Hye-jae: Book 2 - New Loves

Happy Days Part 23

Her first thought - on exiting the Centrum - Central train station in Warsaw, hours later, was one of astonishment that the almost homely pleasures of Ghent had now been replaced so radically.  Walking up steps from the station, her vision was filled - over-filled - with the behemothic proportions of an enormous, tiered sky-scraper, towering above the whole centre.  

'Ah the famous Eighth Sister - as terrifyingly soul-less as ever.' 

Dieter told them that this Palace  had been built to ape the so-called Seven Sisters buildings of equally grotesque proportions, built during the Stalinist era of communist thought in the East.   

'Well, if the aim was to terrify new visitors to Warsaw, it's a winner,' was Ciara's response, which brought a chuckle from everyone.

The night sky was still streaked with pinks and oranges, as what had evidently been a blazing summer's day eased into cooler night, though the air was still stickily warm and close.  In the taxi, Dieter took a look around the company: 'anyone very tired?' which drew head-shakes all around, after which he suggested that a little later, they might like to hear live music at a club run by a friend.  Seon-jae looked carefully to Hye-won but she looked fresh as a flower, with no obvious ill-effects from the travel and seemed enthusiastic.  As the chat flowed on, Hye-won leaned towards Seon-jae and murmured innocently in his ear: 'love?' 

He leaned closer to hear her: 'yes?' 

'Maybe the white jeans will have to make an appearance, hmm?' and the electric look that ran across his face drew a low chuckle from Hye-won.  

He brought his mouth just a little closer again to her ear, so that his breath tickled her ear: 'babe, bring it on.'

Her side-ways glance was met with a full-on eye-brow flick that told her baby show me what you got and her delighted smile met his in a deliciously private and tantalising exchange, to which their friends were completely oblivious.

---

The club was nondescript outside, projecting a dark, almost forbidding exterior, which drew no notice from the casual passer-by.  Once inside though, it was clear that this was a much-loved haunt with large groups gathered noisily around trestle tables.

In-seo turned to Seon-jae: 'now, young man, you know your German beers but what do you know about Polish beers?'

Seon-jae laughed, with a quick glance to Hye-won: 'nothing at all but you know me, Professor Jo, I'm a quick learner,' which brought laughter all around, as In-seo drew him away to the bar for a masterclass.  Cheeky brat.  

Dieter's friendship with the club owner - Piotr, who, incongruously, was completely bald but wore an impressively hirsute goatee - obviously brought benefits, as they were seated quickly in a comfortable booth with a great view of the stage, where a technician was setting up what appeared to be far more equipment than could be necessary.  When the 3 were in situ, the men returned from the bar bearing a tray on which sat an impressive array of beers in what appeared to be every colour - from palest golden to dark treacle brown.  Dieter taught them the Polish toast - na zdrowie - which was noisily declaimed before the inevitable discussion flowed, Hye-won happy to listen and just relax in the glow of the easy friendship that had grown between this seeming random group.  The buzz of the first sips and the compared notes with other beers was good-humoured, Ciara declaring that her dark stout beer with a frothy head of what looked like cream was: 'not a patch on an Irish porter,' at which she gave a little jolt, as though an interesting thought had occurred to her which gave her pause, after which she was quiet for a few moments.  Hye-won wondered what it was that had seized her friend's imagination but thought better of questioning her just then.  I'll get her to myself tomorrow.  Piotr stopped by their table at that moment, happy to hear that the beers were to their liking: 'you know what they say about beer of course?' he boomed before going on: 'beer is the universe's proof that God exists and he wants us to be happy,' a joke he, himself, laughed loudest and longest at.