Ivett was standing at the bus stop, shaking with cold. She hated the winter. She also hated having to hate it. She had loved it when she was a child. Back then, she could not wait for her cheeks to turn red from the cold while sledding and snowballing all afternoon. But since she could not afford a decent winter coat, she could not enjoy the cold season.
As much as she loved having a pretty face, it was also a burden at times. She was courted by the coolest, most charming boys and men. They took her to elegant restaurants and nightclubs, where she could not wear just anything. Besides studying at the college, Ivett worked every weekend at a trendy disco not far from her hometown. She had to spend most of the money she earned there on clothes, make-up, hairdressers, and manicures. She could not afford warm shoes and a coat. No one at the student hostel knew that Ivett was working, she never talked about it. She did not even tell her friend Evelin. Especially since Evelin’s parents tried to give the impression that they were well-off, so they spent every penny on their daughter. They took on tutoring in Maths and German so that Evelin would not lack in anything, and their only daughter had high expectations. She spent a lot of money. And Ivett could hardly keep up with her. She could never understand how her friend’s mother, who was a teacher, and father, who was a civil servant, could give their daughter so much money.
Then it just happened to Evelin.
She was interviewing a plastic surgeon in his early fifties for her midterm paper. The female student found nothing wrong with accompanying the handsome man on a wellness weekend after the assignment was completed. The charming doctor treated her like a princess during the three days, and he was the most devoted lover Evelin had ever met. And the money she received was too much to feel bad about it. Moreover, she would have happily gone to the luxury hotel with a handsome, arousing man even without it.
The baker, the actor just kind of happened, too. She never sought the opportunity, yet the generous owner of the bakery became a recurring adventure. So did the actor, although he visited the mischievously smiling, cat-eyed girl less often. When she timidly asked Ivett if she would like to travel to the capital with her, the baker, and a friend of his, she did not expect a positive answer. She knew her friend was reluctant to make money in this way.
Ivett, however, was terribly cold.
She was not even nervous when they got into the luxury SUV with her friend. Evelin loved the baker; she considered him a wonderful lover and a true gentleman. Just like the absent-minded, occasionally gloomy actor, who was said to be the best kisser. Ivett also liked to kiss and make love gently.
Who could have predicted that Ivett would be disgusted by the baker’s friend and that making love with him would hurt?
She did not want to go on any more adventures like this, because she was no longer cold. And the coat was not only warm, but stylish, too. Evelin later told her that the girls living in the capital wore jeans and long boots in winter. There was no question that the two girls would follow the fashion. The fact that the girls did not yet have the appropriate footwear did not seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Ivett, although would have preferred to give up being stylish, finally agreed to another programme with the baker and his friend. But then she reassured herself that an extra occasion was not the end of the world, especially now that she knew what to expect…
Then it turned out that she did not know it at all. She had no idea how the other man had got there and why no one had told her about him in advance.
She was unable to put on the boots, not wanting to remember how she earned his money. But Evelin was getting more and more enthusiastic. Soon after, the brooding actor took her abroad for a whole week. The girl never told Ivett exactly what happened there, but Evelin bought a car with the money she got there. Ivett was conflicted. She was fed up with the whole thing, but she also wanted to help her mother, who complained that the roof of their house kept leaking. She hoped she would finally meet a nice person like the baker or the plastic surgeon. The actor was already suspicious. Ivett was sure that all the male members of the acting troupe had been entertained by Evelin on that particular trip abroad that her friend refused to talk about.
It was a real struggle for her to earn the price of the roof repair, even if she did it in a week.
She then went with the troupe on their next trip abroad, but nearly collapsed under the weight of the load. She was unable to sell her body anymore, at least in such an unpredictable way.
The businessman had no luck with women. His timid nature prevented him from taking the initiative. In fact, it was as if the girls had not even noticed him. However, he would have done anything for a loving partner. Ivett immediately spotted the man’s fine, custom-designed, leather shoes worth a fortune at the cashier of the swimming pool. With her usual routine, she smiled at the surprised businessman, who first glanced behind his back. He thought she was greeting someone else. Ivett laughed out loud, liking the timid reaction. She knew that a man who was embarrassed would not hurt her. And with a man who even had his shoes made by a designer, she would never be cold again.