Classified

Classified Part 12 Bottoms Up

      That night after Bahba and Dzed went to bed, Thalia and Alex were alone in the kitchen, trying to decide what to do with their evening.
      Thalia wrapped her sweater more tightly around her shoulders. "If this is almost summer I don't know if I could handle a Russian winter." She confessed.

      "Summer isn't usually this cold." Alex shrugged. "But you get used to it, I guess. And you drink to keep warm."
      Thalia shook her head. "Scientifically speaking, that's not true. Alcohol will make you colder."
      Alex smiled. "Yeah, but drinking makes you forget how cold you are."

      Thalia laughed. "I guess so."
      "My brothers and I meet once a month to drink and talk." Alex told her. "Sometimes vodka as good Russian boys, but usually just beer."

      Thalia smiled. "That sounds like fun. Not the vodka part, but the hanging out with your brothers part. It must be nice to be close to them."
      "They're okay." Alex said dismissively. "Sometimes the vodka's the best part." He joked.
      Thalia shrugged. "I've never tried it."

      "You've never had vodka?" Alex asked, surprised. "How can you not have tasted the world's best liquor?"
      Thalia laughed and shook her head. "I don't know. By the time I was old enough to drink I was in med school." She shrugged. "I never really had time to drink anything."

      Alex grabbed a bottle and two cups out of a cupboard as they walked outside. "Well, we have time now." He said, holding the door for her.
      "We can't drink now!" Thalia laughed, holding her hands up in protest as she made her way to the little table on the patio. "We're working."

      "No, we're waiting." He corrected her, pouring two shots. "Live a little." He slid one of the shot glasses towards her.
      Thalia picked up the glass and took an experimental sniff. "It doesn't smell too bad." She said, surprised. "But isn't this a little big for a shot glass?"

      Alex laughed. "We do everything big in Russia. I think this is a little bigger than a double back home." He picked up his glass. "Okay, are you ready?" He held up his shot. "Vashe zdrovie."
      "Vashe zdrovie." Thalia repeated. They both downed their shots.

      Thalia almost spit the drink all over the table. "It burns!" She gasped, tears coming to her eyes.
      Alex laughed. "In a good way." He insisted.
      "You drink this for fun?" Thalia asked in disbelief.

      "Well, not really for the taste." Alex smiled. "But you'll feel good in a little bit. Plus, it'll keep you warm on a cold Russian night."
      "I hope so." Thalia pushed her glass towards him.
      "Another one?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows.

      "Yeah. Why not?" Thalia said shrugging. "We're just waiting and it's cold."
      "That's my girl." He poured them each another shot. "Take it easy though. It'll hit you fast. Vashe zdrovie."

      They took their second shot and it wasn't as bad the second time. "You and your brothers do this every month?" Thalia asked, grimacing.
      "Most months" Alex told her. "I've missed a few from being overseas, and Max missed a couple the years Peter and Maya were born." He poured himself a shot.

      "Hey, what about me?" Thalia protested.
      "I don't want to kill you." Alex laughed. "At least not anymore."
      "I thought we agreed I'm tougher than you." Thalia wrinkled her nose.

      "In pure physical strength? Yeah, no contest." He joked, taking his shot. "But when it comes to drinking, I'm pretty sure that between us I'd take home the trophy."
      Thalia laughed. "That's not fair. I'm not even feeling anything yet."

      "Okay." Alex poured vodka into her glass. He put his hand over top of it when she reached for it. "Hey, first, can you grab me that rock?" He asked pointing to stone near her feet.
      "Sure." Thalia agreed bemused. She stood up. "Ohh." As soon as she got to her feet the world started spinning.