was now mixed with a bit of perspiration. I kissed the sensitive spot behind his ear, and I felt his body lightly shiver in response.

"I fine," he answered shortly. He was staring at the ceiling and I wondered if he'd regretted what we'd just done. I nuzzled his neck and closed my eyes, praying that he'd forgiven me. I wrapped my arms around him and help him tight.

"Please talk to me," I said faintly. He grunted in response and took my arms off of him. I looked up at him, hurt, and wondered what I'd done to deserve this reaction.

"I see you with him," Evgeni finally said. He slowly sat up. "I see you with him. I see him, not me."

"But you know that we didn't do anything! Max even told you we didn't!"

He sighed softly and got out of bed and started to dress: boxers, shorts, then shirt. He stayed silent as he grabbed his keys and slid on his flip-flops and searched for his cap. My mind was racing and I couldn't process what was happening. We had been fine this morning - what the fuck had happened?

"So I guess I'm just your own personal slut, huh?" I said as my voice cracked.

"Not start," he seethed. "Not start that."

"Well, it's true. You came over, and you got laid. You won't even talk to me about what might be wrong! You're just leaving! This is unbelievable; I'm a whore."

Evgeni's eyes seemed to darken and his entire body tensed. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The bills he threw out appeared to just levitate in the air as they floated to the bed.

"Now you hooker," he snarled. "Go call Max, make few more."

The suspension in the room ended and now real time returned. I sat in bed and stared at my comforter in disbelief. My hands began to shake before I could fully comprehend what had just happened. Evgeni slammed my bedroom door shut as he left. I wrapped the comforter around me and followed after him.

"Wait! Just WAIT!" I begged. He didn't stop. If he heard me, he didn't show it. He just kept walking with a determined look on his face. "WAIT!"

He opened the front door, but when he started to shut it, I blocked it.

"Go put clothe on," he said darkly. "You want whole city know you?"

I slapped him hard across the face. The resounding crack echoed through the living room. Evgeni was silent for a couple of minutes. His face was reddening as he looked from me, to my hand, and to the wall. He repeated the cycle until he brought his hand up to his lip and let the trickle of blood stain the very tips of his fingers.

I stepped back slowly. If he was mad before, he was absolutely furious now. I took another step back. Evgeni closed the front door and moved closer to me. I thought about bolting, but I already knew he would beat me anywhere I tried to go.

"Why you not let go?" He asked. The lids of his eyes had reddened and he kept sucking his bottom lip. "Why not let leave?"

I closed my eyes and I felt his enormous hands close around my arms. He shook me until the comforter fell around me, leaving me naked to his eyes.

"Shluha vokzal'naja..." he said bitterly. I closed my eyes, wishing I knew Russian. I wished I had some clue as to what was coming. I held my breath and waited for something terrible.

Evgeni finally sighed. I opened my eyes and looked at him. Some of his anger had left him; he wasn't nearly as red-faced. Still, he was angry enough to push me away from him. My feet slid on the comforter that had pooled around my ankles, and I found myself falling backward. I waved my arms to catch myself, but the comforter was slick on the floor. I remembered falling, but I didn't remember anything after.

--------

I woke up later when there was a light shining in my eye. I squeezed both of my eyes shut and hissed. My head began to throb incessantly.

"Ma'am... are you awake? Can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes once the shining light was put away. A middle-aged man with a gray goatee was inches from my face. I blinked my eyes.

"I hear you," I said weakly. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, ma'am. You took quite a nasty fall. What is your name?" he asked, backing off.

"Evelyn."

"And when were you born?"

"October fifteenth."

"What year?"

"Nineteen-ninety."

The man moved aside. Right behind him stood Evgeni, who looked miserable. His eyes were red, but for a different reason than anger. Dried tear-tracks stained his face. He pulled his cap lower when he saw my eyes flick to him.

"Can you recognize this man?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah. His name's Evgeni," I replied softly.

"Alright Evelyn," the doctor started. "You took a nasty spill, but I believe you're alright. You have a concussion, but we haven't found anything severe or alarming. We're gonna let you get your bearings and give you some Tylenol to go home with, alright? Then you're going to need to take it easy for a few days."

I nodded a little and watched as he left the room.

"You scare me," Evgeni nearly whispered.

"I want you to leave," I replied. "What exactly did you tell them anyway?!" I winced when I raised my voice and shut my eyes to keep my head from swimming.

"We play," he muttered.

"And what did they say when they found me naked?"

"You not naked... I dress..."

"You dressed me before getting help?!" My head throbbed worse, but I couldn't contain my anger. "You let me sit on the floor, knocked out, while you dressed me so you wouldn't be held accountable?"

He took a breath, and I knew more than anything he wanted to tell me that he was sorry. I clenched my fists and hissed, staring straight at the ceiling.

"You're going to pay for my doctor bill," I started. "Every fucking penny, you're going to pay. Do you hear me? And if you don't, the doctor will find out exactly how I got my slight concussion. Do you understand?"

Evgeni nodded and sat down in the chair beside the bed. He tried to take my hand but I snatched it from him. I refused to turn my head his way.

"Fuck you," I spat. "I want you to go. I'll hand deliver your bill each month."

"How you get home?" he asked softly.

"I'll take a fucking taxi. Leave me money for that too."

He silently took money out of his wallet and laid it on the table beside the bed. He left the room making very little noise. A couple of minutes after he left, I pressed a button for the nurse to come in.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" One asked as she came into the room.

"Yeah.. I want my doctor back..."

"Ma'am, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm seeing double of everything right now, and quite frankly, it's freaking me out."

Chapter Twenty-Two

2009-06-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

The flight home was lonely and boring, and I felt as if I had a migraine. The morning's events had effectively rendered me useless for the rest of the day. It was hard to form a thought, it was hard to remember what I was doing or wanted to do, and it was hard to even move.

I was sitting next to a fat man who had his laptop out on the folded-down tray. My head seemed to throb in time with every keystroke his sausage-like fingers made. Behind me, a mother and her small child were giggling as they played some kind of game to stay occupied. The shrill sounds of their laughter seemed to cut straight through my brain. In front of me, a person (I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman) was blaring hard rock music from his or her iPod. I could hear the angry cursing and wild guitar perfectly clear, and it was annoying me further.

"Excuse me," I said to the man next to me. "I need to get up to use the restroom." I needed a few quiet minutes away from these people and the only safe-haven on a plane was in the bathroom.

"Can't ya see I'm workin'?" He said angrily, motioning to the screen. "Can ya wait a minute lady?"

I closed my eyes and fought the urge to slap his face clear off his head. I took in a deep breath.

"Sir, I've had a terribly shitty morning and I am not in a good mood. I have a headache the size of the Grand Canyon, and if you don't let me up to use the bathroom, so help me God, I will tear off your head and shit down your throat. That's the kind of mood I'm in, and I'm not even PMSing yet. And let's hope to God that doesn't start while we're on this plane," I finished calmly. My voice never wavered and I used a polite tone. The man had stopped typing and looked at me as though I was insane - though, I couldn't say I blamed him. Carefully, he shut his laptop and lifted the fold-up tray so that I could squeeze by.

I felt dizzy as I walked toward the bathroom, but I kept taking deep breaths to stay steady. Once I was inside one of the tiny spaces and the door was shut tight, I turned on the sink and splashed some water on my face.

This morning had not been a great one. Once I'd pushed Max off of me, I put on my clothes from the night before and went back down the hallway. I pounded on the door to Evgeni's room, and he opened it, still-flushed and clearly angry.

"What you want?!" he spat.

"I came to get my stuff, I'm going to the airport," I replied, pushing past him. I grabbed my bags and stuffed my dirty clothes on the floor inside of it.

"I try forgive you, for what you say yesterday. Now you do this?!" he fumed, waving his arms in the air. "Is why Kris come here? Because you fuck last night!"

"I didn't fuck anyone, last night or this morning."

Evgeni's huge hand swiped one of room's lamps from its place on the small table. It crashed onto the floor and I could hear the bulb break. I stared at the mess on the floor.

"LOOK AT ME," he raged again, slamming his hands down on the table. I jumped at the noise and my eyes were instantly attached to his - his nearly-black, red-rimmed eyes. "You think me idiot?!" he spat. "You think I not know English, I idiot?!"

"I think you're a royal asshole right now! What, you think you're gonna solve things by breaking lamps and pounding your fists!?" My resolve was breaking. I wasn't sure what Evgeni would or wouldn't do at this point. For once, I was scared.

"Get out," he said, much softer than he had been. "Just get out. Go home."

I didn't want to stick around to see if his temper would flare up again, so I grabbed my bags and practically ran out of the hotel.

A knocking on the bathroom door brought me out of my trance.

"Just a minute," I said, splashing water on my face. I felt miserable. I'd thought that getting revenge on Evgeni would feel great, but it only made me feel like a terrible person. I sighed and stepped out of the bathroom, making the trek back to my seat.

--------

My parents were gone by the time I got back. Really, it didn't surprise me. I dropped my bags in the living room and went straight to my room, slamming my door angrily although no one was around to witness my tantrum. I collapsed on my bed and rubbed my aching temples.

When that didn't work, I pulled a pillow over my face.

"Please just suffocate, please just die," I thought to myself. It became a chant in my mind. "Please suffocate... please suffocate."

Then, when it really did start to get uncomfortable to breathe, I pulled the pillow off. "God, I suck," I said out loud. I rolled out of the bed and peeled off my clothes and walked naked to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and examined myself.

My fake-shit-green eyes were still as fake and shitty-green as ever. My wavy brown hair was uncontrollable and hard to style. My skin was still pale. And I knew lurking underneath my makeup was my dusting of freckles waiting to pop out. Sighing, I reached in the cabinet and pulled out my contact solution and case. Within a few seconds, I had my contacts out, and my fake-shit-green eyes turned into their natural brown-shit colored eyes.

What was it that Evgeni saw in me? Why would he want to keep fooling around with me when he had a goddess at his beck-and-call? I wasn't ugly by any means, but I also wasn't knockout gorgeous. People always said I was "cute" or sometimes I got "pretty". But I didn't get the "beautifuls" and "gorgeouses" that even Mary got. So what was it?

I turned on the water and poured my bubble bath into the water. I slid inside once it was filled and at the perfect temperature. My muscles relaxed and I sighed softly, enjoying my warm bath.

--------

The next morning, I was awakened by the door bell. I groaned and pulled on a pair of sweats over my sleep shorts and a sweatshirt over my tank top. With a yawn, I opened the door and put a hand over my eyes as the morning light flooded in.

Standing in front of me was Evgeni, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He wore a hole-ridden t-shirt and a pair of shorts with bleach spots on them; his cap was pulled low down over his eyes. In his hands was a bouquet of pretty carnations.

"You came dressed to impress," I said snottily. As guilty as I had felt about our situation, I was still angry enough to muster rudeness towards him. "What do you want?"

"I come say sorry. I talk Max... he tell me you two not do sex," he said softly, his eyes darting to the ground. "I come in?"

I thought about telling him no. But his scent filled the air around me and all I really wanted to do was fling my arms around his neck and kiss all over his face. He offered me the red and white carnations with a small, hopeful smile. I took them from him and set them on coffee table.

"So you think you can give me flowers and you're forgiven?" I huffed.

Evgeni sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I come explain."

"Explain what?"

"Yesterday morning. Why I mad."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm listening."

"I get off phone Oksana. She tell me she go back Russia, marry friend who rich. First, I get mad. I think, why she leave me? What I do? Then I realize we be together and she not there. So, I get Kris's key, get breakfast, go see in room. Then, you there with Max. I get mad because I feel two woman hurt me."

"That's still no reason to break things and slam things around."

"I know. I know I act bad. But I sorry, and now we be together. No Oksana," he said hopefully.

"We'll talk about it - later. But first you have to prove that you can be faithful. I won't be like Oksana and let flings go."

"Is fine. I over fling."

"I mean it, Evgeni. You've really put me through hell the last couple of months that I've known you. And I'm just tired of never knowing what your next move is going to be."

He cupped my face with his hands and kissed my forehead.

"I know how feel now. Don't worry."

Chapter Twenty-One

2009-06-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Max and I walked and explored the streets of Detroit together. Somewhere deep down, I realized that it wasn't the best decision to explore such a huge city with a man that you barely know - let alone one that wants to have sex with you. But I was mad at Evgeni, and that anger overruled rational thought.

So I let Max show me his favorite spots in the city - or, rather, his favorite spots near the hotel and Joe Louis Arena. I was content because he'd bought me ice cream, he seemed like a nice guy on the whole, and I was away from the Russian.

"You seem pre-occupied," he said smoothly, looking over to me.

"You gave me ice cream. Of course I'm pre-occupied."

"I know we haven't talked about what you said earlier-"

"No, really, I meant it," I said firmly. I thought about trying to lick the ice cream from my spoon in a sexy way, but before I embarrassed myself, I realized that only porn stars know how to do that. Shrugging, I took another bite.

"I know you're mad at Evgeni."

"Understatement of the year."

"But that doesn't mean you should just sleep with the first thing you see."

"I usually don't sleep with them," I said casually. His brows furrowed a bit. "I give them blowjobs."

Max stopped dead in his tracks while I kept walking. I scraped the bottom of the plastic container with my spoon, trying to get the last of the ice cream.

"Wait up!" I heard him call. I looked back as he semi-jogged his way to catch up with me. "I didn't hear that," he said.

"Hear what?" I asked nonchalantly. I threw the container away along with my spoon.

"What you said."

"And what did I say?"

Max growled. "C'mon, I have to get ready for the game."

I smirked and wiped my hands on my pants and began to walk back to the hotel.

----

Max took me to the room where he'd stayed the previous night and introduced me to two more of Evgeni's teammates: Kris and Sid. Kris was overly shy and overly adorable because of it. He rarely moved his sight from the TV screen where he and Sid had managed to rig an X-box. Sid was a bit more outgoing and wasn't nearly as concentrated on the screen.

I lounged on one of the beds as the boys took turns playing a shooting game. When nap time came, I laid at the end of the bed where Max was resting and watched TV on low. After a little while, I got up and laid out all three of their suits and ironed their shirts the best that I could with the cheap iron from the hotel.

By the time I was finished, they began to rouse from their naps and get ready. I got Max's room card from him so I could go back to mine and Evgeni's room to change.

"Be good," he said as I left. I dreaded going into the room and facing Evgeni since this morning.

I stood outside of the door for a few minutes and took in a deep breath as I slid the card in the slot. I walked in unannounced and silent. Evgeni was already mostly dressed. He looked at me when I came in, but didn't say anything while I gathered my clothes for the night. I changed in the middle of the room and I could feel his eyes on me as I did. He leaned against the wall and watched me as I moved on to the bathroom, where I brushed my teeth and fixed my hair and reapplied my makeup.

"You still mad?" he finally spoke.

"That's a dumb question."

He sighed and rubbed his face. "I tired."

"Me too."

"No, I tired. I tired try please everyone."

I leaned on the door frame opposite him. "You can't please everyone, Evgeni. No one can. You have to do what makes you happy, and if the person loves you, they can come along for the ride."

"You love me?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going back to Max's and then I'm gonna come get my stuff tonight."

"No, wait!" he said as he grabbed my arm. I moved out of his grip and walked back down the hall. I didn't feel like dealing with his shit.

------

With a back-to-back loss, no one was in a great mood that night. I returned to Max's room before all three returned, laying on one of the beds. The three boys walked in dejected, but their moods seemed to be lighter than what I had expected. They undressed to comfortable clothes and Max slid in beside me.

Kris and Sid were building a huge wall of pillows to separate them in the other bed. Max was noticeably amused.

"I managed to take over the bed by sneaking in the bed and cuddling with Kris last night," he said laughing. "The guy thought he'd been raped when he woke up to me!"

"I'm still not sure that I wasn't," Kris spat, putting the final pillow in between he and Sid. "He said he'd just sleep with Sid, but he ended up tormenting me!"

Sid rolled his eyes. "It'd be nice if the captain got a bed to himself once in a while. Every time someone gets the boot from their room, they always come to mine first. And guess who has to have a bed mate by the end of it all? I have no idea why you fuckers are complaining."

Kris and Max ignored his complaint.

"Well," Max started. "I have an excellent bedmate tonight!"

I laughed and lightly pushed him. Kris got a horrified look on his face.

"Oh, fuck this, I'm rooming with Geno. He's got an extra bed in the room," he said while shaking his head. He gathered his pillows and left the room.

Sid looked mildly pleased. "Look, if you two must, just be quiet, okay?" He settled into bed and fully stretched out.

"We'll see," Max said with a wink to me. "Hey, if you wanna change, you can steal a shirt and shorts from my bag."

"Thanks," I said, getting up. "I meant to go get my stuff from Evgeni's room, but after the game, I felt like crap and didn't want to see him."

Max nodded and relaxed in bed. I picked out the cleanest looking shirt and the cleanest looking pair of basketball shorts and went to the bathroom to change. Once out, I dropped my clothes beside the bed and placed a pillow between Max and I.

"Hey, I thought we were sleeping together tonight!" he said.

"And I thought you said that I didn't have to sleep with the first thing I saw."

"But you promised a blowjob."

"We'll see."

Max huffed and turned out the light. He seemed to settle down quickly, and before long, his and Sid's soft breathing filled the room as they slept.

------

The next morning, I was wakened by Max hovering on top of me.

"Oh God," I groaned. "Please tell me you didn't do anything morally shameful."

He laughed and rolled off of me. "No, I just like to use the element of surprise as a wake-up call."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my face.

"Where's Sid?" I asked.

"Breakfast. He and some of the guys went out to get pancakes."

"Ugh... I need to get up and pack, but I don't have the strength. My flight leaves at two."

"For the short time we've known each other, I'll miss you."

"You'll see me around in Pittsburgh..."

"I hope so," he said with a smile. His hand rested on my thigh and he slowly ran his hand up and down. He moved up on his side and looked down at me, as if asking for permission. Under normal circumstances, I would've said no, but this was revenge.

I leaned up and kissed him, ignoring the scratch of his beard. He moved back over me again and his hands roamed under my shirt.

In the midst of undressing, neither of us heard the click from the room key being inserted in the slot, nor did we hear the door open.

But we did hear the resounding "BLYADISCHA*!" that filled the room. Max and I looked over at Evgeni who was red-faced and mad. He threw the coffee and danish he was carrying to the ground as he walked out.

I sighed and pushed Max off before it got any further. If Evgeni was hurting, let him hurt. Now he'd know how it felt to be me.

-------------

*Blyadischa means "whore" in Russian. I tried typing it into a standard translator and it wouldn't translate, so I'm just putting the meaning here. :)

Chapter Twenty

2009-06-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twenty

In the morning, I was not woken by sunlight coming in. Nor was I woken by Evgeni for a quick morning tryst. I was not woken by an alarm, or by a maid knocking on the door.

Instead, I was woken by a shirtless man with a grizzled beard strutting into the room as if he owned the place. When I reached back for Evgeni, he wasn't there. I felt a bit panicked until the man spoke.

"Don't freak out, okay? I'm his roommate. I had to come see what he kicked me out for!" he announced. If the game last night had tired this man out even a little, he didn't seem to show it. I let out a sigh of relief.

"I was pretty sure I was about to get raped by a lumberjack," I muttered.

The man laughed loud. When he settled, he said, "Sorry. I get that I look like a lumberjack a lot. It cracks me up each time!"

"So now that you've seen what Evgeni's one-night-stand looks like, can you leave so I can take a shower?"

The man sat down on the other bed. "Pffft. We all know about you. We all know that you're his most favorite mistress!" he said with a wink. "Besides, I room with the guy. Neither of us have qualms about the other being in the room while we fuck a girl. And she always leaves by morning."

"Hmm. Well, as comforting as that is, I'd still like you to leave."

His eyes glittered with amusement. "But you don't know my name!"

I huffed. "What's your name?"

"Maxime Talbot - Superstar."

"Wow. I'm speechless."

"I know, eh? Now, mademoiselle, what is your name?"

"Evie."

"Ahhh, trés belle!"

"Your French doesn't impress me."

Max frowned a bit, but then his eyes lit up.

"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

I threw a pillow directly in his face.

------

Evgeni had been ticked at Max for barging in, and he apologized profusely to me. He'd gone to get breakfast for us - hoping I'd still be asleep when he got back - and was met with a half-naked Max parading down the hallway.

"I sorry!" he said as soon as he came in.

"You've been saying that a lot lately," I replied as I got up to take a shower. Once I was showered and dressed for the day, he handed me a danish pastry. "Mmm... thanks."

"Yeah. Not fair you eat that and I eat muffin," he said with a pout. I couldn't help but laugh at his sad face.

"So," I started with a mouthful of danish. "What do you have to do today?"

"Game tonight."

"Besides that."

"Take nap later."

"Besides that."

"Go warm-up...?" He said sheepishly.

"Do you ever do anything fun while you're on the road?"

"Sometime. Not always." His cell phone began to ring and he answered it quickly, speaking in rapid-fire Russian. His facial features tensed as he hissed into the phone before finally calming down. It seemed as if all of his energy had left him. "Ya tebya lyublyu," he said softly before ending the conversation.

Great. He was probably apologizing for something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He looked startled to see me, as if I hadn't been with him for about seventeen hours.

"Nothing. Is Gonch. He try talk me."

"About what?"

"Girls," he said firmly, as if he was challenging me. His eyes locked with mine, and the look he gave me dared me to say anything else.

I dared. "Why are you getting so defensive? You're all pissed off now."

"I have much worry about," he said calmly.

"That doesn't mean you can be all asshole-y with me. I don't deserve the shortness and the glare you're giving me."

"I not have time for this," he sighed, standing up. "I need get ready for tonight."

"What was Gonchar telling you about girls?" I pushed.

"Nothing."

"Tell me!"

"Oksana said leave them alone!" he half yelled. Then, once he realized what name he'd uttered, he shrank back from me and sighed. "Gonch.. Gonch say leave alone."

I couldn't help but shake my head. "You're unbelievable. Why the fuck would you answer her call with me around? Especially after what you said last night!"

"I sorry-"

"I am sick and tired of hearing that you're sorry!" I said, wanting to cry. "I came all this way by myself for you and you can't even stop talking to her for a day!"

He bit his bottom lip. I half-expected him to say he was sorry, but instead, he walked to the hotel door and opened it.

"Come back later. I need get ready for tonight."

I huffed and left the room. As I stormed down the hall, I felt a hand grab my arm. I wheeled around to slap the person, but my hand was caught before any damage could be done.

"Max!" I breathed. "You scared me to death..."

"Where are you going in such a hurry... you fight with loverboy?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

Max's eyes twinkled with mischief as he let me go. He put his hands in his pockets.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

I cut my eyes up to his. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"

Chapter Nineteen

2009-06-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Chapter Nineteen

I felt lost as soon as I exited the plane in Detroit's airport. On shaky legs, I went to the baggage claim and picked up my two bags. I found an empty seat in the terminal and sat down. I pulled out my cell phone to call Evgeni.

"Hello?" he yawned.

"I'm here.. I'm in Detroit."

"Oh. Get cab, tell them go Comfort Inn."

"Okay.. what do I do once I get there."

"Well, I be gone for game. But you go room four-thirty. I put key in coke machine. You drop bag and get ready. You take cab to game."

"I'll see you in a little while then."

"Bye," he said softly while stifling a yawn.

"Bye," I said as he hung up. I put my cell phone away and hailed a taxi outside. I told the driver where to go and watched all of the tall buildings as we drove further into Detroit. Even though it was early June, the city made me shiver. It was so much bigger than Pittsburgh, and there was a constant flow of shady-looking people.

I was relieved when we finally made it to the hotel. I paid the cabbie and grabbed my bags and headed in. The receptionist looked at me when I came in.

"My friend already checked us in," I explained quickly. The woman rose her eyebrows but said nothing else. I got in the elevator and let out a long sigh. Finally, the elevator dinged, and I slowly stepped out. The hallway was empty.

I scoped out room four-thirty and set my bags outside the door. Then I hunted for the vending machines. The huge Coke one was first. I reached in as if to get a drink and got the key Evgeni promised. I walked back to the room and got inside with no problem.

Evgeni was obviously staying here. The room smelled like him and his bag was open with his clothes spilling out all over the floor. The bed was unmade where he'd taken his afternoon nap. I slowly crawled in his spot and nestled into the pillows. I'd missed him. As much as I wanted to be mad and hate him, I had missed him so much.

I didn't lay still for too long. I got up and took a quick shower and fixed my hair and makeup. I wore a plain black t-shirt with my gold hoop earrings. I wished that I had bought a shirt - jerseys were incredibly expensive - but since I hadn't, the black shirt would have to do.

I tucked some money in my jean pocket, along with my driver's license and ticket. With a final look in the mirror, I headed out of the door and started to make my way to Joe Louis Arena.

------

I was seated between two Red Wings fans who loved popcorn. That's important, because throughout the game when the Red Wings scored or Zetterberg or Lidstrom or Osgood did something impressive, I was showered with popcorn. And those two got more popcorn each intermission.

It was hot and cramped and I was in the mid-seats. It was too far away to see the ice clearly, but I wasn't far enough away to view the screen. To make everything worse, the Penguins lost this game. I watched as they dejectedly skated off the ice, and I dejectedly walked from the arena.

I called Evgeni once I was outside. I sat on the steps where the flood of fans had yet to reach.

"'lo?" He said very softly.

"Hey.. I was sitting out here.. I just - I wondered what you wanted me to do."

"Go back hotel. I be there."

"Okay..."

I hung up the phone and hailed a taxi.

"Bad night for the Pens, eh?" He asked, watching me in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah... tough break."

I looked away from the rearview and focused on the outside city. It was just too big for its own good. Instead of seeming grand, it seemed that its hugeness reminded everyone of everything it didn't have. I sighed and placed my head against the cool window.

"Miss, we're here," the cabbie said gruffly. I paid him my fare and slowly walked into the hotel. I felt as tired as Evgeni probably did and I hadn't done anything all night. Once in the elevator, I let out another sigh. I wanted to talk to him about things between us, but if I was too tired, he certainly was.

I changed clothes once back in the room and turned back the bed that hadn't been slept in. Before I could get comfortable, the door opened and Evgeni came in, dropping his stuff on the floor.

"I not think you really come," he said tiredly.

"Here I am," I replied, sitting up.

He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed the top of my head.

"I miss you.. you no call me last week."

"Because I was still upset, Evgeni... I don't know how much clearer I can be."

His hand came up to cup my cheek.

"Can't you understand?" He said softly. "Is not choice I make."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb.

"I no want you cry..."

"I don't want to cry. But you don't understand me."

"You no understand me."

I sniffled and he pulled me to him and started to play with my hair.

"I can't be with you while you're with her too," I said firmly.

He loosed his grip on me and stopped his hand from running through my hair.

"You think me want be?" He asked, his eyes searching mine. "You think me want be with her?"

"Obviously, if you're still with her."

"I tell you why-"

"That's NOT a good enough reason. Look, I don't want to sound mean or possessive, but can't you see that you hurt both of us when you go to the other? When I saw Oksana the other day, I felt sorry for her. I felt like a terrible person. You're her partner, and I'm the odd one out."

He placed his hand back on my face and slowly stroked my cheek with his thumb. I closed my eyes and leaned into his palm in spite of myself. He softly sighed kissed my head.

"If I leave her, you be happy?" he asked.

"I'll only ever be happy if you are."

"You make me happy."

"Then I would be happy," I said softly. He kissed me and then got up to change. I laid back down and closed my eyes. Before long, I felt him lift the covers and pull me to him. I happily snuggled into him as he turned out the light.

That night, I prayed for the first time since I was a child. I prayed that God would forgive me for this, and I prayed that if Evgeni kept his word and left Oksana, that she would find happiness. I prayed that if Evgeni and I did have a true relationship, that he would be faithful to me and not like he had been to other women.

Chapter Eighteen

2009-06-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

Chapter Eighteen

I laid in my bed and scrolled through the numbers in my phone. I had over one hundred contacts. Over one hundred. At some point in meeting these people, I'd felt safe and confident enough in our friendship - or, rather, acquaintanceship - to swap information with them. Over one hundred people to contact, and I couldn't call a single one. Over one hundred people to call, text, or e-mail, and I couldn't trust a single one to talk to me. I couldn't confide in a single person.

I felt more alone than ever. I hadn't seen my parents in weeks; they called to check in on me, and they sent me money in the mail. But they weren't here when I needed them the most. I had no other family. My friends had truly deserted me. And I wasn't sure if I could face Evgeni again knowing his girlfriend - fiance? - was so devastated. I wondered exactly what my gift was. I wondered why she could put up with him whoring, but not with me.

I scrolled back through my phone. Mary? Brandon? Joe? Nathan? Alex? Would any of them talk to me? I sighed and threw my phone across the room. It was hopeless.

I listened as the front door opened and I heard heavy footsteps. The door to my room opened and my dad peeked his head in.

"Pumpkin," he said softly. "We're home."

"Alright," I said just quiet. He shut the door behind him and I heard his heavy footsteps plod down the hall. I pulled my pillow to me and closed my eyes. It had been a long, long day.

------

I woke up late the next morning when my dad came into the room.

"Pumpkin, there's someone here for you," he said.

"Who?"

"I don't know. I can't halfway understand him."

I turned over to face the doorway. My dad nodded at me and moved aside. Evgeni came in once he left and shut the door behind him.

"What do you want?" I asked. My throat was sore.

He ran his hand through his hair.

"Say sorry," he said gruffly. "I sorry. Want say to you."

"You said sorry a hundred times on the phone. It doesn't change anything."

"So I come say now. I say sorry."

I sighed and sat up, pulling the cover around me. Evgeni sat down on the edge of the bed. My eyes were blurred from tears I held back.

"I sorry-"

"Just STOP," I interrupted. He sharply turned his head toward me as if he were slapped. "I don't want to hear that you're sorry. I want to hear what you're going to do. I want to hear if it's me or her, or if you're leaving us both."

Evgeni was silent for a long time. He looked down at his hands and sighed heavily.

"I not know what do. She calm for time. She say I not see you. But am here..."

"Oh, I'm so glad you disobeyed your girlfriend. Thanks a-fucking-lot."

"Don't be mad. I SORRY. What you want from me?!" He asked, raising his arms in the air.

"I want you to either shit or get off the pot! I want you to either commit to her, or commit to me, but stop dangling me along thinking that maybe I have a chance with you."

"You have chance! You with me!" he sputtered.

"It's not right, Evgeni! It's not right to have a girlfriend and some chick on the side!"

He sighed again and pulled out a manilla envelope and tossed it in my lap.

"You not chick," he said softly. "Is hard when you made to do something."

"And what are you made to do?"

"Marry her."

"Who's making you?"

"I say I do years ago."

"But you aren't married."

"No, I not married. But I give word."

"That's not married. You don't have a commitment to her."

Evgeni sighed softly.

"What you want me do?"

"I want you to do what makes you happy, whether it's with her or me or someone else entirely," I said honestly. He reached out and gently touched my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Ya tebya lyublyu," he said softly. He kissed my forehead and stood up. "Graduation gift is in there," he said while pointing toward envelope. "Oksana give back me."

He walked out before I could say thank you for my gift, whatever it was. I gently fingered the edge of the envelope. I wondered what he'd said in Russian... probably that he was sorry again. Sometimes he switched back in forth from English to Russian when he forgot that I couldn't understand it.

I sighed and opened the envelope and dumped the contents into my lap. I picked up a smaller envelope with the name of an airline across of it. I furrowed my brows and opened it. Inside were two plane tickets to Detroit for next week's games. I could almost feel my heart stop beating. Also in the pile were tickets for the Detroit games and for the Penguins' games. I closed my eyes and set them on my night stand before I closed my eyes.

Was that what Oksana had meant? That I was the exception of Evgeni's fucks because he was inviting me to his games? I wondered if he'd done this before, if he'd taken some of his other women to his games.

I felt so exhausted. So I did the only logical thing. I fell back asleep.

-------

The next week, I found myself at the at the airport checking in my bags. I had resolved that I wouldn't go, that I couldn't go. But then, when the morning came, I felt that I had to go. So I quickly packed and went to the airport.

Once my bags were checked in, I waited in the terminal for them to announce my flight. I held my phone in my hand. I debated on calling Evgeni. I had never been out of the state before, so I had no idea how I was going to navigate my way around Detroit.

I sighed and finally gave in, calling his cell phone.

"Evie?!" he said when he answered.

"It's me," I said softly. "I'm boarding the plane... I just wanted to know what to do when I got there."

"Don't worry... I figure out."

"Evgeni, we have to talk big time once we're there."

"I know. We talk, I promise."

"Okay.. I'll see you soon."

"Bye," he said softly. I heard him hang up, yet I kept the phone to my ear as if he'd pop back on. I slowly closed my phone after a couple of minutes. Shortly after, the stewardess called my flight for boarding. I nestled into my first-class seat. Evgeni had spared no expense with my tickets.

I buckled my seat belt and closed my eyes. This was going to be a long trip.

Chapter Seventeen

2009-06-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Chapter Seventeen

I woke up early the next morning and stretched out in my bed. The sun peeked through the windows and formed lines across my bed. Evgeni wasn't beside me. He was still in Carolina, and would be for a couple of more days.

I rose out of bed and remembered the conversation from last night. A small smile tugged at my lips as I quickly rushed to the shower. I wanted to get Evgeni's errand done so I could call him. Once I was out, I threw on a ragged Pirates t-shirt and jeans. Who was I dressing up for?

I slipped on my flip-flops, grabbed my purse, and headed to the bus stop. This morning was clear and crisp. Goosebumps raised on my arms from the slight chill, but I was happy. Evgeni had won last night, and he trusted me enough to go to his house for him. I beamed more.

By the time the bus stopped in Sewickley, I was walking on clouds. I happily skipped through the neighborhood and wondered what the rich people looking out of their windows were thinking as I worked my way through their neighborhood in my ragged Pirates shirt and ripped jeans. Would they think me homeless? A run-away? Or just a punk kid?

The thought made me smile more.

Finally, I stood in front of the great house Evgeni now called home. I wondered what on earth he needed a house so big for. Going the extra mile, I opened his mail-box for him to collect any mail. There was none. Shrugging, I began to whistle as I searched his garden for the fake rock. It sat half-buried under a bush. I opened the small compartment, took out the key, and opened the door.

The alarm didn't go off. I shrugged again and walked inside.

"He said it led to the backyard..." I said softly to myself. I closed the entrance door and kept walking inside.

Sitting in the living room, with the TV on and ripped wrapping paper and card in her hands, was a beautiful blonde woman. A bottle of wine sat on the table beside her, and I could smell cigarette smoke.

"Excuse me," I said shakily. "But Evgeni asked me to-"

She cut me off. "I wonder what he ask," she said hotly in thickly-accented English. "He ask you come here his house?"

"Yes."

She got up and threw the paper and card toward me.

"I guess this is you then. Evelyn."

I watched as the wrapping paper fell like confetti at my feet. My card was torn and wrinkled and crumbled.

"I put up with much. I deal with much. But I not stand American bitch try go too far," she started. "You think me mean, you think me cruel, but I work HARD."

I watched Oksana as her body shook and her face heated with rage. She pointed a slender finger at me. "You not see Evgeni no more. I come back stay. I come surprise him and see this!" She gestured about the room as if it were grandly decorated. "I give up much see him. You will NOT take away from me!"

I couldn't help but tremble. I couldn't be mad at her or hate her. I was the other woman. I was wrecking her life, not the other way around. My lip quivered and I started to back up.

"I do everything for him!" She said as she began to wail. "I teach English, I cook, I clean, I advise! I put up with other women! But I can't take this! Not this extreme!"

I wanted to comfort her, but what could I say? Sorry for fucking your boyfriend - no, fiance. That would hardly go over well. I tried to squeak out some form of apology, but my voice was too taut. Instead, I turned heel and ran. Ran back to the bus stop. And ran back home.

-------

Despite the events of the afternoon, I answered when Evgeni called. He was in another fantastic mood, having beat the Hurricanes for a full sweep. I tried my best to stay upbeat throughout his stories of the game and after-game activities, but it was hard to keep my voice from cracking. Evgeni didn't seem to notice. Then, finally, he changed the subject.

"So, you go check door?" he asked with a playful hint to his voice.

"Yes."

"And?" he asked with a hopeful tone.

I sighed. "Oksana was there."

All of the happiness from our conversation was instantly wiped away.

"But.. she not come.. for month.. she not come.." He stuttered.

"I didn't know she'd come back at all," I said harshly. "Last I heard, she despised America."

"I sorry, Evie..."

"No.. I'm sorry.. I'm sorry I ever believed you.."

"Evie, you must know. Is hard for me."

"What's hard for you? Have one of us or neither of us."

"Is harder than that."

I stayed silent. I knew if that if I could see Evgeni, he'd have his eyes squeezes shut as he mouthed words to practice for an English sentence that gave him trouble. Yet, I was wrong.

"I sorry," he finally sighed. "I so sorry."

Chapter Sixteen

2009-06-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Chapter Sixteen

With playoff hockey in full swing, Evgeni and I didn't get a lot of time to be together. But, when he was in town, he always managed to find time to come to my house. His visits gave me a reason to clean up the entire place, not just my areas. Not that it mattered - we didn't venture too far out of my bedroom, and even then, it was just to the bathroom.

It was the night before the Penguins would be going to Carolina for two games. Evgeni was sitting at my computer desk with his feet propped up as if he were a major executive. He wore only a pair of gray sweats, and in his lap were pamphlets I'd collected of different colleges. He studied them hard, but I knew he couldn't read them.

"Where you go...?" he asked, looking at the pictures inside all of them. He was looking through a brochure for Ohio State.

"University of Pittsburgh," I replied.

"Why?"

"Why not? It's close and there's no out-of-state tuition."

Evgeni shrugged and put my pamphlets back inside my desk drawer. He started poking around inside.

"Is there any reason why you're snooping?" I asked, flipping through TV channels.

"Bored," he said simply. "Beside, I no read. You secret safe."

He winked at me and continued looking through my stuff. After a few minutes, he got up and plopped on the bed beside me. I smiled to myself when he wrapped his arms around me and all I could think about was how I never wanted this to end or him to leave. He smelled so good - he'd just taken a shower and brought along his body wash that he buys in Russia. I'd never seen it before or smelled it before. But on him, it was the most titillating smell.

"You should rest. It's already 9:30."

"Okay, but I ask first."

"Ask what?"

"I ask where you parent are."

"I dunno. They called yesterday and said they were both taking a couple days off and going to Hershey for a mini-vacation."

"Why not you go?"

"Because.. my mini-vacation is right here..." I said provocatively. I ran my hands down his chest and past his stomach to rub his thigh. His eyes drooped and he sucked in his bottom lip. "You're so sensitive!" I said with a laugh.

He growled and bit my shoulder playfully. Keeping his arms around me, he closed his eyes and kissed my cheek. He'd dropped the question about my parents, but it wasn't the first time he'd asked me. It seemed to genuinely bother him, but often, I found ways of distracting him from the subject. He'd learn to accept their absence with time.

------

By the time Evgeni woke up the next morning, I had his suit laid out and his white button-down ironed. There was breakfast on the table and I was already dressed. He enjoyed being spoiled in this way, and he was smiling when he came into the kitchen.

"Is why I come here," he purred into my ear while I poured him a glass of juice. He'd yet to take his shower and was still in his sweats, which was fine with me. I smiled and handed him his glass.

"You've got to be at the airport by ten. Better hurry," I said with a wink. He sat down and ate and then hopped into the shower. I began to understand why there such things as housewives in the world. Before Evgeni started staying over some nights, I thought housewives were the biggest wastes of space. But seeing him smile and enjoy his special attention was enough to make me always want to cater to him. Which was weird for me.

But the thought of housewives always brought back the thought of Oksana. She was still out there, looming in Russia. And Russia was where Evgeni's heart was. He loved his country greatly. And even if he did care about me, I wasn't Russian. I would always be American. Even worse - he'd yet to commit to tell me whether or not he'd officially left Oksana. I could always see her beautiful, confident smile in her head. What did she care what he did in America? He'd always come back to her.

I shivered and tried my hardest to make those thoughts leave my mind. I snapped out of my state when I heard Evgeni walking down the hall. He was dressed in his suit with his bag in one hand, ready to go. I smiled as he leaned down and kissed me.

"I call you," he said softly. "I will."

"And I'll answer. Good luck and kick Hurricane ass."

He smiled at me and walked out the door. I imagined that he was leaving for work, that he'd be home for dinner after his 9 to 5. I imagined that later that night, we'd sit together on the couch and watch TV and cuddle. I imagined we'd have the rest of our night to ourselves, doing as we pleased before we roused at 7 to start the day over again, when he'd go to work, and I'd stay patiently waiting for him to come home again. Why did I ever give housewives a bad rep?

--------

"I need you do something," Evgeni said while stifling a yawn. He called me from his hotel room after they had beaten the Hurricanes. He'd excitedly chattered about it, extremely happy with the team performance.

"And what's that?" I asked softly, rubbing my eyes. He'd woken me up from a wonderful sleep, but I couldn't care less. I just loved hearing his voice.

"I need you go my house."

"First, why? Second, I don't have a key. Third, I don't know your alarm code."

"I need you go and see if I leave door unlock. There is hidden key. Is 7171."

"Okay, which door? Where is it? And you're full of yourself."

"Is door that lead to back yard. Key is hid in fake rock. And is easy to remember."

"Alright... I'll go in the morning."

"Thank you."

I smiled softly.

"Goodnight, Evgeni."

"Goodnight."

I hung up the phone and laid back down with a smile on my face. He'd won the game, he'd be home before too long, and I'd get to go to his house at least. I hadn't ever seen it besides the living room and his bedroom. I closed my eyes and bunched my blanket in my hand. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Fifteen

2009-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

Chapter Fifteen

Evgeni opened the passenger door for me and took my hand to help me out. He leaned down and softly kissed me as he closed the door. I felt my entire body heat up as I felt his lips. He looked down at me and ran his thumb across my cheek.

"I.. I w-want you," I said shakily.

He smiled a little.

"Take me in," he said as he nodded to the door. I gripped my keys in my hand and went to unlock the door. I felt extremely aware of each move he made. Even with my back turned as I unlocked the door, I knew he was leaning against the side of my front porch. His button down shirt was undone for a couple of buttons, and it showed off his smooth chest - I could happily imagine how it looked in the moonlight. But more than anything, I was aware of his eyes raking down my back.

I smirked a bit to myself and lightly shouldered the door to get it opened.

"It's not a mansion, but it'll do," I said softly, shutting and locking the door behind him. He nodded a bit, still looking at me. He didn't give a damn where we were, I knew. He would've happily fucked me on the hood of his Porsche if there weren't neighbors around.

I led him to my room and shut the door firmly behind me once he was in. He pulled me towards him and immediately began to suck and bite his way up and down my neck. I let my body give into him; his touch and smell was too much for me to take. My hands shook as they unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way. I ran my hands up his stomach and across his shoulders as I took it off.

His hands traveled behind me to unzip my dress. He kissed me hard as he slid it off of me. I kept our lips locked as I directed him toward my bed, fumbling with his belt the whole way. He unhooked my bra and tossed it into a corner of my room as I pushed him to the bed. I sat on his hips and slowly drug my nails along his stomach. He hissed softly and closed his eyes and his fingers clamped into my sides.

I rocked forward as I undid his jeans to tease him. He grunted and grasped at my panties, trying hard to get them off. I moved his hands back to my waist while I slid off his jeans and boxers. He groaned when I wrapped my hand around his cock, and even more when I teasingly ran my tongue up the side of it. He gripped my hair a little and sat up.

"Don't tease. Come here," he said gruffly. I moved into his lap and down onto him. He moaned softly, and we rocked together, trying to get the most out of every movement between us. Evgeni couldn't take it for very long before he overpowered me and put me on my back.

"Do you have to be in control all the time?" I huffed. He bit my shoulder hard to quiet me, and slightly lifted my hips to meet his thrusts. I was soon too lost in a world of ecstasy to complain.

---

Evgeni was still in my bed when the morning came. He lay behind me, breathing peacefully with an arm over my waist. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hot breath on the back of my neck. After a while of laying so still though, my arm fell asleep. My slight movements to adjust woke him up. His first move was to burrow his head in the crook of my neck. I laughed softly and played with his hair.

He mumbled in Russian, and of course I couldn't understand him. He looked up and repeated what he said, but then he must have realized I couldn't understand him. Pink tinged his cheeks and he kissed my shoulder.

"You were saying...?" I said with a smile.

"What time," he replied.

"I dunno. Grab my phone."

He did and groaned softly. "Is almost ten."

"Do you have to go?"

"Not yet. I want talk."

"About what...?"

"I don't want keep do this," he said as he motioned between us.

"What? Sex?" I asked. I wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"Just feel it isn't right."

"Of course it's not right, you have a girlfriend."

"She not come back to America," he said softly. "She don't want. She want me go back Russia."

I sat up a little. "But why would you do that? Your dreams are here, aren't they? I mean, I'm sure you didn't escape your country for fun."

"No, not fun. But have go back sometime."

"Why though? Because she wants you to?"

"To get marry I do."

"And who says you have to get married yet? You're twenty-fucking-two."

"She want to."

I rolled my eyes. My elation of having him in my bed had been fading when he said that he wanted to talk, but now it burned out completely.

"I think you ought to go," I said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't really want to be with someone who's going to go back to marry a girl just because she wants to. Fuck, if I told you that I wanted to marry you, would you marry me just because I wanted to?"

"You aren't Russian."

"What's it matter? Are American girls just good enough for sex?"

"I did not say that," he said slowly. "American girl.. we don't marry."

"So what, is Russia just some kind of big fucking club?" I said fuming. I pushed him away and got up and started getting dressed.

"Why you want marry me?"

"I don't want to marry you, that was hypothetical. But you don't know what hypothetical means, because you're a fucking Russian neanderthal."

Evgeni may not have known what "hypothetical" or even "neanderthal" meant, but he understood the tone. He huffed as well and got up and dragged on his clothes.

"You have such hard head," he sputtered. "You not listen!"

"What am I supposed to listen to? You profess your love for your girlfriend who can't even get over herself to stay with you? Just to make you happy?"

"No," he sighed and plopped back on my bed when his jeans were back on. "I not know enough English for this... this not suppose happen.."

"What wasn't supposed to happen..?" I softened. He looked up at me and bit his lip slightly.

"I was not suppose meet you and care. I have fight in head. You or her. You not understand me or my way. You not understand.." he leveled off and stared at the blinds on my windows.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. But I guess I'm just frustrated because everything has gone wrong for me since I met you. I have no friends, I have nobody except you, and we haven't even known each other for very long. And you are so hot and cold... I don't know what to think.. I don't..." I said. Exhaustion began to creep into me. I sat down on my roller chair in front of my computer.

Evgeni got up and walked over to me, kissing me softly on the cheek.

"Is okay. I promise, is okay..." he said softly. He laid his head on my shoulder and kissed my neck.

Chapter Fourteen

2009-05-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Chapter Fourteen

Waking up Sunday morning was not fun. My head was pounding and my ankle was throbbing. I vaguely remember hopping into my room and jumping on the bed, but how and when I changed was still unclear. I slowly got up and dug through my purse for my cell phone. At the top, a small envelope icon was visible. I had a text message.

I rubbed my eyes and opened it. It was from Geno.

"hey... did not c u at game" was all it read. I rolled my eyes and shot back, "I got there in time to see you walking out with her", then I turned off my phone. I gingerly put weight on my sore ankle and then wished I hadn't. I looked down and saw that it was swollen. Grumbling, I hopped to the bathroom and started a warm bath.

Even lounging in a tub of bubbles couldn't ease my mood. Usually, baths made me feel sexy, like one of those vixens in a Hollywood movie. Right then, in my comfort zone, I felt painfully aware of my imperfections. I was aware of the light dusting of freckles across my shoulders. I was aware of my skin tone, an odd color in between tan and pale. I was aware of my plain brown hair. I was aware of my never-quite-large-enough boobs. And mostly, I was aware of my too-plump thighs and too-thin calves.

My mind drifted back to Evgeni's girlfriend with her beautiful blonde hair and beach-perfect tan. Her clear blue eyes from his picture of them pierced my mind. But thinking of that picture only made me think of him and what a wonderfully competent lover he'd been. I closed my eyes and sighed.

After my bath, I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, sometimes playing with the strings on my pair of sweat pants. I'd never been one of those mushy girls who believed in loving someone just because he's your boyfriend, or lover even. I'd also forever questioned the validity of love at first sight, and whether or not you could love someone in a short amount of time. Of course, that was all before Evgeni. Now, I was a soured teenager on the cusp of graduation who found another reason to be pissed off at the world. Unrequited love is a complete bitch.

-------

The next few weeks came and went swiftly. Before I realized it, I was in my bag of a graduation gown with a stupid tassel continually swishing in my face and sticking in my goopy lip gloss. Mary was bobbing excitedly up and down the hall talking to all of the seniors as if she'd never seen them again. Brandon and Joe stood in a large group, often turning to look at me before quickly resuming their chatter with the group. I believe I was the only person who had no one to talk to. Ever since the debacle with Alex at The Lounge, I'd fallen from grace with my crowd and was rejected by others in fear that they'd be rejected from my crowd. Even the kids at the low end of the social spectrum didn't want me in their groups, citing me as a joke played on them by the others, some kind of spy, or just a plain bad influence.

I was grateful when the seniors lined up and we processed into the huge auditorium. The minutes ticked away incessantly. I happily accepted my diploma. Then the minutes ticked by more as the ceremony continued. Finally, the recession. I was free from this hell-hole.

Parents met their children outside, excitedly taking pictures while their graduate posed with his or her diploma. Some huge extended families were even present. As for me, I believe I was the first graduate to turn in my cap and gown. My parents were out of town and had taken the car, so I walked along the sidewalk with my diploma tucked under my arm.

Then, I heard the slow hum of a car slowing. I chanced to look over. A white Porsche cruised slowly beside me. The lights on the car flashed, and the driver parallel parked near the sidewalk and got out.

"Where you go?" The driver asked. I turned to see Evgeni standing outside the driver's door wearing an innocent, goofy grin.

"I'm going home," I said sharply.

"Why go home? You go out!"

"I'm tired of that shit. I'm going home."

"Fine. I go with you. Get in car," he pushed.

"I don't want to. I don't even want to be your friend anymore."

"Evie, you not mean. Please, get in. We talk?"

"About what?"

"Everything with us."

He stepped onto the sidewalk and walked closer to me. He took one of my hands, and slowly eased my diploma from under my arm.

"Now you have come," he said softly. His eyes moved over me as he squeezed my hand.

"Where's your girlfriend..?"

"She go back Russia. America not for her."

I shrugged and reached for my diploma. He held it over his head, which was more than impossible for me to reach.

"Come on," he started. "I go back your place. Stay with you."

"Evgeni, I-"

"No, let me. I take care of you."

He started walking toward the passenger side of his Porsche. He turned to face me as he opened the door, gesturing for me to get in. As a final means for following his lead, he put my diploma inside. Sighing, I gave into him, and slid into the passenger side. He closed the door behind me and took my hand after he got settled on his side.

"I sorry for how thing happen... but it better, okay?" he said simply.

"It's not okay.. I don't want to be with you just because she's not in town."

"That not why I come get you. She left for week now. I get you because I like you."

I sighed softly and laid my head against the glass of the window. He started to drive then, and the streetlights seemed to blur together. I felt detached from myself. I loved him, I knew I did, but I knew that love can't survive just on love. I vaguely remembered telling him directions. My mind stayed hazy until we pulled into the driveway... then, everything got much clearer.

Chapter Thirteen

2009-05-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Chapter Thirteen

I stayed at home until Saturday. School was droning on without an end, and I finally understood what it was to get your heart broken. I laid in bed for most of the day as the sun poured in despite the blinds being pulled taught. I turned on my side and blankly watched TV until I heard the door open. I reached over and turned on my stereo. My parents wouldn't bother me so long as they heard music blaring from my room.

Surprisingly, the door opened.

"Ma, Dad, get-" I started. Then, the door opened more and I saw my friend Mary standing there. She quickly crossed the room and shut off my stereo and my TV.

"Okay, I don't know what's going on, but you aren't going to rot in this fucking house until Graduation," she started. "You're going to march your ass into that shower and then we're going out, and you're going to get good and wasted and forget about whatever is on your mind."

I rolled my eyes. "I get that drinking and fucking works for you to get your mind off things, but it doesn't work for me. Never has."

"That hasn't stopped you from participating, Evie. That's never stopped you from picking up a bottle or getting under a funnel and drinking until you puke. It's never stopped you from grabbing Brandon or Nathan or any other guy and fucking his brains out. Don't you dare try to be self-righteous!"

I sat up slowly. "Look, I'm not going to fight with you-"

"This isn't a fight," Mary said sharply, cutting me off. "This is you getting over whatever that's been keeping you from school. What's going on with you?! It's been weeks since I've seen my friend!"

"I guess a lots been going on," I said simply. I didn't want her to know about Evgeni and what happened earlier that week. I didn't want her to know that he hasn't called since or even sent a text message.

"Well, c'mon. Get up. We'll go to The Lounge. Alex has some dro he's willing to share if you want it."

"I don't want to get high tonight."

"You're still getting up and going," she replied as she tugged me out of bed and pushed me toward the bathroom. Sighing, I closed the door behind me and took a long, hot shower to help clear my mind.

When I got out, Mary had straightened my room for me and had my clothes laid out on the bed. I got dressed and let her do my hair and makeup. When I was done, I looked in the mirror, and I saw another girl looking back. It wasn't me, the Evie who wore little makeup and plain brown hair and wore clothes that never matched her face. Instead, the girl staring back was wearing heavy makeup with hair in long curls and, finally, the short skirt and low cut shirt matched her face.

---

That night, I sat in The Lounge and smoked cigarettes and shisha with my friends; Alex and I sometimes slipped in the back together and smoked some of the dro he'd promised to bring. In exchange for a hit, I'd let him grope or kiss where ever he wanted. I rolled my eyes each time he did. He wasn't Evgeni, and I couldn't help but think about his hands and his mouth whenever Alex touched me. After a while, I pushed myself away from him.

"Hey!" he said hoarsely, his desire obvious in his pants.

"I gotta go," I said shortly.

"But, w-wa-wait!" he sputtered. I walked out of the back room and he fell after me, tripping on his pants and landing face-first on the floor. My friends gave me a sharp look, and everyone else in the place laughed at him. Alex's face burned a deep red and he pushed himself off of the floor and back into the room.

Mary made a bee-line for me. "Where are you going?!" she demanded.

"I'm going out to find someone. It's, what, ten? Ten-thirty?"

"It's a little past ten. Whoever you're going to find, be sure to tell him that he's a dick and you're ending it," she said curtly.

I shrugged and walked out of the small door and into the cool, Pittsburgh night. Providing the game hadn't gone into overtime, I knew it would be over by now. I got on a bus and headed for 66 Mario Lemieux Place. Cars were exiting the arena in droves. I got out at the bus stop and walked toward the player's parking lot. There were fans lining the gates and a handful of luckier ones inside that were watching as the players came out. I got closer to the gate and was stopped.

"Look, Miss-" he started. Then he looked at me closer. "I know ya. You came here the other day..."

"Yeah. I wasn't invited this time. I just want to watch them come out."

The fat security guard who'd given me a hard time before bit his lip in indecision. His face scrunched up.

"Look, if anyone asks, I never saw ya. Just go stand in with those fans, and don't do nothin' more. Got it?"

"Yeah.. I do." I walked through and did as he asked. I stood with the Penguins fans and watched as players came out. Kris Letang was the first one that I saw, followed by Eric Goddard, Max Talbot, Mark Eaton, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Sergei Gonchar.

Finally, screams of "GENO!" filled the air as the man walked out. On one arm, he had his sport coat. On the other, he had the beautiful blonde woman from the picture in his bedroom. I bit my lip softly and pushed my fingernails into the palm of my hand. I knew she'd existed, but now she was definitely real. She was no longer something that could be placed face-down on a counter or shoved into a drawer. She was a real life goddess attached to his arm.

I picked up my cell phone and texted him. "She's absolutely gorgeous" was all I said. Once the message was sent, I slunk back into the shadows of people and walked out of the gate.

I caught a bus back to The Lounge, but my friends had already left, and the guy at the counter said I'd better leave before Alex got back. I wasn't afraid of the scrawny stoner, but I wasn't in the mood to fight, so I did as I was told. I called Mary, but she didn't answer. I called Nathan, but he didn't answer. I tried Brandon last, and he answered, only to tell me to "fuck off" as soon as he picked up. My last resort was Joe. I called, and he answered.

"Look-" He started. I cut him off.

"What the fuck is going on with you guys?! Is no one's phone on?"

"Yeah.. look, they're just mad because Alex is mad, and you know how much we depend on him for our dope."

"So, you guys are choosing marijuana over a friend? Nice."

"I didn't say that. I'm just giving you the facts. Look, why don't you head over to Casey's tonight. He doesn't live too far from The Lounge-"

"I know where Casey lives. But I'm going home. I've had a shitty night, okay?"

"I'm sorry.. I'll see you."

I hung up after and grabbed a taxi. I gave him the address to my house and shoved money in his hand once I got there. I tripped on my heels walking up the stairs and twisted my ankle. Tired of this night, I just sat where I was and cried.

Chapter Twelve

2009-05-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Chapter Twelve

I didn't have time to examine his house once we pulled up. He turned off his Porsche and got out, waving for me to follow. He pulled me to him and unlocked the door, then threw me over his shoulder as if I were a bag of potatoes. I growled inwardly as he went straight for his bedroom. He set me down and closed the door behind him as he tugged off his shirt.

Smirking, I pulled mine off as well and crawled on the bed. I crooked my finger at him and he obeyed by stalking around the bed. His eyes were fixed on my boobs as he began to crawl after me. I kissed him deeply and scratched his back. I loved the sound me made in response: a deep, guttural groan from the pit of his stomach.

Slowly, I rubbed my hand over the crotch of his jeans and bit his bottom lip firmly. His hands gripped my sides tighter as my hand worked. Finally, I moved it away and started to undo his belt. Once my hand was away from his package, his own hands moved up and unhooked my bra. Once I was free, he went into a whole other dimension. His dark eyes turned black with lust as he tore my jeans from me. I closed my eyes and licked my lips while he teasingly rubbed me through my panties as if I were a cat.

"Stop teasing," I groaned. I sat up slightly and unbuttoned his jeans. Evgeni did the rest of the work, kicking them off until they pooled on the floor. He moved his hand away to get his boxers off where they joined his jeans on the floor. My body flushed as he moved over me. His hand pulled my panties to the side so that he could fully rub my clit. I gripped his shoulders and hooked my leg around his waist.

He chuckled a bit and then moved his head down, kissing and nipping his way from the base of my throat to the top of my panties. He pulled them off using only his teeth. By then, I felt as though I was surely dying from this. I'd had sex enough times, but I'd never wanted it this bad.

He reached his nightstand and pulled out a condom. I took it from his hand and smirked. Moving up on my knees, I kissed his neck and then tore open the package. I kissed him deeply and put the condom on him while he moaned in my mouth. I was on my back nearly immediately with him pounding relentlessly into me. I closed my eyes and moaned his name, sure that this was the best sex I would I ever have. He lasted far longer than the boys that had plagued my thighs, and he was far more giving than any of them. The only part I hated was when I finally came, with him soon after. It was over.

He panted into my neck and kissed my cheek. Evgeni then pulled out and threw away his condom before laying back beside me. I closed my eyes. I felt exhausted even though he'd done all the work. He pulled my against him and I fell asleep easily.

-----

When the morning came, he wasn't there. The bed was cold, and his clothes on the floor weren't there. My clothes were in a pile at the foot of the bed. I stretched and rubbed my eyes. On the nightstand, a picture of Evgeni and a beautiful blonde woman graced the top. I picked it up. No doubt this was the girlfriend he'd spoken of. I couldn't remember seeing it the previous night. I couldn't remember it being there at all. I bit my lip and set the picture back and got up and put my clothes on. Sandwiched between my shirt and my jeans was a note. It was scrawled in terrible English letters, so I had little doubt Evgeni had written it.

"I'll see you around, Evgeni" was all it said. I understood fully. I finished dressing and called a cab, leaving his mini-mansion behind.

Once I was home, I took a long, hot bath and grabbed my cell phone. I texted him, "so, I guess last night was it, huh?". I already knew the answer. He was a famous hockey player with a hot girlfriend. Of course last night was it. I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment.

I got out of the tub and got in bed, falling back asleep soon after. Thursday morning came too quickly. I stayed in bed and watched my alarm clock roll by. My phone had no new messages, and really, I didn't think it would. I watched the Penguins play late that night, my eyes focused on Evgeni as ever. He didn't look or play the least bit affected by our bedding, which made me feel worse.

I turned off the game when the Penguins were up by two and got up to get something to eat. I sat in front of my computer and ate my sandwich. The house was far too quiet for me. When midnight rolled around, I signed off the computer and climbed back in bed. I laid still for a long time, pulling my pillow close.

That party last night was awfully crazy, I wished we taped it...

I picked up my phone that was bleating Asher Roth and looked at the ID.

I danced my ass off and had this one girl completely naked...

Geno flashed on the screen.

Drink my beer and smoke my weed--

I answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey. I get text."

"Yeah.. I already know the answer.."

"I sorry. I can't do right now.."

"I know. You don't need a high school kid tagging along."

"No. Is not you. Is girlfriend."

"What about her, Evgeni?"

"I love her."

"You fucked me, but you love her? You must be the world's shittiest boyfriend."

"I sorry. I so sorry. I try make right. I try resist. But I can't. You too pretty."

"I saw the picture of her. Why would you sleep with me when you have her?"

"You make smile. You make laugh. You make feel good."

"It's late, Evgeni. I've gotta go, okay? It was fun while it lasted."

"I mean what I say. I see you 'round."

"Yeah.. I know."

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes. My head was pounding from over thinking.

Chapter Eleven

2009-03-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Chapter Eleven

It was relatively easy to convince my parents that I couldn't go to school. So easy that I didn't even have to fake a stomach illness or fake a migraine. With them, all I had to say was that I wasn't going to school. Sometimes it's awesome to have "cool" parents for situations like this. But other times, it's not. Because even though I all but said I was skipping, my parents never asked me why. Never asked if I was okay, if I was sick, if something was troubling me. They never have in all my life, why start now?

But this is about me, not them. So once they were gone, I got up and fixed me a bowl of cereal and sat in front of the TV. It was another dreary day with rain pouring down with a chilly wind cutting through. I made sure to wear my rain boots and a thick hoodie... at least until I got to the arena.

Around ten or so, I got up, grabbed an umbrella, and started my trek toward Mellon. The bus was empty when I got on, so I enjoyed a relatively quick bus ride to downtown Pittsburgh. After that, it was a small matter of walking. Each step caused water to splash everywhere, and I made sure to stay as far from the street as possible. People with cars were unforgiving in this environment.

When I got to Mellon, I started toward the back entrance where I'd been directed the day before. I was stopped by security guards.

"You can't come back here, Miss. Move along," the fat one said.

"I suppose you won't believe I've been invited by Evgeni Malkin, will you?" I asked.

Both the fat guard and his somewhat smaller counterpart laughed. They laughed so hard they had to hold their bellies. And when they were done, the fat one spat on the ground then wiped his mouth.

"Look, sister. You don't think we heard that before? Oh, we get alotta 'em. 'Sidney Crosby wants me' they say. 'I'm Max Talbot's girlfriend' they say. Now you say Evgeni Malkin invited you here? Get outta here!" He said through another laugh fit.

I shrugged and walked a couple paces away before calling Evgeni. It was now 11:05, so I was hopeful he was near a phone. I called him twice before someone picked up I didn't recognize.

"Sykie here, Geno's phone," the man said.

"Uh.. Sykie... I'm supposed to be here with Geno... can you let me in?"

"How do I know it's you and not someone else?"

"So he told you about me coming? Well, if it's worth anything, I'm Evie, the one who went bowling with him."

"Ahhhh, bowling, that's what you call it."

My face turned red. "Look, just let me in. The guards think I'm crazy, okay?"

Sykie kept laughing. Through it all, I heard a yeah, and then he hung up. Within a few minutes, an escort came for me and brought me back. I pointed and fake-laughed at the guards and then went back through the tunnels of the igloo.

By the time I got to the locker room, Evgeni was already sitting his stall, armed with the smallest skates from the equipment closet. He smiled when he saw me, and I couldn't help but melt a little. I sat beside him.

"So.. whatcha doing?" I asked.

"I adjust skate for you," He replied. "Try on."

I did as I was told. He knelt down in front of me and tied them tight. When he was done, he looked up at me with his chipped-tooth grin and patted my leg.

"Come on," he said. Evgeni offered his arm to me and helped me balance as we walked through the tunnels and onto the ice. I squealed a little as I stepped onto the ice, my feet gliding across under me. Evgeni held onto me. He'd never let me fall... he promised.

"You better than last time," he commented, keeping a grip on my arms as he led me around slowly.

"Yeah... one day soon, you can teach me how to skate backward like you are," I said with a smirk. He shrugged and seemed not to think much on the comment. Just when I was getting comfortable following his lead, he spun me around as if I was an ice skater. I thought for sure I was going to fall, but his strong arms gripped me and pulled me to him with my back to his chest.

"See? You skate back," he said with a chuckle. My heart was pounding. I was so afraid I was going to fall, but once over that fear, my heart pounded for another reason. I was pressed close to his body with his arms around my waist now. With every movement of his skates, I could feel his strong thighs pressing into mine. I could feel his breath on my neck, warm and comforting.

My breath was hitching and I couldn't help but close my eyes. I slowly squeezed his hands and welcomed the feel of his strong thighs behind me. My body was lit on fire when his lips softly touched my neck. I slowly licked my lips and gripped his hands tighter.

"Evgeni..." I softly moaned.

"Yes..?" He mumbled against my neck and slowly dragged his lips up to my ear.

"Let's get out of here.." I suggested. We'd been on the ice for almost thirty minutes now, and the idea of having to be on the ice for a minute more was killing me. I wanted him so badly, more than anything or anyone I'd ever wanted.

His large hands slowly rubbed my hips.

"Where you want go?" He asked.

"I don't care... anywhere with you," I offered, leaning my head back. He lightly nipped my neck, teasing me slowly. I moaned softly again, feeling my thighs begin to throb. He led me off the ice and then gently nudged me against the wall. One hand cupped my cheek as he leaned in to kiss me, the other gently parted my thighs and ran down my inner thigh. Even through my jeans, his touch drove me wild.

His lips touched mine softly and I kissed him back, grasping his shirt in my hands. He smiled into the kiss and pulled back.

"Come," He said simply, and tore himself away from me. My legs were wobbly and I kept a hand steady on the wall as we navigated back to the equipment room. I sat down on the bench beside him and watched his long, slender, skilled fingers work as they untied his laces. Illicit thoughts filled my mind as I wondered what other skills his beautiful hands possessed. He cast his skates aside when they were untied, and he knelt in front of me to untie mine.

Unlike last time, his position made it all the harder for me to think clear. My heart was beating so hard I was sure he could hear it. I licked my lips as he slowly pulled my skate off. He rubbed my foot through the sock and paid careful attention to the arch of my heel. I moaned again. His touch was the most amazing aphrodisiac, and he'd found a spot on my body I never dreamed could set me off the way it was.

Evgeni was clearly amused by this. His mouth turned into a small half smirk; his eyes glittered in mischief. He moved onto the other skate and slowly took it off. This time, he did not touch my foot. He straightened up on his knees and brought me down for another kiss, this one showcasing his natural male dominance and lust. He tasted like heaven, and God knows he was driving me to insanity.

I nearly whined when he pulled away.

"What?" He asked as though he were innocent.

"Don't tease me anymore. It's not nice..." I said softly. He leaned again and softly kissed my neck.

"Not here," he said barely above a whisper. He then stood up and pulled me up with him. We walked back into the locker room where he grabbed his clothes and went to change from the ones he wore during practice. He came out shortly after and grabbed his bag while he picked up his phone. His expression instantly changed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. I was beginning to come down from my high.

"Girlfriend," he said simply. I cringed. I'd almost forgotten about his Russian dame on the other side of the world.

"And...?" I asked, bracing for the blow.

"She coming.. two week," He replied shortly. His gaze lingered on me for a minute, as if he was considering his next action. "Come," he finally said.

"Where are we going?"

"I take you my home."

And so, there it was. Sex. His girlfriend was probably doting over him somewhere in Russia. Perhaps she loved him. Either way, she would have no idea that he was currently walking a high-school senior to his car with the intention that he would be getting laid shortly. Maybe we'd do it in his bed, the same bed they would share in two weeks' time. Maybe we'd do it on the couch, the same couch they would snuggle together on while watching a movie. Or, in a frenzy, maybe we'd do it against the wall, the same wall he'd push her against when he felt especially frisky.

Regardless of these thoughts, I slid into his Porsche easily. All bets were off at this point. I felt sorry for the girl, but it was something I would be forgetting about soon enough.

Chapter Ten

2009-03-16T17:05:00.001-07:00

Chapter Ten

After we left the bowling lane, I began to feel hot. One kiss had built an impossible amount of sexual tension between us and being squished in Evgeni's Porsche didn't make anything easier. Every time I breathed, I felt like it was heaven. The scent in the car was mixed with his cologne and a bit of perspiration. I bit my lip and shifted a little in my seat. I watched as his knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Where... where go...?" He asked. It was obvious he wasn't focusing on English. I could see a determined strain on his face as the city light's flashed through the car.

"You can take me home..." I trailed. I watched his eyes flick to me. He knew as well as I did what I was doing.

"Your parent," he lightly protested.

"They aren't there," I replied. That was more-than-likely true.

I watched him bite his bottom lip as if he was trying to decide what to do.

"I take you to car," He finally resolved. I was disappointed.

"Oh.." I said softly. I stared out the window and watched the city lights whirl by us. He finally pulled into the parking lot my car was in. He pulled beside mine and turned his car off. "I had fun," I said with a smile.

The strain on his face eased and he smiled with me. "Me too," he replied. I opened the door and started to get out of the car. Then his hand grabbed mine and lightly pulled me back. I started to ask him what he was doing, but he leaned over and kissed me again. I kissed him back, slowly inching back in the car. His large hand moved up and cupped my cheek as I moved closer to deepen the kiss. Then, he pulled away. "Go," he said quickly. His face had hardened again and he was obviously uncomfortable. I slowly got out and got in my car. As soon as it started, Evgeni pulled out and onto the streets of Pittsburgh.

---

The week passed by agonizingly slow. Wednesday was extremely boring. As the year began to wind down, the teachers became less and less interested in teaching and students definitely became less interested in learning. My friends seemed upbeat and excited for the coming weekend, but I barely said a word to any of them. My thoughts were on a particular Russian, either somewhere in this city or off playing hockey in some corner of North America.

Thursday was more of the same. Mary noticed my increasing reluctance to be apart of any conversation, although she never said anything. She simply quirked her eyebrow at me while we sat at the table. Most people wouldn't take that for much, but when you're friends with someone as long as I have been with her, you understand small body language. I didn't say anything either. I kept my cell phone concealed in my lap and kept checking my phone for a text message every five minutes while I nibbled on my sandwich.

Friday, I finally decided to suck it up and text him first. I sat alone in Psychology with my phone out on my desk. My teacher was on another political rant and my friends weren't sitting around me as usual. They'd obviously taken offense to my silence and moved to the other side of the room. I admit, it stung. Badly. But I had other things on my mind.

I bit my lip and clicked on "Geno". I slowly typed, "are you mad at me" and sent it. I waited for the rest of the period, staring at my phone and checking my inbox. I didn't trust my phone to send me an alert. But I didn't get a reply as the final class of the day agonized on. I also didn't get a text on my drive home. Nor did I get a text after I got out of the shower. And when I crawled into bed with some ice cream with a movie in, I still didn't get that text.

When the ice cream was long gone and the movie was over, I got up to get a drink. The house was empty, almost eerily so. I grabbed a bottle of water and went back to my room quickly. It'd been a long, long time since I'd been home alone on a Friday night. So when my phone rang, it scared me so bad I jumped. I quickly picked it up and answered, still breathing heavily.

"Hello?!" I wheezed.

"I not mad," Evgeni said quickly.

"Evgeni.. Jesus, you scared me," I said. I let out a long sigh of relief. I guess I was expecting some guy to answer saying, "I know what you did last summer".

"Sorry," He said softly. "I not mad. Just have thing I do."

"What do you mean?"

"Evie, I like. You are good girl. But I have girl. She in Russia. I can't..." he trailed off.

"What do you mean you have a girl..."

"Girlfriend. In Russia."

There wasn't enough ice cream in the world for this one. I sighed heavily.

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go... bye."

I hung up before he could say anything. One week. Two kisses. I couldn't get the fucking ruskie out of my head. I hadn't felt like this before. I called Brandon and told him to come over. If I could forget about Evgeni for even a second, it was worth it.

---

Monday morning was rainy and cold. It matched my mood. Evgeni had called me twice on Saturday, left a message, then once on Sunday, leaving a message, and had sent about three texts altogether. The overall message was that he was sorry he didn't tell me, and that if we got to know each other better, he'd happily break up with her if things worked out.

Unfortunately, I wasn't into playing that sort of game. I had a guy who only wanted sex in Brandon; I didn't need another one in Evgeni. True, it was probably unfair to judge him that way. Evgeni probably was looking for the same things I was. But he already had a relationship in the hell hole of Russia.

Everyone was oddly quiet on Monday, especially my friends. Everyone seemed to be looking at me differently. No doubt Brandon had once again told everyone of our exploits. But I'd had sex before with Brandon, and I'd had sex before I ever did with Brandon, and people knew about that. So I wasn't quite sure what the issue was.

By the end of the day, my shoes were soaked through with rain water. My socks were wet and my feet were freezing. My jeans were drenched up to my calves and my hair was matted to my face. But on my doorstep, a vase of beautiful yellow, orange, and red flowers lightened the gray, dreary day. I figured they were for my mother, so I picked them up and took them inside and set them on the counter. I looked at the little card. Surprisingly, my name was etched across the card in the only way florists can write.

I slowly took the card out. It said, "Amanda, I'm sorry... please don't be mad... Evgeni". I sighed and smelled one of the yellow roses.

"I so need a bath before I can handle this..." I said softly. I took my cell phone with me to the bathroom and relaxed in the hot, soothing water. Once I was settled, I called him.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Thank you for the flowers. How did you know where I live?" This wasn't where I wanted to go with this conversation, but it slipped out.

"I get Max call friend from party. She tell me."

"Oh.." I sighed. "Look, we can be friends or whatever.."

"I sorry I not tell. I not think it get far. But I like you. I do like. Very much."

"I like you too. That's what makes everything so messed up..."

"Why mess up?" He said softly. "What mess up... I mess up?"

"It's messed up because I'm eighteen, you're twenty-two.. it's messed up because I'm wasting my time on some hockey player when I should be ready for college... it's messed up because I haven't wanted anyone more in my life, and I've known you for a week..."

"Is not mess up.. is life.."

We both stayed quiet for a while. He finally cleared his voice.

"Come to arena tomorrow. I want teach you skate."

"Why.."

"Because you terrible. And I want to."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll skip school or something... what time should I be there..?"

"Eh, come about eleven. Practice is over then."

"You'll be hungry."

"I bring food."

I couldn't believe I was agreeing to do this. It went against everything I was. The man had a girlfriend back home, a Russian girlfriend. No matter what I wanted from him, he'd always keep her because of her nationality. I had a gut feeling this wasn't a good idea, but I was already in too deep, why stop now?

After we hung up, I got out of the bath and dressed in warm clothes. I laid in bed and closed my eyes. I was definitely ready for a day off.

Chapter Nine

2009-03-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Chapter Nine

We agreed we were going bowling. We agreed we'd take his car since mine was due to for a breakdown. We also agreed that I'd sit in the locker room while he took a shower. I can't describe the amount of squirming I did while I waited. I couldn't help but think of him in the showers, naked, with water running down his body. I could see his smile as his muscles eased under the warmth of the water and his sweaty smell was replaced with the clean smell of soap. I could see his hair plastered to his head while he stood under the spray.

All of that was mixed with the anticipation of when he walked out. His clothes were neatly folded on top of his bag in front of me. He either forgot about them or he wanted to see my reaction. Judging by the character he'd shown me, I'd figured he simply forgot them.

Either way, thinking about him naked didn't prepare me for when he did come out of the showers half naked with a towel wrapped low on his waist. I looked away before I could blush. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I'd seen plenty of guys naked before. The concept was nothing new. Evgeni wasn't even fully naked, and suddenly I felt like I was in junior high school all over again.

"Sorry," He said, reaching down to grab his clothes. "I forget to take. I go dress."

I wanted to tell him not to go get dressed. I wanted to tell him to drop it and dress right here. But somehow, I couldn't do that. Modesty overtook me. And before I could really think a coherent thought, he was already in the next room.

I stood up when he came back. He was wearing a jeans and a t-shirt with his flip-flops. He smiled a little when he came back in and then shouldered his bag.

"Ready?" He asked simply. I nodded and followed him out to the player's parking lot. He led me to a beautiful white Porsche that looked far too small for a man his size. He put his bag in the trunk and folded himself inside. To say it wasn't humorous would be a lie.

I put on my seat belt and told him how to get to the bowling lanes we were going to. Before The Lounge became popular with my friends, we'd always go bowling before we went out. It wasn't hard to bum cigarettes or a cup of beer from an older bowler, and no one ever questioned us. At ten o'clock every night, the lights would go out and everything would glow in the dark. Loud music would pound from the speakers and the place would transform from a bowling alley to a glorified club.

Today, however, Evgeni and I wouldn't be there that late. We'd go in when the place looked respectable.

Evgeni had the radio on low, and I could barely make out the music. I reached over and turned it up. The first thing I realized was that I enjoyed the music. The second thing I realized was that it was in Russian.

"What are they saying?" I asked him. He laughed a little as a tinge of red came to his cheeks. He reached over and turned it back down.

"Don't worry," he said shortly. "I may tell you. Not now."

"Sooo, it's inappropriate?"

"Very."

He pulled into the parking lot of the bowling alley shortly after. I got out before he did and watched him pull himself from the compact car. We walked in side by side. I went to the counter and paid for a lane for us.

"What's your shoe size?" I asked Evgeni.

"Thirteen," He replied while looking around. I could tell he was studying it already. I'm sure he saw nothing hard about throwing a ball down the lane to hit pins.

I got shoes for us both and brought him to our lane. I told him to pick out a ball he could comfortably fit his fingers in. While he went off on the search, I put our names into the computer and grabbed a ball close-by. He came back with a large green ball that weighed ten pounds.

"Okay," I started. "Watch me do this..." I walked onto the wood flooring and brought the ball up to my face. As I walked, I moved it down and then back for a throw. Six pins dropped. Not bad for me. "If you don't knock them all down the first time, you go again," I said as I walked back while waiting for my ball. "If you knock the rest down the second time you go, it's called a spare. If you don't know everything down the second time, you have to wait until your next turn."

"And what if knock down all first?" He said bemused. He licked his bottom lip.

"It's called a strike, and you don't go again after."

I picked up my ball and went through the process again. I knocked down two more. Now, it was Evgeni's turn. I almost expect disaster to happen. However, despite having a really flukey/hilarious form, he got a strike. He did a fist pump as he walked back.

"So... you sure you haven't done this before?" I asked with a smirk.

"No. Not do. Just good," He laughed.

I was not a good bowler. Evgeni was. He made nothing less than a spare the rest of the time we bowled.

I flicked my eyes over to the game room.

"Okay, okay, you may own me in bowling.... but how well do you play pool?" I asked mischievously.

"Pool?" he asked.

"Billiards?"

A small smirk crossed his face. "I know that one."

"So do I... let's go play..." I winked. I put my ball away and headed toward the game room, Evgeni in tow.

I put some quarters into the slot and racked the balls. "You break.. you can probably do it better than me anyway," I offered. That much was true. I was a terrible breaker.

He grabbed a stick and broke the cluster hard. Luckily, no balls went in. I eyed the thirteen ball and leaned down on the table. It wasn't the most ladylike position. I knew my boobs probably looked close to falling out. Regardless, I shot at it and dished it in the corner pocket. I flashed him a flirty smile and moved onto the seven ball.

"You good," He said after I'd got in two more balls. I eyed the table, trying to find something else that could feasibly go in. Eyeing the three ball, I hopped up on the table. I watching Evgeni's smile widen. The ball didn't go in, but after I made the shot, Evgeni cleared away the balls behind me.

"What are you doing?!" I asked. "Don't be a cheater!"

He laughed and leaned across the table and tipped my head back. I could feel his breath, and I closed my eyes and waited for him. After an eternity, I felt his lips cover mine. I smiled and kissed him back. We broke apart shortly after before someone could try to say we were about to have relations on the table.

I hopped down and started putting the balls into random pockets.

"Now who cheat?" He asked, clearly amused.

"Doesn't matter. Wanna get out of here?"

"Yeah," he said, taking my hand. I licked my lips. They were still tingling from his kiss.

Chapter Eight

2009-03-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Chapter Eight

My call later was very later indeed. It came at about one o'clock in the morning. I groaned pitifully and answered the phone.

"Hello?" I said softly.

"Hey. Is Evgeni. I call," he offered. I could tell from his voice he was as tired as I was, if not more.

"Hey, Evgeni. Thanks for the call. I watched the game tonight.." I trailed. Fortunately, the game was a win for him.

"You watch? You like?" he asked.

"Yeah... I didn't really understand it, but it got better as the game went along."

"Is okay. I teach you play."

"Oh, God. I can't even skate!" I said with a laugh.

"Well, I teach. Am good teach. You come Igloo at two. I teach."

"Shouldn't you sleep tomorrow? I imagine it's a long way back."

"Is hour and half back. I get sleep. I want teach you," he said with a yawn.

"Alright.. I'll let you teach me. But don't forget about me teaching you how to bowl tomorrow night..."

"I not forget. I sort of cheat. I get Sykie tell me how bowl."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's alright. I'm still going to beat you anyway."

"We see tomorrow," he replied.

"Yeah... we'll see. Hey, Evgeni?"

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you were so good at typing in English as you are...."

"Oh, no. I have help. Max type what I say. I sorry," he said very softly.

"It's okay. I think it's very nice what you did," I replied genuinely. "Now try to get some sleep. You've got to teach me how to skate and then you've got a long lesson in bowling from me!"

He laughed a little. "Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight..."

I hung up a couple of minutes after he did. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

------

If Monday was dull, Tuesday was twice as worse. My classes passed even slower than usual. My friends seemed dull and boring today. Everything seemed to be on a mission to make my day as miserable as possible before two o'clock.

Once I reached Psychology, I knew I couldn't take it anymore. Thirty minutes into the teacher's rant about a new proposed bill, I asked to go to the bathroom. He let me. I then proceeded out to the parking lot and left. He would never notice I was missing so long as Democrats existed. Plus, I was free to go after his class anyway.

Once on the road, I made my way downtown and to Mellon arena. I was early... it was only 1:30. But I went there anyway. The front doors were locked since there wasn't a game. I called Evgeni.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Evgeni.. I'm here. I dunno where I'm supposed to go. The place is locked up."

"Oh. Okay. Stay in front. I get you here."

I smiled. "Alright... bye."

I only had to wait a couple of minutes before a guy walked up to me.

"Evie?" the man said.

"Yeah.."

"Follow me."

I followed him around the building to the back, where the players parked. He took me through their entrance, even through their locker room, and brought me to the rink. A few Penguins were on the ice playing a game to try to see who could get the best shoot out goals.

I sat on the bench and watched the men for a while until Evgeni got eliminated from the little game. He skated to me and hopped over the wall.

"Oh, God. Don't make me do that. I'm far too short and it'll be embarrassing," I started. He laughed.

"Don't worry. I not make you do what you not want."

"So.. is this practice?"

"No. This is bored."

"Ahh... so you guys just open the arena at your pleasure?"

He shrugged. "You want skate?"

"I don't have any."

"Is okay. There is some."

He led me back through the guts of Mellon, past the locker room and into one the equipment rooms. Inside, there was everything imaginable needed for hockey, and in serious quantity.

He pulled out the smallest skate they had. I took off my shoe. He kneeled in front of me and put it on. I bit my lip to suppress a smile.

"It fit good?" He asked.

"Yeah.. this will work.. OW!" I yelped when he started lacing. "EASY!"

"No, you must get tight."

He kept lacing until it was to his satisfaction. He did the same for my other foot.

"Now, stand."

I stood up and already wobbled uneasily. He was amused. "It take lot of work, but I can do."

I held onto his arm as we tramped back to the rink. He confidently stepped on first and offered his hands to me. "Just step careful.."

"Yeah.. easy for you to say.. you've been doing this since you could walk..."

He chuckled and helped me onto the ice. "See? You whine so much, hard part over."

He guided me around slowly, told me how to move my legs. His teammates watched us for a while. I knew they were curious as to who I was for the sake of their friend. But one by one, they left the ice, and Evgeni and I were alone while he taught me to skate. By the end of the afternoon, I'd only fallen twice, and those were the two times I'd tried to skate without him.

More importantly, by the end of the day, I'd learned his favorite color was red, he liked borscht and steak, and he thought it was cute that he was well over a foot taller than I was.

Once it was over, he slowly took off my skates and even rubbed my calves and ankles for me to help the pins and needles feeling ease from the tightness. I couldn't help but find him incredibly sweet and adorable.

"Now, you've got to learn to bowl," I said with a wink.

Chapter Seven

2009-03-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Chapter Seven

Monday was dull. School was officially becoming a waste.

I sat in front of the computer during Yearbook and idly drug pictures around on the page. I didn't care what it looked like anymore. History was spent doodling facial hair over famous historical people in my book. Who needs progressivism when Theodore Roosevelt can have an epic braided beard? In Spanish, I took out my iPod touch and used the school's WiFi to scour the internet in search of something much more entertaining. My teacher sat at the front of the class at her desk sipping her Diet Coke and flipping through pages of her novel. We were a class full of seniors; she was as ready for school to end as we were. English was the only real class of the day. After a quick test on literary terms, we read a few poems. Or at least that's what the teacher was doing. I was staring at the book and trying to figure out if I could sleep with my eyes open.

Lunch came soon after. The lunchroom was filled with long rectangular tables, except a random circular one in the middle of the room. That was mine and my friend's table. The jocks say they granted us the table because we were the quote/unquote "party people" and therefore as much responsible for their social life as they were. The beauty queens of the school say they granted us the table because Joe was far too cute to sit in an obscure corner of the room and they wanted to look at him. The truth was that we claimed the table in the 9th grade thanks to a epic race between Joe and Blake, who was a senior at the time. Joe had challenged Blake for the table because we were tired of being squished between the geeks (who argued over plots of Lord of the Rings and Star Trek) and nerds (who argued over the most efficient method of F.O.I.L. in algebra). Blake was the school's track record holder. Joe was just a freshman at the time. But not only did Joe win, thus granting us the round table, he also thrust us into a world of popularity that many freshmen just didn't get to enjoy.

Thinking of that made me smile a little. I'd definitely enjoyed not taking the heat of high school that so many others endured. But I also knew more about the darker side of the world than most should (of course, I think I'm the only one who feels it's "dark"). I felt someone take my hand.

"Happy to see me?" Brandon asked with a little smile on his face. I took my hand from his.

"Sure. Why not? I see you every day," I replied. I opened my brown bag and pulled out my sandwich. No lunch meat. No jelly. Just a peanut butter sandwich between two stale pieces of white bread.

"You just got a little smile on your face when I sat down." The rest of our friends were staring at us. No doubt Brandon had told all of Pittsburgh we had sex.

"I was just thinking about how we got the round table. That's all."

Mary interjected before more could be said. "Y'know, we got to think about who's gonna inherit the table. I said Paul and his friends should get it, but I talked to Currie the other day, and he said he doesn't want his table to go to those guys. What do you think?"

I was happy for her. Paul was one of Brandon's good friends, so it brought his attention away from me and into defending the kid. I got up as soon as I was done with lunch and left before anyone could ask me where I was going. I slipped into the bathroom and played with my hair.

I was lucky Joe had been my friend and won popularity for me. Otherwise, I might still be between the geeks and the nerds, switching back and forth from talking about World of War Craft to talking about binary code. That's not to say I was ugly or weird. I was no supermodel, I wasn't even as pretty as the school's beauty queens. I just was. I wasn't dumb, nor was I smart. I was just average in everything.

I brushed my hair to get some of the frizz out and put on a bit more eyeliner to replace what a day's worth of work had done to it. I checked my phone to look at the time and saw I had a text. It was from Evgeni.

"HI" it simply said. I giggled. There's no other way to describe the sound.

"HI BACK" I texted, all caps as he'd done. I waited for a couple of minutes and got no reply. Smiling, I walked out of the bathroom and headed for Psychology. I sat down and put my phone on my desk, waiting for a reply. It finally came.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" it said. Impressive.

"I'M IN PSYCHOLOGY CLASS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I texted back. I liked this little game.

"I JUST GOT DONE WITH PRACTICE. I'M ABOUT TO TAKE A NAP"

"WOW, YOU'RE REALLY LUCKY. I WISH I COULD HAVE ONE" He was lucky. Then again, I'm sure if I had to skate even a short distance, I'd need a nap. I looked up from my desk. Class had started and my teacher was giving a emotional political rant. He was a staunch Republican and naturally wasn't happy about the outcome of the recent election. He made it known each class. At first, many people argued against him. Now it's more of a novelty. We enjoy it because listening to him blubber on about Nancy Pelosi being an "idiot" is far more enjoyable than doing a work sheet.

My phone lit up. "YEAH, IT'S NICE. I'LL CALL YOU LATER." I smiled. I couldn't wait for later.

When I got home, I ran the channel's TV guide to see if they'd be showing the game tonight. They were. After making that mental note, I got on the internet and went to Google. I couldn't help it anymore, I had to know more about Evgeni.

But first, I had to know his last name. I know being from Pittsburgh and not knowing a Penguin player is about as bad as not knowing Tiger Woods, but I honestly never paid attention to sports. I typed in "pittsburgh penguins evge". The drop down list provided "evgeni malkin" before I even finished. Malkin? I typed in "evgeni malkin" into the search engine. Wikipedia was first, so I started there.

Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin. What a name. His picture in a Penguins' uniform was to the right. As I scrolled down, my mouth slacked open a bit more and more. Oh. So not only was he just a hockey player, he was a damn good one. Great.

I spent the afternoon moving from site to site, trying to learn as much about him as possible. I looked up his highlights and even tried to learn the rules of the game.

That night, when the game came on, I kept my eyes trained on #71 as much as possible. He was attention for nearly three hours. And when I went to bed later, I laid in bed and watched the ceiling. It was now three days since I met him. This was crazy. People don't obsess like this after meeting someone three days ago.

I pulled one of my pillows close to me and closed my eyes. I was excited for tomorrow. Part of me wanted it to go great. I genuinely liked Evgeni. The other part of me hoped it went miserably so I could stop giggling and feeling mushy at any thought of him. That wasn't the kind of girl I was. I never wanted to be that kind of girl.

Chapter Six

2009-03-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Chapter Six

Waking up Sunday morning was hard. I was vaguely aware of the previous night. It seemed like a shadow in my mind. What I was aware of, however, were the countless dreams through the night of Evgeni hovering above me, wrapping me in his arms, and my body being completely weightless that close to him.

Which was weird, considering I met the guy two days ago.

Regardless, I felt sure that he was what I wanted. Broken English and all, I wanted him. I sat up slowly, feeling my back crack and a couple joints pop. I picked up my cell phone to check the time. 10:25. Great. I sat up and scrolled through my numbers list and dialed Evgeni's number again.

"Hello?" His deep voice answered. Success... for now, anyway.

"Hey, Evgeni.. it's me.. it's Evie," I started softly.

"I know. What you want?" He said gruffly.

"I wanted to apologize for what you heard last night. My friend was being an ass... I-" I didn't know what else to say.

"Is fine," He said. "I know you shame for me hear. Is okay."

"No, it's not just that, Evgeni," I replied. I pulled a pillow into my lap and rested my elbows on it. "I just, I dunno. I think you're cute. I know we literally just met, but I was more afraid I'd messed up our, well, friendship, I guess, more than anything."

"You not mess up. What I say? You not have boyfriend?"

"No, I don't have one. And although we're just friends, I guess I hoped maybe it'd become more in the future.. I don't know. I'm stupid. This is crazy.. I barely know you."

"Nothing is stupid. Future is long away. Is plenty time."

I sighed. I don't really think he understood what I was trying to say. Or, if he did, he was playing this weird nice-guy role where he wasn't saying no, but not saying yes. I played with the loose end of my pillow case and changed the subject.

"What are you doing today?"

"We fly out noon, go to game in next city, stay night," he replied. On cue, I could hear zipping a bag in the background.

"Oh..." I wasn't sure what to say next. "Be careful.. okay?"

"I careful. You watch game?"

"I might try... you can always call me and tell me the score. I promise nothing like last night will happen.."

"I might try," He said shortly. "I go now. Go Gonch house, pick up. Bye." He hung up.

Oh great. He's clearly upset. I don't know if I like that or if I would've preferred he not care.

I sighed and got up and turned on my laptop. I worked on my notecards for my term paper for a couple hours until I heard the front door open. My parents were home.

"Evie, where are you?" My dad called out. I heard him and mom drop their bags on the floor.

"In my room," I replied. I put my notecards away and clicked around on news stories on MSN. My door opened and my dad came in.

"What did you do this weekend?" He asked. He was wearing the same clothes when I last saw him on Thursday. He hadn't shaved since then either, and his scraggly salt and pepper beard made him look like a homeless person. His eyes were red and baggy, and his mostly-gray hair was in complete disarray. A mix of liquor and sweat smell filled the room. I wanted to gag.

"Not much. Hung around here for the most part," I lied. My dad laughed and pointed at me.

"That's my baby girl. Momma and I won some money in some poker games. Thought I'd share the wealth!" He plopped a fifty dollar on my counter. "That oughtta hold ya over for a week, pumpkin."

"Yeah, thanks dad," I forced. He winked and shut my door. I quickly got up and pocketed the money before he forgot he gave it to me and came back for it later.

I heard my parents mill around for a while before they settled down on the couch or in their bedroom, whatever they did when they got home. I laid in bed and watched the numbers go by on the clock.

Finally, a little after eight o'clock, I got a phone call. Geno flashed on my screen.

"Hello?" I quickly answered.

"Hi," he replied. "How you?"

"I'm good.. how are you? I thought you had a game?"

"I fine. Is tomorrow. We stay hotel tonight. I want call.. I want tell you that if you don't do again, I get along fine," He said slowly. That may have been the longest sentence I'd ever heard him speak.

"Good.. I want us to be friends," I replied.

"Me too."

Things were silent for a moment. "What you do for fun?" he finally asked.

"Other than party?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. Something else."

"I like movies and bowling," I replied with a smile.

"You teach me bowl when I get back," he said assertively.

"Yeah, I teach you bowl when you get back," I said with a chuckle. "When do you get back?"

"We back day after tomorrow," I could hear him moving the sheets back in bed.

"Alright. I'll see you then... bye."

"Bye."

I hung up first. I smiled and laid in bed. Bowling with Evgeni? Sounds like an adventure in itself.

Chapter Five

2009-03-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Chapter Five

After I left the deli, I caught a bus to take me back home. The bus was appropriately packed this time with a person in every seat and just as many standing. I became one of those standing. I took a spot between a man with terrible body odor and a woman with far too much perfume. I looked out of the window while the bus idly rumbled along. The driver clearly had no consideration for people's times. It wasn't like I had anywhere to be, but the man sitting down to my right clearly did, for he typed furiously on his Blackberry and continuously looked at his watch.

This was the life of a city dweller. Buses were a key component in every facet of a concrete-jungle-liver's world. Finally, the bus stopped with a great groan. With a swish, the doors opened. This time, I joined the flood of people who walked out.

I was only a few blocks away from my house at this point. But I was bored. That was always a dangerous thing.

I took out my cell phone and made a phone call.

"Hey, Mary," I said before she could even say hello.

"Yeah, hey, Evie. Nice to hear you in a hurry," She replied curtly.

"Yeah, my bad, I'm bored. I was wondering if you had any clothes I could borrow tonight. I'm not too far from your place, and I was thinking about going out with you guys tonight." I moved out of the crowd's way and went to find a place away from the commotion.

"Yeah, you can borrow my stuff. What changed your mind?" She asked.

"Ah, nothing. Just bored. Nothing to do. I don't wanna go home right now and clean up my parent's puke either, assuming they're even home," I said bitterly.

"Gotcha. Well, come over. I just got out of the shower, so it's all yours when you get here."

"Thanks, dude. I'll repay you tonight somehow." I hung up after she did. After pocketing my phone, I walked the couple blocks to her house. The door was already open, and I noticed her parent's absence.

"Dude, where's Mr. and Mrs. G?" I asked.

"Eh, Dad had some revival thing to go to for adults. I got a pass this time. Used my term paper for an excuse."

"You're the shittiest minister's daughter I know, have I ever told you that?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Get in the shower, bitch," She replied cattily.

The shower was refreshing. My muscles eased as the warm water ran over me. Seriously, these past two days have to be the most exercise-filled days of my life. Well, except for that two year stint in band. But band doesn't count as athletics, right?

Regardless, I was tired. The water made me more tired. But I forced myself to be resilient. This party was going to be awesome, and I may even break my code tonight just to cure a bit of senior boredom. Why did my party years have to end last year? I'm eighteen now. My party prime starts from here until I'm twenty-four.

Smiling, I got out once I was clean and got dressed in some clothes Mary had laid out for me. It wasn't quite my style, but it was form flattering and would definitely make me stand out tonight. The two of us did our hair and makeup together before skipping out the door to our ride.

---

The party itself was nothing like Val's the previous night. Sure, there were a ton of people, but none were big-name athletes in the city. There was a beer keg, but everyone who got a cup had to put in four dollars to pay for it. Most people brought their own liquor, and some were generous enough to share.

I didn't drink. I had wanted to, and I'd even put in my four dollars for a cup from the keg, but once it was up to my lips, I couldn't drink it. I gave it to one of my friends and spent the night dancing instead. Sometime in the night, Brandon cut in and began to dance with me. With a smile, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to grind with him better. He was smirking.

Eventually, it got to the point where it was no longer dancing at all. It was best described as a mating ritual on the dance floor. Brandon took my hand and started leading me up the stairs. Despite being sober, I was surprisingly eager. It had been nearly a year since my last tryst.

Sometime in the middle of the act, my phone started to ring.

"Ignore," I huffed. I was out of breath and red-faced. Brandon slowed down and picked my phone off the side-table.

"Geno? Who the fuck's Geno," He asked, still moving in and out of me but at a very slow pace.

"He's just a friend. Now c'mon.. don't be an ass.." I pleaded. I scratched his back for emphasis, but Brandon wouldn't leave it alone.

He answered the phone. "Hello?" I could hear him say. I don't know what Evgeni said, but it clearly amused Brandon. "Yeah, she's directly underneath me. Do you need to talk to her?" Brandon moved the phone away and held it against my ear. Before I could say anything, he resumed his former pace which made me let out a little squeak. He stopped and put the phone back to his ear. "We're busy man. Call back later."

He hung up and I punched his arm. "You're such a dick!" I said.

"Yeah, well, you don't need to hang out with commies," he replied and turned off my phone. I rolled my eyes and let him finish what he started.

Once we were done, I put back on my clothes and stole one of his cigarettes. I lit one and smoked with the window open. To be honest, I was a little afraid of what affect this had on Evgeni. If he cared, well, that meant something. But I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with hearing what he heard. If he didn't care, well, I suppose that would hurt most of all.

I sighed and put out the rest of my cigarette. I hadn't even smoked half of it. I wasn't in the mood.

"That's money, you know," Brandon said, watching me. He was still in bed in all his glory, stretched out with his arms behind his bed.

"Your money. Don't care," I replied. I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my phone, and left. I turned my phone back down and scrolled to Geno. I didn't even know if he'd still be up at this hour. I imagined he was tired after his long game. But I had to try..

I called him. No answer. Of course. I wanted to throw my phone against the ground and let it shatter. Instead, I kicked at the loose gravel on the street and called a cab. There was always tomorrow to try to call him.

In the meantime, I was going to go home and make a point to not get bored in the near future. I wasn't sure what impact this may have had on my chances with Evgeni, and honestly, I wasn't sure I was ready to find out.

Chapter Four

2009-03-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Chapter Four

I quickly dried my hair from my shower and put on a little bit of makeup. I wasn't the type to paint an entire new visage over my existing face, but at the time, I never left the house without some eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I parted my hair to the side and left it down. It was actually straighter than usual.

Anyway, I wore a pair of jeans, a Pitt shirt, and my Sperry shoes. Today was not a dress up day. I walked out of my house and saw that the boys had gotten Nathan's car sometime this morning. My parents were still missing, so I was car-less with a need to go somewhere. But it was sunny, and although it was chilly outside, it felt good to me. I walked through my neighborhood without a care in the world. I had some money to catch the bus to take me downtown, where I intended to spend my day.

I sat on the bench at the bus stop and closed my eyes and looked toward the sky. I hated winter in Pittsburgh. The snow and dreariness didn't agree with me. So I happily offered my face to the sun, glad to see him smiling back at me today.

I don't know how long I waited on the bus to come, but I heard it screech to a stop. I opened my eyes and slowly got up. I tossed coins into the machine for the fare and sat down. Surprisingly, the bus was empty today. Usually it was crowded with people on Saturdays.

I got off the bus once downtown and walked around with my hands in my pockets. Then, I heard a chorus of Asher Roth's, "I Love College". Smiling, I dug my phone out of my pocket.

"Hello?" I started.

"Yo, I have a sack of books here, and I called around and my sources say their yours," Alex, the shisha connoisseur replied. My smile faded.

"You don't have sources, and I'll be there shortly," I returned.

"Yeah, well, I'll hold 'em. You should be thankful for friends like me," he snipped. I knew two things about Alex. One, he was a Pitt drop-out who was once a genius. Then, once at college, he fell into the wrong crowd and dropped out because he lost his scholarships due to failing grades. He had a very strong taste for all things smokable, and since "weed bars" would be illegal, he settle for hookah smoke. The second thing I knew about Alex was that he liked me. I don't why. I wasn't the type of girl that would compatible with him. He was a huge party-boy. Although my friends were too, and I often accompanied them, I couldn't have that in a relationship.

I hung up the phone and started toward The Lounge. When I walked in, the bag of books was sitting on the counter and Alex was nowhere to be found. Instead, the red-haired guy with the thick beard (I never learned his name) was behind the counter.

"Here, these are yours," he said shortly. "Alex is cookin' one up, you staying?"

"Nah, I just need my books," I replied. I took the bag from him and walked back out, happy to breathe the much cleaner air outside.

I wondered where Evgeni was and what he was doing. I wasn't far from where we met last night. I could almost hear him saying my name. I smiled and closed my eyes.

They way he said my name resonated through my thoughts. I couldn't help but shiver.

"Evie." My mind was playing tricks on me. I could hear it clearer than ever.

"Evie." I opened my eyes. This wasn't a trick. I turned around to see the tall, lanky, aloof Russian standing behind me. I smiled at him.

"Fancy seeing you here," I said. He nodded, as if he understood, but I knew his English wasn't that good to understand slang yet. "What brings you here?"

"I come eat lunch. What you do?" He asked.

"Well, it's a sunny day and I didn't want to be cramped indoors," I replied. I motioned to the books. "Oh, and a guy who works at The Lounge called me and told me that I left these."

"Oh. You eat?" he asked. I smiled at him. If it was any other guy, I might have been sarcastic, foreign or not. But his cute half-smile and twinkling brown eyes melted the sarcasm from my tongue.

"Yeah.. if you want." I batted my eyelashes in an effort to flirt. He laughed and kept a bemused look on his face. Great. My flirtation attempt didn't woo, it amused.

"Come. We go eat," He said. His long strides quickly outpaced me, and my legs worked overtime to keep up. By the time we finally stopped, I was hot from the work despite it being a lovely, cool day. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I huffed. "You just walk fast."

"Oh. I sorry." He opened the door for me and I wiped sweat from my forehead. Great. The guy that reduces me to a puddle on the inside is also the one that gets to see me sweaty and red-faced.

Of course, the place that he takes me is a deli. Great. He's an athlete who eats healthy food. I'm just a regular girl who eats a ton of junk. He ordered his food and paid and waited for me to order. Great. What in the world am I supposed to get and enjoy?

I settled for a club sandwich and chips and paid. Luckily, I saw that I had enough money for a McDonald's run later, once he was gone.

We sat in a table by the window and ate quietly. I feigned not being hungry and pecked a bit at my sandwich and then my chips. He ate all of his, and by the time we left, he'd eaten the rest of mine too.

"So.. what's the plan for the rest of the day?" I asked him.

"I go game. Play. Go home," He said shortly with a mouthful of sandwich and a piece of lettuce hanging out of his mouth. I smiled, finding it endearing.

"Sounds like quite a night."

"Yeah. What you do?"

"Eh, probably stay at home. My friends want me to go to a party, but I don't feel like it," I said while playing with lid of my drink.

"What party?"

"A bunch of our friends who graduated last year are back in town after going off to college. They didn't get into Pitt, so they all went to a community college in Philly. Anyway, they're legends at my high school, so they're coming back for a Spring Break party."

"Why not go?" He took another huge bite.

"I get tired of partying. There's no point to it. I had my fill when I was a sophomore and a junior. Somewhere between the hangovers and waking up not knowing where I was, I got tired of it. I go to hang out with my friends, but I just drink water and I usually leave before it's over. You just held my attention last night."

He smiled at that and wiped his mouth. "Well, good for know. I like attention."

"So, will you call me after the game? Tell me who wins?" I asked.

"Yeah... I call," he said, looking at his watch. "I must go. I go dress, go game. Is only few hour away." He got up and smiled. "But I call. I tell you."

He threw our lunch containers in the garbage and left. I sipped my drink and stared at the empty chair in front of me before I got up and walked out.

Boys. They're so stupid. But they're so cute when they smile and speak broken English.

Chapter Three

2009-03-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Chapter Three

The party wound down around three in the morning. Or, rather, most everyone had either passed out or had gone home. Evgeni and I were still in the same chairs on the patio. His English was virtually non-existent with the bit of alcohol in his system. We communicated through nods and points, which made it hard for some things. For instance, I was ready to go home, and trying to explain that with body language to a drunken Russian isn't easy.

I finally stood up and motioned down the street. He responded by taking my phone from my hands.

"Hey, I need that!" I said with a huff. He was already punching on the keyboard before he gave it back to me. He nodded and waved me off. I shrugged my shoulders and went inside the house. Comatose bodies were littered through the house. I found one of my friends, Nathan, sprawled out on the couch. I felt around in his pocket until I found his keys and left a note on his chest that said, "Call me, I have your car - Evie."

After that, I left the house. Once I got in his car, I realized I had a pounding headache from loud music and the smell of reeking booze. I groaned and started the car, then headed home.

My house was dark and as quiet as ever. My parents were rarely home. They partied about as much as I did, except they drank and smoked far worse things than I usually did. When they weren't partying, they were working twelve or more hour shifts at one of the plants in town, where they met years ago.

You see, my parents are a teenager's dream. I didn't have a curfew, I was allowed to go where I wanted, and grades were a non-issue with them. I honestly can't remember a time when I was "grounded" or when I was "in trouble". They've asked me why I didn't have a tattoo yet - apparently, being a few months over the age of 18 and not having a tattoo yet was a faux pas - or why I didn't at least consider a nose piercing.

Oddly, I didn't enjoy the freedom. Making your own boundaries is tough business. Being smarter than your parents is also tough business. There's nothing more embarrassing than having to bring your parents home when they're so drunk that they can't stand. My friends say they're envious of me; I'm envious of them. At least they know their parents are going to be alive when they get home. I can never say that about my parents.

I kicked a few empty bottles of beer cans, courtesy of my father, out of the way and waded through dirty clothes to get to my bedroom. My room was the only clean place in the house. True, I should clean up more than my room and my bathroom, but no one ever comes over, so I never feel the need.

I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. My head still throbbed, my legs ached, and I felt sticky from the warm night. Despite it all, I couldn't go to sleep. I took out my phone and tried to see what Evgeni had done to it. Under contacts, "Geno" was now there, along with what was presumably his number. I couldn't help but laugh. It was probably the furthest from his number due to his drunken state, but at least he tried.

I turned my ringing volume up as loud as it would go. I knew Nathan would be calling in the next six or seven hours, and if the phone wasn't loud, I wouldn't hear him. With a sigh, I kicked off my shoes and pulled a blanket over me. I was far too tired to take a shower or change clothes. I closed my eyes. It was very easy to sleep with the surrounding darkness.

-----

Nathan called around nine-thirty the next morning. I groaned and grabbed my phone.

"Hey, I'll be there soon," I said grumpily.

"Don't worry about it. Brandon's gonna pick me up, and I'll come over to your house and pick up my car. See you later tonight," He spoke weakly, clearly hungover.

"What's tonight? We just had Val's, what else could be this weekend?" I rolled over on my side and rubbed my temples.

"Well, nothing like last night. But The Clique's coming back into town, and we figured we'd all go to The Lounge again and maybe hit up Alex for some beer at his place."

"Ugh, you guys go ahead. I hate that creep. I'm gonna sit this out tonight."

"Fine, suit yourself. But what if the guys don't come back until their college semester is up?"

"Dude, it's March. Their semester doesn't ends in May, which is literally two months away. I'll live without Morgan and Rhett and the guys for at least that long." I sat up slowly. "I'm gonna go get a shower and I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Fine, bye." He hung up.

So I got up and got into the shower, enjoying the warm water. If I felt this bad having been sober, I can't imagine what everyone else feels like. I smiled and thought of Evgeni, my new goofy, smiley, Russian friend.

When I got out of the shower, I picked back up my phone and scrolled down to "Geno". I decided to try to call it anyway. Who says a girl can't try?

To my surprise, I got a very sleep-filled, deep, gravelly, oh-so-peanut-buttery, "Hello?"

"Hey, Evgeni... it's me," I said softly.

"Who... me..?" He yawned.

"Evie? From the party.."

"Oh... I... hmm..." I could almost see his face screwing up as he tried to find the right words.

"Do you remember me...?" I asked.

"Yeah. I know you. You at party. I know," He said simply.

"So.. what's up?" I said after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"I sleep. Very tired. Get ready for play next day."

"Oh.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake-" I was cut off before I could finish.

"No, no. You not wake. I wake. I talk you."

"It's fine, Evgeni."

"No, I talk. I wonder if.. if you go eat." He stumbled a bit over his words.

"With you?"

"Yeah, me."

"Sure.. that sounds nice," I said smiling. "When would like to go?"

"Well, we go this day? At night?"

"We can go this day," I replied, keeping a chuckle down at his English. "Just tell me when and where."

"Okay, I call again for tell you."

"Alright, Evgeni. Bye."

"Bye." He hung up.

Now, I had been on dates before. Lots of them. I'd had my fair share of boyfriends. This was nothing new to me. But he had me extremely interested. Perhaps it was his novelty. I didn't know any Russian men before Evgeni, nor had I encountered someone who could barely form an English sentence. I'd never been around anything foreign. I'd never seen a man so outrageously non-American. Evgeni was exotic to me. Maybe for that reason alone, I was drawn to him like a magnet. I'd never left the state before, so when someone from a whole other country across the world came, I was left in awe.

That was my first theory anyway. Me being drawn to this man was because he was new, exciting, and fresh. Once we had our fill of each other, we'd break up and move on. That was what I was used to. I'd never been in a relation that I didn't tire of quickly. Why would Evgeni be any different?

After all, he was a silly boy and nothing more.

Chapter Two

2009-03-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

Chapter Two

"Eye-candy at the bookstore, nothing more," I said cooly, puffing a bit of smoke in his face. He laughed and waved it off.

"Yeah, yeah. We all know how your eye-candies end up." Brandon stole my green tea and took a long drink of it. I growled inwardly.

"Hey," Mary poked me. "We have to go get refreshed before the big party tonight."

"What big party? I signed up for hookah bar, and I didn't even want to do that," I huffed.

"Well, you've got to come to Val's now. It's Friday night, what other things do you have to do? Besides, there's two hunch-punch kegs. Two. And supposedly, some guys from the Pirates and Penguins are going to be attending. You have to go," she pressed.

"What, no Steelers?" I laughed. Mary rolled her eyes. "Fine... to the bathroom for makeup." I followed her in and pulled my small makeup bag from my purse.

Val. She was somewhat of a hero to our high school. A senior that graduated three, four years ago - I don't remember - she was constantly befriending members of the latest senior class. I thought it was because she had flunked out of college and wanted to remain young. I was quickly corrected by all of my friends. No, Val was just a girl who wanted to share her connections. The best she'd ever done for me is introduce me to the AHL hockey player Luca Caputi, who quickly forgot me. I don't even like hockey.

Mary took the mirror beside me and brushed out her dark hair. Her neck was longer than most people's - it reminded me of a swan - and she always seemed to want to show it off by pulling her hair up in a tight ponytail. Tonight, though, she left it down and she highlighted her pallid features with a bit of blush and eyeliner. Anything more was too unnatural, according to her. "Plus, there isn't any eyeshadow that really makes my eyes stand out, so I just line them," she says.

As for me, I had brunette hair as well, but not quite so dark. My skin was usually dry, but tonight the moist weather had spared me from having itchy skin. I wanted a tan, but I could only burn in tanning beds, and if you aren't using those, it's very hard to get a tan in winter here in Pittsburgh. My eyes were a fake green. I found my brown ones too boring, so I invested in green contacts that made them go from shit brown to baby shit green. Story of my life.

"So, I heard Brandon say you met a guy," Mary started smoothly.

"Yeah.. funny thing.. he couldn't speak any English, so I picked out a book for him. Thus ends the tragic romance. Shakespeare should have written about it," I snipped.

"Too bad he didn't. So was he Mexican? Chinese? French? Don't tell me you let a Frenchie go." She pouted her lips while she applied a dark red lipstick.

"None of those. Russian. A pure-bred commie." I ran my hands through my hair and shook it out a little.

"Ahh.. he could've been a KGB spy."

"I think the Russian government would've made sure a KGB spy could speak English. Just saying."

"Yeah, well, he could've been faking." She struck a pose in the mirror to examine her figure.

"No, I doubt he was faking. You can't fake what he was doing." I put my makeup back in the bag and zipped it up. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Alex creeps me out."

She laughed and took my arm while she staggered out of the bathroom. This was a prelude of the night, I knew.

So Joe, Brandon, Mary, and I left The Lounge early. The rest of the guys wanted to finish their shisha, and understandably. Stuff was expensive. Joe held up Mary while she faked a drunken stumble. Parties always made her act stupid. Brandon walked beside me with his hands deep in his pockets, unsure what to make of the scene in front of him.

We caught a cab and squished in close together. Mary giggled while Joe nipped her ear. I rolled my eyes and got out as soon as the cabbie dropped us off in Val's neighborhood. I smoothed out my shirt and walked down the street.

Val's house was already crammed with people. I recognized some people who either went to my high school, or had graduated from my high school. The rest of the people seemed to have come off the streets for a quick drink. I split from my friends and went to the kitchen.

Already, the debauchery had begun. Girls sat on the counters while guys placed shot glasses between their tits and drank the liquor. Two guys were dividing a baggie of pot into rolls for joints. Another girl was frantically getting ice to keep up with drink demands. I shrugged past all of them and grabbed a plain water out of the refrigerator.

I heard the place erupt in cheers. Shouts of "TALBO!", "TANGER!", "STAALSIE!", and "GEEENO!" came from everyone. I turned to one of the guys who was dealing.

"Who the hell are they so excited for?" I asked incredulously.

"The Pens are in!" He replied. "How can you live here and not know that?!"

"I guess I don't pay attention to sports." I drank a sip of water and moved out of the kitchen. Rap music was rattling the windows and people were grinding together. The whole place felt as though it was a hundred degrees. The air felt heavy.

I squeezed through throngs of people and managed to stay clear of overflowing beer. I made it to the back door and took a huge breath once I was outside. Once outside, I saw a familiar tall figure sitting alone in one of the patio chairs. He had a red dixie cup in his hands.

Smiling, I walked over. "Don't let the hunch punch get you," I said as I sat down. His eyes widened a little when he realized who I was. "I didn't know we hung out in the same social circles."

"Friend, Max, he tell come," the Russian said softly. "What is this?" He asked, pointing to the dixie cup.

"Hunch punch. Everclear mixed with fruit punch. Don't drink a lot of it. It's pure grain alcohol," I replied.

He shrugged. "I drink much vodka. Is not big deal."

"Oh, hon, it is," I assured him. That much was true. The first time I tried the stuff, I was out cold after a cup. "So.. I guess since we go to the same parties, we should know each other's names."

"Evgeni," he said, pointing to himself.

"Ugh, my name's Evelyn, but Evie is what I go by," I replied and then shook his hand. I hated my name. I figured I'd like it when I turn fifty, but that's thirty-two years away.

"Evie...?" My name sounded weird in his thick accent. He still sounded as though he had peanut butter on the roof of his mouth. But there was more than even that. His voice was very gruff, and hearing my name come out that way made it sound new. Made it tolerable.

"Yeah... see, you only think you're bad at this English thing," I chuckled.

"I bad. I bad at talk. Not bad at hear." He took a sip out of his cup. To my surprise, he didn't make a face. I knew Russians were good drinkers, but PGA (that's pure grain alcohol for you non-party goers) will make even the best of us cringe.

"Well, Evgeni, there should be more people like you in the world," I said with a wink. He smiled softly, understanding the deeper meaning even with the language barrier. He lightly tipped his cup to me, as if it were a toast, and took another drink. I uncapped my water and drank with him. We sat together in a comfortable silence and watched the people mill around us. We were unnoticed and we were okay with that. We had each other's company, and silence was golden for us both.

I guess you could say it was the start of beautiful relationship.

Chapter One

2009-03-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

Chapter One

The night was surprisingly warm. My shirt was stuck to my skin, I felt sticky, and my lungs felt heavy. My tennis shoes lightly thudded across the concrete as I walked with my friends. Their mood was collectively light, and their laughter carried over the bustle of the city.

Me, well, I was slightly more pensive. Unlike them, I was worried over my term paper. Somehow they dragged me out of the house and into the wild of the city. According to them, I needed to relax. So they were relaxing me in their own way. They were taking me to a hookah bar.

Now, hookahs get a bad reputation. It's just tobacco, and I'm 18. I'm legal. I'm allowed. It's fun even; that is, if your idea of fun is smoking flavored tobacco through a ridiculously long pipe. I just don't want to go. A warm night in Pittsburgh should be spent outside, not hemmed inside a sketchy building blowing smoke in each other's faces. Besides, I should be at home, being responsible.

I moved out of my way to kick a pebble while my friends continued their march. I stopped at the crosswalk with them and realized we were close to the bookstore.

"Guys.. go ahead, I'll be there later," I said strongly. I wanted to find a better source anyway, and at least I could feel responsible in a bookstore rather than a hookah bar.

"Why, you pussing out again?" My friend, Mary asked. She was a typical minister's daughter. She was extremely religious and devout on Sundays, religious holidays, and whenever someone brought up the subject of religion. The rest of time, she drank, smoked, and fucked with the best of us.

"No, I'm not pussing out. Besides, I'm girl. If I was pussing out, I'm allowed," I replied lazily. It was my response to everything. It's okay, I'm a girl. Truth is, I'd been to share of parties and I'd done my own share of debauchery. It was just so boring. So predictable.

"Fine, go on. We'll be at The Lounge. We'll save you a seat and get Alex to put the green teas on ice for you," she replied. Mary pulled her jacket tighter around her and leaned on Joe. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder - he was obviously eager for something more than a flimsy group date tonight - and nodded at me.

With that, I veered down the street and entered the book store. It was quiet and peaceful as always. Glossy covers shined brightly from every angle, inviting people to pick them up and read them. But I was on a mission.

I went straight to the section I needed and searched for the book I needed. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned; I figured it'd be better for my term paper, which was on how Fitzgerald typecasts his women. I knew the answer. He found them all to be shallow and consumed with vanity.

Once I found the book, I wasn't eager to leave the store. I didn't want to walk all the way home by myself, nor did I particularly want to head to The Lounge, green tea or not. So I sauntered to the international section. My Spanish exam was only a few weeks away, and my teacher was as filled with senioritis as the seniors were. So she practically stopped teaching.

A man was already there, perusing through another part of the section. I looked up at him to try to measure his height. At 5'2" on a good day, I was rarely taller than any other person. Like most men, this one towered over me by at least a foot. His hair was messed everywhere, like he had just woke up and came straight here.

Shrugging, I thumbed through a study guide. He cleared his throat loudly. I looked up.

"Uhh.." He started. His voice was very deep and rough. Very guttural.

"Yes?" I offered.

"I have.. problem," He said slowly. It was obvious that he wasn't American. It was also obvious he didn't have a great grip of the language. His face was twisted in thought, like he was trying to find the words. He lightly thumbed through the book in his hands, and then flicked his eyes back to me. "My English.. not so good. You help find book?"

"Yeah," I started slowly, so he could understand. "I can help you. How good are you at English?"

He licked his lips thoughtfully, then pursed them. I could see the gears turning in his head. "I know... I know what you say. Is hard... very hard to say."

His words came out jumbled as if he had a mouth full of peanut butter. His cheeks flushed red. He was not confident with his English at all.

"What is your main language?"

"Russian," he replied quickly.

I picked up a Russian-English dictionary and put it in his hands.

"This will help you," I said softly. He smiled a goofy, crooked smile.

"Thank you. You help much." His eyes swiveled around the room, as if he was trying to find something to look at other than me. Finally, his eyes came back. "I go. Thank you for help."

With that, the Russian turned and started heading toward the register. I wondered if he would pay in rubles. Smirking to myself, I grabbed my Spanish book and followed behind him. To my disappointment, he pulled out dollars and not rubles, and paid without issue. Apparently, he had money down pat.

He looked over and saw me. He smiled bashfully, then ducked out of the store.

"Do you live here or something?" The snarky cashier asked. His name was Jacob according to his name tag, but I never made a point to get to know him other than handing him my money.

"I'm paying your paycheck," I replied. I handed him my money.

"Yeah, well, I can't imagine what you do with all those books."

"I read. Try it sometime."

I grabbed my receipt and walked out, heading for The Lounge. The air smelled sickly sweet for some reason, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. The face of the Russian held my attention. He was cute in an awkward, goofy, can't-speak-English way.

I walked in The Lounge.

"Heeeey, I got your green teas on the ice!" Alex, the worker who does nothing but smoke everyone's hookahs, said when I entered.

"Yeah, thanks for doing your job," I replied. I reached in the bucket and pulled out the bottle of Lipton Green Tea, a drink that I fully believed was God's gift to man. I slid a five over the counter. "That's for the next one, too."

"What about my tip?" He asked with a whine.

"You smoking is your tip." I walked to my friends and plopped down on the couch. I stole the pipe from my friend Brandon and breathed in the peach flavor deep.

"So.. who's the guy?" He asked with a glint in his eye.