THOA/Chapter 141

Yana was still up in arms when, after Saltikov's leave, she got a message from Julia informing that she was heading for the Moscow railway station. Yana immediately pushed the call button.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Yana, I'm going back home. Don't ask me anything now... It's not a phone conversation."

"Come over to my hotel, then, and tell. No, Saltikov's not here. Don't even remind me of that fucking moron." 

Forty minutes later Julia, red and disheveled, flew into Yana's hotel room.  

"Yana, what's happened between you two?"

"Can't you see? You just take a look around." Yana angrily kicked a pillow fallen on the floor, "Is this what you call a grand hotel?"

Julia got confused.

"What's so wrong with it?"

"What's wrong? It's a regular fleabag place, economy class or something! It's all that bumpkin from Arkhangelsk could offer me! I can't conceive why the hell he ever brought me here! Well, fuck him," Yana nervously blew a golden lock off her hot face, "Now, tell me what went wrong with Mick?"

"Yana, it was terrible... I am so disappointed..." Julia covered her face with her hands,"We shouldn't have come here at all..."

"That's what I'm talking about! But what was so disappointing about Bear?"

"First of all, his look... That Russian hat he wore just knocked me down - as soon as we got off the train..."

Yana burst out laughing.

"Are you serious? Did you like him better without a hat? You could have asked him to take it off."

"Secondly," Julia continued, counting with her fingers, "I had hoped he would come with flowers. It was the second date, after all, the girl coming over to see him in his city... But no..."

"That's too bad, I agree," said Yana, "And thirdly?"

"Thirdly, I didn't have enough money for a second-class train ticket back, and he suggested that I borrow some money from him! How do you like it? Not take, but borrow!"

"Another tight ass."

"There's more," Julia proceeded, "You listen on - things are gonna be worse!"

"What could be worse than that? Did he do anything else?"

"He k i s s e d me!" she blurted out and blushed all over.

"Did you dislike it so much? Was it really that bad?" 

"Disgusting!" Julia grimaced, "He brought me to his place first. We sat on the sofa and talked. At that, he kept trying to move closer... Pardon my French, but he stank like a rancid goat! Then he kissed me... Brrr! He got on top of me, clumsy as a bear, slobbered all over my face - I could barely break free!"

"Just freaks, both of them are," summarized Yana, "Damn, why is it always like this: any worthless shit always comes around, but those you really like..."

She cut off in the middle of the sentence and rolled her eyes.