Page 18 of Sweet Dreams

Kelly sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Sweetie, love is always a little insane. But from what I've seen, this Yuri guy is crazy about you. And life's too short to play it safe all the time."

"Besides," Jessie added, "statistically speaking, long-distance relationships that transition to in-person meetings have a 58%success rate, which is actually quite promising considering the variables involved."

Beth and Kelly stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Thanks, Jess," Beth said, wiping tears of joy from her eyes. "That's... oddly comforting."

Just then, Beth's phone chimed with an incoming video call from Yuri. She froze, looking panicked.

"Answer it!" Kelly hissed, shoving the phone into Beth's hands.

Taking a deep breath, Beth hit 'accept.' Yuri's face filled the screen, his blue eyes crinkling as he smiled.

"Privet, moye solnyshko! I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Beth was suddenly very aware that she was surrounded by lingerie and half-packed suitcases. "Nope! Not interrupting at all. Just, uh, doing some light reading."

Yuri raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Light reading, eh? Must be quite the page-turner. You're looking a little flushed."

Behind the phone, Kelly made exaggerated kissing faces while Jessie looked on, fascinated.

"Oh, you know," Beth stammered, "just some... steamy romance novels. Gotta stay warm in this winter weather somehow, right?"

Yuri's eyes darkened slightly, his voice dropping an octave. "Well, I can think of a few other ways to stay warm. Perhaps I could demonstrate when you get here."

Beth felt heat pool in her stomach. "I... I'd like that," she managed to say.

A crash from behind her made Beth jump. She turned to see Kelly tangled in a pile of clothes, having apparently tripped in her attempt to eavesdrop more closely.

"Everything okay over there?" Yuri asked, amusement clear in his voice.

"Fine! Everything's fine," Beth said quickly. "Just my, uh, cat. Very clumsy cat."

"I didn't know you had a cat," Yuri said, perplexed.

"Newly adopted," Beth lied smoothly. "She's still adjusting."

Still on the floor, Kelly let out an indignant "meow."

Yuri chuckled. "Well, I should let you get back to your... reading. And cat wrangling. But Beth?"

"Yes?" she breathed.

"I can't wait to see you, in person, to hold you." His voice was low and intimate.

Beth felt a shiver run down her spine. "Me too, Yuri. Soon."

As she ended the call, she turned to find Kelly and Jessie staring at her, Kelly with a triumphant grin and Jessie with a look of scientific fascination.

"Well," Kelly said, standing up and brushing herself off. "I think it's safe to say we need to pack some extra-sexy pajamas. And maybe some mistletoe. Just in case."

As the three women dissolved into giggles and resumed their packing efforts, Beth felt a mix of excitement and nerves flutter in her stomach. In just a few days, she'd be face to face with Yuri. No screens, no distance between them.

Eight

Acouple of days later, Beth's heart pounded as she stepped off the plane at Minsk National Airport. The butterflies in her stomach had morphed into full-fledged eagles during the flight. Now, they were threatening to carry her away entirely.

She clutched her carry-on bag, eyes scanning the crowd. And then, suddenly, there he was.

---