M For Moscow

14 | a sunset upon moscow

Hand-in-hand, we walked through the tall grass. Its soft-like bristles brushed itself against our legs, flowing with the wind in time, swaying back and forth like the rhythm of our hearts combined.

Luka led the way, looking back every now and then to watch me captured in the glow of the afternoon sun.

Moscow didn't have a lot of sun. Due to the rising number of high-rises and Godzilla-prone skyscrapers, most of it was blocked out so everything always looked cold, dark and gloomy. Luka had asked his driver to take the day off so we could drive an hour away from the somber atmosphere to get here, to this meadow upon a hill, to watch the sunset upon Moscow.

We walked a couple of metres further, disappearing into the woods and coming out on the outside where the view was even more spectacular. It overlooked the city and the fine line separating it from the countryside. Glimmers of light were being reflected off the buildings at every possible angle, creating some sort of dream-like haze. It just made everything seem so different, almost harmless.

"What are you thinking about?" Luka asked, coming closer to me. It was only then did I realise that we had stopped walking.

Behind him was a laid-out picnic of all the foods we shared over the past few weeks of living together. From non-banana milkshakes to chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk to dip, it was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever did for me.

"Just how lucky I am." I answered honestly, staring in awe at how much effort he put in just to remember what I liked. It was definitely not all arranged by him.

We sat down on the blanket and made jokes and told childhood stories as the light disappeared. When it came to his story, the sun was gone and in its replacement were the stars.

"Karina and I used to be really close as kids." he explained, looking up at the night sky when I didn't have to. I never took my eyes off the star right in front of me, "But when we became much older and mature enough to take on big changes, our father tried passing on the company to me. Karina got furious because she had been working for it since university. Graduated with a business degree, minored in hospitality, that sort of thing. And my parents had always known I was never about that life. I always chose—"

"Writing." I answered for him.

Surprised, he looked at me and his pupils dilated immediately. "Yeah, writing. And so, when Karina begged for my dad's company and he still refused to give it, she decided to make her own business. My mother had been trying to prep her into fashion since she first owned a sewing machine, so she chose that path and created Gold Dolls, a company that invested in women and sold them to — you know what, never-mind. I shouldn't be talking about this with you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I suddenly jumped in, "To be honest, I'm not super comfortable with it either. Being sold for beauty, it's just not me."

"Then don't do it, Macy." Luka took my hand in his. With determination in his voice, he spoke the words that would've made me cave if it wasn't for the strong backbone Moscow instilled into me. "Come to America with me."

Reluctantly, I pulled myself free of him. "I can't. I didn't tell you this before but I have three younger brothers to feed and a mum that's barely juggling two jobs. I know I'm not perfect and I don't come from a perfect family, that's why I'm here, pretending to be somebody I'm not."

I looked down at our separated hands, just inches apart but neither touching. My nails, which used to be bitten to the skin, were painted with gel polish and studded with plastic diamonds. From my fingers, I looked down at my clothes. If added together, it would topple my mother's salary by tenfolds. Not to mention, the bikini wax underneath and the shining wedges on my feet.

When did I become this girl?

Just as I was about to slip the truth, tell Luka that I was really Anya from small-island Sakhalin, rid myself of this guilt from keeping something away from my boyfriend, his hand lifted my chin and he pressed his lips onto mine, blocking my chance. I could've pushed him away, said everything then, but something selfish inside of me refused to let this perfect moment go.

It was a soft kiss. No tongue, no massive force of pressure that made you want to gag internally. Just soft and sweet.

"I don't like perfect." he shut me up once we parted, leaving me in a slight daze where I couldn't even remember what I wanted to tell him in the first place.

The rest of the date went on like that. With much laughing, some kissing and a whole lot of love in the air, it was the type of first date I had always envisioned myself on: under the blue and pink sky, the sun halfway past the horizon, and Luka Gold in my eye.

***

A sweet, little chapter to round off their first date! Ah, the feels!

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Lots of love,
Mel