"Oh-oh-oh, how they've got it all... Tight! - Beckett looked questioningly into the slightly pinked faces of her friends. - All right, let them keep their secrets!"
They were the affable, dapper, and "buffed" Michael with a bouquet of bright white chrysanthemums and chocolates, and her best friend, in a deep-declared blouse and minimal makeup. Probably the most unexpected and momentous things happen just like that, which was quickly confirmed. Only a glimpse of the pretty, smiling dimples on Laurent's ruddy face, and on Michael's embarrassedly covered bouquet, you can tell at once who of them is superfluous here.
- Okay, guys, I gotta... go this way! - With an indefinite wave of the hand, Beckett sympathetically assessed the mischievous light in Laurent's eyes. - Mandy, you owe me the other half! Well, you know what! Bye!
- Bye! - Laurent muttered discreetly, lowering her head, but Mike only smiled broadly and welcomingly. Kate silently shook his hand as hot as a work burner, kissed Mandy casually, and slipped out through the vast hallway of the first floor. She stood on the porch for a while, breathing in the stuffy, windless street air, and glanced at her watch in deep thought. If it hadn't been for a certain ear-to-ear lover, they would have killed those two hours to the driving school quite entertainingly, but her involuntary sacrifice was all the same justified. Let the guys have a heart-to-heart talk, and she'll keep their secret. Because she can.
Nibbling her lips thoughtfully, Kate raised her eyes to the sky. Rain had been gathering over the Apple since morning. Once light and puffy, and later dark gray with menacingly black edges, the clouds swarmed over her, and to quench the thirst of the parched earth, it clearly lacked just one "divine kick." But Kate hoped there was a God, and she would have no trouble getting to Cathedral Square, where there was a subway and a cool cafe near the town hall, with good fresh pastries and, of course, "her eternal love," coffee.
On the steep descent of the neighboring street, Beckett determinedly hurried down, leaving the Laurent family home behind her. So dazzlingly beautiful, even elegant, their mansion towered proudly above its neighbors, and if you looked up from its peaked roof, through the frequent forest of high-rises, the majestic blue of the Hudson River was so enticing.
"Shouldn't I invite the Kaslo's out for a boat trip sometime? - Beckett grinned enigmatically, brushing away the droplets of sweat with her wrist. - I guess it's my turn to put on a show of fun!"
About half an hour later Kate crouched under a rich coffee-colored tent, and the girl was spotted almost immediately. The heavy, middle-aged waiter, who had entertained the barista with sweet talk, hurried to the customer as quickly as he could.
- Miss? Good afternoon," the puffy carcass of the waiter hovered over her table, slipping a menu in a gold-embossed leather cover. - The best Brazilian and Colombian coffee today and only at our place, and our pastry cools noticeably longer than the competition!
- Thank you! - Beckett grinned at the supposed advantage. - And what do you have - an auto-heating plate, or just a microwave that's never idle?
But the porter shifted his eyebrows, looking at the girl in all seriousness. Apparently, he believed sacredly in what he said, and Beckett's neat finger, picking out, slowly slid over the bold printed lines:
- Coffee, please! And this... And this... And this.
To the expressive squeak of shod boots the waiter departed with the dignity and importance of a penguin, and while her order was being prepared, Beckett looked up again. Just a little while longer, and the rain that washed everything away with the madness of God would come pouring down from the tired, puffing heavens.
"How good it is that I have an umbrella! And also..." Kate closed her eyes dreamily, "... I've never driven in the rain!"...
...By the time Beckett got to the driving school, the downpour had abated, and the freshness of the rain-washed street made her feel at ease. And nibbling lightly on her lips as she went, Kate was already anticipating something pleasant and warming in her heart. Though her class was still almost forty minutes away, there was still hope in Beckett that Castle would finish early for some reason suddenly, and there would be something to chat with him about. Her soul was always drawn to the beautiful, the new unexplored, which unwittingly contributed to overcoming life's difficulties. Something like this.
With a disgruntled, frowning face, Kate held back a step. The storm drain in front of the porch was clogged, and a huge yellow-brown puddle was now filled with trash from a sinking trashcan, and the only way to get to the top of the stairs was to incur "unthinkable" losses. But when had Beckett ever been intimidated by difficulties like wet hemlines sticking to her thighs, or her favorite beige "boat shoes" that squelched loudly?
Picturing the pleasantly warm air blowing from the heater deflectors in Castle's car right onto her frozen feet, Beckett leaped lightly over the overhead curb patches to the porch. Clinging to the concrete column, she shook the water out of her shoes. As best I could, wiped both feet with a handkerchief, and dropping raindrops from the umbrella, I slipped inside.
Right at the entrance whispered about something mysteriously students from her group. The boys exchanged silent nods with Kate, and she slipped through them to the schedule board, where there was still an empty chair. Before she sat down, Beckett involuntarily swept her eyes over the list of cadets and then, pausing abruptly, grudgingly snickered: there was a foreign card sticking out against her last name in the "Instructor" column. Not at all like she would have liked. It wasn't Castle or even Kessler at all.
"What?! Jensen?! Oh, please! What's in it for me?" - In frustration, Beckett took a sharp bite of her fingernail and spat just as sharply. It was understandable if Kessler was sick, but that's why Castle wasn't with her again, she somehow forgot to explain. Actually, according to Rick, everything with her classes should have been taken care of a long time ago, and Castle's constant accompaniment would have ensured that she would pass the town exam with the most picky examiner. Now what? What had gone wrong? In fact, Castle hadn't completely disappeared from her sight, but those polite but silent nods of his, the strange mixture of bitterness, concern, and dissatisfaction in his eyes had hurt Kate very, very badly. For three whole days now she had refrained from intrusive inquiries, but her growing impatience had, in fact, already prevailed over her restraint. It was time to set the record straight, and Kate turned sharply on her heels. Her menacing, disgruntled, incomprehension-filled gaze was immediately fixed on Rachel. Squinting blindly into her laptop screen, she was crunching loudly and appetizingly on something. Apparently, the learning process was so fascinating that, with no regard for those present, Rachel kept licking her fingertips.
"So that's who's playing the lead fiddle here!" - Beckett remarked jaundicedly to herself, but no sooner had she taken a step than Rachel slowly tore her gaze away from the monitor. She glanced lazily ahead of her, turned her head just as leisurely, and suddenly, seeing Beckett in the crowd, waved her clammy hands cheerfully, drawing attention to herself:
- Ah, miss! Hello, hello. How are you?
- Fine! - Kate grumbled grudgingly, obviously not intending to make idle chitchat. She crossed the hall and leaned on the counter with both hands, carefully placing her wet umbrella on a stack of faded pamphlets.
- Is something wrong, miss? - Rachel smiled foolishly, blinking often and often.
- You tell me! - Kate didn't try to hide her growing displeasure. No matter what anybody told her, she knew her rights, and she would get them out of anyone. - Why the hell have I changed instructors for the third time in a row? Jensen, clumsy as an elephant, can't even string two words together properly, and sleeps on the go. And where the hell did Castle go all of a sudden? Is he having a string of crazy presentations or is that not the point? I mean, we agreed on everything.
- Oh, miss, of course you're more right than ever. Presentations had nothing to do with it. - Rachel's lusciously fawning, nervously rubbing her greasy hair. - It's just that the reputation of our school doesn't allow any conflicts, but one of the cadets somehow fell out of the general rule. Mr. Castle didn't get on with him right away, though he was such a great teacher. He was a good conversationalist, too, but not for Mr. Sorrentas. I even got the impression that he is deliberately whipping Castle into a frenzy in order to enjoy himself, and so he flatly refuses any proposed replacement. You're going to have to walk around grimmer than a cloud!
- Oh! - Embarrassed, Beckett immediately slowed down. - Sorentas? Who was he? And why haven't I heard anything about him?
With a loud crunch, Rachel indefinitely shrugged her shoulders.
- Most of the time he does just before you, sometimes after. Haven't you run into him yet?
Now it was Kate's turn to be amazed.
- I didn't really care. Is there any reason for you to meet him?
Unexpectedly, Rachel clenched her fists and raised them belligerently in front of her.
- Oh, miss, he's not a man, he's a demon! When he looks at me, I get goose bumps and clammy sweats, so unpleasant. And Mr. Constantine's negative energy has a very bad effect on the car, too. These constant repairs just wear Castle out.
- What's the big deal? Doesn't Rick have insurance? - Kate asked, biting her lip tensely. Her gut had told her for a reason that Castle wasn't around for a reason, and now the picture was unfolding in all its unsightly glory. Beckett looked intently into Rachel's face, and shook her head ever so petulantly.
- Alas, miss, not for a long time. The insurers either stubbornly refuse, citing the age of the car, or, when they agree, they charge such fees that it's easier to send the car under the press. I don't do this solely because of Rick, though, as I respect his contribution to our common cause. Clearly in need of money, Castle literally stuck to the car, though stubbornly silent about his problems.
- Then how do you know about it? Because Richard Castle is not easy to read!
- Accordingly," Rachel sighed dejectedly, and ran her finger across her cheekbone with an ineffable wistfulness. - See, uh... just happened to overhear him and Howard talking. I think they mentioned some expensive surgery, but it's not clear what kind of surgery and for whom exactly. Anyway, Castle's family suffers, and then there are those pesky frequent breakdowns! Of course, we're owed partial compensation for the damage, but still, Castle is paying out big.
"Surgery? But Castle's blooming appearance doesn't indicate any health problems, except that Martha... Martha? What if we're talking about Alexis? I mean, she's so little and innocent and just starting out in life... So what? So some naughty boy's nagging should ruin her chances of a future? Well, no way! Hell, no! I'll just have to look into that... what's his name... Sorentas' cheeky face so I can spit at her from the bottom of my heart if I have to!"
Kate's narrow palms rested on her face for a moment, but when Beckett's hands dropped, a ruthless Amazon for revenge appeared before Rachel's astonished, rounded eyes.
- This is just cannibalism! Inhuman! Unspeakable! Outrageous! - Beckett squared her shoulders and glared at Rachel so angrily that she felt embarrassed and dropped peanuts between her fingers. - Why, all of a sudden, Castle had to make ends meet, and some clumsy fellow got away with it, huh? Where's the justice in that?
Such a heated, denunciatory speech and a sharp look from Beckett made Rachel's face pale and her fingers tremble. No one in the room seemed to have expected such a determined assertion from the frail and amiable-looking girl.
- W-Wait, miss! - hiccuped Rachel. - Wait a minute! I understand your righteous anger, but under the uniform rules of the large association of driving schools, of which we are members, we are entitled to use only the model client agreements. Practically, we are bound hand and foot! And we don't even have a lawyer of our own! Believe me, if I could, I would change a lot of things around here! That's the absolute truth!
And Rachel covered her hands. Through her swollen fingers she blinked frightenedly at her misty eyes.
- Damn!" Kate exhaled a resounding breath to calm her nerves a little, then looked around at the quiet cadets. Somehow she herself didn't know how angry, denunciatory, and loud her speech had sounded. The tall mestizo to her left shook his head in disapproval, while the younger African-American woman with the form in her hand jerked her finger back in approval.
Intending to look for Castle for clarification, Kate was about to push away from the counter, when suddenly the door to the driving range swung open with a noise, and a soaking wet Rick piled in. Squelching on the pale yellow tiles with his sneakers crunching, he strode straight to the counter, clutched some iron in his fist. And Castle didn't look around at all, just rolled his cheeks unhappily. He seemed preoccupied with something. Hell, no, he was pissed off! Really pissed off! "Trumping" with a padded right cheekbone and ignoring everyone, Castle banged the piece right against the counter.
- A thousand, no, even a million darn things! That's the second lever in four days! - he rumbled indignantly. - When will my torment finally be over? This "mister", who is as impenetrable as a lithospheric plate, does not want to listen to anything and does everything at cross purposes! If only to voice complaints really, but a word from him you can not get a normal, one rude and open disregard for everything! Then why does he study here at all?
- You'll never know more than you should know, asshole! - Suddenly a rough, harsh yell came from the same door, and a similarly soaked Sorentas walked in, bowed and bent over. His once light-colored T-shirt clung tightly to his muscular body. Long strands stuck to his forehead, and gently licking the blood from his split lips, Constantine shifted them unhappily.
- First learn how to talk to people, moron!"-He bowed his head haughtily, looking hostile and defiantly, he stopped three paces away from Castle.
- I've been accustomed to courtesy since I was a child, but it's pathologically impossible with you! - Rick snapped back. He was breathing deeply, intermittently, with worry, and having trouble stretching out his wet T-shirt. - There's so much rage inside you, no amount of unloading is going to take it away!
- You should be thankful you helped me get the car into the garage, or you'd still be in the rain till the end of the century," Sorentas retorted. He unceremoniously shoved the bespectacled man out of the way and stood face to face with Rachel, who was startled by their altercation. Licking her lips wordlessly, she gawked frightenedly. Beckett even thought the conflict was hard to extinguish, but she was firmly counting on her way out. But why was she suddenly so uncomfortable? Was this Sorentas an energy vampire not only for Rachel, but for herself as well?
Kate bit her lip tensely, and meanwhile, Sorentas lowered himself onto the counter with all the weight of his body.
- Today this moron, - Constantine sharply jabbed a finger at Rick, who clenched his fists tightly, - surpassed himself in rudeness, and if you do not immediately and with a bang kick him out, my father will roll all your company into asphalt!
There came oppressive silence, only a measured humming of the fan, and restrained rustling of human breathing. Everyone froze, watching as an exasperated Sorrentas, looming over Rachel, barked directly into her pale, frightened face:
- Paper and pen! - And turning back to Castle, he squealed hatedly: - Kaz-asshole! You don't know who you're messing with yet!
Constantine almost snatched a blank sheet of paper from Rachel's clumsy fingers. Pressing it with his palm, he scribbled a few lines, and then from his stubborn forehead, a naughty large drop came off. Konstantin stared dumbfoundedly at the blurred black letters for a few seconds, then irritatedly scolded and briefly threw:
- Give me another!
Crumpling the innocent piece of paper, he tossed it right into the corner. He wiped his eyebrows and steeply sloping forehead with his muscular wrist, adjusted his hair once more, and took another piece of paper from Rachel. While the pen in Constantine's hand was nervously scribbling letters, Kate, gawking at the two of them, couldn't shake off a strange feeling. Nothing unusual about a man's fight, but this noisy, scandalous guy... She seemed to have seen him somewhere, recently! And his voice, and his gestures, and the outline of his face-all very, very familiar. She'd just have to get closer and either chase the obsession away or be firmly convinced. Beckett pushed away from the wall she'd been propping up, giving way to Castle, and arced around both men and stood so she could see out of their faces. Noticing the girl, Castle instantly smiled at her, tiredly so, but warmly. And even involuntarily relaxed his fists, but Beckett, still shifting a little along the counter, strained to read the most important information for herself from Sorentas's face. That handsome, slightly hunched nose. Those lips, swollen from the blows, but expressive all the same. That strong, masculine chin, and... that blue, seal-like tattoo on his wrist! Fluttering her eyes dazedly, Kate made a sudden movement of her head to expel the unexpected vision, then she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and stared intently again.
- P-Petar? Petar, is that you?" the girl stretched out in disbelief. She felt as if a thin string had been broken in her chest. - What are you doing here?
Her melodious voice made Sorentas's Adam's apple twitch, then he slowly put down his pen and turned toward the sound. A couple of seconds strained to study sincerely bewildered Kate, and clearly not going to repudiate, ugly, so defiantly grinning:
- Hi, Kate! How are you doing?
- How are you? What have you done to yourself? - She walked right up to him and tugged at his long, wet strand with confidence. At first stubborn, the wig was still in her hands, and everyone could see the blue-shaven top of her hair beneath the resin mane. Kate gently ran her fingertips over it, as if once again double-checking, then took his rounded, finely splayed cheekbones in her palms:
- And where did those thick, unnatural cheeks come from? And the complexion? And anyway, why do you look so strange?
In response, Petar gently withdrew her small palms from him. He pulled away a little, and then he slyly darted his eyes from side to side, and then folded his arms across his chest:
- "It's all thanks to top-notch makeup, but there are too many 'whys' today, Kate! If you want full answers, come to "our" - Petar underlined the word "our" in his voice - cafe tonight. And now..." He took in a full chest of air and let it out slowly, as if reluctantly, through pressed lips, "I really must go.
Petar turned to an astonished Cass, as much as anyone, and threw his forefinger threateningly in his direction:
- You'll remember me, turkey! - Petar hissed a hundred angry vipers, and there was saliva in the corners of his mouth. - You won't forget me till the day you die!
