him of his Hercules exploits, or rather, of one feat. Having brought himself to a more or less normal appearance and hastily had a snack, the guest cleaned up the table and went to the store. On the way, I checked pockets and found a crumpled five thousand rubles bill – how convenient! I am the king!
Daria was standing behind the counter and serving another customer. When she saw Kalinkin, she blushed, but did not show that they were familiar, and continued to work as if nothing had happened. Kalinkin fatally stood in a short queue and, when the saleswoman finally turned her gaze on him, seriously asked:
– Hello. What do you recommend to buy for dinner with your girlfriend?
– Is she a vegetarian? – Daria skillfully supported the game: those present did not even suspect anything.
– N – no, she is not a vegetarian, – Peter answered very uncertainly.
– Take a beef kebab and vegetables.
– Then, please, and a bottle of cognac. Do you have an “Arachtan”? – Kalinkin was waiting for the highest approval.
– Yes, seven years of exposure, seven hundred and twenty rubles. Take it?
– Good. Cigarettes “Parliament”, a couple of lemons and dark chocolate. And some mineral water…
Loaded with shopping, Peter slowly, with a silly look of a lucky man, moved back to Daria’s house to prepare dinner for her arrival.
By the evening, the hostess returned from work almost alive. Peter met her at the door and warmly embraced her.
– How are you, Dashenka? – he asked, looking into her huge eyes. Then, with the palm of his hand, he gently pulled the blonde curls away from her face and gently kissed her soft lips.
– Oh, I don’t even know. I’ve been in a dream all day, I can barely stand on my feet, – and in confirmation of her words, she sank down on a chair in the hallway.
– Sit down, come to your senses. Do you want some water? I’ve got something ready for the evening, so get some rest…
– Thanks, I think I’ll change and lie down for a while. – Daria entered the room and took a look at the situation: everything was in order, a bouquet of wild flowers flaunted on the table, dinner on the table… Her heart skipped a beat. – And you’re good!
– I tried… But you don’t hope: until you lie down and get hungry – to the table no-no! – Peter smiled. – and how do you feel in another sphere?
– Complete and crushing satisfaction! The men immediately smelled, envied someone…
Peter carefully covered the worker with a light blanket and ordered:
– Sleep!
After about forty minutes, Daria showed signs of life: she stirred, stretched, and then turned her head to Kalinkin and asked, making terrible eyes:
– How, to drink again?
– The actress is still the one, and she knows that it is simply impossible not to love her.., – watching her, Peter thought, and recited aloud:
– Your Majesty, dinner is served. Will you deign to proceed?
Daria casually, without hesitation, threw off her robe and, looking in the mirror, straightened her hair and critically examined herself. Satisfied, she took an elegant red dress with a low neckline out of the closet, barely got into it and asked Peter to fasten the zipper on the back. She touched up her lips, turned her head back and forth, smoothed out non-existent folds of clothing, once again looked sternly at her reflection and said:
– I’m ready!
At the table, after the first toast for the word with the letter “L”, they lit up, and the moment of discussing serious topics crept up – yesterday there was no time for this. Looking at her classic, chiseled face, he asked:
– Tell me, where does the beauty come from?
– Mom is from Vologda, and dad is from Tver…
– Sorry, maybe I’ll ask an impolite question, if you don’t want to, don’t answer. Married?
– Was…
– Where’s the ex?
– In the jail Crosses.
– Visiting?
– About once a month.
– How long will he…?
– I don’t know. The investigation is there. He said that he had submitted a petition.
– Well, and the children?
– We didn’t have time to start it.
– And how did you end up here in the village?
– It’s a long story. It’s better to splash one more, or I’ll take it and cry…
– I’m sorry, I’m not just asking. I like you, I really like you, as if I’ve been looking for you all my life. Come on, here’s to you!
– For us, – Daria cast a close look at the cognac in the glass playing with multicolored lights, as if in a magic crystal she saw a secret prediction, her fate and stretched out an elegant, thin hand to Peter. – For us!
Resolutely, in one gulp, she drank a scalding, tart drink and, with a cute, feminine wince, gracefully bit into a piece of lemon. The strength of the alcohol took her breath away and tears came out. Carefully, trying not to damage the mascara, she dabbed her eyelashes with a napkin and cooed sweetly:
– Do you mind if I eat a little? I didn’t have time to have breakfast…
– That’s great, otherwise I was worried: maybe it’s tasteless? – Peter perked up, seeing that the interlocutor is coming back to normal. – Let’s do this: you eat, and I talk.
– Come on, – Dasha raised her eyes and fixed her hypnotic gaze on him, – where did you fall from, Kalinkin?
CHAPTER 6. CONFESSION
Peter took a deep drag on his cigarette, then carefully squeezed Dasha’s fragile wrist with his fingers, as if he was afraid of losing it, and began to tell about the strange find and his recent adventures. From time to time he stopped, catching his breath and choosing the right words, and looked at her – an unearthly, fatal woman, without whom he could no longer imagine his life. Daria listened attentively without interrupting,
