Evgeni sat alone in the vineyard; kicking at the dry leaves that twirled
about his feet. The shadows of the night blanketed the stone bench that he
was sitting on, and streaked dramatic shadows across his face. He kept
nervously glancing down at his watch to check the time.
"Well one thing can be said," Evgeni thought to himself, "she sure isn't punctual. Maybe she isn't coming.....maybe the flowers seemed a bit to stalker-ish...maybe I scared her off." These and many other thoughts raced through his mind as he looked down once again at his wristwatch. It showed a time of 8:27 PM. He sighed and got up to leave, but was halted by a faint, distant noise. It sounded like footsteps down the cobbled path. The gate of the vineyard squeaked open, and there a young lady appeared. Evgeni let out a sigh and began walking towards her.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it, but I'm glad you did," Evgeni said pleasantly and with a broad, dashing smile.
"Oh it's you," Kathryn exclaimed with a look of surprise, "I'm so sorry I was late.....oh, and sorry for plowing into you back at the airport."
"Don't worry about it. It was entirely my fault anyways. I wasn't looking where I was going. In fact, that is why I asked you here. I would like to make up for being so impolite," he said in a sweet tone. A bitter wind began to whip around the vineyard. Kathryn shivered and hugged her jacket closely around her. "Common, let's get out of her and to someplace warmer," Evgeni then extended his hand to Kathryn. She eyed him wearily then raised her eyebrow with a look of mistrust with a slight trace of confusion. Her face softened and she gave him a smile. She took his hand, and Evgeni escorted her out of the vineyard.
"So how come you are in Italy? You don't look very Italian to me," Evgeni said with a sly smile as they walked down the sidewalk together.
"Well, that's because I'm not. I'm from the United States. I'm here to compete in the Olympics," she bluntly replied.
"Wow really what event?"
"Speed skating."
"What a coincidence!!!! I'm here for the Olympics as well!" said Evgeni with enthusiasm.
"No Way! What event?" inquired Kathryn gaining interest.
"Figure skating....Where are my manners?!?!," Evgeni suddenly stopped, "My name is Evgeni Plushenko and I'm from Russia." Kathryn shook his hand and replied,
"I never would have guessed with how you look and the accent and all." Evgeni chuckled at her remark. "Hey I've heard of you! You are that guy skater who can lift his leg above his head.... Anyways, I am very please to meet you Evgeni. My name is Kathryn Mckibben."
"I know," said Evgeni quietly under his breath.
"What was that?" inquired Kathryn.
"Oh nothing...nothing at all. I know this great little corner cafe. It's very quaint. Do you enjoy coffee?" asked Evgeni.
"Like it? I practically live off of it!" Kathryn said with a bright smile.
"Well then it's settled. That is where we will go," and with that the two set off once more down the street.
The two finally arrived at a small, Italian, street side cafe. There were deep green iron tables and chairs that were intricately laced with iron ivy, and were adorned with camisoles overhead. Evgeni walked up to one of the tables on the end, pulled out a chair, and offered it to Kathryn. She smiled and accepted the removed chair. Evgeni then sat down and took his chair. A waiter approached the table and handed them both menus. Both of them took only a few seconds to decide. Evgeni called the waiter back over to the table. The waiter inquired as to their orders. Kathryn looked up and replied "cappuccino," only to discover it was said by somebody else as well. She looked at Evgeni and he returned the look. Then they both began laughing at the coincidence. The waiter looked a little confused at what to write down, and Evgeni, seeing the dismayed expression on his face said, " We'll both have a cappuccino." The waiter jotted down their orders on a pad of paper, and then walked off into the restaurant.
"So how long have you been skating?" asked Evgeni?
"As long as I can remember, probably around four or five maybe. I started to get competitive though at the age of ten. I was a little sickly, puny thing, as a kid, so my mom put me in a bunch of different sports, but this was the one I loved," said Kathryn recalling her childhood.
"That sounds about like my story as well. I had health problems, so I began skating to work up my health," explained Evgeni.
"Yeah and it worked. You don't look like a sickly boy at all. In fact you are very muscular and handsome," Kathryn caught what she had said and her face burned scarlet with embarrassment. Evgeni smiled to himself at the comment, and her schoolgirl way of dealing with it. He decided to break the silence and spare her a long amount of torture.
"So we are more alike than I would have guessed," said Evgeni breaking the painful silence.
Relieved, Kathryn replied, "Well you know there is one major difference."
"What is that?" implored Evgeni.
"I can't lift my leg above my head." said Kathryn with a playful smile. Both laughed at this comment for quite some time until their coffee arrived. Both took their cups and drank from them. The warm liquid felt great, and was a dramatic changed from the bitterness around them. Both lowered their cups at the same time and their eyes met, and they locked gazes. They seemed to be drowning slowly in the depth of one another's eyes. Evgeni began to lean ever so slightly forward across the table, as if drawn by magnets.
"What am I doing?" he thought to himself, "I have only know this girl for three hours...but it seems like we've known each other forever." He holy gave into the lean, and Kathryn began to lean forward slightly as well.
"What am I doing?" Kathryn screamed in her mind, "Do I really even know this guy, sure he's a knockout, but can I really do this?" Both closed their eyes when their lips were almost touching, when Kathryn suddenly jerked away and leaned back in her chair. Evgeni slumped back into his chair looking slightly disappointed.
"Oh look at the time! Is it already 10:30?!?! I'd better get going. I start my practice sessions tomorrow," said Kathryn in a rather hurried and rushed tone. She got up and grabbed her purse off of the table.
"Do you really have to go now? I was thinking maybe we might go dancing or something of that sort," Evgeni asked with a slight hint of pleading in his voice as well as in his eyes.
"Sorry. Maybe some other time, ok?," replied Kathryn in the same nervous tone.
"Well when will I get to see you again?" implored Evgeni.
"I don't know. You pick a time and place and surprise me. Thanks for the coffee. It more than made up for plowing into me." she said a little more realized and gave him a warm smile. She then waved, turned around and walked down the sidewalk. Soon swallowed by the shadows and darkness of the night.
"Bye," Evgeni said softly. He sighed and stared long and hard into the night after her. He turned, left some money on the cold iron table that was now empty, as he too vanished into the darkness.
"Well one thing can be said," Evgeni thought to himself, "she sure isn't punctual. Maybe she isn't coming.....maybe the flowers seemed a bit to stalker-ish...maybe I scared her off." These and many other thoughts raced through his mind as he looked down once again at his wristwatch. It showed a time of 8:27 PM. He sighed and got up to leave, but was halted by a faint, distant noise. It sounded like footsteps down the cobbled path. The gate of the vineyard squeaked open, and there a young lady appeared. Evgeni let out a sigh and began walking towards her.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it, but I'm glad you did," Evgeni said pleasantly and with a broad, dashing smile.
"Oh it's you," Kathryn exclaimed with a look of surprise, "I'm so sorry I was late.....oh, and sorry for plowing into you back at the airport."
"Don't worry about it. It was entirely my fault anyways. I wasn't looking where I was going. In fact, that is why I asked you here. I would like to make up for being so impolite," he said in a sweet tone. A bitter wind began to whip around the vineyard. Kathryn shivered and hugged her jacket closely around her. "Common, let's get out of her and to someplace warmer," Evgeni then extended his hand to Kathryn. She eyed him wearily then raised her eyebrow with a look of mistrust with a slight trace of confusion. Her face softened and she gave him a smile. She took his hand, and Evgeni escorted her out of the vineyard.
"So how come you are in Italy? You don't look very Italian to me," Evgeni said with a sly smile as they walked down the sidewalk together.
"Well, that's because I'm not. I'm from the United States. I'm here to compete in the Olympics," she bluntly replied.
"Wow really what event?"
"Speed skating."
"What a coincidence!!!! I'm here for the Olympics as well!" said Evgeni with enthusiasm.
"No Way! What event?" inquired Kathryn gaining interest.
"Figure skating....Where are my manners?!?!," Evgeni suddenly stopped, "My name is Evgeni Plushenko and I'm from Russia." Kathryn shook his hand and replied,
"I never would have guessed with how you look and the accent and all." Evgeni chuckled at her remark. "Hey I've heard of you! You are that guy skater who can lift his leg above his head.... Anyways, I am very please to meet you Evgeni. My name is Kathryn Mckibben."
"I know," said Evgeni quietly under his breath.
"What was that?" inquired Kathryn.
"Oh nothing...nothing at all. I know this great little corner cafe. It's very quaint. Do you enjoy coffee?" asked Evgeni.
"Like it? I practically live off of it!" Kathryn said with a bright smile.
"Well then it's settled. That is where we will go," and with that the two set off once more down the street.
The two finally arrived at a small, Italian, street side cafe. There were deep green iron tables and chairs that were intricately laced with iron ivy, and were adorned with camisoles overhead. Evgeni walked up to one of the tables on the end, pulled out a chair, and offered it to Kathryn. She smiled and accepted the removed chair. Evgeni then sat down and took his chair. A waiter approached the table and handed them both menus. Both of them took only a few seconds to decide. Evgeni called the waiter back over to the table. The waiter inquired as to their orders. Kathryn looked up and replied "cappuccino," only to discover it was said by somebody else as well. She looked at Evgeni and he returned the look. Then they both began laughing at the coincidence. The waiter looked a little confused at what to write down, and Evgeni, seeing the dismayed expression on his face said, " We'll both have a cappuccino." The waiter jotted down their orders on a pad of paper, and then walked off into the restaurant.
"So how long have you been skating?" asked Evgeni?
"As long as I can remember, probably around four or five maybe. I started to get competitive though at the age of ten. I was a little sickly, puny thing, as a kid, so my mom put me in a bunch of different sports, but this was the one I loved," said Kathryn recalling her childhood.
"That sounds about like my story as well. I had health problems, so I began skating to work up my health," explained Evgeni.
"Yeah and it worked. You don't look like a sickly boy at all. In fact you are very muscular and handsome," Kathryn caught what she had said and her face burned scarlet with embarrassment. Evgeni smiled to himself at the comment, and her schoolgirl way of dealing with it. He decided to break the silence and spare her a long amount of torture.
"So we are more alike than I would have guessed," said Evgeni breaking the painful silence.
Relieved, Kathryn replied, "Well you know there is one major difference."
"What is that?" implored Evgeni.
"I can't lift my leg above my head." said Kathryn with a playful smile. Both laughed at this comment for quite some time until their coffee arrived. Both took their cups and drank from them. The warm liquid felt great, and was a dramatic changed from the bitterness around them. Both lowered their cups at the same time and their eyes met, and they locked gazes. They seemed to be drowning slowly in the depth of one another's eyes. Evgeni began to lean ever so slightly forward across the table, as if drawn by magnets.
"What am I doing?" he thought to himself, "I have only know this girl for three hours...but it seems like we've known each other forever." He holy gave into the lean, and Kathryn began to lean forward slightly as well.
"What am I doing?" Kathryn screamed in her mind, "Do I really even know this guy, sure he's a knockout, but can I really do this?" Both closed their eyes when their lips were almost touching, when Kathryn suddenly jerked away and leaned back in her chair. Evgeni slumped back into his chair looking slightly disappointed.
"Oh look at the time! Is it already 10:30?!?! I'd better get going. I start my practice sessions tomorrow," said Kathryn in a rather hurried and rushed tone. She got up and grabbed her purse off of the table.
"Do you really have to go now? I was thinking maybe we might go dancing or something of that sort," Evgeni asked with a slight hint of pleading in his voice as well as in his eyes.
"Sorry. Maybe some other time, ok?," replied Kathryn in the same nervous tone.
"Well when will I get to see you again?" implored Evgeni.
"I don't know. You pick a time and place and surprise me. Thanks for the coffee. It more than made up for plowing into me." she said a little more realized and gave him a warm smile. She then waved, turned around and walked down the sidewalk. Soon swallowed by the shadows and darkness of the night.
"Bye," Evgeni said softly. He sighed and stared long and hard into the night after her. He turned, left some money on the cold iron table that was now empty, as he too vanished into the darkness.