1. VODKA

Sasha hadn't had what you would call a good life. Her father, Boris, was an abusive drunk and when she was 14 he sent her to work in a whore house in Saratov, Russia. At first she was only there to serve drinks, but as her beauty grew, so did her admirers. Her father actually held an auction for her virginity. A wealthy man in his 40's, Sergei, had won her at the young age of 16. After that, she was not worth as much.

Her father ended up passing away. One winter he had drunk too much vodka again and fell asleep in an ally way. In the morning, some children found his frozen body. Even though Sasha was now free of him, she continued to work at the brothel because she did not know any other way of life. Her father was all she had as far as family was concerned because her mother had died in giving birth to her.

She began to age and her beauty seemed to be fading. She was only 28 but looked much older from too many harsh winters and not enough nourishment. The men seemed to be more abusive towards her and would make jokes about her fading beauty. It hurt, but she never let it show. If Sasha was good at anything, it was building up walls around her heart so that men couldn't hurt her.

One particularly cold evening, a handsome young man with dark features entered the establishment. Sasha was working the bar when he approached her.

"Hello beautiful, I would like a shot of vodka." He placed a bill on the counter and removed his gloves and began rubbing them together fiercely, trying to warm them.

She set a shot glass on the counter and filled it to the brim with the liquor. The young man picked up the glass and threw back his head as he gulped it down. "Ahhhh," he said aloud as the alcohol burned his throat. He threw another bill onto the counter and said "Another, please."

Sasha fulfilled his request as she had done the first time. The stranger was starting to warm up again and seemed to be more cheerful. "So, do you ever talk?" he asked her with a smile. She looked at him and did not respond. She had heard every line there ever was and was not particularly impressed. "My name is Aleksey," he said as he reached out his hand to hers for a proper introduction. She took a break from wiping down the counter and shook his hand.

"Sasha," was all that she said.

"She speaks!" Aleksey laughed, "Sasha is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Sasha shook her head at how unoriginal he was.

"I'm sorry, have I done something to offend you?" Aleksey asked.

Sasha realized she was being rude. "No, I'm sorry; it's just been a long night."

A piano picked up music in the background and a crowd of men cheered as a few girls came out to dance. Aleksey turned in his seat so that he could watch. After a few moments he turned back to Sasha. "So, are you just the bartender or….?"

Sasha was not surprised by his lack of tact. She forced a smile and said "I can be anything you want me to be."

Aleksey grinned. He liked that response. "Excellent, because I've been looking for a good butcher."

The joke caught Sasha by surprise and before she knew it, a laugh escaped her lips. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, as if to hide what had just happened. But it was too late, Aleksey saw through her facade.

"You have a beautiful smile; you should use it more often," he said.

Sasha sighed, "I will when I have something to smile about."

"I love a good challenge." Aleksey grinned.

They continued to banter back and forth and Aleksey made Sasha laugh and smile several more times. When the manager came out and said 'nothing is for free' referring to Sasha's time, Aleksey gladly paid to have her for the rest of the night.

Sasha went upstairs first to get herself ready. She sat at a mirror and let down her long red hair. She applied some rouge to her cheeks to replace the missing color. She studied her face and was disappointed at the skin that was not as tight as it once was. For a brief moment she worried about what she would do once her beauty completely faded. She added some color to her lips as well and realized that she was actually excited. Aleksey had been kind to her which had become more and more rare. And he was funny. She liked that about him. Even though he was a much better choice than the old and fat Sergei, she still kept the walls up around her heart. This was only for one night; she would probably never see Aleksey again. There was a knock at the door and Sasha quickly took off her woolen sweater to reveal a black lacy dress underneath. The cold air pricked her skin but she ignored it and went to the door. She opened it to find Aleksey standing there and greeted him with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong room. I was looking for this really jaded bartender. Prettiest thing you ever saw but boy, she is in a foul mood!"

Sasha laughed and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the small room. They stumbled towards the bed and even though it was one of the coldest nights of the year, they didn't seem to notice.