Seize the Day, Relish the Night

I felt giddy as I quickly pulled on my coat and accessories getting ready to clock out. Karita grinned at me. "You are too cute Tuuli."

"What?" I bit my lip making a face at the look she gave me. I took the stamp off the desk and marked it on the employee sign out sheet. I sloppily signed my name wanting to make a quick exit.

"How you're so excited now for your date." She smiled commenting on my behavior. "You haven't been able to wipe that smile off your face. Plus the way you are fidgeting."

I zipped my jacket and buttoned it up. I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep them still. "I guess I am pretty excited. Anxious is more like it."

"Well, just have fun love." She smiled and kissed my cheek goodbye.

"Thanks." I smiled and chuckled at myself as I practically skipped to metro station. I sat next to the window seat, like usual, but my leg kept bouncing from nerves. I couldn't take it anymore so i grabbed an overhanging handle to stand up, which just lead to some pacing. I was getting so worked up that I almost felt physically sick from excitement.

The Helsinki winter air usually never bothered my, but this evening, with my heart racing the way it was, it felt as though spring had arrived early. I happily swung the side door open to Kale's bar. "Veera! Kale!"

"Upstairs." I heard a distant reply.

I climbed up the stairs, two at a time, still in my good mood. "Hey." I smiled at them at the table doing some paperwork for the bar.

"What is that goofy face for?" Veera laughed at me.

"What face?" I looked at her confused.

Kale leaned on his hands and batted his eyelashes, with his tongue hanging out. "That face."

I scowled at him and he laughed with his wife. I crossed my arms pouting. "I do not have a face, but where is the fabric?" I looked around the office. "I honestly cannot stay long."

"Why?" Veera got up, the wooden chair scraping against the floor as she stood up walking over to me with her hand on her hip. "Don't you love me anymore?"

I laughed at her pout. "No, but I'm sure Kale still does." I patted her cheek.

"Fine then." She picked up the paper shopping bag off the counter that I assumed carried my fabric. "You won't be needing this. You see this is only for people who love me. Because I only do favors for people who love me." She laughed pulling the bag out of my reach when I made a dash for it.

"Veera." I whined laughing. "You are going to make me late for my date."

"Date?" She side stepped me.

"With whom?" Kale looked up from writing out an order and looked at me grinning. "Do we know him?"

"Um, you might?" I bit my lip knowing that they were going to get a kick out this one and that I will never ever hear the end of it.

"Who?" Veera grinned like a maniac, clearly excited at the fact that I was going out with someone.

"Just this guy." I waved my hand trying to discretely move closer to the shopping bag. "He's trying to make up for the so-so date last night."

"Uh, uh, uh." She waved her finger at me and put the bag behind her. "I see what you're doing."

"A second date?" Kale cooed. "Veera out little girl is growing up."

"Oh, shut up." I glared.

"Tell me who?" Veera persisted.

I let out a frustrated scream. "That guy, Jyrki!"

Kale's jaw dropped. "Like The 69Eyes Jyrki? Or just a joe-shmoe Jyrki?"

"The first one. It's not that big of a big deal. So what, he can sing." I shrugged tried to stay indifferent.

"Aw, you have a crush on a big, sexy rock star." Veera gushed pinching my cheek.

Kale huffed. "And what about me over here?"

"Don't worry honey, you're fine too." Veera reassured him. "So what are you guys doing tonight?"

"Well, I won't ever find out if you don't let me have my fabric and leave?" I tempted the over.

Veera shoved the bag in my arms. "What are you still standing around then?" I rolled my eyes and shook my head as she escorted me hurriedly down the stairs and out the door. "Have fun, call me with all the details!"

Before I could turn around to respond she had let the door slam shut already. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. Each step I took towards my apartment, knots twisted in my insides. I laughed to myself and shook my head. I was acting like I had never been on a date before. But, for some reason this felt different this time around. Maybe it's because of his stardom status. Or, maybe it's because every time I close my eyes, I see his soft blue ones staring back at me.

"Tuuli! Watch out!" I heard Max's voice to my left so I moved right avoiding another collision with his football.

"Max." I laughed holding my heart. "You are going to kill me someday with that thing."

"Aw, don't say that Tuuli." He pouted, but grinned throwing his arm around my shoulders. "I'd be a famous football player first, then the papers and news programs could say that at least she was killed by someone famous. And, you'd be on television."

"Thanks." I said sarcastically. "I really appreciate knowing how much my life means to you Max."

"No problem, that's what the of best neighbors, and famous football players are for." He grinned childishly up at me moving a brown dread out of his face. "Who's that?" He nodded to the guy on sitting on the front stoop.

I couldn't help but feel my cheeks warm as I smiled looking at the figure sitting on my stairs. "That would be my date." He was wearing jeans with his leather jacket and a pink scarf wrapped securely around his neck. His Misfit gloved hands held my laundry sac. He looked up noticing us walking closer and smiled at me from behind his large Aviator sunglasses.

"I'm hurt that you would do this to your husband." He said loudly giving me a pained expression.

"Max!" I hissed slapping him upside his head.

"Husband?" Jyrki tilted his head slightly confused with a forced smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, me." Max glared putting up a tough guy act, while messing with him. "What do you plan on doing with my wife?"

Jyrki smiled feeling relieved. He took his sunglasses off and folded them up before hanging them on his jacket. He looked up, his blue eyes staring at me as he spoke to Max. "Well, Maizie has a few options I have planned out. Which she would like to do, will be up to her."

Max looked at Jyrki like he was crazy. "Maizie? Look buddy you've got the wrong girl. That's-"

I covered Max's mouth before he could finish and gave him a stern look. "That is more than enough Max, thank you."

I puled my hand away when he licked it and glared at him. "Gotta love the husband." He smiled cheekily.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "Well dearest husband can you put this in my place for me?"

Max rolled his eyes and took the laundry bag from me and peaked inside. "If you make me something too?"

"We'll see." I grinned and gave him a shove towards the stairs.

"Nice subtle hint Maizie." He shook his head laughing. "That's so stupid."

"Oh, and husband?" Jyrki stopped him. "This is hers too."

Max grabbed the bag from Jyrki's outstretched "I'm needing a new jacket Maizie."

Jyrki laughed as soon as the door shut behind Max. "He got me worried there, that you were actually married."

"Why?" I looked up shyly at him.

He stood up and walked down the few front steps to me. "Because, I would have been severely disappointed."

I felt my cheeks warm up and smiled at his answer. "So what are my options?"

Jyrki grinned and held out his left hand. "We can go my place and I will cook for you. Or," he held out his right hand. "We can go to Bar Tapasta. Now, it's not just a bar, but-"

"I know Jyrki." I laughed and hooked my arm with his as we began to walk. "And, I want you to know last night wasn't a disappointment. I was tired and you were so quiet, like this whole different person. And, I would have like to get to know you, not just learn that you are a good dancer."

"Oh," He grinned feeling relieved that he had not lost his touch and wasn't a compete failure when it comes to dating. "I'm a good dancer?"

I laughed and the excitement in his voice. "You are."

Jyrki looked down and smiled at me. He slid his arm back slightly so he could intertwine his fingers with mine causing my hand to tingle. I let him lead me aimlessly as I stared up at the sky watching the stars shine over the city. Jyrki would occasionally glance down watching the soft smile on my lips as I looked at the twinkling sky.

"You know as much as the darkness can be dreary, I loved it because in Inari the stars seemed to go on forever." I said quietly. I looked over to see him smiling at me. "Have you ever seen the revontulet?"

"No, have you?" Jyrki's smile widened as my face lit up as soon as I mentioned the aurora.

"Many a times. Since I was a little girl. Our house is far, far away from the city on the other side of the lake. And my papa would tell my sister and I the myths of the fox fires. When we were little, Mielikki, my sister, and I," I laughed thinking of the memory. "Really did believe that we could control the lights when we whistled."

Jyrki chuckled knowing the tail as his mother have told him of the revontulet when he was younger as well. The light comes from the tail of a fox, made of fire, running along snow-covered fells strikes the snow drifts, sending a trail of sparks into the sky. "And could you?"

"We are of Inari Saami after all." I smirked. The Sami people of Lapland believed that they had power over the lights. But, today its more of a folklore and a game for kids to play when the fox fires decide to pay a visit. "But, sometimes they really would come closer. Now, my niece and nephew do it, well they try to whistle."

I grinned seeing the restaurant up ahead. I loved Tapasta. It was a tiny restaurant and bar that seated 26 people at most, giving it its intimate atmosphere. They served drinks, of course, as well as appetizers instead of a main course, like tapas and pasta, so one just orders a bunch of different ones and the group would share.

We walked past the long line in waiting for open chairs or a spot on the bench that wrapped around most of the room. I gave Jyrki a weird look as we past the patient people in waiting, but he just smiled down at me and held the door open for me go through. The warm Mediterranean atmosphere welcomed us from the cool winter night.

Tapasta was packed like every night, earning it's reputation of one of the top fifty restaurants in Helsinki. Jyrki gave our reservation to the hostess and we were seated adjacent to each other on the bench near the window. I was impressed that he didn't use his 'rock star status' to get what he wanted, which is what I had thought at first as we passed the people outside.

A friendly waiter came over to give us our menus. "What are you going to order?" He peaked over the menu.

After scanning a few selections over, I closed mine and set it on the table. "You know what? I think I'm going to let you surprise me."

"What if you don't like it?" He looked at me skeptically, not sure if he like this idea or not.

"You see that his the beauty of a surprise." I smirked. "You won't know until you try."

"Alright." Jyrki nodded still looking slightly unsure. "No problem." He reassured himself and me.

"If you aren't up to it Jyrki, I can order something." I began to pick up and open the menu.

He snatched it out of my hands giving me a stern look making me laugh. "Do you not think I can handle it?"

I laughed at his face. "You know I'm not so sure that you can."

Jyrki raised his arm slightly so the waiter would come back and gave him our order of a tomato-mozzarella salad, calamari with garlic mayonnaise, and bottle of a Cabernet Sauvignon.

"What else is in Inari?" Jyrki asked me as he poured a glass of the red wine for the both of us.

"A pub, a couple of shops along the highway, and a Inari Saami Museum." I laughed. "There isn't much there. Well, now you have the resorts to bring in tourism."

"Sounds quiet." Jyrki sipped his wine. "What did you're family do for a living, if there aren't many businesses."

"My family owns quite a bit of land where we do reindeer husbandry. My papa used to tell us that we were taking care of Santa's reindeer." I grinned.

"Sounds like you and your sister had a good childhood." He smiled enjoying listening to my stories, gaining whatever little facts about me that he could. The waitress placed the salad and calamari in front of us.

I placed the cloth napkin on my lap and grabbed my fork taking a chunk of the mozzarella cheese out of our large salad dish. "I think we had the best childhood a kid could have. The dogs would pull us on the sled when we were little. And then, when Mielikki and I were old enough we got our own snowmobile to play with, well to help with the herding of course."

"Of course." Jyrki laughed.

"And now my father's new toy is a helicopter to cover the entire land and he, or my brother in law, will take tourists around Inari on the side." I smiled. "I can't wait until I go up and visit. Then, I'll get to try it out for myself."

Jyrki had me talking the whole evening about myself and my childhood growing up in Inari with Saami traditions. I wiped my mouth with my napkin before laying it on my lap again. "Now, you have had me talking the whole night about myself. It's your turn before I start sounding too conceited."

"No," He shook his head. "You could never do that." He smiled and leaned back against the wall. "I don't know what to say about myself. I'm not that interesting."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Yeah, because living the lifestyle of a rock star is dull."

Jyrki rolled his eyes at me in return and mocked my expression. "Don't use that card tonight. I just want to be me when I'm with you."

"Okay." I smiled softly. "Then who is 'me'?"

"I'm trying to remember." He chuckled. "You scared the hell out of me last night."

"What?" I looked at him shocked and laughed. I stopped giggling shortly though realizing that he was being serious. "How on Earth did I manage that?"

Jyrki smiled and looked away momentarily embarrassed that he admitted that to me. "Because you didn't expect that guy on the stage."

I saw he was struggling to find the right words. "Well, that's not entirely true Jyrki because that guy on stage is you. I mean you would not have worked all those years to get where you are today if that isn't who you are." I chuckled. "It's almost as if you're talking about yourself as two flat characters and I only see one person in front of me. Unless, you have a twin?"

"No." He chuckled. "No twin."

"Fine we'll start off with an easy question for you. None of this heavy conversation any more for tonight." I smiled and drank some wine trying to think of any easy question. "Okay, how old are you?"

"Old." He laughed.

"No, no. I answered all you're questions. Here, I will turn 27 in July." I waved my hand to show him how easy it was.

"Fine," he smirked. "I was born in 1968."

"You don't like to make things easy for me do you Mr. Linnankivi?" I laughed and subtracted his birth year from 2006. "I don't believe you."

"See I told you. I am old." His smiled faltered for a second. "But, I am an honest man. I am old."

I laughed at him. "Age is but a number is it not?"

"It is." He smirked nodding his head as he agreed with me, pleased that that minor detail did not discourage me. Though, personally, he still felt old.

"Anyway, your soul seems younger. And the soul is the most important aspect of the body." I smiled going back to my roots as a Sami. "Okay, so another question." I tapped my bottom lip as my chin rested in the palm of my hand. "Did you go to school for a degree?"

"Is that so important to you?" Jyrki asked curious.

"It is." I said honestly.

Jyrki's smile widened as an education was important to him as well. "I did get a degree. My mom wanted me to do something with medicine so I studied in the science field. Chemistry more specifically."

"No kidding?" I smiled as he poured me another glass of wine.

"Did you get a degree?" He asked as he poured more wine in his glass as well to finish off the bottle.

I smirked, "I thought we were talking about you now?"

"Well, yes, but now is as good of a time for you to answer the question." He chuckled.

I sighed dramatically before answering the question. "I did. I studied more of the anatomical science. I have a degree in medicine to do physical therapy."

"And you do not do that now?" He looked at me confused. "Why would you give up that kind of job? Does it not pay well?"

"No, it paid quite fine actually. But, I wanted a change." I shrugged. "I worked for a long time in a doctors office on mostly hockey players or drivers from demolition derbies as patients. And I was looking for a slower pace that I was used to from back home so I came to Sinikka."

"Ah fair enough." He smiled.

"So with the band, you must have traveled practically everywhere. Where do you want to go that you have not been to before?" I finished my glass and sat back satisfied.

"Hawaii." He said without hesitation.

Before I got to ask anything further a waiter came over interrupting the conversation. "As much as my employees adore you're music and are relishing in the fact that you are here, I'm afraid we are only waiting on you two to close up."

"Oh." I looked around the restaurant, just noticing for the first time that it was only Jyrki and I here. And seeing how they close at 24.00, I was extremely surprised that we had talked the whole time. It only seemed like we were here a couple of hours, yet, we have been at Tapasta since about 19.30. Which just seems crazy, to talk to someone for literally hours upon hours.

Jyrki apologized to the manager as we stood up. He helped me put my coat on before putting his own jacket on. He grabbed my hand as he walked up to the bar to pay the bill and gave me a look to not even think about offering to share it. I laughed as he smirked and took out his wallet handing over the appropriate amount of Euros.

A few of the employees came over asking for autographs and photos. He looked over for me as if asking for my permission first. I gently untangled our fingers and stepped off to the side, noticing that my hand felt unusually cold with out him holding it. I laughed and shook my head as he pouted and flipped off the camera.

Jyrki smiled and immediately grabbed my hand back, holding it securely in his, after he had finished. He held the door open for us as we left Bar Tapasta. "See, you are one in the same Jyrki." I smiled up at him briefly. He grinned and gave my hand a small squeeze.