I promised to start sharing with you the translation of my book, which I recently published in Russia. I have already translated the first chapter. I would really like to hear your opinion and feedback about the book, and also maybe a platform where I can promote my work.
Prologue
First of all, I wrote this story as an autobiography. Then I realized that in real life, things frequently happen in a so illogical way, and in that book, it’s difficult to explain why everything occurred as it did. Thus, I ended up with a completely new narrative, where all the events are my invention and any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. Well, almost coincidental…
Chapter 1
Hidden desires
«Why are you just standing there? It’s freezing outside, come in!» shouted Daniel. Molly laughed and covered her face with her hands. The white puffer jacket was casually draped over her, and her summer Converse sneakers left their signature prints on the white snow. Her red locks had tangled into a disheveled mess on her head after some dancing at the nightclub. The red lipstick had long since worn off, leaving only a rosy tint on her lips. Dan, equally tousled but just awake, stood next to her without glasses, dressed in long pajama pants, a warm sweater, and slippers.
Molly removed her hands from her eyes, now only covering her mouth, and took a few steps forward to him. She still couldn’t believe this was actually happening in real life.
«Daniel, is it really you? I’m not dreaming right now?» she asked with laughter.
«Yup, it`s really me, come in. I’m going to freeze.» he replied irritably, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the entrance. With already weak legs, she climbed the familiar flights of stairs, trying to recall a place she hadn’t visited for many years.
«By the way, why are you still living with your parents?» she started to hiccup
«I’m not living with my parents. My mom moved to Moscow to my apartment.» Dan responded, still irritated sounding.
«You`re not livi-i-ing there?» Molly stretched out the word «What about your wife?»
«Yeah, we’re living here with Nattie.» Daniel said as he opened the front door, allowed the tipsy Molly to enter ahead of him, and sat her down on a hassock. Then he crouched in front of her and began to untie her Converse. The girl extended her other leg directly toward his face.
«Does she know you’re bringing your drunken exes here at night?» Daniel brushed aside the leg inching towards his face, continuing to remove her right sneaker.
«Yes, we have an open relationship, moreover we had a threesome with a girl.»
«Wooooooow!» Molly drawled sarcastically «Threesome… and what about frsm….for some…hiccup… foursome ahahaha»
The girl burst out laughing and fell off the hassock towards the floor. Daniel managed to catch her and put her right in front of him.
«You`re such a sassy sipper, Molly!»
«What did you expect when you... ugh... called me here? hiccup»
«Over the network, you seemed more adequated.» after some time Daniel finished with her second sneaker and took Molly's puffer jacket off. «Come on, I’ll make you some tea.»
With staggering a bit, Molly made her way to the familiar kitchen: everything was as it had been that last time, in the summer of 2016. Perhaps a few new items had appeared, but in her hazy consciousness, Molly didn’t pay any attention to anything of it.
Finally, once the tea was served, the girl regained some composure and began to speak more coherently and clearly,
«I actually didn’t drink much today, I just got carsick in the taxi.»
«Yeah, yeah, I can see that...» Daniel said, sitting across from her and blowing on his mug of hot tea.
«So, why did you come back to Chelyabinsk?» Molly asked.
«Oh, that’s a long story.» he replied, still looking as disheveled as ever. Molly noticed his stubble. He seemed… older? As far as she remember, he was forever the young, seventeen-year-old teenager, so she still couldn’t reconcile reality with the past in her memory.
«I was studying as a basketball referee in Moscow, practicing with a university team, and then COVID hit, and we switched to online studying. I got my diploma, but there weren’t any matches, and there wasn’t any work either. So I came back here. A distant relative helped me out, and now I referee major city games for the local basketball federation.»
«Mmm, and you used to be so eager to leave this place.» Molly pursed her lips and shook her head, then laughed out loud, «I’ve always been curious to see you in that funny striped shirt out on the pitch.»
«On the court, the pitch is for soccer players.» Daniel corrected her.
Molly still shook her head silently and reached for the candies that were sitting in a bowl on the table.
«Mmm, cherry...» she said, placing it in her mouth, then rummaged in the bowl again and pulled out another candy wrapped in yellow,“Pineapple for you.”
Daniel smiled, took the candy, but set it aside, continuing to blow on his cup of tea,
«Don’t you want a candy?»
«I wanted this candy with cherry, and you took the last one.”
Molly took out a red wet candy from her mouth. The drool, along with the juice, spread over the fingers and fell in sweet drops on the table. The girl looked straight into Daniel`s eyes and waited for permission. He opened his mouth. The candy sank in there with his fingers. The guy wrapped his lips around them and did not let go for several seconds. Devilish lights lit up in Molly's eyes. She lifted herself off the table, put her whole body on it, and immediately kissed Daniel's mouth, which was still wet with sweet saliva. He took her head in his hands and answered her reciprocity. After a brief kiss, the girl sank into her seat.
To be continued
