"Hmm" - all that the girl could say, intently examining herself in the mirror. For an hour now she had been trying to discern something in herself, and not finding it, she was more upset. Until now, she had little concern for appearance: the way she dresses, the lack of makeup. But recently, or rather, with the appearance in her life of a mysterious and incredibly handsome man, these female features have become very relevant. Probably, for any other girl, such actions would have seemed normal under the circumstances, but for Anya they caused embarrassment and laughter at her own, as she considered, stupidity.

She devoted her life to studying, close people, work. Being a practical girl, and given the cramped circumstances, her clothes were modest, comfortable and inexpensive. Anya always believed that she should be treated as a simple necessity, and not as a means of attracting attention. To do this, it is better to develop the mind, ennoble the soul. Her friends could never understand her indifference to shopping, explaining this fact by the absence of a boyfriend. They were probably right. Only in their case, the lull in their personal lives did not discourage the desire to look good, rather, on the contrary, it strengthened them. During such periods, they still had an insane need to find a man for Anya and convert the unlucky one to their “faith”. Usually, these attempts were stopped in the bud by Anya herself, but one day she nevertheless decided to test her own strength and agreed to go to a party with her friends, organized by someone you know. The girls were very inspired and spent the whole evening turning Anya into candy. None of them then suspected how deplorably everything would end. Anya and now twitched from the memories of that night. The party got off to a pretty good start. The audience was noisy, but inextricable. They drank moderately, danced, joked. Anya even managed to relax and believe that all her fears were far-fetched, her friends tried to stay nearby. When a handsome guy sat next to her, she did not panic, but quite calmly started a conversation with him. They talked, danced, everything was very nice, until Anya decided to go to the toilet, at the exit of which she ran into her new acquaintance. He abruptly pushed her back, went in after him and locked the door, and here Anya got scared when she saw the guy's glassy eyes. He acted quickly, she did not even have time to squeak, as she was pressed against the wall by the body of a drug addict. His hands began to rummage around her, his drooling tongue sliding over her bare skin, making her sick and terrified. Fear gave her strength, and Anya began to fight furiously. She kicked, bit, scratched. When the rapist howled in pain and recoiled from her, Anya, wasting no time, ran away. Her friends just started looking for her and were shocked by what they saw: the dress was torn, her hair was disheveled, her makeup was smeared, and there was horror and pain in her eyes. The girls were furious and wanted to deal with the bastard, but Anya could not stay in this place for a second. Only once in her room and bed, the girl gave vent to tears. Since then, men have caused Anya not only embarrassment and fear, but also horror. But the girlfriends no longer had ideas for pandering, they generally tried to avoid talking on this topic, for which Anya was immensely grateful to them. She didn’t want to do any more experiments, and therefore her life closed in a circle: home, study, work. But ten days ago, everything began to change rapidly. And the name of these changes is Mark. Oddly enough, but next to him, Anya felt safe, despite some kind of animal energy and strength emanating from him. Of course, at first she did not want to stir up a nest of her fears, and therefore decided that it was better to put an absurd acquaintance out of her head. but next to him, Anya felt safe, despite some kind of animal energy and strength emanating from him. Of course, at first she did not want to stir up a nest of her fears, and therefore decided that it was better to put an absurd acquaintance out of her head. but next to him, Anya felt safe, despite some kind of animal energy and strength emanating from him. Of course, at first she did not want to stir up a nest of her fears, and therefore decided that it was better to put an absurd acquaintance out of her head.

But it was no longer in her power. All the next day, Anya only thought about Mark, replaying what had happened in her head: laughing at funny and ridiculous moments, blushing from some not entirely decent ones. With every minute she realized more and more that she was waiting for his call. She waits with anticipation and joy, like a normal girl who likes a man. It inspired her so much, made her so happy that she stopped scolding herself and suppressing her desires. And they were surprisingly simple and understandable. She wanted to be in a whirlpool of emotions and feelings again, she wanted that ease and humor in communication, and she also wanted to feel feminine under his impudent, undressing gaze and, perhaps, go further ...

But two days later, delight and joy were replaced by sadness and humility, because Mark never called.

“What were you hoping for? It is clear that such a man is unlikely to be interested in an ordinary girl who does not burden herself too much with worries about beauty. she reasoned as she walked back from work. Anya loved to walk alone, especially after the bustle of the working day, she loved to think in peace and quiet. It was simply impossible to do this in a hostel.

And she was once again convinced of this when she reached her native land. In the yard, as usual, there were a lot of people: some were smoking, some were chatting, sitting on a bench, some were reading, lounging under a tree. In this heat, no one wanted to sit in the rooms.

She herself thought of settling down somewhere on the lawn. I even looked for a free seat, when I suddenly heard my name pronounced in a low baritone voice with a hoarse voice and a rumbling accent.

"Ani," he repeated as she tried to figure out if she was imagining it.

A second later, a black Audi drove up to her. The glass went down to the very bottom, and Anya saw Mark, as then, in glasses. A wide Hollywood smile played on well-defined lips. The girl, like an idiot, stood with her mouth open in surprise and, what can we hide, joy. They were just silent and smiling for some time, until Anya realized that all her classmates were devouring them with curious looks.

‍​This heightened interest in his own person was very unnerving. Without thinking, she rounded the car and, without waiting for an invitation, sat in the front seat.

- Please, let's get out of here! - hastily asked, realizing that she gave food for conversation and gossip.

"As you say," came the imperturbable reply. If Mark was surprised, he did not show it, but she was grateful to him for that. She was terribly ashamed of her antics. True, the question that sounded in the next moment killed all remorse in the bud.

- Missed you, baby?

Anya was stunned by such impudence and at the same time embarrassed.

“Yeah, I thought about you all day and night, I couldn’t close my eyes,” she retorted mockingly. In the end, do not admit to the true state of things, this guy already has an conceit with a fire tower.

- Come on, you don't know how to lie, your pretty face betrays all your secrets. Where shall we go? I want to eat, do you?

Anya decided to ignore his first sentence. She really doesn’t know how to lie, and she doesn’t want to, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a bite to eat. Thinking about where to go, Anya decided to go to the Coffee bean on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. She loved this cozy, quiet cafe, just like the old town. There was something spiritual, warm, homely about it. Well, if her companion does not approve of this modest choice, you can go to Coffeemania, located nearby.

- We need to go to Tverskaya. Near Bolshaya Nikitskaya, is there a quiet cafe or are you a fan of more sophisticated places?

- No, I'm for comfort and silence.

- Fine.

They drove to the coffee shop in silence, but they didn't feel awkward. The conversation started later.

- It's nice here, - said Mark, looking around.

- Yes, I love this place. Reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen. When I first came here, I almost burst into tears from nostalgia, she shared with a smile.

He just chuckled knowingly.

- Tell us about yourself, Annie. - He asked affectionately, why did something tighten in Anya's chest and it became difficult to breathe. In order to somehow pull herself together, she exaggeratedly cheerfully said:

- I'll tell you if you finally take off those stupid glasses.

She heard soft laughter in response.

Why are they stupid?

- Because they interfere with the conversation and make you nervous.

- And what do they interfere with? he wondered.

- Hiding your emotions, it seems like I'm talking to myself. And in general, what is the habit of walking with glasses? You're not a star hiding from the paparazzi. And, as for me, glasses are useless for these purposes, ”she explained to him.

He shook his head, but nevertheless took off his glasses and said with an enigmatic smile:

- Or maybe I am a star hiding from the paparazzi?

Anya could only laugh.

- Quite possible, judging by your conceit.

At this time, their order was brought, and they set to it with appetite. The conversation continued during dessert, when Anya noticed that Mark was watching her closely.

- What's the matter? Did I mess up my face? she asked, embarrassed, quickly running the napkin around her mouth.

- No ... - the man wanted to say something else, but smiled broadly, hiding the pause. - Everything is good. Just thought. Actually, I'm waiting for the story, because I fulfilled your condition.

- BUT! Anya smiled. - Well, my story is the most ordinary and unremarkable. A medical university student comes from a small village in Siberia, which is quite far from here.

- Tell me about your house.

- Are you interested?

- I like your voice and yes, I'm interested. I used to think that angels are born in heaven, but it turns out in a small Siberian village, - he jokingly retorted. He had such a warm, mischievous smile that Anya smiled back and continued her story.

- It's insanely beautiful! Mountains, coniferous forest, stormy river. God, you would know how much I miss you! Recently, numerous tourists have spoiled the beauty, but still, there are places that not all locals know about.

For the next hour and a half, Anya talked about herself, her life, excluding only those moments that she never wanted to remember, but it was still impossible to hide some things.

- You talk about your grandmother all the time, but what about your parents? Mark noted.

Anya was silent. Remembering childhood was still painful and probably will always be painful, but I still had to answer.

- I do not have parents. My father left when I was not yet born, and my mother died when I was six years old.

"Sorry, I didn't think of that," he whispered, and she saw understanding in his eyes.

Have you lost someone too?

Anya immediately regretted this question, because the warm atmosphere disappeared in an instant. Mark's eyes froze and became uneasy when he said restrainedly:

- Yes. I was also six when my father died of cancer. He was an amazing man, an amazing father, friend, mentor.‌

For some reason, she felt that this confession was not easy for him, and obeying a spiritual impulse, she took his hand in hers.

- My mother was not my friend, she was not an ideal, but I still loved her and I will never forget her!

She didn't know what else to say, or even if it was worth it. In the end, they understood each other without words. It was a moment of intimacy, a moment when two people took off their masks for a moment and exposed their most intimate feelings to each other. But it was destroyed by the enthusiastic cry of the boy:

- Mom, look! It's Berket!

Anya looked around and was surprised to find that the boy was pointing in their direction.

- Stop talking nonsense! his mother interrupted, looking around shyly. - Your Berket will not appear here by any miracle!

Only now Anya realized why Mark's face seemed familiar to her. She looked at it with interest and said cheerfully:

- It really does look like it.

Mark smiled tightly.

- I am often confused. Can we go now?

“Yes, of course,” she agreed, forgetting about Burket and the boy. She rummaged through her bag and took out her wallet, but he stopped her.

- I will pay.

- I'll pay for myself! This is not a date.

- Who said? he chuckled.

In the end, Anya had to give in. When the waiter came up, Mark quickly handed over one hundred dollars with the words "no change".

Anya was surprised, for she knew that he would not impress her in this way.

- Don't you think it's too much for a tip for a simple evening? – not holding back, she asked.

- No, it's not too much for a simple evening. Such things are priceless.

- Yes, priceless for those who are deprived of them - it was a peculiar question, but Mark chose to ignore it. She had no choice but to close the topic, so as not to spoil the evening. She felt that this man would not allow anyone to cross the boundaries that separate what is inside him from what is outside. However, like any woman, she wanted to accept this challenge, to become that special one that he would let into his heart.

All the way to the hostel, the conversation did not go well, both were embarrassed after that moment of frankness.

- Well, here we are! - Anya concluded exaggeratedly cheerfully in order to somehow smooth out the corners. - Thank you for the evening, dinner and ... - she completely faded away under his attentive gaze and affectionate half-smile. Mark looked at her like she was some kind of curiosity, which made her feel like a little fool, so she hurried to say goodbye. - In general, the evening was not boring, thanks again, I ...

- Eni, shh ... - putting his thumb to her lips, Mark slowly circled their outline, which made her stop breathing and reflexively licked her tongue, hitting a slightly salty pad with her tongue. A spark seemed to fly between them, Mark grinned and leaned towards her, burning her skin with hot breath. Everything inside her was broken when he slowly covered her lips with his, driving her crazy with gentle, lingering touches. Surprisingly, it was not scary, on the contrary, I wanted more ... Anticipating her desires, he slowly licked with the tip of his tongue and lightly bit her plump lips, tasting and making them open. And they opened up. His tongue explored her mouth unabashedly, stroking its soft depths, giving her an incredible sensation that made her body tremble and cloud her mind. They urged him to answer, which she did, timidly touching his tongue with hers,

- Mm, baby, did anyone tell you what a sweet girl you are? Mark whispered hoarsely, breaking away from her for a moment. But those words were like a tub of cold water to her.

Lord, what is she doing? And what does he carry? What else "baby"?! Even with her experience of communicating with men, or rather, in her absence, one can understand that this is how girls are treated for one night.

It became ugly and bitter.

- Stop it! She pushed him away and jumped out of the car. Anya thought that he would leave, but no, he jumped out after him and grabbed her by the elbow.

-What the heck? What is a circus? he asked sharply. Anya threw off his hand and answered no less sharply:

- I'm not your "baby"!

For a few seconds he looked at her in surprise, and then shook his head with a grin and pulled her to him, inhaling the aroma of her hair with a noise.

Anya regretted her outburst, not understanding herself what came over her.

God, why did you have to act like a hysterical fool?! Why on earth should he be taken seriously from the first meeting? She was afraid that now he would open his arms and disappear from her life forever. But Mark pulled away and said:

"I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to hurt you.

-I know. I'm sorry too, that was stupid.

-I have already forgotten. How about meeting tomorrow? Show me your Moscow: what do you like most about it.

- I'm only "for", - she smiled, and her heart was filled with joy and anticipation.

- Then see you tomorrow, - he winked, getting into the car. She just waved her hand, gazing at him. When the car disappeared around the corner, the girl smiled happily, biting her lower lip, and went up to her room. As she predicted, glory raced ahead of her. As soon as the doors were opened, three pairs of impatient eyes stared at her, and a flurry of questions immediately fell upon her:‌

​​- What a handsome man?

- When did you have time?

- Where did you meet?

- Why was silent?

The girl plugged her ears and collapsed on the bed with a laugh.

"Shut up or I won't say anything!"

In response, there was a friendly indignation:

- Anka, are you crazy?!

- OK OK! - she raised her hands in a conciliatory gesture, realizing that now she could not get away from her friends. She quickly outlined her acquaintance with Mark, but it seemed to her friends that this was not enough and new questions rained down.

- Did you sleep with him? - Dasha asked, of all her friends she was the most straightforward and relaxed, preferring an open relationship to some obligations, and therefore sex on the first date was normal for her.

- Of course not! Anya was indignant, while feeling like a hypocrite. Oddly enough, but sex with this man seemed to her not frightening, but quite possible even on a first date.

- Oh, with such a mood, I already sympathize with him, - Dasha made a face, which made everyone laugh.

- Go to hell! Anna waved her off.

Then there was a knock on the door, and Ani's classmate Andrei Safonov appeared on the threshold: an activist, a joker and the soul of the company. Now he was kind of nervous, burning through Anya with a gaze.

- What did Safonov want? - Asked the lively Nastya, exchanging glances with her friends.

- Nothing from you! Anh, can you give me a practice diary?

- Oh, Andryush, I already gave it to Kostrova.

"I'm always late," the boy chuckled bitterly. And then he shocked everyone: - They say you are now on a par with Kazantseva. Even furnished our beauty.

- In terms of? Anya was surprised.

- In the sense that you fuck with rich men.

The girls' jaws dropped from such disgusting. Anya, however, was angered to the point of insanity by this attack. “Yes, what right do they all have to express their claims to her, when they themselves do such a thing that their hair stands on end! Anger so overwhelmed the girl that she jumped out of bed and yelled:

-Get away from here! Get out!

The guy, as if coming to his senses, rushed to her:

- An...

- I said get out!

“Come on, Safonov, get out,” Nastya pushed the dumbfounded guy out the door.

- Anyut, what are you doing? Calm down, dear. This is all Kazantseva is talking nonsense. Do you want to go clean her brains? - the affectionate Sonya reassured her nervous friend.

- What does she care about me? Anya flared up even more, running around the room in a terribly annoyed state.

- Well, how what?! It makes me angry when cool men in cool cars take care of some "simple people," Dasha ironically.

- God, what nonsense! Anya laughed. - It feels like I met an oligarch.

- Well, for her, Q7 is already from the category of the oligarchy, - the friend grinned in response.

“Oh, well, all of them, I went to take a shower and sleep, tomorrow I have to go to work early,” Anya finished a meaningless conversation, not understanding what a pleasure it was to compose fairy tales and discuss her own inventions. But the thoughts of university rogues quickly vanished from her mind, replaced by a tall, dark-haired man.

Anya fell asleep thinking about him.

The day began with a slight euphoria, one had only to imagine that in the evening she would see Mark: his beautiful face, mischievous smile, hear his sexy voice, from which everything inside shrinks sweetly and sings in anticipation. He met her after work, and they had a great time: walking, laughing, talking, having a picnic in her beloved Kosinsky, on the shore of a beautiful lake. So ten days passed, which became for Anya one of the happiest in her life. During this time, Mark firmly settled in her thoughts and heart, and although he was laconic in stories about himself, preferring to listen more than speak, she still managed to understand a little what kind of person he was and how he lived. It turned out that he was half English, which was extremely difficult for Anya to believe, given his appearance and temperament. He was too impulsive a man although he tried to restrain his feelings, hiding them behind a mask of cold politeness or pretentious negligence. He did not like noisy places and always refused their visits. Over time, Anna realized that there were special reasons for this ... What? She would very much like to know, but she was afraid of appearing too curious. Yes, and something so arrogant, dismissive of others slipped through him that sometimes it became uncomfortable and discouraged asking unnecessary questions, although this had nothing to do with her. With her, he was simple and sometimes even gentle. But most of all, the girl was worried about the fact that after that kiss, Mark did not try to kiss her, hug her, or even get closer than half a meter. He did not like noisy places and always refused their visits. Over time, Anna realized that there were special reasons for this ... What? She would very much like to know, but she was afraid of appearing too curious. Yes, and something so arrogant, dismissive of others slipped through him that sometimes it became uncomfortable and discouraged asking unnecessary questions, although this had nothing to do with her. With her, he was simple and sometimes even gentle. But most of all, the girl was worried about the fact that after that kiss, Mark did not try to kiss her, hug her, or even get closer than half a meter. He did not like noisy places and always refused their visits. Over time, Anna realized that there were special reasons for this ... What? She would very much like to know, but she was afraid of appearing too curious. Yes, and something so arrogant, dismissive of others slipped through him that sometimes it became uncomfortable and discouraged asking unnecessary questions, although this had nothing to do with her. With her, he was simple and sometimes even gentle. But most of all, the girl was worried about the fact that after that kiss, Mark did not try to kiss her, hug her, or even get closer than half a meter. which sometimes made her uncomfortable and discouraged her from asking unnecessary questions, although this had nothing to do with her. With her, he was simple and sometimes even gentle. But most of all, the girl was worried about the fact that after that kiss, Mark did not try to kiss her, hug her, or even get closer than half a meter. which sometimes made her uncomfortable and discouraged her from asking unnecessary questions, although this had nothing to do with her. With her, he was simple and sometimes even gentle. But most of all, the girl was worried about the fact that after that kiss, Mark did not try to kiss her, hug her, or even get closer than half a meter.

The girl reproached herself for that stupid trick, believing that all this coldness was because of her. But after suffering for several days, she decided: since she ruined everything, then she should take the first step. He didn’t want to think that she was not to his taste, and the female instinct suggested that this was not so.

The girlfriends offered to check the eternal female way: high heels, a dress, sexy lingerie and brighter makeup. No sooner said than done!‌

And so, standing in front of the mirror, Anya critically examined the works of her friends, agitated more than before the exam, and feeling stupid. It seemed to her that when Mark saw her in this outfit, he would simply smile at her pathetic attempts to attract his attention, and not be stunned, as her girlfriends say. It's not that man. This is unlikely to catch a short dress. Surely, he has seen more interesting, sophisticated women.

No, she looked great. Anya has never been like this. But uncertainty and excitement did not allow her to objectively evaluate herself, so for another hour she nervously spun in front of the mirror, trying to give up this idea, but then she heard the phone ring, meaning that the “object of seduction” had arrived. The girl gathered her will into a fist and resolutely went on high heels, in a stunning red dress to meet him - a stunning man.

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