The Lovers - стр. 24
They walked to their seats at the very center of the room. Konstantin Konstantinovich pulled down the seat for Dina and sat down himself. He sat, almost facing Dina, and looked at her with a smile.
“So, we had stopped on your style. You believe that a woman must be punctual and true to her word?”
“I believe that everyone should be punctual and true to their word,” replied Dina, staring straight ahead.
She observed the people passing by, the new, painted curtain that had replaced the old plush fabric, and the stylish lamps, for the cinema had reopened only recently after renovations.
“How about female weaknesses and foibles?” Persisted Konstantin Konstantinovich.
“Well, to each his own, I guess.”
“You don’t like it.”
“No, I don’t.”
“What do you like, then?”
“Me? Naturalness.”
“And directness.”
“And directness.”
“So, is it possible to live like this?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it difficult?”
“On the contrary, it’s very easy.”
“Really?” her teacher asked, still smiling.
Then the lights grew dimmer, and the noise from spectators, getting comfortable and hurrying to find their seat, grew louder. Dina’s companion leaned close to her ear and whispered:
“You have roused my curiosity. May we continue this conversation later?”
Dina turned towards him. The cinema screen began to glow. Her teacher’s face was very close in the gathering darkness and looked especially striking – the symmetrical, strong facial features were emphasized by the light falling from one side and reflecting in his eyes, as well as the very attentive but gentle and thrilling gaze, and the slightly parted, smiling lips.
“We may,” said Dina and turned back to the screen, but she could see Konstantin Konstantinovich watching her, out of the corner of her eye.
She calmly met his gaze. He smiled again, then turned to face the screen.
Later in the Evening
They reached the doors to the Rainbow Cafe by squeezing through a large crowd wishing to get inside. It was the most popular cafe among young intellectuals, and it always had live music and a lack of free seats.
Even when the crowd realized that these two were not rudely skipping the line but that the doorman had gestured at them in welcome, perhaps as they had reserved a table or for another reason, the desperate crowd did not deign to part and let the lucky pair through.
Dina and Konstantin Konstantinovich approached the cloak room, and he took the lady’s coat, then took off his own and handed them to the attendant.
Dina was fixing her hair in front of the mirror, and saw her teacher approaching and adjusting his thick, wavy black hair, running first one hand and then the other through them like a comb, and smoothing his jacket. Yet he was looking at Dina as he performed all these actions.