Dimitri
"I'm done getting ready, are you ready?"
I sent the message to Blair, it was a few minutes before the agreed time to the date and I felt the anxiety consuming me. It had been ten days since we had last seen each other and we would have this night together in Zurich. I would be boarding again in the morning so we decided to make the most of the time we had.
" Almost, did you get the restaurant reservation?" she replied.
"Confirmed for eight o'clock, it's one of the best restaurants in town. We were lucky"
I put on my overcoat, getting ready to go to the hotel she was staying at, which luckily was on the same block as mine.
"You're such a snob.”
I frowned at that message.
"I love it.”
She then added, making me smile before leaving the room.
"I'm on my way.”
A few minutes later, when I was already on the street, she replied.
"I'm in the hotel lobby.”
I didn't take long to spot her. Blair was tucked inside her overcoat, exposed to the 40 °F temperature that plagued the city in November.
Her smile at seeing me was immediate, she came toward me, throwing herself at my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, feeling her body glued to mine in that embrace. She pulled away with a smile on her face, looking as excited as I was about this encounter.
" Hey, I missed you.”
" I missed you too," I assured her.
And it wasn't a lie, since the first time we met in Amsterdam, talking virtually wasn't enough to placate my desire for her presence.
" Come on, if we don't hurry we'll miss the play.”
" Are you sure you don't want the opera? " I tried one last time, “I think there's still time to get tickets.”
Blair and I had agreed to plan this evening together, but we had been unable to agree on our activities, so when she finally accepted the theater, I thought we would see something classical at the opera house that was so famous in the city. But Blair had other plans.
And the worst part was that I didn't know what these plans were.
" Trust me, you will love this play. It's getting great reviews. I saw it on the Internet," she assured me, pointing to the car that pulled up to the curb beside us. “It must be the Uber I ordered.”
We settled side by side inside the vehicle, Blair interlaced our fingers, smiling at me when I looked at our joined hands. As much as we had come to an agreement about our entire situation, I didn't know how to act when I was around her. We often joked and flirted, but then the whole friendship thing would come up.
I decided to erase those doubts, I wouldn't waste time thinking about that when the time I had with her was so scarce.
I brought her hand to my lips and placed a quick kiss there, before looking back at her. Blair followed my every move carefully and didn't hesitate for a second when I leaned toward her. She immediately returned the kiss, bringing her free hand up to my face and caressing it, making me forget everything that had been on my mind a moment ago.
" I love our friendship," she smiled, her lips still pressed against mine.
" And I want to know what you're up to," I changed the subject, pulling away from her, feeling the driver watching us through the rearview mirror.
" Don't worry, you'll like it. I picked out the most classic thing I could find," she assured me.
" And what is it?”
" In this theater they are showing A midsummer night dreams”
" And that's what you chose? " She won't go to the opera, but she wants to see Shakespeare!?
" Don't you like it? I thought that since you like opera you would like it too," she frowned.
" I've never seen it," I admitted, looking around, wondering why we were so far from the center.
" Great, let's watch it for nothing," she groaned, "I thought you might like it.”
" We might like it," I assured her, finding her reaction amusing, "Where is this theater?”
I frowned as I noticed the driver laughing disguisedly.
" I think we're getting there," she disagreed.
A few moments later we were both standing in front of the theater entrance, not quite understanding what it was all about.
" Blair, when you said theater.”
" It's a floating theater, isn't it amazing?”
" Sure, we're going into a floating trap," I pointed to a large wooden construction painted green on a barge that was anchored in the marina.
" Don't be grouchy, Commander. It might be fun," she warned, pulling me towards the entrance, "and if not, we can leave.”
" Something tells me I'm going to regret this," I took a deep breath before boarding.
The inside was a bit impressive, the decoration gave off a mysterious air of a bygone era, making me feel like I was trapped in a 1920's movie.
" Welcome, I will take you to your place," an old man wearing an old suit with suspenders and a bow tie greeted us.
" And it gets better by the minute," I whispered to her.
" Look, we have a good spot," she pointed.
I laughed as I followed her to the couch that was next to the slightly raised landing that I assumed was the stage, feeling amazing to be a part of it. On a normal night I would never go to a place like this, but she convinced me to experience things I had never imagined.
" We will be offering some cocktails soon, so enjoy the evening.”
" Mysterious, I love it. How about you, Commander? " she teased me.
" Just sit down, Blair," I settled down on the red velvet sofa.
She sat down beside me and I quickly wrapped my arm around her body, bringing it close to mine.
" How did you find this place? " I kissed her cheek, receiving a smile in return.
I loved that easy smile.
" You're going to have fun and it's all thanks to me," she hummed.
" Don't sing victory so soon," I warned, watching some waiters approaching with trays full of drinks as the place got more and more crowded, "but it's starting to get better.”
" Helena, accept this cup of the nectar of the gods," a young man approached, wearing clothes that were definitely not from this era, handing me a cup of orange liquid.
" I don't know who Helena is, but thank you," she smiled, accepting as I frowned, looking around.
Several similarly dressed people were scattered around making small talk with the others in the audience.
It took my brain only a few seconds to figure out what was going on, as Blair drank what the boy had handed her.
" Blair. " I murmured as I noticed the door being closed and a slight jolt before the ship began to move.
" Helena, a flower for the most beautiful young lady in all these woods," another boy handed her a rose.
This can't be happening!
" Sorry, you've made a mistake, I'm not Helena," Blair tried to return it, but the boy pulled away, "Dimitri.”
" It's a damn interactive play! " I muttered.
" What! Does it exist? " she widened her eyes.
Of all the available plays in town, she managed to choose the interactive play on a boat!
" We're leaving," she stood up.
" Blair we're already here," I held her wrist and motioned her to sit down.
" Do you really want to see this? " she raised both eyebrows.
" No, but from what I hear, we're not anchored anymore.”
" You mean we're stuck here with a bunch of crazies?”
Blair pinched the bridge of her nose, making me laugh at her reaction. I didn't want to be there either, but watching her reaction was priceless.
She mumbled something as I entwined our fingers again.
" Let's enjoy the evening, Helena," I sneered.
" Dimitri, who is Helena? " she stared at me.
" You've never read A Midsummer Night Dreams? " she denied with her head "not even for school?
" No.”
" This should be interesting," I couldn't help but laugh.
" Why? " Blair questioned alarmed " Dimitri, why?”