Page 43 of From Helsinki with Love
“No worries,” I reply reassuringly as Vivian gets up and walks to the guest room, closing the door behind her.
I must remember that the Finnish sauna culture can be overwhelming for a foreigner. Even going to the sauna naked isn’t anything sexual to me, it seems as though Vivian took my suggestion the wrong way. I wouldn’t mind seeing her naked, but that wasn’t my point.
Heading to my room to get ready, I quickly change into my swim trunks and head back to the living room, where Vivian is waiting for me. She’s wrapped in a bath towel, and I can’t help but appreciate how good she looks in it.
“Ready to go?” I ask, trying to focus on not showing how much her presence affects me. “You can shower first, and I’ll be there after you in a minute.”
She nods and starts walking toward the main bathroom where the sauna is located. Many Finnish apartments and houses have their own, so we don’t have to go to the public to enjoy the heat.
I grab us both drinks and follow her after a moment has passed. I know I have to control myself as I don’t want her to think I was trying to get her naked for selfish reasons.
Taking a quick cold shower, I think of how I have missed having a proper sauna. I didn’t suggest warming it up at my parents’ place, as that used to be our thing with my pappa. But he stopped having almost daily saunas after the accident. So tonight was the first night I thought it was a good idea.
I push the door and feel the heat emanating from the wooden walls the moment I step in. The familiar smell of it all relaxes my shoulders, and I let out a relieved sigh while closing my eyes.
“I assume that was a positive reaction?” I hear Vivian ask.
I open my eyes to see her sitting on the lower bench, and I steal glances at her curves in that black bikini.
“Yes, I have missed this,” I tell her as I reach the upper bench behind her. My sauna is big enough for four people or more, so we can comfortably sit.
“You don’t have one back in The City?”
“No, I’ve lived in rented apartments with roommates all my NHL career, so I haven’t had a chance to build one yet.”
“Why don’t you live alone?” Vivian wonders.
I shrug, thinking how to voice my thoughts. “I don’t like living alone and enjoy having a roommate. Sure, getting my own place would be easy, but why would I do that if I’m happy where I am?”
“That makes sense,” she says before looking around. “So, what do we do now? It’s my first time in a proper sauna.”
“Well, you could pour water on those hot stones, which causes steam to rise in the air, heating the sauna more,” I tell her, pointing at the stones on top of the sauna stove. “It can be intense at first, but when the sweat drips down your body, it’ll feel like you are cleansing from within.”
She does as I suggested and soon curses. “Fuck, it’s hotter than Satan’s ball sack in here.”
I can’t help but laugh. “And that’s why us Finns love it.”
13
I CAN’T EAT RUDOLPH!
VIVIAN
During what has become our morning routine, we eat breakfast and drink coffee together the first thing after waking up. It makes me happy knowing we’ve spent so much time together in the past few days that we can call what we do a routine.
Jasper takes a sip of his coffee before speaking. “Everything should be open today. We can go on a walking tour around Helsinki where I show you some places I’ve always found fascinating. Last night we had a lot of fresh snow, and I think the views will be amazing.”
“Do you have a route in mind?”
“Yeah, I think I do. I’ll check on a few things while you get ready. Then maybe I could kiss you…”
I smile at Jasper, who’s moving to sit on the couch after grabbing his iPad from the kitchen island. “I can wait if I’m promised a kiss.”
“That I can promise you without any hesitation.”
As I stay at the table, throwing glances at him while he checks the schedules, I’m grateful for Jasper’s offer to take me on a walking tour around the city. I’ve been hoping to explore it more, but so far, we’ve had other plans. But now, with Jasper as my private tour guide, I can’t wait to see more of what Helsinki has to offer.
“Where are we going first?” I ask.
