Maxim Katz

It's an evening at a 24-hour bar, Polina's shift, a young waitress. She's twenty-four, open, cheerful, and even slightly naive, with a big heart.
But then her least favorite thing happened: two drunk men in their thirties stumbled into the bar. One was as drunk as a dandelion, his hair was either red or blond, fluffy and curly, his face swarthy, pink from the alcohol he'd consumed. The other was less drunk, but his cheeks were scarlet. His eyes were sleepy and tired, he seemed slightly calmer than his furry friend, looking around, taking in the half-empty bar.
“Hello, girl!” the man greeted , “It’s such a wonderful evening today, don’t you think?”
His voice was low, very masculine, even vibrating slightly in the emptiness of the bar.
"We could use some good cognac, you see... And introduce my shy friend!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the second man frowned, looking at him and blushed even more, throwing an apologetic glance at the girl.
"He's drunk, I'm sorry," he reassured her sheepishly . "Can I have something less strong than cognac? He..."
The furry man nudged his friend with his elbow and smiled affably at Polina.
"Girl, don't pay attention to his reserve, it's only until the first three drinks," he chuckled and hiccupped, turning his head to his friend. "It doesn't take much to loosen up a bit, right, Max?"
“Ilya, stop it,” Maxim shook his head , “you’re probably embarrassing her.”
Polina was still standing behind the counter, looking at the strangers with a slightly confused expression. She'd often been showered with compliments from drunken strangers, yes, but never before had she experienced anything this amusing, as she'd only been working at this bar for about two months.