Family Reunion
Two
By the time I land and I'm off the plane, it's nine o'clock local time. I pull out my phone and call Joonas as promised.
"Hey, how was dinner without Tuukka and me?" I say into the phone in Finnish.
"Mom burst into tears during dinner," Joonas deadpans, his irritation clear in his tone.
"Let me guess, she misses Tuukka." That's the worst part about Tuukka's fame: my own mother doesn't even seem to acknowledge me anymore, too focused on her oldest.
"Yes. She kept saying that she knew it was for the best, since he's playing in the NHL. How's DC?"
"Big. Confusing. I've gotten lost twice trying to get to my hotel."
"You're still not at your hotel? Eela, are you crazy? Parts of the city get bad at night," he yells into the phone.
I roll my eyes. "I'm fine, Joonas. Calm dow- Oh, sorry."
"What happened?" Joonas demands from the other side of the phone as I switch from Finnish to English halfway into my sentence when I run into someone. I give Joonas a quick goodbye instead of answering his question, stuffing my phone in my coat pocket and looking up at who I ran into.
"You know, you're nuts for walking around in this part of the city at this time," the male voice says. Gesturing to my luggage behind me he continues, "Especially with those bags."
"Sorry, I'm just a little lost. I'm trying to get to my hotel- actually, are you from here?" I ask, the tall figure nods, "Perfect! Can you tell me where the Marriott is?"
"The one by Metro Center?" he asks, reaching for the paper I had taken out with the hotel information. I nod, craning my neck to look at the paper too. "Yeah, it's less than a half mile from here."
I groan. "I've been walking around in circles for the past two hours and it's been right here the entire time?"
The guy laughs next to me, "Yep. I take it you're not from here...Eela?" he asks, emphasizing the double e of my name.
"It's pronounced 'Ella.'" He hums as a response.
"Never heard that name before. Or that language. I'm John."
"Good to meet you, now can we get to the hotel please? I'm exhausted and I hung up on my brother to talk to you so I need to call him back."
He nods, walking over to my bags and taking the two heavier ones, also heaving one of my backpacks over his shoulder. He comes under a street light doing so, and I can finally get a good look at him, probably early twenties, dark blonde/ light brown hair carefully perched on top of a frame well over six feet, slight scruff on his chin and jaw, and striking blue green eyes which light up when he smiles at me. They remind me of the green eyes and dark hair I share with Tuukka, and I sigh as John walks in the direction of the hotel.
I grab my other two bags, following closely behind him when I notice a man sitting against a building, drinking out of a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag, giving me a look that makes my skin crawl.
We finally get to the hotel, John walking me in and standing next to me as I check in.
Once I get my room key, I turn to him, going to thank him but he stops me, "You need help getting all your bags up there?" I stand still for a second, surprised by his question. "Don't trust the bell boys. You gotta tip high at this hotel," he rushes, desperate for an explanation.
I grin, accepting his offer and lead him to the elevators on the other side of the lobby.
After reaching my room and getting all my bags inside, I walk with John back to the elevators, thanking him for his help. He waves it off, "It was nothing, I couldn't just leave a girl alone at night in this part of the city. Listen, I don't have any plans tomorrow and I'm assuming that since you just got to DC a few hours ago, you don't either so... Would you like for me to take you for a tour of the city?"
I smile, "That would depend. Would you consider that to be asking me out on a date?"
"Can a guy not try?" he asks as a response.
"I would love a tour actually, John," I say, laughing along with him.
"Great. I'll meet you in the lobby at ten tomorrow?" I nod as he presses the down button to call the elevator. "See you tomorrow, Eela."
I stay outside in the hallway until the elevator doors close, then go into my room and call Joonas.
"Eela! What the hell happened to you?!" Joonas yells into the phone in Finnish once he picks up.
"A guy from here offered to help me get to my hotel. That's it, and I couldn't talk to him and you at the same time, so I hung up," I say calmly, taking the cue to speak in Finnish as well.
"Some random guy? As far as you know, that guy could be a serial killer! Did you at least find out his name?"
"John. His name is John."
"John...?" I realize then that I don't know John's last name, and I didn't bother to ask. "You don't know, I assume. Does he know who you are?"
"All he knows is that I'm not from here and my name is Eela. Listen, Joonas, I'm exhausted. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
"Hey, how was dinner without Tuukka and me?" I say into the phone in Finnish.
"Mom burst into tears during dinner," Joonas deadpans, his irritation clear in his tone.
"Let me guess, she misses Tuukka." That's the worst part about Tuukka's fame: my own mother doesn't even seem to acknowledge me anymore, too focused on her oldest.
"Yes. She kept saying that she knew it was for the best, since he's playing in the NHL. How's DC?"
"Big. Confusing. I've gotten lost twice trying to get to my hotel."
"You're still not at your hotel? Eela, are you crazy? Parts of the city get bad at night," he yells into the phone.
I roll my eyes. "I'm fine, Joonas. Calm dow- Oh, sorry."
"What happened?" Joonas demands from the other side of the phone as I switch from Finnish to English halfway into my sentence when I run into someone. I give Joonas a quick goodbye instead of answering his question, stuffing my phone in my coat pocket and looking up at who I ran into.
"You know, you're nuts for walking around in this part of the city at this time," the male voice says. Gesturing to my luggage behind me he continues, "Especially with those bags."
"Sorry, I'm just a little lost. I'm trying to get to my hotel- actually, are you from here?" I ask, the tall figure nods, "Perfect! Can you tell me where the Marriott is?"
"The one by Metro Center?" he asks, reaching for the paper I had taken out with the hotel information. I nod, craning my neck to look at the paper too. "Yeah, it's less than a half mile from here."
I groan. "I've been walking around in circles for the past two hours and it's been right here the entire time?"
The guy laughs next to me, "Yep. I take it you're not from here...Eela?" he asks, emphasizing the double e of my name.
"It's pronounced 'Ella.'" He hums as a response.
"Never heard that name before. Or that language. I'm John."
"Good to meet you, now can we get to the hotel please? I'm exhausted and I hung up on my brother to talk to you so I need to call him back."
He nods, walking over to my bags and taking the two heavier ones, also heaving one of my backpacks over his shoulder. He comes under a street light doing so, and I can finally get a good look at him, probably early twenties, dark blonde/ light brown hair carefully perched on top of a frame well over six feet, slight scruff on his chin and jaw, and striking blue green eyes which light up when he smiles at me. They remind me of the green eyes and dark hair I share with Tuukka, and I sigh as John walks in the direction of the hotel.
I grab my other two bags, following closely behind him when I notice a man sitting against a building, drinking out of a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag, giving me a look that makes my skin crawl.
We finally get to the hotel, John walking me in and standing next to me as I check in.
Once I get my room key, I turn to him, going to thank him but he stops me, "You need help getting all your bags up there?" I stand still for a second, surprised by his question. "Don't trust the bell boys. You gotta tip high at this hotel," he rushes, desperate for an explanation.
I grin, accepting his offer and lead him to the elevators on the other side of the lobby.
After reaching my room and getting all my bags inside, I walk with John back to the elevators, thanking him for his help. He waves it off, "It was nothing, I couldn't just leave a girl alone at night in this part of the city. Listen, I don't have any plans tomorrow and I'm assuming that since you just got to DC a few hours ago, you don't either so... Would you like for me to take you for a tour of the city?"
I smile, "That would depend. Would you consider that to be asking me out on a date?"
"Can a guy not try?" he asks as a response.
"I would love a tour actually, John," I say, laughing along with him.
"Great. I'll meet you in the lobby at ten tomorrow?" I nod as he presses the down button to call the elevator. "See you tomorrow, Eela."
I stay outside in the hallway until the elevator doors close, then go into my room and call Joonas.
"Eela! What the hell happened to you?!" Joonas yells into the phone in Finnish once he picks up.
"A guy from here offered to help me get to my hotel. That's it, and I couldn't talk to him and you at the same time, so I hung up," I say calmly, taking the cue to speak in Finnish as well.
"Some random guy? As far as you know, that guy could be a serial killer! Did you at least find out his name?"
"John. His name is John."
"John...?" I realize then that I don't know John's last name, and I didn't bother to ask. "You don't know, I assume. Does he know who you are?"
"All he knows is that I'm not from here and my name is Eela. Listen, Joonas, I'm exhausted. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"