The window was wide open: +12, but the April air seemed warm, almost hot. He was exhausting his nerves, circling his head, driving him crazy ...

Victor re-read the middle of his story, trying to find “the most interesting and piquant place” for the preview:

“... Nika’s naked body repeated the cello's bends - his second soul. I touched her thigh, and it fluttered like a cello under the bow. Nika was embarrassed to look at me, a musician who played a melody of passion on her body, but involuntary moans burst from her half-open mouth. She has never revealed her body to a stranger; and I first had to pluck this clean, innocent flower and drink its nectar! ... The Conservatory gradually subsided, as always in the evenings, but even though the door was locked and the blinds pushed back on the windows, the fear of exposure exposed the young Nikino's heart. However, he only added intoxicating sweetness to that forbidden, alluring, unbearably terrible and beautiful thing that will happen to her NOW, this minute, in a moment ... "

Having found the necessary fragment, Victor inserted it into the appropriate field, closed his eyes - and poked the “publish” button. God knows what he was afraid of. Still, for the first time, he not only poured out his fantasies, which gave him no peace, on paper ... more precisely, on the monitor screen, but also revealed them to thousands of readers. He revealed his soul, the most secret, hidden in it - for thousands of views ... But he could not do that anymore. His secret love tormented him so much that it required at least some discharge - at least that. This spring took all his strength ...

***

At the lesson, Nick was strange: without the usual shy-shimmering smile, without a trusting gleam in her eyes, she glanced sideways, greeted vaguely, then lost her way, made mistakes, started several times from the beginning ... leg, and cold from guessing where it could come from. No, It is Immpossible...

Freshman Nika was his best student. Prior to the conservatory, he worked with her privately, but very soon he stopped taking money from her, falling in love - so far platonically - with his student, her pure soul and her talent. He considered Nick ingenious and prayed to God that he had the skill and tact to reveal her talent in full force. At the beginning of their meetings, Nick was an ordinary girl, poorly dressed, sweet, smiling, physically undeveloped; almost did not make up, did not seek to reveal her femininity - and Victor even sometimes thought with regret: I wish she, in addition to her talent and pure soul, a little bit of young sensuality that her peers shone with ...

And - mentally "nakarkal": somehow imperceptibly, Nika gradually turned from an eared ferret with a taut tail - into a breathtaking beauty. She was eighteen years old. It seemed that she herself was a little embarrassed by her beauty, who unexpectedly came to her; she was not used to her beauty, she didn’t know what to do with her - but this only added to her charm. Her manner of keeping herself was especially giddy: a quiet dignity that was in her and was evident, from her Georgian “breed” - proudly raised head (without arrogance, namely with dignity), smooth gait, always flowing, gentle speech .. Nika was short, but well-formed, fine-tuned: all the details of her figure were folded into a fragile plastic, from which, if she walked without a heavy cello, she simply took her breath away. She walked slowly, slightly shaking her hips - not wagging, namely swaying, very gracefully and naturally; on her face, there was always a half-smile flashing into a dazzling firework if she saw something joyful. She had huge dark eyes and black curls, which she ceased to squeeze into a child's tail and let her curl-push freely. Her head was like a basket with bindweed ...

In his 35 years, Victor never loved, was not fond of, was not married, and lost his virginity a long time ago - with a prostitute. Nick appeared to him as ... he could not find the words for Her. She became the meaning of his life. How many times did Victor tremble when a frail figure floated by; how many times he held her arm with a bow, achieving plastics in the game, and shoulders, freeing his back from the clamps; how many times I tried to quietly look into the groove of the neckline and see the chest; how many times ... He did not know when sympathy was transformed into love, and did not consider himself entitled to reveal itself to Nika: in his eyes it did not combine with a whole series of taboos - with the teacher’s ethics, with the role of Elder, Mentor, friendship and trust, which Nika felt for him ... Nika knew that Victor’s attitude to her was not at all like that of a teacher towards a student, but HOW much unlike - and she didn’t suspect.

- ... Well, what is it, Nick? Not enough sleep? Or have you been replaced? Maybe it's not you, but your spy counterpart? - Victor was joking, trying to defuse the situation. There was no concertmaster today, and they were alone. Nicky smiled and was silent, not looking at Victor.

- Okay. Today, you have little sense. I'll let you go. Go, Nika-Strawberry, have a rest from music, and I will rest from you. You hand over the key to the watch ...

He got up collecting things. When he was already at the door, he heard behind him:

- Viktor Alekseich ...

He KNEW that Nick would call him. But he turned around, as if nothing had happened, trying to be imperturbable:

- Eh?

Nick looked at the floor. Then she suddenly threw up her head, shaking her curls, and looked him straight in the eyes. Better if she didn't do it ...

- Viktor Alekseich, is this ... did you write that story?

Her eyes pierced Victor, like a current; and therefore he hopelessly betrayed himself - before he took himself in hand:

- Aah ... did you ... did you read? What story? - He tried to rectify the situation, but it was too late.

Both of them understood it.

- So, you ... I ... I immediately guessed ...

- Wait, Nick ... What story? What are you talking about?

But Niki’s dark eyes could not lie:

“You know! ... The one on that site ...” and Nick blushed at the need to pronounce the word “erotic” ...

Victor understood: a pipe case.

- Well, okay, Nick ... Once you opened me ... - He tried to “preserve his dignity,” although he felt that he was blushing no less than Nicky. - Good. And ... how would you react to this? - He asked and understood how this question sounded like an idiot.

- For what?

- Well ... here to this ... To the fact that I write such stories? ..

“I don't know ...” Nick suddenly laughed awkwardly. - I do not know! You write ... This is your business ...

She covered her face with her hands.

- Well, all the same? You ... - Victor spoke hurriedly, fearing that Nick would be offended or burst into tears, - Were you not disappointed in your favorite teacher? - and gritted his teeth against the awkwardness of the joke.

She looked at him through her fingers - out of the corner of her eye.

- I ... I don't know. I got lost. Fair. I immediately realized that it was you, and I was me. And I introduced ...

- What?

- Well ... how is it all ... - Nick has taken her hands off her face; her cheeks were in red spots. - And you ... you really?

In her eyes flashed a special light. The jokes are over. Victor paused and said, looking into her eyes:

- Yes. Indeed. Why, you know, Nick. Long known.

Nicky's eyes darkened and opened wider ... With all her shock, Victor's answer caused an involuntary smile of triumph on her face, even though it was burning like a poppy.

- I know that you ... that you love me, you are like dad to me ... but did not know that - SO ...

- I did not know, Nick.

- And what ... do you want ...?

- Really want to.

Victor's heart beat like crazy. Strange, but somehow he almost instantly calmed down - with his mind; he was just worried, but there was no awkwardness, she evaporated. On the contrary, he seemed to feel some way ...

- And what, I ... am I really for you - the way you described it?

- Nick ... - Victor approached her. - Nika...

He slowly raised his hand to her face. Nick trembled, but did not move. Victor touched his cheek, stroked it; He took his chin, raised his crimson face ... - Nick ...