Platforma slowly at first, and then all the faster ran back. Behind there were groups of people leaving on other trains, escorting, bales and trunks, everything that usually makes up the non-fixed attributes of all the stations. The train picked up speed and flew away from the town to the fields, forests, carrying hundreds of its various passengers, who were now packing their belongings in the wagons, preparing for a tedious two-night journey. The train was going south ...

Lyubov Nikolaevna was sitting at the window of her coupe, miserable and tired. She didn’t want to do anything, rather, she didn’t know where to begin her trip. It all happened so unexpectedly that the woman had not yet had time to collect her thoughts and lead them in order. For once, her husband let her go south without him. This happened for the first time in all seven years of their super-married life. Of course, it is impossible to say that Lyubov Nikolaevna was always so eager to break out alone. Just always their holidays coincided with her husband and they never went away. But now Volodya has found a new job for himself, as they say in “commercial structures”, and this naturally did not allow him to leave the city for two weeks. Then they with Anyone decided that she would go to rest without him. Not one, of course, no, God forbid. Zhenya, an old girlfriend, also decided to go, and they all decided that two girlfriends can have a good rest in Sochi too. What is special about it?

And only on the last day Eugene could not go, she found urgent work, from which she could not refuse because of the extraordinary benefits. Her friend apologized, she had to pass her ticket.

Lyubov Nikolayevna got exhausted and at first also thought about going. She was alone and uncomfortable. But then the healthy meaning took the top and the woman thought that if she refused to go now, she could go to the south next year only next year. And to rest on the sea, she used it and now she really wanted to. “Sochi is a fairy tale” - she thought - “And even more so, I already know this city quite well. So many times we have been there with Volodya in the past years, that I probably will not be difficult there, and this time I’ll find myself well. And that I will be alone and I will be a little bored, because I’m only going for two weeks and I’ll not have time to really get bored. ”

So she persuaded herself and her husband. Volodya helped her pack her things and brought her to the station. Naturally, spouses agreed. that as soon as Lyuba is settled, she will immediately call her husband, and in general she will regularly call and tell about how she is resting. Lyuba kissed her husband on the front and got into the car. And Volodya, waving his hand and laughing, ran rather into his new company, where now every minute urgent matters awaited. To tell the truth, Lyuba, although she was annoyed with her husband because he did not go with her, knew in her heart that she should not be angry with him at all. After all, thanks to his present income in the company, he was able to pay for the rest for her. In our time, all these trips to Sochi are not so cheap and not everyone can afford it. It was thanks to her love for business and her husband's business that Lyuba could now go to the south for two weeks.

So, sitting a coupe in a coupe, she drove quite alone for quite a while. Despite the fact that the entire carriage was full, no one entered its compartment. Finally, the woman still decided to change her clothes, change her dress to a dressing gown, more suitable for a long journey in a train. But it only cost her to climb behind the suitcase, as the coupe door noisily drove off to the side and her companions appeared. All were in love. Luba, pretending to look out of the window, slyly looked at three men who turned out to be her neighbors in the compartment. These were healthy men for over thirty years old. It struck the woman that all three of them were of a very high height, with broad shoulders and bull necks. However, they were dressed well, and even too much.Expensive slacks, Italian soft shoes, motley colors of a shirt with short “colonial” style hands gave out people who are not alien to business, commerce, and certainly not local policemen and teachers. From under the short sleeves of the tops the sleek strong muscular hands, like those of Arnold Schwarzenegger, covered with thick dark hair and ending with four-fists with firm fingers, clearly not holding the handle for a long time. No, it was not the time and not the teacher. It was hard to understand that these are serious men. They smelled of alcohol, but they were not drunk. From the conversation that ensued between them. Lyuba understood that in the compartment they didn’t come right away because right after the departure of the train they were sent to the restaurant car and there they marked their departure from Peterburg.

Those who received with the same curiosity, only, unlike Lyuba, without concealing him, considered their fellow traveler. Their dark eyes openly slid over the woman, searching inquiringly at her. In front of them sat a young woman about twenty-five - twenty-eight years old, a smart, blond, in a bright blouse, tight stretching of her hood, and in a rather short white skirt, revealing long, long legs with solid round knees.

Much has gradually opened to the bold eye of men. Judging by the obstructive ring, in front of them was a married woman, judging by the fact that she was clearly going to rest, she was sufficiently secured, and elegant shoes, expensive decorations on the neck and ears, along with a carefully made manicure and adorned by a regular testimony about Tom. that a woman is non-indifferent to herself and attentively cares for her young beautiful body. It was a long ride, and therefore in such cases everyone gets to know each other. So happened this time. Lyuba told about where and why she was going, and the men said that their names were Gene, Stepan and Vazgen. They were in St. Petersburg on business and now returned home in Sochi. What they do, they did not say, and, however, did not ask about it and Lyuba. And in general, this traditional topic of conversation in Russian trains over the past few years has quickly become out of fashion. Before that, it was a must-have question on any acquaintance, especially train: “Who do you work with?” Now, this question is asked all times, and the answers to such questions are still more time.

Who is who can be seen and without any talk with an unseeing eye, and no one will say the same to all this ...

Three enthusiasts were fun and conversational people. Gradually, Lyuba somewhat calmed down. Before that, she shivered about herself and nervously thought: “This is really bad luck. Not lucky from the start. Since Eugene refused to go, all the time there are different troubles with me. What a pleasure to go with three strangers men. After all, I am one woman in the compartment. And the look of these guys is pretty suspicious. But nothing can be done. It is silly to go to the conductor and ask to transfer me to another compartment. Everyone will laugh. This is ridiculous. But to remain is not that dangerous, but it is certainly uncommon, which means that it is anxious. ”

But gradually these thoughts are gone. Neighbors talked about how the first time they were in St. Petersburg. It didn't even take half an hour, as one of them, Stepan, got into his case, which was one on three of their only baggage, and took out a bottle of brandy from there. Behind the bottle on a small table, a stack of chocolates and a lemon were peeing through the mouth, which Vazgen immediately cut with a spring knife with a trumpet handle.

The snack was ready, and fellow travelers offered to drink for an acquaintance and the beginning of a long journey to the south. At first, Lyuba refused, but she was persistently persuaded to form a company, and she herself finally thought that it was all the same for two more days, and she needed a good reason to agree to a kind invitation. The bottle was drunk pretty fast. Lyuba got a bit tipsy and her last dreams passed. The men sitting before her already seemed to her quite worthy of trust. Kriy consciousness of a woman all the same realized that all three of them are very different from all of her friends, to the lovers of her husband. If these are businessmen, then a completely special, or rather, a certain warehouse.These are people not ...