Still alive?

III

It was a day like any other. Mia stood at the entrance to her dormitory and took a moment to take in the scenery.

At her twenty-two, Mia was quite attractive and young people marveled at her beauty.

But she didn’t like spending her free time with these students, and she didn’t really want to. Yes… and in her dormitory was full of young and frivolous students who either changed girls like socks, or were nerds who were only focused on their studies and future careers. Diligent to her studies, Mia avoided interacting with other students. She did not like neither alcohol nor obsessive men.

Having worked as a saleswoman in the past, Mia grew weary of the advances of lustful men.

Mia only enjoyed her boundless freedom and independence. She was as wild, graceful, and inaccessible as a cat that could not be tamed, no matter how hard anyone tried. For Mia, communicating with students was boring. Exhausted from her studies, she tinkered on a dating site for entertainment. She didn’t want to meet anyone, it was only to distract herself from her rigorous studies – and collecting compliments, of course. She needed someone to talk to, she needed fresh air, she needed an escape from her monotonous life.

Mia has long ceased to believe in love. In this cruel and cynical world where money rules, does anyone really believe in such nonsense as love?

She received a message on the dating site:

“Hi, I saw your profile; I’m looking for a tutor in the language listed on your profile. I need it for my job. We can meet and discuss all the details.”

Mia thought a bit and agreed to meet. She dressed like a real teacher - a checkered pullover and black trousers. They met in the very center of the city, in its business district. Mia would come to meet an impressive man in expensive clothing and musky perfume. He wore shiny polished boots, black trousers, and a cashmere pullover with a snow-white shirt collar. He flashed a Hollywood smile to accompany his high status.

“Hello, Mia,” he greeted politely.

“Hello, Peter,” Mia answered.

“Let’s discuss the details with some food before us,” - he said.

“OK,” Mia agreed, and thought they would go to some cheap fast-food restaurant, but the stranger led her to a restaurant with boogie guards at the entrance. Peter, with a Hollywood smile, showed his golden card to the guard and invited Mia inside.

It was a luxurious place - marble floors, expensive mahogany furniture, and waiters in tailcoats, as well as an entrance that’s strictly reserved for holders of some mysterious golden cards. Mia immediately realized this secret place was forbidden to mere mortals from the street.

“You can order whatever you want,” Peter suggested with a smile of a pleased Cheshire cat.

There were no price tags in this restaurant. There were only luxurious dishes - pasta with truffles, oysters, steaks, salads, freshly squeezed juices, tiramisu.

“And how much does it cost?” - Mia asked.

“Everything has already been paid for,” said Peter, and smiled again with his Hollywood smile.

Then he took a salad and freshly squeezed orange juice from the salad bar.

“I need to take care of my shape,” he said.

Mia also took a salad and some orange juice.

They sat at a table and began discussing the weather.

“You are very beautiful,” Peter said suddenly.

“Thank you,” Mia shyly thanked the man for the compliment.

“I am a politician known in narrow circles,” he admitted modestly. “I am married. Like any decent person and politician, I have a wife and children,” - he suddenly confessed.

Then, after drinking still freshly squeezed orange juice, for some reason, Peter opened up to Mia.

“My young secretary has completely lost her shame,” he admitted in frustration. She’s more concerned with gifts. I thought she was with me for love.”

Mia took a sip of orange juice, smiled, and thought to herself: “What a narcissistic man! Being married, he’s unfaithful with a young woman, and he thinks his Hollywood smile is enough for a girl”.

And then he smugly, over a cup of tea, said he was happily married. And in addition to his arrogant secretary-lover, he was looking for a new undemanding one. Only last weekend, as a decent politician, he attended opera with his wife and children. There, he talked to other politicians and important people, standing near his not-young-anymore wife, taking photos with his Hollywood smile. Before the public, he portrayed the image of the perfect family man.

“In addition to tutoring, we could get to know each other better,” he said while touching Mia’s hand giving clear signals.

Mia drew back her hand in discomfort, said nothing, and chewed her salad.

“Are you only looking for a serious relationship?” - Peter asked as he looked into her eyes.

Mia wasn’t really looking for anything, only a distraction from her usual routine. Therefore, she remained silent.

“Maybe you still believe in love and marriage?” - Peter suddenly grinned.

Mia got up, grabbed her purse and ran from the “tutoring opportunity”, wishing him good luck in finding an undemanding admirer of his Hollywood smile. And he answered maliciously:

“Mia, you’re so naive. Do you really believe in love in the Big City? Maybe you still believe in Santa Claus?” – he giggled.

“I need to go, Peter. Goodbye,” Mia said, and ran away.

... She returned to her humble dorm.