Chapter 2

Kolya

Her hair was the color of blood. Her eyes, blue like the sky. The curves on her body were so different from the women I’d known. She walked without their grace and her tone was borderline rude. She dressed like a seventeenth century czarina, all rich fabrics and textures, lots of detail and embossing. I found her, in only the brief time I spent in her company, to be completely captivating, and yet, she threw my cell number in the trash. I guess I didn’t make the same impression.

Things here at Barrington were feeling very much different from life at Vykup. My father warned me about how I would feel out in the world and even though I hated to admit it, he was right. Vykup and Barrington were both towns nestled in the mountains. Everything was quaint, idyllic, and nothing was out of walking distance. I was almost feeling claustrophobic.

When I walked into my apartment, I realized Maia must have come over and cleaned again. I could smell the furniture polish and the oak surfaces gleamed. I found my kitchen fully stocked with food and there was a note on the refrigerator door that she had also filled the freezer with enough cooked food to get me through to the weekend, when she hoped I would be home. Maia, dear Maia, she had been taking care of me since I was a baby. Some things I guess will never change. I will always be her little boy, even more so than my mother’s. I saw an email message from Ekaterina raving about Paris and her first role in my mother’s ballet. I was glad she had chosen her career over a life in Vykup where her talents would have been undiscovered.

Suddenly the dark curtained windows and the heavy furniture got to me. I changed from my clothes into sweats and decided to run. The days were still a little warm, but there was a hint of fall in the air. I headed toward the park and that was when I saw her. I would know that hair anywhere. Heading out of the public library that stands on the edge of the park proper, she walked toward me as I turned and pretended to do leg stretches. She walked by without noticing me and I followed a safe distance behind her.

I was not familiar yet with the town, and saw that she walked in the direction of a more residential section. A few blocks over she stopped and headed up the front walkway of an elegant older home. The intricate stonework could have graced any of the luxurious houses in Vykup.

If I were back home, I could just go up to the door and knock. Everyone there knew me; I was welcome in their homes. Here, I am not so sure. I think if I approached her like that it would be creepy. Instead I started running again, past her house and around the neighborhood. I turned to head back, making sure my route would take me past again.

I gazed at an upstairs window and saw her sitting there. It looked like she was concentrating. I was almost sure she was writing. I had seen the manuscript pages fall out of her bag this morning and her tone told me she was very uncomfortable with my looking at them. I continued to watch as she put the tip of the pencil between her lips and concentrated further. She had left the window open and I could hear the strains of Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. I thought to myself, perfect music to accompany weaving a tale. Almost as if she could hear my thoughts, she looked my way. I quickly hid behind a tree, its trunk rough as I leaned against it. She scanned the neighborhood and shut the window. I could still see her sitting there, her furrowed brow told me she was beginning the creative process again. She rose, drawing the curtains, shutting herself away from my view.

****

Kaat

I had the creepiest feeling someone was watching me. I had taken on the task of finishing my mother’s last book. On all my mother’s fan forums, I saw posts about how disappointed everyone was that the Blood Taken series would never come full circle. It almost seemed like the death of my mother’s work was more important than her actual death. She had legions of fans, I knew that, but I wasn’t going on the record with completing her work until I knew I could do it. Fall hadn’t arrived yet and it was nice to feel the fresh air and the warmth of the sun. I closed the window thinking I might just be hearing things, but I still felt watched and the feeling didn’t go away until I drew the curtains shut.

I wanted to write, but my thoughts kept going back to Kolya. There was something about him. Underneath the good manners, good looks, and obvious intelligence, there was something hidden. With seemingly everything going for him, his manner told me he was uncomfortable with his surroundings. I was almost surprised when he talked so much during our coffee break. Now I was having trouble getting anything written. Trouble took a turn for the worse when I heard a knock on my door. I walked downstairs, looked through the keyhole and saw Sam. As I opened the door I could see he looked upset.

“Hey Kaat,” he said flopping in the nearest chair.

“Sam, I didn’t know you were stopping by. What’s up?”

“Oh, same old thing, Kaat, my parents hate me, school is boring, life pretty much sucks.”

“Trouble with Tim?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Easy, you start talking about everything else.”

He sat up and his long blonde hair fell in front of his face. I walked over and sat next to him, putting my arm around his shoulder. “It’s scary how well we know each other, Kaat.” He laid his head against my shoulder. I brushed the hair from his eyes.

“Talk to me, Sammy.”

“I can’t get him to open up to me. I know he cares, and we enjoy being together, but he’s reticent.”

“Give him time, Sam. What you guys are going through isn’t easy,” I said, all the while thinking I was the last person who should be giving out love advice. I saw his thoughtful look at my words. “You’re probably right,” he said and just that quickly, he perked up. “Were you busy, Kaat?” he said, standing and walking over to my DVD rack.

“I was just starting to get some writing done.”

“You are still bound and determined to get Blood Taken finished?”

“Yeah, you think it’s a good idea?”

“Absolutely, your mom would be proud of you and her fans will be thrilled.”

“What if it isn’t up to her standards?”

“It will be; you’re a great writer. Unfortunately, your taste in movies is horrible”—he tossed aside one of my latest DVD purchases—“but yes, you’re a great writer.” Not sure what one had to do with the other but that was my Sammy for you.

“I met someone,” I blurted.

Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “The guy at the coffee shop?”

“Yes, he’s in my Russian Lit class, he’s kind of an enigma.”

“Trust you to get involved with an enigma.”

“It seems like there is more to him than meets the proverbial eye.”

“Today is the first day of class and you already know that?”

“Yes, Sammy dear, me and my mysterious man radar.”

“Remember the last mysterious man, Kaat? Your radar was really off there.”

Anyone else who reminded me of that, I’d have physically kicked out the door., My parents hated my last serious boyfriend, and I couldn’t understand why. He infatuated me. He was all dark and mysterious. The only reason he had been hanging out with me was my mother. We found him in her office one afternoon reading ahead in the Blood Taken series. My mom threatened to sue him, and my stepfather threatened to erase his brain. I swore off mystery men at that point…until Kolya.

“Touché, Sammy.”

“Be careful, Kaat,” he said kissing me goodbye.