Postcard Burnt in Flames

Kay was out front like I thought she would be.
“You’ve left me freezing out here,” she pouted, pulling on her white coat closer.
“I’m sorry-I was caught up with-“
“With a gorgeous man? No apologies needed then!” Her eyes gleamed. She was attractive.
She was a year younger than me and more curvaceous. Her ombre hair was styled into a wave and she always chose her clothes to accentuate her figure.
“Let’s get going then, it’s nearly 3am,” I said as I looked around for a cab.
“We may have to walk,” she said looking around with me. I stared at my boots and her heels. She wouldn’t make it the twenty-five minutes to our hotel. Her eyes darted to me.
“Shush, I’ll make it.” She charged onward for the second time that day.
“We’re not going to an after hours sex shop, are?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Do those exist? Maybe we should,” she laughed back.

It took us a painstaking hour to reach our lobby before we entered the elevator to the 9th floor. The music in the shaft was welcoming, it was calm.
“So, what did you and Ville discuss?” I asked recalling the few minutes I had left them when I went to pay the tab.
“Oh, the usual,” she said withholding information. I only nodded. I wanted to bring up the kiss, but knew it wasn’t my business. The elevator dinged for her floor. We had gotten separate rooms so she could “shag” if she wanted to – as she had put it. The doors opened and she kissed my cheek goodnight.

“Jac,” she said stopping and holding the doors open. “If you don’t make a move, I will.”

With that the doors closed and I was left slack jawed. It was after 4 am and I was wide awake.
Luckily, it was still before midnight in the US. I unlocked my room door with the key card and threw my coat onto the chair before fumbling for my cellphone.

“Hello?” a cheerful, southern voice answered on the other end.
“Greetings from Helsinki,” I replied.

Cody was one of my good friend I had met while studying in Italy years ago. We had bonded over being American and disagreed on our love of the south. She was from Kentucky and I was from New York State.

“Tell me all about your trip. I haven’t spoken to you since it started,” she said.
I dutifully caught her up on all of the touristic sightings and food, before I paused about the day we had just had.
“Sounds all rather typical,” she said baiting me.
“Yes, well rather typical. I bought a pink dildo tonight…” I said before launching into the whole sordid affair. She was laughing and quiet at times.

“How would she make a move on him if she hasn’t got a number to call him?” Cody asked, something I too had wondered.
“Maybe they exchanged details?” I offered as an answer. They could have exchanged information at any point.
“Well she is either serious about making a move or challenging you to do so,” Cody said as I heard her sipping something.
“What are you drinking?” I asked.
“Sweet tea,” she said setting a cup down in the background. I laughed.
“Sounds all rather typical,” I said quoting her. We laughed before I asked how her job was going.
“Rather dreary compared to your evening,” she said, prying more details out of me. “Did he actually kiss her?”
“It looked as though he had, but then he was joining me outside for a smoke.”
“I thought you were quitting,” she chided.
“I’m trying to but it’s so in your face-here in Europe.”
“Excuses but I’ll pardon you just this once. Especially if it means you were outside with him.”
The sleep was beginning to come over me.
“Code, I might have to go soon. My eyeballs are burning and I need to remove my contacts.”
“Okay, but do keep me updated. If more details occur, I can’t wait a week to find out. You might be on a Finnish tabloid for shagging a Rockstar!”
Ville’s joke about me as a sex goddess came to mind. I laughed recalling it and thought about how his proximity to my body, sent me into a tailspin.
“I will keep you updated on the typical thoroughfare of Europe and any juicy details before they make their way to a tabloid,” I promised before hanging up.

The hotel bed had never looked so inviting as I splayed out onto it. Sleep came quickly.

*

Kay’s POV

The alarm in my room beeped and the curtains that I had forgot to shut allowed the sun to blind my still closed eyes.
“UGHHH!” I groaned, throwing the blankets back and hopping to my feet. It was 7:30 in the morning which meant it was still early enough to go back to bed on holiday. But I knew better.
I hopped into the shower and pulled my hair back into a ponytail before dressing in my athletic gear. I took the elevator up to Jac’s floor and banged on the door. There was no answer, she was probably dead to the world. The gym was located on the first floor and for the next hour I took my energy out on it. My stomach rumbled so I decided to hit the lobby. I was looking around for the breakfast area when an unknown number texted me.

“Hello.”

“Hello?” I echoed the messaged. I had no idea who would be texting me at 9 in the morning. My stomach grumbled again. I would figure it out later. After asking at the reception desk, I finally found the breakfast area and my eyes took in the huge amounts of food choices. I knew I should opt for fruits and an omelet, but the alcohol from the night before had left me dreadfully hungry.

I chose three pastries, a baguette with cheese, and a coffee before I sat down. My phone had been dinging in my pocket the whole time.

“Hello?” came the second text.
“I apologize if I have the wrong number,” read the third.
“Never mind then,” read the fourth and last.
Never one to beat around the bush, I dialed the number as I took a bite of my baguette.
It rang twice before a man answered.

“Who is this?” I demanded as my mouth was full.
“Pardon?” said the voice which sounded familiar.
“Who-is-this?” I repeated between bites.
“Ville Valo and is this Kate?” the voice asked.
I choked on my food and took a giant gulp of coffee.
“Yes, yes, yes it is.”
The night before we had exchanged numbers and I had told him the hotel I was staying at, should he venture to the neighborhood.
“I was calling to tell you, I’m standing in your hotel lobby.”
“Excuse me?” I asked bewildered.
“I am in your-“
“Yes, I heard what you said.”
“You forgot something on your way out and I figured since you both seemed fond of it, I should return it,” he explained.
“Is this just an excuse to see me?” I asked coyly.
“You’d never know,” he said with a laugh.
“You cheeky bastard, I’ll be right there.”
I took another sip of coffee and looked around for a mirror. I had no idea what state of appearance I looked like. I knew I had dark circles under my eyes. “Fuck it,” I muttered and made my way to the lobby. Sure enough, all six feet and then some stood awkwardly in the lobby holding a white bag. He was wearing jeans today with a belt and his typical newsboy cap. His white tee was covered by a black blazer. I waved at him and as he waved back, his shirt went up exposing his waistline. “Shag worthy, indeed,” I muttered as I smiled to him.
“Have you brought me a gift?”

“Well if you’ve been missing a pink dildo, then yes I have,” he said wickedly holding up the bag.
The nearby elevators dinged and a few guest filed out, Jac amongst them. She too must have went with the ‘fuck it’ appearance because she was wearing her pajama shorts and a band tee. A band tee with a heartagram on the front. The minute she saw me, she started walking over until she noticed him standing next to me. I could see her trying to double back to the elevator, but it was too late.

“He’s brought our beloved dildo back,” I said as I noticed her face flush.
“You seem to be in the habit of your face matching the dildo,” Ville joked as he took in her appearance.
“I, uh,” she muttered, clearly embarrassed. I took the bag from him and giving her an excuse to disappear, asked her to bring it upstairs.
“I like your t-shirt,” Ville called after her as he brought his attention back to me.
“So where we were?” I asked. She was my cousin, but she moved like a turtle. We only had four days in Helsinki and I was certainly going to make the most of my time.