– But there is one «but», Eva Alexandrovna, – Elona hesitates a little, squeezes out of herself, – Iас сразу want to warn the AC right away…

      Elona refers to Eva exclusively by her first name and patronymic, but not out of respect, so as to show her how much she is no longer deeplyyoung.

      «I’ve already counted two buts in your sentence,» Eve interrupts Elona. She always interrupts her to show her her place. «Is he gay, which means’ as good as you ' in English?» Eve suggests very haughtily.

      «No,» Elona says, reddening with rage. «He’s just dark-skinned.

      «Yeah, I’m not exactly gay,» Eve laughs. «This is an unexpected twist in this backward little town of ours, where there’s never been a nigger before!» – Oh, my God! «she exclaims. – I wonder who is cooler Negroes or gays?

      «Jews! – laughing workers repairing the floor on the stage.

      Elona is very tense. She’s not happy that she started this conversation, especially in front of everyone.

      «Well, I’ve been thinking about it now, the desert is coming,» Eva says, flaunting her position as a director. – We must have at least one rainy day, otherwise all white ones are somehow unrealistic. Let him come. Yes, indeed, let him come, «she nods cheerfully.

      «Thank you,» сквозь зубы выдавливает из себя Elona says through gritted teeth and smiles nervously, wanting to end this conversation that has become unbearable for her as soon as possible.

      Elona has a huge dislike for Eve, and Eve knows it. She knows at the level of intuition who treats her and how. Eve has an animal’s nose. Elona feels bad about what she owes Eve now. Elona is sick of it.

      Eva jokingly holds out her hand to Elona, as queens do to their subjects. Elona looks at Eve with horror, and Eve looks at Elona with challenge. She challenges not just Elona, she challenges beauty and youth in her face красоте и молодости, because Elona is considered oneof the most beautiful actresses in the theater. Eve had only fulfilled Elona’s request so that she could hold out her hand to Elona as if to kiss her. Eve sometimes allows herself small pleasures, such as angering her neighbor. Especially if this neighbor is female. Now her neighbor is Elona.

      Eva pauses and bursts out laughing, breaking the tense atmosphere. Eva laughs, and her laugh is defiantly young and clear. And even right away, it’s hard to identify this woman holding out her hand to Elona for a kisswith her laughter. Because they are so different.

      Eva leaves, and Elona can’t get over the spectacle that Eve played out in front of her and with her. But most importantly, Elona understands that Eve wasn’t joking when she held out her hand for a kiss. And that infuriates Elona. «An old rat, an old rotten rotten rat covered with age-old mold,» Elona says inaudibly.

      7

      Jean turns his head to the side until he feels the crunch of his neck vertebrae.

      «Oh, good,» Jean says, trying to get Elona’s attention.

      Jean is bored. So he turns his head again, but this time in a different direction, until his neck starts to crack again.

      «What are you doing?» Elona asks after a pause, eyes closed, frozen on the floor in a meditative lotus position.

      Elona meditates frequently to improve her acting skills and complexion. She doesn’t understand the meaning of meditation, but everyone she knows is meditating, and she is meditating, trying to convince herself that she is participating in something important. Jean brightens up at her question. To make Jean perk up, you just need to ask him what he’s doing, and he’ll make sure to come up with what he’s doing, even if he’s not doing anything.

      «I’m trying to broaden my horizons,» Jean says, «so that I can see more than just that you’re avoiding me and not noticing me. But I’m afraid I’ll break my neck and never see anything new in our relationship.

      Jean likes to give such answers. He belongs to the category of men who spend their whole lives trying to make jokes, but in the end they never really joke.

      «I don’t mind you breaking your neck, but only after you get a job in this freaking crowd and we move to this freaking Moscow,» Elona replies coldly, already tired of meditating and not averse to entertaining herself with a conversation with Jean. – You don’t know what it cost me to persuade that mustachioed, stinking, bloated toad. I literally stepped over myself. I’ve lost my virginity for the second time. I’m mentally violated. And you don’t appreciate anything I do for you.

      – Since when did Moscow get freaking fucked up? She used to be a paradise on earth for you.

      «Don’t cling to words. It is still a paradise, and our goal with you is to pave, drill, and carve our way there with the help of the theater. The theater, in this case, is a slotting machine, a drilling rig, our tank, on which we will enter a new life. And believe me, Jean, this is my life waiting for me. She is already living in the future.

      «So she’s just waiting for you?» «All right, then,» says Jean. But somehow I thought you had a higher understanding of art, and that turned out to be just a means to Moscow, «Jean says, annoyed, wanting to tease Elona.

      «Don’t be a whiner,» Elona says in her usual way. «That you even know anything about it?» At least I graduated from the theater institute, and you’re generally hot on the side. Art is what I do best. My mother is an actress and my grandmother, who knows what theater and art are like if not me. And you’ve never even been to the theater, no matter how many times I’ve called you. So don’t perform here, child of the ' 80s Olympics. Pray that this vixen will at least approve you for this fucking crowd, because this is your only chance to go to Moscow with me.

      Jean doesn’t say anything to Elona, because he’s sure that he won’t even be accepted as an extra, and in his heart of hearts, he’s even glad about it. But Jean really doesn’t like Elona’s position on this issue, he would much rather have Elona use a dominant position in bed than in life. But for her, the role of a rider was more like in life, and Jean can’t do anything about it. Despite his rather young age for a man, Jean already wants to get married and start a family, he wants children. But Elona doesn’t need any of that. All she wants is money and fame. She really believes that someone is waiting for her in Moscow. Previously, she considered Jean as a temporary option, but then she somehow got used to it, she even stopped noticing his dark skin color and his bright soul. For her, everything was equally gray, except for the bright alluring and glowing night lights of Moscow.

      Jean pretends to be offended. Jean doesn’t look at Elona, but lowers his head as if he’s offended, and Elona finds that annoying.

      «Jean, my little black baby, look at me,» Elona tells him. «Or is your neck completely broken?» Look at me and saysomething in your huge mouth.

      Jean is silent. He hates it when Elona calls him baby boy, and Elona knows it. She says that on purpose to annoy him.

      «Jean, why are you so offended? Elona is still sitting on the carpet and on the floor. – What’s wrong with you pouting like a mouse on its rump?» Like a black mouse on a black rump, «Elona adds, smiling. – Or are you afraid that if you start talking, black words will come out of your mouth?» Elona laughs.

      Jean