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but I’m older than you.”
    Serge figured the difference was about two or three years, maybe a bit more. Good lord, what a ripe woman! She wasn’t a girl who had never been kissed. What would it cost her to snuggle up to a guy with a burning sexual desire? She can see that I am burning. She wants it, too, but is shying away. Light her a smoke, or don’t even speak to her—she’d do anything to run away from her responsibilities. She’s not a fool; she actually understands everything.
    A slight chill came over her body.
    “Are you cold?”
    “A little bit.”
    Serge quietly took off his shirt and covered her shoulders. Her hands were folded around his waist.
    “Are you freezing?”
    “It’s completely up to you, mademoiselle.”
    “At least put my tee shirt on.”
    “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
    She tossed his shirt aside, crossed her arms, grabbed the sides of her shirt with her hands and pulled her tee shirt over her head. Serge was stunned—maybe it was happening. Her hair got caught in her collar, and she struggled to free it. Yet Serge couldn’t take his eyes off of her body, its tan lines noticeable from underneath her bra. He held her gently and unfastened the hook. His heart pounded at his ribs like a sledgehammer. He wanted so badly to envelop her half-naked body but restrained himself, falling back down onto the straw. Now, the initiative was up to her. She could pounce on him like a panther. Oh, how badly he wanted that! Instead, she crawled deeply into his shirt and shriveled up. Serge wasn’t very comfortable lying with his naked torso on the prickly straw. He got up, came up to her from behind, lifted her up and placed her feet on the ground. Holding her by her hand, he led her back down the pathway from the gazebo. They quickly descended to a well-lit alley and walked along towards the park’s exit like longtime lovers. Serge threw her tee shirt on, and Janna, chuckling, poked at his bellybutton with her fingers. He took her up into his arms, carrying her a few steps, and then lowered her back to the ground, pressing his face to hers and kissing her gently. They walked through the park, exited onto the street, and trudged toward the city.
    Well into the night, the two parted on the corner of an empty street. Janna cloaked herself in her shirt again. Serge tied his shirt around his waist in a knot. They said their goodbye for a while, now and then kissing and discussing the next day’s plans.
    Eventually, the distance between them increased as Serge turned the corner. It seemed to him that this girl excited him, and not only sexually …
     
    ***
     
    The next morning Serge arrived on time at the agreed-upon location: the corner of Deribasovskia and Soviet Army. He paced around, observing the scurrying pedestrians, finally making out Janna running towards him, slipping her way through the crowd. She was ten minutes late, so Serge, hiding behind the trunk of a tree, toyed with her. She flew by a few meters from him and crossed the street, stopping to look around. Serge left his hiding place, heading in her direction.
    “Hey. Do you normally run in the mornings to break a sweat?”
    “No, I needed to make it to the furniture store on time,” she made up on the fly, although there weren’t any furniture stores in the vicinity.
    “So what, you are late. Is the store closed now?”
    “I saw you. Why would I need furniture now?”
    “What do you say I am—a night stand? A dresser? Maybe a bed. You know, I can be your bed.”
    “What would I do with such a bed ? I would fall off or cut myself on your bones.”
    “Just put some pillows around me.”
    “Listen. Now that’s an idea! You’ll lay all covered in pillows, pretending to be my drunken prince.”
    “Why drunken?”
    “Are you ever sober? Could’ve fooled mee-ee!”
    “And what … you’d be the princess?”
    “Yep!”
    “Also drunk.”
    “But of course I’d be drunk … because of you. And I would ask you