*** It is 1917 in the heat of the Russian Revolution. Watching Natasha speak to other men at a social gathering has made Borya jealous and insecure. Natasha reassures him with a fabulous blowjob..in public.***
Glowing lamplight illuminated the front of the Tretyakov Gallery under the black autumn night sky. It was a Friday, and a crowd of people stood about at the entrance and inside the hallways chattering, drinking and enjoying the food. Tonight was the opening of a new art exhibit, and many of the party members were in attendance. This was one of those many evenings when Natasha and Borya had to stay at a polite distance. There could be no strolling together thru the evening. Plenty of rumors were already swirling up and down the halls during the day as committee members watched whom their leader was spending his time with and how often. It was important that they did not appear as a couple.
Striding by herself across the vast reception hall, Natasha checked in her cloak then made her way upstairs. She had been looking forward to this show for a while.
Along the walls were colorful, geometrically abstract paintings, a complete contrast to the traditional, detailed traditional Russian artwork normally on display. When she made her way to the end of the hallway and into the larger room, she discovered with delight that the artist himself, Kazmir Malvich, was there in the middle of the room talking to a small group of people. After listening to them for a moment, she waited for the right opportunity to introduce herself, and join in the conversation. The group had a lively chat for a while until the others departed, leaving just Natasha and Kazmir to exchange notes on other artists they admired. She was enjoying herself so much she did not at first notice the curious and constant glances from a man on the far side of the room, who was flanked by an entourage of high ranking party officials. After a moment Natasha realized it was Borya, stealing sidelong glances at her from under his black cap. He had a way of projecting himself, even across a large room. She quickly realized she had been under his attentive watch this entire time. He was so obviously spying on her.
There were moments, such as this, when Natasha could not help but feel a little bit of resentment, considering there was no official binding contract between them defining their relationship. She figured she was free to talk to whom she wanted and gave him this same freedom in return. The whole situation, admittedly, lent itself to unease in these public moments.
Walking past Borya, Natasha nodded a formal hello to him as she went downstairs with Kazmir to enjoy some food and wine before it was gone. She could feel her lover watching her as she and the artist walked by. Even hemmed in by his ever-present entourage and eager people crowding around to talk with him, his keen eyes missed nothing, and seeing Natasha laughing and talking with another man was making him bristle.
About an hour later, after Natasha had made the rounds with people she knew she began to make her way downstairs to return to the reception area. She turned when she heard Kazmir calling after her on the way down the steps. He reached into his coat pocket and handed her a business card.
"I would be delighted to give you a tour of my studio, Natasha. I would like to hear your opinion on my new work." he said, his voice slightly raised to compete with the talking and laughter around them.
"And I would like you see you again," he added with a warm smile.
She took the card and thanked him as yet more people came over to him to talk, cornering him by the banister.
"Thank you, thank you, that would be wonderful, yes!" she called to him, as she continued to head downstairs. It was time for her to leave as she and Borya had a preset time and location they were to meet that night, away from the crowds at the gallery about four blocks away. She collected her cloak from the reception desk and headed outside into the cold night air. Glancing down at Kazmir's card, she turned it over in her hand thinking about his offer, then tucked it into her purse.
She only had to wait a couple minutes before Borya met up with her. She watched him walk towards her, his black coat buttoned up to the top, his cap pulled down and his hands in his pockets. Anyone would easily mistake him for just another commoner. He dressed plainly and very modestly, never interested in ornamentation or decorative acknowledgement of his position.
He stopped momentarily when they met, giving out a short gruff hello without making eye contact. Facing the pathway, they both walked side by side quietly. Borya was very closed up, facing forward and slightly bent with his signature stoop. It was body language that signaled his mind was preoccupied and he did not want to talk. He also had not given her his customary kiss when they normally met.
Well, someone had to make the first crack in the wall. Natasha spoke up.
"That was a wonderful show," she said. "I'm really enjoying the new direction art is taking. It's very commercial in a way..it's very.."
"Ugly," Borya interrupted. "It looks like paper cut outs, tossed all over the floor. Even a child could make something that simple."
"So let me guess. It turns out you are not a big fan of cubism," she said sarcastically.
His gaze focused ahead of him. He kept his head down, his eyes under his cap brim.
"What talent does it take to paint a black square? If I see something I could do myself...what is there to applaud?"
"It's more the concept behind it.." Natasha explained. "The intellectual concept.."
"Bah!" Borya bellowed. His eyes were coming alive now, as his temper flared. "Bourgeois rubbish," he spat. "Everyone thinks they have some radically new intellectual invention to flaunt. Why don't I pick up some leaves here, off the ground, and glue them to a canvas? Then what..do I get my own art show?"
"You very well might!" Natasha laughed.
"Of course you would say that," he grumbled. "You seem to be rather easily seduced by hucksters and their vapid intellectual stunts. Funny, because they so transparent! I thought you were more intelligent than that."
She stopped in her tracks. Borya halted a few feet in front of her.
"You refer to Kazmir?" she asked.
Borya didn't say anything, he just looked off into the distance.
"I asked you a question. Do you think Kazmir was trying to "seduce" me?"
"Are you naΓ―ve?" Borya huffed.
"Oh Borya." Natasha replied, taking a few steps to catch up to him. "I am not interested in Kazmir...in that way. We were simply discussing art."
"It is not you I am worried about. Did he give you one of his cards? Did he invite you to his studio?"
She was exasperated at his apparent non stop spy mission on her interactions that evening, even down to the last minute she was there.
"Honestly is it any of your business?" she said, her voice impatient. "You are not my husband, as far as I know. Or are you are my father, spying on me? Have I restrictions on conversation?"
Borya stood, as if a statue, staring off into the distance. He pursed his lips, silently, with his hands still in his pockets. What was he to say to that? Surely he would be a hypocrite preaching morality to her, considering he was the one who was in a marriage, as unhappy as it was.
Natasha walked over and stopped in front of him. She took the brim of his cap and pulled it up his forehead so she could see his eyes. Still he looked at the ground, refusing to acknowledge her.