She was definitely younger than me and unlike her I was a nondescript person so when I saw her for the first time it became clear to me at once that my odds to excite her imagination were equal to zero.
But what was my surprise when instead of arrogance and conceit which are not at all uncommon among beautiful women she revealed her white sparkling teeth smiling and there was sincere sympathy in her wide green eyes. I smiled back and was on the point of sending her an airkiss in imitation of J. Travolta in Pulp Fiction but I changed my mind just in time to wave her with my hand.
No sooner I did this than I noticed that she was looking not quite at me but rather at something behind my back and a flicker of irritation became visible in her eyes indicating I was kind of annoying hindrance. I turned around and I saw a tall handsome guy well groomed and dressed in accordance with the last squeak of vogue.
I understood at once what an awkward position I turned out to be in.
"Hi, Freddy," the girl exclaimed and kept looking at the guy with a smile.
Slightly embarrassed I shifted my body to the left, and Freddy on gaining full view of the girl announced "Hi, Anna! Has a newbie come yet?"
Anna shrugged and asked " Newbie? What newbie?"
" Come on, Anna!" Freddy exclaimed. "Don't you know? Boss hired some of his friend's nephew. They say he is no more than a bum. He is supposed to come right now."
Anna squinted at me and on finding me fitting the aforementioned description she asked me " Were you by any chance sent here to work?"
I couldn't help but mumble something resembling "Yeah" and saying this I felt like I was somehow admitting I was a bum.
My embarrassment quadrupled when Freddy tapped me on the shoulder and said " You are supposed to be George, right? Welcome to our detail!" He sounded as sincere as only kind, decent and very honest man could be but somehow I felt he wasn't.
But frankly speaking I didn't give a fart about Freddy 'cause all my attention was focused on the girl. Her attitude towards me changed in a wink of an eye. She looked at me kindly saying " Hope we'll hit it off nicely." There's no need to doubt I was strongly inclined to take it she meant it.
She looked so attractive at the moment that I got a crush on her momentarily.
I was slightly disappointed though when she turned from me shining at Freddy with a sweetest smile I've ever seen.
When the routine process of the office work started two things irritated me badly: the first was that nobody of the staff paid any attention to me and the second being more vicious was that Anna while chatting convivially with Freddy turned cold shoulder to me every time I tried to drag her attention to me.
Besides I had absolutely nothing to do because I had been hired as lepidopterist and I couldn't imagine what on Earth butterflies had anything to do with the office functioning.
But I am okay with doing nothing. I don't like to work whatever job at hand. Besides there was one butterfly named Anna in the office albeit I was at a loss how to catch her. After an hour of thinking this over I came up with some idea. In my bag I had a couple of books written by me, a paperback actually, not a big deal but whatever. I carried them in my bag just in case. I put them out of the bag, signed them and intervened boldly into Anna and Freddy conversation.
"Excuse me, Anna, just one thing."
Anna looked at me and asked without enthusiasm "Well, what is it?"
"Look, Anna," I said "here's a couple of my books I wanna present to you."
I handed the books to her. She took them and leafed through the books swiftly. Raising her amazing eyebrows she asked " You mean you've written them?"
Of course I meant it! Who'd have doubted this?
" Wow! Great!" she said to Freddy and handed him the books. He skimmed through the pages, nodded and returning the books to Anna yawned.
The rest of the working hours I was building fantastic plans in my head as to what admirable time we were gonna had with Anna.
What was my frustration when at the end of the office day Anna left along with Freddy. They were talking loudly, laughing and seemed to forget entirely about my existence.
I waited for a while with a hope of her changing her mind and returning to the office to make sure I see her off. I was waiting on a miracle I was waiting on am act of God. However my waiting was in vain, and when the office got empty a cleaner addressed me in not quite friendly tone " We call it evening, sir!"
Humiliated I took my departure. Hunched I trundled down the street towards the hell knew where. Passing by big garbage can I made out a guy in rugged dirty clothes. He sat leaning his back at the garbage can and read a book. My sight focusing on the book made me stop abruptly. That was my book.
Decisevely I came up the guy and shouted " Where and how have you got my book? I don't remember fucking giving it to you!" He raised his eyes at me and answered very calmly. " There's no need to shout, sir. I didn't do anything wrong. I just found this two books inside this garbage can which means I didn't steal them, right?"
I felt like I was struck by a thunderbolt. "You found this in the garbage can? You really did? No joke?" "No joke, sir" the guy repeated firmly. " I swear to God I found these books in this garbage can. Its my luck, I like reading." "Why the hell you are rummaging in the goddamn garbage cans?" " Actually it wasn't books I was after, I don't have any job, i don't have any home, I don't have money. I was hoping to find some food in there."
I stared at the guy his pale dirty face twitching as if he was going to cry. "Hang on" I said in astonishment. " I take it you are hungry and you are sitting here and reading the book?" " Why,sir, the book is very interesting and it makes peace to my stomach." I kept silence for a minute staring at the guy then I said " Look, let's go to my house I have a lot of tasty food in my fridge."The guy looked at me suspiciously and asked " Why are you going to be so kind to me?" "Because, you are the only one in the whole world who got interested in my books." I answered with a sad smile. The guy stood up and said "Then I am going with you, sir. I am happy to get acquainted with you, sir."
"Knock sir off, please," I said. "My name is Georgy."
"Mine is Tom," he said.
We shook hands and walked towards my house.