The Grasshopper

Chapter 7

Pascal managed to calm Svetlana down.

“Let’s go to sleep,” he said.

“I don’t want to. I talked about you, now I want us to talk about me,” Svetlana said.

“OK. You want me to talk now, how beautiful you are?”

“No. I want something else. You said that you don’t want me to be in danger.”

“Of course I don’t.”

“Don’t you think that I put myself in jeopardy two years ago, when I started working for your campaign?”

“I do. But that was just the beginning. We didn’t even dream that I would become a presidential candidate. Now the threat is much greater.”

“At the time, when your team was being created, I had just gotten my Master’s degree. I could always choose boys, but you were the man that I wanted. I was fascinated by the legend of you, your good looks, intelligence, courage… your huge libido. Your refusal to be tied down by one woman.”

“Refusal or perhaps inability?” said Pascal.

“For me you were a challenge. With my knowledge and my youth I could have chosen any well-paid job. And I chose to work for your campaign. A life-threatening job with paid food and rent.”

“I didn’t know that. I thought that you were with us out of conviction?”

“I guess love and passion are also a type of conviction, Pascal.”

“Yes, one could say that. But all that is not important now. We will talk about it when we meet again. Don’t hope that I will change my decision. You are leaving tomorrow. I’m firing you. No more food and rent.”

“Remember when I took some time off a year ago?”

“Svetlana, please, get serious.”

“And I sent my friend from university as a replacement. Do you remember?”

“No.”

“Before she came to your headquarters I deceived her a little. I told her that even after a one-year effort I hadn’t succeeded in getting you in my bed. I’m sure you’ll remember her. Her name is Norma.”

“I don’t remember that name.”

“Probably not. But I’m sure you remember her body.”

Pascal didn’t answer.

“Norma immediately reported proudly to me that she slept with you already on the first night.”

Pascal was still silent.

“On the seventh day of my vacation I called you up and asked what you wanted: for Norma to continue working or for me to come back. You said that I should come back, as soon as possible. I heard something in your voice then. Something… that I needed so badly. At that moment there was no happier girl than me.”

“Svetlana, you yourself say that you knew what I was like. That I was just a challenge to you.”

“I was happy, because you weren’t with me only because of the inability to move around, the cramped space, the small number of people that you had been surrounded by for a long time. I gave you a choice and you chose me; between two girls, both much younger than you. I wasn’t afraid of older women. I believed that I could successfully take advantage of your midlife crisis and your age, and forever capture your age with my youth.”

“What are you trying to tell me, Svetlana?”

“Pascal, have you ever been with married women? With the mothers of another man’s children?”

“I’ve never answered such questions. Even in much less important moments. Do you understand at all what might happen tomorrow?”

“Have you, Pascal?”

“I have.”

Svetlana brushed the hair from his forehead. Holding herself up, she leaned her pear-shaped breast on his biceps and gently kissed his lips, getting his face wet with her tears. After that she got up, picked up her thong and bra from the floor, and said:

“I’ll take your advice and I won’t put myself at risk. I’m leaving… tonight.”

Pascal wondered whether it was the last time that he would be seeing Svetlana’s naked body or any woman’s naked body.