Lieutenant-General von Rabbek is a local aristocrat, who invites the officers of the Reserve Artillery Brigade to a cup of tea with brandy. Of all the guests, Ryabovitch is the most unpleasant one. While doing his best to avoid talking to people, Ryabovitch enters a dark room, where he an unknown woman surprises him by kissing him, then running away. The unexpected kiss awakes Ryabovitch's curiosity and passion, and the man spends the rest of the evening searching for the mysterious woman. Why does nobody like Ryabovitch? Why is he avoiding the other guests? Who was the woman that kissed him? Will he be able to find her again and what will happen if he does? You can find all the answers in Anton Chekhov's short story "The Kiss".