“Now I understand why you are calling me there,” Zhenya drawled, “Do you want to personally make sure that he does not sleep with someone else?”

- Exactly.

- Come on, girlfriend, why would a man who cheated on his wife so many times, cheat on you too?

There was malice in Zhenya's voice. Today I was ready to endure it, if only not to drag myself into a restaurant alone. A friend not only did not approve of the connection with Stas, but also tried in every possible way to appeal to my conscience and convince me to break off relations with him. She was my personal morality police.

I don’t argue that an affair with a married man is a dubious column in the biography of a decent girl, but ... Firstly, I never considered myself a saint, and, secondly, if there is an opportunity to get a little more from this life than a salary of twenty thousand rubles, a rented room with Soviet furniture and eating fast food in the nearest shopping center on Saturdays, then why refuse? Moreover, Stas himself came into my hands. I didn't even have to work hard to please him.

After receiving my bachelor's degree, it was not enough for me to just focus on entering the master's program. The soul demanded vigorous activity, if only not to sit idle. After successfully entering the correspondence department, I thought for a long time about where my many talents could be useful, and decided that I was ready to connect my life with the judicial system. I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone around me that I was not afraid to throw my chest into the embrace, I was not afraid to take on hard work. With burning eyes and a desire to build a career, I came to the district court, where I had previously completed pre-graduation practice. There I was received cordially, because due to the heavy workload of the secretaries of the court session, there was a wild shortage. Those who came to the places of the departed employees were sewn up in business and ran away in just a couple of months. The judges simply had no one to go to trials with.

I was assigned to be a good judge. It was a man of fifty who treated me with paternal understanding. He did not scold for mistakes, he defended himself in front of his assistant - a mischievous aunt of thirty-seven years old, did not allow to stay up late. If not for Yuri Valentinovich, I would not have lasted for two whole years at this frantic pace. In the end, my psyche could not stand it, and I quit. I already had a red diploma of a master in my hands, and you can’t drink away the experience of working in such difficult conditions, no matter how hard you try. Of course, at first it was boring and unusually calm without lawsuits, endless folders with cases and burning deadlines. After a month, I got used to it and decided that I had made the right decision. The judicial system was too tough for me. She chewed and spat me out without choking. Let not as quickly as others who surrendered without a fight, but the result is the same.

About a month and a half after my dismissal from the court, I met a classmate Ilya on the street. We started talking, and it turned out that the construction company "Continent Story" has a vacancy in the legal department, where he, in fact, worked. Ilya vowed to recommend me to the boss. I did not believe his words and even forgot about this conversation.

A couple of days later, Ilya called me and told me to come for a personal interview with the boss. I came to the meeting with her already with a resume and a mountain of information read on the Internet on how to behave at an interview. If I was taken to the post of secretary of the court session with arms and legs, because the court needed a large number of employees, then here I had to prove that this construction company needs me.

I passed the interview successfully, and the very next day I started working, however, on a trial period. So I worked in the company for a year and a half, only occasionally seeing Stars and knowing only that he is a director and a member of the board of directors.

Our acquaintance took place on the fourteenth of February, which is very symbolic, in my opinion. Around eight in the evening, I ran out into the street, late for a meeting with Zhenya, and slipped on a marble step, after which I fell epicly on my ass and twisted my leg. Apples and oranges fell out of the bag. Stas had already started the car and was smoking by the stairs, waiting for it to warm up. By the will of fate, it was on that evening that Mironov let the driver go. In a matter of seconds, he was next to me and gently helped me up.

I examined my coat, which now needed urgent cleaning, and was angry at the whole world, including the vile February sleet. The leg aged disgustingly, and it was really a pity for apples and oranges. There were still four days left before the salary, and the wallet was already empty. I bought fruit for two hundred rubles, leaving another hundred just in case. I didn't have any more money. At our meeting today, Zhenya even promised to pay for me, if only we could finally see each other.

Girl, are you hurt? Stas asked carefully.

“Twisted my leg,” I muttered, still looking longingly at the fruit.

“For a long time I told the supply manager to do something with these steps. He'll fix it tomorrow. And if not, there will be no bonus.

I just sobbed softly.

- Are you crying? Don't worry, I'll pick you up. In the end, as the director of the company, I am also responsible for these steps.

Stas smiled encouragingly at me and slowly led me to his car. I looked longingly at the fruit lying in the puddle and sobbed again.

Mironov followed my gaze and smiled even wider:

“I’ll also buy you a fruit basket.

- Well, what are you! It's not necessary at all,” I mumbled as I climbed into the front seat of his black Mercedes.

“Definitely,” he snapped. - Such a beautiful employee suffered. I have to make you happy somehow. Who, if not the director, is obliged to take care of his subordinates?

I smiled weakly. The leader frankly stuck to me, which made my self-esteem dance lambada. Stas is a handsome man, although not the first freshness. Recently, the entire office congratulated him on his forty-fifth birthday.

- Show me where you live. I’ll take you home, and then I’ll bring fruit, ”Mironov ordered.

In the evening, when he again loomed on the threshold of my rented hut with a huge basket of fruit and a bottle of expensive champagne, I was seriously surprised. Frankly, it was hard to believe that such a busy and wealthy man in such vile weather would go to the fruit store for some ordinary employee. Yes, I was sure of my beauty, but such specimens are more susceptible to gloss than to a pretty face. Stas surprised me. That evening, I surprised him too. Mironov, by hook or by crook, tried to come to visit and drink champagne together, but I was unshakable. I think it wasn't often that the young girls he wanted to spend the night with closed the door in front of his nose.

Perhaps that is why I stayed with him for more than one night. Stas took care of me for a long time, gave me gifts, took me to restaurants, spas and shops. I gave up after a month. If I marinated it longer, Mironov could have spit on all these hemorrhoids. Until now, he flew to me at the first opportunity, but today he did not come. Stas' act made me furious. This is my man, and will remain mine!

"So are you coming with me?" I asked Zhenya.

- Where can I get away from you? I'll go, of course, - my friend muttered into the phone.

I'll pick you up in an hour and a half.

I dropped the call and looked at myself in the mirror. Well, it's time for my favorite black dress.

* * *

“I still can’t get used to the size,” I blurted out angrily, having hardly parked near the restaurant.

Stas gave me the delightful and adorable Lexus RX just over two months ago for our anniversary. I will not say that the gift was a surprise. Before that, I sighed unobtrusively several times and complained about how tired I was of moving around the city by taxi and not having my own car. I hinted that I plan to take out a loan and buy an inexpensive car.

I want to note that all this time I did not stop emphasizing that I would buy it myself and pay off the debt - too. Stas chuckled softly, not forgetting to praise my independence. And on the morning of the fourteenth of February, I just looked out the window and saw my baby. A chic white car sparkled in the sun like a diamond. Stas's driver, Oleg, was smoking next to her. He drove her to my porch.

Since then, my pre-lost war with the roads of our city began. The old narrow streets were not designed for such a huge number of cars, which has increased markedly in the past few years. Honestly, sometimes I could get to the right place on foot faster than by car.

We slowly walked to the door of the restaurant and stopped in the hall, near a large mirror.

- Get your phone. Our beauty needs to be captured,” Zhenya asked and smiled seductively at her reflection.

In this she was right. My friend looked even more seductive than me. Her curly hair was pulled back into a high updo. Zhenya is a hairdresser whose hands grow from the right place. Ever since she was a child, she had the magical ability to create a sloppy hairstyle in five minutes that looked like it had been done with a lot of work. Tonight was no exception. Her friend's dark green dress was adorned with a slit all the way to her thigh. My black sheath dress with an open back looked almost modest compared to hers.

From the mirror depths, two beauties looked at us, who today simply had to focus on themselves the attention of all the men in the restaurant. If Zhenya was a bright and memorable girl, largely due to her mop of dark hair and huge green eyes, then I always looked less contrasting against her background. I had fair skin, dark blond hair of a cold shade and blue eyes - a typical Russian appearance. Nothing flashy or out of the ordinary. Despite everything, I never compare myself to Zhenya. We are just different. Does it make sense to draw parallels between Siberia and Africa? It's the same with us. Thanks to Zhenya, I was convinced that I had grown up as a beautiful girl, and not just pretty or pretty. She always said that when my self-esteem was at its worst.

After taking a picture, we went to the hall.

“You have a cool hairstyle today,” Zhenya praised. - No wonder I ask you to open your neck. And with this neckline on the dress, such a bun looks chic.

Zhenya's science has not disappeared over the years. I got my skills from her.

The interior of Asfero impressed me very much - the dark design of the hall, original furniture with angular shapes, light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, like fireflies in the night. The atmosphere of their warm light set up a romantic mood.