I

Waking in her student dormitory room, Mia took a shower, got dressed makes some instant coffee and turn on the news:

“Scientists have warned that the threat of a nuclear apocalypse is closer to becoming a reality. The Bulletin's Atomic Scientists segment advanced its symbolic Doomsday Clock 30 seconds to two minutes to midnight – a reflection of how bleak scientists view the current nuclear dangers facing the world. The dial is now 23 hours 58 minutes. According to authors of the project, before the onset of «nuclear midnight,” humanity had only two minutes remaining.

“To label the world's nuclear situation dire is to understate the danger and its immediacy,” said Rachel Bronson, the bulletin's president – the news station’s CEO informed journalists in Washington.

The “clock” better known as the Doomsday Clock, was created in 1947 at the initiative of a group of scientists who participated in a project to develop an American atomic bomb. For decades, the project has been overseen by the editors of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which is published by the prestigious University of Chicago.

Explaining their decision on Thursday, scientists from the bulletin’s widely respected science and security board said they were disturbed by the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula: their increasing expenditure on nuclear weapons from major powers, the absence of arms control negotiations around the world, and the wavering political desire to combat climate change.

“The probability of a global catastrophe is disturbingly high,” warns the committee's journal on science and security.”

“The end of the world. The Apocalypse. Is there no news besides the end of the world?” Mia wondered and switched off the TV.

“There’s insurance for almost anything: an apartment, car, health, even Jennifer Lopez insured her famous derrière. But no insurance company will be willing to cover anything related to nuclear war... I should consider some sort of insurance,” Mia then remembered a phrase of her beloved Scarlett O'Hara.

“But what if there won’t be a tomorrow after all this talk of nuclear war? Hmm… Then I need to look good today.” After a shower, she dried her long hair and carefully combed it.

“I’ll need to wear something decent,” Mia thought and found a blue blouse in the closet. This color complimented her blue eyes, and as she looked in the mirror, she saw a beautiful girl with magnificent wavy hair and sea-blue eyes. A girl, it was impossible not to fall in love with as her smile was irresistible.

II

Her name’s Mia. The “Meow” in her name suited a cute, graceful, and freedom-loving girl like Mia, who could not be tamed. God gave her beauty and devil gave her brain.

Extraordinarily beautiful, with long flowing hair, huge eyes with long fluffy eyelashes, full lips, and a seductive figure with long legs. Her long dress only emphasized her shape, exciting the male imagination when the rays of the sun shone upon her. She walked proudly as if gliding along a wide street, her barely open eyes noticing anyone.

“What a girl!” - men sighed.

“A witch!” - one of the students was indignant. “Has she come to seduce men?!”

“No shame, no conscience!” - another added.

“Where did she come from?” an indignant brisk woman wondered.

“Do not look at her!” said a wife to her husband, blocking his view.

But when Mia raised her lovely long eyelashes and smiled at them, everyone was dumbfounded. Their faces blushed with shame.

“She’s is a goddess!” people whispered behind her. Ignoring them, she tapped her heels to her lecture.

Unbothered, Mia pays neither her admirers nor gossipers any mind. At this point in her life, she’s not interested in anything but her studies. She’s a diligent student, studying at a prestigious metropolitan university.

Studying at this university is incredibly difficult: compulsory attendance of lectures, coursework, scientific literature, sleepless pre-exam nights - a routine that completely absorbed her. Endless sessions, term papers, mandatory practices - the end was not expected. Only the prospect of obtaining a prestigious diploma and securing decent employment attracted her ...

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

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 07.07.2021
ISBN: 978-3-7487-8762-4

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
“Even Spielberg would envy Goldsby’s imagination” — F. Divanovsky “Eva Goldsby is a very talented writer” —S. Adinz “Intriguing” —M. Chow