This summer I again became a bachelor - after fifteen years of marriage. My wife met someone and decided to fight for her love, so divorced me. In our alliance for a long time everything was not going well, however, divorce became a disaster for me. I got married at the age of twenty and from that time on I always felt like a husband. And now? No, I did not know how to live alone, to return to an empty apartment, to sleep alone on a double bed ... For several months I suffered greatly. Friends and colleagues looked at me with sympathy. I lost weight, became serious, even gloomy. But after a while, gradually began to come to, felt the taste of life.
"It's time to take care of yourself, Andrew," my friend and colleague Gennady once said, critically examining me. He had the right to do so. In our agency we worked together for more than ten years.
"Yes, yes," Dima supported him, leaning his hands on the table. "I know one such pretty little woman. Very much nothing, works with my wife ...
- Leave me alone! I exploded. "I'm not going to get involved with any woman at all!" I'm free and happy, cut yourself in the nose! Indeed, only having recovered from the shock after the divorce, I appreciated all the charms of an independent life. He returned home when he wanted, rarely cleaned the apartment, ate sausages or pizza. Heavenly life! But for some reason now, on the eve of the New Year, suddenly felt completely alone. On this day at work, as usual, the festive atmosphere reigned. Gesha was playing solitaire,
Dimon read the newspaper , and I looked out the window, thinking that for the first time in my entire life I would spend the holidays in proud solitude. Suddenly the door to our office opened (Dima automatically hid the newspaper), and Yura appeared from the next department on the threshold.
"Andrei," he said to me, "the boss is calling you." Forward and with the song!
"Here you sing," I retorted. He got up, took the phone out of his pocket and laid it on the table. The boss did not like very much when during a business conversation an employee called a mobile phone. I returned in a few minutes.
"What did he want?" Muttered Dima's newspaper.
- That I went out on the second day after the holidays, it is necessary to control some delivery after the New Year.
- And you agreed? Gesha asked.
"What difference does it make to me?" I'm lonely and, mind you, free as a bird. I reached out my hand to the phone, and he suddenly rang. I looked at the screen, there was an unfamiliar number.
"I'm listening," I answered.
"You sent me a strange SMS," he heard a hoarse but very feminine voice in the receiver. - I do not understand. Did you send it?
- I? I asked in surprise. "When?"
- Five minutes ago.
"Five minutes ago I was at the chief", - and looked suspiciously at his friends. Dima, hiding behind a newspaper, yawned loudly, and Genka stared at the monitor.
"Can you tell me what was written there?" I asked. - I ask you to.
- The message was this: "I am pleased to meet you. Assign time and place, "she said discontentedly. - Why do you want to meet with me and where did you get my number? The longer we talked, the stronger she got angry. Her unusual voice trembled slightly, and it was noticeable that the woman was seriously worried.
I looked again at my friends. Genka hummed something, and Dimon ... kept the newspaper upside down! Aha, have got!
"I think I know what happened." If you wait a few minutes, I'll find out and call you back, okay?
"Please," he answered. "You know, people have been calling me since the morning, and I do not understand what all this means," she explained, nervous. I pressed the shutdown button.
"Well, good, gentlemen, this is a good joke," he said, turning to his friends. - And now, please, - the whole truth, as in a confession! This minute, and not twisting!
The muttered pieces split . Now I knew everything and could call a new friend.
- Hello? It's me, "said the receiver.
- Yes? She answered softly. Lord, what a magic voice!
"Forgive me, my friends tricked me." I left the phone on the table, and while I was gone, they sent an SMS to your number, "I explained to the woman.
- But where ...
- Found your ad in the newspaper.
- Ad? She was puzzled.
"But I did not give any announcements!"
- No? - now it was my turn to be surprised. "A lonely, sweet and intelligent woman from Kiev will get acquainted with a cultured man without bad habits," I read the text.
"It can not be ... horror sounded in her voice. - Is it possible that someone from his friends was so unsuccessful joking? I find out who exactly, I tell her ... God, how ashamed! People will think that it's me ... Oh! - she suddenly screamed again - because you probably will not be the only one, you have to answer other calls, explain to everyone ...
- So, maybe turn off the phone for a while? - I advised.
- I can not ... It so happened that today I need to be in touch ...
- I sympathize.
"Thank you," she said, sighing.
"Good-bye ..." and I put down the receiver with regret.
"This woman has such a beautiful voice, you can listen to it for hours!" For the next few days, I thought of an excuse to call: I just wanted to hear her soft timbre again. "You're an idiot," I told myself. "What do you want from her?" What do you want to achieve? "And he could not find answers to his questions. But the worst part was that I could not concentrate on anything.
Finally it seemed that a decent reason for the call was found. But I did not want to call my colleagues. Leaving the office, dialed her number.
- Yes? It's you again? - I listened attentively to her voice and felt that she, thank God, was not annoyed.
"Forgive me," said, "but an idea came to me."
"I hope you do not want to see me," she laughed. - Today is the New Year, your wife will not forgive you.
"I have no wife," I answered. - Do not be afraid, I was not going to meet with you. Just wanted to advise you: call the newspaper and ask to remove this ad. Who knows how many more time they will print it ...
"Imagine, this thought just came to me," she laughed, and added: "But thanks anyway ... for advice and care."
"Your husband may get angry that some men call you," he said, and with fear awaited her reaction.
"I do not have a husband," she answered. - But such calls will be tired and unmarried.
"Excuse me ..." I felt uncomfortable.
"No, you," she objected. "I'm not talking about you." On the contrary, it's nice that you took care of me. In addition, I feel that you are not a sex-obsessed male who are now calling.
"It's good that you think so," I said, just in case. Suddenly I realized that I did not want the woman to finish the conversation. "Old man, you are already quite bad," - flashed at least one sound thought.
"Happy holiday," my interlocutor wished me nicely.
"I doubt whether he will be happy," I muttered. "I'll be all alone." But I sincerely wish you a good New Year.
"He will not be very happy with me either," her voice sounded more and more silent. Immediately the idea was born that ... But I immediately, and besieged myself. "You were not going to mess with women anymore, remember? So quickly forgot? "
"It's sad," I said, confused.
"Yes ... Goodbye," she said very quietly and replaced the receiver, and suddenly I felt a great regret. ...
That New Year's Eve was a nightmare. I even reproached myself that I did not go to Sevastopol for my holidays. When I refused her invitation, I did not think how lonely I would be. I turned on the TV, watched the gala concert, listened to the wishes of happiness, and felt like an exile ... Oh, there would be a soul-mate nearby ... The hand itself reached for the phone. Dial the number is a matter of seconds, because I already wrote it to the contact list under the name "Stranger".
- It is you? - my skin crawled, when I heard her voice. "Did she remember my number?" He thought happily, like a little boy.
"It's me ... Are you angry?" I'm in the way?
- Yes you! I'm staring at the TV. And I want to cry, "she replied.
"Just like me," I laughed.
- Have you ever had a holiday alone before?
"Never," I said sadly.
"And here I am for the second time," she said. "And I can comfort you: it's much easier now than last year." She said this so that I felt my heart break from pain.
- Are you going to be alone all the holidays?
"Tomorrow I'll go to my friends," she sighed. "They recently bought a dacha in the suburbs." I'll go and see them ... until Christmas. Like this...
"Ah ..." I hesitated. "Will not you be angry if I call you again?" - Having typed courage, blurted out.
For a moment she was silent. "Yes, brother, you overdid it," I was frightened.
"Call me," she said. "But ... only ... on the eve of Christmas."
These words "on the eve of Christmas" sounded so magical, as if I had heard a forgotten tale of my childhood. I was ashamed to admit to myself, but I was terribly bored with talking to a stranger. At first I hoped that the work would allow me somehow to get rid of intrusive thoughts.
But it did not help. I waited all the time, when I heard her wonderful, gentle voice. "It seems you're crazy," I reproached myself. "You've been dreaming of a woman for a few days that I have not seen!" Before Christmas I could not stand it and dialed her number. She picked up the phone after the second beep, as if she were waiting by the phone.
"You did not change your mind, after all!"
I was literally amazed at her cry.
"How do you know it's me?" Do you remember my number so quickly?
- And for the first time I wrote him into contacts under the name "Stranger".
- Wow! And I did the same!
I heard a low, chesty, delightful laugh. And he responded in my heart like a violin string.
"My name is Andrew," I said. "I'm sorry that I did not introduce myself before."
- And I'm Elena.
- How did you go to your friends?
"Boring," she said simply. "What a beautiful voice ... And the name. This woman is for me, I feel it. " There was one way to stop thinking about Elena - it's to see her. "Whoever does not take risks, he does not drink champagne," - I humbled myself.
"What are you ...?" I paused. "Lena, what are you doing today, Christmas?"
"Nothing interesting," she answered to my joy, but I tried to hide it.
"I do not have any plans," he said cheerfully. "Shall we have an evening together?" - I tried not to seem very interested.
"Yes, I'd like to see how you look," she suddenly said, and I crawled backwards. I did not even think I was so worried. "Only you know ..." she hesitated, "I do not want any serious relationship." And in advance I warn about it. You see, I recently got divorced and swore to myself not to mess with anyone. At least in the near future.
- Of course! - I was even delighted. - I have exactly the same situation ... I explained that I myself recently went through a divorce. And he also swore an oath.
It is not necessary, and to say, with what impatience I waited for the evening. And finally, I saw her. How can I describe the appearance of this woman? She was ... However, it is enough to say that her appearance ... absolutely corresponded to her name and her voice. And ... I'm caught. Wedding is soon. Because on that fabulous Christmas night my bachelor principles were shattered, at first sight. No, even earlier, from the first sounds of her voice ...