The Russian Next Door

CHAPTER 22 - Training. A deal

Two days later, I gathered all my courage and went to knock at his door. This wasn't very easy for me, because I have deliberately been avoiding him since that day. What more could have I said? I knew I did the right thing getting out of his life. And things should stay like this. Definitely.

He opened the door and smiled when his eyes landed on me. Oh my God, that smile. It was so warm and I could feel my knees go weak. His smile was like the sun appearing after a storm, brightening everything around and assuring you that everything is alright again. Stop it, Rose. Do what you came to do and leave him alone.

'Hi. I um...I came to return this.' it was his T-shirt, washed and neatly folded. I handed it to him. 'Thank you for borrowing it to me.' he wasn't saying anything. 'Well, I guess I'll go now.' I turned and put my hand on the doorknob when he spoke:

'Rose?'

'Yeah?' please don't say anything that I would regret hearing.

'Do you remember what you told me the other day?'

'You'll have to be a little more specific about that. I said a lot of things that day.'

'About you hating feeling helpless.' Oh, that one. I nodded.

'I think I can help you with that.'

'Why?'

He shrugged. 'Simply because.' Here he was again, trying to help me ''simply because''.

In my mind came the two recent moments I couldn't defend myself. I could still feel Adrian's grip on my wrist. And that Sasha guy pressing me into that wall.

'How?'

'I could train you. This is what I'm good at. I have a lot of practice. So I could teach you to defend yourself.'

No! No! Rose, NO! My brain was screaming at me. Leave this man alone. Say no. Say no! Refuse him right now. Leave him alone!

'Fine.' is what I said instead. 'When do we start?'

'Tomorrow is alright?'

'Yeah, it's fine tomorrow.'

'I'll see you at five thirty?'

'Yeah, I'll see you.'

What was I doing again? But more important, why was he still trying to reach out to me? Why couldn't I say no? Because I can't seem to stay away from this man, that's why. There was something like a magnet, always pulling me towards him. I was starting to fall in love hard with Dimitri and I didn't know what to do.

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Someone was pounding at my door. I look at the clock on my nightstand. 5:35 a.m. Was the building on fire or something? Let them knock. Maybe they will get bored and walk away. But no. The person was still pounding at my door. I drag myself out of the bed and go to the door. I open it. Dimitri is standing there, dressed in sportswear.

'You are late.' Oh, so when he said five thirty he meant five thirty in the morning? Is he insane?

'You have got to be kidding me, right?'

'No, I am not. It's 5:35 and you are still in your pyjamas as I can see.'

'Well, you see, I thought you said five thirty in the evening.'

'I didn't. This is my usual running time. And I am taking you with me. Come on. Go and get dressed. I'll wait for you.'

'At least wait for me inside.'

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Five minutes later I was ready and we got outside.

After another five minutes I was feeling like I was going to die. The cold air was making my chest hurt and I couldn't feel my legs.

'Can we go back now? Are we done already?'

He stops running and comes back to where I am standing, bent over, catching my breath.

'Is this all you can do?'

'Yes. And I am feeling like I am dying right now.'

'So it's going to be really hard for you to progress.'

'What do you mean?' was I that bad?

'Only five minutes passed since we started, Rose. And you are already out of breath. And look how close we are from where we started.'

'Five minutes, huh? No, we must have been running for at least half an hour. Or at least it feels like we did. You do this every day? How much do you run per day?'

'I usually make 10 km a day.' My face literally dropped.

'Okay, and how long would it take me to run as much?'

'Don't know. Maybe three months. This if you run every day. Three months at least, considering the level you are starting from.'

'No, I can do this, comrade. In less than three months. I just need to find some motivation.' I was trying not to be weak anymore. I was going to show him that I can do it. 'With the right motivation, I'm sure I can run 10 km in a month, not three.'

'No, you won't.'

'Is that a challenge, comrade?' I loved challenges. And proving people wrong.

'Maybe it is.'

'Fine. Give me your best time.'

'32 minutes and 16 seconds.' What?

'You are messing with me, right?'

'No Rose, I am not.' I must be some kind of special kind of insane to get into this. But he didn't think I could do it. And I wanted so much to prove him wrong.

'Perfect. In one month's time, I am going to beat it. And you will have to repay me somehow. You will give me something.'

'Deal. Name it. Anything.'

'Anything, comrade?'

'Anything.'

'Hm, I don't know.' But then the stupidest idea came to my mind. 'What about a kiss?'

With a smug expression he said 'Fine.' Fine? He accepted this deal waaaaay too easy.

'Why did you agree so fast? Oh, you really don't think I can do it, do you?'

Keeping the same expression, he shook his head.

'Well, then you'd better prepare those pretty lips for that kiss, Belikov, because I am going to make it. See you tomorrow.'

'In fact, I wanted to take you to the gym later.'

'It's fine with me. See ya later.'