by A.J. Aaron
“Evermore in the world is this marvelous balance of beauty and disgust, magnificence and rats.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
17
I had never been to Europe before, though I had been to Asia for work. I’d travelled business class then, which was comfortable, but those were sixteen-hour flights. Europe seemed just a hop, skip, and a jump compared to that.
Alexander took the liberty of purchasing extra legroom for me, since it was only fifty-nine dollars more. It gave me six more inches, but it hardly seemed worth it. His heart was in the right place, though. He was always looking out for me.
I left the Cleveland airport, arrived at Washington Dulles and then on to Brussels, Belgium. From Brussels, a flight to Prague. I tried to sleep on the way over, but wasn’t successful—the seats in coach were so uncomfortable. To top it off, my bag didn’t make it to Prague. When I got there, I had no clean clothes and it was time for lunch on Prague time. My body said it was about eleven p.m. Maybe Alexander was right and I should have taken the private jet
I checked in and cleaned up; using the razor and toothbrush the hotel gave me. The room was fairly small and it took me a few minutes to figure out how to flush the toilet. I was tired and hungry, and since it was only eleven in the morning there, I decided I needed to stay up until at least eight or nine in the evening to adjust to the time zone. I headed downstairs to the lobby.
“Dobre dan,” I said to the cute young woman at the front desk.
“Dobre den,” she replied, correcting me as she smiled. “Can I halp you?” Her accent was endearing.
I took out the picture of Leyna I’d brought and showed it to her. “Have you seen this woman? Her name is Leyna.”
Her face revealed some dislike when she recognized Leyna. “Yes, I have. Che left a while ago to go shopping. Che chops a lot. Che usually comes back and then goes back out again for dinner and then the clubs. Would you like to leave message?” She looked at me with pen and paper at the ready.
“No message. Genkuye mami,” I said and I walked out the door to find something to eat. I wandered around the city amazed at the oldness of it. The church across the street from my hotel was built in 1347. The streets and sidewalks were paved with two-inch-by-two-inch squares of granite, all hand laid with half-inch spaces between each one. It must have taken an enormous amount of labor to pave the whole city this way.
The buildings were in beautiful condition, many of them as old as the church. Cars drove past, tires rumbling loudly on the stone roads as they did.
The smell of late summer was in the air on the busy street. People were enjoying the comfortable day. Flowers were sold in the streets. I heard different languages being spoken as I walked along the shops and checked the restaurant menus on the windows. Czech, Russian, German, and the Queen’s English filled my ears.
Women in high heels and miniskirts pushed strollers. It was amazing how they were able to walk on the streets without breaking an ankle. Many of them sounded Russian. I kept my eyes open for Leyna.
I found a place to eat I couldn’t resist. I took a seat by the window, settled in with bowls of homemade chicken soup and goulash. When I ordered some water, I was served sparkling water. Apparently, sparkling water was the first choice here. After I ordered and drank a glass of “still water”, the waiter informed me people drink sparkling water because fish pee in the still water. It was kind of him to share with me.
Rejuvenated by the food, I decided to continue my walk through the city streets. The shops were full of all sorts of souvenirs and jewelry—things I was sure Leyna would have to have. A profusion of garnet rings, earrings, and bobbles graced store after store, the prices in the three hundred to ten thousand dollar range. I was sure she was collecting these.
I reached the old town square and, as I entered, I saw Leyna pass me while she hung on the arm of a large blond, Russian man. She was looking up at him and hadn’t seen me. I turned quickly and followed them.
She walked expertly on the stone pavers, as the rest of the women did, in black leather stiletto boots. Her left hand was adorned with a huge garnet embellished gold ring on the middle finger, and another on her thumb, which she held on the back of the Russian’s black leather coat. Her nails had been done and were long, curved, and painted hot pink with jeweled embellishments. Her hair was flowing over a black leather vest that came to the top of her black leather miniskirt. Her legs were clad in sheer stockings. The way she was dressed fit right in with the rest of the city crowd.
The man was obviously enjoying her company as she allowed his hand to caress her through her skirt. They stopped in front of the Astronomical Clock and paused to look up. An ancient clock built in the 600s and added on to until it told the positions of the planets and astronomical signs.
I stayed back as Leyna pulled him close for a kiss, slipping her hand between them. Her arm went back and forth, noticeably caressing him.
He took Leyna by the hand. They crossed the street and entered a restaurant. I followed as Leyna’s friend led them through the bar to the back, paying the man sitting by the bathrooms the requisite ten crowns.
The two of them went into one bathroom and the door locked behind them. I took a seat at the bar where, if I turned on my seat when they exited, I wouldn’t be seen. I ordered a beer.
The man by the bathroom stood and went into the kitchen, leaving the closed door unattended. I stood by it to see what I could hear. It was Leyna saying quietly, “Faster, yes, like that.” I went back to my seat, disgusted.
I sat and watched the door while I sipped my beer slowly. I was half-finished when the door opened and the tall Russian walked out. He went past me into the street and disappeared across the square.
A couple of minutes later, Leyna came out wearing fresh lipstick and perfectly brushed hair. I turned away as she passed by me.
She sat next to a German man at the bar and immediately put her hand on his leg. She rubbed his leg with her hand. His smile quickly grew and he nodded eagerly. He took her hand and led her outside.
I followed as they walked across the square to a jewelry store and began looking at rings. They looked like a happy couple. The man obviously had money as he slid a gold, tiger-head ring with garnet eyes onto the pinky finger of her right hand. He bought it and they left the store.
Outside, Leyna stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around the German’s neck, and kissed him deeply on the lips. While she did, she dropped her right hand below his waist.
She whispered in his ear and started to walk again. They went into another bar, directly to the bathroom, paid the standard ten crowns and locked the door behind them. This time, as I sat in the booth by the bathroom, I heard banging against the wall.
Again, the guy left first and Leyna came out and went to the bar to see if there was another rich male to claim as her victim. She had taken off one of her rings, probably to make room for a new one.
Not finding what she wanted, she went into the street. She stood and lit a cigarette while she surveyed the crowd. When she finished her cigarette, she snuffed it under her boot and lit another.
Should I approach her? What would she do? She left me before and she obviously was enjoying what she was doing here. If I approached her, she might take off and I’d have to track her down again. I decided to lie back a while and see. How would I ever get her back to the States? How would I keep her alive? We only had nine months left before her birthday, or death day. She’d been in Prague for two months.
I watched as she found her next mark like a lioness stalking her prey. When she approached, he smiled and nodded. This one appeared very affluent. He was a tall, dark Russian, with a black beard and hair. He took a roll out of his pocket and folded off a stack of five-hundred-crown bills.
Leyna looked around before shoving them into the purse on her wrist. This time they went into the front of a small hotel and went up the elevator together.
I didn’t wait for her this time. Why would I want to
help her? This was the worst assignment I ever had. This woman was a nightmare, not someone I could love.
