Photo exhibition. I stood in the middle of the hall and looked at the photo of a naked girl. She lay on the couch with her head thrown back. Her hair fell down, a graceful nose looked at the ceiling, her mouth was sensually parted, and her eyes were closed. Her left hand was on the table, and her right fingers slightly covered the left nipple. Raised knee, hiding pubis, but at the same time showing the elegant curve of her thigh.

I completely saw her left side. She lay naked, but for some reason, it seemed that something sacred remained behind the scenes.

I admired. The girl was really good. Youth in the juice. The very moment when you can’t say that it is “blood with milk”, which already knew the delights of sexual relations, but at the same time, full of strength and energy.

This work impressed me greatly. And I stood in front of her for a long time, examining all the details ...

At some point, the organizer approached me.

- Like the picture?

- Yes. - I replied, without taking my eyes off. It was unpleasant that she distracted me. But even more aversion caused that the organizer, most likely, will offer to buy it. And I was not going to buy anything. I winced slightly at the thought.

“I must tell you,” the woman continued, as if hearing my thoughts, “that this photograph has already been bought.” And today it will be sent to the buyer.

I turned to her. This was an unexpected statement. A middle-aged woman in a strict suit, her hair gathered in a bun. She smiled a guilty smile, which surprised me even more.

- Good. - I nodded. She nodded to me in agreement, looked away to the side and, smiling smugly and happily, moved forward. - Sergey Nikolaevich!

I followed her. A male figure of medium build and height appeared at the door. Dark, with gray hair at the temples, hair, beautiful and smooth eyebrows, a nose with a small crook, brown eyes, a dazzling smile on a clean-shaven face and lips ...

I suddenly had the feeling that these lips are familiar to me. And the manner of speech, posture, facial expressions, laughter, gestures ...

My heart beat fast. I hurried to turn away and stared at the lying girl again. Only my eyes wandered over its curves without noticing them. I scrolled through what I saw in my head, trying to remember who this man was and how to behave further. Somewhere inside, the spirit of the skeleton was shed from the closet.

- Sergey Nikolaevich. - I whispered. - Sergey ... Gray!

I remembered! I closed my eyes.

“And we were just about to send you your purchase,” a guilty voice could be heard more clearly in the back.

Apparently, they were approaching. I opened my eyes and looked into space. Nervously trying to think of what to do, but my body fell into a stupor. A little more than forty years, I do not think old age, but at that moment there was a feeling that all joints were rusty. Like an old, old-fashioned computer, which doesn't care what keys you press. He hung up.

- I'm not behind the photo. Send it yourself. Just decided to once again see the exhibition.

- Great idea! By the way, woman!

I closed my eyes, hoping that she was not speaking to me, but the grief of the organizer went further. She patted me on the shoulder. I gasped breathlessly and, shaking my head, turned around.

- Yes? - I looked at her, pretending not to notice her companion.

- Here, the same buyer who bought this picture.

I silently raised my eyebrows. This woman was starting to freak me out. Was I interested in the personality of the new owner ?! Why the hell did I get to know him? You might think I will go to him to look at this photo! And in general: how about secrets of personal data of customers?

Apparently, my opinion did the trick. She suddenly remembered some urgent business and hurried away, leaving us alone.

“You are not angry with her.” - The man smiled. - She is weird, but she knows her work and is kind ... naive, I would even say. By the way, Sergey.

He held out his hand to me.

“Anna,” I shook his warm hand. And memories began to flash through my head as we first met. Time seemed to stop.

Feeling that I was falling into the past, with the last of my strength, I pulled myself together and, saying that it was time to go, hurried out of the building.

I stood on the steps in front of the streams of rain, not noticing how the bouncing drops splashed onto my feet. My head was spinning: “I did not recognize! What happiness, that did not learn! I didn’t recognize ... Didn’t I at all recognize it ?! ”. I suddenly felt so sad and painful.

How many years have passed? 15? Maybe even all 20 ... Half the life is over. So much time not to see, not to communicate. I stopped hoping. I decided that everything is in the past. I forgot. Although I waited. I waited a long time to meet. All scrolled in my head different options. What I will say, what he will say. I fantasized, dreamed of a chance meeting, of how passion would flare up, somewhere in an elevator or an empty corridor, how we would kiss, as if this separation had never happened ...

I smiled. After all, during a real meeting, he just did not recognize me. However sad it may be, this is the reality. Or maybe it is for the better?

“I am sad without you, with you - unbearable!” - I whispered, once written for him a line of poem, and decided that it was time to leave this place. But she did not have time to take a step.

- Anna! - I turned around, Sergei stood on the top steps. - Are you in a car?

- Not.

“Then let me take you.”

- I think you should not ...

- I insist! - he came closer and behaved so confidently and persistently that I could not refuse, or maybe I just did not want to.

We sat in a white Citroen and I called the address.

For a while, we drove in silence.

“But I recognized you.”

Heart fell into the heels. Still learned! And now what? Stupid situation. Do not jump out of the car on the go! Yes, and, in the end, I'm not 16 years old! Not even 20 or 30! Why am I so scared ?!

- I, too. - We are silent again.

- How do you? - his voice was so sympathetic.

- All is well. So many years have passed that I don’t know what to tell you. - I tried to pull myself together and hide behind a set of words.

- Tell what you want.

- I live. I work. Um ... coping with my life.

- Family?

- There was a husband. - I grinned. - Yes, all went out ...

- Died or what?

- Oh no. Divorced

- What about children?

- There is a son and a daughter.

- I'm happy for you! Kids are great.

- Agree. And you have?

- I never married. With whom I will find the night to pass, - he smiled, - But to marry ... Somehow it didn’t work out. And there are no children, at least I don’t know about them.

- Do you work in the energy sector?

- Yes. Times have changed. Position has changed. Now you don't have to run, you sit more, yes, you command others.

- art carried away?

- There is a bit. (Sigh) Missed you.

- I thought I forgot.

- I wanted to forget, but I could not. Do you forget this ?!

- I missed you too. I was looking for you among the passers-by.

- Did you find another man as a result?

“He found me.”

- Well, you were always bright. Do you remember how you performed in the club and you danced in these bright crimson tights?

- Oh my God! I completely forgot about it! - I laughed, covering my face with my palms. - It was terrible!

- Student spring, it seems, was?

- Yes. Not. I do not know ... I do not remember! - So many years have passed!

And we began to remember. Every joint event, mutual friends and acquaintances. They remembered our dates, arguments, quarrels. I was so fascinated by this that I didn’t notice how we got there. There was a pause.

- Maybe tea? Or coffee? I remember we wanted to drink coffee with you in some place, yes, it did not work out.

“Not sure I want to meet your children, and it's too late.”

“I don’t remember you covering up behind this word.” There was a time when we parted at 5 or 7 in the morning and that was because it was time to go to work.

- It was the case. - Sergey smiled.

- And there are no children at home. They ...