Chapter 5

Gleb

Lately, Ksyusha has been going on, I don’t understand what. She begins to hysteria for no reason, as if specifically asking for a quarrel. What happened to the rational girl I married? I just don't recognize her.

Annoyed, I put my phone in my pocket after this brief flash and look at my assistant Christina.

- What do you have?

- A call from Lyubov. Tried to call back. Dial?

“No, you’ll pick up on the way,” I exhale through my teeth and get into the car.

It's even good that I took Christina with me. We had a brunch with clients, after which I had to go to a kindergarten, which was recommended by my friend Demid, a happy father of two children, one of whom attends this institution.

Of course, Christina's opinion is not so important, but her presence comes in handy, because women often notice what men consider unimportant and miss.

I must say that I was not worried about meetings with educators, or the plan of their curriculum. I visited the place, made sure that everything is on the level, security is respected, there are enough staff, the atmosphere corresponds to the asking price - and that's it. You can agree. However, the director of this garden insisted on a personal tour and a detailed retelling of their activities, clearly hoping to get a new sponsor in me. Naturally, I wrote out a check, because there are officially no places in this garden, and I really need one for Vova.

Ksyusha also called, just as we entered a group full of noisy children. I didn't keep her waiting long by calling back as soon as Christina and I left the building on our way to the parking lot, but the argument still persisted and my wife just hung up, non-verbally sending me a message.

Christina, accustomed over the years together to ignore my personal moments with her wife, pretends that she was not here at all, and she did not listen to the conversation.

How much time do we have until the next meeting? - I ask her, taxiing to the track.

“An hour and twenty,” she replies, looking at the tablet.

Christina is my lifesaver. She studied with me on the same course, and after the university I immediately took her to me. She flew to the States with me, and when I decided to return, she followed again. I don't know what I would do without her. Although she looks like a complete cliché of a secretary from jokes, with her external data, she works, giving all her best, while pleasing the eyes of customers. A beautiful, slender brunette with blue eyes, only a smart look betrays the fact that she is not just an office doll.

“Then let’s go somewhere. I need to buy a gift for my father-in-law. Will you help me?

“As always,” she snorts cheerfully.

- By the way, how do you like kindergarten? I'm interested in her opinion.

- Good. It is the most expensive and the best in the city. Yes, and the information that I dug up on the Internet is true. The level you need.

- That's good. I want to get this over with quickly.

We drive up to the mall, and Christina purposefully leads me to a small exclusive store that sells all sorts of figurines, frames and other rubbish.

“Since the gift is shared, you can buy something neutral like a vase,” she says.

Why do they need a vase? I wonder.

- Well, what then? Give couple rings? A piece of home furnishings is best suited for a gift to a married couple, - the girl says with a knowing look, throwing her long dark hair behind her back.

- Glasses then? - I offer, stopping at the window.

No, no dishes! Christina is horrified. - Let's go over there.

She drags me to all sorts of decorative things that Ksyusha loves so much, and I understand that perhaps Christina is right. Ksyusha's mother also loves such things. As a result, we take two antique photo frames that come in pairs, and even my eyes widen at their price. Ksyusha will definitely be satisfied with such a gift.

On the way to the office, I call Lyubov back, who postpones our meeting for an hour, and then I stop by another flower shop, where I buy three bouquets. Kristina - in gratitude for her help, Ksyusha's mother - for obvious reasons, and her grumpy little wife, who needs to be appeased.

The day passes in the blink of an eye, and when I arrive home, my blonde meets me with a completely different mood.

“Hi,” I say warily, looking her up and down.

She's already dressed and looks ravishing in a fitted short red dress with matching lipstick and high heels that visually lengthen her breathtaking legs. I immediately want to stay at home and take off this dress from her, instead of sitting at her parents' for three hours.

“Hi,” my wife whispers, looking expressively at the flowers and the bag in my hands.

“I wouldn’t have time with you, Ksyusha,” handing her her bouquet, and putting the second one on the table, I make excuses. - I bought everything on the go.

“The main thing is that I bought it,” she shrugs her shoulder, smelling her roses. - Thanks.

Putting aside the bouquet, he nevertheless honors me with a kiss on the lips, showing that the insult has been exhausted, and then takes a step back.

- Get dressed quickly. I'm hungry, and today my mother promised to cook her signature lasagna.

At the thought of my mother-in-law’s very rare and equally delicious climbing, I myself drool, so I quickly throw off my suit, changing it to trousers with a jumper, and Ksyusha and I move forward to her mother’s apartment in my car.

Ksyusha

“It's delicious, Mom.” After eating my fill of lasagna, I lean back in my chair and look around at my smiling parents.

On the face of my mother - contentment and pride. And my father is just very happy to see us all, but he is a little shy and embarrassed, I notice this. He is taciturn, but if he speaks, it is always to the point.

- Is there a cola? – lazily draws my bored younger brother.

Roma, sit up straight! Mom corrects him. - Cola is a bad drink. Let's have tea and cake.

- The cake will not fit into me! I lament, patting my stomach. Let's at least take a break.

- Yes! Then I'll go for a cola, I'll drive it, - my brother is undermined from his place.

"Rom, what are you up to?" Sit already! Once in my life I met with relatives, you can’t give us an hour of your time. You want to run away somewhere.

“Rum, really, let’s talk, we haven’t seen each other for a long time,” I smooth the corners, looking at my noticeably grown brother with reproach. Insolence and impudence grew with him.

The brother frowns and slides even lower under the table with a look: “I know these boring adult conversations of yours.”

Mom and dad look at each other and smile.

“Like a child, by God!” - Mom kindly puts on.

The brother only snorts in response.

Watching this skirmish, for some reason I feel an oppressive soul of melancholy. Mom and Roma have a special relationship, not the same as we have with her. She and I are like girlfriends, they always have some kind of rivalry and a game of survival. It's not easy with children.

But what about without them? Will I really not have such warm family gatherings with eternal questions: “Do you remember, then?”. Scary to imagine. Even frost runs through the skin, and I shudder.

“It seems to be warm, but you are covered in goosebumps,” an attentive husband grabs my shoulders and looks into my eyes, but he cannot read my thoughts, otherwise he would be very surprised.

- Yes, just a draft blew, no big deal.

- And what kind of project do you have, Ksenia? Mom asks, getting up and still cutting the cake. – As many as three houses, I understand?

“Yes,” my husband says grouchily, ahead of my answer. “She doesn’t have enough work, our bee. She is so fragile only in appearance, but she herself, give free rein, will embellish the whole village.

- And you take Romka as an assistant, let him do at least something, - again mother, - otherwise he is idle, he quit running, so you let him run after the car, let him do sports and help you.

"Hey hey, what's going on?" - brother straightens up in his chair, looking at his mother with apprehension.

“I’ve already lost the habit of your jokes,” my father chuckles, and I admire the rays of wrinkles around his eyes.

- Nothing, Kohl, you'll get used to it soon. I will be with you until my deathbed. A glass of water will be given to someone if you were worried about it.

- Yes, I did not worry at all.

- Now you will!

Thus, for jokes and jokes, this whole evening passes, full of family warmth. Without touching on the topic of repairing my father's apartment, we move home, take Romka to his father, and then we reach our house. I leave the bathroom, drying my hair with a towel and find my husband at the table in the living room in front of a laptop.

He hasn't even changed, and I have the idea that he might be leaving for work. But no, it just conducts a video conference over the network. Concentrated, gloomy and for some reason seeming distant and alien.

There are days when you get tired of your own repetitive thoughts and far-fetched problems. This one is exactly that. For today, I decide to put an end to unfounded suspicions and just relax. Family evening charged with positive emotions.

But I fall asleep alone, because Gleb is going to bed for too long. First business, then a shower, then another hour, he seems to disappear into the kitchen. Desperate to wait for him, I fall asleep. And then I wake up from the fact that he pulls me, sleepy, into his hot embrace. Gently strokes all over the body, burns the skin with hot breath and awakens a sensual surge. That's how I always react to it. With one touch. Sometimes even a glance. In love with her own husband like a girl. From the looks of it, it's mutual.

- Ksyusha-ah ... - he pulls my name, dragging me into a whirlpool of passion.

And far-fetched fears dissolve. I must have invented our alienation. We just work hard, just tired. And I want too much from him.

- World? he says after a while, and I push myself up on my elbow.

– Peace?.. Did we quarrel?

“Someone freaked out and hung up today,” he winks, lying with his hands behind his head on his back.

- I don’t know anything, I didn’t hang up, I don’t even have a phone in the car.

I sit comfortably next to him and look into his eyes, throwing my head back. With two fingers I make a walking man on Gleb's chest and with a mischievous smile I get up to his face and grab my nose with my fingers, he catches my hand, laughs and kisses my palm.

“So it was the other grumpy wife who gave me a scolding today.

- Well, Gleb, I'm not grumpy! I poke him in the chest with my fist. Not strong, I hit for fun.

- Okay, okay, you're perfect! surrenders, raising his hands up.

- That's it! - I grin and, contented and happy, squirming, I settle into his arms. I love to throw a leg on him and bask on a warm body. I myself am constantly cold and almost turn into ice.

- Ksyusha, there will be less work, I promise, now is just such a period.

- Yes, I understand everything, really, you do not pay attention to me.

- How not to turn? You almost killed me with a look when you took the laptop today.

"That's not true, you're demonizing me!" - I poke him in the side so that he doesn’t make a vixen out of his beloved wife.

- Okay, let's assume that I made it up.

Of course, I'm an angel!

On this note, I fall into a serene sleep, and then, already late at night, I don’t understand what woke me up. In the dark, waking up, I don’t understand what is happening, and then I see Gleb’s back, buried in the phone. It glows blue.

- Who is it? I ask hoarsely, noticing the time on the clock face on the wall.

“Wrong number,” grunting, Gleb fits back, and I fix the numbers I saw.

Three thirty at night.

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