Mikhail Yevgenyevich took the wreath from the other side, stretching his lips in a smile, also maintaining a pause. Only after that, he looked at me. To my surprise, a contented, now sincere smile spread across his face, and he even blushed a little. But all this did not happen before his eyes rose from my legs to my face. Oh god I embarrassed the governor! I expected any reaction from this personification of bureaucracy to a pretty girl, whose role was slightly less than none. However, he reacted quite like a man! I would even say - like a man! She was utterly embarrassed by her discovery, I stepped aside, passing the governor into the aisle (in the sense, between the chairs of the assembly hall). Now I had to wait for the next signal from the organizer, which was spinning under my feet. However, Mikhail Evgenievich threw a barely perceptible glance at some ambalol from his retinue, and he, picking me up by the elbow, brought me on the heels of the governor walking in front of me. The people in front of us dissipated, as if repelled by an invisible force field. I took the place on the right hand of the governor in the center of the second row (the first one remained empty), feeling that I was blushing under the flashes of the cameras. The governor, in order to let me into the next chair, pulled his stomach in, and I, smiling embarrassedly, squeezed in there, turning my booty to him from confusion. Surely, in a day or two, the whole group will laugh at these photos in a local newspaper, mockingly trying to find out "what is his?"

The light that went out in the hall came to my aid. Foreign teams tortured by Russian hospitality began to crawl out onto the lighted stage, trying to get to the beat of the music, moving in their national costumes and singing their national songs. This hell lasted almost an hour. In the rumble of music, the governor turned to me a couple of times and said something. I, unsuccessfully trying to read lips, nodded and shone a smile, hoping that I didn’t look like a complete fool. But somehow asking the governor seemed to me a criminal offense. After my willing nods, Misha (can I already call him that? After all, survived so much together) gave some short orders to the same ambalus, who, unlike me, heard and understood everything. After that, he disappeared somewhere and after some time reappeared.

I completely missed the moment when the governor stood up and, under applause, began to wade onto the stage. Apparently, the presenters (the guy with the girl from the local TV channel) called him while I was smiling glass into the cameras. Someone shoved me quite sensitively behind me, and I realized that my exit was, and began to make my way between the seats in the wake of Evgenyevich’s squat figure. We went up to the stage together. I stood to the left of the governor in third position, while he was stupid and short of words (he was still a speaker) thanked delegations for coming to the microphone, expressed the hope that this whole useless project would benefit our countries (in what way, I wonder?) see them next year. As always, at such moments, I was shaken by a panic that they would give me the word, but it worked out. Instead, they announced a white dance, releasing white pigeons from somewhere, which began to beat about the scenery, losing feathers, and shit on the heads of foreigners. White dance! You see, white is the color of the world! Damn, I was ready to kill these organizers! Nobody warned me! Fortunately, I quickly realized what was required of me when Mikhail Yevgenyevich turned to me expectantly. Sitting down in an awkward curtsy, I invited him to dance, and we trampled around the stage. Gracefully, like a bear with a mermaid.Pigeons, with a sin in half, returned to the one who released them, and around us in an improvised dance of the world, foreign dance groups mixed up with each other, spinning, suspiciously looking at each other. All this was accompanied by applause of gloomy students. According to the plan of the organizers, all this was supposed to look like an informal and unconstrained final act of the concert, a la “all people take it, everyone should help each other”. From above, under the feet of the dancers, multi-colored inflated balls fell, complementing the performance. Stumbling and shuddering from the pops of balls bursting beneath their feet, and swearing in Russian, foreign guests waited patiently for the end of this bacchanalia.

Looking around, I felt that my partner was looking at me. His red face and attracted my view. We met our gaze and "a spark slipped between us." In that regard, he stepped on my leg painfully, so that sparks almost fell from my eyes. I bit my lip and smiled. Apparently apologizing, he mumbled something, blushing even more. He still looked at me. So the boy who likes you very much looks at you, and he is trying to muster the courage to invite you on a date. I was still shocked by the similar manifestations of humanity from this uncle.

I began to show the first signs of anxiety at this very moment. I suddenly thought that I could expect some continuation of the evening after the end of the official part. And I nafig it is unnecessary! And what, it is interesting to know, did this fellow ask me during a concert ?! And where, it is interesting to know, did his guard run after that ?! In general, I grew wiser in the eyes. It will be necessary to seize the moment after this dance, and sneak quietly in the confusion.

No flour can last forever. Ended and this clumsy dance, full of embarrassment and awkwardness. A friendly moan of relief erupted through the hall, and the faces of those around them brightened a little.

Accompanied by my cavalier, I left the stage, where the presenters were still ruined in a closing speech, and went down into the hall. However, instead of going to the places where we used to sit, we didn’t go there. All the same Ambal blocked the passage between the seats, and like a traffic controller at the intersection, he let me down the side aisle towards the exit from the hall. Turning around in bewilderment, I saw that my ruddy old fan was stomping on my heels. He was encouragingly leaving the front rows, where the rector and retinue were still sitting, and, apologizing, pointed at his watch. So in a single file, I, he, and Ambal, we left the hall.

In the silence of the hall, I loudly, with a cartoon sound, swallowed a lump in my throat and, with a smile on duty, waiting for my fate, turned to the governor, slamming my eyelashes on him.

- Lena, I will ask you to ride with us at another reception. You will meet interesting people ... - Mikhail Evgenievich was cute, in his opinion, smiled, touching me by the elbow. Wow! Remember my name (or find out?). However, judging by the fact that we continued to move to the exit from the building, my consent was supposed. It occurred to me for a second, but what if I refuse? What if I sit on the floor right now and start crying loudly and calling for help? Will help?

In the hall there were only a few people who, at the sight of the governor, experienced temporary paralysis. All extras were still in the hall, firmly held on the ground leading.

I was still chasing thoughts about my heroic resistance when we stepped onto the steps, where several more men were waiting for the governor. All serious and silent. At the sight of a bewildered girl, they did not express a drop of surprise.

Evgenievich threw one of them on the move:

- Work here ... Urgent business, apologize. Zama here quickly, instead of me will be.

He nodded and disappeared.

At the sight of the car, all my dumb little thoughts vanished. Luxury long-limousine limousine, black. Another man in black was holding the door open. The first in the doorway the volumetric ass of the governor disappeared, but then I was carefully seated inside and gently closed the door, which sucked in and clicked softly. I felt like the first lady with such enthusiasm.By the way, I wonder, where did he put his first lady? And not afraid of the same cameras, publicity! Although what I mean ...

I respectfully looked at the interior of the car, ... Read more →