""Well, would you like to spend the afternoon with me, then?"
I had almost completely forgotten about Villanelle when I spotted her in a crowd on a sunny day just in the shadow of St. Stephen's Cathedral. a week since the café afternoon. I was sitting on a bench when a flash of yellow in the crowd caught my eye. The same summer dress, or at least the same colour, she had worn at the café
I closed my book and watched her for a while. I thought to call out to her but refrained, remembering that I ought to be wary of her. So, I watched her for a while. She stopped by a flower stand, picked out a bunch of swan-white lilies, and took them away rolled up in newspaper. Before she disappeared around the corner, I jumped from my seat and followed her.
She was like a yellow wisp, dancing through the crowd, stopping by shop windows and lowering her sunglasses to take a good look at what was inside before continuing. She drew glances from every man and quite a few women who passed her.
I felt very much like a stalker, following her like this. I didn't know why I did it. I could only attribute it to her strong magnetic pull.
She got away from me at the Hapsburg palace. A string quartet played an impromptu Bach in the tunnel of the Spanish Riding School. Past the school, I looked around for the yellow dress in the quiet garden and in the courtyard of the palace between the dark hedgerows of roses, finding nothing. It was curious that she would slip away so easily, but then...
"Eve!"
I turned my head and saw her walking towards me, shimmering in the sun, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing in long curls from her shoulders to her breasts. I had no idea how I lost her in an empty courtyard.
"Villanelle!" I jumped.
"What a happy coincidence! ""You were just on my mind."
"I was?"
"Yes. "I was wondering when you would call me."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I've just been extremely busy lately.
"I see." "You Americans tend to be." She smiled slyly. "In fact, you seem busy now. "Am I keeping you from something?"
"Oh no." I blushed. I came up with a quick excuse. "I was just, um, going to see a friend today, but they cancelled at the last minute, so I came here. "I'm not up to anything."
"Oh, ok. ""Well, would you like to spend the afternoon with me, then?" Absolutely! I'd love to
Her eyes studied my face intently. Her lips curled into a hopeful smile. She added, "I was going to grab my bicycle and go by the river to enjoy the rest of the sun. ""If you are free, I would love it if you joined me." I found myself surprised and excited by her invitation, which I quickly accepted.
I nodded. "Sure."
We stopped by her bike, which was locked nearby on a fence along the ring road that circled the first district. She put her white lilies into her bicycle basket and took a silver Nikon and snapped a photo of me.
"Say cheese," she said.
"You're supposed to say that before you snap a picture." I laughed.
"I knew that. "I just forgot to say it first." She shrugged, then repeated, "Say cheese!" and snapped another picture. She caught me smiling.
"That one will be a good one," she said.
"Anyways, shall we go? ""I have a secret spot on the river I like, but it would take us a while to get there walking, so we can ride my bicycle."
"Sure. "Are you taking me for a ride?"
"My legs are tired, so you're taking me for a ride. I'll get on the back and tell you where to go."
"Ok, I'll try." I hopped on the bike. "Climb on!"
I held the bike balanced while she climbed on, sitting on the rack above the rear wheel with both legs hanging off to one side.
"All right, here we go," I said as I drove shakily at first, weaving precariously between dodging pedestrians, both of us shrieking and laughing. We rode along the ring road towards the river. She pointed out the streets to turn down and snapped photos of people and buildings with her Nikon at every opportunity she could get. A few minutes later, we were in Heiligenstadt, meeting on the riverbank. We rode along a row of tall, flickering birch trees and drooping willows. The bike path turned to crunchy gravel, and the city disappeared behind us. After about a half hour of riding, we arrived at a quiet bend in the river where the sun rays came neatly through the crests of the tall Kahlenberg hill onto a grassy riverbank.
"Stop here!" Oksana shouted. I skidded to a stop. She set out a blanket she pulled from the bicycle basket. I sat down next to her on the blanket, speechless at the beauty of the surroundings. Verdant vineyards lined the rolling hills across the river, and the river here was slow and flat. The afternoon crickets chirped lazily. The grasshoppers and June bugs hummed in the golden grass around us. A barge passed us by. The men on it waved and hollered eagerly at us. We waved back. Oksana blew them a kiss. They blew back kisses emphatically and walked backwards along the boat, shouting and waving at us until they disappeared around the river bend. When they were gone, she spirited a bottle of wine, uncorked it, and drank straight from it, clutching it by the neck, and she offered me a drink. "Sorry, I didn't think to bring any wine glasses," she said.
"No, it's fine. I don't think I will have any."
She shrugged. "More for me then."
She drank again. A stream of purple dripped from her lips, down her chin, and down her neck. She wiped it.
As much as I'd love a drink of her wine, I had to restrain myself. I don't want to get tipsy and tell any secrets now. What was the saying? Loose lips sink ships. When she was done with the sip, she snapped a photo of me. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all.
"You're quite shy, aren't you?" she mused.
"Of course not. Not normally."
"You were rather shy the last time I met you."
"One of my moody days, perhaps."
"You have moody days? ""I thought Americans were always happy."
"Of course, Americans have moody days. ""The rain makes me moody. ""Doesn't it make you moody?"
"No. "I enjoy the rain."
"You seem like the type of girl who would enjoy the rain."
"Why do you think that?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. You just seem so... I don't know. There's just something about you. ""You seem like you can be happy in any situation." No matter what life throws at you, you always manage to stay positive and make the best of any situation, right?
"In the Eastern Bloc, you either learn to be happy in any situation or you become an alcoholic."
"Those are your only choices?"
"Who says it's a choice?"
"Well, that's a depressing thought."
"I never claimed to be a happy person. You assumed that. ""Most people from where I'm from who claim to be happy are either lying or they're drunk out of their minds."
"Well, aren't you happy?"
She drank deeply from the bottle, then responded, "At this moment, I'm happy."
She sat up, crossed her legs, aimed her Nikon at me, and snapped another picture. Her skirt rode up her thighs, revealing a white flash of her pants within. She arched her back so that her dress tightened against her breasts. Her nipples pressed against the thin cotton of her dress in concentric circles. I blushed and glanced away and felt a nervous, funny pounding in my chest, suddenly aware that I was smitten with her. The blood pounded hotly through my body. My throat ran tight.
This curious attraction didn't surprise me, nor was I averse to it. I'd always had an unspoken attraction to women. I've just never acted on that attraction. There was, however, something about Villanelle—the way she moved, the way she talked, the way she smelled (lush like a twisted orange peel), the way she looked at me with her intent eyes. Eyes that were inviting, daring to try something risky – could it be hers?
"So do you have someone?" she asked.
"Someone?"
"Like a boyfriend? Husband?"
She leaned back, her tongue in her cheek, her legs straight out, feet bare, twirling, toes outstretched.
"No."
"No one?"
I shook my head.
"So, you are here in Vienna all by yourself?"
"Yes."
"Why is that?"
"Why am I all by myself or in Vienna?"
"Why are you all by yourself?"
"Because I want to be."
"How old are you?"
"Thirty five."
"And you’re single?"
I laughed. "Oh, please. "Are you going to tell me I'm condemned to a life alone because I don't have a husband?"
"That's how people where I'm from think."
"Yeah. ""Same as where I'm from."
"But you don't think so?"
"No. I'm happier now than I've ever been when I wasn't single. Maybe they're right. But maybe I don't care."
She smiled and wrinkled her nose as if my response tickled her.
"How old are you, Villanelle?"
"Twenty-six."
"Do you have anyone?"
She shook her head.
"Well, why not?" You're gorgeous"
She looked up at the sky. Cumulus and silver clouds floated westward, the sun shining down from above. Glittering rays came through them like a bright starburst. Her brow furrowed in thought.
"I don't think it's true, really," she replied finally.
"You don't?"
"I think being single makes me anxious."
"Why is that?"
"I love the touch of another person too much."
"I don't think you need to be in a relationship to be touched." I reached out and tickled the bottom of her feet. She recoiled and snickered.
"See!" I laughed.
"That's not what I mean," she replied. "I mean intimate touch."
"I see. Yes, a boyfriend would be nice for that."
"Or a girlfriend." Having someone special to share intimate touches with can be a powerful way to nurture emotional connections and build trust and closeness.
Her eyes found mine. I blushed. A moment passed between us where the world was silent save for the constant pulsing buzz of the grasshoppers in the grass and the sound of my own heavy breathing.
She straightened out her legs again, stretched out her toes as she yawned, and then brushed a naked foot against my leg. not an accidental brushing. I flinched at the cool touch of her skin against mine. Goosebumps grew on my skin. Slowly, she drew her still-touching foot down the length of my leg. As her leg bent, her skirt fell down her raised thigh to again reveal the white triangle of her pants within. Her face twisted in excitement as she did this. She held her breath, waiting for my response to her brash act. Her nipples were hard, tiny, and pressed sharply against her dress. Her delicate shoulders would be exposed with only a slight loosening of her shoulder straps.
"Don't you think so?" She asked.
"Think what?" I murmured listlessly, not knowing where we were in the conversation.
Her toes climbed daringly past my knee, sliding under my skirt. She lifted her leg, lifting the hem of my clothes with her toes to peek inside, before quickly retracting her foot. a gleeful grin on her face. I let out a heavy sigh and breathed heavily. I had held my breath.
She stood, fanned herself, and studied the silent, fast-moving river. Beside the riverbank was a small, still pool. Small shadows of fish floated, flashing silver as they turned on their sides to graze at the algae and riverweed.
"I'm going to cool off," she said, and then, with her back to me, she slipped out of her dress, leaving only her tight cotton pants to cover her toned derriere. She stepped into the water, giving a brief gasp of pleasure as it lapped against her skin.
Oksana motioned with a quick tilt of her head for me to follow her into the water, then walked in until she was waist deep, then dove into the clear pool. She stayed submerged for a long moment, then sprung out of the water and whipped the water from her hair. The splashing waves caught the sunlight and flashed brilliantly.
"Come in, Eve! ""The water's nice."
I couldn't stop staring at her beautiful, diving body bathing in the pool. It didn't take me long to acquiesce. The oppressive heat helped her cause. I took off my clothes. I crossed my arms shyly against my thin breasts as I walked into the river. The coldness of the river took my breath away. I stood there shivering for a moment, then turned to retreat to the shore. Before I could make my mistake, Villanelle lunged at me, wrapped her arms around me, and took me down into the water with her. I gasped at the shock and thrashed in the water when I sank in.
"Oh fuck! Warn me before you do that!" I wheezed. Villanelle laughed gleefully at my convulsions.
"Stop being a baby. It's nice! ""And what are you hiding?" She referred to my crossing my arms protectively over my breasts.
"Oh, Eve, you are in Vienna now. ""No one here cares."
At the moment, I was more concerned with the coldness of the water, which I still hadn't gotten over.
"You're shivering so much," she observed.
"Yes, Villanelle. "That's because the water is freezing!" I said it through chattering teeth.
She waddled over to me and hugged me tightly. "I will warm you up then," she said, rubbing her arms vigorously against my back. Her skin was indeed warm. The warmth sank into my skin, and I felt myself sink into her arms. Her soft breasts pressed up against mine in the water. Her hard nipples pressed against mine. My immediate thought was to push her away. I yelled but did nothing more. She had me tranquillized with her surprise move. It was pleasant. Her body was pleasant, rubbing against mine. It's been such a long time since someone touched me the way she touched me now. She was right. A girl was nice to touch.
I stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, at her while she held me. Villanelle was an inch taller than me, so I looked into her eyes. She whispered in my ear, "Warm?"
"Yes," I whimpered.
I made a vague attempt to squirm away, but she held me confidently. A hand went up and grasped the back of my head. She drew her face closer to mine. I felt her breath against my lips. I went up to my toes automatically to meet her.
"Oh no," I cried out in a low voice. I didn't, however, push her away. I didn't flinch. I did nothing more than stand apathetically, shut my eyes, and swallow tensely. I stopped protesting after that. My arms slackened to my sides. When her lips touched mine, a hollow energy erupted inside of me, luring me into a solitary, ancient world. Her lips had been soft. Soft. Then, when her tongue touched mine, I was instantly overcome with a wave of emotion that grew stronger until it felt as though she was enveloping me to the point of euphoria. The two of us seemed to be the only things present at the time, encapsulated in this intense sensory circle.
I shuddered. She released her kiss slowly. I opened my eyes and found her eyes delighted, fluttering, glowing, and mercurial in the sunlight. She smiled and leaned in again.
"You like it!" She exclaimed
I stepped back, crossed my arms over my chest again, grinned, blushed, and laughed. We kissed again. much more deeply this time. Her imperceptible hands tore my crossed arms from my small breasts, bringing herself closer to me. We continued kissing, each second exacerbating its intensity. Still tender but riddled with ferocious lust, we entwined tongues and began to explore each other's mouths. Our hands combed through and caressed each curve of each other's bodies as if looking for some long-lost treasure.
After kissing, she grabbed my hand and brought it to one of her breasts. I held it still, feeling the softness of her breasts. I felt the hardness of her nipple on my open palm, sensed the beating of her heart beneath, and then, before anything else could happen, I snapped out of my trance.
"I can't...sorry," I murmured. I backed off and waddled back to shore. I wrung out my hair, then sat on the blanket to dry myself out in the sun, trying my very best to keep my cool and act like nothing had happened.
Villanelle came out a moment later, with a confident, sensual sway to her hips. The water's rippling sunlight reflection bounced off her body like moving tattoos. Water dripped from her hair and streamed down her curves like small rivers, and as she reached the blanket, I was lost in admiration of her beauty and couldn't help but notice the contrast between us, as if she were in a world I could only aspire to reach.
She plopped down next to me and kept a silent gaze on the distant trees and the vineyards across the river. Her warm body being so close filled me with an effervescent buzz. The temptation to touch her, to embrace her, to kiss her again, all over her delicious, perfect Czech body, was painful to bear The sun lit up her long blonde hair; her eyes were glimmering and sparkling like diamonds, and it was impossible for me to look away. I felt the urge to protect her and to give her all the love I had inside of me.
But we sat like that for a long time without talking or drawing attention to our fleeting foreplay. We sat until we were dry. When the sun started to descend into the mountain behind us, casting a long, cool shadow, we departed and walked along the gently curving river. Villanelle walked with her bicycle in hand and curled her other hand into mine. We walked like that until we reached the canal that veered into the city, and we followed it until we reached my apartment.
"Well, Villanelle, I—" I paused. I meant to say, "I had fun," but realised that fun was a woefully inadequate qualifier for what had happened that afternoon. But I failed to find any other word for it.
"I'm having a party on Friday, and I'd love for you to come and be my date," she quickly stated. I didn't give her an answer; I only stood there scratching my neck awkwardly. She embraced me and kissed me before I could say a word.
She reached into her bicycle's basket and picked out a lily for me. "Thanks," I said. I took it and walked up the stairs.
"I hope to see you again; I really like you, Eve." As I reached the top of the stairs, I turned around and smiled at her. After arriving at my apartment, I went immediately to the window and caught a glimpse of her yellow dress across the canal, disappearing behind a passing tram. I really wanted to see her again. I was dying to see her again.