Additional services (an original short story)

A hotel clerk scanned Vera’s reservation with her eyes and quickly looked Vera up from under curved eyebrows. She literally darted a glance and again buried her face in documents. In this look, Vera noticed the hidden sneer. As though the girl wanted to smile broadly, but she did not give it a go. Vera even took out a pocket mirror from her bag, so that the girl did not see, and checked herself up. No, it seems everything was as it should be. She shrugged.

“It says here ‘the full package, including additional services’” once again the girl looked at Vera with the hidden meaning.

“Well, yeah… The room and board, and all the tours – everything should be included,” Vera spoke with some irritation. She came here to have a good time and, paid for all the services at once, and didn’t want to hear about any hidden costs.

“Don’t worry. Everything is covered, including even additional services - a personal tour guide,” this time she smiled widely, but this smile was a regular smile of professional politeness. She gave Vera back her reservation and added:
“Have a great stay!”

“Where is your tour agency? I want to finish all the formalities at once.”

“You don’t need to go anywhere. The guide will find you and introduce himself. Can you please press here?” the girl moved toward here a small plastic panel. Vera pressed with her index finger, the girl clicked some button, “Here are the keys from your room. Once more, have a great stay.”

Vera smiled in return and went to the elevator.

The room was acceptable; it was large, with the ocean view and a balcony, a king-size bed in the middle, the bathroom had not only shower but also a small Jacuzzi, spacious closets, where Vera easily placed all her stuff, a TV and a small fridge with drinks.

“Two weeks of the sea and sun” – chanted in her head. The quantal report was behind her and the boss was happy.

“You, Vera, a sweetheart! Good job!”

Vera grabbed this Ariadne's thread.

“Thank you, Mr. Pomper! By the way, I missed my vacation last year”

The old fart had nothing to retort. He looked at the report once more and said

“All right. Go ahead. Two weeks are yours.”

Vera put on the swimming suit underneath a light dress, a dark glassed from MARIO ROSSI and, having looked at herself in the mirror, touched up her hair. “Not bad: stylish and at the same time not pretentious. No one would recognize that he’s a mere office rat. Especially him – the tall dark and handsome, educated and witty. Well, blond isn’t so bad also. ”
Feeling hungry, she closed the door of her room, went to the elevator to go down to the restaurant. When the elevator door opened and she wanted to step inside, she suddenly startled. “Is that him?”

In the elevator, there was a young man, who smiled at her. He was what she imagined an ideal man: tall, dark and handsome, trim, and of athletically built, with a soft, one might even say, gentle eyes, with a fresh haircut and nicely dressed. The smell of his expensive cologne pleasantly tickled her nostrils. His light clothes, although cost a good penny, even if it was a good Chinese imitation. Yet, in cases like these, Vera had an expert eye. She could easily peak out the difference between Guangzhou and Milan.

“I was just going up to meet you,” he spoke with the light Scandinavian accent. My name is Matias. I’ll be your tour guide during your stay here,” he pressed the button and elevator started going down,“ when you will have the time for the tour please call me on this number, “ he passed her the card, “and we will discuss the details.” When they stepped out of the elevator, Vera passed him her hand that he respectfully squeezed, bowed and left.

“Wow!” The sun shined behind the windows of the restaurant, half-dressed people scurry about back and forth while further toward the ocean she could see the flickering of seagulls. Vera ate an omelet with tomatoes and crispy toasts and drank orange juice. “It would be even nice to take a picture next to this guy. If I post it on Instagram all the girls in the office will die from envy. And if …” She forbade herself to go that far. “What will happen is what will happen.”
Vera waited for three hours. She went to check out the entire resort, dipped in the ocean, took a short sunbath and was noticed by local Casanovas, who sprinkled her body with the array of lustful gazes. To Vera’s credit, she didn't give a flip about those pretty boys. Her mind was preoccupied with Matias.

Coming back to her room, she called him. Having given to her voice sounding of a chill and indifference as the person who paid for services and, expecting their fulfillment, she inquired about the tours, which Mathias could offer it. Having listened to a list of tourist opportunities, it was decided on an underwater excursion with aqualungs.

Mathias invited Vera into his sports car and they rushed off to the aquatic base. On the right side of the road, Vera saw palm trees and magnolias, and on the left, the sea shone and flared. Having arrived, they were given the equipment, and Mathias helped Vera to put it on. “What a body Mathias had, what a six-pack! Apollo!”

It was fantastic under the water. In its blue transparency, flocks of multi-colored fishes floated by them floated stingrays, and pink jellyfishes looked suspended. Sometimes Mathias touched Vera by a hand to show where to swim. To Vera, these touches acted like an electric signal as it made her all shudder inside. She left water tired and happy. Mathias took her to some small restaurant where they were served a freshly caught fish. Mathias knew about everything, and, appear, to visit all places of the world that were worth visiting.

The next day – it was the excursion to the top of the local mountain, for next one a tour on the small yacht, which Mathias operated himself. He was gallant, polite, and witty. In the evenings they danced, Mathias felt music beautifully and led Vera so well that she did not recognize herself. The only thing is, he lacked a little male impudence. Already several times in a roundabout way Vera let him know that wouldn’t mind if he’d kissed her. Yet he was still indecisive. It seemed that he just mounted up courage, but then bashfully looked away.

An incident helped. When, after sailing trip, they strolled on the beach, a group of local thugs barricaded their way. Their oil eyes shone threat and violence, and their remarks confirmed it. Vera felt scared and she nestled on Mathias. He, however, addressed the situation calmly, having offered them, in avoidance of undesirable consequences, to leave them with the girl alone. Despite the fear, she with pleasure noted a difference in his refined manner of communication with their low-standard threats and insults.

What happened next flickered in front of Vera like the screenshots of a silent movie. The thugs flew in all directions like vegetable particles from a not covered mixer. Overwhelmed with feelings, she threw her arms around Mathias’ neck and kissed him among the medley of laying around and whining thugs.

When Mathias brought her to the door of her room, it still held his hand and almost pulled him inside. There they kissed and cuddled for a long time.

“Are you sure you want that?” half-dressed they lay on the bed. “I don’t want to use this opportunity to impose something on you about which you feel horrible tomorrow.”

“Turn off the light, silly, ” Vera laughed

Ah, what magnificent lover he turned out to be! Gentle like a kitten and inexhaustible like Phoenix. They made love where it was only possible: in her room, at night on the beach, on the sailboat, at the mountaintop, and even during underwater raids with aqualungs. Looking at herself in a mirror, Vera noted that she never in her life so looked good.

Two weeks rushed as in a fairy tale. Separation time has come.

They lay in a bed after the last night of rough love. There were 8 am, and at noon, she had to take a bus to the airport.

– It’s not going end up just like this, Mathias?” Vera seized his shoulder, “what happened between us, it meant something, it was just for nothing?”

Mathias was silent looking at the sealing.

“Are you not going to say anything?”

“I don’t know what to say. I was trying to make you happy.”

“Tried huh? Yeah… you’ve succeeded at that. And now you will try for someone else, just like this… To someone who will pay for your services, huh?”

“Why do you present it in such a light? This is not the right approach. ”

“Right approach”, Vera mocked him, “We are being torn apart and you are talking about approaches! Can’t something be done?”

“Theoretically, anything is possible,” Mathias responded after some consideration, “but practically speaking, nothing.”

“Practically, theoretically…What does it all mean? Are you married?”

“No. I am not married and cannot be married,” Vera wrinkled her forehead as he continued; “I am a model Tour Guide KT-5 of the Finnish company Matkailu. While I am still a test model my price is not as high, yet I am afraid, it is still is much higher than you can afford.”

Vera broke in tears. Even if she could have bought him, where would she bring him and for what purpose?