From Russia...

‘You still come to game?’ my phone flashed next to me as the group sat in the common room where I could get some editing done.
‘Da :)’
‘Good, last name? Put tickets for you.’
‘Brannon.’
‘Ok see tonight :)’
‘See you.’

“Who was that?” Emma nudge my arm.
“Just Evgeni.”
“And what does he want?” she smiled.
“Just checking if we are still going to the game tonight,” I turned my attention back to my computer.
“Yeah because it wasn’t like you weren't up all night talking to him,” she teased trying to take my phone away.
“I wasn’t,” I defended.
“Yeah right, what’s all this then?” she scrolled through all the messages.
“We were just talking,” I shrugged.
“Yeah, yeah, ‘glad I met you’ really?”
“Well maybe he is glad he met me,” I snatched my phone back.
“You are pathetic.”
“You encouraged me.”
“Yeah I said hot European sex not fall in love with him.”
“I am not in love, that’s dumb,” I shrugged them all off as they gave me that yeah right look, “fuck you all,” I got up and left.

So maybe falling for some guy across the other side of the world wasn’t the smartest move but he was the nicest guy I had met and coming out of high school it was a big change. No one was ever interested in me. I was a nerd but I cared about grades, I spent a lot of time on my own playing guitar and taking photos, it was what I did. How Emma and I were even friends baffled me sometimes. Kim was more my kind of person and Brandon he was just an idiot, like a brother but the girls really seemed to like him and being friends with him didn’t help me at all. I guess it was just nice to have someone pay attention to me for more than just the few minutes I was with them in bed.

“How about you buy one of his shirts?” Emma pointed out the clothes up in the store.
“Isn’t it a bit much?” I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
“Ayren if you want to impress the guy wear his shirt,” Mark said seriously putting his hand on my shoulder.
“Fine,” I gave up and went and brought a shirt was his name on the back.

“Awww isn’t that sweet?” Emma teased as I walked out of the bathrooms with his shirt on and my phone in the other, “what’s wrong?”
“He want me to meet him outside.”
“Well go,” Emma pushed me in the direction of the doors.

I wondered the building trying to find an excuse not to see him but then there he was sitting on the curb while his team was out kicking a soccer ball, “Evgeni.”
“Hi,” he stood up shoving his phone in his back pocket.
“You ok?”
“Da I ok,” he smiled making me feel relieved.
“Good.”
“You buy?” he pointed to the shirt peeking out of my jacket.
“Oh this, just something I picked up,” I smiled as he slipped my jacket off my shoulders to get a better look.
“I like,” he approved, “but wait,” he wrapped me tightly in my jacket and ran off.

“Evgeni is crazy no?” Dimitri appeared out of nowhere.
“Woah, where did you come from?” I jumped.
“Always around, I am like a spy.”
“A Russian spy?”
“Yes!” he chuckled.

Dimitri was cool, he gave me hope in humanity yet. He was the kind of guy that was sweet but you could just be friends with. There was no pressure or anything, it was refreshing.

Evgeni came back out with something in his hand and saying stuff to Dimitri in russian before his friend was biding me goodbye and joining their team.

"Here," he handed over a jersey, "is mine, you have."
"Oh no Evgeni I couldn't."
"No have, gift."
"If you insist."
"Da put on," he ushered with his hands.
"Ok can you hold?" I handed over my jacket and slipped the jersey on, "I think it's a little big," we both laughed as I was dwarfed by it.
"No is good, I like," he lent foreward and kissed my forehead.

I kind of wished he would give up on the sweet gestures and just kiss my lips again. I loved how they felt and would have preferred that.

Before we got a chance to say anything else he was getting called back in by his coach so I bid him goodbye and yet another kiss to the forehead before he left.

I grabbed out my camera and was probably taking too many photos for the game but I didn't want to miss anything. Sports photography was something I wanted to do, travel the world taking photos and capturing moments that people would remember forever, it would be awesome.

"You did awesome!" I ran up and jumped into his arms. If he wasn't going to initiate it then I would.
"Thanks," he set me down on my feet looking surprised at my kiss.

"Photos?" He pointed to the camera Kim was holding.
"Yes, I took lots of photos. You have laptop?"
"Computer?"
"Yes."
"Da computer."
"I will give you a copy of them tomorrow."
"Ok," he kissed my lips sweetly. Yes that was what I wanted, sweet kisses on the lips not the forehead.

"Tomorrow explore?" He hooked an arm around my back and pulled me into his side.
"Yes and we can take more photos."
"Da good idea, then sing at pub."
"No," I went to pull away.
"No sing," he pulled me into him and stole a hot kiss, "you sing."
"Ok," I couldn't say no to him with that.