spines shooting upward, stiffening. “What’s that?” she asked.
“The doorbell.” He stood up, paused a moment as if he needed to catch his balance, and went to the door. He put his eye to the peephole. “Oh!” He opened the door.
“Hello!” A woman — the dark woman from Alyosha’s painting — leaned in to kiss him on each cheek. “Look what I have for you! I wanted to show it to you right away.”
“Olga, hello!” Alyosha stepped aside to let her in. She pressed a rectangular package wrapped in rough gray paper into Alyosha’s hands, took off her coat, and was unzipping her boots when she finally noticed Laura sitting on the bed in the main room. Laura could almost feel Olga taking in every detail of her hair and clothes as a slow smile spread across Olga’s face.
“Hello.” She took her time removing her boots and sliding her feet into a pair of slippers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”
“This is Laura.” He led Olga into the main room. “Laura, this is Olga. We’re old friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” Laura said.
“Likewise.” Olga took a chair across the table from Laura and reached for a caviar sandwich. “Mmm, so tasty! Sardines! And tuna! Alyosha, where did you get all this?”
“Laura brought it over.” Alyosha wasn’t going to tell Olga about the Berioska adventure. He must have had his reasons.
Olga eyed Laura with more interest now. “Let me guess. You are Finnish? Or no — German?”
“American,” Laura replied.
Olga clapped her hands together. “How exciting! Alyosha, you have a real live American in your apartment!”
Laura tried to interpret Olga’s tone. Her voice rose as if she really were excited to see an American, but her sly eyes told a different story.
“I know,” Alyosha said with a hint of fatigue.
“And look at you!” She took in Alyosha, still wearing Dan’s borrowed American clothes. “Something is very different about you…. Are those new Levis?”
“I borrowed them,” Alyosha replied.
“Mmm.” Olga tossed Laura a meaningful look. “Lyosha, open the package I brought you,” she ordered.
Alyosha unwrapped the package. Inside was a book of rock album cover art. “Wow!” He held the shiny book by the edges, as if he didn’t want to smudge it with his fingerprints. “Amazing! Olga, where did you get it?”
“One of Roma’s contacts. He ran into some British kids and got a real haul in exchange for some of his Soviet army hats. I thought you’d like it.”
“It’s for me to keep? Thank you!” Alyosha kissed Olga on the cheek, an enthusiastic smack .
“I want some tea. Get me a cup?”
“Right away.” He scooted into the kitchen.
Olga curled up on her chair like a cat, her feet tucked under her. “So, Laura, is it? Where are you from?”
“Baltimore. It’s near Washington, D.C.”
“You speak Russian very well. Are you a student?”
“Yes. At the university.”
“Hmm. I thought so.”
Alyosha returned with a teacup before Laura had a chance to find out what that was supposed to mean.
Olga put the cup under the spout of the samovar and helped herself to tea. “I’m sorry to barge in like this, Alyosha. I didn’t think —”
“It’s okay —” Alyosha began.
Laura rose to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to the dorm anyway. We’re going to the ballet tonight.”
“Oh?” Olga asked. “What are you seeing?”
“I think it’s Swan Lake .”
Olga grinned. “What else?” She took another sandwich.
Alyosha walked Laura to the door. “That was fun today,” he said quietly.
“Yes. We’ll have to do it again sometime, Skip.”
“I don’t know about that. Marina might not let us get away next time.” He rested his hand on her lower back, then took it away quickly, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, and reached for her coat. “Call me again soon?”
“I will.” She shrugged into her coat, shoved her feet into her boots, pulled on her hat. Alyosha opened
“The doorbell.” He stood up, paused a moment as if he needed to catch his balance, and went to the door. He put his eye to the peephole. “Oh!” He opened the door.
“Hello!” A woman — the dark woman from Alyosha’s painting — leaned in to kiss him on each cheek. “Look what I have for you! I wanted to show it to you right away.”
“Olga, hello!” Alyosha stepped aside to let her in. She pressed a rectangular package wrapped in rough gray paper into Alyosha’s hands, took off her coat, and was unzipping her boots when she finally noticed Laura sitting on the bed in the main room. Laura could almost feel Olga taking in every detail of her hair and clothes as a slow smile spread across Olga’s face.
“Hello.” She took her time removing her boots and sliding her feet into a pair of slippers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”
“This is Laura.” He led Olga into the main room. “Laura, this is Olga. We’re old friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” Laura said.
“Likewise.” Olga took a chair across the table from Laura and reached for a caviar sandwich. “Mmm, so tasty! Sardines! And tuna! Alyosha, where did you get all this?”
“Laura brought it over.” Alyosha wasn’t going to tell Olga about the Berioska adventure. He must have had his reasons.
Olga eyed Laura with more interest now. “Let me guess. You are Finnish? Or no — German?”
“American,” Laura replied.
Olga clapped her hands together. “How exciting! Alyosha, you have a real live American in your apartment!”
Laura tried to interpret Olga’s tone. Her voice rose as if she really were excited to see an American, but her sly eyes told a different story.
“I know,” Alyosha said with a hint of fatigue.
“And look at you!” She took in Alyosha, still wearing Dan’s borrowed American clothes. “Something is very different about you…. Are those new Levis?”
“I borrowed them,” Alyosha replied.
“Mmm.” Olga tossed Laura a meaningful look. “Lyosha, open the package I brought you,” she ordered.
Alyosha unwrapped the package. Inside was a book of rock album cover art. “Wow!” He held the shiny book by the edges, as if he didn’t want to smudge it with his fingerprints. “Amazing! Olga, where did you get it?”
“One of Roma’s contacts. He ran into some British kids and got a real haul in exchange for some of his Soviet army hats. I thought you’d like it.”
“It’s for me to keep? Thank you!” Alyosha kissed Olga on the cheek, an enthusiastic smack .
“I want some tea. Get me a cup?”
“Right away.” He scooted into the kitchen.
Olga curled up on her chair like a cat, her feet tucked under her. “So, Laura, is it? Where are you from?”
“Baltimore. It’s near Washington, D.C.”
“You speak Russian very well. Are you a student?”
“Yes. At the university.”
“Hmm. I thought so.”
Alyosha returned with a teacup before Laura had a chance to find out what that was supposed to mean.
Olga put the cup under the spout of the samovar and helped herself to tea. “I’m sorry to barge in like this, Alyosha. I didn’t think —”
“It’s okay —” Alyosha began.
Laura rose to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to the dorm anyway. We’re going to the ballet tonight.”
“Oh?” Olga asked. “What are you seeing?”
“I think it’s Swan Lake .”
Olga grinned. “What else?” She took another sandwich.
Alyosha walked Laura to the door. “That was fun today,” he said quietly.
“Yes. We’ll have to do it again sometime, Skip.”
“I don’t know about that. Marina might not let us get away next time.” He rested his hand on her lower back, then took it away quickly, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, and reached for her coat. “Call me again soon?”
“I will.” She shrugged into her coat, shoved her feet into her boots, pulled on her hat. Alyosha opened
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