“Small model,” Claire answered, rather condescendingly. (I don’t remember if I was able to remember that she was a photograph).

- And is that all?

“No, but then — it belongs to me,” Claire explained very directly.

In that ygly bar where we sat, there were only three of us. Almost without asking for my opinion and not addressing little Ann at all, Claire ordered mineral water for everyone. The waiter quickly turned.

Claire removed from the pack, which I laid out on the table, a cigarette, and right away she herself closed it. Then she looked at the girlfriends and leaned toward her to curl her excellent blond hair with a golden sheen.

- Hy tell me, is she not captivating? Clare said it with some challenge. I replied: “Yes, quite”, but with the usual clarity in the voice.

“Yes, she is very sweet,” Claire repeated. - And not only, as you see.

I looked at the girl. She did not move, her eyes were thrown on a glass, along the walls of which on the surface every now and then shrill short pryzvyki.

“You can offer it if you want,” Clare said.

I squinted at her. I thought she was a little tipsy. However, she was in her usual state; just not without a share of cynicism, as always.

- You see, it is very nice.

I was again surprised by the use of the form of the future time: “You will see,” and I turned my eyes to the round smooth shoulder, which seemed slender compared to white matter. My right mother was rested on the back of the sofa, and I could only move it slightly to touch the golden skin with the tips of my fingers. The young woman barely noticeably shuddered and looked up at me for a moment.

“Exceptionally nice,” I agreed, addressing Ann. Claire right away picked up:

- Her eyes are beautiful too. Hey, look at the gentleman, he will see them. - At the same time, she raised the face of the girl for the chin, gently, not surely. For a few moments, little Anne looked at me, but, blushing, she was again showered. In fact, she had large, very beautiful green eyes, framed by long, smoothly curved leaves. Now Claire caressed her face, continuing to talk to herself in a very delicate voice.

- And a beautiful mouth ... beautiful, soft lips ... lips, such experienced ... and zyb ... beautiful, little white lips ... Show them to us.

She opened the mouth of the girl with her fingers.

“Stay like that,” she said.

Little Anne remained sitting after her, as she was told, half open her mouth, so that two glaring, smooth rows of teeth appeared. But she looked to Claire. Her open lips trembled a little. It seemed to me that she was about to cry. I turned back and drank a few sips of soda.

“Somehow,” Clare said, “I'll show you the pictures I made from her.”

At that instant, it seemed to me, I heard, as a young woman protests or in any case complains. She still didn’t say a single word after that indistinct “monsieur” at the very beginning, which was accompanied by a kindly bow when we were introduced. It seemed to me that now she remarked: “Oh, no,” or something like that, which made me doubt the accuracy of these pictures. However, Clare Vpryg wanted to go.

When we all got up, Claire inquired:

- hy how is she to you? - So, as if I was a poker. At the same time, she pushed the girl who had come to me and without bluntness noticed: - She does not wear a bra. I find it fun to make her walk like that.

At this time a young woman has grown terribly. I was assured that Claire would now give out some more confused remark on the occasion of the absence and the other part of her underwear. Contrary to my expectations, she kept silent and, at least, that evening, she spoke only about the most neutral things. CHAPTER TWO: ROSES IN THE BAGATEL We agreed to meet on the next day: to spend the evening in the Bagatelpark. Claire insisted on showing me a rose, which I had never seen.But now I already knew enough not to ask once more whether we will be together or together with her young companion. By the way, Claire did not express any desire to show me gardens or photographs, even during our previous friendship. Until now, she never invited me to meet outside those societies that sometimes brought us together. I, too, from my side did not attempt to expand our connection. I already remembered how little this very beautiful beauty attracted me. I also don’t remember that I would ever meet her even the slightest encouragement of my closest attempts at rapprochement.

Even when I was thinking about her again, waiting for her at the open-air Royal Café, I couldn’t recognize that she would act with someone else as a friend. She had an unshakable will, she was distinguished by self-confidence and arrogance and did not scare scandals. However, she immediately showed to her admirers on the doorstep, it was worthwhile to go too far, as she also rejected the frank proposals that she made from time to time.

Somehow once I claimed at the destruction of one fan. It seemed to me that in the flash, which she wore him in powder, I caught my kind of hatred. Then all of us were stung by the scene, since the talk was about a beautiful young man who possessed both her own and eternal chastity, and, according to her words, was her lover.

I saw a little little Anne coming to see me. She was in the same dress as evening. In order not to offend other guests, she nicely maneuvered between the tables, reminding the dancers, lifted up her cheeks, swayed her hips and made half turns.

Reaching me, she was condemned with pomp and gentleness, with some purity, which is found in boarding houses. And she answered in the voice of a well-bred child:

- She is here, monsieur. She is waiting for you in the car.

This phrase surprised me not only because Claire herself was not named in her, but also because of the excessive respect that was invested in the word "monsieur".

I got up, ready to follow her. Claire's car was standing somewhat on the rue de Rennes. While we were walking, I had a minute to ask the girl two or three meaningless questions; but she, as a child, answered only "yes, monsieur," "no, monsieur," and "I don't know, monsieur."

It was a new black 15 KV. Anne knocked the doors out to me, and I was in love with Claire, who was sitting at the fire. She responded to my greetings with a slight nod. I passed the girl forward and sat behind her in the front seat, where the third could move. Claire right off the spot. She led the cars calmly and calmly. Despite heavy traffic, she quickly pulled out at less busy streets.

The weather was perfect. Both women were silent and looked forward. Ann was sitting upright, kneeling down and laying pyky on them. I sat a little sideways so as not to take up too much space. Putting pyky on the back of the seat, I thereby embraced the girl. At the same time, I touched Claire's shoulder. She instinctively moved away. I immediately picked pyky.

Since my face was turned to the girl, I caught the arom of her dykhov. Modest enough to ignore him, unless you sit close to her. And yet he seemed to me strong, reminiscent of muskus; such an aipota is often called a sexual act. Of course, such dyhi not go young girl.

Not exactly speaking to anyone, I declared that the weather was wonderful. No answer. We continued to go in silence. No desire to speak, in essence, and did not feel. We left the car at the entrance to the park, and Claire led us into the garden. When we were in place, Claire, instead of hanging with us from the flower ... Read more →