Seize the Day, Relish the Night

"I am all yours Veera. What would you like me to do?"

She smiled relieved. "If you wouldn't mind taking over and just serving the last few customer while we clean up and then we'll close in an hour or so."

"Yeah, no problem sweetheart." I tied an apron around my waist and served the customers at the bar. I smiled seeing the boys come off the stage. I got three beers ready for them.

"Well you know what this means now." Valto smirked.

"No." I said flatly rinsing out an empty bottle and throwing it in its bin.

"Tuuli, you were amazing." Kale tried to persuade me showing me the jar full of Euros. "We received so much more in tips tonight."

"Maybe it is because tonight is Friday." I suggested as I tended another customer.

"You know that's not true." Ale smiled, one mirroring his older brother's. "Just think on it Tuuli."

I sighed and put the tip I had just received into their jar. "Just not Friday or a Weekend."

"Really?" Kale asked excited.

"Maybe." I smirked not fully giving in. I began to wipe down the bar. The guys took their beer and sat on the stage. I took the empty bottles and glasses on the counter and washed them before tossing them into the bin under the bar.

I reached into the fridge and grabbed a cold one for me and sat on the counter. I looked to my usual table to see that it and the one next to it was unoccupied. Archzie and his two friends had already left it seems. I crossed my legs and leaned against the wall feeling light headed from all the wine form earlier.

Jyrki smirked as he saw my face look slightly disappointed when their table was empty. He walked over confidently and leaned over the bar. "Did your friends work you hard?"

I jumped slightly startled by his voice, but smiled. "Not too bad. Were you forced to tag along with him tonight?"

"No, why?" He looked at me funny.

"You weren't very talkative." I commented and took a gulp of my beer.

He shrugged, "Your beauty captured my voice."

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "For a song writter, you couldn't have come up with anything better?" I hoped off the back counter and walked up to where he was leaning keeping our eye contact. "Especially for a guy who had all the ladies in the arena swooning with a simple wink or a slight pout."

"But, not you?" He frowned remembering that concert. "You took a while to loosen up." I was taken back a bit that he noticed that, let alone that he noticed me at all in the crowded arena last week. Jyrki smiled again when he noticed my confusion. "You weren't too hard to spot."

I smiled and shrugged. "I like to stand out." I noticed Ale wanting to lock up already. "Well scientist, it is time for you to go."

"You're name?" He grabbed my hand gently.

I looked down at our hands and back up into his soft blue eyes. "Just call me Maizie."

He shook his head. "No, your real name."

I smiled. "We'll stick to Maizie for now."

Jyrki sighed disappointed, but smiled. "Alright, goodnight for now, Maizie." He let his thumb lightly trace my jaw and kissed my cheek. "I will find out your real name."

"Goodnight Jyrki." I smiled shyly. He smiled once more before making his leave so Ale could lock the front entrance.

"Getting cozy with the rock star?" Veera teased wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah," I replied sarcastically. "Like he is really interested in me."

Veera was probably going to say something encouraging when her husband interrupted us with a gaping mouth. "Were they here, watching us?"

I rolled my eyes at my star stricken friend, "I invited Archzie sometime ago if he was bored."

"You weren't lying." Kale chuckled to himself. "Figures."

"So did they like us at least?" Ale asked curious about another musicians' opinion.

I shrugged. "I didn't ask actually." The boys were no longer interested so they went to go lock up the equipment on the stage.

Veera waited until they were out of earshot before tugging on my arm to my table. "So? What did he want?"

I chewed my bottom lip taking a seat adjacent to her. I crossed my legs remembering how easy it was to get lost in his eyes. "My name."

"Your name?" She looked at me funny. "And did he like it?"

I blushed. "I didn't exactly tell him."

"Well you either did or you didn't Tuuli." She laughed.

"Then, I didn't." I grinned shyly. "He does however know, my nickname I somehow picked up at work."

"Which, is no where near as beautiful." She laughed at my blushing cheeks. "You will always be that shy country girl."

I laughed hitting her arm. "Leave me alone."

"So Tuuli, why didn't you just tell him your name?" Veera asked seriously.

I sighed. "Why did he need to know? Realistically, it would not matter with whichever name I gave him. And I refuse be another hole in his belt."

"Well at least you know how to take care of yourself." She sighed wanting to see her friend happy. "But, what if he was genuinely interested in your name?"

"Then he will find it out." I smiled pulling on my hat and gloves as well as my coat. "This shy country girl needs to go home."

"Thanks for your help." She hugged me goodnight.

I waved to the fellas. "You guys did great tonight."

"We will get you up on this stage at your own free will Tuuli." Kale threatened me.

"Sure, sure." I rolled my eyes buttoning up my coat.

"Hey Tuuli wait!" Valto grabbed his coat. "I'm heading out too; I'll walk with you." We walked a bit in silence before he nudged me. "So, did you score yourself a date with Mr. Dark and Mysterious."

"No." I chuckled. "Why?"

"I don't know." He shrugged smiling. "It seemed like you two were getting along pretty well." I bit my lip and looked away. "Hmm, seems like I am right, like always."

I let out a breath of relief seeing my building just up ahead. "I don't know why everyone assumes that only after spending mere minutes with the guy, I automatically am in complete infatuation with him."

"Maybe not complete." He laughed.

I groaned and jumped on his back. He took off laughing in the direction of my place. He let me down and gave me a hug goodnight and waited until I was safely in the building before heading home himself.

I sighed tired as I climbed the four flights of stairs. I unlocked my door shoving it open, as it was slightly jammed as usual. I locked the door behind me taking off my hat and gloves placing them on the table. I hung up my coat and smiled at the picture of my family and me sitting in a gold fame in front of the mirror.

I sighed missing them. It had been a while since I was last able to go visit them. The snow that they had been receiving as of late prevented any trains to come or to go through the Kemi station, which is where I would go first before taking a plane further north. It was nothing new though, just a typical winter for Inari in way up north in Lapland, especially in the village we live in.

Once everything gets cleared up, everything is up and running as if a storm never came through in Kemi. The tricky part is getting a plane to Inari.

I walked through the quiet apartment silently wishing there were someone waiting for me here a cat or a dog even. I sighed tired sitting on the edge of my bed and pulled my boots off chucking them into my closet. I kicked my leggings off and slipped my dress over my head throwing them into the laundry basket.

I groaned looking at the pile that was growing knowing that I would have to go to the laundry mat soon. I unclasped my bra and added it to the pile with that thought. I dug through the middle draw of the dresser to find a t-shirt to sleep in. I pulled on some socks and started a fresh kettle for tea and some noodles for a very late diner or extremely early breakfast, whichever way you would like to look at it.

I placed everything on a tray and stuck my mother's letter in my mouth as I made my way over to the couch. Setting the tray on the coffee table I curled my feet under me and got comfy. I grabbed my bowel of ramen and turned on the world news station, liking to know what was going on.

Veera thinks that I have been leading an unhealthy lifestyle. She thinks that I spend too much time working or by myself. I used to do the club scene often and still do, just not as much. She also gets worried since all of our friends are married and I have been single for a while now.

I happen to like my single lifestyle and enjoy my quiet evenings in. I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm used to quiet and peace full; Inari isn't as densely populated as Helsinki and sometimes I find myself missing that.

I muted the television and set my empty bowl aside. I picked up the wrinkled envelope and smiled looking over my mother's handwriting for the address; she always had the most beautiful cursive. It was elegant just like her. I fanned the envelope and ripped the side open taking out the delicate stationary paper. A few photos fell out as well.

'My Beautiful Tuulikki,' her letters always began making me smile. She wrote about the harsh winters they were having this year, which I had expected, and how our ranch was fairing out. I smiled reading that my sister was having her third child and how they couldn't be happier for her. I rolled my eyes at the little comment directed towards me about when she would have some grandchildren from me.

My dad was sick, which had me worried even though my mom wrote that there was nothing to worry about; just a little cold. But, my dad never gets ill so it still had me suspicious of how bad he was not feeling well.

I set the letter aside and looked at the photos that were in the envelope. I smiled at the photo of them all together. I really should go up and visit them. I looked at the next picture of my sister and her husband with their hands on her stomach. I have so many pictures with her pregnant; it seemed like she was always popping kids out. I looked at my niece and nephew riding on one of the reindeer. I remember when my sister and I were that young doing the same at their age.

We had a good childhood. It was probably a lot harder than my friends that grew up here with our responsibilities on the ranch, but I think I had it better and wouldn't trade it for everything.

I set the photos on the photo bulletin board in the entranceway with all the rest that my mother sends. I grabbed my empty dishes and flipped off the television. Letting the dirty dishes pile up in the sink too tired to wash them tonight, I walked down the hall to my room relishing the warm down comforters as I snuggled under them.

I closed my eyes only to have those deep blue ones looking back at me. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to forget those butterflies fluttering in my stomach thinking about the way he kissed my cheek goodnight.

I tried to persuade myself that he was not interested in my name; he was just looking to have a little rump between the sheets.

But, what if he does try to find my real name out?

The thought excited me as much as it did terrify me.