"You're so hot!" Anna whispered for the hundredth time, leaning over Randall's ear, who was lying in the tent, talking animatedly with Bernardo about oil prices and the upcoming political mayoral elections.
"Thank you. So are you," he answered, embarrassed again. "So, what I mean is the elections are..."
She couldn't tear herself away from him. She thought she would never tire of these magnificent features, of this radiant smile and endless ridiculous topics that this handsome man liked to dwell on for hours. But still, after they had "it," Anna, like all the girls, could not help but go back in time and compare everything with Mark.
She thought of him only today, for the first time in days. She could not help compare the two men's manners, gestures, habits...
Mark... He was different. He wasn't inherent in empty talk and endless jokes. They could spend hours discussing profound philosophical concepts, applied sciences, axioms, and theorems. If he was joking, it was rare, to the point, elegant even. Though not a luxury, a smile was not a daily tool of communication with this guy.
His attitude toward money was also different. Mark did not idolize, but he respected money. He believed it was necessary to achieve happiness. Without money, one could not travel, maintain a family, raise children with dignity, and give them a proper education. It was needed to ensure comfort in all areas—health, personal and social life. Because he never despised the material side, seeking a prosperous life. A state of shortage made him angry, just as it did Randall, but this did not affect his relations with people—he always was kind and polite.
In a relationship, Mark was gentle in all areas, kind and laconic. He was an excellent listener when Anna told without silence, even on the most trivial themes, and never in life was rude to her.
Anna smiled at the memory. Where was he now? At work? Did he think of her?
"... so I'm definitely for Pitti!" she heard the scraps of phrases, Randall blurting out, obviously on the subject of the mayoral candidates.
"He's a donkey, your Pitti!" Bernardo retorted, chewing corn. "Four hooves and a tail! Only knows but promises! Hee-haw!"
"I'm tired of listening to you. You're just a stooge teapot!" Randall was joking. "Like your Spaghetti's better!"
"Spinetti! And yes, sir, he is! He will set this city on its feet, you'll see!" corn was flying in all directions from Bernardo's full mouth. He flushed and waved his hands in defense of his candidate.
Anna had fun looking at them. These dialogues were a must-see show. She no longer angered Bernardo's company. He was sort of completing the happiness. His English was a crazy mix of every accent globally, and it was hilarious to listen. They were like the invincible squad. She came and sat down beside Randall, her head resting on his shoulder. He turned to her and grunted:
"Dress up. We're leaving."
Anna was taken aback.
"What? You can't be serious. Elections topic made you that mad?"
"Collect things. We're going back to town today. I have a new plan."
"How? When did you come up with a new plan, and why am I only hearing this now!"
"You're hearing it now because I'm telling you now. My friend called me. He has a luxury villa downtown, and he's going away for a few days, asking me to look after it."
Anna blinked her eyes in bewilderment, but the words were clearly to her liking. "Aaand?"
"And we're going to 'look after' his luxurious nest, ride a yacht and have sex all the time."
"Randall!" Anna covered his mouth with her hand, looking at Bernardo in horror.
His face didn't express any, even the slightest emotion. He just looked at Randall and Anna and ate corn. To understand his brain was impossible. The fact that Randall "revealed" them so unceremoniously was unacceptable, and she glared at him angrily, not taking his hands from his lips.
"Mmm, mmm! Mmm, mmm!" Randall continued to explain the details of the plan with his mouth closed.
She took her hand away from his mouth in displeasure.
"Here, so get ready."
She laughed. "You're impossible. Okay, just give me a few minutes."
And she went to pack for a new adventure. The villa... Mmm, mmm! Mmm, mmm! Sounded great!

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RomanceOne woman. Three men. One of them should surely be The One. {Chicklit 1st place. The Retrograde Awards}