- No!

“Yes, no, it’s not crazy. This is a criminal offense. It's called a steal. They say they give you up to five years. Rum, are you normal? I can't believe we're even discussing this...

“Marish,” Romka chuckled. – What are you? It's completely different! Mikhalych himself said, they say, if you do everything - you can run it in, well, like, check, how and what ...

– Is it possible? I doubted.

I had little interest in Romka's work, that is, not at all. And she didn't understand anything at all. In theory, he could weave anything for me - how do I know whether this is so or not. But his feverishly burning eyes aroused vague suspicions in me.

- Of course! he exclaimed confidently. - How else? You need to listen to how the engine works on the go. It is necessary to make friends with the equipment and the box. There is no other way.

Romka was so excited that he almost jumped on the spot.

– And what, just like that, without it, do not listen? Don't make friends?

- That's not it! You understand, I wasted a lot of time on this car ... And there are such serious people ... If something goes wrong, they will come to figure it out - it will not seem enough. Understand, I need ... I need it!

"Okay, but can't wait until morning?" Well, it's too late.

- Yes, you just need to make a circle around Yubileiny. Long time, right?

- You'll do it tomorrow morning. And now let's go home.

“You are always like this,” Romka immediately wilted.

Oh no, he even got offended. Jerks began to pull off his overalls, then overalls. I threw my work shirt aside like a grenade at an enemy. And when he pulled on jeans, he turned his face to the side, full of tragedy. He frowned, pursed his lips, flared his nostrils.

“Rum, why are you so small, by God,” I said reproachfully. - Offended ... What for? The truth is, it's too late.

- You don't understand! I need to check if everything is in order. In the morning, the owners will come for her. No, you can do it in the morning. But who will check? Guys, not me. Because Mikhalych told me to come to dinner tomorrow. Allowed me to sleep off because I was busy here until late. And when else will I have a chance to ride in such a car? Never! I'm not going to steal it, and run in! And a test. And you…

Romka looked at me like that, as if he was going to the sky, and I broke off his wings.

“Well, it’s night,” I said, already softer. What if something happens to the car? You don't even have streetlights out here. Such darkness.

What about headlights? And what can possibly happen?

– I don’t know… well, an accident or something breaks, you never know.

– What accident, Marish? She said it was night. The roads are empty. And she won't break anything. Who do you think I am? I fix cars, I don't break them.

I was silent.

- Well? Romka looked at me like a hungry puppy who had a bone removed from under his nose.

“All right,” I reluctantly, with a heavy heart, conceded.

Romka, laughing, impetuously rushed to me, picked me up in his arms, and twirled me. Then he carefully placed it on the cement floor and even shook off an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder.

- Well, beautiful, let's go for a ride? Romka gallantly opened the Mercedes door for me.

- Rum, one lap and home, right?

- Of course! He waddled around the hood.

God, even his gait has changed. So, probably, according to his idea, the owners of expensive cars go. How else did he not spread his fingers like a fan? I couldn't help but chuckle. All the same, these guys are like small children. But Romka only smiled happily in response, sitting next to the driver's seat.

- Oh, I'll ride! He blurted out slyly, winking at me.

- Well, I do not. Let's somehow without eh.

- Marish, you haven’t finished your ped yet, but you’re already a teacher to the marrow of your bones.

- Oh, teacher? In that case, come on, Chicherin, here is the diary, a deuce for your behavior.

Romka laughed, put a warm, rough hand on my knee, stroked it. Then his hand crawled up his thigh as far as the tight denim skirt would allow.

- Marina Vladimirovna, you are so strict today and so mmm ... - He smiled meaningfully, without finishing. Just smacked his tongue. His vision blurred slightly. He looked at the dashboard, as if deciding whether to drive or do something more interesting. Then he started the engine anyway.

The night roads were indeed deserted. Only occasionally lone cars passed by. However, what surprised - a sleeping area.

Roman turned on the radio.

“I don’t like chanson,” I grimaced, hearing the “Vladimirsky Central” already boring to the point of hiccups.

Romka respected just one chanson, but lost - he caught Europe Plus.

- How quietly the rain fell yesterday, he knew that you would come yesterday ... - I sang along to Alsu, relaxing.

It really was an exciting mixture of madness and romance - night, lights, road and no one else. Well, almost no one.

Romka drove off the Jubilee Ring without me even noticing. I came to my senses when we jumped on some bump.

- Where did you take us? I got excited. You said one round!

The car, quietly purring, crawled up the serpentine. The yellow light of the headlights snatched out the bushes that grew along the roadside.

“Shh, don’t fuss. This is Love Peak. Let's stand a little, admire the night city and go home.

I categorically did not like his idea, but he only laughed it off at my grumbling.

- Rum, have you turned into a fool, or what? Well, where did you go? What is the Peak of Love? It's almost midnight! The road is all broken...

And just under the bottom something disgusting screeched.

Yes, we are almost there.

Finally we came to a more or less flat plateau and stopped.

- Let's go? Roman called. “We’ll stop for five minutes and go back home.”

What to do with him, with the fool? I can't even get mad at him properly.

Why this tall bald hill on the outskirts of the city was named so romantically - I don’t know, but the view from it really was incomparable. As if far, far below, a sea stretched out, woven from a million flickering lights. It's so beautiful it's breathtaking.

It's just cold here. It blows from all sides. I shivered shiveringly, and Romka, embracing me, pressed me to him.

- Frozen? Let's warm up in the car.

Romka smelled of engine oil, rubber, sweat, and tobacco.

- You know what I thought? How about we get married in August? Will we have a wedding at my place?

Romkin's parents lived in a village, not far from the city, literally a couple of hours by train, but still I could hardly imagine myself as a bride at a village wedding.

- Rum, well, where are we in a hurry?

- Why pull? It's good for us. And in August, getting married is a sure thing. Count all your own, from the garden. Father moonshine will catch up ...

- Let me at least finish college?

- What's the problem? Let's get married in the summer, change your documents and study yourself further.

- I mean, I'll change the documents?

- Well, you'll take my last name.

- And I will become Chicha? Well, I do not. I'd rather stay in Filatova.

“Who will call you that…” Romka began and, turning towards the road, stopped abruptly. Immediately swore strongly and, unhooking his arms, rushed to the car.

I turned around, too, and to my horror, the Mercedes, tires rustling, rolled back down the slope, picking up speed confidently, and then disappeared from sight. Gasping, I also ran to the road, but only managed to see how the car rolled down to the first turn, but, of course, did not turn, but drove off the road. And just a few seconds later, the silence of the night was broken by a roar and then - our cries with Romka, merging into a single desperate scream ...