Tanya – Requerdos

Paul meets a helpfull toursits' guide, and accepts her offer.

Well, what an encouraging meeting it was… Paul thought as he watched the cab driving for a few seconds, trying to get a glimpse of a following car �" but nothing, it looked as if his operator is riding without an escort.

They know that he’s bound for the airport, they’re waiting there, to see him off; and the cab must be monitored in some way or another.

He summed that little riddle up and turned about to walk on, without any idea where to. As he strolled on the broad pavement, he thought of reaching the Red Square as any other tourist would do; and he is some six weeks in this majestic capital already, and hasn’t seen it yet. He might check surveillance meanwhile. It might revive my spirits a bit, watching their difficulties in tailing stealthily an object matter on a huge empty square.

‘Sprechen zie Deutch?

‘No I don’t speak German.’ Paul answered surprised, watching the lovely features of the young woman that accosted him. He was accosted several times before already by good looking young women, who turned to him in hesitant English. This one except her original style of approach had an extremely captivating smile, exposing her even white teeth and a thin line above of dark red gum �" and her exceptional full and red lips. He could not ignore her and walk on, as he treated her few colleagues, on previous occasions.

‘You’re a Frenchman then?’

‘No I’m American.’

‘I see, lost your group? I’m a tourist guide.’ She hastened to declare with that alluring smile of hers.

‘Natalie of the Red Square I presume, the one that certain French singer misses so much…’ Paul suggested laughing.

‘Oh I know and love this song.’ She answered with a sweet chuckle. ‘My name is Tanya, I’ll be glad to show you around and help you find your way.’

Perfect English, perfect pronunciation of a skilled pro; she doesn’t try to hide it like her predecessors with Pidgin English, they think I’m ripe for defection, well they’re dead wrong. Alright I’ll play your little game, according to my own rules.

‘Mine is John.’ He said and kept watching her smiling dark blue eyes.

‘Oh, nice to meet you John, is there a site that you’d like to see?’

‘Well, I haven’t got the slightest idea yet, but we’ll have to sit somewhere and see.’ I’ve rejected some of these females already, and if I wish to play the dumb tourist that has nothing to hide, I must change tactics �" even break the rules, up to a certain limit. He thought watching her exceptional beautiful features, unable to make up his mind whether it's his desperate need to beguile his pursuers or the charms of that young woman that made him change his mind.

‘I know a very nice place not far from here, let’s go then.’ She added touching gently his arm and off they went side by side.

She wasn’t tall, her head with her fur cap was hardly an inch above his shoulder; and she wore high heeled boots. An elegant black coat covered her body, it didn’t hide the good figure she surely has. He thought eying her curiously. She caught his look smiling with tight lips.

‘The best things come in small packages…’ She said beaming, as if she read his thoughts.

I’ll be damned, I’ll be rather very careful; she must be the best specimen they have… He thought smiling back to her.

‘We turn here to the left.’ She said looking up to him with a curious smile, checking his reactions.

Has he got so far from his hotel, Paul wondered. He was so buried in his thoughts.

They turned left at the block’s corner, made a few more steps and reached a staircase before the second building, which led to a cellar. A broad sign in Russian was hanging above it, they passed under it just like crossing under an arch. Faint notes of sparkling music reached their ears, as they descended the stairs down to the cellar. It reminded Paul the notes of a banjo.

Tanya squeezed the button at the closed door side; the husky that opened it right away, threw a short glance at Paul and let them in without a word. As soon as the husky turned to shut the entrance door, Paul turned to Tanya feigning discomfort: ‘Ask him where the service rooms are'.

She looked up at him with a quizzical look for a second, but turned to the husky in Russian. The latter led Paul right away to a small cabinet that serves the restaurant’s staff.

As soon as he shut and locked the door behind him Paul pulled the envelop Sam stuffed his coat’s pocket with, opened it and counted the Ruble notes inside it.

Well it's the usual amount that would last me a couple of weeks. He thought as he tucked the envelope in his jacket’s left inner breast pocket. He checked his coat’s pockets making sure nothing was left there, pulled the Niagara cord, waited a few more seconds till the noise of the gushing water subsided and came out.

The husky was scratching his left whisker looking down, as if he was watching his own shoes, Tanya wasn’t there.

As Paul walked on along the corridor he could hear a female’s voice singing a slow and sad tune in Russian, accompanied by balalaikas. A female attendant took the coat off his shoulders at the wardrobe and right after a few more steps he reached the restaurant’s hall. The music and the singer’s voice turned gradually into a stunning crescendo, as Paul watched the restaurant’s hall with its dancing square and the tables around it. Tanya was seated next to the closest table about two yards away smiling to him, without her fur cap, attired in dark blue uniform that accentuated her beauty and matched so well her dark blue eyes. It took him a friction of a second to recognize her without her cap and coat, but as he was getting near her the singer and the three musicians that accompanied her ended up in a shattering climax; while the scarce audience applauded the group enthusiastically.

 

© Haim Kadman 20.10.2010 �" all rights reserved.