‘Thanks God!’ a happy sigh and chuckle were heard. ‘I thought I’ve lost my phone. Kharon, what a happiness that I’ve left it at home.’

‘Hello, dear.’ Kharon was serious.

He was confused as usual with Victoria’s wordings. What a bag of words “Thanks God” in relation to the demon! It made him angry and he couldn’t and didn’t want to calm down.

‘What’s wrong with your voice?’ Vic immediately understood only by his intonation that something went wrong.

‘Honestly Vic, I don’t still understand why I’m supposed to listen to it.’

‘What’s it?’ the girl got confused, digging in her mind, remembering what an insult she said.

‘Heh, dear, same old Vic.’ the man smiled being upset.

‘Are you about “Thanks God”?’ Vic spluttered with laughter. ‘This is just a parenthesis. It has no meaning. All people say it independently on their being of passionate believer or atheist. You shouldn’t pay attention. If you’re upset with it, I’ll certainly exclude it out of my lexicon. Don’t worry…’

‘Where shall I meet you?’ Kharon ignored all the girl’s arguments and excuses.

‘Umph… At 7 pm at Kuznetsky Most metro station. If something changes, I’ll call you… But if you have something changed, I’ll not know about it… Oh, my god! Put down my work phone number.’

‘Don’t worry nothing’s gonna be changed. I’ll be waiting for you at Kuznetsky Most at 7. I know your work phone number.’

‘I love you…’ Victoria smiled.

There was silence in respond. As usual Kharon didn’t know what to say.

‘Fine,’ the girl grinned, ‘I’m not gonna torture you. Don’t make up what to say. I just love you.’

Victoria hanged up and looked at the window with the smile on her lips.

‘Victoria!’

The girl gave a shiver and turned around. Gregory was near her.

‘You’ve scared me.’ Vic lowered her eyes and got up.

‘Let’s go to my office. Take your laptop.’

Gregory ordered and went ahead. Vic walked behind him already hating next two hours…

Kharon fingered Victoria’s phone, looking through the photos. All her phone was full of his photos: he slept, his eyelashes, his eyes, he smiled, mysteriously looked at the window, wet after being in the rain, with tea at the kitchen. Mostly Kharon didn’t see Victoria take pictures of him. He was tired to scroll up volumes of his photos.

The display turned on with bright colours and Vasilisa’s picture appeared on it. The demon smiled and accepted the call.

‘Victoria’s phone.’

There was silence on the phone and quiet sighs of breathing of surprise.

‘Kharon?’ Vasilisa finally started speaking.

‘Good morning, Vasilisa.’

‘Hi… Is Vic there?’

‘She’s at work and has left her phone at home. What can I do for you?’ Kharon closed his eyes and the imagine of the girl came into his mind.

The wild lock or ponytail of chestnut hair, oversized sweatshirt, running down her shoulder, the strap of which was on her wrist; leggings cut up like shirts… Her eyes were filled with happiness and satisfaction.

‘Yes… I’m just gonna have a walk with her in the evening, we’ve not seen for a long time.’

‘Let’s have a walk.’

‘With you?’ she was surprised.

‘With me. Am I not too good for it?’ he said resentfully.

‘Why… not to good. Ok. Where are we to meet?’ Vasilisa was excited.

‘Do you live near 1905 metro station? Near Victoria?’

‘Yes, almost near. I live between 1905 and Barrikadnay metro stations.’

‘I see. I’ll be waiting for you near the Zoo entrance. Do you remember how I look like?’

‘Hell yes! How much time do you need to get there?’ Vasilisa was putting on her sock.

‘I’ll be there in a half of an hour.’

‘Ok, deal.’

The girl hanged up the phone and rushed to get ready. Kharon kept on looking his photos in Victoria’s phone. Finally, among those pile of his face and body he found the only one photo of Victoria. She was so… beautiful. She had eyes of olive colour and big black pupils. Her stare was senseless and studying. Despite of it was a picture there was life streaming in her eyes. Her hair was done in an evening hair style. Her mouth was pursed like if some a severe thing was about to come out of it. Kharon liked the picture definitely. He felt unclear emotions, looking through the photo. He just wanted to look at her brooding eyes, at her lips…

At the fixed time Kharon appeared at the Moscow Zoo entrance. Needless to say, that the girl was being late. He wasn’t confused with this. For two months he had been observing different relationships and he already knew if time was fixed at 3pm and it was 15 minutes past 3 it didn’t mean that the girl had forgotten and been going to come. She was just being late. It was a sign of privet convenances between women.

Kharon was standing near the off-the-job fountain when he suddenly understood Vasilisa was about to appear and he even knew from where. The girl came out of the corner and met the lone demon at once. The man took her in a rapid attentive glance and caught himself thinking that he was interested in her… certainly as in not a new friend.

‘You look amazing.’ He looked at her eyes, getting into her mind. Until now Vasilisa didn’t make him be surprised. The fact that he was handsome Kharon had already heard from her when they had met at the first time. He had also heard the question why not her but Victoria was lucky to have Kharon.

‘Hi.’ Vasilisa didn’t felt confused. ‘Thank you. Where shall we go?’

‘It’s just the same to me. I like walking everywhere. Your preferences?’

Kharon carefully trying not to provoke the girl, with light airy smile, took her hands and raised it to his lips.

‘Kharon…’ the girl astonishingly whispered, staring around and with ineffable joy watching the man.

‘Your hands are cold,’ he scorched her hands with his hot breath, trying to warm them up. ‘So pale and cold…’

She didn’t protest at all as her hands were really cold and the tender attempts to warm them up gave her some cares.

‘Let’s go down.’ Kharon kept on chaffing her hands. ‘Wait. Give me your hand.’

The man put on his mitten on her hand and smiled.

‘Put your hand into your pocket…in the mitten.’

‘Listen, I don’t know what to say. Words failed me.’ Vasilisa with a broad smile looked at the companion.

‘You can try to say what you’re really thinking but you can also lie.’

‘You’d not be able to know what I chose,’ Vasilisa looked at Kharon’s eyes.

‘Of course, I wouldn’t…’ The demon smiled, stroked his finger over her cheek. ‘I wouldn’t know.’

It was about 4 pm when Kharon caught the thought that the girl was hungry among the mess of pleasant thoughts about his person.

‘Shall we have a snack?’ the demon asked her.

‘I’ve just thought of it!’ Vasilisa exclaimed in admire.

The girl had warmed some time ago but kept on wearing the demon’s mittens, holding his hand. She was buttered up with the man’s gentlemanlike things. She grooved on listening his nice timber of his voice and the words he spoke. She liked looking at him. It was understandable. Kharon had created a unique body which was bound to grab. And Vasilisa was being grabbed stronger and stronger by that hellish hook. Kharon was bored and… interested a bit.

They were sitting at the semi-round sofa in a quiet corner under the second-floor balcony. There was nobody nearby.

Almost imperceptibly Kharon moved up closer to Vasilisa. They were chattering. The man was moving up closer and closer. The girl pretended not to be noticing anything and all that was going on was ok. That was as it should be.

Sometime later Kharon was reclining on the soft cosy leather sofa, holding Vasilisa’s hand tight. She was smiling. His fingers so beautiful, long and warm were between hers. They were giving and stroking the warmth. There was laughter and smile. Out of the corner of her eye Vasilisa was studying the man and slowly going out of her mind under the influence of the awakened lust. She insanely enjoyed his touches and stares. He sometimes looked at her in such a way that she wanted to feel his charming stare forever.