Lily Alex - The Russians are Coming!, 14 Months in the Life of the Town

«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.

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.

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.»