Searching for Estelle.

Chatting to Ville and the other guys was beginning to come naturally. I was proud of myself for relaxing as much as I had and I was starting to dread the day I would have to leave Finland, but at the same time I was sure they'd be sick of me by then.

“When do you leave?” Ville asked, seeming to read my thoughts. I figured he must be pretty keen to get rid of me if he was asking.

“The day after Ruisrock,” I replied quietly.

“Oh,” he answered and I could've convinced myself he sounded a little disappointed. “Then on to Sweden, right?”

“Yup. Then back to London to settle down,” I said with a smile.

“Settling down? You're planning to stay there awhile?” he asked, looking a little confused.

“Yeah, I'm moving there. I've had a job interview and looked at a couple of apartments,” I said, just assuming that he already knew all of this.

“You never said you were moving to London,” Ville said, sounding pleased “That's not so far away.”

I shrugged. “I guess not.”

“I go to London quite a lot, so you'd better be up for a houseguest,” he said with a mock-serious expression.

I smiled a little, but then dropped my gaze downwards. I was allowing myself to get my hopes up that I might be able to still see the guys quite regularly while living in London, and I decided this was probably a bad idea.

“Why London?” he asked after a few moments silence.

I bit my lip. “Not sure, really. English speaking, pretty easy to find a job, something different.”

Ville nodded. “What will you be doing there?”

“Pretty much the same thing as in Australia. Just editing manuscripts and helping out with some publication, I guess. I haven't got the job yet, though.”

Ville nodded, but stayed silent. I laid back on my bed and stared up at the hotel ceiling, the throbbing of my head was only a dull ache now but as I focussed on it, it reminded me of something that I wanted to ask Ville.

“Hey... what actually happened last night?”

He laughed and I giggled too, partly at his laugh and partly at the ridiculousness of my question.

“What do you remember?” he asked, sounding amused.

“Um...” I thought back “Sitting down on the couch and taking off my shoes.”

He laughed again. “Well, you passed out on my arm after that.”

I blushed furiously. “I am so sorry.”

Ville ignored my apology and continued. “Then I woke you up and you were really confused and kept saying really weird things. I decided you should probably go home at that point. So we got in a taxi, and you fell asleep again so I carried you into the hotel and put you into bed.”

I groaned. “Oh my God. And Jyrki told me I didn't make a fool of myself... I guess he just wasn't there to see it.”

Ville laughed. “It's not like you did anything really bad. Or bad at all. You just... fell asleep.”

I shook my head and sighed. “Wait. How did I get in my pyjamas?” I felt my face grow hot, dreading his answer.

“I woke you up and you managed to get them on yourself. Otherwise I would've just left you in your clothes, don't worry.”

“Oh, thank God,” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“But,” he began sounding amused again “You didn't wait for me to leave or turn around before you started undressing.”

I groaned again and buried my face in my pillow.

“This is why I don't drink,” I said, my voice coming out muffled.

“Sorry, love? I don't speak pillow talk,” he said before he paused “Well, actually...”

I started giggling and shook my head.

“You're such a dork.”

“It's true,” Ville agreed “I can't seem to help it.”

I smiled and a comfortable silence came over the room once again.

My phone made an obnoxious beeping noise and I sighed. Ville picked it up and held it out to me.

I sat up and scooted to the end of the bed, taking it from him. “Thanks.”

I saw that I had a new text message from Jyrki and opened it up.

Still on for tonight? Was thinking movie and pizza? J69

I bit my lip. I didn't really want to ask Ville to leave. I had made plans with Jyrki though and would probably be rude to just invite Ville along.

“It's Jyrki,” I said, typing out a new message.

Sure am. Sounds good. Your place or mine?

“Have you got plans?” Ville asked.

“Yeah,” I replied “Nothing major though.”

He nodded. “I should go, then.”

I shook my head. “I don't even know when or where, yet.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, smiling at me.

I blushed and averted my gaze.

“It's not really any of my business, and I know I asked at the concert, but...” Ville hesitated.

“Yes?” I looked up at him, biting my lip, concerned for was clearly going to be a personal comment.

“Is there anything going on with you and Jyrki?”

“What?” I asked, blushing furiously “No!”

Ville looked sheepish. “Okay, sorry. It's just that you seem close and I saw you hugging last night and then he left with two other women. I was worried he might be fucking you around.”

I looked down at the floor again, touched by his concern. I looked up bravely and made eye contact with him.

“I have no interest in anything other than a friendship with Jyrki.”

Ville let out a sigh of relief. “Okay.”

There was silence for a moment until my phone went off again.

I picked it up to see another text from Jyrki.

Mine.

The only other thing in the text was his address.

It would be weird, but nice, to be in a real home after living in hotels for so long. I replied with:

No worries. I'll bring the pizza =) Will be a little while yet, Ville is here.

I shut my phone and sat it to the side, smiling up at Ville, feeling a little awkward again.

“Have you got anything planned Sunday evening?” Ville asked, fidgeting with his beanie “I know it's kind of an awkward night, but I have to work tomorrow and you're busy tonight.”

“No,” I answered, without hesitation. I'd done most of my sightseeing and really only did anything when one of the guys asked me.

“Well,” Ville looked down at his scuffed converse before making eye contact again “Did you maybe want to go out for dinner or something?”

I felt my heart jump and bit my lip. “Yeah, sure.”

I hadn't really had a chance to talk to Ville, uninterrupted, and I guessed that was his motivation behind asking me to dinner. Besides, wasn't going out for dinner and things like that stuff that friends usually did? My only close friend was Dani and I'd known her forever. This whole new-friends process was still somewhat beyond me.

Ville grinned at me. “Great.”

There was silence for a minute, before my phone beeped loudly again, making me jump.

I laughed and shook my head, picking it up to read Jyrki's latest text.

Oooooooooooooooooooh!

I rolled my eyes at his immaturity, thinking that he couldn't be more wrong.

“Jyrki?” Ville asked with a frown.

“Yeah,” I said with a nod.

He sighed. “I better let you go,” he said, standing up.

I stood too and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I better head over. Movies and pizza can't wait,” I said, smiling.

“You know he's going to make you watch horror movies, right?” Ville said with a grin.

I frowned. “I hadn't thought of that. Maybe I better go easy on the pizza...”

Ville laughed and then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. It was a little awkward as I was considerably shorter than he and I wasn't wearing any shoes.

When we separated, he smiled at me and said “Have fun tonight, love. I'll call you about Sunday. But you'll have to give me your number.”

I smiled shyly before writing my phone number down on a scrap of paper and handing it to him.

“Thanks. I'll see you then, I guess,” he said, flashing me a dorky smile and salute before leaving.

I shook my head, giggling a little. I started to gather my things together to set off for Jyrki's.