5. Brother 5

- At the Agricultural Academy.

- What faculty?

- Agrochemical.

- What course?

- On the third ... Drink! This is not a champagne, but I was told it’s a good wine. I couldn’t find Schempein, I've looked everywhere.

- Created a problem for yourself. I told you: I don't drink.

- Try it, it's delicious.

She sipped a little from her glass. The wine tasted good to her, and the smell definitely reminded her of something. She glanced at the label. Madeira… And the name ... ah, yes, there is such an island of Madeira somewhere in Portugal.. Despite her protest, they put something meaty, hot and terribly peppery on her plate. She didn't feel like eating, like drinking, but everyone froze in anticipation. She swallowed with difficulty and said:

- Delicious.

Music played and at the same time the TV worked with a muffled sound. Marta looked around the room with timid curiosity, the others ate, drank and talked at ease, occasionally addressing her:

- Eat, please ... Martha, drink wine, I bought it for you.

She sipped the wine again and swallowed a piece of meat. Her tall neighbor got up and waddled toward the door. The girl's heart pounded wildly. She barely contained herself so as not to jump up and run ahead of him while there was still an opportunity. The guy stood at the door for a while, as if teasing, then said something to Nitram and left. The other two followed him.

Martha sighed with relief, as if a mountain had fallen off her shoulders.
There was a news release on TV.

- Do you like politics? - Nitram asked.

She shrugged, because politics was not her favorite topic, and began to answer something while he took her hand, turned it palm up and raised it to his lips. His mustache tickled her skin pleasantly, but Martha flinched in surprise when he suddenly bit down on the bulge under her thumb.

“Wonderful,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes. And Martha immediately played along, embarrassedly dropping her eyelashes, although in reality she was not embarrassed at all - now that they were alone, and her recent terrible fears were dispelled, everything that was happening vividly interested her.

It already seemed to her a good idea to start her acquaintance with "adult life" with such a partner - a foreigner from an underdeveloped country, whose temperament probably was more than intelligence, not understanding anything in their life and morals, with him she felt free.

But despite a subtle, rather protective touch of cynicism, deep down she longed for love and believed in it. Someday a Meeting will surely take place ... “And I still don't even know how to kiss properly. We must try it sometime. Of course, it's not very good to use a person as a living mannequin, but ... what does he understand? And what difference does it make to him? "

At that moment, Nitram, who was kissing her hand, suddenly raised his eyes, and she felt like shocked: it seemed that he easily read all her thoughts.
“You’re cunning,” he said quietly.

- Me? .. No, I’m not, - she was still under the impression of his glance - there was so much intelligence and superior strength in it! And the voice is flexible, mesmerizing with richness of shades and semitone depth. Unusual voice. And the face too: narrow, with regular, proportional features, there was nothing disharmonious in it. But in the cap, perhaps, she liked him more - it was difficult to get used to his hairstyle, this abundance of curly vegetation, with a hat around his head.

- Martha, drink, why don't you drink?

He himself raised the glass to her lips, but she dodged, and it turned out that her head came dangerously close to his face, as if she was trying to provoke him. That hour his lips touched her hair, from which a delicate scent emanated.

Maybe that's why?

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from novel WANDERER/ Роман "Пришелец"