Red Star

Chapter 26

- Vera

, Where do you live geographically?

"On figs cultures-multur, you will address once on "you" and then to " you "will be three weeks cancer".

- In Kupchino, why? - in surprise.

- Well, then it's fate!.. We have just finished rehearsing the song and are in Kupchino. Dictate the address, I'll come for you now, and we will go to receive your song from the musicians.

- Me... It's too late now... And I'm busy!

"Lies, infection! Really a bummer?! Now it is important not to get lost on persuasions..."

"Of course it's too late! We've been practicing late so we can finish today, but we're right next to you. I'll be there in five minutes, listen to the song for another five minutes and five minutes back. You really don't have fifteen minutes for a song?!

- ...No. I'm sorry, but I'm really busy, " he said in a completely unyielding tone.

"BLYA!!!"

- very sorry! Well, all the best to you then. Goodnight! I couldn't help myself, though, out of annoyance. It was just after seven, and it was obviously early for bed. The receiver slammed down on the hook.

I sat in front of the phone for a few seconds, reliving my failure, then got up, turned to the door, and almost jumped in fright.

A slim, elderly Caucasian man in a dark suit and an open-necked white shirt stood in the doorway. Noticing that I started, he smiled white-toothed and raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean not to eavesdrop, not to frighten you!"

"I attacked the wrong person, chock..." - the mood, after the conversation, sharply deteriorated.

I grinned sweetly:

"I have no Secrets, you can eavesdrop, and I was scared of the surprise. So you are absolutely not scary!

The man laughed:

- My name is Nodar, I am the Director of the restaurant. Are you the young man who saved our Nikolai's daughter?

"My name is Victor.

The Director took three steps toward me and held out his hand. We shook hands. He was clearly in his fifties, but his arm was strong.

- Thank you for the phone, I will not interfere with your work.

"May I give you some advice?"

His voice caught up with me at the door. I turned Around

. I don't know if I'll follow it, but I'll definitely be grateful for it."

"Call your girl again, right now. She probably already regretted that she refused! Tell her it's wrong, that she can't... let him ask his parents for permission and change his mind!

"And if he doesn't change his mind? What do I lose?!"- flashed through my head.

I go back to the phone.

Nodar, surprised that I agreed so easily, stood aside to let me go to the table.

I turn the dial again.

- Hello? the voice seems even more upset than the first time.

- Vera, it's Viktor again! I've been thinking about it and I think it's wrong that you won't come to listen to a song that's dedicated to you. Why don't you change your mind and find a few minutes? I paused.

There was silence on the phone.

- Well. I can probably find some time, " a hesitant voice is heard saying.

- That's good, dictate, what is your address?

Budapest street, the house 11, apartment 76. Just give me at least half an hour, I have to pack! there's a note of panic in his voice.

"Of Course, Vera. I'll be there in half an hour. See you soon!

I put the phone down carefully.

Nodar smiles broadly and gives a thumbs-up:

- Now we need to buy good flowers!

"Thank you, Nodar, for your good advice! But with flowers at this time, I think there will be problems. I wish I could order a taxi!

- There are no unsolvable problems! I'll drive you myself, and we'll pick up the flowers on the way, I know who will make them!

Nodar announced that he was waiting for me at the bottom of the car, and I went to warn Lech and "shoot" one of his hundred rubles. I couldn't get rid of "big brother" and Lech joined me. However, it is for the best...

Nodar was waiting for us at the entrance to the restaurant, standing next to the snow-white Volga. I introduced them to each other. The dimensions of the "person accompanying me" made a strong impression on the restaurant Director. He respectfully shook Lech's hand, they sat in the front, I plopped down in the back seat of the car, and we went...

- We are going to stop by a very good friend of mine, - said Nodar, - and he will make us a great bouquet of white roses! Your "lady" is not married, will white roses do? Nodar laughed at me.

- I do not know - honestly answered I, with a laugh, in response. The humor of the situation has already reached me, the Georgian decided that I "glue" a peer!

Kupchino was not yet densely built up, and we drove to a large wasteland between high-rise buildings. They walked for about half a minute between some garages and finally stopped at the only garage with a light shining over it.

As soon as Nodar turned off the engine, the garage door opened soundlessly and a fat, bald, pot-bellied and cheerful "Kolobok" with an unclouded Georgian appearance rolled out.

First, an expressive "machine-gun" tirade in Georgian followed, then "Kolobok" saw us getting out of the car and switched to Russian:

- Hello, dear guests! Zurab is glad to see you all, except this unscrupulous Nodar, who has completely forgotten about his friend! Doesn't stop by, doesn't call, completely lost his conscience! - smiling, Zurab - "Kolobok" complained to me and Lech about Nodar standing next to me, and also smiling.

"Batono Nodar, you saw batono Zurab yesterday, didn't you?" I blurted out at random, knowing them well.

"Noooo, haven't seen you in four days!" "it's a long time between friends!"

Nodar laughed:

- Zurab, dear, this is Alexey, and this is Viktor, they are my guests and friends, very good people! We come to you for help and on business.

"Kolobok" by inertia shouted something, like, "your friend is my friend" and then, immediately becoming serious, busily asked what he could be useful for...

...Fifteen minutes later, we drove away from the garage Zurab, which, incidentally, turned out to be two people, warehouse, fruit and flowers, and took with him a huge bouquet of white roses and fifty - $ 100 and five kilos of Abkhazian black cherry - 25 rubles...

"Kopeck piece" fell into the bowels of the pay phone, and I heard Verino: "Hello?"

- Vera, I'm down at the entrance...

- I'm... coming out now...

From the pay phone I went back to the bench near Vera's entrance and perched on its back. On the bench itself lay a huge posh bouquet.

"Mdya... here, just today, my denim suit would be useful... " - I thought listlessly, realizing that I still have little light and I probably started these "mating dances"for nothing. Lech and Nodar remained sitting in the Volga, which was directly opposite the entrance, and did not prevent me from indulging in defeatist moods.

To top it all off, it was after nine o'clock, and I had to call home and warn my mother that I was going to be late. And then "fatal don Juan" could be driven home, some phrase, like: "To be home in half an hour!"..

In short, when the front door slammed five minutes later and Vera appeared, I was determined not to make a fuss and quickly decide on my prospects.

However, my class plan almost immediately went to waste.

At the school meeting, Vera was wearing a black jacket and jeans, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her serious expression was complemented by heavy horn-rimmed glasses. Immediately, a slender, very beautiful girl with black loose, slightly curly hair came out of the entrance. She was wearing a fashionable denim skirt that went just above the knee, a tight black turtleneck, and stilettos. If you add to this that "slightly above the knee" revealed beautiful slender legs, and "tight" was very tight, then I was not mentally ready for this spectacle. Vera, somehow, I do not remember SO beautiful!

Coming down from the back of the bench, I blurted out, instead of greeting:

- I forgot how beautiful you are!

Vera, blushing, laughed:

- thank You for the compliment!

"It's not a compliment, it's a dry statement of fact," I muttered, slowly coming to my senses.

Oh my goodness.. Vera froze, noticing the bouquet.

"Ah," I said, " let's go, we have musicians and ice cream waiting for us!"

"And the flowers?" Vera didn't understand.

"What, flowers?" - I already came to my senses and "turned on a millionaire from the 21st century" - I wanted to do something nice for you, buy beautiful flowers, and now I see that this pathetic broom is not even worthy of you to touch it. Let's go... " and walked to the car.

"Are you crazy?" Vera's indignant voice came from behind me.

I turned around. Vera was standing next to a huge armful of beautiful white roses and lightly touched the buds with her open palm.

I went back to the bench.

"Well, if you really like it, then they're yours," I say doubtfully, bending down to pick up the bouquet and carefully placing it on Vera's outstretched hands.

"You can't think of a better moment, go ahead!" - I mentally spur myself.

- By the way, I forgot... still, good evening! and standing up on his toes, he casually kissed Vera on the cheek. Without letting me come to my senses and react somehow, I pull my elbow to the car:

- let's Go, they are waiting for us!

Vera follows me in silence. Before that, sitting like a mouse, Lech easily jumps out of the front seat and opens the back door:

- Good evening, sit down...

Vera, frankly shied away from the "jumped elephant", pulls herself together, greets in response and awkwardly gets into the car, with a bouquet in her hands.

Vera, I want you to meet! - I begin to imagine sitting in the car - this is Nodar-the best of the Georgians I know!

The Director of" Aragvi "smiles widely and manages to turn the steering wheel, turn the whole body to Vera, portray a gallant "bow", as well as undress her and r**e her. However, the last two actions were reflected only in the expressive Georgian eyes, and even then, only in my view, experienced by real age.

"This is Alexey, my only friend. It's very big and very strong, but... obscenely good!

Vera smiles for the first time since getting into the car.

"Where are we going?" finally, the girl asks.

And then Nodar, of course, blows the roof! All ten minutes of the road to the restaurant, he does not close his mouth from which a continuous stream of pretentious compliments pour Vera's beauty, youth, charm, upbringing and other set of all imaginable virtues...

.. I meet her eyes and we both laugh! The Nodar - Fig. He continues to weave complex Caucasian verbiage, talking up to "a trembling flower among Russian winters". At this point, Lech lowers the window and sticks his head out...

Finally, we stop at Aragvi and, under Nodar's incessant verbal diarrhoea, go to " the best Caucasian restaurant in Leningrad, and it's the best because it's mine!".

"Gee! I marveled to myself, " however, Vera is really stunningly beautiful...

During our absence, the number of guests has increased significantly - half of the tables are already occupied. Apparently, the clientele is going here, more or less, permanent - as we walked to our table, Nodara called out, almost all the guests.

But tonight, mountain eagle was very excited and busy, so he didn't pay much attention to the guests. The Georgian did not leave Vera's side, constantly "hung on his ears", tried to add more to Her glass and report something to her plate. One colorful toast followed another and bragging alternated with beautiful poses.

At first, I was going to intervene in this process, but after looking at it from the outside, I decided that the situation would resolve itself. Actually, that's why I smiled reassuringly and shook my head slightly when Lech, sniffing with displeasure, began to cast questioning glances at me.

Meanwhile, the party at the restaurant was in full swing. THE via Raduga boomed and sang, multicolored lights twinkled merrily in the dimness of the hall, and guests drank, ate, and danced.

At our table, it was obvious that Vera was clearly irritated By the Intrusive attention and obvious intentions of Nodar. When our table, unexpectedly uninvited, was joined by the "garage" Zurab, everything became quite anecdotal. This flower and fruit bun changed into a suit and, apparently, on the basis of this, decided that he had become an irresistible macho! And now the Georgians are already a duet tormented our ears with Lech and really caused a strong dislike for Vera. She almost stopped smiling and began to turn away from the audience, then pretend to listen to a song she liked.

Just at this moment, the soloists of "Rainbow" performed Gil's song "Winter", and, on the instructions of the restaurant Director, they had to perform it three times, causing discontent in the audience and already outright irritation of Vera, for which Nodar, in fact, did it.

Feeling that the situation is approaching a boiling point, and, unexpectedly decently "typed", Nodar does not notice this, I decided that it was time to go to the forefront. In fact, it was already clear to me that the evening was hopelessly ruined, and Vera wished a hundred times that she had agreed to meet. Therefore, we could only try to maintain our own reputation and get out of this situation with minimal losses.

"Vera," I said, leaning into the girl's neat ear, " I'm sorry, I didn't expect these two unpleasant types to join us. Can we listen to a song and get out of here?

Vera, upset, looked at me sideways, hesitated a little, and nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go to the stage!" This will be a sign for the musicians... "I didn't risk putting Verino's patience to another test by asking her to dance. The girl was eight years older, and she was a head taller in heels, and she was also annoyed and upset - well, my common sense hadn't changed yet!

Nikolai, as soon as he saw us near the stage, immediately nodded to me and after a couple of minutes, punching time and reality, Guba chords sounded, and Volodya exhaled into the microphone:

- Vera! .. yesterday we were together ... the

Song floated smoothly through the hall, the lights of the color music slowly, half-leaped, switched in the quiet semi-darkness and the first couples swayed near the stage.