Page 18 of From Helsinki with Love
VIVIAN
Iadmire the view of snow-covered trees as we land at the Helsinki airport. They weren’t kidding online when they called Finland the land of forests. It’s almost all I can spot, next to some buildings.
As the plane touches down on the runway, I realize I didn’t panic like I normally do. When I glance at Jasper, he’s already watching me with a big smile.
“WTF.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”
“WTF stands forWelcomeToFinland. In this case, anyway.”
I laugh at his joke. “Ah, gotcha…welcome home, Jasper.”
Something flashes in his eyes when I say that—sadness? longing?—but it’s gone as soon as I notice it.
“Thanks, it’s good to be home,” he tells me as the plane rolls to a stop.
I get up hastily, ready to take my bag, while Jasper sits in his seat, putting on sunglasses and a gray beanie with what I think is the white and blue Finnish flag on it. His get-up piques my interest. “Jasper, why aren’t you getting ready to leave the plane?”
“I like to avoid the masses of people and stay until the plane empties.”
“Is that why you wear that?” I ask, pointing up and down at him. “It doesn’t hide your identity that well, especially when combined with the Woodpeckers hoodie.”
He nods, letting out a short chuckle. “It works surprisingly well when people don’t expect to see me in public. I’m hiding in plain sight.”
“Well, I guess this is a goodbye, then.”
The words taste like ash in my mouth as soon as I say them. Jasper’s jaw hardens, and all the humor is gone. “Bye, Vivian. I hope you enjoy Lapland with your parents.”
“Thanks. Happy holidays.”
Jasper first says something I can’t understand and then continues, “That’s Finnish for Merry Christmas.”
“I won’t even try to repeat it, but Merry Christmas, Jasper. It was lovely to meet you.”
“Likewise, take care.”
“You too,” I say, and with a final glance his way, I turn to wait until I can leave the aircraft.
Thirty minutes later, when we’re still waiting for our bags, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I quickly turn and come face to face with Jasper, who's still wearing the sunglasses, smiling from ear to ear. His reaction to seeing me is infectious and I can't help but smile back.
“I guess it wasn’t time for a goodbye yet,” he murmurs in a low tone.
“I guess so. How did your incognito go?”
“It seems like more than one person recognized me, but they didn’t stop. Finns are like that—thank fuck. They just let me be most of the time. Maybe they also caught my sour mood about making the headlines.”
“Or they could have just respected your privacy.”
“That could be it.”
Not wanting our time together to end, I devise a lame excuse to get his contact details. “Hey Jasper, what if you give me your number, and I’ll text you if I’ve any questions about Finland or hockey?”
He laughs and flashes me his beautiful smile while taking off his sunglasses and then his phone out of his pocket.
“Sure, that can be why you’re asking for it.” He winks before continuing. “Don’t worry, I would have asked yours before saying goodbye the second time. I regretted not having your number the moment you left that plane.”
His words make me giddy. “I wanted to turn back and get your number, too.”
