Chapter 19 #2
Did she leave because Alisa had won, because she had taken gold and the quota?
But that didn’t make sense… they weren’t rivals like that, at least not anymore, they weren’t even competing in the same category, they stood on completely different sides of everything now, so why, where the hell did she go?
Alisa didn’t like that feeling at all, however the moment she felt her smile falter, she forced it back into place, straightening slightly just as the officials approached her to present the medal, placing the gold around her neck and shaking her hand.
The medal itself felt warm against her skin, with its comforting weight, even though the hands that had placed it there were freezing cold, and she suddenly realized that the arena itself had grown colder too, or maybe it was just that she had stopped moving.
She stood there as the silver and bronze medals were awarded, watching other skaters, their smiles still genuine because despite everything they had also taken quotas for their countries, and that mattered, even if it wasn’t gold.
And for a moment Alisa allowed herself to relax and to feel the quiet taste of victory settling somewhere deep inside her heart… But another thought slipped into her mind immediately: It would be so nice to taste Tora today, too. Where the hell is she?
Even after the ceremony ended, after the photos, the handshakes, the slow dispersing of the crowd, Alisa still hadn’t found her.
In the locker room, she folded her things carefully, smoothing the fabric of her costume with her hands, because it meant everything to her, it had been sewn by Lev’s mother, every stitch was done with care and she could feel it in the material, she smiled softly before finally placing it into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
“See you later… at the Olympics, girls?” she said lightly, glancing around.
They laughed. “See you, champion!”
The goodbyes were filled with quick hugs and shared smiles and then Alisa stepped out into the hallway—
Only to be immediately caught by Anfisa, who threw her arms around her again.
“We took the quota, we took the quota!” she repeated, almost singing it like a chant. “This is a victory! The victory is in our hands!”
Alisa laughed softly, letting herself be pulled along as they walked toward the exit, where Arkadiy and the others were already waiting in the large hall.
They had also taken gold and had also secured what they needed, everything today had somehow aligned, and everyone seemed satisfied with the results.
And only now, standing there among them, Alisa realized something else—
Tora had given her this time to celebrate.
Time to be here, fully, with her team, with her victory, with her gold medal.
And somehow… that even felt thoughtful.
“Well, shall we go celebrate at some cool restaurant?” one of the guys suggested as they walked toward the hotel.
“I just want to wash up first,” his backup skater replied, and everyone burst out laughing.
“Yes, it would be nice to wash up, especially for you, Slava!” Anfisa giggled, and he nudged her with his hip.
“Who would talk! Smell yourself, you were sweating all over the stands while you were rooting for all of us today.”
“Alright, calm down, everyone, this isn’t kindergarten,” Arkadiy cut in, casting a mock-threatening look at both Slava and Anfisa, which only made them laugh harder. Everyone was in high spirits, and genuinely happy.
“We’re going to meet at the hotel entrance in half an hour, THAT’s IT!
” Arkadiy added seriously, and they all answered in chorus, “Yes, sir!” in exaggerated voices, laughing again as they split off toward their rooms. He really did look like a mother duck leading his ducklings down the corridor, and the thought made Alisa smile to herself.
Anfisa and Alisa took quick turns in the shower and then dressed up, each of them having brought exactly one dress for a special occasion, and it felt almost surreal to realize that this was about to be their occasion, a celebration of the fact that they had taken all the necessary quotas for their country for the Olympics.
Dinner turned out exactly as it should have been — noisy, and chaotic.
They ended up at a place serving Chinese barbecue, trying different kinds of meat grilled over coals, mixing them with vegetables and sauces, passing plates around, and drinking beverages.
Most went opted for cold beer, but Alisa wanted something sweet, so she chose strawberry cider, and it was so good, so dangerously easy to drink, that she didn’t even notice when the first glass turned into the second, and then into the third, and somewhere along the way her head grew softer, as if something inside her had finally unclenched.
People kept congratulating and hugging her, celebrating not just her but everyone who had managed to take something from today.
Medals were passed around, closely examined, and laughed over, even bitten and licked, which felt ridiculous.
Alisa couldn’t remember ever celebrating like this before, not like this, not with so many fellow athletes who felt like they belonged to the same moment as she did.
And still she missed Tora.
She found herself checking her phone more than once, wondering if Tora was somewhere in the hotel… and not lost somewhere out there in a city that still felt alien and unfamiliar, especially without proper internet connection.
When she glanced at the screen again, she noticed the time—11:46 p.m.—and a single message she hadn’t seen before.
Tora: 9–1813
Alisa frowned at the screen for a second, confused under the alcohol.
Was that some kind of code?
A joke?
But then it clicked, it was probably a floor and a room number where she stayed in the same hotel as Alisa.
Of course.
And then another thought followed immediately, why hadn’t she noticed it earlier?
But honestly, she probably hadn’t felt the vibration at all, not in the middle of all that noise and excitement, raising glasses, showing medals, laughing, biting them like some cliché champions in photos, and passing them around until it felt like everyone had touched them, like they all owned a piece of this victory.
It seems that she has never celebrated her victory and gold medals on such a large scale with anyone before, well, not that she had a lot of the same type of celebrations, but Alisa was incredibly proud of herself.
She allowed herself to relax again, to stay a little longer in the celebration, and by the time they returned to the hotel, it was already past midnight.
In the elevator Anfisa stood next to her, Alisa was trying to press the right floor, missing the button over and over again and laughing at herself.
“Damn it… I need the ninth… why can’t I press the ninth…” Alisa muttered in confusion, frowning again as she leaned her back against the panel with the buttons, staring at them so intensely as if she were trying to activate them remotely, like with an invisible hand or some kind of magic.
Anfisa watched this for a second and sighed internally, already understanding that Alisa was in no state to navigate the elevator. Therefore, she simply reached out and pressed the ninth-floor button.
“Are you coming with me too?” Alisa asked with a slightly idiotic smile, looking at her, while Anfisa, who was also drunk, raised an eyebrow, which somehow offended Alisa a little.
“Yes, of course, I’m planning a threesome with you,” Anfisa replied dryly.
Alisa immediately burst into loud laughter, the kind that echoed through the entire elevator, so loud it felt like every guest in the hotel could hear it.
“Don’t be silly…” she waved it off.
“I really liked her,” Anfisa added with a grin, clearly joking, though Alisa didn’t quite catch that part.
“She’s mine.”
“Oh, oh, don’t get jealous, princess. Relax, I’ll just deliver you to her door and let you drift into her arms—”
“Shhh!” Alisa flushed instantly, grabbing onto Anfisa in an attempt to silence her.
“Hey, hey, easy there, no kissing!”
Anfisa laughed as Alisa and pinched her ass as a joke, and then led her down the hallway to room 9–1813.
She knocked.
From behind the door came slow footsteps, the soft dragging sound of hotel slippers against the carpet, and then the door opened.
Tora stood there, eyebrows raised high as she took in the scene in front of her. The room behind her was dimly lit, were those candles?
Anfisa immediately grinned. “Delivery service. You ordered a very sexy champion figure skater, so here she is, she’s all yours. Have a fun night!”
She practically handed Alisa over.
Alisa looked up at Tora almost dazed in her eyes.
“Hi… pretty girl…” she murmured.
Tora laughed quietly, stepping back to let her in, and before closing the door, she added, “Thank you, Anfisa. I really appreciate you bringing her.”
Anfisa just smiled in return and waved it off, already turning away down the corridor.
Tora took a firmer grip on Alisa, whose hands had already taken her by the ass.
“Damn it… I want you so much.”
Alisa looked around, feeling incredibly happy.
The room was different at the moment than the one she remembered it earlier, and the atmosphere here was different, everything was covered in red rose petals and candles that had already burned out and only the glowing liquid wax inside was visible…
How long had Tora been waiting for her?
She felt ashamed.
“I’m sorry… I’m so late.” She bowed her head and Tora took her chin in her palm and raised her gaze to herself, “It’s nothing, babe. I was waiting for you to congratulate you personally.”
With a single, fluid movement of her hand, Tora unbuckled the silk belt of her short, white robe.
She leaned in to press a lingering kiss to Alisa’s lips, and as she pulled away, the garment slid elegantly off her shoulders and waist, cascading down her body to land softly on the carpet.
Alisa swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she stared at the goddess standing before her.