The professor staggered to the bench and tiredly sat down. «Vlad, what shall I do?» Clutching his head, he murmured with depression. "Fire her or what?»
Realizing that his chief spoke the truth, Vlad was taken aback, and kept silent for a while.
«I think you should talk with her,» Vlad said to him finally. «Marina is a very good and kind girl. She’ll understand.»
David gazed at him with hope. «Do you think so?»
«I’m sure.» Vlad looked at his watch. «Go right now. If Megan calls, I’ll cover for you.»
They shook hands, and David quickly left.
* * * * *
He drove to her apartment building, and carefully looked around. Nobody was here, and David parked his car in the next street. He walked to the door of Marina’s apartment, and knocked.
Marina opened the door, saw him, and gasping, she stepped back. Frightened that someone would see him here, David hastily went in.
«Marina, I…» he started and turned towards her. She embraced him. Her lips pressed to his, stifling his voice. Her enigmatically sparkling eyes bewitched him, and he lost his will to resist.
«My God!» he thought unexpectedly sensing pity for her. «How she loves me! And she’s so alone!»
She led David to the couch, brought him down, and got on top of him.
«Marina,» David murmured, feeling as if he was going insane.
«Ssshhh!» she whispered, pressing her aromatic hand to his trembling lips. «Listen to my story. Once upon a time there was a brave pirate captain. His people boarded a ship and got a lot of prisoners. Among them there was a young girl, and he took her for himself…»
She caressed David giving vent to all her saved tenderness and love, and, sensing this, the shocked David could not force himself to push her away. He just closed his eyes.
«It’s delirium,» he thought. «I’m simply sick and raving.»
Marina explored his stunned face, and she was smiling, thinking she understood the reason. She had never felt herself happier. She was pleasing her beloved man. He belonged to her now, and nothing else mattered.
* * * * *
He gazed at her. Silently standing near the window, Marina was looking outside.
David felt dizzy. «What have I done?» He thought, amazed with himself. «I came here to make things straight, and made everything much worse!»
«Marina,» he called, and did not recognize his own voice. «I’m really sorry.»
«I’m not,» she interrupted him, not looking back.
Shaking, he got up off the couch. He had headache. David did not know what to say, how explain to her what was going on in his soul.
«I’m married,» he squeezed out.