Page 20 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

“I see, but you can still try if it’s your dream.”

“No, no,” her partner said. “We don’t really want to go there. My father won the Olympics in the past, a few decades ago, and now he has his own show in Copenhagen, so somehow we don’t really need medals. It’s more like entertainment, something to amuse our self-esteem to some extent.”

“Oh, okay, I get it…”

Then Tora appeared with a plate of food for Alisa, and Alisa accepted it at once. On the plate was a salmon bruschetta, and beside it, judging by the smell, a slice of apple pie.

Tora sat down next to her with a glass of whiskey on the rocks in hand. The whiskey was pure. Alisa had never been able to drink whiskey neat, it was far too tart for her.

Tora took a sip without taking her eyes off her.

Alisa swallowed nervously, bit into the salmon bruschetta, and nearly moaned at how tender and delicious it was. She closed her eyes with a smile. Only now did she realize how desperately hungry she had been.

“Damn, this is insanely delicious. Will you give me the recipe?”

Tora shrugged and grinned.

“This is something like a family bruschetta recipe, but if you suddenly become my wife, maybe someday I’ll tell you the secret.”

She laughed, and Alisa almost choked, laughing nervously too.

“Well, for the sake of salmon bruschettas? We can get engaged right now.”

She gave in to the joke and answered in the same tone, which only amused Tora more.

Tora nudged her lightly and they both giggled, not even noticing that they had been left alone on the huge sofa while everyone else drifted toward the center of the living room to dance.

A new song began to play.

Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes

Tora kept her eyes on Alisa, and it made her whole body burn. Maybe it was simply too hot in here. Or was Tora too hot? Or, I mean, fuck….

Alisa swallowed and glanced nervously around the room, searching for water to wash down the bruschetta, but Tora silently offered her the whiskey instead.

“I don’t drink anything that strong, sorry,” Alisa said quietly.

“What do you drink then?”

Tora watched her blinking slowly with a lazy smile. Her body looked completely relaxed, her cheeks slightly flushed from the whiskey. She licked her full lips.

Alisa parted her own lips before she could stop herself, unable to look away from Tora’s mouth, then let out a nervous breath.

“I don’t really like alcohol, to be honest. My grandfather… he struggled with alcoholism, and because of that I couldn’t stand it for a long time. I rarely drink, only on really special days.”

“Today is a celebration for you, isn’t it?” Tora asked. “Even a holiday, no? You won silver.”

“I wouldn’t call it a celebration. Or a holiday where I come from…”

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t gold.”

“For you, victory is only gold?”

“For me, yes.”

“Then it will be difficult for you to live in this world, Alisa.”