Marina paced nervously through the living room, immersed in deep thought. She was tormented by conflicting emotions—a mix of confusion and internal discomfort. Everything had not gone as she planned, and now she was unsure of what choice to make.
The day before, during a visit to the notary, she was stunned by unexpected news: her father, with whom she had long lost contact, had died six months ago. According to the will, she inherited his restaurant, while the rest of the property was divided among the children from his second marriage—whose existence Marina had not even suspected.
Her first thought was to immediately refuse the inheritance. After all, she had entirely different plans. In two weeks, she was supposed to go to Germany, where Christian awaited her—the man with whom she planned to share her life.
Their relationship could not be called a classic romantic union. It was more of a business partnership: Christian was looking for an attractive and educated wife to enhance his social status, and Marina saw in him a wealthy and cultured husband who could help her realize her ambitious plans. She intended to open a chain of beauty salons in Germany, where she had already made a name for herself as a talented makeup artist. But the sudden inheritance of the restaurant completely disrupted all her calculations.
Her mother strongly recommended accepting the will, which surprised her daughter.
«Marinochka, don’t rush to refuse. Think it over carefully before making a decision,» Inna Pavlovna said softly.
«Why do I need this? I don’t need anything from him!» Marina exclaimed, annoyed.
«Don’t be heated, listen to me. Your father is not the only one who acted like this. People fall in love… both men and women. Even while in relationships,» her mother philosophically added.
«Mom, are you defending him? You always said he was a traitor and a scoundrel!» Marina exclaimed, not believing her ears.
Inna Pavlovna approached the window and, after a pause, confessed:
«I’m not defending him. I’m just guilty myself. I loved Sergei too much, and my jealousy and demands drove him away. Then I forbade him to see you. It hurt me, and I didn’t want you two to get close.»
Marina froze, shocked by this revelation.
«He always helped us financially,» her mother continued. «Thanks to that, you received an excellent education. But I didn’t allow you to be together. Forgive me for this deception.»
This confession was a real shock for Marina. She had always considered her father a selfish man, convinced that love could only betray, and trust was a luxury. Now her view of the past had drastically changed. She decided not to refuse the restaurant, but she now felt as if at a crossroads.
Should she trust a professional to manage the establishment and fly to Germany, or should she stay and sort out the business? Christian, having learned of the situation, was clearly displeased.
«Marisha, do you understand that my family will not approve of a long wedding postponement?» he said coldly.
«Of course, Kris. I will do everything possible to resolve this issue quickly,» she replied, trying to remain calm.
«Have you decided what to do with the restaurant? Will you sell it?»
«I don’t know yet. I need to go there, take a look, and study the situation. It might be a profitable business.»
«Sensible. If it really brings in good income, it’s worth keeping. But don’t delay.»
After the conversation with her fiancé, Marina felt a strange feeling, as if she had been scolded for a misdemeanor. To distract herself, she typed the restaurant’s name into a search engine. First, her attention was captured by photos of the interiors—they made a pleasant impression. Then she moved on to customer reviews. Most of the comments were positive, but a few lines made her think.
«Never agree to work at this place! Management constantly conducts strange inspections and delays salaries,» one user wrote. Other employees also complained about mysterious checks and unfair treatment.
Marina closed her laptop, feeling a curiosity awakening inside her. «What kind of inspections are these?» she pondered, unable to find peace. This thought began to haunt her, like an annoying fly, preventing her from focusing on other matters.
«What if…» Marina sat on the sofa, pensively looking ahead.
«Why do you need this?» her mother asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
«I just want to understand how everything is arranged from the inside.»
«Seriously? Washing dishes for everyone?» Inna Pavlovna grimaced, as if she had been offered something unpleasant.
«Exactly. I’ll get a job as a dishwasher. Isn’t that the best way to understand the situation?»
«Hmm, you really are like your father. He also loved unconventional approaches to problems,» her mother acknowledged after a pause.
Marina remained silent, noticing how the pain from the realization of her former husband’s loss still burdened her mother. But time heals, and the wound would eventually close.
Giving herself a critical look in the mirror, Marina was pleased with the result.
«Well, Mom, will it do?»
«Lord! You could pass for forty! It’s a nightmare!»
«Perfect!» she rejoiced.
«Think again, dear. Are you sure you want this?»
«Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I can handle it.»
Standing in front of the restaurant, Marina was struck by the magnificent façade of the building and the impeccably maintained territory. Stepping inside, she began to look around. A girl immediately approached her:
«Are you looking for someone? We’re closed at the moment.»
«I came about the dishwasher job ad.»
«I see. I’ll take you to Alexey Sergeyevich.»
«Well, it will be interesting to meet this tyrant, who apparently organizes all these checks,» Marina thought.
«Listen, is it true that terrible inspections are held here?» she dared to ask her escort.
«Where did you get that? Read some reviews? They are written by those who want to get paid for doing nothing. Yes, there are checks, but they are more like tests of professionalism. Without them, we could not have reached such a level of service.»
Marina was puzzled. She imagined a frightened staff, but instead heard a completely different story.
The girl led her into a spacious office, where a middle-aged man sat at a desk. His appearance did not match the image of a tyrant: he was young, energetic, and quite attractive. Interest was evident in his eyes.
«Hello. Please come in, take a seat. Which position are you applying for?» his voice sounded soft and confident.
Marina listened to his talk about the duties of a dishwasher only half-heartedly. She was captivated by his manner of speaking and involuntarily caught every word. Her inner voice whispered that the situation was taking an unexpected turn.
«Will there be any tests?» she muttered, trying to maintain seriousness.
«Of course. Want to try right now? We’ll see if our job suits you.»
On the way to the washing area, Marina prepared a speech about how such hiring methods were unacceptable. However, her thoughts were confused, as reality was not as she had imagined.
«It’s not checks, but rather tests on the speed and quality of task execution. Here it’s important to work smoothly: wash a mountain of dishes, promptly serve guests.»
Marina looked at Alexey Sergeyevich with slight puzzlement.
«Is that all? And I thought…»
«What did you expect?» he smiled, as if reading her thoughts.
She felt awkward. She had indeed expected something more dramatic, but now understood that she was mistaken.
The test began. Marina was surprised to find that washing dishes brought her pleasure. It was almost meditative for her—carefully cleaning each plate, watching the glasses gleam. Her mother often joked about this:
«Marishka, you’ll never be lost! If anything, you can always work as a housemaid. Leave at least some work for Zinaida!»
Zinaida, the family’s faithful housekeeper, had patiently taught little Marina all the intricacies of housekeeping for many years. The girl spent hours in the kitchen, helping her and listening to stories about life.
The test result exceeded all expectations.
«Excellent!» Alexey Sergeyevich approved. «When can you start work?»
«When is it needed?» she replied, feeling a new emotion inside—a mix of curiosity and excitement.
«To be honest, it’s long overdue. The girls have been very overloaded lately—they serve the hall and try to cope here. Your help will be just in time.»
«Well, I can start tomorrow.»
«Excellent! I’ll see you at nine o’clock.»
Alexey Sergeyevich escorted Marina to the exit. Her heart pounded wildly, as if trying to escape from her chest. «What nonsense? Why does this man affect me so much?» she wondered.
Marina pulled out her phone, intending to call Christian to calm down, but she changed her mind. The excitement she was feeling was unusual and even pleasant. Christian always gave her a sense of calm, akin to drowsy oblivion.
Returning home, she noticed her mother examining her attentively.
«Marisha, what’s with you? You’re just glowing!»
«Mommy, they hired me! Imagine? I passed the test! And there’s the manager, Alexey Sergeyevich… such a…»
Inna Pavlovna tensed up:
«Wait a minute. Alexey? Dark-haired?»
«Yes! Do you know him?»
The mother leaned back in her chair.
«That’s the son of your father’s best friend. When Sergei learned of his friend’s death, he took over the care of the boy’s family. They were living in poverty then, and your dad regularly helped them financially. I had no idea he was so devoted to his friend’s memory.»
«Wow!» Marina was amazed. «So, it’s fate?»
Inna Pavlovna shook her head, still surprised by the changes in her daughter.
«If I had known you’d react like this to all this… But tell me, do you really intend to wash dishes in your own restaurant?»
«Temporarily—yes. You can’t leave people without help. You’ll see, it’s the right thing to do!»
Her mother just sighed. She saw that Marina seemed to have become younger, more lively, although she herself could not understand the reason for such behavior.
A week flew by unnoticed amid endless chores. The restaurant was packed every evening, and there was work for everyone. Marina rarely encountered Alexey, and this only seemed to fuel her interest. At the same time, she was looking for a reliable replacement for herself, not wanting to leave the restaurant without necessary hands.
Christian called regularly, reminding her of the upcoming wedding. But now Marina understood that she did not want to fly to Germany at all. Her only desire was to stay here, where she had the opportunity to meet Alexey.
One evening, a real scandal erupted in the restaurant. Such a thing had never happened before. Marina cautiously peeked out from the washing area. The waitresses were whispering among themselves:
«That crazy woman has completely lost it! Now she throws tantrums every week.»
«Of course, she’s been trying to get Alexey Sergeyevich for a long time, but he pretends she doesn’t exist. Today she definitely crossed the line.»
The shouting grew louder. And when Marina spotted the source of the problem, she almost groaned. It was Lenka, her old friend, who was now behaving like an enraged buffalo.
«Who are you to tell me what to do?!» she yelled at Alexey. «I don’t even know you!»
He maintained his composure, though he turned pale.
«Please leave the premises. Otherwise, I’ll have to call the police.»
«Police? You, a petty clerk, don’t decide anything here! I’ll call the owner, and she’ll sweep you out of here!»
Marina could no longer endure. Grabbing a towel, she quickly wiped off her makeup and resolutely entered the hall. The waitresses gasped as if they had seen a ghost.
«Lenka, let’s talk outside!»
Her friend stared at her in astonishment:
«Marinka? What’s with the masquerade? Have you decided to become a waitress?»
Marina caught Alexey’s disapproving glance, clearly not approving of her role as an «ordinary dishwasher.» After sending Lenka home in a taxi and sternly warning her not to appear again, she returned inside. The waitresses parted, letting her into the manager’s office.
Alexey greeted her with an inquiring look.
«Can you explain what’s going on here? And why did one of your friends decide to throw a demonstrative tantrum?»
Marina took a deep breath.
«Alexey Sergeyevich, forgive me for everything. I started working here because I read negative reviews and wanted to check their veracity. Then it dragged on… And now I want to confess: I own this restaurant.»
He froze for a second, then frowned.
«So, I’m not fired?»
«Of course not! You’re doing a great job with your duties.»
Alexey rubbed his face with his palms, as if trying to wake up.
«I did not expect such a turn of events. Forgive me for my suspicions.»
They continued the conversation, moving from work to personal topics. After closing the restaurant, they together took care of the remaining dishes. As Alexey walked her home, he shyly confessed:
«Honestly, I can’t get used to you like this… so real.»
«Nothing, we’ll still be friends!» she replied with a smile.
«Friends,» he repeated, gently touching her hand. «Will you come to see us sometimes?»
«Oh, more often than you think! I need to oversee the process until we hire a new dishwasher.»
«You’re amazing,» he murmured.
Entering the apartment, Marina found a message from Christian: «If you don’t fly out immediately, the wedding is off.» Smiling, she typed a reply: «Cancel it. I’m not flying anywhere.»
Six months later, in that very restaurant, a lavish wedding took place. Marina, dressed in a white gown, shone beside Alexey. Now she knew for sure: love at first sight is not just a fairy tale but a reality, if you meet the right person.
