Hi there,
I'm not a native speaker and this text wasn't proofread, so sorry for any errors.
On the other hand, if you don't mind helping out with the proofreading, please, let me know. It'll be much appreciated!
Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the story.
She finally lied down on the bed, face buried in the pillows. Another shitty day.
She was growing sick and tired of her coworkers calling her goofy behind her back, her boss asking for impossible, her mentally cracked brother and even more deranged sister who always expected her to be there to look after them, forgive everything and ask for nothing. She just wanted to tell them exactly what she thought of them with her own words, but that wouldn't be very appropriate. Her economy was fragile, her army weak and her back sore. Slowly losing her sleep and appetite, she couldn't help feeling lonely and so strangely... Empty.
Maybe I'm going through a burn out.
…Or it might be I just need a good roll in the hay.
Why not. But with whom? Candidates weren't that manifold and it was a bit of a delicate issue.
Well, we're living in 21st century. I'm sure there are websites for that.
She turned on her computer and did what needed to be done to preserve the little sanity she still had.
What a day, he sighed, running his fingers through the blond locks greasy with stress, his head collapsing on the desk.
Nothing was going as he wanted. Despite his efforts, he still went unnoticed by his colleagues. His boss kept coming up with all kinds of silly, pointless projects just to avoid the real issues. He missed his favourite show; everyone thought it was weird, so he stopped watching. He still hadn't found out how to destroy that nasty virus going around and his wifi kept switching on and off for no apparent reason, interfering with his work. His neck hurt and so did his eyes; he'll soon be needing thicker lenses. His place was cold, his fridge empty and his bed… both.
Man, you need to get laid.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. He had been looking, browsing those websites almost too often, without ever coming across anything, or rather, anyone nearly satisfactory. But maybe, maybe today would be his lucky day!
He opened his laptop.
NaughtyFarmGirl (Female, 23):
Easy-going young woman, fair hair, Eastern-European type, slim with rich curves is looking for some fun. Hobbies: gardening, animals, making new friends, family time.
Mmm, why not. Pretty much what a man like me needs.
The girl blinked as an envelope icon appeared on her screen.
GeekChic (Male, 24):
Hi there. How about a drink?
She clicked on the sender's profile.
Tall blonde, blue eyes, open-minded with a stable situation would like to meet a charming lady to warm up his bed. Interests: modern technology, writing a blog, hanging out with friends and discovering new cultures.
Doesn't sound that bad. Might as well give it a try.
"Ukraine?"
"Estonia?!"
They both just stood there, mouths open, words stuck in their throats. He was the first to emerge from the shock.
"Katya, before you say anything, honestly, you don't have to do this. You're such a delightful girl, I'm sure there's a nice guy somewhere waiting to meet you and make you happy, so don't waste your time hooking up with worthless men in this way!" he blurted out. She had the right to make her own choices, still, he couldn't help seeing things that way.
He finds me repulsive, Ukraine thought, he just wouldn't say it aloud. I can't blame him. Who would, after all? Even though she felt like crying, she managed to flash him her brightest smile. The show must go on.
"You too, you can do better than one night stands. Maybe your soulmate is just around the corner! So don't give up!" she sang, patting his shoulder.
Having said those words she felt she was supposed to say, she stood up to leave the bar.
"That's sweet of you," he mumbled, looking down. "It's just… I'm not so sure about that…"
The girl stopped in her tracks before turning back, intrigued.
"How come? What do you mean?" she asked as she sat down next to him again.
He shrugged.
"To be honest, women aren't exactly fighting over geeks like me. I'm just the guy that stalks them on Facebook and fixes their computers when necessary. They all think I spend my days playing video games and watching kinky porn."
Ukraine felt like chuckling, but suppressed it. Never had she seen the Estonian so devastated. Why would he even say that in the first place?
"We both know that's not true, Eduard," she said, lightly touching his wrist. "You're an IT expert, that's one of the leading domains of today's world. The things you can do are impressive. To be frank, I feel pretty useless compared to you," she concluded, sincerity and slight embarrassment written all over her face.
Her words made the blond fellow finally look up, blue eyes wide with consternation.
"Of course you're not useless, Ukraine! How can you even say such a thing?!" he gasped, shaking his head in disbelief, gesturing vividly. "You're a country of agriculture. Computers have been around since only recently, whereas we've always needed to eat in order to survive. And we'll always do. I see how it is a dirty work, still, we all depend on you more than you realize. You're a brave woman and you matter a lot."
Katya's heart jumped, the corners of her mouth twitching. That was definitely the sweetest thing anyone ever told her. For a while she remained lost for words, her cheeks tinged with pink.
"You know, honestly," she started, "I do realize everybody's mocking me, but all in all, I don't mind. It's calming and refreshing to take care of the crops and animals are actually much nicer than people."
"That's understandable," Estonia smiled. "As for me, I enjoy everything about computers, so that's what I do. Even though others find it lame. But now that I've heard your words, I came to a conclusion that what people think is not my problem. Screw them!" he suddenly exclaimed. This time, it was his face that blushed with emotion. It was a nice feeling, saying it all aloud for once.
"Don't you agree?" the Baltic questioned.
Ukraine gave him a weird, uneasy half-smile.
"I do, but…"
"So say it," Ed insisted. "Say it loud and proud! I just did and it felt so freaking good!"
The girl laughed nervously, then averted her eyes.
"Screw them," she whispered.
"Not bad. Now try it lou-"
"SCREW THEM!" she suddenly yelled, clenching her fists, her eyes closed. Quite a few other customers gave her weird looks. And screw all of you, too, she thought, looking around.
"It did feel pretty good, actually," she admitted, waiting for her breath to grow regular again.
"I should do this more often. I always wanted to. It's just... everybody keeps protesting that it's inappropriate for a young woman to talk in such a way."
"Well, what do they know?" Eduard laughed. "Katya, I owe you. Thanks to you, I realized that looks of others shouldn't bother me. I love watching My Little Pony and I'm not ashamed of it anymore. I just want to do what makes me happy while I'm in this world. You know what, I'm going home now to watch a whole season in a row. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy don't care if I'm not desirable!"
His friend raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in surprise. Not so much at Estonia's TV show preferences rather than the last words he uttered.
"Why should you say that? I saw you topless once, you're rather well-toned," she said in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Thanks a lot, but let's face it, pretty girls like you aren't really queuing at my door."
"W-what?" All of a sudden, Ukraine felt ill at ease. Was he mocking her? Well, time to set things straight. She'd just decided she won't be a victim anymore.
"Eduard, please don't say such things. I know I'm as plain as it gets. Let's not pretend otherwise. If you want to flatter me, flatter me with honesty," she requested.
The young man's eyes widened in surprise. Is she for real?
"There's nothing to gain in empty flattery, neither for you nor me. You are pretty, Ekaterina, your forms are dreamy and I'm not just talking about your bosom. All of us have already fantasized about you at least once," he admitted, then blushed at what he'd just said.
Ukraine panicked a bit, turning ruby red, too, but held his gaze. For a moment they just stood there, looking at each other, their features gradually relaxing into a smile. It wasn't before long that they grabbed their coats and ran out of the bar, hand in hand.
"Oh my FUCKING God, now I know for sure it's not just your singing voice that's revolutionary," Katya breathed, cuddling closer to her lover. He chuckled.
"Still missing the ponies?" She turned to look at him.
"Not really. My era of escapism is over," Eduard grinned, nuzzling her hair. "I'm hooked on something real now."