8. Seven
Seven
A tornado of fabric surrounded Beth as she stood in front of her closet. Dresses, sweaters, and jeans lay strewn across her bed, a testament to her indecision. Her suitcase sat open, mockingly empty.
"This is hopeless," she groaned, flopping onto the bed. "What does one even wear to seduce a sexy Belarusian?"
Her phone buzzed. Kelly's name flashed on the screen.
Kelly: "So? Packed yet? Or are you still having a fashion crisis?"
Beth: "Definitely crisis mode. Help!"
Kelly: "On my way. Bringing reinforcements ."
Fifteen minutes later, Kelly burst through the door, arms laden with shopping bags. Jessie trailed behind, looking slightly overwhelmed.
"Ladies," Kelly announced, "Operation: Belarusian Seduction is officially underway."
Beth laughed, relief flooding through her. "You're a lifesaver, Kel. And Jessie! I didn't expect to see you here."
Jessie shrugged, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "Kelly said it was an emergency. I thought maybe you'd blown up the kitchen or something."
"Oh honey," Kelly patted Jessie's arm. "This is a much more delicious kind of emergency. Now, let's see what we're working with."
As Kelly dove into the shopping bags, pulling out an array of lacy, silky items, Beth's phone buzzed again. Yuri's name lit up the screen.
Yuri: "Important question: how do you feel about ice skating? Asking for a friend. The friend is me. I may be planning our first date."
Beth's heart did a little flip. She quickly typed back:
Beth: "Ice skating sounds perfect. Fair warning, though, I have all the grace of a newborn giraffe on ice. Hope you know CPR."
"Ooh, who's that?" Kelly's voice sing-songed from behind her. "Lover boy?"
Beth felt her cheeks warm. "Maybe. He's asking about ice skating."
Kelly's eyes lit up. "Perfect! I packed just the thing." She pulled out a form-fitting sweater dress in a deep emerald green. "Pair this with leggings and boots, and you'll be the hottest thing on ice. You can thank me later."
As Beth admired the dress, her phone buzzed again.
Yuri: " CPR, eh? Well, I am trained in mouth-to-mouth. Though perhaps we should practice. You know, just to be safe. ;)"
Beth nearly choked on air. Were they flirting? They were definitely flirting.
"Earth to Beth!" Jessie's voice cut through her Yuri-induced haze. "Your face is turning the color of your hair. Everything okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Everything's great," Beth mumbled, quickly typing back:
Beth: "Practice makes perfect, Mr. Minsk. I'll pencil you in for a thorough lesson. For safety reasons, of course."
"Alright, spill," Kelly demanded, hands on hips. "What's got you blushing like a virgin on prom night?"
Beth hesitated, then passed her phone to Kelly. Might as well get some expert advice.
Kelly's gaze danced over the texts, a devilish smirk on her lips. "Oh, sweetheart, he's definitely looking for a ticket to ride the Beth Express."
"What? No... we’re just...it's just playful chatter," Beth rebutted feebly.
Kelly arched an eyebrow at her friend, a knowing glint in her eye. "Beth, darling, you and Keith have been done for a couple of weeks now. Reminder, all work and no play make for a very dull girl..."
Jessie peered over Kelly's shoulder, her eyebrows rising. "I may not be an expert in flirting, but even I can see this is more than friendly. The winky face alone is highly suggestive."
Beth groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Oh god. What am I doing? I'm flying halfway across the world to meet a man I've only seen through a screen. This is insane, right?"
Kelly sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Sweetie, love is always a little insane. But from what I've seen, this Yuri guy is crazy about you. And life's too short to play it safe all the time."
"Besides," Jessie added, "statistically speaking, long-distance relationships that transition to in-person meetings have a 58% success rate, which is actually quite promising considering the variables involved."
Beth and Kelly stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Thanks, Jess," Beth said, wiping tears of joy from her eyes. "That's... oddly comforting."
Just then, Beth's phone chimed with an incoming video call from Yuri. She froze, looking panicked.
"Answer it!" Kelly hissed, shoving the phone into Beth's hands.
Taking a deep breath, Beth hit 'accept.' Yuri's face filled the screen, his blue eyes crinkling as he smiled.
"Privet, moye solnyshko! I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
Beth was suddenly very aware that she was surrounded by lingerie and half-packed suitcases. "Nope! Not interrupting at all. Just, uh, doing some light reading."
Yuri raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Light reading, eh? Must be quite the page-turner. You're looking a little flushed."
Behind the phone, Kelly made exaggerated kissing faces while Jessie looked on, fascinated.
"Oh, you know," Beth stammered, "just some... steamy romance novels. Gotta stay warm in this winter weather somehow, right?"
Yuri's eyes darkened slightly, his voice dropping an octave. "Well, I can think of a few other ways to stay warm. Perhaps I could demonstrate when you get here."
Beth felt heat pool in her stomach. "I... I'd like that," she managed to say.
A crash from behind her made Beth jump. She turned to see Kelly tangled in a pile of clothes, having apparently tripped in her attempt to eavesdrop more closely.
"Everything okay over there?" Yuri asked, amusement clear in his voice.
"Fine! Everything's fine," Beth said quickly. "Just my, uh, cat. Very clumsy cat."
"I didn't know you had a cat," Yuri said, perplexed.
"Newly adopted," Beth lied smoothly. "She's still adjusting."
Still on the floor, Kelly let out an indignant "meow."
Yuri chuckled. "Well, I should let you get back to your... reading. And cat wrangling. But Beth?"
"Yes?" she breathed.
"I can't wait to see you, in person, to hold you." His voice was low and intimate.
Beth felt a shiver run down her spine. "Me too, Yuri. Soon."
As she ended the call, she turned to find Kelly and Jessie staring at her, Kelly with a triumphant grin and Jessie with a look of scientific fascination.
"Well," Kelly said, standing up and brushing herself off. "I think it's safe to say we need to pack some extra-sexy pajamas. And maybe some mistletoe. Just in case."
As the three women dissolved into giggles and resumed their packing efforts, Beth felt a mix of excitement and nerves flutter in her stomach. In just a few days, she'd be face to face with Yuri. No screens, no distance between them.