CHAPTER 10

The Planeteers went on to have a celebratory dinner that evening, incredibly satisfied with their efforts to help the environment. Linka was relaxed and content, more comfortable than ever in her casual clothes and minimal makeup. She did not even object to Wheeler's arm draped around her shoulders for the good part of their meal. He'd occasionally play with her hair and she would get distracted, noting how natural their contact seemed. She could tell that Wheeler, for her sake, had toned down his comments and actions. He wasn't as rambunctious as he had initially been, as if he were adapting to her way of being. Not entirely, of course, because Wheeler would always be hot-tempered, honest, and spontaneous, unlike Linka's more repressed, controlled personality. But she liked the fact that he was trying without losing himself entirely.

Wild thoughts like these were rummaging through Linka's brain even after dinner, when they'd decided to walk towards the Sydney Harbor. Gi had explained earlier that they needed to do more 'touristy' things while trotting around the globe because she needed more photographs for her endless scrapbooks. As they walked in the proximity of their hotel, an impulse overtook Linka and she let down her guard to it. She swiftly grabbed Wheeler's arm and pulled him through a sidestreet, taking advantage of the fact that they were lugging behind the others, who were lost in private conversation.

"Whoa, babe! Where are we goin'? Not that I mind being dragged in a dark alley by you or anything."

"It is not 'dark'!" Linka laughed, turning back to him with a bright smile. She stopped in front of a shop window and let go of his arm, contemplating her surroundings eagerly. She had seen the tattoo parlor on her way to their hotel and she had been turning over the idea in her mind for a couple of days now, attracted to this new, strange freedom that loomed over her.

"You're kidding, right?" Wheeler shot her a sideway glance and she shook her head in reply. They looked at each other for a few moments, as if they could communicate wordlessly, before Linka newly took his arm.

"Yankee, please, do not talk me out of it. This is the first impulsive thing I have ever done in my life!" Her heart was racing as she spoke and Wheeler nodded slowly, finally seeming to understand the importance of what she was asking.

"I'll go in with you, no problem! But don't ask me to get a tattoo, I hate needles!"

Linka smiled thankfully and they finally entered the shop. Bright lights and wall to wall drawings welcomed them. Linka immediately deemed the tattoo artist friendly as he encouraged them to browse around the thousand images. His arms and neck were covered in ink, like beautiful patchwork on display. All the while, Linka felt jittery and excited. She had given some thought to what she wanted and it was a butterfly. To her, it was a symbol of rebirth, freedom, and transfiguration. Leaving behind the old and betting on the new. She was still not sure if she would ever get her wings, but she wanted to imprint on her skin the experience of being free; if her future should make her forget what it was like, she would always have a reminder. A delicious secret to savor, and she told herself it was no coincidence she had wanted to share it with Wheeler.

It did not take her long to spot a delicate butterfly drawing she found exquisite, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting in the parlor chair, moving effortlessly as if in a dream.

"All right, where do you want it, luv?" the artist asked in his heavy Australian accent, reaching for a pair of disposable rubber gloves.

Linka did not hesitate. She had planned that out, as well. She lifted her shirt up and undid the top button on her jeans, exposing creamy skin as she pointed to the spot beside her hipbone. It was strange, but while feeling Wheeler's glance on her body, she did not feel shy. On the contrary, she was absolutely glad he was there with her; it gave her the courage she needed to see her decision through.

The tattoo artist traced the pattern on the skin and once he was certain that Linka was happy will all the details, he began his work of permanently engraving. Wheeler looked worried for her as the needle began its dance, but Linka felt no pain. It was more like a dull sting she quickly got used to. She felt like laughing, her soul was as if filled with a liberating wind that took her high. She was flying like her eternal butterfly.

The ordeal was over quicker than Linka had expected and as she and Wheeler newly resumed their stroll through Sydney's downtown, happiness retained its home inside her heart. The early evening sky still shone with orange hues from the nearly setting sun, and everything was touched by beauty.

"I can't believe you went through with it," Wheeler was the first to speak, not without a smile.

"I am just as surprised as you are."

Wheeler laughed. "You never struck me as a tattoo type of a girl, but I gotta admit it's pretty damn cute."

"Now we share a secret," Linka pointed out, sticking out her bottom lip a little before picking up her pace and leaving him behind. She smiled when she immediately heard him catching up to her, as if he could not stand to be separated from her for too long.

"It's 'cuz no one aside from me is gonna see it, right?" Wheeler was trying to be sly, puffing out his chest, implying things she did not have the courage to face. A sharp needle was nothing in comparison!

"Come on, Yankee, or we will miss the sun setting over the Harbor."

He momentarily let her get away with her deliberate change of topics, and she was glad to him for it. The American had learned to read her effortlessly and Linka wondered why this did not frighten her as much as it should.

The view over the Harbor was spectacular. The sun was perfectly balanced between land and sea, causing the waters to shine like diamond pendants. Boats of all sizes were entering and exiting the Harbor with smooth movements, leaving behind delicate, frothy trails. The Sydney Opera House with its white domes was enchanting against the backdrop of the changing sky.

Linka turned to see if the other Planeteers were around, but she spotted no one she knew. She secretly delighted in this, then felt guilty for it. Wheeler shook up the rainbow of her emotions by taking her hand, and she let herself get distracted. He led her to the water's edge, climbing over the large, smooth rocks. Linka let him explore to his liking until he stopped and leaned over the water to examine its depths.

"Look!"

Linka took the few steps that separated them and glanced upon a school of fish that was swimming around the rocks. Their striped, tiny bodies caught the last glints of the sunlight and they, too, appeared magical to the smiling Russian girl.

"It is all so beautiful," she let out softly, trying to save to memory as many details as possible of the breathtaking scene before her. She wanted to remember the things that could be considered unimportant to some, like the faint, clean scent of saltwater surrounding her.

"Yeah," Wheeler concurred beside her, but when she stole a peek at him, his eyes were set on her face. As if she were his sunset to behold! Linka's cheeks colored a little under his glance, but before she could turn away, Wheeler caught her arm mid-movement. Linka faced him, daring to look in his eyes. They contained a soft expression for her. He let one hand rest gently on the side of her face, his fingertips brushing her skin with natural strokes.

Linka's heartbeat accelerated at Wheeler's nearness; she could feel every oxygen molecule entering her system. Her glance traveled from his eyes to his lips and back up, the anticipation tasting almost sweet. His face neared hers, in slow motion, and her breathing caught. She watched unmoving as Wheeler ever so lightly brushed his lips against hers. The contact was as soft as the fluttering wings of a butterfly, and even so, it caused fireworks to explode inside her.

The American was gauging her reaction carefully before his arms circled her waist and he stepped closer to her. His mouth found hers again, more purposefully this time, and their eyes closed simultaneously. Linka felt the initial tension ebb away and her lips were now spontaneously seeking out his, matching his rhythm, all of their own accord. Her hands seemed useless at her sides so she moved them to grip Wheeler's arms. Her knees were feeling very unstable.

Wheeler's mouth was soft, warm and addicting, and she leaned more into him, all resistance easily forgotten. Linka's brain felt lighter, as if it had taken a momentary pause, yet she wondered at her surprising ability to kiss Wheeler back with such naturalness and confidence, as if she'd done this with him for lifetimes! It was hard to tell if he was teaching her or if it came effortlessly to her.

Linka did not want for it to end, ever, and when it did, she missed his kisses as poignantly as the deserts miss the rains. Her mouth invited in fresh oxygen as Wheeler breathed against the side of her face, both as if recovering from an intense hike.

"Babe... that was... I mean... wow."

The smile in Wheeler's voice was palpable and his intimate tone ushered warm shivers down her spine. All the same, Linka disentangled herself from his arms and took a decisive step away from him. The cool air that took his place caused her to wrap her arms around her frame.

"Wheeler... I cannot be doing this with you," the voice of reason inside her bid her to say, her eyes low for fear Wheeler would read her conflicting emotions.

"Why not?" Wheeler blurted out in disbelief, his expression changing from dreamy to worried in the blink of an eye.

Because it is too perfect and that is too damn scary!, Linka wanted to shout, biting her lower lip and newly distancing herself from Wheeler. She felt a chill now that the sun was gone, but she knew it was due more to the absence of Wheeler's warmth against her body.

"Because... I do not even know your name!"

Her tone was childish to her own ears and Wheeler again pulled her to him with ease, seeking out her glance with serious undertones.

"It's Jacob," he replied firmly, as if ready to defy whichever challenge she chose to throw at him.

Linka was wordlessly examining her, losing her sprit to fight little by little. It was so damn easy to be with him, so natural, that anything else was exhausting. She could tell Wheeler was impatient to kiss her again and her desire for it frightened her, suddenly reminding her of who she was and what her future was to be.

"I have to go."

Linka prayed her tone sounded firmer than she could muster. She took two steps away from him, but instantly, Wheeler was once more facing her, blocking her path.

"Do you have a boyfriend? Is that it?"

The firm line of his jaw reminded her of his stubbornness. She was like a Rubik's cube he was trying to solve, the colors all jumbled up before him. And he did like a challenge!

"It is complicated," replied Linka with a heavy sigh, calling on patience. Going against her internal wishes was proving harder than she had imagined.

"It's not!" Wheeler rebutted, surprising her in turn. His eyes shone with a sincerity she envied.

"Break up with him! You obviously don't care about him or you wouldn't be here with me right now."

"You are so frustrating!" Linka vented, throwing her hands up in the air. "Has it ever occurred to you that, maybe, you do not always have all the answers?"

Wheeler smiled a little, taking her hand in his. "Don't try to pick a fight with me 'cuz it's not gonna work. This is the best memory I have of us together, and nothing is going to mess it up."

The wind picked up gently, and Linka felt tendrils of her blonde hair succumb to it. She dared not speak what lay in her heart, that she wanted to pause that instant so that it would last for eternity. But Wheeler was right; no one could take away the sweet memory of her very first kiss, her awakening as a woman. It was something she would store up jealously in the depths of her soul, like a secret treasure.

Her face must have reflected the internal sadness she was battling, for Wheeler had circled his arms around her waist in a final attempt to near her.

"Babe... Linka..."

The Russian girl placed one finger over his lips to silence him.

"We are too different... Jacob."

Ever so softly, she planted a momentary kiss on his mouth. Her emotions were untamed, raw, and threatening to spill over. So she moved out of his arms, definitely this time, but not before adding in a faint whisper, "but you will always be my Yankee."

As she walked away from Wheeler, Linka could not be certain if she had meant her last words as a beginning or a goodbye.

To Be Continued...