Alexa
"Okay, wait a minute," I reached into my bag for the flash drive. It would take a lot to find something in a woman's bag.
"Where is it?"
"What did you lose there? Do you need help?"
"No. Wait a second, where is it? Here it is. Here it is," I took out the flash drive and showed it to Arthur.
"And I thought you were looking so hard in your bag, and here it is?"
"Here, it's all my novel."
"Thank you very much."
"I'll put it in my pocket so I don't lose it," he put the flash drive in his jacket pocket.
"How careful you are about other people's things. Do not worry, even if you lose it, I have about twenty more of them. And the material is in the laptop."
"Wow, why do you have so many portable sources?"
"Have you forgotten where and who I work?"
"Oh, that's right. Journalist. How could I forget," there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"What have you got against journalists?"
"I don't have anything against them. It's just that sometimes they pry into things they shouldn't."
"Oh, so you've had some unpleasant stories connected with them?"
"I have. But I got away with it."
"That's nice."
"Tell me about it. I mean, people pry into the lives of diplomats, too."
"Not our magazine. Our magazine focuses more on celebrities and public figures."
"But there are many other programs and magazines."
"I'm glad you're the one who stays out of my life."
"Otherwise you'd beat me up?"
"Of course I would. They piss me off."
"Oh, you! Would you raise your hand against a woman?"
"No. But a journalist, yes. Besides, I'd never lay a hand on you in my life."
"Hmm. Good to know. I guess you're not such a good boy."
"I am, but when it gets abused, I don't like it."
"I see. So what's going on with your office romance?"
"What affair? You mean the Swedish girl?"
"Yeah, who else?"
"Well, we only slept together once, after one party. Then we tried to build something up, but it didn't work out. It lasted four months. She was bugging me with her tantrums and her jealousy. I left her when I got here."
"That's it? She was all you had? Well, when you were in a relationship with her. You weren't cheating on her?"
"Of course I was. Especially when she and I were in another fight."
"What about your two-year depression after your divorce from Sara?" I asked and realized it was unnecessary, since it had always been a sore subject for him.
"Gone, like it never happened. I think she made a big mistake. And I will still find my happiness. Or I'll just change girls every day. But I don't want to suffer anymore. I've had enough. I'm sick of it."
" Good for you. I'm glad you've come to your senses. I should have made that decision a long time ago."
" So, how's your love life? You're not getting married yet?"
"It's still the same. It's one thing after another, every time. No, I'm not. I think marriage just ruins everything. It loses all the beauty of our lives- our freedom. Especially when a man, namely your husband, starts controlling you completely."
"Apparently there's something about the beauty of your job. You can always decide who you want to sleep with and when. And how long it lasts."
"Yes, it does. But it's getting boring. I've already slept with every soccer player and businessman in our town."
"Just our town? I thought the whole universe," he said jokingly."
"Arthur, stop it."
"Well, why? What's the big deal? I do have one question, though. Why don't you stop at one option? Isn't there such a man?"
"Apparently, there isn't one yet."
"What kind of man? The kind that can fully support you? Well, there is. All your lovers are rich."
"Yes, all of them," I agreed with him.
"Or don't they satisfy you as much in bed? What do you lack? Do you have desires that are too violent and they can't match them?"
"There's nothing special about my desires."
"I see. Well, then I don't know what you're missing. Money, sex, what else do you need? Maybe you need love. A big, bright love?"
"Don't be ridiculous. What love?"
" Well, it's not about you."
I was a little offended by those words. Does he really think I can't be loved?
"You mean I can't be loved, only fucked?"
"Alexa, what are you doing? That's not what I meant, that's not what I meant at all."
" I'm what? Nothing. That's not what you're saying? I didn't expect that from you. I don't think you realize what you just said. And that's the end of this conversation. It was nice to see you," I got up from the table. I was about to leave, but Arthur grabbed my arm, preventing me from doing so.
"Are you offended? Hey, look at me," he tried to look me in the eye, and he hooked his fingers under my chin, still holding my wrist with his other hand.
" I won't think about it, let go of my hand and I'll walk away quietly."
"Well, I'm sorry, Alexa. I didn't mean that you shouldn't be loved. You should be loved and worshipped. What I meant was that nobody cares about that love right now. Practically no one. For many-it's just a word that, spoken at the right moment, can get any fool or foolish person into bed."