POWER & BEAUTY ( Valeriy and Vasilisa - a love story )

Part 1

He was mesmerised by this beautiful, angelic, blonde-haired girl gliding across the ice performing this breathtaking, sensual dance like he was watching one of Russia's infamous classic ballerinas but on ice. He was a handsome 19-year-old of Russian descent, the embodiment of a Ralph Lauren model, with dark hair and a chiselled face that only gods could have created. He came from one of The Federation's wealthiest families, generations of professional ice-skating champions, most of whom had reached Olympic medal glory.

His Mother had been searching for the right partner, the other half of her son's ice-skating duo, and had several beautiful skaters in mind. He agreed to skate with all of them, so over the next six months, he met and danced with each of them; after all, finding the right partner could affect his reputation and career!

The rink where he trains is a state-of-the-art building with stairways resembling an enormous ants' nest, each leading to a separate path and each ending with a different room. He was there to find the one, a partner who was right in weight and height, to find that spark, lust, or affection, but none of them stood a chance; he couldn't erase the image of that beautiful, petite blond-haired girl, the one that he'd seen on his television six months prior, there was just one problem she was far away in a small skating community in Michigan USA.

The phone rang, and I ran over to answer it; the name "Mother" appeared on my screen. "Valeriy, after training, I need you to come straight home as both your Manager and I need to discuss something with you".

"Ok," I said hesitantly, I'll be home at four".

Exhausted, I walk to the car park and hop in my new black BMW Z4, a present my parents gave me for my 18th birthday. My car is my "baby," I won't allow anyone else to drive it. It has so much power, and I feel exhilarated behind the wheel. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at the entrance of the gated community. I approached the driveway to my parents' house and parked my car in front of our stately two-storey home; all of the homes in this community boast extreme wealth.

I shower, first cold, then as hot as I can handle, allowing the tension in my muscles to fade. I don't know how long I've been in the shower, but time seems unimportant: water pouring over the powerful muscular body I developed from years of training. I wrap a towel around my waist and enter my dressing room. My dressing room is the size of most people's bedrooms; it's filled with every fashion label available, no expense spared! I change into a new set of clean clothes; I dress casually in khaki training pants, a grey hooded top and white trainers, all with an identifiable logo. I hear my Mother call me from the loungeroom downstairs, "Valeriy!"

"I'm coming!" I yell at my Mother.

She always irritates me; she never can walk upstairs to speak to me quietly; everything must always be urgent. I run down our generous white-marbled staircase to where she stands alongside a man I recognise as my manager. My manager is my Uncle Alexander, a former Olympic Gold Medalist who oversees my career and assists my parents when they want his advice.

" Hello, Valeriy," he says in his articulate Russian while a smile comes across his face. My Uncle prefers not to speak English unless he is in meetings with other diplomats; most of my family likes to talk in our native tongue. His expression piques my curiosity.

" I have news: there's an opportunity for you to travel to America. A large corporate company is looking for a male to skate with one of their young female athletes; they want to advertise their campus. They would like to meet with you for an interview and see how the two of you skate together."

I stare at his face, then look back at my Mother, who's looking at me intensely. " I think this would be an excellent opportunity for you. I'll travel with you.

"Ya soglasen!" (I agree ) I answer.

This is where it all started, Valeriy looking for his dream ice skating partner. No-one could have predicted where either Valeriy nor Valilisa's journey would begin or end. This is their story, a story of love, loyalty, depression and heartbreak.