Vadim, I have absolutely fantastic news for you!» Sveta exclaimed, carefully lining her eyes with mascara in front of the mirror. She glanced at her reflection and smiled broadly:
«Tomorrow evening, my mother is coming to visit us. So here’s the deal: your task is to do a complete cleaning—so thorough that not a single speck of dust is left unnoticed. I’m off to see my manicurist right now, and then I plan to stop by the store. Perhaps Lyuska and I will spend some time at the spa or at her place. There’s little time and a lot to do. So the cleaning is entirely on you. I’ll be back in about six hours, no sooner.»
«Wait, Sveta, but that’s your mother, not mine! Why exactly should I be the one to handle this?» Vadim protested indignantly, but he quickly fell silent when he noticed her icy stare.
He knew perfectly well that arguing was useless. His mother-in-law always found something to criticize. Even if he cleaned the apartment until it shone, she would inevitably spot some microscopic speck of dust and start complaining. Sometimes it even seemed as though she deliberately produced dust from her pocket just to prove her point.
Thoughts of escape began to creep into his mind. In the past, he would take a taxi to avoid her visits, but now, without special permission, that wasn’t possible. Well, he’d have to stay and endure it.
«Vadim, if you keep behaving like this, I might cancel my meeting with Lyuska. And you know how much I hate that. Then, without fail, someone will be cleaning under my strict supervision,» Sveta warned, her eyes flashing menacingly.
Her ability to drive her husband to white-hot anger was unparalleled. Vadim knew it was best not to argue. If she started philosophizing about how cleaning was a shared responsibility, he would get completely tangled in her logic. She could convince even a scientist that black was white.
«Of course, dear, don’t worry. I’ll manage. By the time you get back, the apartment will be sparkling—as if in a cleaning product commercial,» he said placatingly, trying to sound confident.
Sveta smiled with satisfaction and continued applying her makeup. She wasn’t planning on praising him in advance—why create unnecessary expectations? Besides, she considered praising men counterproductive. What was he going to do? After all, he had no choice.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Vadim sighed. Cleaning? Seriously? He remembered his “black” savings, which he had secretly kept hidden from Sveta. They were exactly for such occasions. One could have spent them on something more useful than cleaning, but… what could be done.
He still had to find a company that would agree to come immediately. He quickly dialed the number of the first cleaning service he could find.
«I have an urgent order. I need help right now,» he blurted out as soon as he heard an answer.
The young woman on the other end asked a few clarifying questions and then fell silent. After a minute, she sighed:
«The earliest available time is seven in the evening. Does that work for you?»
«Seven in the evening?! I need help right now! Can’t anything be done?» pleaded Vadim.
«If it’s that urgent, try another company. At the moment, all of our employees are busy,» she replied.
«Are there any men available? Perhaps someone is free?» he suggested, not caring who would be doing the cleaning.
«Men only handle heavy work. They are also booked until tomorrow evening,» the young woman snapped.
Disappointed, Vadim began calling other companies. However, the prices for urgent service were so high they made his hair stand on end. Cursing under his breath, he decided that he would have to do everything himself. But then the phone rang again.
«Sir, we have a specialist available who is ready to come to your address. If it’s still needed, we’ll send her,» said a familiar voice from the first company.
«Of course, of course! I’m waiting! Thank you so much!» Vadim exclaimed happily.
He already pictured himself relaxing in front of his laptop while someone else did the hard work. Coffee, a movie, some rest—exactly what he needed after such tension.
Not even half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Vadim hurried to open the door and froze, as if rooted to the spot. Standing before him was Marina. The very girl he had once rejected in his third year at university. She had chased after him, written him postcards, even knitted him a scarf for his birthday. But he had ridiculed her in front of everyone and dismissed her. Now fate had decided to serve him a surprise.
In one hand, Marina held a vacuum cleaner with a washing attachment, and in the other, a bag of cleaning supplies. She looked even more striking than before, yet her job remained the same—disinfecting toilets was still on the agenda.
«People these days, even without security!» Vadim attempted a joke, though his voice sounded unnaturally cheerful. «Don’t just stand there at the door, come on in!»
«Hello, Vadim! I wasn’t expecting to see you here,» Marina said softly, stepping over the threshold. «So, where should we begin?»
«Well, I don’t even know… it’s kind of strange to see you in this line of work,» he mumbled, feeling awkward. «Maybe coffee? Or tea? Won’t you sit for a minute?»
«Sorry, but I’m on the job. I don’t have time to relax. The faster I finish, the better,» she replied calmly, arranging her tools.
Marina began working confidently and professionally. Every movement was precise, like a well-rehearsed choreography. Vadim watched her in amazement: this woman was completely different from the college student he had once snubbed. Her figure, the assurance in her movements—everything evoked admiration.
«Damn, why did I treat her so badly back then?» he thought, feeling a pang of guilt. At that time, he had mocked her gifts and words, insisting that her place was only among dirty work while he deserved something greater. Now, he felt ashamed.
«How’s life? Are you happy?» he ventured, trying to start a conversation.
«I’m doing great, no complaints,» Marina replied while continuing to wipe surfaces. It was obvious that she wasn’t interested in the past or in his opinion of her.
«Have you gotten married yet?» the question slipped out before he could stop himself—inside him, there was a hopeful wish to hear “no.”
«Not yet, but I plan to soon,» she nodded indifferently. «And you? Are you married?»
Her gaze was so direct that Vadim felt like a small child before a strict teacher. It wounded his pride, but he tried to hide it.
«Yes, of course. I’m married… well, that’s why I’m cleaning right now. My mother is coming, you see…»
«Oh, what’s this?» Marina interrupted, lifting a piece of Sveta’s lingerie with two fingers. «Should I send it to the laundry or put it away in the closet?»
«I’ll handle it myself,» Vadim mumbled, blushing as he grabbed the item and placed it in the laundry basket.
Any further attempts at conversation fell flat. Marina was completely focused on her work, ignoring his attempts to capture her attention. Vadim felt insignificant, like an empty space. His hurt mingled with shame, and he decided to stoop even lower.
«You know, remember when I told you that your destiny was to scrub toilets?» he said mockingly, trying to cover his awkwardness. «Looks like I was right.»
«Of course—you can’t escape fate,» Marina replied impassively, as if his words had not affected her at all.
Anger began to swell inside Vadim. Why was she so calm? Didn’t my words mean anything to her? He wanted to see even a flicker of pain or hurt, but to no avail.
After finishing her work, Marina removed her gloves and turned to him.
«That’ll be 5,350 rubles,» she said.
Vadim took out five and a half thousand rubles from his pocket and handed them over.
«Keep the change. I’m sure you won’t finish all that work with such a delicate frame,» he added with a hint of sarcasm.
Marina calmly slipped the money into the pocket of her coverall.
«Seems like you’ve become quite generous,» she remarked.
The remark sounded almost like a compliment, and Vadim couldn’t hide a pleased smile. But the joy quickly evaporated when he realized that there was nothing more between them—no shared memories, no emotions.
«Wait, I’ll take out the trash and then walk with you to the bus stop,» he offered, hoping to extend the encounter.
«No need, I’ve got a ride,» Marina shook her head.
«In your old Zhiguli?» Vadim snorted.
«You could say that,» she shrugged.
When Marina pressed the button on her remote, opening the jeep parked by the entrance, Vadim was literally left speechless.
«Is that your car?» he gasped.
«Yes, it is,» she nodded, carefully stowing her tools in the trunk. Removing her work coverall, she appeared before him in light shorts and a tank top. She looked simply stunning.
«So, you got rich scrubbing toilets?» he couldn’t help but ask sarcastically.
«Try cleaning them yourself—maybe you’ll get rich too,» she smirked. «Sorry, but I have to go home now. It was nice seeing you. Good luck!»
Vadim stood rooted to the spot as her car disappeared around the corner. His curiosity still nagged at him, and he dialed the cleaning company’s number.
«Marina Arkadyevna? She’s the owner of our agency. She kindly agreed to take your urgent order. Anything to pass on?» the operator asked.
«No, thank you,» he mumbled and hung up.
On his way home, he couldn’t shake the bitter feeling. It turned out she was a successful businesswoman, and he had not achieved the heights he had once dreamed of. Now he understood that he had missed out on something truly valuable. But the chance to fix it was long gone.
