INSTEAD OF PROLOGUE.

Dear friends! On the eve of the new year I want to give you this light ironic parody on the theme of the well-known film, without which, perhaps, not a single New Year's Eve can do, for many years in a row. It was not just my competitive forum work, but also a modest tribute to the memory of a great director. I hope he would not be too offended by this so free interpretation of the cinema masterpiece. I tried as much as possible to maintain a pleasant irony and lyrical plot motifs in the narration.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Happiness and love you in it, and let all your dreams come true.

Your angel Eve.

P. S. Enjoy all read ...

CHAPTER 1.

The bell on the opened door of the beauty salon blurted melodiously, and together with the fresh frosty air, a girl in a snow-white fur coat fluttered into the room. Yes, yes, it fluttered, as if that snowflake whirling at the will of the breeze after it, and then quietly descending on her fiery red hair. Flashing through the glasses beginning to fog up the glasses with a green-eyed look, the girl smiled cheerfully.

- Hi, girls, happy! - She blurted out in the same breath, making her cheeks flushed in the cold even more flushed with a blush.

- Zhenya, hello! - almost chorused three friends.

Chubby and good-natured Lyubasha immediately slipped from her chair and leaving behind a train of scattered hair curlers, rushed forward.

- Zhenya, where have you been? - She asked, hugging the girl confused by such attention. And while she groaned from her too emotional embrace, about to answer something, the others joined in with questions.

“Yes, Zhen, let's tell me, for a month now you haven't heard anything from you,” long-legged Victoria mumbled agonizingly. “Has our princess gone to the cupid's net?”

Zhenya was embarrassed, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, and in order to give herself some time to gather her courage, she began to wipe her glasses that were sweaty from the cold. A painful pause in the cabin was silence. Finally, returning a thin frame to her nose, she looked with an enlightened gaze at the faces of her friends, frozen in anticipation, and unable to contain her emotions, she shouted to the whole hall:

- I fell in love! - the girls even jumped in surprise.

“Here, durynda, you will stun,” Liuba grumbled, covering her ear with her palm, and immediately added. - Well, finally, and in your street holiday.

- Yes, you can see at once, - Vika summed up, - there, you already shine all over. So who is the happy conqueror of your heart?

- Valera ... Valera Gromov.

Hearing this name, Irina - the owner of the salon shuddered, a smile left her face for a while, but with an effort of will she returned the frightened fugitive to her place.

- So where will you celebrate New Year? She asked Zhenya, with a shiver in her voice. - And then maybe to us. And take your knight.

- Oh, no, girls. Valera proposes to celebrate the holiday in an intimate setting, - Eugene shared the news, naively not noticing Irina's embarrassment. - Only double. And I will tell you a secret, it seems he was going to make me an offer.

- What makes you think?

- I accidentally found a ring in his desk.

- Yes, this is great news! - exclaimed Lyubasha.

- Hooray, soon we get wet on a wedding dress! - Vika echoed her.

Irina brushed away the cold sweat from her forehead, and making an effort over herself, she swallowed the surging disappointment and resentment.

“Yes, really good news,” she mumbled joyfully. - So it should be noted!

“Of course it is necessary,” Lyuba inspired, “just with what?”

- Oh, girls, - Zhenya was embarrassed, - I don’t have time to go to the cafe, there is still so much trouble today. And let's get together tomorrow. Valera and I will be waiting for you.

“Well,” said Ira, “suppose we all have a lot of trouble today, but it’s still necessary to be clumsy with the upcoming one.”- and with words, - now we organize, and so that you can do without me, - go to the back room.

* * *

Having opened the door of the refrigerator, Irina stood for a while motionless before him, only breathing heavily with the cold that filled her face. My head was buzzing with a swarm of thoughts that had flown in.

- Here, bitch! - she said through clenched teeth. - How is that? I have been following this for Valera for two years now, and then a kind of red-headed piglet runs across the road. So this is why he has been throwing me dynamite for a month already and calls me.

A sedative bubble in the door of the refrigerator comes across. Ira grabs him with shaking hands and drips a few drops into a glass of water, drinks it in one gulp.

“He already bought the little ring for this chicken,” Irina, simply boiling with indignation, pours another glass of water and brings a vial to it. - Stop! - speaks to herself and sets him aside. - I'll be the whole holiday like a sleepy fly ... No, I have to calm down.

A woman closes her eyes and slowly but deeply breathes through her nose. Slightly coming to himself, corrects makeup, standing by the mirror. Then he grabs a bottle of champagne and plastic cups, and after drawing a smile on his face, he goes to the hall, but at the very door stops thinking about something, and returns to the table. Minute confusion due to remorse, and a vial with a soothing goes to the pocket of her apron.

* * *

“All right, girls, I flew off,” said Zhenya, in a slightly tipsy voice.

- Where are you going? - ached Vika. - The bottle is still there. Now we finish drinking and fly on your wings of love.

- Oh, thank you, gorgeous, but somehow without me. My head was already dizzy. You know which one of my drinks.

“Well, stay with us a little more,” Lyubasha, who was flushed with champagne, ached, “and Irishka will forget your beautiful hair to send Valer out to you.”

“Come on, girls,” having frightened, hurried to insert her word Ira, thinking: “it was not enough to let this love chicken fall asleep in my chair,” “our princess is already glowing with beauty. Love for women is the best stylist.

“Yes, girls, there’s really no time in your warm company to sit around,” said Zhenechka, already standing in the doorway. - And tomorrow we are waiting for a visit.

“But you didn’t say the address,” Lyuba came to her senses.

- Oh, yes ... Ying street ... Ying ...

- Industrial or something? - asked Victoria.

- Yes ... that is, no ... - Zenya was confused, - International. Damn, you break your tongue, - she giggled, her tongue and really slightly wove. - International, forty seven.

* * *

Zhenya went out into the street. The frosty breeze overwhelmed her burning face with a pleasant chill. The head was spinning slightly, and from the sudden weakness that swept over the body, an unpleasant vatnost appeared in the legs. The girl lowered her head down and carefully, in order not to slip, began to bypass the ice shining with a mirror smooth surface. But she did not even walk a few steps, as something big and red flew at her because of the turn. Not keeping her heels, Zhenya did not even have time to shout, as her butt felt the chill of the pavement. The glasses flew off the offended nose and the girl had to squint to at least somehow consider the stranger in the red caftan who had knocked her down.

- Grandfather! She squeaked with plaintive disappointment, peering into the shadow hanging over her.

- Oh, sorry, girl, I did not notice you, - indeed, there was a man in a Santa Claus costume standing near Zhenya. He held out his left hand, holding a bottle of mineral water in his right. - Let me help you.

“Wow, the New Year is starting,” muttered Zhenya, rising to her feet and trying to dust off. - Santa Claus almost hit me.

- Well, sorry again, guilty, I confess. How could I make amends before you?

“Glasses, there are my glasses somewhere,” Zhenya said, but then something crunched under her grandfather's leg. - Looks like you already found them, - a little ...