I don't know how I woke up or how I got dressed for the day. Time seemed to pass unnoticed, as if it had flowed into the room, carried away all the details, leaving only a sense of urgency. I suddenly noticed that I wanted to smoke. So simply, as if it were something completely natural. I brought the cigarette to my lips, noticing that I had been smoking for a long time, sitting on the bed, hunched over, as if waiting for something. I didn't understand what exactly.
Oh yes, I remembered, I was expecting breakfast. Breakfast together. So that's it! It was something of a ritual, meeting these people, Donowho. He and she. The newlyweds. I was a little afraid of people, and although I hid it even from myself, this feeling was still there, like a hidden shadow. That's probably why I so hastily agreed to share the villa with strangers. I could have stayed here alone, in complete silence, but... something inside me was drawn to this strange group.
I took another drag, looking out the window. It was strange to realize that I was ready to meet them without knowing who they were. Maybe there was some self-loathing in this anticipation. I tried to hide my fear. It all seemed new, alien, but attractive.
Maybe my haste with which I tried to prepare everything came from this subconscious excitement before the meeting. It was as if I was trying to do everything as quickly as possible, to be ready. To not miss anything. As if the books I read had already suggested to me ways to adapt, how to get used to a new life, immersing myself in its most secret corners.
I put my cigarette down and looked at my watch again. I was due to meet them soon, and the moment seemed inevitable.
I went downstairs and found myself in the dining room. The table was set for three, and I felt a jolt inside me - this was the moment. I took a step, and at that moment the door opposite swung open. They appeared - the very couple with whom I was to spend time at the villa.
I took a step forward and introduced myself. We shook hands, and I noticed how their eyes were a little tense, as if they were not yet accustomed to this space, but they tried to act confident. Everything was done somehow restrainedly, but without unnecessary formality. It seemed like everyone knew that this was a temporary neighborhood, and it was necessary to establish at least some kind of contact.
We sat down at the table. They had already started eating, and I immediately felt how their conversation flowed easily, naturally, as if they had known each other for a long time. I needed a little time to get used to this state, to perceive their presence.
She sat opposite, with long black hair, dressed in a simple but stylish dress. Her appearance did not give away her age, but if you looked closely, you could safely assume that she was about forty, if not older. Her eyes were calm, but there was some hidden tension in them, maybe even a hidden strength that made me inadvertently follow her movements.
He was a sleek, skinny forty-year-old boor whose face resembled a lover from a B-movie - a little thoughtful, with a slight smile on his lips, as if he was ready for some kind of inside joke that didn't make sense now, but would definitely come up in the future. His face was interesting, attractive, but there was nothing superfluous in it - everything seemed to follow the rules of cinema: without unnecessary emotions, but with a precisely calibrated expression that the audience liked so much.
The conversation slowly began, and although we were all a little wary, with each word the tension disappeared.
She introduced herself as Asia, a name that sounded as exotic as her appearance. No wonder she seemed mysterious, with her deep eyes and long black hair. Perhaps she was from the eastern part of the world, which only emphasized her quiet but strong energy. She didn't say much, but her words were always precise and to the point. There was nothing superfluous, just facts and multiple hints that I tried to understand.
He, who introduced himself as Ryan, was much more talkative. His smile was easy, and his voice was warm and confident. He told stories, from their travels around Europe to unusual situations on set, since he used to work at the studio - here I realized that he really did resemble a movie star. The tone of his voice changed depending on what he was telling, and although his speeches seemed a little theatrical, this only added a certain charm. He spoke with such passion that it seemed that he was reliving each moment, as if reviving long-forgotten episodes of his life. His words were not just stories, but a performance, radiating confidence and charisma that left me with the feeling that I was present at some important event.
I was an observer, not yet fully accustomed to these people, but with each passing moment it seemed that my expectations about them were not in vain. Asia and Ryan were like a couple from a movie - perhaps with a touch of mystery and adventure, but still real people. I didn't know where this conversation would lead us, but somehow I felt that this introduction would not be the end of it.
I told them about myself, expecting some kind of response, although I didn't expect much attention. But to my surprise, they barely listened to me. It was as if I was invisible, and in their world there were only them, Asia and Ryan. I tried to wait, watching them as they continued to talk among themselves, not looking up from discussing their plans, places they had been, places they hadn't been yet. Their interaction was so harmonious and natural that I felt like a superfluous spectator, not participating in the scene unfolding before me. They were completely absorbed in each other, and it seemed as if the whole world around them simply disappeared.
Ryan laughed at Asia's jokes, and she smiled back, reservedly, but her face lit up with a certain expression, as if she found something more in his words than just conversation. They lived in a world of their own, where I was just background, an element that didn't seem to exist. It was strange to realize that they didn't even try to include me in the conversation, didn't acknowledge that I was there. I didn't know what to think—it was a strange dynamic, as if I wasn't important to them.
I wasn't offended, but rather curious. Maybe they were simply absorbed in each other, and this moment was something intimate, something they didn't want to share with a stranger. Or maybe I was just another element of their alien world. And yet, it all left me with a strange sense of detachment, as if I were not a participant but merely an observer.
Suddenly, as if awakening from some inner dream, Ryan turned to me. I was even a little surprised that he suddenly noticed my presence, as if before that we were both in different worlds. His voice was calm, but there was some strange confident desire in it.
"Listen," he said, turning his attention to me. "I was thinking, maybe we should go to the factory? You don't mind, do you?"
I froze, trying to understand what he was talking about, but a moment later his words echoed in my head. A factory? Why a factory? What did this have to do with my vacation at the villa? And what could Ryan possibly be looking for at a factory, if he seemed like a man who was completely out of touch with that kind of activity?
I almost hesitated, but I looked at him and realized he was serious. There was something in his eyes that left no room for refusal. He didn't expect me to ask questions. It was as if he had already decided for both of us.
I felt something inside me resisting, but at some point I realized that I couldn't do anything about it. I nodded, despite my doubts.
"Okay," I said, "let's go."
It was strange, but I couldn't explain why I agreed. Maybe it was because Ryan was so sure of his decision, or because I wanted to somehow connect with their world, to understand what was going on. Either way, I felt a slight unease gripping me.
We left the house and I walked next to Ryan to his car, but suddenly my attention was drawn to the window of the villa. I turned around, and at that moment her gaze met mine. Asia was standing by the window, her face slightly raised, and her gaze... it was not just intent, but somehow invisible, stretching, as if she could read my thoughts. Her black hair was slightly fluttering in the wind, and in her eyes there was a strange mixture of calm and deep, barely noticeable emotion.
And then I realized - I had fallen in love. This feeling came so suddenly that I barely had time to process it. Just a moment, her gaze, and that was it - as if some invisible bridge had stretched between us, despite the distance. I didn't know what exactly she felt at that moment, but for me it was stronger than any words. I felt my heart speeding up its rhythm, and some strange warmth spreading through my body. That gaze, the flutter of her eyelashes - everything seemed complete and inevitable. My reality at that moment shrank to her, to that instant, as if the whole world had disappeared, leaving only the two of us.
Ryan probably didn't notice my confusion because he kept walking, chatting about something unimportant, but in my head everything was silent, like time had slowed down. All I saw was her gaze, her figure in the window, and how everything inside changed from that gaze.
I didn't understand what exactly had happened. Maybe it was just admiration, maybe something more, but one thing was clear - from that moment on, the world around me became different. I no longer knew what would happen next, but somehow intuitively I understood that something important, unresolved, was waiting for me.
As we drove, the conversation with Ryan continued. He talked about the plant, about his work, about some commitments he had had over the past months. But I was barely listening. His words flew past, leaving behind only empty phrases that left no trace in my memory. My mind was occupied with something else entirely.
I thought of her face, of her gaze from the window, of how she had been there in the villa, quietly, as if observing, and how in that moment something had changed in me. Asia—her name sounded as if it were part of her, part of who she was. I had fallen in love. The sensation was entirely new, like an abrupt intrusion into the quiet flow of my day. I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Ryan continued to prattle on about the factory, his voice becoming more and more mechanical until I could only hear it all in the background. His worries and problems were becoming irrelevant to me, because all I could think about was her face, her gaze, the way she stood in the window, and how her every gesture seemed to be filled with some hidden power.
I didn't know what to do with this feeling. It was like a restless sea that suddenly spilled out in my chest. Falling in love with the wife of a new acquaintance when you had just arrived in the country was not only strange, but also unrealistic. I felt this feeling growing, and it left me no choice. I tried to think about something else, but her image still haunted me, like an obsessive dream that was impossible to forget.
I turned and looked out the window. The landscape rushed past, but it seemed to me that all those trees and fields didn't matter. All that mattered was her.
We arrived at the factory and the atmosphere was different. Ryan got out of the car first, striding confidently towards the building, and I followed him. There was an unusual silence all around, broken only by the hum of the cars and the sounds of the machines. Everything here was simple and functional, without the luxurious details that filled the villa, everything was busy and busy. I didn't know what to expect from this place, but Ryan himself seemed completely absorbed in the process.
We walked through the halls of the factory, and he talked about each machine, showed their features, how they were set up and how many hours of work they took. I listened to him, but my thoughts did not leave me. This whole world of metal and noise was so far from what I had left behind - from the villa and Asia. But at some point I realized that these iron machines had become for me something like a background, against which I tried to find an answer to my question about what was going on in my head. Why was I thinking only about her? About her look, about her presence.
Ryan continued to talk, and I nodded automatically, watching the machines and their movements. The heavy mechanisms seemed almost alive to me, each of them doing something important, as if they were performing their task with rigorous precision. But I felt as if I were outside of all this, as if I stood in the void between reality and my new, unexpected love.
When we had walked through the entire factory, Ryan once again offered me something else related to production, but I could no longer concentrate. All I wanted was to leave here and return to the villa, to where that look of hers had been, where Asia was. But for now I didn't know what to do, or what to do with this feeling that had suddenly overwhelmed me.
We returned from the factory and were immediately invited to lunch. It was a rather low-key reception, without unnecessary words. Ryan talked casually about his business, something about new projects, and Asia listened to him, interjecting short remarks from time to time. But I still barely noticed their conversations. My thoughts kept returning to her, to her eyes, to the way she stood by the window, as if waiting for something, or maybe just watching what was happening. It was as if she was in her own world, and this attracted me even more.
I finished my lunch, feeling the tension building inside me, but not knowing how to deal with it. I wanted to go away, to be alone, although I didn't know why. Sometimes you just need solitude to process what you're feeling. I said I was going to get some rest and stood up, heading toward my room.
When I closed the door behind me, I felt relief. Everything around me became quiet, and I was alone, alone with myself again. I sat down on the bed, but thoughts about her did not leave me. Everything that happened between us seemed so complicated, imperceptible, but important. Why was she so attractive to me? Why couldn't I let go of that look, those moments that I experienced with her, without even saying a word?
I took the book from the shelf, but the pages blurred before my eyes. I couldn't concentrate. All I could think about was her.
That evening, when I decided to go downstairs to get some fresh air, I couldn't shake off the growing feeling of unease. I was wandering through the garden, intuitively heading towards the dark bushes where the leaves were quietly rustling, when suddenly I saw them. Ryan and Asia. They were standing there, in the shadows, and I couldn't believe my eyes. He was kissing her.
My heart skipped a beat. At that moment, everything around me seemed to freeze, and I remained rooted to the spot, looking at their silhouettes, which seemed so close and real. Asia was covered by his embrace, and I saw how she gave herself to this kiss. It was so easy and natural, so genuine. I felt superfluous. All my love for her, all these thoughts that seemed important, suddenly became insignificant and even stupid. I did not know what to do.
I stood there, frozen, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene. Something hot and unpleasant rose up inside me, a feeling of anger, pain, and, at the same time, some kind of anxiety. I wanted to turn away, but I couldn't. I watched in slow motion as they dissolved into their kisses, as if I didn't exist.
Every moment seemed endless. I didn't know why it affected me so much. I knew they were a couple. It wasn't a revelation to me. But still, every look, every touch made me feel a strange jealousy that I couldn't control.
Finally, I forced myself to turn away and go back into the house, feeling everything inside me grow cold and empty.
I walked to my room, feeling heavy inside. My steps were slow, as if my body refused to move, and my thoughts were spinning in my head, chaotic and painful, as if I couldn't find their place. I didn't want to see anyone, didn't want to hear anyone. All I needed was solitude and peace.
When I entered the corridor, the images of their kiss, their closeness, were still lingering in my head. And no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it, it continued to haunt me. The robot stood at the door, as usual, and, noticing me, transmitted a message:
"Your neighbor, Mr. Ryan Donowho, is leaving for three days."
I didn't care at all. I didn't want to hear about him, or her decisions, or what they were going to do. I was broken, and something inside me was protesting, but I didn't know how to deal with it. I just wanted to forget, to go into the darkness, into the silence, and forget this day.
I answered the robot mechanically, not paying attention to his words, and walked past without stopping. The steps led me to the room, where I finally fell on the bed, as if it could take away all my heavy thoughts and emotions. I closed my eyes and sank into unconsciousness, feeling how everything dissolved into the darkness of sleep.
I woke up the next day with a heavy feeling in my head. The sun's rays barely penetrated the curtains, but I felt strange. The dream did not leave me - vivid and strange, like something important that I could not fully understand.
In this dream, Asia and I were standing at the altar, both in wedding attire. I was unsure of what to do, but she was there, and I could feel her warmth. There was a light in her eyes, such simple, pure joy that I couldn't believe it was happening to me. But as soon as I looked away, everything changed.
Ryan. He stood among the guests, his face frozen in an expression of hatred. His gaze was sharp, cold, like a blade. He looked at me as if I were his enemy, as if I had taken from him what he considered his. I couldn't understand what I had done, but his gaze was full of contempt, envy, and... threat.
I couldn't look away, even when Asia, standing next to me, shook my hands and everything around me became a blur, as if I was trapped. Why was Ryan looking at me as if I had taken something precious from him? Why was I the one he hated? And what kind of world was this, where everything seemed somehow upside down?
I tried to erase the dream, but it wouldn't go away. It remained in my memory like an imprint, haunting me. I couldn't understand why this scene had affected me so much. It was just a dream, but the feeling that it was reality didn't leave me.
As I tried to come back to consciousness, realizing that the dream was just a dream, a strange realization came to me that everything was not as it seemed. I began to think back to the moment when I saw Ryan standing among the guests with hatred in his eyes, and suddenly I realized that in this dream, everything was somehow turned upside down. Ryan was me. He was the one who felt the hatred, he was the one who looked at me with disdain. And I, standing at the altar, in a wedding suit, was Ryan.
The realization came to me like a bolt from the blue. I remembered the way he had looked at me with such bitterness, and I realized that it was not the look of a stranger. It was my look, my feelings. I was in the place he had once occupied, and I was experiencing what he must have felt. I was standing on the very side that I might once have hated—the side where someone else could have taken the place he thought was his.
My thoughts about Asia weren't random either. Maybe I was the one who was actually trying to take someone else's place in her life. Everything in that dream became a clear and brutal revelation, as if I myself had become part of the dynamic in which I could no longer find a place for myself.
I had no choice but to admit that this dream was a reflection of my inner state. Everything I experienced, everything I felt, was connected to the fact that I had taken the place of another, and this feeling seemed to haunt me.
Yes, in real life, it was very different. Ryan is Asia's husband, and I was just a random neighbor who happened to be in the villa with them, in that strange combination of coincidences that led to this complex interweaving of feelings.
But in my dream, I seemed to see how these roles could be reversed. The dream made me feel what it was like to be at the center of it all, as if I was the one competing for her attention, even if it was completely ridiculous and had no connection to reality.