Chapter 1_Masha

Trains always disgust me. Irritating foreign smells of someone else's linen, perfume and food. But most of all disgust is brought by people. I quietly scratch my teeth in anger, involuntarily listening to someone's conversations. At such moments, I want to shout to the whole car: "Shut up everyone! You are not alone, have a conscience . " But instead of screaming, I just take out large headphones from my backpack and turn up the volume on my phone.

The exhausting journey comes to an end. I humbly wait for the most impatient to create a real traffic jam in the aisle.

- Girl, are you asleep? Odessa. Ultimate! - The adult aunt shakes me by the shoulder, forcing me to get up in a hurry.

I cringe as soon as my feet touch the pavement. Odessa! How I hate this city. No not like this. I hate the person who lives here, and therefore the city. After all, it was because of this city that my life took a sharp turn, which I did not even ask for.

Sea moist air fills the lungs. It is so unusual to stand on the platform and listen to Utyosov's famous song: "The Black Sea has a city that I see in a dream . " Perhaps in another life I would sing along a whole verse, but in reality I only swear loudly under my breath and try to get past the crowd of people.

- Girl, do your bags need a taxi? - The mustachioed giant shouts, smiling broadly. I ignore it and all other similar offers that are distributed just around every corner.

My anger is gaining new momentum when an SMS comes to the phone with the make of the car, state number and parking place.

Amazing! They didn't even bother to meet me, at least for once!

I stop near a Nissan sports car. Impressive. I would whistle if I could. I look around at the driver, who is staring thoughtfully at the phone and sees nothing further than his nose. Fortunately, the folding roof allows you to fully appreciate the young muscular body. Brunette, dark skin, heavy strong-willed chin and perfectly even nose.

- Dear, I'm at the sixth station of the Big Fountain, - I grin slyly, lowering my sunglasses from my eyes.

- What am I to you? Cab? Get out of here, ma'am! - Great. The brunette swears like a local aborigine and it even amuses me.

- Okay, okay. I’ll scratch it, but you yourself will compose plausible fables for the Beast, where and why you lost his precious treasure!

The words are on target. First, the brunette digests the information, and then, when it comes to him that Zverev's daughter herself is standing in front of him, he abruptly gets out of the car and, silently, takes the bag on wheels from my hands.

- So I would immediately say that you are Masha. I'm not the winner of the "Battle of psychics." Can't read eyes, sorry. I smile wryly at an unsuccessful attempt to laugh it off. Interestingly, if you tell your father that his people are rude, this brunette will stop behaving like an idiot?

The car pulls away under the booming roar of the engine. I lazily look around, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.

- What is your name? I'm trying to shift my attention to the driver.

– Max.

How long have you been working for my father?

- What? Do I look like another Beast dog? - The brunette is surprised, widely inflating the wings of his nose. Angry? - I don't work for him. I was asked for a favor.

Now I'm surprised. It turns out that Zverev can ask for something, and not order?

- How old are you?

- Nineteen. Listen, girl, stop interrogating me here. Max turns up the volume on the music bar, eloquently saying that the dialogue is over.

- I want to eat. Ay, can't you hear? - I turn down the volume on the same panel, and the brunette immediately adds. - Are you kidding me? I want to eat!

- I heard. Eat at home.

- I want now. Is it okay to eat in this hole? - I notice how the nodules on the neck of the guys jump in a herd. Angry, really, really. The brunette, silently, shifts up gears on the box, and I am sharply thrown back to the back of the seat.

What are the maneuvers? Have you decided to kill me? “But the answer never comes.

Soon the car turns at one intersection and I have a fit of hysterical laughter:

- McDonald's? Max? Are you serious? Do you think this is a decent establishment?

- Normal. - The guy replies rudely. - I'm not your daddy to drive to all sorts of restaurants.

I swallow a caustic remark. In fact, I have nothing against McDonald's, but I so wanted to tease a new acquaintance that I could not restrain myself. You just can't be so important at nineteen and act like the navel of the Earth.

Will you be a Big Mac? - Interested in Max.

- I will. Just ask for a cola without ice, please. Max nods his head and silently leaves.

I continue to sit at one table on the street and stare around. Bustle around. Weekdays - in a word. The city is in a hurry to live, and with it the people. August, surprisingly, turned out to be very hot. I fan my face with some kind of promotional booklet, while Max appears around the corner, carrying a tray in his hands.

We eat together in absolute silence, and then the guy takes me to his father's house. He stops the car in front of a large gate, silently takes out a bag from the trunk, “Pompous asshole,” I curse out loud as I head for the gate.

I am greeted by a huge guard. Just a closet, not a man. The face is stone, without emotions and liveliness, in principle, like all people working for the Beast.

“Maria Konstantinovna, I will show you to your room,” a nice middle-aged woman, apparently a servant, says politely when I enter the yard.

I roll my eyes at what I see. Not bad so daddy settled down! A three-story mansion with a large swimming pool in the yard, an underground garage and a huge gazebo. And this has not yet gone around the entire territory, but going around here, as I understand it, will be quite a long time.

The room is quite comfortable and spacious. With a run, I plop down on a wide bed. For a while, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling. The bedroom is quite stuffy, despite the air conditioner running. Odessa - in a word. I decide to check the temperature of the water in the pool. I put on my favorite red swimsuit, I collect my hair at the back of my head with a hairpin and delirium down, singing under my breath.

- Maria Konstantinovna, - a woman appears out of nowhere, seriously frightening. I start. - If you need anything, let me know.

- What is your name?

“Raisa,” the woman responds, and I grin stupidly. Just like my mother used to be called.

Thanks, Raisa. If it's not difficult for you, please, lemonade or mojito at your discretion, - Raisa nods her head approvingly and disappears into nowhere, as she appeared.

I go to the pool. I put the phone on the sunbed and for a long time I do not dare to go into the water. Emboldened, I go down a small staircase, holding on to the handrail. At first I get used to the temperature of the water, but soon I dive headlong, reaching the very bottom with my fingertips. After a short time, I leave the pool, and, having blotted the moisture on my body with a towel, I settle down on a lounger. I notice a glass of mojito on the round table. I smile like a fool at Raisa's kindness and immerse myself in the phone, scrolling through the news on social networks.

– What do they write? - A man's deep voice is heard behind me, from which my heart skips a beat.

Chill runs down the spine, a slight trembling appears in the hands. It just makes me not childish when I raise my head up.

- Hello, Tarnovskaya! He smiles his trademark dimpled smile.

“Hi,” I barely squeeze out of myself in a hoarse voice.

Until recently, I can't believe my eyes. It can't be! Am I sleeping? No. Can a vision smell so drop dead like Oleg? The man, in turn, squats down next to me. He tries to touch my arm, but I only flinch at the painful contact.

- What are you doing here? I squint my eyes, waiting for an answer.

May I ask the same? What are you doing here, Masha? His dark eyebrows are arched. He looks at me expectantly, lightly biting his lower lip with his teeth.

My heart skips another beat. Why did I look at his lips? They are so unreal that everything in my lower abdomen is twisted into a tight knot. And besides, it's too close. Unforgivably close.

- Masha? Are you still here with me? - Oleg touches my shoulder with his fingers, and I return to reality.

Well, no, that's not how it works! Well, you think he appeared out of nowhere, and I'm already breathing through time? No, Masha, get yourself together. Pull yourself together and blow into the pool to cool down.

- I live here now. And you? - Oleg grins wryly to one side, not hurrying with the answer.

- But not me. I don’t live here.” The corners of my lips stretch involuntarily into a smile. - Where is Maya? Are you for her now?

It just jars on me on behalf of my stepmother, which Oleg does not lose sight of.

- This pigali will soon be gone. I'll try, - Oleg nervously chokes on a cough. - I wanted to say that she will not live in this house soon.

“I understand, I understand,” the man retreats, raising his palms up.

My patience doesn't last long. I jump up from the lounger and decide to swim in the pool. As I walk, I feel heavy eyes on my back. I turn around sharply and notice a familiar gleam in Oleg's eyes. He is standing next to the bed. He loosens the tie around his neck and unbuttons the top two buttons on his shirt.

“Don’t cook in your Armani, today plus thirty-five in the shade,” I wink slyly, and then sink into the water.

I manage to swim up to one side, as I notice Oleg heading towards me. He comes to the very edge of the pool and squats down, as he did next to the sunbed.

- Masha, - Oleg calls and I swim up to the side. Why did you run away then?

- Are you disappointed?

- Highly. Scared?

- I'm not one of the shy, Olezhka.

- Truth? - I nod my head approvingly, and then widen my eyes, watching how Oleg takes off his jacket, unbuttons the buttons on his shirt.

- What are you doing? - Some strange lump appears in the throat, and exciting spasms sweep through inside.

“I want to remember why I couldn’t forget you,” Oleg remains in his boxers and goes up to the stairs.

My heart is pounding. I gasp for air, trying to control myself. But nothing happens when a breathtaking sexy man flaunts in the same shorts nearby at a distance of several meters. His naked torso confuses all thoughts. And everything is to blame for the embossed wide chest and small curls of dark hair that descend to the lower abdomen.

and also, silently, leaves. Heck! This is too much!