Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Dimitri

I ended the call until I reached the gallery. Blair loved every detail I showed her and I was glad that I could distract her at that moment, the only way that situation would improve was if I was closer to her.

" Look, I'm just saying that the last painting.... WAIT.”

I stopped my steps immediately, not knowing what had happened.

" What?”

" Can you turn the camera a little? " she asked " to the left.”

" NO " I turned in the opposite direction as I understood what she had seen.

How can she find places like this?

" Please, Dimitri," she pleaded as I backed away and headed for the flea market she had somehow spotted.

" I'm only going to buy one thing," I warned.

" Then I'll have to choose well," she hummed.

I couldn't help smiling as I walked between the stalls, showing her everything on display.

" Dimitri, look at those old photos," Blair indicated.

" They are people you don't know, Blair. Don't even think about it," I warned.

" You have no creativity," she complained.

" I'm not going to let you decorate your apartment with pictures of dead strangers," I returned immediately, "no matter how pretty the picture is.”

" But…”

" Besides, I know you'll like anything that reminds you of this place.

" Do you think you can choose something for me, Dimitri?”

" Give me five minutes here alone and I'll choose something you'll like," I assure you, "and give it to you the next time we meet. It will be a souvenir from Vienna.”

" Challenge accepted, I'll call you back in five minutes, timed! " she warned before ending the call.

I put the cell phone away and went in search of something that might please her. But what could I choose? Maybe I didn't know her that well.

That's when something caught my attention.

Five minutes later, my cell phone rang again, and fortunately, I was already with her gift in hand walking away from the flea market. I answered it, while waiting for the streetcar to arrive at the bus stop.

" Hey, you're not at the flea market anymore," she complained.

" I already have what I need.”

" Will you show me? " she asked.

" Not now," I denied.

" Why not? “

" Just wait a little," I asked.

I spotted the approaching streetcar and walked over to where it was likely to stop, boarding as soon as people were able to get off the vehicle. The streetcar was one of the old models that were still in circulation for tourist purposes, and I sat upright in the back, filming our entire journey as soon as it started moving again.

" Come on Dimitri," she pleaded.

" I'll show you around soon, but I thought you might like the next place.”

" What place? " she asked suspiciously.

" You'll see. Tell me, what do you think of Vienna so far?”

" I think I'm in love," she sighed, "the city is beautiful and there are so many interesting things.”

I just smiled, noticing that we were arriving at our next destination. I disembarked at the next stop, walking briskly.

" Where are we? " she asked.

" Prater, it's the oldest amusement park in the world. It has been operating since 1766," I explained.

" Ohh, and is it safe? " she frowned.

" The rides have been replaced," I showed her a part of the park, where it was possible to see some roller coasters and other rides, but the one I was interested in was still a few minutes away.

" Do you go on a roller coaster? I like the adrenaline and all, but I don't think it would be the same," she joked.

" We're not going on a roller coaster, Blair," I laughed.

" Where are we going then? " she yawned.

I pointed to our destination, still walking to the big Ferris wheel that was behind some rides.

" Wow, that's different," Blair remarked.

" It's one of the few original rides in the park," I commented, "it was built in 1897.”

" It's so beautiful, the view must be incredible.”

" You can see almost all of Vienna.”

" I'll wait and see, Commander," she smiled.

I walked in silence to the entrance of the attraction, managed to buy a ticket and boarded. Blair watched the whole process with trepidation. As soon as I boarded a simple gondola, I sat down on the bench, finally taking a deep breath as I noticed how agitated I was.

" Are you going to show me what you bought now? Or will I have to save my anxiety until I see you again?”

" I can show you.”

I took out of the bag I carried an old wooden box, with some details carved in bas-relief with a small crank on the side.

" What is it? " she frowned.

I opened the lid, showing the inside of the box which contained a series of mechanisms and on the inside of the lid, a poem written in German lay on a faded plaque. I turned the crank slowly, then released it, causing Mozart's Turkish march to sound.

" A music box! " Blair looked delighted.

" I thought it would be a fitting souvenir," I smiled.

" Why? I mean, I loved it, but what made you think I would like it? " Blair flopped down on the bed and I felt the gondola sway gently as the Ferris wheel mechanism was finally activated and I began to climb.

" She is from the Victorian era, the woman who sold it to me said it had been in the family for many generations. Her grandfather gave it to her grandmother at the beginning of the last century, just before he was drafted into the army for the war " I repeated the story the lady had told me " This was her favorite poem.”

Blair kept a delighted expression on her face as I narrated.

" I thought you would like it because of all the history surrounding the piece," I shrugged.

" I really enjoyed it," Blair stammered.

The Ferris wheel stopped for a moment as it reached the top, diverting my attention. I stood up and walked to one of the windows, pointing the camera outside. From there you could see the red roofs that almost every building in Vienna had, and most of the historical landmarks.

" Look, this is the view from the top," I commented.

" Dimitri, it's beautiful," she sighed.

" Do you really like it?”

" It's the best thing I've seen in a long time," she said, "I wish I could be there with you.”

" I'd love it if you were.”

And I meant it. My greatest wish at the moment was your presence. We stood in silence for a few seconds, just enjoying the view, until Blair broke it.

" What's written?”

" What?”

" The poem on the cover," she explained.

" I don't know, I don't speak German," I smiled wanly.

We were silent again, until her voice sounded in my ear.

" Thank you, Dimitri. You turned a bad day into one of the best experiences I've had in the last few weeks.”

" I hope one day I can show you all of this in person. Maybe bring you to dinner in one of these gondolas.”

" Is that possible?”

" Yes, they organize dinners here and... I hope I can bring you one day.”

" I'd like that very much," she smiled.

My heart raced at the feelings that surged inside me. What was I doing? I basically spent the whole day alone, why do I feel like this was one of the best dates I have ever been on?

" Is something wrong? " she asked as the Ferris wheel completed its lap.

" I was thinking, we could try to find a way to try to repeat this," I proposed, silencing the inner voice that screamed that this would never work, "our date in Amsterdam, I mean.”

" How?”

" Our schedules should cross paths more often, if we know ahead of time.”

" We can work something out," Blair added with a smile. “do you think it would work?”

Obviously not, you live in another country and I act like a brainless teenager when I'm around you!

But instead of shouting that, I just shrugged.

" We can try and find out.”