We carefully avoided the splintered planks and gaps in the woodwork as we made our way up the three flights of stairs. The hall was dark and murky, which made the going even more perilous. I didn’t think the landlord cared much for tort law, probably never even heard of it, not even in Russian. You were on your own in this town.
I was unfamiliar with the keys and fumbled around at the door, trying to find the right fit. There were two large locks bolted on with more screws than I could count. These doors were installed with bank vaults in mind. When we entered the apartment I took her coat and pointed to the lone chair in the room. She chose to sit on the bed instead, and studied me with keen interest while I heated up a pot of water. There was a complementary box of tea bags and a jar of instant coffee on the table. I pulled out two glass mugs from a cabinet and slipped a couple of tea bags in.
When I turned around she was half naked, having shed her clothes right down to her bra. I tried not to look surprised.
“You must be freezing,” I suggested.
“Freezing?” She had to think for a second. “Oh, no...not cold.” She started taking her shoes off.
I thought it strange how indifferent she was to the chill, not to mention her swift unveiling. I had on a wool sweater over a bulky t- shirt along with a thick pair of corduroy pants. I even considered putting my coat back on. I’d paid good money for that cloth coat but rarely got a chance to wear it. You just can’t go broke buying winter clothes in California.
After watching her sit around like that, I decided it looked unmanly with all my gear on. So I started peeling off my clothes, too. I hadn’t figured her for a call girl, but her swift unveiling sure looked practiced. The women around here seemed aloof and self- assured and I didn’t think they’d lie down so easily for a little cash. But it was a moot point, as I was totally game.
I went for my travel bag and pulled out a condom. After putting aside the notion of tea for the moment, I landed on the bed in good form as we both went about shedding the rest of our clothes.
She had very thin lips. I couldn’t kiss her properly so I dug in with my tongue. She pulled away at my heavy-handedness and came back with a softer approach, nibbling lightly on my ears while I pecked delicately at her neck. We were like two sparrows dining on breadcrumbs. Her gray blue eyes were soft and seemed to sparkle. Her breasts were small but attractively set – firm and pointed, not the loose, flabby kind I generally preferred. Her thinly contoured waistline led down to long, elegant legs that were spread out on the bed shamelessly.
Nevertheless, she was cool at the edges and that bothered me. I liked a good dose of passion thrown into the mix. She had a robotic sensibility and paced herself like a timer. Her facial expressions were distant and cold, and when we finally made love it was over much too soon. I wondered why I had gone through all that trouble of chatting her up for such a modest payoff.
We laid around not saying a word as I waited for the bill, but she stayed mum. I was getting quite annoyed by her behavior. I wanted to pay up and get her out of the room so I could get some sleep.
“Do you want to go home?” I broke the silence. She didn’t understand. “Home...leave place.” I motioned toward the door.
“Nyet.”
“You wish to stay tonight?” I pointed to the bed.
“Oh, da...yes.” It sure didn’t seem that way. Besides, she might add it to the bill.
I had stuff to do in any event and didn’t want her prying around. But I couldn’t resist the opportunity of lying beside her beautiful form for the rest of the evening. Waking up with a woman like that puts confidence in a man, lending him the wherewithal to face up to an indifferent world. That’s the idea, at least.
I got up and went in the bathroom to wash up, not an easy task as it was about as big as a broom closet. When I came out I heated up water for tea again and sat down at the table. I watched her staring up mindlessly at the ceiling and wondered what was going on in her head. She was the quiet type that stayed disengaged unless spoken to, it seemed. Her attitude was offensive, I thought. After all, we had made love just minutes before, and besides, I still didn’t know what she charged. The kettle started whistling. I went to pour water for her.
“Don’t you want tea?” I pointed to her steaming hot cup. “Nyet.”
I poured myself a cup, sat down and sipped on it while I stared at her beautiful form. She didn’t mind my gawking; she just lay there like a corpse. There was something amiss about the whole arrangement. I went to get a magazine out of my bag and saw her turn her gaze in the direction of the door. When I turned to look I noticed the lock turning. I suddenly realized it was a setup and stood there stewing in my own stupidity.
Three men burst through the door. They were wearing navy blue ski masks and pointing semi-automatic handguns in my direction. They ordered me to get dressed and start moving in a coarse but understandable English. I got right to work.
My lady friend had parked herself in the bathroom, embarrassed at the sight of a few masked men gaping at her bared flesh. Boy, did I read her wrong. She’d sell her own mother for a few grivnas but couldn’t bear standing naked in front of a couple of hoodlums. I had looked into her soft gray eyes and offered myself up innocently. But as always, I find women hard to read.