- Listen, Vlad, you better not tease me, otherwise I'll do it.
Vladimir involuntarily got shivers down his spine. He knew that it happens when behind the spoken words is the power to fulfill the promise.
There was one thing that, despite the joy of the meeting and victorious self-confidence, Vladimir even now, on this night of confessions, did not want to say out loud: he still felt a rival in Vasily, and was still afraid that he might lose her.
How, why this could happen, he did not know, his trust in Marina was absolute, she could not deceive or betray him, but, nevertheless, something happened between these two, something incomprehensible, despite the years of separation and distance, something connected them, and Vasily knew it too, otherwise he would not have expressed his wild threat with such boyish enthusiasm and confidence, from which there were goosebumps.
Now he was sitting quietly, with his head bowed, and, silently examining his lowered curly head, Vladimir thought: “How amazing, Marina and Katya were best friends, and because of this guy everything fell apart, although Marina acted with her friend very honestly, sacrificing own serious feelings. And now their friendship is over, they don't need anything else from each other. And you and I then, as duelists, found ourselves on opposite sides of the barrier, and even a shot, probably, thundered, because what, if not a shot, were our words and our escape for you then? And here we are sitting with you, as we never sat before, even in the good old days, drinking cognac and revealing our innermost things to each other. What are these features? a masculine character?"
This would never have happened to him under other circumstances, but now, on this night, before he had time to think it over, the words escaped rashly from his lips:
- You know, she still thinks about you and even talks to you, I heard that sometimes, forgetting herself, she begins to speak aloud...
Vasily closed his eyes. Looking at him, Vladimir was amazed: for a moment his face suddenly brightened, as if a flash of inner light illuminated him from within. He sat there... and when he opened his eyes, there were tears in them.
- Well, I'll put some tea, - Vladimir fiddled with the kettle, was distracted for a few minutes, poured fresh tea, dripped brandy there and after that started talking about work.