JOHN.

  Life in Edinburgh goes on as usual. I practice with an elderly mathematician and sometimes teach lessons in his pce. Unfortunately, he is not in very good health. Middle school girls respect me, and older girls always look at me with wide, loving eyes. I’m used to it, but it still annoys me a little. I have a colleague named Linda. She is also young, but three years older than me. She’s twenty-six. Sometimes she and I go for coffee at a nearby cafe after we finish our work day, or we visit each other and py video games. I’m not sure if she likes me, but sometimes she acts a little strange. When I have free days, we meet with Mike and his friends. They are a little strange, but I like their company, I belong among them. Linda doesn’t approve of Mikey. I don’t think it concerns her. We are not in a retionship. I think she’s trying too hard to get into my personal space. But I try to ignore these moments on her part, because I still need to communicate with her at school. I don’t need conflicts. If I have absolutely nothing to do, I go to the gym nearby. This is better than spending time with myself and asking myself how Christina is doing, what she is doing, whether she ate and slept well.

  Yesterday I called my father. He’s asking me to come this weekend for an engagement party he’s pnning. True, his precious half is not yet aware. But I think it’s worth a look. For some reason Linda also wants to go with me. And she expresses his desire so persistently. And I just shared the news with her today that my father will soon marry for the second time. I decided to call him.

  “Hello. I’m listening.”

  “Hi, Dad. There is one problem. How about I not come alone?”

  “Young woman?” he asks.

  “No, colleague... Will Christina come?” I ask after a short silence.

  “Well, I told her. She seems to be getting ready.”

  “Is she alone? Or will she also invite someone with her? It’s not her style though. Okay, dad. Keep in mind, there will be two of us.”

  “Okay, John. There is still so much to do.”

  “Listen, how will you present all this to Ae?”

  “I said that we haven’t gotten together for a long time. In fact it is. Besides, since you won’t come alone, it’s even better.”

  “OK. See you Saturday then. Wait for us in the evening.”

  “Will you take Michael’s car?” he asks.

  “For now, yes. No options. Next year I’ll take mine out on credit,” I say.

  “I’ll help you with the down payment.”

  “Not at all necessary, but we’ll see.” This ends our conversation.

  ***

  “Take it, friend. What kind of chick is this?” Mike asks, looking at Linda, smoking on the sidelines and looking displeased in our direction.

  “Oh, this? Her name is Linda. It’s better not to get involved, she’s a bore,” I wave him off, “besides, she doesn’t like you.”

  “Wait, wait, did you tell her about me?” Mikey smiles.

  “Nothing special. She just knows that I communicate with you and the guys, and she always makes this face.”

  I roll my eyes and make a pained expression on my face. Mike cackles.

  “She is a brave little girl. So this is your girlfriend?”

  “Don’t even joke like that,” I snort.

  “Then I just have to meet her,” he says and heads towards Linda.

  “She’s twenty-six,” I say, “and she works as a teacher at school.”

  “It’s even better.”

  He throws me the car keys and goes to Linda. I throw my gym bag in the trunk, there are a few changes of clothes in there. I sit in his Skoda and ugh to myself. I’m sure she’ll blow him away. I start the car and drive up. I open the right window and lean out:

  “Do we drive?”

  “Get out and put my suitcase too. Let’s go already,” she says.

  “Don’t talk to me like that,” I answer, but I still go out and put her suitcase in the trunk next to my bag. She sits down.

  “Well? Did you get turned away?” I ask Mike.

  “It’s okay, you’ll see, she’ll still be mine.”

  “Come on, come on, Mikey. Tomorrow I will return your car to you safe and sound.”

  I pat him on the shoulder and get into the car. We’re setting off. At first we’re driving in silence. The route is a little winding. It’s almost evening, about an hour more to go. I turn on the music quietly. The Beatles are a cssic. But my idyll does not st long. Just when I’m starting to forget that I’m not actually driving alone, a voice comes from the back seat:

  “Can you stop? I do not feel well.”

  “Should you turn off the music?” I ask.

  “No, I just want to go out. Can you help?”

  “Okay,” I say.

  I pull over to the side of the road and turn off the engine. I open the back door.

  “Why didn’t you sit forward?”

  “There’s more space here.”

  She actually settled down with her feet in the back seat.

  “Linda, get out!”

  “Give me your hand, please,” she asks.

  “What a complicated woman,” I’m thinking, but I still extend my hand. But instead of taking help, she pulls me on herself. I can’t keep my bance and feel like I’m starting to fall into the seat.

  “Damn it!” — I swear and then hastily add, “Sorry.”

  I rest my knee on the seat between her legs, and with my right hand I try to hold on to the backrest.She no longer holds my left hand, but puts it on her chest. From the realization of how ridiculous the situation is, I only now noticed that her tight shirt is unbuttoned by three buttons, she is not wearing a bra, and her breasts are rather rge.

  “The usual cunning thing. And you believed it,” I mentally scold myself.

  “It’s okay, just stay in this position a little longer...” she purrs, “Rex... Do you want to unfasten one more button?”

  “Okay, we have to finish,” my brain says to me.

  But instead I run my thumb over her nipple through her shirt. Linda moans softly right next to my ear. I didn’t even notice, I was already in the seat next to her, and the car door was smmed. She runs her hand down my jeans right there. Then she climbs onto my p and rubs her delicious buns on them. It seems my penis has rebelled.

  “Mmm, looks like someone hasn’t had anything for a long time. This won’t do,” she says and unbuttons two more buttons on her shirt. Her breasts are completely exposed. She leans closer to my face and licks my lips with her tongue. Then she pushes it inside and starts kissing me slowly. I close my eyes and respond with a mutual greedy kiss and I’m ready to surrender to her power, to follow my animal instincts, but then the image of Christina appears in my head. Strict, judgmental and a little sad. And my consciousness immediately begins to protest.

  “Stop! Linda, stop it. I am not ready. I don’t like it in the car,” I’m lying. I gotta say something.

  “But you were ready, what’s wrong?!” She pouts her lips offendedly.

  “Just not now, okay? I love a cozy environment.”

  I get behind the wheel again and speed up. My beloved, with whom I will never be together, is probably already home. It seems that now I almost did something for which I could scold myself ter.

  The sun will soon set below the horizon. Linda seems offended. But when we drive up, she looks at our house and tells me:

  “Wow, guy, you’re rich!”

  “It’s unlikely, this is the family mansion of the te grandparents. Although my grandfather died before I arrived.”

  “Yes, it’s really cozy in such a house...” she says meaningfully.

  “Will you go out on your own? I’ll go get our things.”

  “Yes, don’t worry about me,” she smiles at one corner of her mouth. But nothing can be hidden from my sight.

  “What a devil!”

  ***

  Ae is fussing. Dad asked to put a lot of cutlery on the table. All the employees of the house know that today they are all at the same table with us for the sake of a very important event. Only the heroine of the occasion does not know about this. Linda’s things are in one of the guest rooms.

  “I want to see your room,” she says.

  “Slow down girl!” I pull her back.

  “It’s interesting,” she whines with disappointment.

  “When will she finally shut up?” I ask myself.

  “Where...” I ask my father. He points his finger towards her room.

  “I see,” I say.

  “Wear something more festive,” he asks.

  “Of course, dad.”

  He leaves us alone.

  “Make yourself comfortable. In the meantime, I’ll go to my pce. Then we’ll come back and go have dinner,” I addressed Linda.

  I go up to my room. I have a fuzzy knitted sweater. It is perfect for such an event. I look into the chest of drawers, and…

  “It was here!” I say to myself.

  I try to check everything again, but again I don’t see it. This is weird. It was definitely in the chest of drawers.

  “Well now... There’s no time to look.”

  I take a cardigan from the hanger with a knitted winter forest on it. Dad brought this one from his expeditions. He bought it especially for me. He probably really cared about me, to the best of his ability. The cardigan and gray T-shirt are accompanied by dark jeans, which I take from the bag that I brought with me. OK it’s all over now. I’m going down. I need to call my lustful colleague.