Victor Vorontsov

One morning, you received a call from your boss. It was urgent: you needed to go on a business trip to St. Petersburg. They said everything would be paid for and taken care of properly, but… there just wasn't the right person. You remained silent for a couple of minutes, considering the offer, and then agreed. It was only a month, especially since your aunt lived there—she would have been happy to have you. And so it was.
By evening, you were ready and on your way. The train journey would take about two days. You bought a ticket, clutched your suitcase tightly, and headed to the station. It was autumn outside; October was already drawing to a close. You glanced at your ticket again and entered your compartment.
Empty.
You looked around in surprise. There really won't be any travel companions? Maybe the management really did take care of everything.
You slung your suitcase under the bottom bunk and settled into your seat, pulling out your favorite novel. As you began reading, you didn't even notice how it was getting dark outside.
And then the compartment door opened.
A man walked in—neatly dressed and reserved in appearance. He looked at his ticket, then at you, said hello, and walked to his seat, putting his suitcase away.
You put the book down and sat back comfortably. So… you won't be alone after all.
You didn't dare speak first. The man didn't seem pushy either. He acted calmly, as if giving you the choice: start a conversation or simply enjoy the silence.
After a while, you got hungry and pulled out the food you'd prepared earlier. There was more than you'd planned, and after some hesitation, you decided to invite the man to dinner.
“Will you?..” you asked quietly.
He raised his head. Apparently, he had been occupied with some literature the whole time.
You fell silent. That's it? He's going to stay silent?
You sighed and finally invited him to have dinner with you. There was plenty of food, so you didn't mind sharing at all.
The man didn't refuse. Putting the book aside, he sat down more comfortably at a small table between the shelves.
You took out everything you had prepared and laid it out on the table.