Asta felt out of place in this bar.

She came here looking for company; a friend to keep her entertained. But it was clear this was a high-class bar for meant for couples only and not single ladies like her. She was dolled up nicely with a beautiful long red dress that went down to her feet while her hair was done up nicely in an extravagant bun and not one patron paid any attention to her or her good looks. She was tempted to leave but the colourful brass band and tasteful alcohol were enough to keep her inside. She did however frown when the gentleman near her table decided to light up a cigar and she quickly retreated towards the bar. Asta couldn’t stand the smell of tobacco, an unfortunate circumstance she had to suffer whenever she went out in public.

She was in dire need of a drink and asked for a martini glass. The server obliged and quickly prepared it. When he placed it down on the table, the drink was a nice pink colour and had a light fruity taste. A lady was sitting to her left and as Asta drank, her eyes took a peak of the woman’s figure. She was beautifully dressed in a white frilly flapper dress and dawned a stylish blonde page-boy hair cut that was currently all the rage. Rows of pearl necklaces decorated her appearance and her black rimmed glasses added a nice touch to her delicate facial features. Asta found her to be quite the looker; an attractive woman like her didn’t cross her path that often.

She was eager to get a conversation started.

“Hey, haven’t seen ya around these parts before.”

The woman looked up at Asta rather surprised but with a kind smile, she keeps the ball rolling.

“I could say the same for yourself,” she replied. “Do you come hear often?”

“Clearly not enough if I’m missing out on a cute lady like you.”

Asta took a chance in charming her and her gamble appeared to have paid off. Her laughter was like music to her ears.

“Aren’t you quite the talker? I wasn’t expecting to find such a charismatic lady like yourself in a couples bar.”

“I was just about to say the same thing. I hope that your partner didn’t just get up and ditch ya. What a crime that would be!”

The woman laughed again, “No, no, I’m as single as they get. I like to come here for the good music and drinks. It’s nice to come here and not be annoyed by rowdy patrons.”

“Oh,” Asta replied somewhat nervously, “I certainly hope I didn’t disturb ya.”

“Absolutely not. You’re an exception,” She grinned as Asta felt a wave of relief rush across her. There was nothing worse in her book than invading someone’s space and trying to flirt with them when really they only want some solitude. She was quickly gaining her confidence back and was eager to get her game back on track.

“I never caught your name.”

“Call me Asta,” she replied. “And you?”

“Õnnela.”

Asta was taken back by such a foreign name. “I’m sorry?”

“Õnnela,” she repeated.

“Önnela?” Asta struggled to pronounce the first letter of her name, making several attempts but failing each time. Õnnela didn’t seem to mind and was unfazed by it, even giggling at her failures.

“You sound just like the islanders back home! They can’t say the Õ that well either. Some people just call me Ela if it makes things easier.”

Asta was a little embarrassed by the flub but she doesn’t let it show. Instead she continues on with their conversation. She found herself feeling a little infatuated with Õnnela. She was not just a good looker—Asta discovered that they had much more common than she had thought. They enjoyed the simple things in life: baking sweets, curling up by the fire and knitting with a record on, and summer nights out in the country side. But Asta was learning so much more; she had only been here for a few months and was living with her cousin—a Finnish woman by the name of Aino, and was both a vocal and piano teacher at a local music school further west of the city. The pay was awful but she was doing what she loved most and that’s all that matter to Õnnela. She loved books and was fascinated by the evolving world around them. Asta was impressed with just how intelligent she was and watching her eyes light up as she spoke of machines, astronomy, and chemistry and made her heart flutter. She knew nothing of these topics but she loved listening to her ramble on. The grin on Asta’s face couldn’t be wiped away.

It was after midnight but the night was still young and Asta couldn’t stand the thought of not having Õnnela by her side. She offered her a chance to join her on the dance floor, and while Õnnela happily took the offer, Asta quickly learned that dancing wasn’t her strong suit and quickly apologized for laughing at her attempts. Õnnela wasn’t bothered it at all however; the music was too upbeat and she was a little tipsy from the drinks she had. The two women were on cloud nine as they danced closely together. Õnnela’s arms were wrapped over Asta’s shoulders and it was driving her wild. What she wouldn’t give to share just one kiss with this alluring lady who she was quickly falling for.

They stayed till the venue closed at two in the morning. They walked out together arm-in-arm as if they had known each other for ages. But the ladies were brought back to reality when the sounds of black vehicle repeatedly honked in the parking lot. Õnnela immediately recognized the figure as Aino in the driver’s seat. She didn’t ask for a ride but she hadn’t planned on staying long, only coming for the cheap drinks. Õnnela felt a little guilty for letting her cousin worry without saying anything (not that she really could anyhow).

“Ya know that lady?”

Õnnela nodded, “Yeah, that’s my cousin. She must have been worried since I don’t normally stay out this late.”

“Oh!” Asta went wide-eyed when she realized just how long they had stayed at the bar. She panicked as she spoke, “I’m sorry! I should have kept ya this long—”

“No need to apologize,” Õnnela interrupted. “We had fun didn’t we?”

The way Õnnela’s lashes fluttered as she blinked made her blush and lose her cool. She was always so confident around the people she was interested in. But here was this woman, about the same height as her, who could reduce her down to a bundle of nerves. How could one woman be this adorable? Asta said to herself as she struggled to stay composed.

“The best I’ve h-had in a long time. Could I maybe... see ya again?”

Asta’s tone was very timid and Õnnela was grinning from ear to ear as she giggled ever so quietly. She reached into her tiny clutch purse and pulled out a small little card and a pink lipstick, the same kind that matched the one her lips were coated with. She used the lipstick to write something on the back and then sealed her writing with a kiss before handing it to her.

“I hope to hear from you soon,” Õnnela said as she waved goodbye before making a dash to Aino’s car.

Asta was at a loss for words as she watched her run away. She looked at the card with such strong eyes, memorizing each and every detail. On one side was Õnnela’s number, written in shaky writing but Asta could still make out each number clearly while the kiss was largely faded. On the other side, she quickly learned it was her business card from the school she had worked for:

Õnnela Tamm
Piano & Vocal Teacher
Nordea Academy of Music
Øsel 2, 0524 København SV

Asta held the card close to her chest and sighed heavily. Her heart was beating so quickly she was sure it was going to burst from her chest. She couldn’t wait to see Õnnela again.