Chapter Fifteen

 

“Are you ready?” Vadmir asked me after breakfast the next morning.

“Yes, just my hair to do.”

He studied my head and looked bemused. “What is there to do with it?”

“I haven’t finished curling it.”

“Haven’t you?”

“No.”

I could tell by his expression that the concept of curling hair was lost on him.

“I won’t be long, twenty minutes or so.”

He glanced at his watch. “Really?”

“Yes, it takes a bit longer than yours.”

He scrubbed his hand over his crew cut. “I guess.”

I grabbed my coffee from the table. “I’ll be quick.”

“Yep.”

We were going to the local rink where he’d learned to skate. Apparently he always called in when home; saw his old coaches, friends and the new talent coming up the ranks. For a small place, so he’d told me, Sokol was blessed with great players.

Deciding not to overly fuss with my hair, we were soon heading across the river toward the rink on the west side of town.

“You smell nice,” he said, turning down the heater now that the car was warm.

“Thanks.”

He glanced at me. “Like flowers.”

“It’s Clarins, you bought it for me.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I did?”

“Yes, the receptionist at the hotel brought me a bag of Clarins toiletries, this was in it.”

“I like that I bought it for you, even if I didn’t know.” He shook his head. “You really hadn’t intended on staying that night when you came from the airport, had you?”

“I don’t know what I thought.” I shrugged. “I guess just a few hours with you or something.”

“Just enough time to fuck each other stupid.”

“Yes, except we fucked each other unconscious and I missed my flight.” I gestured out of the window. It was beginning to snow again. “I should be in Miami now, lying by a pool with a mojito.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll take you,” he said, resting his hand on my knee.

“Where?”

“Miami, when we get back to Orlando. We’ll go for a weekend, you can drink as many mojitos as you want and lounge by the pool to your head’s content.”

“My what?” I smiled. He’d done it again.

“Content, ’til your head is content.”

I laughed. “You mean heart’s content.”

He frowned and replaced his hand on the steering wheel. “If you say so.”

I leaned across and kissed his cheek. “That sounds wonderful. I’d love to go to Miami with you.”

“You would?” He sounded surprised and turned to me again.

“Yeah, I bet you look great in swim trunks.”

He grinned. “And I bet you look amazing in a bikini. In fact, we might not get out of the hotel room come to think of it.”

“Yes, that does seem to be a problem we have.”

 

 

Sokol ice rink appeared run down and small after seeing the Vipers’ magnificent home in Orlando the week before. It had clearly had very little money spent on it for decades, but the enthusiasm and smiles of the people inside made up for that.

“Vadmir,” an excited voice called as we wandered in.

“Ivan,” Vadmir said, striding up to a middle-aged guy with a short goatee beard.

I stepped to one side and watched as they did the usual three kisses and then began to chatter in Russian. I realized just how much I loved hearing Vadmir speak in his natural language. It was sexy and husky and suited him so well. I probably shouldn’t be so harsh on him for getting a few English words mixed up when I could barely remember one word of his language.

“Sammy,” Vadmir said, holding his hand out to me. “Meet Ivan, he was my coach through my teenage years.”

“Ivan,” I said, with a smile and moving out of the shadows of the wall.

Ivan greeted me enthusiastically with much cheek kissing and approving looks to Vadmir. He gestured to his hair and I guessed he was commenting on mine.

Vadmir placed his forearm over my shoulder and pulled me against his side. He looked down at me. “I’m going to put skates on and give the guys a training session. You okay to hang out here?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You can grab a coffee from the machine.”

“I’m fine. I’ve had plenty.”

“Sure.”

“Yeah, so go show me what you can do, Russian boy.”

“I think you already know what I can do.” He dropped a quick kiss to my lips and then strode off. “And I know you like it,” he threw over his shoulder.

I found a seat at the end of a long row of blue plastic benches and tucked myself out of the way. It gave me a good vantage point and I could see the coffee machine if I decided I needed caffeine and heat.

There were already several players on the ice, knocking pucks around and weaving in and out of cones. A couple of guys in opposite goals were padded up and doing their best to stop shots.

I made the most of the alone time and called Harmony and then Patrick. Harmony was on the mend and Patrick, like Nicola had been, was perfectly nice about my oversleeping but I sensed an underlying note of disappointment. But that disaster felt a million miles away, up here in the Arctic Circle. And even missing my holiday in Miami didn’t feel so bad now that Vadmir had said we’d go together. That thought appealed to me very much. I wondered if we’d go this month.

After ten minutes Vadmir shot onto the ice with Ivan at his side. He was tall anyway, but the additional inches his skates gave him meant he looked enormous. His must have had padding on beneath his black jersey, too, because his already wide shoulders were now colossal.

There was a chorus of whoops and cheers from the young guys on the ice and many of them tapped sticks with Vadmir who was grinning broadly beneath his cage helmet.

Ivan eventually calmed everyone down and Vadmir took over the training.

I folded my arms to keep the warmth close to my body, and watched him patiently helping line shots up, advising the forward and the keeper and then setting exercises.

The rink was filled with the sounds of blades on ice, pucks sliding and hitting the boards and deep Russian voices. Several other spectators gathered, men and women and a few young kids. I guessed word had got out that an All-Star player was in town.

Eventually the hour came to an end, all the players slid to the opposite side of the rink and then stomped onto the hard floor leaving the ice eerily empty.

When Vadmir disappeared out of view I went for coffee. My toes were cold as were my hands, even in gloves. The vending machine was onerous, taking more of my kopecks than it should. But eventually I had a paper cup with something warm and brown in it that smelled vaguely like coffee.

Leaving my gloves off, I cupped it in my palms and walked back to where I’d been sitting.

The few spectators had drifted off and I sat, planning on waiting for Vadmir to come find me when he was finished.

The coffee was weak and contained sugar, which I didn’t normally take. I sipped it and held the cup until it was cool and then went on the hunt for a trashcan. I’d expected Vadmir to have returned by now.

I spotted a blue plastic bin with a black liner wrinkled around the top and headed for it. I dropped the cup inside and then wandered deeper into the back corridors of the rink.

Voices filtered toward me, from around the next corner. One was deep, it sounded like Vadmir.

I continued walking, the soles of my new boots utterly silent, as I eased my gloves back on.

Just before I rounded the corner I paused. It was gloomy here and the voices echoed. It was a little creepy. But also now I was sure one was Vadmir’s and the other, that was female.

Hesitating for just a second, I then stepped into view.

I’d been right, it was Vadmir, and he was talking to a woman. She wore a caramel colored coat that I’d bet was real fur. Cascading from a hat that matched her coat, she had straight dark hair, nearly as long as mine. Even from here I could see she was stunningly beautiful with large doe-like eyes and scarlet lips, skin as smooth as china.

I stopped and shifted into the shadows, not hiding but not announcing my presence, either. My attention had been caught because they were talking in urgent tones plus Vadmir’s hand gestures were agitated.

She turned from him, faced away and bowed her head.

He rested his hand on her shoulder, moved in close behind and spoke into her ear.

A swell of nausea rolled through me. What I was witnessing was an intimate gesture, one that suggested they were more than passing acquaintances—more than friends.

He was talking again, in hushed tones, the sound mumbling toward me through the cool, shadowed corridor. I had no idea what he was saying but he rubbed her shoulders as he did so. Soothingly, the way I had him the night before when he’d been upset.

Suddenly she turned again and looked up at him.

He dropped his hands. I thought he might step back from her, she looked so angry. But he didn’t, instead he raised his chin and stared down at her with his jaw set.

She spoke again, short clipped words.

He shook his head from side to side.

She pursed her lips and glared up at him.

For a moment it seemed they were having a staring competition but then she spun from him and strutted my way.

She wore high-heeled boots that clattered noisily and the sound ricocheted around the corridor like a string of bullets.

I had no time to move or run, so, shoving my hands into my pockets, I pulled in a deep breath. A gut feeling assured me she wasn’t about to be my new best buddy. Instinct told me she was a rival.

Her gaze landed on me and she faltered for a second, her tapping heels pausing briefly. Then she strode forward as if with renewed irritation, arms swinging, chin held high.

I bit on my bottom lip and glanced at Vadmir, who was standing with his hands on his hips, his cap pulled low and his feet apart.

She set her gaze on me, not blinking, just staring. No smile, no greeting, only an arctic glare.

“I vot teper' etot,” she said, suddenly spinning to face Vadmir. “Vy privezti yeye syuda.”

“Dah,” he said, “I did bring her here.” He looked from her to me. His eyebrows were pulled low and his mouth a tight, straight line.

She huffed, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and after one final withering look my way, marched around the corner.

I stared at the space she’d just occupied. If I’d felt cold before now I was frozen.

“Sammy,” Vadmir said, pacing up to me, his long strides making short work of the distance.

“Who was that?” I asked, suppressing a shiver that was trying to prickle its way up my spine.

“Alena.”

“You know her.” I didn’t make it a question, it was a statement. It was obvious they knew each other. “What were you arguing about?”

“You’re cold,” he said, touching the backs of his fingers to my cheek.

“Yes, but what was going on between you?” I had no right to be jealous. We didn’t exactly have a relationship, but I couldn’t help it. We were together, for this week at least. Hell I’d sucked him off yesterday, up at the forest. I was staying in his home. “Who is she to you?”

“Just a girl,” he said, frowning and dropping his hands to his sides.

“Just a girl,” I repeated. The forest. A sudden memory of the forest, something he’d said about taking his girlfriend up there, on bikes, came back to me. Alena? “Girlfriend, you mean?”

“Ex-girlfriend. Come on, let’s get out of here. I have done my duty for the rink and the guys.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and steered me in the direction I’d just come.

“The girlfriend you used to take to the forest? You said her name was Alena, didn’t you?”

He huffed. “You are too clever, Sammy, but yes, Alena is the girl I used to cycle to the forest with, when we were teenagers.”

“Which was years ago.” A twisting feeling attacked my belly. “So you must be ancient history then. You and her.” I knew that wasn’t true, not going by the vibes I’d just felt. There was something very present happening, on her part at least. “That was a long time ago, when you were teenagers.”

“Yes, it was. A very long time ago.”

“So why did she give me a death stare?”

“I am sorry for that.”

“Vadmir.” I stopped and pressed my hand on his arm. His jacket was thick and puffy. “I know what we’ve got is a whirlwind of… I don’t know, sex, hanging out, whatever. And we don’t exactly have any claim on each other, but…” I sighed. “Honesty is good between friends, and we are at least friends.” I paused. “Friends with benefits, perhaps, but friends, yes?”

“Yes, friends.” He smiled, one side of his mouth tilting and the skin at the corners of his eyes creasing. I loved that smile of his. It was so genuine and warming and made me feel better. “And I agree, honesty is the best programme.”

“So,” I said, “Who is she and why is she so angry that you brought me here?”

“She was my first love and I hers, but as you said it was a long time ago. A decade ago, longer, from when we first started dating.”

I swallowed and beat down an image of them together at the forest, naked, her doing the things I liked doing with Vadmir. I thought of him as a younger man, learning the ropes of sex. Exploring the female form for the first time and discovering all of those deliciously dirty things he knew now that made my body sing.

“So what went wrong?” I asked.

“I went to America.”

I hadn’t been expecting that. “But you said you’d only been there four years.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And you were still together before you went, from being teenagers?”

He nodded. “We were, yes.”

“But surely you were serious by then. After all of that time.”

“We were, well at least I was, but she wouldn’t come with me.” He shrugged and the rustling of his jacket material was noisy in the silent arena. “She wouldn’t wait for me and she wouldn’t come to America, either. What choice did I have but to end it? I couldn’t sacrifice my career for her, my career is for more than just me, it is for my family, too. We needed money.” He sighed. “Dad’s health was already bad, even then.”

“That must have been a hard choice.”

“Not really. I did what I needed to do.”

“Well yes, I can understand that.”

“Can you?”

“Of course. No one should be made to sacrifice their dreams for another person. You did what you had to do.” I slid my hand down his arm and took his hand in mine. “But just for the record, I think she’s crazy, she would have loved America.”

He smiled suddenly and then touched the tip of his nose to mine. “Maybe, maybe not. I guess I’ll never know.”

“And is she still in love with you? Is that why she was mad?” I studied his eyes.

“She wouldn’t admit it even if she was, but I doubt it. It’s just her pride that is hurt. I brought another woman to Sokol, a beautiful American woman.” He brushed his lips over mine. “But let’s not talk about Alena anymore. We have a wonderful venison broth waiting for us made by Darya.”