Татьяна Викентьева – "STOLEN IMMORTALITY" (страница 20)

-Victoria! This is Victoria!

The show's organizer responded to Alexander's inappropriate behavior with the following phrase:

-You're mistaken, sir! This girl's name is Olga. Olga Kudrina. Not Victoria. Please don't interfere with her performance!

Alexander felt embarrassed and sat down. Loud music began to play. To the sound of it, Olga Kudrina began walking around the stage, showing off her clothes and herself to the customers.

- I wasn't mistaken! This is Victoria! Victoria! - Alexander muttered, looking at the girl. - This is her face! Her figure! I wasn't mistaken! This is Victoria!

“But the show’s organizer claims that the girl’s name is Olga Kudrina,” Vladimir told the boss.

"He's lying! This can't be! I can see it's Victoria!" Alexander continued to insist.

"Olga Kudrina and Victoria probably look very similar. It happens. And that's why you, Alexander Ivanovich, were mistaken."

- No! I'm not mistaken! This is Victoria!

-Who is Victoria?

- She... she's my classmate. We went to college together. I loved her. I loved her very much. And I still love her.

"If she's your classmate, then she must be your age too. She's forty now, like you. And Olga Kudrina looks no more than eighteen. Now do you realize you were mistaken?"

Alexander didn't answer for a long time, thinking about what Vladimir had said. Then he said:

- Yes, Vladimir, you're right. Victoria should be forty now. And this girl is young. I was wrong. The thing is, I remember Victoria as young and beautiful. I don't imagine her as a forty-year-old woman. Do you understand?

"I understand, Alexander Ivanovich. You've achieved immortality and eternal youth. And so you've forgotten that ordinary people age and die. So has your classmate. She's grown old."

- Ah! If Victoria were with me, she would never grow old! I would give her new young bodies! And she would live with me forever!

-Why don't you offer it to her? I think she would agree.

- I don't know where she is. I can't find her. Victoria disappeared. She disappeared twenty years ago. And since then I can't find her!

- I see. I understand you perfectly, Alexander Ivanovich. My mother disappeared too. And I was never able to find her!

The men's conversation was interrupted by the show's organizer. Turning to the customers, he announced:

Gentlemen! Our show is over! Now you can invite the model you like to your table. It costs three hundred dollars. If you've decided to do this, please come to me!

"Well, Vladimir! Which girls should we invite?" Alexander asked.

"It's up to you, Alexander Ivanovich. You're the one paying, after all!" Vladimir replied.

-And yet tell me: who would you like to see at our table?

-Svetlana Lazareva.

-It's clear.

-And you, Alexander Ivanovich, who would you like to see at our table?

"Olga Kudrina. So, Vladimir, go to the show organizer and tell him we're inviting two girls to our table: Svetlana Lazareva and Olga Kudrina. Here's the money. Take it. It's six hundred dollars." Alexander held out the money.

Vladimir took the money and went to carry out his boss's assignment. And Alexander closed his eyes and imagined Victoria. Young, beautiful. Desirable. He remembered the first time he kissed Victoria. It was winter. They were sledding down the mountain. And then, during one unfortunate descent, the sleigh caught on some snag sticking out from under the snow. And Alexander and Victoria, tumbled out of the sleigh, tumbled down the mountain. When the fall ended, Victoria was lying in the snow, and Alexander on top of her. That's how it happened. This situation embarrassed Victoria. And in Alexander, it aroused a burning passionate desire. He felt like a man. And he kissed Victoria. Kissed her for the first time. Alexander remembered that sweet kiss forever, and now, many years later, he recalled the first time he kissed Victoria and how he desired her then!

The memories were interrupted by Vladimir's return. He said:

-Alexander Ivanovich! I only managed to invite one girl to our table.

-Which one?

-Olga Kudrina.

-Why weren’t you able to invite Svetlana Lazareva?

-She's already been invited.

-Who?

Sheikh Rashid and his translator. They had paid the show's organizer earlier. So he said Svetlana Lazareva would spend the evening with them.

- No! She must spend the evening with us! Do you understand that, Vladimir? Go to the show's organizer right now and offer him more money! Sheikh Rashid and his translator paid three hundred dollars for an evening with Svetlana Lazareva. And you pay five hundred dollars. Go!

Despite his boss's order, Vladimir did not move.

"Well, why are you standing there? Come on, hurry up!" Alexander shouted.

- I can't, Alexander Ivanovich! I only have three hundred dollars. You forgot to give me more money.

-Oh, right! Take it! - Alexander handed Vladimir another two hundred dollars.

But Vladimir did not take the money.

"Forgive me, Alexander Ivanovich. But it would be better if you went to the show's organizer yourself. He might demand more than five hundred dollars. You'll have to pay him right away. I don't have any money on me."

-I see. Okay. I'll go myself.

Alexander rose from the table and walked toward the man in the black tailcoat. Vladimir sat down at the table and waited for his boss to return.

“Good evening,” said Alexander, approaching the show’s organizer.

“Good, good,” he muttered, counting the money he had taken from other clients. “What would you like?”

-I would like to invite model Svetlana Lazareva to my table.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible," the show's organizer muttered again, continuing to count the money and not looking at Alexander. "She's already been invited. Other clients."

- I know, I know. But I want to offer you more money than they paid.

The man in the black tailcoat finally looked up from his counting of money and stared at Alexander. Then he asked:

-How much will you give?

-Five hundred dollars.

- Not enough! I'm not going to quarrel over five hundred dollars with the customers who came before you and paid three hundred dollars.

“Okay. I’ll give you a thousand dollars,” said Alexander.

"Not enough. I don't agree," the show's organizer shook his head.

“One and a half thousand dollars,” Alexander offered.

“No. Not enough,” the man in the black tailcoat continued to refuse.

-One thousand eight hundred.

-Few!

- Two thousand! This is my last price! - Alexander said firmly.

The show's organizer hesitated for a moment. Then, as firmly as Alexander, he said:

"And my final price is three thousand dollars! Either you agree. Or Svetlana Lazareva will spend this evening with other clients."

Alexander was silent for a moment, pondering the greed and cunning of the show's organizer. Then he said, taking money out of his wallet: