32 Chapter three, 2016, beginnings: 7 (1/2)

'I guess I was the one suggesting this, even if I had to teach him just about everything about a proper formal first date.' Christina groaned inwardly. 'So embarrassing!' She sighed again. 'Well, I owe him big-time.'

And that was it. She owed him, but it wasn't as if he really stirred any emotions in her. So, one date. She'd give him one day to shine with her beside him, but he also needed to see that he was outclassed, outmatched and out gunned.

'He's just a boy, and a geek to boot, even if he knows how to be a knight in shining armour.' That thought did stir emotions in her. In that locker room he had been anything but a geek. More of a frightening avenger.

But in the days since he had reverted back to the shy, clumsy boy. But not during club hours. And she had an opportunity to share memories from Sweden, in Swedish as well, and hearing that language built a hard lump in her throat.

'But we did good work with that club of yours. Ten more members, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a few more. The student council president looked like fainting when she saw the list.'

Still it wasn't enough.

'I didn't spend ten years on the catwalk to pair up with a little kid.'

So, why was she here, standing below that stupid statue and listening to gasps of adoration half an hour early? She should have waltzed in quarter of an hour late instead of standing here with a steadily growing crowd of admirers watching her.

'I did the full super model stunt to give him the shock of his life.' But now with some of the braver in her audience closing in on her… 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.' She started recollecting exactly why she had been surrounded by body guards in her previous life. I don't like this

”You want a real man.” And the feeling of unease grew to fear. After that locker room, always fear.

Around her the circle of admirers shrunk as people felt the mood change.

”She could use more than one real man. I heard foreign girls like it kinky.”

'I'm scared!'

Soon they would grab her.

”Christina, you look astonishing!”

'Swedish? That's Ulf!'

She looked frantically around her, but none of the teenagers standing in their casual clothes matched his looks.

'But I'm sure I heard him! Where?'

”I'm stunned! You're, you're more beautiful than I thought possible.”

'Where? Where? Wh… No way!'

He would never be a super model, as she had once been, but 'handsome' didn't even come close to describing the young man who broke in between the two most insistent of her 'admirers'.

”Excuse me, but I'm here to meet my girlfriend,” Ulf said in Japanese.

'Girlfriend?'

Dazed, Christina accepted the offered hand. She stared at an Ulf she had never seen before. An Ulf in a lazily unbuttoned business suit, with a deep burgundy shirt to ironically admit that he had yet to grow into adulthood. He no longer wore any glasses, and his usual, lifeless hairdo had given way to a playful one that didn't even attempt to deny that gel had played an important part in the making.

In ways it was a bit old-fashioned, but Christina liked that. It made her feel less of a stranger.

'Italian suit, Swedish shirt, German shoes, Japanese neck tie. High quality but not stupidly expensive. Oh, and that Swiss watch looks gorgeous on him! Damn, that man knows how to dress!'

Because he was a man, despite his youthful appearance. Ulf wore his suit as the other teenagers wore their casuals. It looked a part of him, and she knew how many years it took most men to wear a suit the way you wore blue jeans.

Around them the mood had changed once again.

”Model?”

”Movie star?”

”I don't recognize her. Are they filming a Hollywood production here?”

Christina smiled. Then she gave Ulf a closer look. He was visibly shaken. 'So I made an impact after all.'

”She's stunning, but that's one hell of a guy she's got there!”

”What's with that guy? Like Japanese girls aren't good enough for him!”

”I heard him speak. He's a foreigner as well. Probably why he's so tall.”

All fear drained away from her. Ulf's arrival had been a shock, but now she only felt safe as she snuggled closer to him. At calm again Christina enjoyed the luxury of feeling how the Tokyo spring filled with promises of a summer to come.

As they left the square behind them and ventured out on narrow streets Christina mused on how their date had already taken a different direction than she had planned. And as for her plans… Out gunned? Yes, she knew what she could do with clothes and make-up. Outclassed? No, not really. Outmatched? No way in hell! In Ulf she had met her match.

They walked along the streets, arm in arm like an old pair. She preferred walking this way. Holding hands was so… teenager. But then again they were supposed to be just that. Upon that reflection she released her arm and grabbed his hand instead.

'I'll die from shame, but it can't be helped. In this world I'm fifteen for crying out loud, not fifty.'

Ulf offered her a surprised look and an uncertain smile when her fingers intertwined with his.

'He's striking, but he's still just a kid. I wish I could feel that mix of fear and joy of his right now, but I'm too old for that.'

Beside her Ulf blushed slightly, but he didn't let go.

She fully enjoyed walking with him in a cityscape she only remembered from Tokyo, even though a Tokyo from another world. A city of this size wasn't supposed to be full of two and three story buildings sprawling in every direction until they ended in a cluster of skyscrapers.

”Anything special you want to see?” he asked just when she felt the silence becoming intrusive.

Christina didn't answer. Of course there were things she wanted to see, but what would her fifteen year old self have wanted?

They spent some time in awkward silence as they walked through this capital of capitals. Then, when she took a closer look at him, she noticed that he was frowning as if trying to remember something.

'If he doesn't know his way around here I'll just guide him discreetly.' Not that he could afford any of the places I went to last time I was here. 'Not that we would be allowed inside any of those places now.' She sighed. 'My favourite waterholes are probably 'old people' places anyway.'

”You know,” Ulf said and broke the silence, ”I think I've seen you before.”

'What a strange thing to say.' ”I think most of the people at school have seen me before,” 'Bah, those are things I'm only supposed to think, not say aloud. Besides there's not a single soul here who has seen me dressed up like this.'

”No, before that.”

”Middle school? I went to a different one than you. Close? Which one did you go to?”

”Eh, Red Rose Hell.” Ulf's answer had come in Japanese.

Christina gave him a long look before she translated in her head. ”Red Rose Hell?” 'What was that about?'

”Forget what I said! It was a bad place. Don't want to talk about it. Come to think of it, forget anything I said!” Ulf's voice sharpened into a cutting edge.

”Sorry.” 'You didn't have to be that mean.' ”I'm just used to people watching me all the time.”

”I apologise. That was uncalled for. Let's talk about something more pleasant. Like how stunningly beautiful you are?”

Christina laughed. 'Over the top, Ulf. You shouldn't flatter a girl so blatantly.' ”Ah, let's not.” 'Actually, let's not. Just for now I'd like to be something more than just my looks.' And she regretted dressing up as she had done. 'Over the top, Christina.' ”You know, you asked if I wanted to go somewhere earlier. What about something to eat?”

Ulf brightened when she so obviously changed the topic. ”I know a restaurant where the food is excellent. The sommelier is an expert as well.”

Christina stared at Ulf. What had he just said?

”Or so I'm told. Not that it matters to us of course.”

”Sommelier?”

”Eh, mom and dad. Back home, during holidays, outside Sweden.”

Ulf was obviously flustered.

”So you travelled a lot before you moved here?” Christina asked. She was grateful that Ulf had handed her a neutral topic, and it didn't hurt if she learned a bit more of his background.

”Some,” Ulf admitted. ”I got to taste wine and beer. Small amounts,” he added.

”Preferences?” Christina suggested.

”A full bodied… eh, it's rather the same. Wine is sour and beer bitter.”

'Who are you?'

”I'm almost sixteen, so it's not as bad as it sounds,” he continued.

It was just as bad as it sounded. ”When is your birthday?”

”August fifteenth.”

That made 'almost' not nearly as imminent as he had made it sound.

”Yours?” he countered.

”May fifteenth,” she answered absent-mindedly. 'So, you're Leo. Certainly full enough of yourself to be one, I guess.'

”Taurus? Wait a moment. Fifteenth?”

”Yes, why?” Christina said.

”You know you're supposed to tell me small details like that?”

”No, why?”

”Why? Because… Bah, follow me!”

'What's up with him?' Then an image of a calendar popped up in her head. 'Oops. Forgot my own birthday again.' Christina smiled. 'He's cute. I wonder what he's up to.' She walked breathlessly behind him, fingers still locked with his.

”You like biking?” Ulf asked after they had rounded several corners and she was totally lost.

”Yes, why?”

”I've seen that atrocity of yours.” He dragged her through a door opening and quickly scanned the interior.

There were rows and rows with bikes.

”No, Ulf, you can't.”