Snow flakes, like weightless feathers, circled in the air, slowly, as if reluctantly, descending to the ground. Despite the slight frost, in the evening people walked in the park, whose faces we had known for a long time. Every evening, if the weather allowed, we made a promenade along the park avenue. Our girls fled in front, and Lenuska and I stepped after him, leading a leisurely conversation. The topic of the conversation was pleasant - pre-New Year's troubles and everything related to them: menus, carnival costumes for daughters, buying presents to relatives and friends.
"Our mother-in-law invited me to her New Year's Eve," my best friend sighed. "We'll have to go ..."
"It's not terrible, we'll get together on the first day and note how it should be," I reassured Lena and was very surprised that our joker and laughter sadly bared her brows and almost cried.
- Lenok, you will spend a stunning evening, passing on New Year's Eve, with your beloved mother-in-law! - I laughed. - Yes, how many there that night ... She did not seem to hear me and was thinking about something of her own, and a minute later stopped and seriously asked, literally killing me with her question:
- Do you think, Nastyusha, it's very bad - to tell a friend that her husband is constantly changing?
"It's bad," I answered. - Why interfere in someone else's family life? After all, a friend may not know about her husband's novel, the affair will end by itself. But if the well-wisher shows up, family life will give a break.
Believe me, my dear!
"Clearly," breathed Lenuska. "You're right, I guess." Thank you.
Knowing my girlfriend from the second class, I pricked up my ears. Her seriousness and thoughtfulness alarmed me.
-And what are you suddenly sharing about the betrayals of worthless husbands and their poor wives? Strange somehow!
- Yes so ... I just asked, Nastush. - Lenka for some reason hastened the step.
"Well, wait a minute!" We have been friends for more than twenty years, we are like our own sisters, and if you do not keep silent about what you know, I will regard it as a personal insult, an insult to our friendship ... I named my daughter in honor of you!
By Lenkinoi's mind, I realized that I was not digging in vain. She was staring at one point, her lips clenched nervously.
"Anton will kill me if he finds out what exactly I told you about it."
"He will not kill, because he does not know." - I was starting to get angry. - Come on, once started.
- He constantly buys flowers, white roses, on the corner near the hairdresser's, which is next to the dental clinic. And then with those flowers enters the hairdresser, in the women's room, imagine? She sits there until two o'clock, all their lunch break, and then goes to her workplace, - Lenka tried hard not to look at me.
"Did you see it yourself, Lena?" She asked sadly.
"She herself," she said, lowering her eyes.
- And how do you know that constantly?
- I recently treated my teeth. Reluctance was to take leave for this case, that's why I went to the dentist at my lunch break. I have it from half past week to half past one. I was sitting there with my mouth open and watching Antosha watching you. Almost every day, Nastush.
"Why not just say that I found another?" I was perplexed.
Thoughts swarmed in my head. As luck would have it, everything is one to one: it's no longer going to lunch home, says the crisis, it's more necessary to work. After the bank is closed, an hour is delayed for three meetings, then checks, then computers are stuck. What kind of fool am I? Did not you see that he began to treat me differently? We dine without him, we go for walks on weekends, too, without dad. And white roses ... I do not even remember when they gave me flowers. And I completely forgot about my daughter.
In general, the symptoms of betrayal are evident ... The late evening was approaching, and it became colder. I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands. Lenka embraced me and gently stroked my head.
- Cry, it will be easier. At first I did not want to talk, but then I put myself in your place. It's a shame: he thinks you are an idiot, thinking that that, another, flowers can be worn, and you wear his socks, cutlets and lettuce cooks ... Do not be honest with you, his child's mother and woman, which, in fact , nursed him all these years ...
This is it to the point. It's interesting for a long time that they have? Probably not very, if flowers are worn every day. Although who knows ...
"Nothing, nothing," said Lenuska. - Will perebesitsya and forget, this often happens. As they say, you are not the first, you are not the last.
"I'm not the first, you're right." What for he to us such? On the flowers of his fife there is money, and Lenochka has been waiting for a bicycle for six months, almost crying, poor.
I was annoyed that Anton lied to me. As if nothing had happened, he came home, went to bed with me and fell asleep, turning his back. But I wrote off everything for the crisis!
- And you, like, and not upset, mother! Lenka expected another reaction to the unpleasant news and was very happy with my calm. What a sin to hide, because from the old passion there is no trace. We raised a daughter, had common friends, went to the sea in the summer, but something has changed.
We stopped spending time together. Are you tired? In the evening she behaved, as if nothing had happened: she cooked a delicious dinner, bathed in a fragrant bath, cleaned herself up. Anton appeared after ten and, as always: "Nastia, I'm already at home!" I swam out of the bedroom in a delicately light green dressing gown. Fitness room I visit every other day, so that my girls will envy me! Here are just the breasts ... In short, there is none. Lenuska ate it in the literal sense of the word - I breastfed her until two years. Was the second, and now zero ...
"And what smells so delicious, Nastya?"
- How? Dinner in the kitchen waiting for you, - not looking at Antoshka, I answered, combing my thick chestnut curls. "You're hungry, probably?"
"I'm hungry." Lenochka asleep already?
He unbuttoned his shirt and smiled.
"This Nastenka smells so ... Come with me to the shower ..." He took my hand, trying to lead me to the bathroom. I coldly withdrew.
- My head hurts. And you, look, have a haircut? Nothing, it's for you.
- Yes, he drove down the road to the bank ...
"And you're just a smart girl, Antoshenka. And the hairdresser served him, and his wife still had strength. Good-bye! "I reasoned to myself.
- You have supper, restore strength, - smiled. - And I - sleep! It's too early to get up early tomorrow. He did not say anything, only looked at me strangely. In the morning I went to work and asked for help from the bosses, promising to make up everything in the evening. In a bright, spacious room, five girls worked. I walked through the still empty barber shop. And here are the clues! On the table near the huge mirror stood a three-liter jar with a huge bouquet of white roses. I stopped, looked and sniffed the flowers.
- Good morning. What can I do for you? - A soft, calm voice was heard very close. "Sit down," the girl pointed to the chair.
- Thank you. - I sat facing the mirror, behind my back, judging by the badge, stood a master named Tatiana.
- Tatiana, I just cut the ends and bangs trim ...
"And that's all?" - For some reason she was surprised.
- Perhaps, yes. I think it's too early to paint, I said.
While Tatiana conjured above my hair, I had the opportunity to see it in all angles.
Slender as a birch , in appearance twenty years, equal square and zero cosmetics. Gray, huge eyes looked somehow naive and slightly frightened. What's funny is that she did not have a breast either.
"Did you give the groom flowers?"
- Yes, my beloved has brought. Pink sponges on the pale face barely noticeably lit up with a smile.
- Beautiful. Are you going to be married soon?
"I do not know," she answered sadly. Tatiana quickly coped with my cut ends, and the next day I again stopped by to do a manicure and at the same time chat with Tanya. It sounds strange, but I was cute this lovely girl who has a married beloved Anton. I was finally convinced that Tanyushkin's chosen one was my husband when I saw their joint photos ... by the sea! She specially brought them from home to show me.
"Is not he very beautiful?" - I admired the photograph of Tanyusha.
"Very," I agreed and thought in my mind which of Anton's summer business trips was fictitious.
Then I invited Tanya to the studio where she worked, it seemed like a thousand years. - Come, we'll sew something for you, and surprise your beloved with a new outfit on New Year's Eve! The next day, Tanya ordered me a dress in the style of Natasha Rostova. She conscientiously went to the fitting, and sometimes she just ran about, chatting. The girl was just glowing when she told me about Anton ... Days before five before the New Year, I was making last stitches on Tanya's dress.
Finally, the outfit was ready , and I called the girl. It was time to translate your plan into reality: "The dress is ready! Today I'm waiting for you at home. Come and take! I did not accept refusal, I will be offended! "I dictated the address and expected the guest at the agreed time. She sent her daughter to her closest friend Lena. Around six I called Anton and found out that he had put the car in the garage and was already approaching our house.
- And my friend will come to me, join us? - I chirped.
"Is it yours, Lenka?"
-Yes, my new young friend. You are unfamiliar. Tanya and I just drank wine when the key in the lock turned.
- I'm at home! - shouted her husband, as usual. When he went into the kitchen, Tanya shuddered. A confused smile froze on his face, and amazement was seen in his eyes.
- I did not understand something ... What are you doing here? Anton asked with a chill.
"I can ask you the same thing ..."
- So you, it turns out, are familiar? How lovely! Okay, let's not arrange a circus. Tanya, meet me - this is my Antosha. And, as I understand it, yours too. If you follow the plan, at that moment it was necessary to laugh, but I could not.
It was a pity to look at the girl - she sat with her head bowed and said:
- I did not know, Nastya! Forgive me, please ... You saw the pictures, but did not say anything ... Why?
- I do not know what to say. Maybe because Anton does not like his wife, why bother with her? Right, dear?
"What kind of circus did you set up here?"
"Let's go into the corridor, doves!" - I said, pushing them out of the kitchen, and after a solemn voice with a note of sarcasm added:
- Tanya! Happy New year to you! I give you Anton, enjoy your health! Opening the front door, I put the suitcases with a bag on the stairwell and gently pushed the dumbfounded lovers to the exit.
- All! The concert is over, the star is tired. Greetings to Santa Claus!
From the balcony it was clear how they caught a taxi. That's all. I took the phone.
- Lesch, come to me now. We will decorate the Christmas tree! Together!
- Yes, my sweet ... What to take?
"First things, dear." You know, I found a great way to get rid of my grief-husband ...