“Yes, of course,” Konstantin Konstantinovich looked nervous. “But I… I don’t want to leave you… You don’t have any relatives here?”
“I do, but I don’t want to intrude on them. Especially this late at night.”
“Do you at least stay over there occasionally?”
“Very rarely, when my mom comes to visit.”
“Hmmm… You could tell them at the dorms that…” He suddenly laughed. “My God! Who am I advising to lie! Forgive me. But I truly do not want to part from you. I hope that you trust the sincerity of this?”
“Yes,” Dina said simply. “I believe you. No matter what you say.”
Slightly puzzled, Konstantin Konstantinovich asked, “What do you mean? I don’t understand…”
“What’s not to understand? I believe you,” Dina repeated forcefully.
“You believe me? After everything that you’ve found out about me?”
“Especially after everything that I’ve found out about you.” Dina explained, “You’re a sincere person. You’re a sincere womanizer. You sincerely love women… They throw themselves at you… It’s a perfect match. At least, you don’t lie to them that you’re going to marry them.” She stared at him. “Right?”
Konstantin Konstantinovich hung his head in embarrassment and laughed.
“Well… very rarely,” he continued, as if needing to justify his answer. “You’re all so different! You want the truth, the others want a lie! And the fancier, the better!” He looked at Dina again with the expression of curiosity, astonishment, and confusion, that had followed him all evening. “But this a first for me. I’ve said all sorts of things to women!”
The tram thundered as it approached the tram stop. Konstantin Konstantinovich looked questioningly at Dina.
“I’ll take the next one,” she replied to his unspoken question.
“Will we see each other again? Tomorrow?” he asked as the tram shut its doors and was swallowed by the damp darkness.
“I’m going home tomorrow for a week.”
“And then?”
“Then I have a placement until the end of July.”
“Where?” Again Konstantin Konstantinovich became nervous and made no attempt to hide this.
“Here.”
“Great!” He grinned in relief. “How wonderful that you are a perfect student! Otherwise, they would have sent you to the back of beyond for a month and a half.”
A few single drops suddenly fell from the blackness and immediately turned into a total downpour. Konstantin Konstantinovich opened his jacket and covered Dina with one half, just like a mother hen covers her chick.