Irina locked the door, threw her bag of notes on the shoe shelf and shook her curls, as if trying to relieve fatigue.

For the whole day, she managed only to have a quick bite to eat in the university cafeteria, buying sausage in dough and drinking a cup of tea.

Considering that it was already evening, hunger reminded of itself more and more. And something urgently needed to be done about it.

Irina took off her raincoat, replaced her shoes with soft house slippers and went into the kitchen.

The relatives with whom she lived left for the village in the morning, leaving only one thin hunting sausage, a piece of a loaf and three eggs in the refrigerator. All this turned out to be an excellent omelette, which Irina had dinner with.

Now you can go, get a full bath of water and calmly soak up the warmth.

Irina turned on the water, plugged the drain with a cork and dripped some foam under the jet. The bathroom was instantly filled with a pleasant fruity smell.

She ran her two index fingers over the misted mirror, which immediately showed a drawing - a heart.

Not that this romantic symbol is dedicated to anyone in particular. It was just the mood.

Irina smiled, collected her hair in a bun and fastened it with a hairpin at the back of her head so as not to get wet. She threw off her clothes and stepped into the bubbles.

She always liked to lie in warm water, listening to her favorite songs, and sometimes even singing along. However, today she decided to do without songs.

After lying wrapped in foam for about twenty minutes, Irina pulled out the cork, climbed out of the water and reached out with her hand to the hanger.

- That's it, damn it's hot! Muddler! she swore, realizing that she had forgotten to take home clothes.

I had to remove a terry towel from the dryer and wrap it around it, tying it in a knot on my chest.

With each step, it parted, revealing the lower abdomen and thighs.

Barefoot, in a towel over her naked body, on which drops of water flowed, Irina scuttled into the room, leaving wet footprints on the parquet.

Almost reaching the door of the room, she stopped in front of a small oval mirror that hung on the wall in the corridor. Looking at herself, she raised her hands and reached for the hairpin.

A click, and her hair fell in red waves over her bare shoulders.

Irina grimaced and stuck her tongue out at her looking-glass look-alike.

At the same instant, the phone, which was on the shelf next to the mirror, rang throughout the apartment, causing Irina to flinch.

His heart was pounding at a frantic pace, and for some reason his cheeks instantly filled with a blush.

Chapter 4

Irina looked around in confusion, not knowing whether to go to the room for clothes or answer such an untimely call.

On the one hand, no one usually called her at such a time. But on the other hand, maybe it's the parents? Or sister? Or a girlfriend?

The phone continued to ring.

The girl pulled the towel higher over her chest with one hand, picked up the phone with the other.

- Hello!

Pause... Exhale... And an unusually pleasant male voice, as if coming from the depths of the chest, said:

- Hello! May I hear Valery?

- And ... - Irina was even more confused and for some reason embarrassed. You probably didn't get there.

Pause again...

- It can't be, - the interlocutor with a pleasant voice did not believe.

- Why? Irina didn't understand.

- Does it happen? I'm calling a second time, - the stranger readily explained. - And for the second time today I am mistaken with the number. Do you think it's fate?

- Well ... I doubt it. Irina straightened the towel that slowly slipped from her chest.

- Why?

- I do not believe in fate, - Irina waved her hand and looked at herself in the mirror.

The man chuckled into the phone.

- My name is Sergey Ivanovich, - he introduced himself. – Can be simply Sergei. How about you?

- Irina ... Mikhailovna. You can just Irina Mikhailovna.

The man laughed. Loud and very contagious, so much so that Irina also giggled softly.

- And you are funny, Irina Mikhailovna. I love funny ones. Listen, - Sergei thought for a moment, - what if I send a driver for you?

- W…why? Irina's cheeks flushed red.

- Hm, why? the man asked in surprise. And it seemed to Irina that Sergey could hardly restrain himself so as not to laugh again. He will bring you to me.

- A... You're not in too much of a hurry?

- And why pull the cat for ... you yourself know what place? We are adults. And please, come on "you".

- Thank you, but, perhaps, this option does not suit me, - Irina shook her head, as if the interlocutor could see her.

- So you are against a closer acquaintance and a non-binding meeting? – said Sergei.

- Yeah, definitely.

- As you want. It was nice talking to you, Irina... ahem... Mikhailovna.

Unexpectedly for herself, Irina was upset. She did not even pay attention to the towel that slipped down and exposed half of her chest. She just stood still holding the phone to her ear, staring at her own reflection in the mirror without blinking.

Her casual acquaintance was also silent, but, oddly enough, did not hang up the phone either.

- I need to do something, - Sergey finally broke the protracted pause in the conversation. I'll call you later, if you don't mind?

- Yes, - Irina breathed out and heard beeps.