The Translator

Chapter three.

Each member of the team picked up their baggage. We all walked to the front door to the airport to catch our taxi. The team and I piled into a Taxi SUV. Sebastian let the driver know which hotel that we would be staying at, then it sped off. I had the privilege of a window seat. I took the opportunity to take in all the beauty and culture that Russia had to offer. I was in awe of every road, every building, and every person that I passed. It had surpassed my highest expectations. The rest of the team seemed unfazed by the sites around them, as though they had seen it all before. They chatted amongst themselves about business ideas and projects. I pushed everything from my mind, nothing concerned me. I was just the translator, on a trip that felt like a dream vacation. We got to our hotel at 10 pm. It had been a long day and all I felt like doing was going to sleep. We checked in to our rooms at the front desk, Sebastian had ensured that each member had their room. I grabbed my bags and headed up to my room. I felt like I may be too tired to have a shower in the morning, so I planned to shower before bed. I opened my suitcase and grabbed my hygiene items and pajamas and headed to the shower. I heard a light knock at the door just before I entered the bathroom. I opened the door to reveal Sebastian in jeans and a t-shirt, leaning on the door frame. He looked so good, even in a simple ensemble.

"Are you hungry?" he asked

"I'm tired and hungry!" I stated in agreement.

"Should have slept more on the plane" He joked

"Can I take you for dinner?" He asked. "I know that it is late, but we won't belong! We both have important business tomorrow"

"Sure!" I said smiling "I'd love to! Just give me a few minutes to get dressed"

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "How long? It's late!" he said

"2 minutes' tops!" I said with assurance "I'm not the type to take forever."

"They all say that" He called after I had shut the door. I quickly stripped my pajamas and put on a knee-length red dress, with black nylon and a pair of 2-inch closed-toed, toed stilettos. As promised I was standing at the door in front of Sebastian in under 5 minutes flat. I could tell by his face that he seemed extremely pleased with my appearance. We smiled at the sight of each other standing in the hotel hallway.

"Let's go!" he said with firm direction.

"Is anyone else joining us? "I asked with curiosity.

"No, the team all went to sleep, plus I think that they ate on the plane," He said.

"ok," I said with excitement moving towards the elevator.

Butterflies began to dance again around in my stomach as I followed Sebastian through the hotel lobby and to the street. For some reason, I felt safe with Sebastian despite being in a foreign country. My head was filled with so many questions. Did he take all his employees out late at night for dinner when he was on a business trip? Does he like me more than a valuable employee? What does he see in me, I'm so plain? He opened the door of the hotel for me, as we both stepped onto the cold sidewalk. What a gentleman! I thought as my heart picked up the pace.

"I don't want to go too far from the hotel, this is my first time in Russia," He remarked nervously.

"This is my first time as well" I stated honestly.

He stopped suddenly as if hearing disturbing information for the first time "If it is your first time here how do you speak fluent Russian?"

"Oh" I said, caught off guard "I studied Russian, mostly through Youtube, skype, and Instagram" as we walked side by side down the dark street.

"I've never met anyone that had the drive to learn a language to fluency when it is not in their blood" He replied intrigued.

He opened the door to a small pub-like restaurant, so I could walk in first. The place was small, dark, and empty. There was a sign by the door that read "Please seat yourself" in Russian. It had a club atmosphere to it, I imagined that on a weekend it would be jam-packed with locals looking to unwind. There was a small stage at the back that had an old grand piano on it. The place was filled with wooden tables and chairs that looked like they had been taken out of an old western saloon. He turned to me.