"The latte arrived on time, and I hastily hid my confusion behind it.

“Tonight, I'll let you know what time you need to be ready. We'll go to the editorial office.”

“And what in return?" I asked suspiciously. “

I didn't believe in his unselfishness and conscience. But I believed in the saying about

"cheese and a mousetrap.”

“You'll go on vacation with me.”

Here comes the mouse trap!

“What?!” I was indignant, putting the glass on the table and rising.

“Calm down. Alex will be there too, as well as Diana. Your mere presence will make them fight all the time. “

That's what I believed. Even if Alex didn't care, Diana wouldn't just let it go.

“What's in it for you?”

“Diana's father successfully legalized his business at the dawn of the nineties, investing in several companies, one of which I now run, and Diana is his heir. But here's the problem: she keeps choosing the wrong men. I imagine a partnership with Alfonso.”

Andrew grinned, showing his attitude toward the future work process.

"Very interesting!" I exclaimed.

In fact, Diana may turn out to be a business shark, but for some reason, she's not taken seriously at the moment. Then she needs just such an Alfonso to keep out of her business. But why my Alex?!

“Where are we going? And for how long?”

"Forest" campground. A corporate party for three days, for business partners. “

“Hmm.”

“I'll introduce you as my girlfriend. It's like we've been together a long time. “

“So we'll act like a couple? “I asked suspiciously.

“So that everyone would believe it," he confirmed.”

I wondered. If you believe the novelists, then the method is effective. But only if I can?

“And tomorrow I have to get a job. “

I realized it was blackmail, and nodded grimly.

They took me home and even handed me a bag of groceries. I had to take it obediently. The local FBI was waiting for me at the entrance. The grandmothers, having brought soft seats, handkerchiefs, and glasses, occupied the bench and waited for gossip.

Refuse to shop in front of them? I'm not that crazy yet. They'll think it's some kind of compensation. Television now shows so many "interesting" programs that even an innocent gesture can be suspected!

I had to limit myself from saying goodbye to him. But there's still gossip to be had! This jerk got out of the car and even said hello to them. The women put on their glasses and squinted suspiciously at Andrew and the car. But I got disapproving looks. As a matter of fact, I didn't really want to. I don't pretend to like everyone. After all, I'm not a hundred dollar bill!

The shopping trip turned out to be, I would even say, extravagant. It left me with a strange sense of shame. I realized belatedly that it was possible to not make a scene in the store, and coldly say "Thank you!" and proudly leave.

But anger gave me courage, and for starters I wrote a letter of resignation, turned on my phone, and sent it electronically.

Of course, the school administration was not satisfied with it in this form, and I was told to bring it. Scolding and angry, I got dressed again and went to school.

I had to hand in all of my work, classwork, and reports. The only consolation was that by that time the school was finishing the second shift and half of the students and teachers had left.

But I still received my portion of shame. If the principal remained condemningly silent, my former colleagues tried to find out the details, falsely sympathizing with my departure. I weakly fought back, trying to convey that I did not want to talk about it, but it did not help. As a result, the entire process of dismissal took two hours, and I came out of school not just wrung out, but as if ground up.

When I got to the bus stop, I sat down and cried.

Being a teacher is not just working in a school, it's a whole way of life. You take work home, checking notebooks, writing reports, plans, running with plans "from above" when you need to hand in something, collect, and learn. You often argue, want to quit, and even sometimes move to another school. And at the same time, you get attached to children, sincerely rejoice in their successes, and cry at all graduations. Unplanned and sudden dismissal is like losing a part of your soul!

Although I wrote the application myself, nevertheless, in the back of my mind, I hoped that they would ask me to stay: it is not easy to find a teacher in the middle of the year.

They didn't. Good, at least they didn't throw my things at me, or even "better" – in the garbage, snidely telling me where to find them later. Feeling broken and lonely, I climbed onto the bus and hid from the world with the help of music in my headphones.

I managed to hide from the world all the way to the apartment door. And then things didn't go according to plan. My neighbor was waiting for me in the stairwell. Judging by her impatient look, she had been waiting for me for a long time.

“Your Alex came!” Tanya announced solemnly and stared intently into my eyes, waiting for a reaction.

Resentment stirred in my soul, and a lump came to my throat. With difficulty swallowing it, I squeezed out of myself,

"So what? “

“He took his stuff."

"Good," I exhaled, sliding the keys into the keyhole. "I'm gonna go home, fall on my bed, and cry.

“And he said you cheated on him!” Tanya threw me in the back.

“Me?!” I specified indignantly.

I just can't believe it! It turns out these meetings with Diana are nothing, and I, therefore, cheated!

“That's what he said."

The neighbor got an exceptionally shrewd look. Clearly, she wanted details. Gossip is an important part of some women's lives. In fact, she has plenty of details to gossip about. If she thinks about it a little more, she'll give me a story that I'll have to sneak home for the next ten years.

He's mad because I pointed him out the door. Caught him in a restaurant with someone else.

“You did? “

The neighbor's eyes widened. She obviously didn't expect me to tell her that! We'd never really talked to each other – just to borrow a couple of eggs or ask each other to pick up the courier. But we were not close friends to discuss our personal lives.

“I luckily met an acquaintance, and he played along. "Now Alex thinks I evened the score, and he's pissed off about it," I added.

"You should have told him about it! Why lie? You'll be alone with the cat."

"I don't have a cat," I was confused.

"Here, you don't even have a cat. And you don't have a man."

I was stunned by her rant. "Wow!" That's female solidarity!

“Call him. Apologize. Tell him you lied to him because you wanted to make him jealous. Call him back. And while he's on his way, make him something delicious.”

I was so stunned I listened to the whole thing.

“Thanks for the advice, but I don't want to! “

"Some hussy is gonna steal him away, and you'll regret it later," Tanya said admonishingly and disappeared into her apartment.

I stood alone, trying to understand what was going on. I had never read such a thing even in a novel! Although there was one positive outcome of this conversation: I was angry, and I lost the desire to cry into my pillow. So, according to the people around me, I'm nothing without him. The man's a light in the window!

I flew into my apartment, hissing with anger, and scattered the purchases in the refrigerator. I changed my mind about drinking wine. Tomorrow I have a new life, I'll get a new job. Remembering the job, I thought of Andrew and also remembered the phone I had to find. After searching through my entire bag, I realized that it might be in my jacket pocket. The message had already been received.