The Great Cleanup - стр. 14
They passed a few houses with high fences and reached some kind of gate. Herman stopped the motorcycle and honked. Anna realized that they have finally reached their destination, so she could get off the bike and have some proper conversation to explain things.
The gate swung open. Herman slowly drove in, then stopped and shut down the motorcycle next to a hefty double-storey house. Putting out the pillion to keep the bike stable, he helped Anna down.
As soon as her legs felt firm ground under them, Anna teetered. She would undoubtedly fall if not for an impressive gentleman wearing a dress coat with a bow-tie, who held her elbow just at the right time. Anna would place his age at around fifty. He was lean, of medium height. His head sported a stiff short row of brown hair. He had a narrow face and intent, cold grey eyes. His clothing was not just expensive, it was also refined. He smelled of smart cologne, too.
Making sure that Anna found her balance and was standing firmly on her own two feet, the gentleman with the bow-tie took a few steps away from her and, looking all over his new guest, pronounced in admiration:
“So that's what you're like, on the real!”
Milk, chocolate, and champagne
Anna liked this conversation starter. She always melted at compliments. Her father only rarely spoiled her with tender words, but her then-future husband won her over, perhaps, by showering her with “beauties”, “lovelies” and even “Cleopatras”. When they met, Anna was indeed a looker: slender, with a small neat nose, a straight forelock, little dimples on her cheeks, cute pouting lips. These days, after giving birth to Serge and Anastasia, she gained some weight. Recently she was thinking about taking care of herself and her figure. After all, sports was never alien to her. In college, she did some fencing and even participated in competitions, showing off her reflexes and her body. It was obviously too late to return to proper sports, but she really could spend some time in the nearest gym a few times a week, while the kids were at school. She just needed to talk to her ever-calculating husband, so he would approve the spending for getting his wife into shape.
While Anne was processing the compliment, the gentleman with the bow-tie nodded respectfully:
“I am always glad to help your father out!”
She could only shrug, lifting up her hands:
“But…” for her father died three years ago. The heart attack struck him right at his workplace, full of odours of medicine.
Anna was interrupted by an odd noise behind her. She looked back to see that Herman was its source. Her saviour apparently relaxed and finally fell asleep while standing, then collapsed onto the ground. Anna nearly dashed towards him, but the gentleman with the bow-tie stopped her by a gesture:
“Don't worry! We have someone here to take care of brave Herman”.
And indeed, two beefy lads were already running towards the tamer of the motorcycle and road, who flung his arms wide and smiled in his sleep. They lifted Herman up, perched him up on top of themselves and carried him away somewhere.
The gentleman with the bow-tie went back to his admiring tone:
“So this is what you are like!” Then he blanched: “But what have they done to you?”