4. Midnight in St. Petersburg

Dimitri

It was almost midnight and I was walking through the halls of my building dragging my suitcase. After a long thirteen hour flight I was glad to be home, walking into the apartment, I carried my suitcase into the bedroom and headed for the shower.

When I got out I picked up my cell phone and went into the living room, settling down on the couch before noting the message from Blair wishing me a good flight. 

After I had called her two days ago, the two of us had been texting each other constantly. It was nothing major, I was just bored at the hotel on Wednesday night and asked her for directions to a bar, which she promptly answered, and I ended the night watching Wednesday Night Hockey at a sports bar near the hotel.

After that, we started talking regularly. Blair entertained me with her routine in Istanbul, and when she heard that I was going back to St. Petersburg she wished me a good trip and I couldn't help but reciprocate, knowing that she would be boarding a few hours later than me.

I checked the time, she must have already landed according to the flight summary she gave me. After slight consideration I decided to send the message.

"Have you landed yet?"

 It didn't take long for the reply to come.

"I'm in the cab, I need to hurry"

She had told me that she needed to be on time for her friend's engagement dinner, for whom she would be the maid of honor, and was afraid she would be late.

"You will be on time. How was the flight?"

I returned, seeking another subject next. I couldn't quite explain what was going on, I just felt excited to talk to that flight attendant.

When Noah Mitchell passed me her phone number, I thought Blair would be pleasant company while I was in town, of course I couldn't ignore her beauty, so it was disappointing to find out she wasn't in the country, but I should have expected it, we met at an airport!

" One passenger gave me a hard time with the damn cell phone, but nothing I'm not used to dealing with by now."

"That happens on practically every flight”

I waited for her reply, and when it didn't come after a few minutes I pondered whether or not it would be inappropriate to send another message. 

" Will you make it on time?"

I decided to try, if she didn't answer me I would give up, I would probably get in her way if I insisted. But that's not what happened. 

"Sorry, I just got home. Hopefully I'll make it. And you, how was your flight? Are you home yet?" 

I thought for a moment how I could answer that, so I decided to go to the window, taking a picture of the view.

The picture showed the street full of old buildings, very well lit. The sky was clear and the moon was shining partially hiding behind the domes of the Cathedral of Spilled Blood.

"I'm already home" 

I wrote in the caption. I didn't have to wait long for the reply to come.

"Wow, is that the view you have? I'm officially jealous"

"I bet you have a view just as good.”

I sat back down on the couch, not holding back a small smile. The door to the apartment opened and Joe Miller, my cousin who had been occupying my guest room for the past few weeks, walked in.

" Hey, you're back! " he exclaimed.

" I arrived a little over an hour ago, where have you been? " I questioned as I watched him walk to the kitchen.

A new notification caused me to turn my attention away.

"I'm far from it, Commander. But luckily I have a job that guarantees me the chance to see incredible places and amazing people."

Amazing people... Could I consider myself included in this definition? That thought brought an involuntary smile to my lips. 

" Who is Blair? " Joe startled me, reading the message over my shoulder.

" No one that is of interest to you," I muttered, closing the conversation without answering the message.

" Really? Because from the contact photo it looked like someone very interesting," he sneered, "come on cousin, don't be selfish.”

 I just got up and went to the kitchen, in search of a glass of water, but the man didn't give up.

" Don't you think we're past the age of hiding our girlfriends? " he insisted.

" She is not my girlfriend. She's just a flight attendant I met this week," I explained.

" A flight attendant? Maybe it would be interesting if I started traveling more. Tell me cousin, can you get me some free tickets? " he scoffed.

" You better be quiet before I put you on a plane and ship you back to California myself!”

I rinsed out the glass I had used to drink the water, dried it, and then put it in the cupboard while my cousin laughed.

" Aren't you past the age of that kind of threat, cousin?” 

" Aren't you past the age of running away from home? " I retorted. 

His laughter turned into a dull smile at my answer.

" I'm not running away. I just decided to take a break. My father…”

" You shouldn't even be living in the same house as them," I returned.

" You better get some rest, cousin. Your stewardess friend seems to have given up on you," he murmured not very happily before going to the room he had been occupying.

Joe had knocked on my door after an argument with my Uncle Joseph about his future, and that was two weeks ago. I didn't mind his presence so much, we both got along well, since we were children he was used to coming to spend the vacations with my family and this brought us closer together.

But to put up with his presence for weeks because of an argument with his parents was already too much. He needed to grow up and start facing his own problems.

I woke up almost at lunchtime the next day, taking advantage of the fact that I was off until Monday. I noticed a new message from Blair on my cell phone. Before I even got out of bed I opened it, feeling anxious to know its contents. 

" Good morning Commander, I know it's not a great view like the one from your apartment, but that's the one I have at the moment, waiting to start boarding."

That was the caption of a photo of the girl inside the cabin of an aircraft, fully uniformed and as beautiful as when I first met her. So she was already scheduled to fly once again. I thought she would have some more time off.

I thought about answering that message. For a moment I thought about telling her that for me that image was more interesting than the view from my window, but I didn't want her to misinterpret it. I knew that a relationship was unlikely, but I was enjoying talking to her, and I didn't want to jeopardize a possible friendship.

"I liked the picture. Where are you going?" 

I decided on a neutral answer.

"Guadalajara. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon." 

" Have a good flight, Blair."

 I sent, knowing that if she was already on board the aircraft she wouldn't have time to keep answering me.

I found Joe in the kitchen minutes later trying somehow to use my coffee pot. 

" Good morning cousin, I thought you had fallen into a coma. What is our schedule for today? " he asked with the glass carafe full of hot water in his hand. 

" Ours? And shouldn't there be coffee in there? "I came back. 

" Your coffee machine is broken," he muttered, "and yes, ours. You're finally home, so I'll keep you company.”

" I'm going to visit my parents, if you want you can come.”

 I opened the powder dispenser, frowning before turning to my cousin.

" Joe, did you remember the coffee powder? " I pointed to the empty dispenser.

" Mine grinds coffee on the spot," he shrugged, "I didn't know I needed to stock this one.”

I took a deep breath, feeling tired of his presence.

" When are you going back to your place again?”

" If I didn't know better, I'd think you were kicking me out, cousin," he smiled, "but don't worry, I've already got a ticket for next weekend.” 

That information relieved me a little, not that I wanted to get rid of my cousin's company, but it would be nice to have a little privacy.

" If you had told me, I would have gotten it for free for you," I returned, rummaging through the cupboard for the coffee powder, "are you staying or going to Pskov with me?

I found the package, filling the coffee machine afterwards, while waiting for Joe's reply.

" It has been a long time since I have seen Aunt Joanne," he decided, "I will have a few more days to enjoy all that St Pete has to offer.”

 I nodded affirmatively before turning my attention back to the coffee pot. I poured myself a cup as soon as the coffee was ready, indicating what was left to Joe before leaving the kitchen carrying my mug.

" Be ready in forty minutes," I warned.

" Aren't we going to have lunch?”

" We can stop at a restaurant on the way," I returned.