The pregnant bride went stiff as a board when she spotted the groom’s dad. She never saw that coming…

Now I totally have to go to that opening to see your boyfriend. You say he’s cute, and he’s got a car. That’s not bad.

Let’s hope it’s imported and not some Lada. Which one are you? Betty gave me a questioning look. Mercantile.

Who cares what make of car? The main thing is to have a good man. Betty rolled her eyes. Oh, I forgot that you are an adept of pure high love, and all worldly things are alien to you, but certainly not the first in importance.

Suit yourself. It’s a waste of time to argue with you. Betty stirred her cocktail in her glass with a straw.

Saturday’s still four days away. I’m gonna die of curiosity. You should at least take a picture of the guy.

How can I take a picture of someone I just met? How? Secret. How are you doing, by the way? Adriana decided to change the subject. I thought you said you met a handsome guy at a club who took you for a ride in a Ferrari.

Forget it. The Ferrari was a rental. I suspect the rest of his wealth and business stories.

Lies. Imagine I found out by accident I saw this Ferrari at a popular tire blogger’s photo shoot, so maybe the cars just look alike. Exactly.

It’s color and most importantly the license plate match. And in the post, there’s a link to a rental company. I went to their website and saw this car in their catalog.

I’m sorry. And now I talk to him. I also just blacklisted his number.

He may be handsome, but I’m not wasting my time on some low life. Despite the harsh words, I looked sadly out the window and continued to mix, almost leaving ice cubes in my glass on the day of the event. Betty insisted on helping Adriana with her clothes and makeup.

Otherwise, you’ll still be going there in jeans and a fatty. Declared her friend from the doorstep. I’m not that stupid.

I have a summer dress and a sweater. It’s that salute to grandma’s youth. Forget it.

But why retro? Retro is kind of in this season’s trendy length. I just brought you a couple of matching ones. Come on, get undressed.

Let’s measure. Adriana put on a long dress made of light, flying fabric with a floral pattern and perfectly put on her white sneakers will be just right for summer. Do sneakers go with dresses? They do.

They do now. And they wear sandals with socks. Betty was eyeballing the contents of the pay closet in the reindeer room.

Here’s one to put on top of that. She tossed her jacket into Adriana’s hands with her jeans. Betty herself was in a dark blue dress and shirt that matched her red hair stunningly.

And of course, stiletto heels. It seemed to Adriana that her friend walked only in stilettos and did not recognize other shoes. She even had winter boots with such heels.

She sometimes invite Betty’s graceful walk in them. She couldn’t even take a couple steps herself. She’d be back, as her friend liked to tell her.

What’s the holdup? Your max is half an hour away, and you’re not wearing makeup or hair. Betty sat the girl down in front of the mirror. He’s not mine.

Adriana corrected her. We’ll look at the car and decide whether he should be yours or let it go by. Although it’s not a bad idea to run the license plate.

There’s a lot of crooks out there. The last incident must have hit Betty hard. She kept thinking about the Ferrari and its owner.

Max called and said he was on his way. Adriana and Betty were stomping around the dormitory entrance when a white shiny Lexus pulled up beside them. The latest model whispered lobbly.

Adriana’s friend leaned in close to her very ear and poked her in the side with her elbow. I didn’t know you were so good with cars. It’s certainly more useful than the crap we took in the philosophy exam.

The driver’s side door opened and Max emerged from the Lexus. Hi. The guy said hello.

And you must be Adriana’s friend. Yes, my name is Betty. The girl extended her hand to shake.

Max is very nice to meet you. Adriana’s told me a lot of things about you. Hopefully, only good things.

Laughed the boy. You bet. The gala begins in half an hour, so we should hurry Max gallantly.

He opened the car doors, helping the girls to sit on the back passenger seat and Lena in front next to the driver. As the guy walked around the Lexus to get into his seat, Betty looked at Adriana through the rearview mirror at raising one eyebrow. Not a bad catch.

You got their girlfriend. There you go again. Adriana blushed.

Max got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and the car pulled smoothly into the street. Do you, Betty, like art? The boy asked. Actually, I’m studying to be an art historian.

Oh, then you should really talk to Ethan. He’s very interesting about his work. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

And you can tell us a little bit about his work. Adriana asked in advance. I’d rather not, Max replied.

You have to see and feel it for yourself. Ethan works in different genres and styles. Each of his works is a separate world that you have to explore and interpret for yourself.

It sounds very exciting, smiled Adriana. All the way, Max amused the girls by telling funny stories from his life and the lives of his friends. The time flew by unnoticed.

Finally, the car stopped. Already familiar Adriana building. Max helped the girls to get out, and together they went to the main entrance of the art gallery.

The doors were open, but the passage was blocked by a red ribbon. Wait, the guy said. I’ll go in and say hello to Ethan and ask him to let you in early before the opening.

The girls stayed on the steps with small groups of people standing on the wide porch. Apparently, they’d come to the event too. Some were dressed smartly, and some were dressed rather oddly.

That’s fashionable now, too. Adriana whispered to Betty, nodding toward a girl dressed in a chocolate and purple hoodie, green tights, and bright orange shoes. A headband with large delirious flowers completed the picture.

No, her friend also whispered back to her, probably some kind of artist. Creative people often have rather strange tastes, and they don’t follow fashion. Max came back and beckoned them inside.

Come on in. The opening’s a little delayed. There’s a slight problem with the lighting in the main hall, but they’ve promised to fix it in the next ten minutes.

In the meantime, you can sit down, relax, get your drinks, and they’re serving cocktails. I could use a hit right about now. Betty took a seat on the gray cube of concrete that played the role of a banquet here.

No, laughed Max. There’s only plain water, mineral water, and morsels. Later at the buffet, there will be champagne and diarrhea.

Well, we’ll have to be patient and wait for the buffet. The girl took an advertising booklet from the nearest counter and began to study it. Adriana walked over to Max and whispered quietly to him, just don’t take offense at Betty.

She’s just kidding. I don’t take offense. I’ve already realized it’s her usual way of talking.

She’s a very interesting young lady. Ethan likes that kind of girl. Maybe they’ll hit it off.

Oh, I don’t know. Betty has very high standards for guys. Max, you’re not alone tonight.

There was a man’s voice behind me. The young men turned around. Adriana, Betty, this is Ethan, the artist we’re here to see.

Nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy it. No tomatoes, no eggs.

I’m against the waste of food. If you don’t like something, you better write about it in the book. I’m happy to read anything.

Ethan was dressed in ripped jeans, a t-shirt, stretchy gray cardinals, and white leather sneakers in multicolored paint stains. The image was completed with a long scarf wrapped around her neck several times. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Adriana said.

Congratulations on the opening of the exhibition. Betty, to the girl’s surprise, remained silent. She didn’t even get up and walk over, but only looked at the young artist from afar with a strange expression on her face.

Ethan has been fixed. Can we start? The girl shouted, looking back from the hall. Great.

Everyone’s been waiting for this. After the opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting, the guests scattered in groups around the room. Betty immediately left Adriana and Max alone, deciding that she would not interfere with the couple’s relationship.

After looking around the exhibit and taking a glass of champagne from the magic table, the girl went out onto the porch. Her mood today was riddled with trouble, and the culprit for this was suddenly behind the girl Betty’s back. Ethan called out to her.

The girl continued to stare off into the distance, ignoring the guy. Maybe we could talk. I thought we had a very nice evening then and liked each other, but you suddenly started ignoring me and added me to your blacklist.

I don’t want to impose, but just tell me what I did wrong, and you don’t even realize it. Betty turned sharply toward Ethan and folded her arms across her chest, staring at him with one eyebrow raised. If I did, I wouldn’t be coming at you like this.

Girl, I’m a cheater. Don’t want no business with you. She tried to walk past him back into the gallery, but the guy held her hand with the boys.

When have I ever cheated myself? At least with the Ferrari. It’s not your car. I never said it was mine.

Renting a car, it’s not a crime anymore. It’s renting a car, dressing up nice, and making up lies about some successful business. That’s fraud.

Ethan grinned, but who’s to blame if girls want to meet successful businessmen instead of artists? Betty squinted his eyes. What are you implying? I’m not. Just stating a fact.

Anything with a Ferrari. Then you wouldn’t even look in my direction. The girl looked him right in the eye.

Yeah, I’m looking for a rich guy. I don’t think an artist can provide. I need a standard of living.

Why? If an artist, then at once beggar and hungry would be not beggar, you would have your own Ferrari, not rented. The girl wrenched her hand away, tucked her chin, and walked past Ethan. The guy looked at her and grinned.

After the event, Max offered to take the girls home, but Betty refused. First of all, she didn’t want to disturb the young people who clearly felt sympathy for each other. And secondly, she wanted to unwind and get rid of the heavy feeling in her soul.

The girl went to the embankment, bought coffee at a stall, found a bench to sit on. Looking at the river, the evening breeze pondered her face and played with the former from the hairstyle tussled. Betty ate, lived.

It was getting chilly and suddenly her jacket fell over her shoulders and Ethan sat down next to her. Betty turned away from him in the opposite direction, but she didn’t throw off her jacket. The girl was really cold and the jacket immediately warmed her with someone else’s warmth as if she had found herself in a hug.

The guy did not try to talk to her, but just sat next to her. That’s how they spent almost half an hour in complete silence. The coffee was knocked out, but Betty kept holding the long frozen cup.

Let me walk you out. Ethan finally broke the silence again with the rental car. Betty grinned.

No, today I can only walk to the bus stop or the subway. The girl stood up. She took a few steps and turned around.

So, we’re sitting. Let’s go already. Max and Adriana began to communicate more often.

They exchanged messages every day and sometimes Max invited Adriana for a date to the movies, to a jazz night, to dinner in a cafe, or just for a walk around the evening city. Each time, the guy accompanied the girl to the dormitory, where they parted, promising to write to each other the next day. This evening, Max and Adriana stopped not far from the entrance hall.

Today, they were at a youth theater production, and afterwards they walked the streets darker with sky. Talking, laughing, and exchanging gentle, as if casual touches, they didn’t want to part from each other at all. But in Adriana, we had a strict curfew in our dormitory.

Max stood in front of the girl and took her hands. Adriana, I would like to ask you something very important. Yes, the girl’s heart fluttered in sweet and deadly anticipation.

It seems to me that we are very well suited for each other, and I would like to propose you to date not as we are now, but already as a couple. Adriana was so happy that she immediately agreed. The young people embraced each other warmly in the cool evening air.

Then Max gently pulled away, leaned towards the girl, and kissed her tenderly. It was a very light, gentle, and almost innocent kiss. Girl, you come in.

The gruff voice of the janitor broke their embrace. The young people bounced away from each other, blushing. On closing up, run, Max said to the girl…