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3 Chapter
Two days flew by. I didn't leave the apartment once during that time, partly because of my leg. The swelling was slow to go down, despite all the anti-inflammatory ointments. But I suddenly had a lot of time to finish watching a TV series I had started long ago. I somehow managed to forget that in the absence of a man and work, you don't have to cook every night, one eye looking into the pot, the other – in a notebook. There was no one to litter either. Having collected all of Alex's belongings, I brought them over to my neighbor's place. We had agreed that if Alex showed up, my neighbor would hand them over to him.
He couldn't resist knocking on my neighbor's door to inquire about my whereabouts.
In any case, someone rang the doorbell, but I decided to ignore it by putting on my headphones, pumping up some music, and not going to see who it could be.
By the middle of the week, I was able to move my legs fairly well, if I remembered to keep my bandage on, and after some deliberation, I decided to crawl out to the store. You can't hide from the world for the rest of your life. I need to buy at least the essentials: bread, milk, and chocolate bars!
Quickly dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror and remembered Alex's words about "gray mouse". What can I say? Here she is, in person! Angry, I changed my jeans and sweatshirt for a jumpsuit of ski
As it turned out, that's not what I should have feared, but an ambush in front of the house. As soon as I took a few steps away from the entrance, Alex jumped out of a car I didn't recognize. It was stupid to rush back into the driveway, so I used tu
"We need to talk!
Alex grabbed my arm, turning me roughly towards him. I hissed, feeling the pain in my leg from the awkward movement.
“'Do we have anything else to talk about?' I asked, pulling my hand out of his grasp.
How long have you been with him?!”
“With whom?” – I didn't understand.
“Rebrov! “
I was a little confused, hearing that name for the first time, then I realized who he was talking about.
“With Andrew?”
“That's amazing! Turns out you don't know who you're sleeping with. Or is sex not a reason to get to know someone? “
I almost said yes. I could hear the mockery in his voice. I also wanted to hurt his feelings.
“How long have you had this? “
"I lied. Yeah, a long time," I said. "What about you?"
"I can't believe I lived with you!" he said.
Alex gave me a scornful look and took a step back, as if he was disgusted to be standing next to me.
"You shouldn't have lived." You should have left as soon as you found Diana! – I shouted angrily and continued on my way.
– I'm lucky I didn't marry you, or I'd have to take a DNA test for all my kids.
I felt like I'd hit a wall. I mean, I hit a wall. In my mind, I knew he'd said all that to hurt, but I couldn't help but react. Turning around, I was ready to claw his eyes out. Alex took a quick step to the car and drove off, tires screeching.
I stood on the street, breathing heavily, and feeling like I'd been doused in slop. I clenched my fists, but I went to the store instead of ru
A walk around the store did me good: I forgot about my problems with Alex, and I couldn't resist the financial ones. I had some savings (goodbye, Turkey!), but I couldn't live on them for long. It was urgent to find a new job. However, I didn't know which school would hire me with such a reputation. I can imagine what they will write in the characterization from the last place of work!
Having taken the most necessary things (I especially needed tangerines and wine), I went to the cash register and immediately, by the law of mea
After standing behind four people with huge shopping carts, without looking around, I began to take out products from the basket. Then I looked for a discount card for a long time and when I turned to the terminal, I found someone else's card paying for my purchases. Blinking, I looked up and almost groaned. Today was definitely a day of meetings: after Alex I decided to visit Andrew, in person!
"What are you doing here?" I hissed.
"Helping you store,"
Andrew brazenly took my bag. I frowned and didn't let him grab me.
"I don't need anything from you!" I'll go back to the store and…
“I already appreciate your dramatic talent. Do you want to be an actress? I'll buy you a role.”
Confused, I hesitated, and he grabbed my hand.
“This is my girlfriend, we had a little fight.”
I was completely confused, not understanding what he was saying. And then it hit me when the salesperson started trying hard to force a smile out of himself. The whole line snickered, trying not to laugh so obviously. Angrily twitching, I ran into his grin. No one was in a hurry to help me; on the contrary, everyone was looking at the scene with interest, as if it had been ripped out of a melodrama with a comedic twist. Even the guard and the policeman standing in the next line were laughing. People would not react even if he dragged me to the car by my hair: you bet, a tall handsome brunette in a dark suit, white shirt, strict black coat, well-groomed (even his hands were in order), calmly approached and paid for my purchases with his card. The sympathy of all present instantly shifted to his side. Feeling my hesitation, Andrew led me out of the store. At the car, I tried again to free myself.
"Do you want to be filmed again?" he asked, moving closer.
I shrank back in fear, which he took advantage of, by pushing me into the car.
"Don't tell me you want to talk too," I said venomously.
“What, did Alex come crawling back? So what are you?”
“And you have options!” I snorted angrily.
Andrew glanced at me and turned the ignition key.
“I have one, but I see you were smarter than Diana.”
“Did she take it back?” I asked in a strangled voice.
I was so hurt, I felt like drowning or, more effectively, jumping out of the car at full speed right now! I could see it all written on my face. Andrew gri
“However, I have more important problems now!” I muttered.
“I wondered what they were. “
“I'm getting fired from my job.”
“For what?! “
“Do you think a school would keep a teacher with a reputation like that? You saw the video!”
“Oh, right, you're a teacher.”
“Uh-huh, Russian language and literature.”
“I liked the video. I even downloaded it.”
I sniffled, wishing I could fall through the ground and never see it again!
“Well, if it's such a problem, Russian language and literature are good education. You could work at some magazine. I know a couple of people, I'll call them today and take them to an interview tomorrow.”
“Work for what?” I was confused.
“Editor, of course. Not as an editor-in-chief, of course, not yet, because that would require experience, but as a staff member. “
Suddenly I felt like Wi
“Why would you do that?”
“My plans haven't changed. I'm go
“And you need me to do it. Are you going to make me look like an even bigger idiot than I already am?”
“I'm going to take you to the campground and introduce you as my girlfriend. I kind of like you, so I thought I'd clear the territory first.”
The man's smugness was off the charts! With a hiss, I turned toward him. I wasn't afraid to hit him now, since we were stopped at the curb.
“Let's go into the coffee shop and talk. You girls seem to like places like this – lattes and pastries. Or do you prefer champagne?”
He caught my upturned hand and yanked it toward him.
"How much passion you have in you!"
The phrase was not ambiguous, but very definite. I pulled away from him hastily.
"All right, let's go in. On one condition: Keep your hands to yourself!"
"Hands? Well, all right," Andrew gri
There was a subtext in that, too, but this time I didn't understand it. Andrew walked out, and I hurried after him, slipping immediately. When I managed to grab the handle of the car door, I straightened up and found him standing across from me, gri
The first thing that caught my eye was a huge palm tree. It was on a table and was too lush for its assigned corner, so I had to circle around it. Additionally, someone with a great sense of humor had decorated it with garland and Christmas tinsel and forgot to take it down! Or was that the plan?
I took my eyes off the palm tree and looked at the girl in the long apron.
"We need a quieter place," Andrew said, taking me under his arm.
The girl smiled at him, gave me a strange look, and led me to the far table. I frowned once again. It looked like she had rated my appearance a C, and his a solid 10. And now she was wondering what we had in common. If I were her, I would be wondering the same thing.
“I'll have an Americano.”
Andrew looked at me expectantly. I mentally counted all the cash I had left and, deciding that I could splurge a little, ordered a “latte.”
"And a cheesecake, the freshest," Andrew added.
The waitress left, leaving the two of us, but for some reason Andrew kept silent and stared at me. His scrutiny was embarrassing and infuriating.
"Why did we come here? I have a lot more to do today."
"To go to the store and finish watching the show, yeah!"
“Really? I wonder what they are? “
Andrew smiled at me, and I realized with a
"The latte arrived on time, and I hastily hid my confusion behind it.
“Tonight, I'll let you know what time you need to be ready. We'll go to the editorial office.”
“And what in return?" I asked suspiciously. “
I didn't believe in his unselfishness and conscience. But I believed in the saying about
"cheese and a mousetrap.”
“You'll go on vacation with me.”
Here comes the mouse trap!
“What?!” I was indignant, putting the glass on the table and rising.
“Calm down. Alex will be there too, as well as Diana. Your mere presence will make them fight all the time. “
That's what I believed. Even if Alex didn't care, Diana wouldn't just let it go.
“What's in it for you?”