Tursed my worid upside down

The taxi stopped at the corner of the bar, and Klaus immediately headed for a separate entrance to the second floor.

"Hello, hello, newbie!" Alice greeted him, who was wearing a very short straight dress with an incredible amount of frills and sparkles today. "Go down to Clara, urgently. She is waiting for you in her office."

"Hello," the young man greeted absentmindedly and walked quickly to the boss's office.

"First of all, I'm waiting for your phone number. I'm tired of looking for you through Egor when I need you," Clara pounced on him from the doorway.

"I didn't know that I was working today too."

"Of course you didn't know! How would you know if you're impossible to contact! What's with your appearance? Get yourself together. We're having a big party in hall number three today, and you're one of those chosen to serve it."

All the closed rooms were called halls. As Klaus later found out, each had its own purpose, design, size.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Yes, here's the money for the taxi," the boss handed over a sum that was several times higher than the cost of the ride. "And this," she handed over a bluish envelope that smelled of a very familiar perfume "was given to you this afternoon."

"What is this?"

"Gratitude from a satisfied client," ​​Clara smiled predatorily and stopped her gaze on the young man's neck, where part of the bite was crimsoning from under the collar of his T-shirt.

Klaus instinctively covered the bite with his hand.

"I didn't do anything like that. I just took her home and put her to bed."

"Really?" she raised her narrow eyebrows.

"Yes, but I'll take this," Klaus snatched the envelope from Clara's hands and was about to leave.

"Listen, today will be a difficult evening. Several people have their eye on you, but two of them flatly refused to choose anyone else. We'll have to try so that the guests don't get bored."

"I understand," the guy answered in an even voice.

The envelope contained a decent amount of money and a short note. In it, the woman thanked Klaus for his help and hoped for a new meeting. The note, like the envelope itself, flew into the first trash can that Klaus came across on his way to the locker room, and he hid the money in a locker.

Both girls and guys were invited to today's event. Klaus knew only a few by name, and he was not eager to make friends with his colleagues. He was here for only one purpose, and it was not to expand his social circle.

When Klaus, putting on his welcoming smile, entered room number three, he was struck by how different it was from the one where he had worked yesterday. This room was ten times larger. There were couches along the far wall, and between them there was enough space to place four small tables, and in the center there was a pole. This room had its own bar, behind which the bartender was already hard at work, mixing cocktails and handing over unopened bottles of whiskey, champagne, vodka to the waiters. In another corner there was a pool table, in front of the bar there was enough space for a dance floor, some modern unobtrusive music was playing, but not loud enough for people to talk without raising their voices, but not quiet enough for those who wanted to dance to do so in peace.

"So, Klaus. Your guests are that middle-aged woman in a pantsuit," the administrator who stood at the door and supervised the work process, also showing the newly arrived employees who they should serve, or rather, which of the guests paid for a specific waiter.

"Got it," The young man nodded and was already getting ready to go to the woman, whose hair looked more like a dandelion, only black, and her bright makeup was clearly visible even in the dim lighting of the hall.

"Wait. You have another client," he pointed to a man sitting on the other side of the woman, who was talking enthusiastically about something with a blonde, whose name Klaus, naturally, did not remember. He was wearing a tartan suit, the jacket of which was casually hanging on the back of the sofa. The top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. The man was in excellent physical shape. He looked to be over forty, with a slight gray in his carefully styled hair and a dazzling movie star smile, which, as Klaus managed to notice, was as real as his own.

"A man?" Klaus was surprised.

"What surprises you? Sometimes they just want male company, to talk, discuss football and women, sometimes they gather a group of several waiters of different genders to have fun in a large company, and sometimes they simply prefer men to women. Who knows which of these options is his?" the administrator chuckled, and with a gesture of his hand hurried the prince to go.

Klaus looked first at the man, who was clearly not bored in the company of a beautiful girl. Then at the woman, who slid her gaze over the guests and waiters scurrying back and forth, occasionally answering her interlocutor, who chatted incessantly. Having decided that the woman needed his company more, he went to the bar counter, took a bottle of champagne, a bucket of ice, several plates of snacks and headed with all this to his client.

"Good evening," he smiled at the dandelion. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"You kept me waiting, young man," scanning him with her gaze from head to toe, she clearly perked up and moved a little to the side to make room for the prince next to her.

Another performance began. Klaus was good at noticing the slightest changes in the behavior or mood of those around him. Since the age of twelve, he had led an observant lifestyle. Dislike of large crowds, senseless conversations, developed in him the habit of studying the behavior of high-born people and drawing conclusions. Now the situation was no different. It was a game, in which Klaus's role was to satisfy the needs of the lady.

"Hello Claudia, it's not nice of you to pick up my waiter," a good-natured male voice was heard nearby, about an hour after Klaus entered hall number three.

Klaus looked up and saw his second client, who, with his hands in his pockets, was smiling at a woman in a pantsuit.

"Sasha! And I thought you were very busy talking to that gorgeous blonde," Klavdia laughed. "And it's not my fault that you decided to choose the same waiter, in addition to the others. Let's not ruin each other's evening, and you will just give him up to me?"

"Klaus, right?" he addressed.

"Yes, that's right," the young man answered with a slight bow and stood up. "Should I bring you something to drink?"

"A bottle of whiskey, ice and something to eat," the man said, sitting down in the vacant seat.

"I'll bring it all now," with these words Klaus left his acquaintances to discuss his fate.

It was an unpleasant feeling. "Here I am just a thing," the prince thought sadly and remembered all those numerous slaves who worked tirelessly in the castle every day. They had no choice either. They did the work that their master chose for them. How hard it was to live someone else's life. Klaus consoled himself with the thought that in just a few hours he would belong only to himself again. But was that really true? He decided to push these thoughts deeper, where his pride was now crowding. "This is all for a good cause. I chose this path myself and must follow it to the end."

Klaus spent the next few hours in the company of his two clients and a bunch of waiters, who were trying with enviable zeal to divert Alexander's attention to themselves. Klaus was happy with this. It was easier to communicate with a woman, whose attention and intentions were clear, than with a man with whom Klaus did not know how to behave properly.

He did not forget to watch the others, but this gave him absolutely nothing. Each waiter had his own strategy, developed during his time working on the second floor, and none of them aroused Klaus's interest, as, by the way, judging by the fake smile and restrained politeness, the guest himself.

The young man avoided alcohol in every possible way. He changed glasses if someone poured him more, pretended to drink, but in reality only wet his lips. He was not here for entertainment, although, to be honest, he had impulses to get drunk and let things slide.

"And then she tells me that this dress won't suit me, no, can you imagine! To tell the buyer so directly!" Klavdia told another "funny story", to which Klaus "listened attentively" and laughed.

Klaus jumped in surprise.

"What is it, dear? Do you need to step away?" - asked the guest, seeing his unusual behavior.

Klaus looked down and saw a man's hand squeezing his privates. The young man looked at the man next to him in bewilderment. He, as if nothing had happened, continued his conversation with one of the staff.

"Excuse me," Klaus said, raising his voice slightly so that not only Klavdia could hear him, but also the one whose hand was causing him a lot of inconvenience. "I really need to step away for a few minutes."

The man squeezed the hand again and slowly removed it.

"Come back quickly, we are just discussing the pros and cons of opening a bar like this. I hope you will join the conversation?" As if nothing had happened, Alexander smiled at him and... winked?

The confused young man trudged towards the toilet. His unsteady movements could be taken for alcohol intoxication, which would do him good now. "Maybe I should pretend to feel bad and leave? No, then I've been trying to please you here for nothing. I need to earn money. I just need to explain to the client that I don't provide this kind of service to either men or women."

After washing himself with cold water, Klaus returned to his guests. They had clearly not been bored during his absence. Everyone here wanted to earn more, and after a few hours of fun and a sea of ​​alcohol, it no longer mattered which of the guests had paid for you initially. The one who was available could be chosen as a victim. Now, looking at all this, Klaus wondered who was the victim? The rich guests who threw cash around like candy wrappers to a sweet tooth, or the waiters who used their appearance and experience to make sure these wrappers ended up in their pockets?

The young man relaxed a little and was already thinking about moving to another, safer place for his crotch, when he saw Alexander waving his hand at him, freeing up space next to him.

"Sorry for the wait. Should I bring you anything else?"

"Klaus, my dear, bring another bottle of champagne for our cheerful company" laughed the same blonde who had been glued to the guest all evening.

"Veronica, my darling, as far as I know, Klaus is not obliged to serve his colleagues. Moreover, I have several questions for him. Bring us some more champagne, snacks and whiskey. Klaus, as I understand, you are not drinking today? Juice? Soda?"

"Juice, please," smiled Klaus, while Veronica got up from her seat with obvious displeasure.

"Don't stand there, sit down," the man knocked on the sofa with his hand.

At this time, the lights came on on the improvised stage with a pole. The volume of the music increased, and the attention of all those gathered was attracted by three girls and two young men who appeared before the audience.

"Do you like striptease?" asked Sasha, leaning towards Klaus's ear so that he could hear him.

"I've never watched it before," Klaus admitted honestly, not taking his eyes off the scene where the bodies began to sway slowly and seductively.

"For me, it's a completely tasteless thing. I like to look at beautiful bodies only from a close distance and without strangers."

The man's hand was already making its usual route when Klaus abruptly stopped it.

"Look, I don't provide this kind of service," he said as gently as possible.

"What services?" the guest feigned surprise. "These are just innocent touches."

"In any case, I would prefer to do without them."

The guest removed his hand, took out his wallet, fished out several bills and put them under the collar of the young man's shirt.

"This is for your inconvenience," he smiled and looked down at the exposed part of Klaus's neck. "I understand that you provide this kind of service, but not to men?"

"It's not what it may seem, a small misunderstanding," the guy answered, adjusting his collar.

"Well, I can understand you, but there is one problem. I really like this," he ran his finger along Klaus's cheek "and this" he went down to his chest, slowly went down to his stomach "and this in particular" he hooked his belt with his finger, pulled it towards himself a little.

"I told you," the smile disappeared from Klaus's face, he removed Alexander's hand with a sharp jerk.

"Oh, and here is your true face. I like it more than your feigned politeness. You know, I first noticed it when you were still working on the lower floor."

Klaus frowned at the guest, who seemed not at all embarrassed by the rudeness of the waiter.

"Didn't Clara tell you? I asked her to transfer you here. We are very good and old friends. She told me right away that my, so to speak, inclinations are not quite your style, but I am not used to giving in if I really want something."

"I don't know why you liked me so much, but Clara has enough cute boys to satisfy the needs of any guest."

"Listen, Klaus," he put his arm around the young man's shoulders and moved even closer to make it easier to talk. "I am a successful businessman, a good family man. My daughter is almost your age. I always dominate in everything, but the trouble is that all this feigned well-being does not bring me any joy. Continuing with the conversation about the boys who work here, they do not attract me, because they are ready to fulfill any whim. They do not play the role of sycophants, as you do, they are. It so happened that my previous lover... well, now we no longer communicate, and you are the perfect replacement for him. Alexander waited for a response from Klaus. The waiter was silent."

"I understand that you are young and guessed that you have no sexual experience with a man, but all this is easy to fix. I do not consider you a boy for one night. I want our relationship to be long-term and I am ready to make some concessions. Naturally, you will be fully provided for. I can pay you twice, no three times more than you earn here, and in return you will satisfy my needs a couple of times a month and sometimes attend events with me, as a protégé. I do not have a son, and my daughter is not very smart. If I do not marry her off successfully, everything that I have built over the years will fall apart after my death. I often take on young people from disadvantaged families as assistants who are trying to emerge from the depths of social inequality, so no one will think that it is strange to teach everything to a stranger, whose only family is an elderly grandmother and a cousin."

"Where are you from..."

"I know everything about you, Klaus. I don't like surprises, if you know what I mean."

"In any case, I have my principles. I don't sell my body."

"Don't rush to answer. Now we'll leave here together, and you'll go home in peace and think. I don't want that painted old woman to get her paws on you before me," he smiled, glancing sideways at Klaus's second client.

Klaus really wanted to leave here and so he nodded slightly in agreement. Sasha said goodbye to everyone, saying that he had had too much to drink, and since Klaus had not been drinking, he would play the role of a sober driver today. On the way out of the club, the guest called and a couple of minutes later his personal driver arrived for him. "This is compensation for lost earnings," handing Klaus a hefty stack of banknotes as a farewell, the guest calmly drove away, leaving the young man in a confused state.

Klaus had not done anything reprehensible, but for some reason right now, putting the money in his pocket and taking out his phone to call a taxi, the young man felt dirty. "Where am I falling?"

A yellow car pulled up, a raven spread its huge black wings from the visor of the nearest store and flew so low over Klaus's head that even the hairs on the top of his head stood on end. A blue-black feather slowly landed at the feet of the young man, who watched the bird, which was unusual for these parts, sat down in the back seat and softly slammed the car door.

"I can't figure out where you get that kind of money!" Pouoka spread her hands.

It was already past one o'clock, and Klaus had just gotten out of bed and was drinking coffee in the kitchen, devouring the burgers Egor had cooked.

"I asked you to! The main thing is the result. We have enough money to pay the second part of the search for the girl and fully pay for the second service, and there will still be some left over."

"All the same, it worries me a lot. Are you sure you haven't gotten yourself into something dangerous?"

"Grandma, he really works there too," Egor tried to calm her down, flipping patties for a new batch of burgers.

"Then why don't you earn that much?"

"They just assign wealthy guests to him and he.... He acts as a private waiter – the fair-haired guy found a way out of the situation."

"I don't understand why such a sullen young man, who can't even say hello politely, was promoted and assigned such important tasks!" she was surprised.

"Please, Pouoka, don't be so critical of my abilities," Klaus said, putting on his work mask, carefully cutting the burger into four pieces and handing it to the old woman "here you go. It will probably be more convenient for you to enjoy your grandson's delicious cooking."

Pouoka's jaw dropped.

"Who are you and where did you put the Prince of Isorobia? Can you seriously be so polite? Damn it, where did you pick it up."

"I've just been good at observing and drawing conclusions since childhood - he shrugged." Are you going to eat, old woman? Or was my effort was in vain?

"Don't scare me like that again if you don't want me to die of a heart attack before I send you home."

"Don't even think about it! I hope I won't hear any more questions about work from you?"

She just looked at Klaus disapprovingly and started eating her burger, which the prince had so carefully cut for her.

Today the weather was cloudy and it was about to start raining. Klaus called a taxi, and he and Egor went to another meeting with Andrey. The guys got out of the car around the corner so as not to attract unnecessary attention, and Klaus immediately dialed the number that Pouoka gave him.

"This is Klaus. Will anyone meet us?"

"Just a minute, I'll check when the boss can see you," a female voice was heard in the receiver.

"I don't have much time. I don't know what he's doing, but let him free a couple of minutes urgently."

As a result, they were met by the same woman whom the young people had already seen during their first visit to this abandoned building.

"The boss is having lunch now, but he is ready to give you a few minutes if you insist."

Klaus again found himself in the vulgar red room, where Andrey, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling up a small table, was slowly cutting a steak into even pieces.

"I don't like it when my meal is interrupted," he said instead of greeting, pointing his fork at the guys. "I hope you have a matter of life and death."

"I brought the money, as we agreed."

"It could have waited for some thirty minutes."

"I don't have time to hang around your office. I told you yesterday that the matter was urgent."

"Maybe you'd like to have some wine?"

"No."

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I need a weapon."

Egor's mouth dropped open in surprise and he looked at Klaus. Even Andrey was distracted from his important task of cutting up the meat and looked intently at the guy.

"Weapons? This is getting more and more interesting. Do you even know how to use them?"

"You don't have to worry about that. So, can you get them for me?"

"What exactly do you need?"

"A katana, a couple of army knives, a tranquilizer pistol and a few packs of ammo for it. And yes, I need a small tranquilizer. I'm not going to hunt elephants."

"What a set! A katana? Seriously? Are you into studying some kind of Eastern martial arts?"

"So, can you get all this?"

"When do you need it?"

"The sooner the better."

"We'll see," he stood up, went to his desk, took a piece of paper and a pen, wrote some numbers on it and handed it to Klaus. "It will cost about that much. Maybe a little more or less. It all depends on how much the katana will cost me."

"It suits me."

"Then you can get everything except the katana now. If you have cash, of course."

"Klaus reached into his pants pocket, took out an envelope and a wallet. This - he handed over the envelope," is for the information. There's a photo and a name. And this - he counted out the bills in the wallet and handed them to Andrey "is for the weapon."

"Man, I definitely like doing business with you!" the boss took out his phone and dialed a number. "To my room. Right now."

They waited for a few minutes in complete silence, except for Andrey's indignation about his steak being completely cold. There was a knock on the door and, without waiting for an answer, they entered. It was the same big guy whose arms Klaus had twisted during their first meeting.

"Sasha. Show this guy our warehouse. He needs army knives and a tranquilizer. Let him choose what he likes. Oh, and I need you to find a katana."

"A katana?" the big guy was surprised.

"Don't ask," Andrey waved his hand.

The big Sasha was clearly not thrilled with Klaus's company, but he kept his mouth shut and his face like a brick. They went down to the basement, which smelled of dampness and rodent excrement. Sasha approached a surprisingly new armored door, which Klaus didn't see the point of. The walls were so old that they could be broken through with a couple of powerful blows. But when the door opened, Klaus saw that everything inside was finished with the same material as the door. In fact, it wasn't even a room, but a built-in bunker, filled with rows of firearms and bladed weapons.

"This way," the attendant pointed to the bottom shelf on the left, where hundreds of knives were neatly laid out. Klaus glanced over the abundance of bladed weapons and stopped his gaze on two black twin knives. He took one and pulled it out of the leather sheath. The blade was also black, the handle lay comfortably in the hand, and the snakeskin pattern allowed him to hold the weapon firmly even in hands wet with sweat or blood.

"I'll take these," Klaus said, putting the weapons in the sheath and reaching out to the second one. "Tranquilizers?"

Sasha silently pointed to the opposite shelf, where at the very bottom the young people saw several huge guns, medium-sized pistols and only one, the smallest, reminiscent of a ladies' pistol "Voltaire". Klaus reached out his hand to it.

"Where are the tranquilizers for it?"

"You won't kill anyone with this, at most you'll slow them down."

"Are there other options of the appropriate size?"

"No, but I can offer something stronger than the classic tranquilizers, but keep in mind that if you shoot a small dog, cat or child, the dose will be lethal."

"That's fine with me. I'm not going to hunt children or organize a stray animal trap."

The next few days passed relatively calmly. The bar was noticeably less crowded. People, increasingly enjoying the coming summer, spent time in the parks, but by the weekend the situation was supposed to change.

Egor hardly communicated with Klaus, despite the fact that they lived in the same room. The prince's phone would ring and he would go somewhere, and the call could come early in the morning or at three in the morning. Every day, his neighbor would become more and more immersed in his thoughts, becoming gloomier. Egor guessed that it was his new job that was influencing the guy's behavior, but he could not help him in any way. This was more upsetting than Egor wanted.

On Friday, after another call from Clara, Klaus's mood was more like depression. They were sitting at the table and the prince was drinking cold coffee, not even touching the stew with baked potatoes.

"Are you sick?" Egor asked him. Silence in response. "Klaus?" Silence. "Can you even hear me?"

"Huh? What? Sorry, I was thinking for a bit. Did you ask something?"

"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should take a couple of days off?"

"Everything's fine," he waved it off and started aimlessly picking at his plate with his fork.

"I can see that something happened. Tell me. Maybe I can help?"

"I don't think you can help. Although...," Klaus looked at Egor with a searching gaze.

"Well, tell me already. You forgot, I'm your advisor."

"Listen, have you ever had sex with a man?"

"What, excuse me?" Egor asked in surprise. He expected anything, but not such a question. At first, the guy even thought he had misheard.

"I asked, have you ever had sex with a man?" Klaus repeated the question calmly.

"Klaus... This is an unexpected question..."

"Forget it," he waved his hand and put a piece of meat in his mouth.

"No, sorry, I offered to help myself, but the thing is... the thing is that I have very little experience in terms of sex," Egor answered almost in a whisper.

"Me too."

"Come on! This can't be!"

"What's strange about that? I've always had more important things to do, and I'm not a fan of brothels, they give me unpleasant feelings."

"I didn't mean brothels. You're handsome, you have a great figure, isn't that valued in your world?"

"I'm not saying that I didn't get attention from women, but I wasn't particularly interested in them. I don't know, maybe I really missed opportunities to practice," Klaus shrugged.

"Practice? You say that as if sex were some kind of martial art or science."

"I look at it from that point of view. Yes, you get pleasure, but after a few minutes there's nothing left but fatigue."

"That's how you see it... I look at that side of life more romantically."

"I'm not a romantic, maybe if I ever experience a feeling like love, I'll look at sex differently, but right now, thoughts about it only give me a headache."

"Why did you ask about a man?"

"Just like that. I got curious."

"I've never had any sexual experience, so I can't help you, but there's the Internet and there are a lot of interesting videos on this topic, for every taste."

"Let's watch it today?"

"Well, people don't watch such things in company, as a rule," Egor was embarrassed.

"God, don't be a prude! I need this for business, and you know what and where to look."

"For business? Klaus, explain clearly what's going on? What are you doing on the second floor? Why are you interested in sex with a man? Is someone harassing you? Or maybe you have your eye on a colleague?"

"Don't talk nonsense! I was just asking, don't make a tragedy out of it. That's it, I have to go."

Klaus went to get ready for some business of his own, which he was in no hurry to involve Egor in. The guy pushed his plate away and thought. Klaus never does anything for no reason. If he asked about sex with a man, then it was clearly not for general development. Something is fishy here. Egor was already thinking about talking to Klara, but he knew her answer in advance: "What happens on the second floor is none of your business."

Egor guessed, like everyone else, that only carefully selected waiters worked on the second floor and they served only special clients who, for one reason or another, did not want to be seen in public. Moreover, it was clear without explanation that these people were ready to pay big money not for simple get-togethers with a bottle of whiskey, which meant that the waiters there performed the role of not only service personnel.

"Has Klaus really gotten himself into something that he cannot handle on his own? Is it really for a full refrigerator, new fashionable things that he bought not only for himself, but also for Egor. For the ordered kitchen set and hiring workers for the kitchen renovation, which will begin next week, Klaus pays with money that he earned... With his body? With special favors?"

These thoughts did not give Egor any peace. Today the prince said that he had almost no sexual experience. Lied? Maybe he meant only men? Would he really have to do this, despite his orientation? Egor was tormented by his conscience. He decided to follow Klaus and find out what exactly had ruined his mood completely? What was he willing to do to return home? And was it worth it.

About thirty minutes later, Klaus, in black sports shorts, a cream T-shirt and a baseball cap of the same color, came out of the bathroom. He was still pale, but his appearance did not match the way he dressed for work. This completely confused Egor.

"Are you going for a walk?" he asked.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Can I come with you?"

"Let's do it another time. Today I want to go for a walk alone."

'Okay then... see you tonight?"

"I hope so."

After waiting for the elevator to close behind Klaus, Egor slipped out of the apartment and went down the stairs, ordering a taxi on the way.

"Please, follow this car," he gave the taxi driver instructions, out of breath, who looked at the guy in bewilderment.

"Please, I'll pay double for the ride. She's leaving now!"

The driver pulled away and followed his colleague. Klaus got out of the car near a large stadium, where the city volleyball team was playing today, having managed to gain a lot of attention in just one season. Egor was surprised by such a choice of pastime. The prince was never interested in sports channels or games. He paid the taxi driver, as promised, double the fare and got out of the car, trying not to lose sight of Klaus and at the same time not to be seen by him.

The huge round building of the stadium was visible in the distance. To get to it, you had to go through an impressive parking lot or overcome the path through the fair, where crowds of fans bought souvenirs, tried street food, played games.

The end of the football season was approaching, a match of a popular volleyball team was scheduled, fans could not miss such an event, but there were also many ordinary tourists and onlookers who decided to while away a Friday evening at the crowded fair.

Klaus headed towards the parking lot, and Egor was glad of this outcome of events. At the fair, he could definitely lose his target, but the parking lot and the adjacent territory were less crowded.

Egor slowly followed the prince, trying to keep a decent distance. He was focused and didn't pay attention to anything around him, so when he heard a piercing croak, he almost screamed in fear. The guy looked at the lantern that hadn't been turned on yet and saw a huge black bird, which turned its head to the side, as if it was watching him. Egor exhaled, turned away from the bird, then looked at it again, but it had already lost all interest in him and, spreading its wide wings, flew in the direction of the stadium.

Klaus stopped, took out his phone, looked around nervously, then turned back. Egor barely managed to hide behind the nearest car. His heart was pounding. This game of spies both pleased and frightened him at the same time. "What the hell am I doing!" flashed through his fair-haired head and immediately disappeared when he saw a tall, fit man in light-colored loose-fitting pants and a white polo shirt getting out of the silver BMW. Smiling radiantly, he moved toward Klaus, who shook his hand and slightly bowed his head in greeting.

The second rear door of the BMW opened again and a pretty girl in short shorts, a cap on her head and a ponytail the color of ripe wheat came out. She approached the man, who, as Yegor understood, introduced her to Klaus. The girl smiled shyly, extended her hand, which Klaus kissed with the same slight bow with which he greeted the man. The girl blushed, but, from under her lowered eyelashes, continued to watch, admiring the handsome brunette with piercing brown, almost black eyes.