Kira slipped into her best evening dress, a short, emerald-green number with a subtle neckline, and paired it with black suede ankle boots with low heels. She spritzed some hairspray on the curls she’d just styled in her dark brown hair, then adjusted her recently trimmed bangs—she thought they made her look much better. She lightly lined her dark gray eyes with mascara and applied a soft pink lipstick to her full lips. She was pleased with her reflection in the mirror, but not with herself. She had zero desire to attend the New Year’s Eve party her uncle, Herman Fedorovich, the mayor of the city, was hosting. But she had no choice—her uncle wasn’t the type to accept excuses.
“If you don’t show up, I’ll be offended for life,” Herman Fedorovich had said sternly over the phone when Kira tried to come up with a made-up reason to skip the event. “Your parents are abroad and can’t make it, and now you’re stabbing me right in the heart.”
“You’re exaggerating, as always,” Kira sighed heavily, realizing she’d have to go whether she wanted to or not. Reluctantly, she added, “I promise I’ll be there.”
“Now that’s more like it,” Herman Fedorovich said, his tone brightening. “None of this ‘I can’t, I don’t want to, I won’t’ nonsense. By the way, this is the biggest party I’ve ever thrown. You should see the enormous, gorgeous Christmas tree in my living room. And the appetizers your aunt ordered from the fanciest restaurant in town? Roasted meat, red caviar—Kira, don’t you want to try something that delicious?”
“I already said I’d come,” Kira replied, hoping to end the conversation quickly, but her uncle loved to brag.
“Kira, the champagne was imported straight from France. Real French champagne, no knockoffs,” he said, pride dripping from his voice. “Over a hundred guests are coming, and not just anybody—people who hold respected positions in our society, people who’ve achieved great things. And we’ve even ordered fireworks…”
“I’ll be there on time. I’ve already promised, but I’ve got to go now—I have things to do,” Kira finally cut him off, hanging up with a sigh of relief. She tossed her smartphone aside and closed her eyes, exhausted.
And so, on December 31st, Kira found herself fully committed to ringing in the New Year at her uncle’s house, surrounded by countless guests—most of whom she didn’t even know. But in a way, that was better; she had no desire to talk to anyone. A taxi was already waiting outside her building, and Kira hurried down from her third-floor, three-bedroom apartment, locking the door behind her in a rush.
Her uncle’s estate was located just outside the city. It was a sprawling two-story house built of red brick, complete with a luxurious terrace. The hosts had done an impressive job decorating, and every guest who arrived couldn’t help but notice. Everywhere you looked, colorful Christmas lights twinkled, their glow reflecting off the pristine white snow. The entire property sparkled and shimmered as if it were covered in countless tiny gemstones. It was a breathtaking, fairy-tale sight. And that was just the outside—what awaited inside?
A light snowfall drifted down as Kira pulled the hood of her black fur coat over her head and opened the taxi door. This winter had been unusually snowy and cold. She took a deep breath of the frosty air, which felt invigorating and refreshing. Forcing a smile onto her face, she hurried toward the house. Uncle Herman Fedorovich and his wife, Ludmila Nikolaevna, stood at the entrance to the living room, dressed festively and in high spirits. They greeted each guest with handshakes and polite, warm words as they entered.
“Well, finally, our beauty has arrived,” her uncle said with a wide smile, pulling Kira into a hug and kissing her on the cheek. “You look like a princess.”
“Thank you, both for the compliment and for inviting me,” Kira replied, trying to seem happy—and almost succeeding. “Auntie, you look stunning. How are you?”
“Wonderful,” Ludmila Nikolaevna beamed. “Fantastic, great. Come on in, Kira, and enjoy the celebration.”
“It’s so beautiful here, I can’t take my eyes off it,” Kira said sincerely, offering genuine praise.
Kira made her way deeper into the spacious living room and stopped near the Christmas tree—a real, live one. It was tall, nearly touching the ceiling, fragrant and prickly, but above all, enchanting. Its pine branches were adorned with an array of expensive ornaments and candies. From top to bottom, garlands of lights twinkled, creating the effect of tiny streams of light dancing along the branches.
“This tree is even better than the one in the city center,” a familiar voice said behind her. It was Ira, her former classmate and now her uncle’s daughter-in-law. “I’m so glad to see you. I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“I couldn’t not come, Ira. Uncle was insistent,” Kira said, returning the greeting. “But I’ll be honest, I’m not in the mood at all. I really wanted to spend this New Year’s alone, just sitting in front of the TV. Ever since I turned down Oleksiy’s proposal, I haven’t been able to get myself together or get back to normal. I keep feeling like something’s missing, and my conscience is eating at me for what I did.”
“You did the right thing. If you don’t like the guy, there’s no point in sacrificing yourself,” Ira said, adjusting her long red dress. She took Kira by the arm and led her toward the tables laden with appetizers and drinks. “We need to have some of that champagne straight from France. I don’t even know why your conscience should bother you. Oleksiy isn’t the first guy you’ve turned down. I don’t get why you keep saying no to everyone. If you keep this up, you risk ending up alone and never getting married. Time’s ticking, years go by, and we lose our charm. The longer you wait, the harder it’ll be to settle down. And you’ve got to think about having kids, too. Look at me—I’ve already got two running around.”
“Ira, everything in its own time,” Kira said, pouring herself a glass of champagne. She felt like she needed to relax a little. “I’m only twenty-six. I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love. At first, I think I’m in love and happy in a relationship, but then I realize it’s not true. It’s more like I was just dreaming, and that’s it.”
“Maybe you’ll meet a decent guy tonight,” Ira said, sipping her champagne and adjusting the curls in her black hair. “Though, honestly, it’s unlikely. As far as I know, my in-laws only invited married folks to this party. Unless I missed someone.”
“Please, let’s not talk about this. I’m not in the mood to meet anyone,” Kira said, pouring herself another glass of champagne. “I’ll have one more, and that’s it. Ira, I’m going to sit in the library for a bit.”
“Are you sure you want to hide out in the library? Look at all the people here, and the music is so nice. Want to dance?” Ira was in a great mood, unlike Kira.
“Ira, go have fun. I’ll join you later,” Kira said, still wanting some time alone.
She scanned the room, taking in the cheerful faces of the guests, but all she felt was the urge to cry. She took another sip of champagne, then another. Finally, she decided to head upstairs to the library. Her head was starting to spin from the alcohol, and her coordination was off. Despite that, she grabbed another full glass of champagne, unable to resist, planning to drink it in the library while sitting by the fireplace. As she climbed the stairs slowly, she nearly tripped but caught herself on the railing just in time. The glass of champagne spilled, and she set it aside on the steps, glancing around to make sure no one had noticed. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass her uncle.
Reaching the library door, Kira leaned her back against the wall, trying to steady herself. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a drink. She rarely drank at all, maybe just a little at friends’ parties. But tonight, she’d gone overboard. That French champagne… darn it. She should’ve stuck to her guns and stayed home, or at the very least, accepted her neighbor and friend’s offer to celebrate New Year’s with her family. But it was too late now. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, and in a place like this, of all places, where she really needed to keep it together and watch her behavior. It’s fine, she reassured herself silently. I’ll manage. I’ll hang out in the library for a bit, then head home. The key is to stay under the radar.
Pulling herself away from the wall and struggling to keep her balance, Kira opened the library door and stepped inside. The walls were lined with shelves packed with books—countless volumes, as her uncle Herman Fedorovich was an avid collector of all kinds of literature. To the left, by the window, stood a writing desk, and straight ahead was a fireplace, where logs crackled and burned. In front of the fireplace sat a black leather couch.
Kira smiled, relieved to have made it to this cozy, and most importantly, empty space. Finally, she could be alone. She decided to sit on the couch by the fireplace and wait for the buzz to wear off so she could head home sooner. Crossing the room, she stumbled and fell onto the couch.
“What the heck!” exclaimed a man who’d been dozing on the couch. Startled awake, he didn’t immediately realize what had landed on him. “Is that any way to scare a person?”
“Oh… uh… what…” Kira stammered, her wide, frightened eyes staring at the man she’d just fallen into the arms of. He was already grinning, having figured out what had happened. “I’m so sorry… I thought the library was empty, and I… Who are you? Let me go, I want to get up…”
“I’m not holding you,” the man replied, still smiling. “You’re the one who fell on me and made yourself so comfortable on top. And you’re not exactly in a hurry to get up…”
“How can you say that? I fell,” Kira protested quickly. “I tripped. I want to get up…”
“Then get up. Am I stopping you?” he said, his gaze appraising as it swept over her face and figure. “But if you want to stay lying here, I’m not opposed. We can lie here together…”
“I want to get up,” Kira insisted, attempting to stand. She almost succeeded, but lost her balance and fell back onto the man. “I’m sorry… Help me up.”
“Alright,” he said, and with one swift motion, he sat up on the couch, holding Kira by the waist and setting her on her feet.
He was about to let go, but she nearly fell again, so he kept supporting her.
“Hey, let me go,” Kira said, trying to push his hands off her waist. But as soon as she did, she fell onto him once more.
Her face was level with his again, and their eyes met. In his deep blue eyes, she saw amusement and… something else. She couldn’t look away; his gaze pulled her in like a magnet. And suddenly, she wanted him to kiss her. Kira closed her eyes and leaned in, her lips brushing against his, longing for him to reciprocate. But he didn’t let her kiss him. Instead, he just smiled again, sat her down on the couch, and stood up, walking over to the writing desk. He poured a glass of water from a pitcher and brought it to her.
“Drink this and cool off. You’ve had a bit too much,” he said, his tone laced with irony. “Even on New Year’s Eve, getting this drunk probably wasn’t the best idea.”