Waltzing on the Danube

by Miranda MacLeod

  Jeanie balled her fists, pumping them harder as she increased her speed into town. Her inability to figure out what made that woman tick was a bottomless well of frustration. Do I like her? Do I not? Does she like me? She wouldn't have to grapple with all this if they could just stop running into each other so much. River boats weren't the floating cities that ocean liners were, but they weren’t tiny. There had to be someplace to hide!

  The shop she was searching for was the last building on the street, conveniently marked by a flag fluttering outside with a picture of a bicycle on it. The woman at the counter spoke enough English for her to figure out quickly what Jeanie was looking for, and after filling out the paperwork, she showed Jeanie out the back door to choose from an assortment of bikes.

  Jeanie was just testing out the height of one of the seats when she heard a jingling sound from the back door. Her head swiveled, expecting that the shopkeeper was returning to see how she was getting on. Her stomach clenched as she saw Eleanor instead, and she watched warily as the usually confident woman took a single step outside, froze in place, swirled back around, and promptly closed the door.

  She’s hiding from me! Jeanie nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculous of it, conveniently forgetting that her plan to deal with Eleanor for the rest of the trip was essentially identical.

  “Eleanor?” Jeanie approached the door and tried again, louder. “Elle, I know you’re there!”

  The door creaked open and Eleanor stepped outside. “Oh, Jeanie. I didn't realize you were here.” Her expression dared anyone to prove otherwise.

  The hell you didn't! But Eleanor was a rational woman. If she'd decided to hide, there must be a good reason. With a sinking feeling, Jeanie once more attempted to recall how their night in Bratislava had ended, but failed. “I'm afraid of the answer, but I've just gotta know. Elle, please, be honest with me.” Jeanie swallowed roughly. “Did I do something really awful at the club? Or on the drive home?”

  “No,” Eleanor assured her, and Jeanie let out a relieved breath. “Of course not. You mean, you don't remember?”

  Jeanie shook her head. “Not a thing, at least not after trying to stand up from the table and my head starting to spin. We didn't...”

  “Didn't what?” Eleanor appeared to have stopped breathing.

  “Dance?” Jeanie squeaked, her heart racing at the sudden discomfort on Eleanor's face. “I just… I sort of remember… I didn't force you to dance a tango in front of everyone, did I? And then everyone started to clap when we were done?”

  “What?” Eleanor dissolved into laughter. “No, of course not!”

  Jeanie let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God! For a minute, I thought…” An image of Eleanor's lips brushing hers flitted through her mind. It felt so real, and yet…“Never mind. It was obviously all just a vivid dream.”

  Eleanor chose a bike from the row and wheeled it toward the gate. Jeanie followed, throwing her leg over the bar and hoisting herself onto the leather seat of the one she’d chosen. Tension hung in the air as each seemed to weigh whether to ride together or apart.

  Eleanor smiled apprehensively. “Well, have a nice ride.”

  “Yes, you too.” The tension that drained from Jeanie's body formed an almost visible puddle on the ground at this unspoken pledge to ride their separate ways.

  They mounted their bikes and began to pedal. But instead of heading in opposite directions, they each headed the same way down the road, side by side though on opposite sides of the pavement. After several yards, Eleanor stopped her bike. “So,” she said with a sigh, “I take it you’re heading to the winery, too?”

  “No, not particularly. I was just riding this direction because it’s downhill. I don’t have to go this way, if you’d rather I didn’t,” Jeanie offered, sensing Eleanor's displeasure.

  “Well, I had been planning to follow a winery tour from my guide book, but maybe I should go the other way,” Eleanor offered politely.

  They'd been walking on eggshells all morning. Back and forth. Jeanie couldn't take it any more. “Listen, I like you. Okay, Elle? I’ve said it. If that’s what we're tiptoeing around, then now you know. I do.” Jeanie looked away, embarrassment burning her cheeks even while she felt relief for putting the unspoken thing between them into words.

  “Thank you for being honest,” Eleanor said, looking prim.

  Jeanie fixed her with a long, pointed stare. “That’s all you have to say?”

  Eleanor began to squirm. “What? Okay, fine,” she grumbled. “Me too.”

  Jeanie acknowledged her confession with a nod. “See isn’t that better to have it out in the open?”

  “Not really.”

  “Come on, Elle, we’re adults. There’s nothing wrong with admitting to being attracted,” she added when Eleanor continued to look unsure. “We’ve acknowledged it, and now we can ignore it and move on.”

  “Just…like that?”

  “Of course! We’d be fools to act on it, and I’m not an idiot, and neither are you. We both know that we’ve been thrown together in this artificial environment and that there’s absolutely no way that any of this translates to the real world.” Jeanie felt a stab of regret. “I mean, maybe if we had met somewhere back home…”

  Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “Where could we possibly have met in our real lives?”

  “Nowhere!” Jeanie laughed, and Eleanor joined in, relieving the tension. “See? That’s the point. I mean, at least if we’d met in a bar in Poughkeepsie, for example—”

  “Why would I be in a bar in Poughkeepsie?”

  “You wouldn’t! And I never go into Manhattan, if I can help it. See, we wouldn’t have had the chance to become friends in real life, let alone anything else. But that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to be friendly while we’re on this trip, does it?”

  Eleanor smiled. “Of course not.”

  “So now that we’ve got that out in the open,” Jeanie added pleadingly, “do you think we can manage to ride on this bike path together, or should I turn around and go the other direction?”

  “I think we can manage.” Eleanor pushed off with her foot and began to pedal. “In fact, I’m really glad we talked this through. I feel surprisingly better.”

  “Good.” Jeanie pedaled alongside. “Because I wasn’t looking forward to riding uphill.”

  Eleanor gave her a funny look. “You know it’ll be uphill on the way back, right?”

  “Sure, but I’ve got hours before I have to think about that!”

  “We really are complete opposites, you know. We’d be disastrous together.”

  “Completely disastrous!” Jeanie agreed with a shake of her head, as the two women pedaled along, side by side, in perfect harmony.

  The road followed the twists and curves of the Danube, staying mostly flat even while the hills beside them grew increasingly steep. Here, a short rock wall separated the bike path from the lowest of several terraces, the vines growing so close to the edge that the grapes swung above them just a few inches from their heads. Jeanie reached out as they rode past, snapping off a cluster with her fingers as she passed. She slowed to a stop and rested the bike against the wall as Eleanor joined her.

  Jeanie popped a juicy green grape into her mouth. “Wanna try one?”

  “Jeanie, you’re not supposed to pick those!” Eleanor’s tongue clicked reproachfully.

  Jeanie eyed the acres of grapes that seemed to stretch all the way to the sky. “I doubt they’ll run out.” She plucked a grape from her cluster and flicked it Eleanor’s head. “Live a little, Elle.” She giggled as the grape bounced off the corner of Eleanor’s lip. A shiver ran down her spine as their eyes connected, Eleanor holding her gaze as if daring her to try again. With a slow, deliberate twist, Jeanie armed herself with another grape. She took aim, still not breaking eye contact, and flicked the orb at her target. Eleanor caught the grape between her teeth and Jeanie clapped in delighted surprise.

  “That’s not bad,” Eleanor commented, liki
ng her lips. “Can I have another?”

  “Eleanor Fielding, eating stolen grapes.” Jeanie clucked her tongue as she tore the cluster in two and handed over one half. “So rebellious!”

  They walked silently along the edge of the path, pushing their bikes and eating grapes. Eleanor gave Jeanie a sidelong look. “I feel guilty.”

  “For what?”

  “Stealing the grapes.”

  Jeanie stopped and turned, studying Eleanor’s face and finding a glimmer of something—perhaps it was fear—deep within her amber eyes. “Oh, sweetie. You’re not kidding, are you.”

  Eleanor shook her head. “My stomach’s all in knots. Maybe we should see if there’s a farmhouse and offer to pay?”

  “Fine, I'll come along, but I think I’ll leave this particular conversation to you. Do you speak German?” Jeanie winced as Eleanor shook her head no. “This’ll be interesting. Come on, let’s go.”

  Just ahead was a break in the wall, with a small path that led from the road and disappeared between the vines. They pushed their bikes out of view, leaning them against the wall on the opposite side of the vineyard, and started up the path by foot.

  The gravel crunched and skittered beneath their steps as they climbed, until they reached the top of the first terrace. Here, another path led off in both directions. Jeanie looked one way and then the other, then shrugged. “Which way now? And please don’t say up.”

  “No, going up won’t do us any good. Who would build a farmhouse that high? And we didn’t see any buildings on the ride, so heading back that way doesn’t make sense. We should go to the left.”

  “You’re very logical. What?” she added as Eleanor shot her a dirty look. “That’s a compliment! You’re good at thinking things through.”

  Eleanor shrugged. “It’s pretty much my job, I guess.”

  “Making sure no one takes any risks?”

  “Not any risks. You have to take some, all businesses do. I just figure out what’s likely to happen in the future, given different sets of circumstances, and guide my clients toward the risks that are worth the pay off.”

  “Sounds important.”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like what you do isn’t just as important.”

  Jeanie stared ahead, painfully aware of her disappointment in her own accomplishments compared to Eleanor. What did she do all day except keep kids in line and lecture them on things that had happened in the past that they didn't care anything about? Maybe she could've been more, if she hadn't thrown in the towel. She shuffled along the path in a funk, but perked up as she spotted a curl of smoke in the distance. “Oh, look! I think it’s a chimney. That must be the house.”

  As the building came into view, they soon realized that it was much more than a house. The cottage with the chimney was just one of several buildings, and the footpath they’d taken was far from the only access to the complex. In fact, a wide drive led up from the main road, and there were dozens of cars parked on a grassy clearing. A tent had been set up beside one of the buildings. It was filled with rustic wooden tables, and the sounds of an accordion and assorted brass instruments filled the air, along with the chattering buzz of the crowd.

  “I think I know what this is.” Eleanor reached into her satchel and pulled out her tour book. She rifled through the pages while Jeanie looked on, finally opening to the section on the Wachau Valley. “Huh. I don’t see it on the map. But this is obviously a winery of some kind, and I’m almost positive they’re having a new wine festival.”

  “A festival? That’s perfect!” The prospect of approaching a crusty old farmer and confessing to stealing grapes had set Jeanie’s usually steely nerves jangling. This gave them an out. “If we buy tickets to the festival, it’ll more than make up for the grapes. Besides, if they’re serving wine, I’m sure they’ll have food, too. And I’m starving.”

  Jeanie took Eleanor by the hand as they went in search of a place to buy tickets. She smiled contentedly. After laying their issues out earlier and realizing they were on the same page about where their friendship stood, Jeanie felt free to indulge in friendly gestures without worrying that Eleanor would interpret them as flirting. What a relief! As they stood in line for tickets, Eleanor's thumb caressed Jeanie's palm, while Jeanie gave Eleanor's fingers a squeeze. Neither seemed to pay the least bit of notice to how thoroughly their hands remained clasped.

  Chapter 17

  “Look at all this food!” Eleanor’s mouth watered as she surveyed the rough-hewn tables that groaned under the weight of more platters than she could count. Cold meats, cheeses, crusty breads, dozens of side dishes, and bowls overflowing with grapes and other fruits, stretched the entire length of the tent. Though she suspected that her stomach would suffer for it later, the knowledge didn’t deter her from piling more items onto her plate.

  “You didn’t get any grapes,” Jeanie pointed out as she grabbed a cluster of purple ones from a bowl.

  “It was a conscious decision. I’m making up for the ones we stole.” Eleanor chuckled as Jeanie rolled her eyes before adding a second cluster to her own plate. The teasing didn’t bother her today. It was just such a relief to be on good terms again.

  They found seats at a table for two toward the center of the tent. Though it was only late afternoon, with several hours of sunlight left in the day, it was darker beneath the heavy canvas covering. A trio of tea lights flickered in clear glass holders that sat on the bare wood of the table top. Tiny white bulbs twinkled on strings overhead. That, combined with the persistent oom-pah from the band, gave the festival’s atmosphere a lively party vibe.

  “Can you believe how lucky we were to find this place?” Jeanie’s smile beamed from ear to ear, and for once Eleanor found that she couldn’t argue with her companion’s astonishing good fortune.

  “I’ll admit that spontaneity can have the occasional benefit,” Eleanor replied. “If I’d been relying only on my tour book, I never would have known this was here. It wasn’t on the map, and according to the book, there aren’t any festivals in this region until late August.”

  Jeanie’s smile grew even wider, her teeth sparkling in the candlelight. “See? I’m a good influence on you. If you hadn’t let me ride along with you, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Eleanor’s jaw dropped in mock-offense. “Oh, you think you should get all the credit?” She thought for a moment. “What about me? If I hadn’t been about to have a panic attack over those stupid grapes, we’d never have left the trail. We would have passed right by and never known it was here.”

  Jeanie pursed her lips. “But I’m the one who took you seriously when you said you were feeling anxious. I should get credit for that.”

  “Except that I was only feeling anxious because you stole the grapes in the first place! You don’t get extra credit for being the cause of my anxiety, as well as its cure.” Eleanor gave a snort. “Good influence, my ass!”

  “Fine,” Jeanie said with a pout, “at least you can admit that we make a good team.”

  “Actually, I can’t argue with that.” Eleanor laughed as Jeanie’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously. Traveling with you has been an unexpected pleasure. For the most part.” Even Eleanor felt surprised by the realization, and how easy it was to admit now that they had cleared the air.

  A server came by pouring wine, her full-skirted dirndl brushing the chair backs as she walked through the crowded tent. Jeanie and Eleanor held out their glasses as she went by, then held them up to inspect the light golden liquid. Jeanie sniffed the glass and wrinkled her nose. “Interesting.”

  Eleanor inhaled as well, an almost vinegary odor tickling her nostrils. “Well, I guess we should try it.” She lifted the glass to her lips and grimaced as the first drop hit her tongue. Across the table, Jeanie’s face mirrored her own. “Wow. That’s really…”

  “Sweet? Goodness. We won’t have to worry about me drinking too much today, that’s for certain.” Jeanie waved her arm in the direction the server had gone.
/>   “What are you doing?”

  “Just going to see if we can get something else. There she is!” Jeanie hopped up from the table. “Be right back.”

  Eleanor watched with amusement as Jeanie tracked down the server, her hands gesticulating excitedly as she explained the situation. Moments later, she returned with two new glasses. “Maria, that's the server—oh, and she was an exchange student in New Jersey, isn't that nice? Anyway, she thinks we’ll like these much better.”

  The fact that she’d gotten exactly what she wanted in record time and learned the server’s name and life story in the process no longer struck Eleanor as in the least bit odd. As Eleanor sipped the dry white wine, she reflected that this was one of the many ways in which they made a good team. Eleanor would’ve fussed and fumed at everyone in sight for hours over the issue, and with half as good a resolution in the end.

  As the guests finished their meals, the musicians moved from beneath the tent to set up again in a clear, flat courtyard. The band’s leader made an announcement in German, which neither Eleanor nor Jeanie understood, but obviously many in the crowd did because soon after several couples had left the tables and reconvened on the open space. The opening notes of an Austrian folk melody reverberated above the din of after dinner conversation, and the couples took hands and began to dance.

  Jeanie broke into a delighted grin. “Elle, look! It’s the dance that we learned this morning in class!”

  “The dance you learned, you mean. I told you, I was just passing through.”

  Though she had no interest in dancing herself, Eleanor was intrigued enough to wander with Jeanie to the edge of the courtyard to watch. Glimpsing Jeanie’s shining face, Eleanor’s heart sank. It was obvious the woman was itching to dance. Now that she’d shaken off her anxiety over their attraction to one another and was truly settled on just being friends, Eleanor found herself examining her actions through the lens of what a typical friend might do. In this case, it seemed reasonable that a friend would ask Jeanie to dance, and Eleanor felt a pang of guilt at her failure to oblige.