«But it’s a lot of money.»
«For happiness money does not matter.» Oleg took out a roll of bills and put it on the counter. «Barman, drinks for everybody!»
* * * * *
Just a few days later he met her again.
Downtown Oleg and Ruslan passed by the central hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor. The rain with snow had just stopped, and the streets were full of dirty water. Oleg Merkulov was wearing a wolf-skin coat. It was a very expensive and very warm fur coat and great for the Moscow frost, but now Oleg was hot and he walked with his coat open.
A car stopped in front of the restaurant. A man opened the door to help a girl get out, and Oleg saw Lana Limpson, wearing evening pumps with high heels.
She looked doubtfully at the wide puddle that was between her car and the sidewalk.
Next Oleg threw his coat on the puddle. Lana gazed at Oleg and recognized him. «It’s you again.» She carefully stepped on the coat, and gained the sidewalk. «Oleg, correct?»
«At your service, Your Highness.» He bowed.
«My God!» She looked at the coat. «I know the price of fur coats. It costs a fortune!»
«Just say the word,» Oleg uttered passionately, «and I’ll throw my life under your feet, as I did with the coat.»
Lana did not smile; she gawked at him.
«I have to go now,» she finally said. «Can we meet tomorrow? About 10 a.m., in the library. Is that okay with you?»
«Any time, any place,» he replied emotionally. «Say it, and I’ll go to the edge of the world!»
She smirked and left. Oleg picked up his coat.
«Oleg,» Ruslan Grafinsky said coldly. «You are a bastard.»
Merkulov grinned. «I’m just a businessman. And I strongly recommend you mind your own business. Maybe I feel real love, how do you know?»
Ruslan didn’t reply.
Chapter 6: A Pointless Waste of Money
Next day, at 9:55 a.m., Lana Limpson went to the city library. Oleg Merkulov was already there. He saw her entering the hall, and he gasped, throwing his arms up.
«Lana,» he addressed her, taking her hand and kissing it. «Milady, you came in, and it was like sunshine lit up this dull boring place.»
Lana smiled at his reaction and looked around. She saw some people were reading and writing nearby, and she felt uncomfortable.
«Let’s go somewhere,» she suggested. Lana liked how Oleg spoke to her, but she was ashamed that someone else might take it as a joke and make fun of her.
«To a restaurant?» Oleg looked at her with concern. «Are you hungry, sweetheart? Just name it and we can go. I’ll pay.»
«I can pay myself.» She smiled.
«No way,» he retorted peering deep into her eyes. «No Russian man could allow the woman next to him to pay for herself. One man, when he found out he couldn’t afford to pay for their dinner, went outside and shot himself. He preferred to die than to live with such a disgracing act.»