Winter Swan

Scandinavia.

It had been so long since she heard that word. It made her smile.

"Not Denmark. I'm from Norway."

"Oh, Norway."

Christian studied her slowly.

"I see."

It was the strangest thing. Ever since she first arrived in New York, Silje rarely talked unless necessary, but with Christian, words came out easily for her. Was it because they were both from the same region?

With his light brown eyes, he made her feel comfortable. When he asked her to go for a coffee with him, Silje felt glad to say yes.

Soft light brown eyes.

They looked friendly.

Christian said, "There is a North European style cafe near here and I go there often. They also sell Ikea furniture. They don't serve reindeer meat, but they still sell traditional Sweden drinks and brunch."

At Christian's joke about the reindeer meat, Silje smiled faintly. Christian continued, "You can drink the Swedish parsley drink there. It has apples and herbs in it. For me, I like to drink strong coffee from that place whenever I have to work overnight for the fashion shows. That is the only way I can survive those hard nights."

"Maybe later."

Staring back at his beautiful eyes, Silje replied quietly.

"Let's go for that strong coffee after the fashion show. I have never been to Sweden, so I don't know what that parsley drink tastes like. It sounds interesting."

"Okay then. After the show, we will go for it. It will make you feel better. I guarantee it."

When Christian smiled at her seductively, Silje asked, "Is it that good? Will it really make me feel better? I am curious now."

"It will, but don't have too high of an expectation. I don't want to disappoint you. Let's go after the show. I think it would be nice for us to talk."

"Why?"

"You go on the runway like your life depends on it. I've only seen such intensity and determination once or twice in my twenty years of working. For someone like you, I can spare a few minutes."

***

"This outfit is tight except for the waist. It needs to be fixed," Christian ordered while helping with the fitting.

Afterward, he smiled at Silje.

"Good luck."

"You too."

When she replied calmly, he winked at her. The only time they met was during the final fitting and it was only for a few seconds.

But it was a bit different today, because after this show, they were going to go for a drink. Silje was looking forward to it.

"Hello."

After the show, they met again in the elevator. Their eyes met and to Silje's surprise, it felt comfortable. She felt like she knew Christian very well like she had known him for a very long time.

"So shall we go for a cup of coffee? The show's finally over."

When he asked her calmly, Silje smiled and replied, "Sure. Why not?"

Christian smiled as well.

Things felt different today. Normally, something like this would've never happened. To go for a coffee with the most popular designer in New York…

It was the most incredible thing, yet it still felt natural.

Silje felt content around him and she wanted to go with him. In this dark night, Silje felt lonely and wanted to have a nice conversation.

So she agreed to take up Christian's offer.

The North European style cafe [Finlandia].

Silje smiled when she saw the place. It felt like home. It reminded her of Norway; the bright sky, the fjord, and the nature…

"A glass of Parsley Swedish and an espresso for me."

Christian ordered and when she took a sip of the cold drink, he asked, "How is it?"

He was kind and considerate. Silje replied slowly, "It's good. I like it."

It wasn't anything special, but it was still refreshing. The drink made her feel relaxed.

Silje blinked slowly. Christian definitely had the knack for making her feel calm. Perhaps everyone felt like that around him. The fashion world was always hectic and tense, and his kindness and considerate nature made the people around him feel easy and assured.

Christian reminded Silje of a plant. Having his company in this cafe named Finlandia made her remember the aurora in the night sky.

Of course, as they talked, she could see the genius in him as well. There were moments when his eyes sharpened intelligently. He was a world-famous designer after all. A large black man, Christian's bodyguard, reminded her of this fact.

Silje suddenly grinned and Christian asked in amusement, "What is so funny? Tell me! I want to know."

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering if that guy never leaves your sight."

"Oh, he is symbolic more than anything. Just ignore him. Think of him as a statue."

Slow and smooth tone. Christian always seemed peaceful and Silje realized that she enjoyed talking to this man.

"Christian, you are the most New Yorker-like person I have ever met. Where in New York do you like to spend most of your time?"

She was curious about him. Where did he like to go in New York? What kind of friends did he have? Where did he eat?

After a brief silence, he looked at her and replied, "Finlandia. I like coming here for a drink and afterward, I go to the observatory to look at the stars. Sometimes, I go to the Four Seasons hotel restaurant for dinner. I go right before it closes and get a full course meal. Then afterward, I often go to the Hemingway Bar."

"Hemingway Bar? Is that your favorite bar?"

Christian nodded.

"It has a very unique interior structure. It's dark inside and after you pass the sofa, you need to open the door that looks like a wall. When you go in, it looks like a cave and the place is filled with bookcases. When I drink there, I feel like I am walking down a street in Spain."

Christian stopped and looked at her. It was strange to see how easy it was for her to picture what he described. In this moment, she felt like she was really in Spain under the bright sun.

When she took a deep breath, Christian offered quietly.

"Won't you go there with me right now? I suddenly want to go get a drink with you."