Читать книгу Circle - Elina Wainwright - Страница 6

An hour later, I was standing downstairs at Daniel’s house. Yes, the guys were going to his place. In conversation, they wrote that they were rushing from work and that Dan’s neighbor Andrew was going to meet me. Also an aspiring singer. Yeah. Too many people of art per square meter expected today.

I stood outside for about ten minutes before I saw a blond, thin guy with a bag in one hand and a hot dog in the other walking toward me.

«You must be Andrew,» I started right away, as I got tired of standing motionless in one place for fifteen minutes. Oh, for me to go out one more time…

«Yes. Lindsay?» he asked.

Oh, thank God.

«Yes, it’s me. Please open the door. It’s getting cold.»

«Oh, yeah, sure,» he handed me his hot dog. «Hold it while I look for my keys.»

The smell of sausage hit my nose and made me feel nauseous. Don’t get me wrong, but I’m a vegan, and the smell of meat often repulses rather than attracts.

«No problem,» I said, and took his dinner in my hands.

«Here, come on in. We live on the first floor. First door on the left,» he opened the door for me.

I stepped confidently forward with his hot dog.

«When will the others be here?» I asked as I made my way to the apartment.

«Dan called and said they’d be here in ten minutes.»

«Are there going to be a lot of people?» I asked as I went into the kitchen.

«Me, Dan, Chris, Diana and Richard.»

Richard.

I obviously won’t tell Lizzie he was here. Then she’ll definitely be begging me to come here every weekend to find out more about her Richard. Such an event.

Now a little bit of clarification. I’m not a misanthrope. I just like a limited circle of people. Although ninety percent of the people around me think I’m the life of the party and a fun-loving lighter. As you can see, I’m a great actress. That’s not duplicity, is it? At least I never lie. If I don’t like you, you’ll find out from me, not from someone else.

«How do you like the new place?» Andrew asked, taking the groceries out of the bag.

«I have the worst mentor in the world,» I briefly recounted my conversation with Armie and Jerome.

«I can only pray for you,» he said with a note of amusement.

Why is everyone having fun with this story? I’m suffering.

«I’m afraid but I think not even God can help.»

«Do you have any contact with Armie?»

«Well, he gave me an assignment, I did it, he dragged me down,» I shrugged.

«Whoa.»

«So the award for the most suffering role of the season goes to me,» I pretended to be sarcastic with joy.

«Hello, everyone!» I heard shouting and noise coming from the hallway.

Andrew and I got up and went to the part of the apartment where the sounds came from. Diana, Chris, and Daniel (most likely) stood at the threshold.

«Dan, meet,» Chris began. «This is Lindsay,» she introduced me to the guy.

«Nice to meet you,» he said and nodded at me.

«Nice to meet you, too,» I said, and I wasn’t lying. This Daniel was very much my type in appearance. Average height, blue eyes, black hair. A couple of years of physical training, and we’d be looking at Henry Cavill. Let’s not forget that he is my idol in the world of men.

Now, Lindsay, don’t look at him. Maybe he’s got a girlfriend, or maybe his personality isn’t your type. But those eyes…

«Shall we start the game?» I asked.

«Richard’s coming over,» Chris said. Oh, yes. The omnipresent Tea Knight.

Ten minutes later, Richard arrived.

«Hello, everybody!» the Tea Knight walked into the room. He was wearing see-through glasses, a jacket, and pants. Oh, he’s a fashionista…

«Hi,» we responded in unison.

«Will Henry be there?» Chris asked.

Who the hell is that?

«No. He has work to do,» Richard answered as he sat down at the table.

Maybe that jerk in the parking lot is Richard’s brother. Well, it serves him right.

Okay, let’s be honest. I don’t know how to play Monopoly, but the game is interesting to me. And, naturally, I lost it all. Blue-eyed Dan won. Admittedly, he played as if it wasn’t someone encroaching on his toy houses, but he was the president of Libya being attacked by nomadic tribes. His interest was clearly higher than everyone else’s. In any case, after my loss, I was already contemplating going home quickly. These were not my people. It felt like I was a kindergarten teacher.

Richard and Andrew were more or less calm. By the way, Richard turned out to be all right. Maybe he took my sister with his positivity. At night, he probably has a lot of scratching around inside. We know those lives of the party.

«Leaving already?» Dan asked me when I got up.

«Yes,» I answered.

«So early? But why?» Chris asked.

Because you’re boring…

«I have a lot to do at home. I have to write chords and so on. Plus, inspiration has come in,» I began to fib. I don’t lie, but I know how to do it.

«Would you have stayed for another hour,» Diana began.

With the prospect of falling asleep on the couch? I don’t think so.

«I really have a lot of work to do.»

Problem number one: if I’m bored, I remember absolutely nothing. An evening of nothing. That’s a shame.

«Do you want me to walk you out?» Chris asked.

«No, I live ten minutes away,» I answered.

«Let me walk you to the door,» Daniel stood up.

«Okay,» I shrugged. «Bye, everyone!» I said goodbye to the guys.

«Bye.»