Mama finally let him go, allowing us a private moment as I escorted him to the elevator. He stopped me before the doors opened, and I didn’t realize in time that I was trapped against the wall with his arm over me and face too close for me to think of anything but his lips.
“One date,” he said, low—low enough to prickle the hairs onmy arms.
“A walk,” I whispered, afraid of my voice cracking as his gaze dropped to my mouth. “You have to start from the beginning again.”
“No, Kotik. You wear your best dress. I’ll pick you up. I will take you somewhere you’ll never forget, and I’ll have you home past dark. That’s going to be the date.”
The elevator pinged, seconds away from arriving.
“When?” I asked.
The doors opened, and again I thought he would kiss me as the moment lingered, but he didn’t.
“Tomorrow,” he said, and left.
* * *
About Russia
About the gift:The availability of foreign goods (especially in the early 1990s) was almost non-existent, and very very expensive. It wasn’t just the price—stores simply did not stock them, and you had to know someone to get something as impressive as a brand-name electronic.
5
The First Date
Midnight blue. That was the color of my‘best dress.’ It used to have shoulder pads, but I snipped them out because they did nothing for my figure but make me look like I stepped out of a science fiction movie. Thin silver threads peeked out here and there, just subtle enough to reflect direct light, like stars, and just glamorous enough to skip over in my closet for casual events.
I had gotten it on a whim when Elena and I graduated from university, but worn it twice since, and both occasions were New Year’s Eve outings before the family gathered together on December 31st. It wasn’t so scandalous with nylons on, so I made sure to wear my thinnest ones to still show skin through the dark tint. I remembered the way his eyes lingered on my legs after the party at Dima’s place, and wanted to see that look on his face again. His approval was intoxicating.
I tried to do my hair up like Natalia Vetlitskaya wore hers on MTV before she got bangs causing a national scandal, but my locks weren’t blonde and far heavier, leaving me with a loosewave pushed to the side. It was too late to do anything about it because Vitali called and said he was on his way.
Mama gave me a disapproving glare, crossed her arms, and said nothing as I dug through my wardrobe for a coat that wouldn’t appear so plain next to the dress. A green puffer with yellow striped cuffs just didn’t have that alluring‘I will give you a chance to win me over’look.
“He’s a nice boy,” Mama observed as she leaned against the doorway. “He already likes you. Do you have to wear that?”
“Don’t know what he’s doing with you,” Maxim piped up as he passed.
“I think so too,” I agreed, ignoring the little vermin squeaking in the hallway, and her question.
“If I wore something like that to my first date with your papa…” She couldn’t help herself buttsk.
“It was a different time, Mama,” I said, and pulled a thin fur coat veiled in plastic from the back. It was perfect and smelled like winter when I removed the covering. Not just any winter, but a happy winter when there were fireworks and olives, and someone brought Belgian chocolates in the shape of seashells. When everything sparkled like champagne.
“You’ll freeze in that. Look at your bare legs. You are going to catch a cold.”
“We’re taking a car, and I’ll go right inside.”
“Wear a hat.”
Why did everyone feel like they could tell me what to do lately?
“Yes, Mama,” I sighed, but I wasn’t about to ruin my hair further; it was only October and I would have plenty of time to negate my efforts once it began snowing the following month.
“Katenka,” she said, “I have to ask you. You’re an adult womannow, and I thought you would be married after university—is this what you plan to do?”
Oh God. First date. Firstofficialdate.
“It’s too early to tell. I don’t want to waste time—”
