12

The drinking binge that took place at night could not but affect Annelle’s morning meetings for work. My head was pounding from the hangover and lack of sleep, so much so that even two aspirin tablets were of no help. The only consolation was the almost professional makeup applied by a friend who spent the night on the sofa. Although she herself painted quite brightly, preferring dark shades of shadows shaded almost to the eyebrows, and long arrows peeking out from behind extended eyelashes, she also had a keen eye for the most delicate nude images.

Annelle went to work alone. Julia showed up to her in only a short shirt and a translucent peignoir, over which she threw a leather cloak. And since in the morning there was not a single decent thing for her in someone else’s wardrobe - by “decent” one should mean “provocatively sexy” - she decided to stop by home before work to change clothes.

Annelle arrived at the executive director's office five minutes before the appointed time. She r