The Russians are Coming!, 14 Months in the Life of the Town
The women stood not far away and started a lively discussion, and Jeff saw Vera give him a quick look. They did not need words. Pushing their carts, they left the aisle from different ends.
Passing a few aisles, they walked in parallel until they found one without people, and entered, meeting in the middle. They laughed, enjoying mutual understanding.
«Gosh!» Jeff giggled. «I feel like I’m meeting with a Russian spy.»
Smiling, Vera wanted to reply, but her face clouded again, for another man came into the aisle. He soon left, but Jeff sighed as his playful mood faded. He noticed Vera glancing at her watch, and asked her, «Are you late for something?»
«Almost.» Vera looked at him with an apologetic smile. «Tonight there is a Halloween party on campus – a short play, dancing after, snacks, et cetera. I’m curious to see it.»
«Can I go too?» Jeff asked unexpectedly, even to himself. Vera looked at him with compassion.
«Sorry,» she murmured. «It’s for students only. Bye.»
«I understand,» he sighed watching her go.
* * * * *
In the police station, Jeff sat at his desk and browsed through his papers. His shift was already over, but he just did not want to go yet to his empty home.
Then he overheard a colleague talking with his student son.
«Dad, you promised,» the student whined. «The whole party depends on you. Don’t wreck our Halloween.»
«The students’ party?» Jeff got interested. «What happened?»
«I foolishly promised my boy to take part in the play,» explained Jeff’s colleague. «But the chief gave me a lot of paperwork for tonight. I can’t, I really can’t.»
«Is it a difficult part?» asked Jeff, and they stared at him. «I mean, can I replace your father?»
«Great!» exclaimed the student. «All you need to do is just go on and say one phrase: „Your Majesty! Be ready for anything!“, then stand behind the royal throne. That’s all. It’s almost the last scene of the play. Just a few minutes. But the costume… it’s a knight’s costume, the whole-body armor. Not real, of course. It’s fabric. The helmet is aluminum. Is it okay with you?»
«No problemo.» Jeff laughed. «Let’s go.»
* * * * *
He repeated the phrase all the way to the campus. Not worried about the play, Jeff was only concerned if Vera would be there.
«What if something changed and she could not come?» he thought. «Okay, at least I’ll have some fun.»
* * * * *
In the changing room, the student gave Jeff the one-size-fits-all costume, and the police officer started pulling it on straight over his clothes. While he was donning his armor, some other students led David VanStein into the room.
Tired after the Halloween walk, David had forgotten to put on his costume at home, but the students would not allow him to enter the party wearing casual clothes.
«No-no-no!» objected a female student in the costume of a sea cadet. «You have to change.»
«Yes! Yes! Yes!» the others supported her.
«Marina, please.» The professor smiled seeing Jeff in the room. They nodded to each other and said, «Hi!»
«I know a great costume.» Marina grabbed some clothes and held them out to David. He could do nothing but put them on.
Here were wide Turkish trousers, a redingote and musketeers hat. David tied around his waist a scarf belt fitted with a fake saber. Everybody gasped, as he looked exactly like a pirate captain.
«Are you happy now?» David asked with sarcasm.
«Yes, I am,» Marina murmured inaudibly. She recalled the many books she had read as a teenager. In these stories, females often changed into male costumes to be with their beloved men. Now she did the same, and Marina chuckled to herself seeing her plan work.
Busy with his outfit, Jeff did not notice when everybody left. His colleague’s son helped him with the helmet, then went away also, and only the director of the play was left.
The show had begun.
Hiding behind the curtains, Jeff watched for a while, then grew bored. He peeked through the opening between the panels looking for Vera. He saw her sitting in the fifth row at the edge, and, smiling, he kept his eyes on only her.
«Go, go.» The whisper of the director took Jeff by surprise, and almost running he went to the stage, barely remembering his words.
«Your Majesty!» he pronounced solemnly, as he slowed, walking now toward the twin thrones. «Be ready for anything!»
The helmet severely limited his view, and when he stumbled over something, Jeff did not realize what had happened. He fell, but being a well-trained professional, he skillfully rolled and sprang up at once. The policeman did it automatically, as if avoiding a bullet, but it seemed so showy and spectacular that when he got to his feet he heard a delighted «Wow!» run through the hall.
And no one noticed the comedy of the situation: that real armor would never allow one to move so effortlessly.
But the episode had another fate than to end like this. The stage was not big, and getting up Jeff bumped into something and involuntarily sat… straight onto the lap of the «queen».
The hall fell silent for a second, then a common guffaw shook the walls. Jeff got up, bowed to the «royal couple», and said, «I told you, Your Majesty, to be ready for anything!»
He listened with pleasure as the audience gives him an ovation and whistles of approval.
«I saved the day,» Jeff thought placing himself behind the thrones.
The play took its course and soon finished.
As all of the cast members took their bows, David VanStein picked up a microphone.
«Thank you for your attention,» he said, addressing the audience. «Thank you for your play.» He turned toward the actors. The spectators applauded, and the players bowed.
«Dear friends,» continued David, looking out into the hall. «Happy Halloween. Enjoy the party.»
The music struck up, while everybody talked and moved the chairs aside, placing them along the walls and making a space for dancing.
Remembering his fall, Jeff went into the hall stepping very carefully. The costume hid his entire body, even the hands, and he wanted to put Vera to a test, to check her feelings for him.
In the middle of the hall the people started dancing. It appeared they all danced together, but one who looked with attention could see that almost everybody had separated into couples.
Marina was next to David. As she had correctly guessed, her male costume threw him off, and the professor lost his careful manner.
Forgetting his decision to be cautious when communicating with her, David was talking to Marina with an amicable frisky tone, as if she were a real boy. He was telling open-minded jokes. Sometimes he gave her a friendly push and tapped her shoulders and back. Enjoying his treatment, Marina thought, panting: «God, is it a dream? Yes, yes, a wonderful sweet dream.»
«So, cadet,» David winked. «Are you ready for adventures?»
«For you, my captain,» she answered, exhilarated and jocund. «I’m ready for anything!»
This phrase reminded them of the play, and they laughed, glancing at Jeff Menard as he slowly passed them. Keeping his eyes on Vera dancing in the group, but without a partner, Jeff joined the dance, and addressed her. «Hi!»
Wearing a simple long dress, she looked like a noblewoman from the Early Middle Ages, and her paleness harmonized with this image. It corresponded with his costume.
«Perfect match,» Jeff thought.
The woman looked at him. «Have we met each other?»
«Yep.» Jeff watched her. She did not give away any emotion.
«Dear Beautiful Lady.» Jeff bowed. «Would you be merciful to me, allowing me to be your gallant servant at this party?»
«Okay,» she replied so coldly that if Jeff did not already have feelings for her, he would have given up all his efforts.
«Was your falling part of the play?» she asked. «Or just an accident?»
«Sometimes when you fall,» Jeff said in a cordial voice, «it’s difficult to know if it was just an accident, or the Hand of your Fate.» He saw Vera did not understand, and he explained. «I mean falling in love. With someone.»
Her features were still showing boredom, and she looked at her watch.
«I have to go soon,» Vera said icily. «My husband is going to pick me up.»
«Soon?» Upset, Jeff suddenly felt stifled inside the helmet, and he opened the visor.
«You!» Grach gasped, and Jeff could not believe his eyes, as a joyful smile lit up her face. «It was not nice to trick me like that.»
«Sorry,» he murmured.
«Why you didn’t tell me about you were going to take part in the play?»
«I wanted to surprise you.»
«You surely have done it.» Throwing frolicsome glances his way, Vera was dancing, curving her body like a snake, and an enchanted Jeff could only stare at her.
«Vera!» they heard, and, seeing how she instantly lost all spirits and became confused, Jeff understood at once who called her even before he slowly turned toward the door and saw Oleg peeping into the hall.
Smiling, Oleg said a few phrases in Russian. Vera lowered her head and quickly whispered, «Bye Jeff.» She, then almost ran to her husband.
Jeff stood still. He had known she was married, but, for the first time, he realized, realized with all his soul, what it meant, and the hopeless horror of the situation struck him.
This cocksure, red-headed white man with the self-satisfied grin took away his darling woman, took her away as was his right. Jeff saw Oleg hug his wife and leave with her. Jeff imagined how at home they would make love, and, suffocating, he tore the helmet off.
He looked over his costume and got embarrassed. This disguise, his acting in the play, seemed to Jeff now as a boyishly stupid deed.
«You looked like a fool,» he said to himself, and left the party.
The cold rain with snow lashed him outside the building, and as he struggled through the raging gusts of the storm, Jeff felt as if he were part of a real black Sabbath, and raving witches were trying to tear him into pieces.
Chapter 5: Lana
The best friend of Vlad, Ruslan Grafinsky, had arrived yesterday, and it was the first time he had visited an American bar. When they entered, he looked around with curiosity.
Vera’s husband remembered Ruslan from Moscow, and he suggested celebrating Ruslan’s arrival, but Vera refused to go with them, as she had to work on a project. So Ruslan, Oleg, and his American pal, Nicholas, went together. Although Oleg had lived in this town for seven months, he always took Nicholas with him for consultation.
«I think we should take Vlad as well,» Ruslan said to Oleg. «But I know he doesn’t like bars.»
«Vlad is not bad, but he’s a dull person, and he’s under the thumb of his wifey.» Oleg snorted. «Relax, pal, welcome to the U.S.A.!»
They ordered their drinks and snacks, and continued talking, speaking English, so Nicholas could take part.
«What a nice girl,» Ruslan said suddenly, watching the people at the counter.
Oleg looked too. On one stool he saw a girl. He had seen her earlier, but, for his taste, she was too plain and stout, and the note of Ruslan surprised him.
Oleg looked closer at her, and noticed that she was not fat at all. Yet she was still not his type of woman, and he shrugged his shoulders. «I don’t think so.»
«No, really.» Ruslan smiled. «She’s a beauty.»
«Forget about it, buddy.» Oleg pointed to a huge young man sitting next to her. «With a boyfriend like that you have no chance.»
«He’s not her boyfriend, but a bodyguard,» Nicholas calmly explained. «What’s the matter?» he asked, as both Russians stared at him.
«Bodyguard?» repeated Ruslan.
«Yes, her daddy is a big cheese, and after dark she’s always under escort.»
«You’re kidding.» Oleg leered at the girl again. «The children of rich people study at Harvard or Oxford, not in a city like this hole.»
«First of all,» Nicholas spoke with irritation, as he felt offended. «Our University is one of the best in America. Second, many men, many minds. I think she’s just bored with her fancy life. You know, this is not the best bar in the city, but Lana, her name is Lana Limpson, comes here almost every evening. It’s stupid. No one will come near her. Everybody knows her father, and nobody wants trouble.»
The Russians glanced at Lana again, and Ruslan sighed. «You’re right, Nick.»
Oleg did not reply. He was thinking. Resolutely getting to his feet, he went to the counter and sat next to Lana Limpson. She looked at him with timid hope.
«Hi,» he said. «Why is such a pretty girl so sad?»
She smiled.
«Wow.» Oleg gasped. «Your eyes are brighter than stars in the summer night sky. What is your name?»
«Lana.» She chuckled. «Lana Limpson.»
«I’m Oleg. Oleg Merkulov,» he said, to her surprise quite casually, and the girl realized he was new here.
«You are Russian, aren’t you?» Lana leered at the man with interest.
He was much older than she, yet he looked great. Very tall and athletic, broad-shouldered, this red-headed man with piercing brown eyes was simply handsome. She thought he looked like some ancient Roman god. All his movements were full of masculine grace, showing off his physical strengths. Though his legs were a little shorter than they should be for someone his height, they were well shaped and toned, and the powerful muscles of his strong thighs were visible even through the fabric of his jeans.
Lana looked at Ruslan and Nicholas. She knew the American, as they had grown up in the same town, and she guessed that the other one was Russian.
He was average, and his appearance did not impress, but surprised her, for Lana discovered that he seemed very similar to her. He also had dark blonde hair, and his eyes were the same olive drab color as hers. It was as if she saw her reflection in a mirror, and an open-eyed Lana inspected him with curiosity.
«He looks tired.» She noticed surveying his exhausted face. «Definitely, he’s had a difficult past and probably went through some grief a short time ago.»
Suddenly she met his gaze, and was amazed at how odd it was. This young Russian man stared at her with adoration and abhorrence at the same time, as if she was doing something extraordinary. As if she was eating spiders for a bet, for example, or dancing on the table stark naked.
His glare intrigued her, and Lana waved. Ruslan and Nicholas just saluted back, but did not come close. Then, pursing her lips, the girl addressed Oleg again. «Why do people ignore me?»
Oleg demonstratively looked at her bodyguard, and Lana winced.
«I promised Dad that I’d take Tom with me if I go to a bar,» she explained with bitterness in her voice. «Tom’s just a good friend, like an older brother to me.»
«Your daddy is right,» Oleg sighed. «Such a beauty as you are has to be under protection, like a rare, brilliant, sparkling diamond.»
«You call me such funny names.» Lana tried to laugh, but she could not. She liked it. This man was talking with a strange, hard accent, and all these nice words sounded very unusual, with masculine sexual inflection.
«I just said what I thought.» Oleg turned to the bartender. «John, give everybody a drink on me.»
«Why?» asked Lana, astonished.
«I want everybody to be as happy as I am now,» Oleg pronounced, gazing at her. «I met you, and it’s the best day in my life. I just want everybody to be happy.»
«But it’s a lot of money.»
«For happiness money does not matter.» Oleg took out a roll of bills and put it on the counter. «Barman, drinks for everybody!»
* * * * *
Just a few days later he met her again.
Downtown Oleg and Ruslan passed by the central hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor. The rain with snow had just stopped, and the streets were full of dirty water. Oleg Merkulov was wearing a wolf-skin coat. It was a very expensive and very warm fur coat and great for the Moscow frost, but now Oleg was hot and he walked with his coat open.
A car stopped in front of the restaurant. A man opened the door to help a girl get out, and Oleg saw Lana Limpson, wearing evening pumps with high heels.
She looked doubtfully at the wide puddle that was between her car and the sidewalk.
Next Oleg threw his coat on the puddle. Lana gazed at Oleg and recognized him. «It’s you again.» She carefully stepped on the coat, and gained the sidewalk. «Oleg, correct?»
«At your service, Your Highness.» He bowed.
«My God!» She looked at the coat. «I know the price of fur coats. It costs a fortune!»
«Just say the word,» Oleg uttered passionately, «and I’ll throw my life under your feet, as I did with the coat.»
Lana did not smile; she gawked at him.
«I have to go now,» she finally said. «Can we meet tomorrow? About 10 a.m., in the library. Is that okay with you?»
«Any time, any place,» he replied emotionally. «Say it, and I’ll go to the edge of the world!»
She smirked and left. Oleg picked up his coat.
«Oleg,» Ruslan Grafinsky said coldly. «You are a bastard.»
Merkulov grinned. «I’m just a businessman. And I strongly recommend you mind your own business. Maybe I feel real love, how do you know?»
Ruslan didn’t reply.
Chapter 6: A Pointless Waste of Money
Next day, at 9:55 a.m., Lana Limpson went to the city library. Oleg Merkulov was already there. He saw her entering the hall, and he gasped, throwing his arms up.
«Lana,» he addressed her, taking her hand and kissing it. «Milady, you came in, and it was like sunshine lit up this dull boring place.»
Lana smiled at his reaction and looked around. She saw some people were reading and writing nearby, and she felt uncomfortable.
«Let’s go somewhere,» she suggested. Lana liked how Oleg spoke to her, but she was ashamed that someone else might take it as a joke and make fun of her.
«To a restaurant?» Oleg looked at her with concern. «Are you hungry, sweetheart? Just name it and we can go. I’ll pay.»
«I can pay myself.» She smiled.
«No way,» he retorted peering deep into her eyes. «No Russian man could allow the woman next to him to pay for herself. One man, when he found out he couldn’t afford to pay for their dinner, went outside and shot himself. He preferred to die than to live with such a disgracing act.»
«Wow. No, in the United States women often pay for themselves and for their men.»
Oleg demonstratively sighed and shook his head with disapproval, then gallantly gave her his hand.
As they left the library, Lana saw Ruslan Grafinsky. She remembered him next to Oleg, and now she smiled, not noticing Oleg frown and the spite that glinted in his eyes.
«Miss Limpson,» Ruslan started resolutely. «I have to talk with you.»
Unexpectedly, Oleg leapt at Ruslan, pushed him aside, and said something in Russian. The men started wrangling, and Lana watched them with terror. «What was going on?» She wondered about the reason for such emotion.
Suddenly, Oleg punched Ruslan in the face so hard that he sat straight down on the sidewalk. Oleg took the hand of a shocked Lana, and quickly brought her to his car.
«Your friend,» mumbled Lana.
«He will be okay,» Oleg said through clenched teeth. «It’s Russian business, don’t worry.»
«Miss Limpson!» she heard Ruslan scream, but Oleg drove away.
They kept silent for a while. Oleg parked his car in the first parking lot.
«I want make things straight,» he started slowly. «I want to show you that I’m honest with you. I am and I will be. And this is my proof: I’m married.»
Lana gaped at him.
«I told you this, first of all, because I don’t want to lie to you, I didn’t and I won’t. Second, for to know, if I’m married, it means I honestly just want to be your friend, and I’m not looking for your money.» He said it with pain and bitterness in his voice, and Lana was touched.
«Money.» She shook her head. «I couldn’t forget one event from my childhood. My dad took me to a carnival. He was already rich enough, not as rich as he is now, but he was making good money. I wanted him to buy me a toy bird. It was so funny. Purple, with a huge beak. I wanted it so much. I begged dad, but he said it would be a pointless waste of money. And he didn’t buy it. The carnival moved away, and I never saw such a toy again. When I grew up and we started discussing where should I study, I refused his offers. I said, „It would be a pointless waste of money. I want to study here, in my own town.“ He agreed. He probably forgot this, his expression, but I never could.»
She sniffed. Oleg hugged her, and the girl cried on his shoulder.
«Sweetheart.» Oleg carefully kissed her hair. «I know a much more horrible story of how the greediness of parents made the life of their child a misery. She was our neighbor and this is why I know this story is true. Her name was Olga, and her parents were not poor, but they called themselves ’practical’. Olga told me her first memory was of a birthday present given to her by her mother. A plastic teddy bear. It was ugly, scary, hard and had a disgusting smell, but her mother smiled and told her father, „Look, what a practical toy. She can chew it or drop it in a puddle. No matter. It will still be good.“ All the following toys were the same. Very, very practical. And, imagine! Olga started to steal toys from other kids.»
«Really?» Lana Limpson looked at Oleg with surprise. «I very much wanted to have this toy bird, but to steal it? That’s going too far.»
«Well.» Oleg breathed out a sigh. «You’re a powerful girl, and have a strong personality, but the poor Olga couldn’t resist her wish to have nice toys. Her parents caught her, and her father gave her such a belting that the girl couldn’t sit for almost a week.»
«She should’ve reported it to the police!»
«Honey,» said Oleg ruefully. «It was Russia. Police would do nothing about it. How many times my own father beat me.»
Full of compassion, the heart of the girl was beating like a bird in the net of a hunter. Lana looked at his sorrowful face, and lovingly stroked his cheek. She felt his bristle, and this barely sensed pricking stirred her abysmal instinct up, excited her as never had happened to her, and the following kiss only increased her desire.
«Drive to my house,» she whispered intimately, and a surprised Oleg obeyed.
* * * * *
They were lying side by side in the bed in her room. Happily smiling, Lana searched him, and could not admire enough his beautiful face and his strong athletic body.
Oleg wanted to smoke, but he did not know yet how she would react to this.
«Do you always have unprotected sex?» Oleg asked, as thoughts about the chance of getting AIDS from such an emotional girl made him really worried.
«Honestly,» she murmured, quietly kissing him. «This was the first time. You made me crazy. But I trust you.»
«I don’t trust you, girl,» Oleg thought, praying for himself. «God, take mercy on me! Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.»
He saw her take a pack of cigarettes, and, sighing with relief, Oleg smoked his own.
«So, what about that girl?» asked Lana.
Oleg bewilderedly gazed at her. «Which girl?»
«The Russian girl, who had penny pincher parents.»
«Oh dear,» uttered Oleg sensually. «You made me forget about everything. Where did I stop?»
«Her parents punished her.»
«Ah, correct. You have a wonderful bright head, my love,» he drawled, massaging Lana’s arm. He saw she liked it. «So, Olga had been punished, but it didn’t change her mind. She only became more careful, and never brought stolen toys home anymore. Olga hid them and played when she had time. Her hobby became her job when she met Sergey. They had been dating about two years. Olga was just fifteen, but her boyfriend got a fake ID for her, and the girl left her home. She was ready to do anything for Sergey.»
«Mmmmmm,» Lana moaned, losing herself in this fantastically pleasant feeling. «I can understand her.»
«Sergey didn’t limit their ’work’ to burglaries,» Oleg continued, still rubbing her skin. His erotic massage became real caressing, and Lana stretched, enjoying it.
«Olga loved him very much,» said Oleg, attentively watching how Lana responded to his touch. «She never refused when he asked her to deliver ’stuff’ for his clients, and usually she did that without any problems. Minute, like a mouse, Olga was not ugly, yet so plain that even for the police it was a difficult task to remember her face. But one day their luck ran out. While the police chased her, Olga dumped the bags with the powder. Then the policemen arrested her and searched her carefully. They found nothing and had to let her go.