Arkady paced around the spacious office like a wild beast in a cramped cage, unable to find peace. Everything happened at once, as if someone from above decided to test his strength. As if mocking him, the law of Murphy showed its cruel face again — everything that could go wrong, inevitably went wrong. And at the worst possible moment.
Just a week ago, he broke up with Alisa, with whom he had lived for three years. Yes, they were not just dating — they lived together, shared a roof, food, daily life… At first glance, it seemed that there was true love between them, or at least a stable union. She was young, beautiful, with flawless looks — like a model from a magazine cover. For a businessman of his level, such a partner looked perfect. At least, that’s what he used to think. But now he understood he was wrong.
However, her beauty turned out to be an empty shell. Inside — not a drop of intellect, not even a hint of interest in books or self-development. Perhaps this was not surprising — half of his businessman acquaintances also surrounded themselves with women of the same type: beautiful but superficial. Only a few could boast wives capable of thinking strategically and helping in business. Arkady was among the unlucky ones.
But that was not even the worst part. It turned out that Alisa was not only foolish but treacherous. While he worked to exhaustion to support their life together, she found solace in the company of the driver. It’s incredible how selfish and unprincipled a person can be. Thoughts of punishing both of them occurred, but Arkady quickly realized times had changed. He limited himself to kicking them both out of the city, threatening at the end: “If I see you again, blame yourselves.” Yet that pain still burned inside him.
But today, while he had not yet recovered from his personal tragedy, his business faced a real threat. The bank he had built over the years was attacked by competitors who clearly wanted to swallow it whole. Although the bank’s structure was fairly stable, without new investments matters could take a catastrophic turn. Losses were inevitable, and their scale was terrifying to even imagine.
And today — today of all days! — a meeting with potential investors was scheduled. This was the key moment that could decide the fate of the entire enterprise. However, it turned out the main investor, a certain Miguel, was literally obsessed with family values. If Arkady came alone, the deal would fall through. His demand — a couple, preferably in a romantic relationship or at least passing as one. Without that, no trust, no cooperation.
This news was a real blow for Arkady. Whom could he bring? He went over all the women he knew in his mind, but none were suitable. Even if they agreed, it would be hard to shake them off afterward — money makes a man too attractive in their eyes. He needed a temporary solution, an acting gig for a few hours. No serious commitments, no consequences.
He looked at the clock — almost five in the evening. Time to act. Almost no one was left in the office. He went out to the main hall — two female operators were sitting there, both over forty, their faces tired, burdened with family and household problems. In accounting — Anna Fyodorovna, experienced but already older. Who else?… Ah yes, the cleaning lady!
The thought seemed absurd to him. Would he really have to ask help from the woman who cleaned the office? But there were no other options. Returning to his office, he was already losing hope when the phone vibrated. It was Kirill — an old friend and head of security.
“Hi! Did you find anyone?”
“No, damn it. Nobody at all.”
“Too bad. Miguel apparently has a son… well, you know, he’s on the wrong side.”
“And?”
“Now the father is categorically against non-traditional relationships. There must be a man and a woman at the meeting. At least pretending to be a couple.”
“Just like that! What a situation…”
“Arkasha, you’re wrong to bet everything on him. This guy can really take you to the top. Then you’ll forget all your problems.”
“I understand! But what to do?!”
“You have three hours. Find someone, pay. Solve the problem!”
Arkady threw the phone on the desk, feeling confused. What to do? Where to find a woman on such short notice?
Bursting out of his office, he almost bumped into the cleaning lady who was just finishing work.
“What’s your name?”
“Lilia…”
“Follow me, quickly!”
He rushed back into the office, the girl following.
“Take off your headscarf.”
Lilia obediently complied. Her heavy braid slipped off her shoulders, and Arkady was even a little surprised — she turned out to be very beautiful.
“Turn around.”
The girl turned around fearfully. She had a good figure, and an intelligent, thoughtful expression.
“Want to earn a month’s salary in one evening?”
Lilia blushed:
“Who do you think I am?!”
Arkady laughed:
“Don’t worry! I mean something else entirely. I need a woman to play the role of my girlfriend at an important business meeting. The better you act, the more you’ll get. Afterwards, you can leave.”
The girl thought for literally a second:
“That’s all?”
“That’s all. Then you’re free.”
“What about my appearance?” — she pointed at her tracksuit.
“We’ll prepare everything. Dress you up, fix you — we’ll manage. Agree?”
She nodded. Arkady called Kirill:
“Kiryuha, where are you? Come pick up Lilia from me. You have two hours to make her a real lady — hair, clothes, makeup. Everything necessary.”
“We’ll do it, don’t worry! My sister has a beauty salon, so we’ll go there right away.”
Ten minutes later the office was empty. Arkady immersed himself in documents, carefully rereading every point, preparing for the meeting. He got so absorbed he didn’t notice the time passing.
He only snapped out of it when the door creaked and Kirill’s voice was heard:
“Where did you find this gem?”
Arkady turned and was stunned. Before him stood a completely different Lilia. Her hair, gathered in large curls, fell to her waist. A dark blue dress revealed one shoulder and advantageously emphasized her figure. Her eyes shone with a special depth.
“This is… who?”
“What do you mean, ‘who’? Lilia!”
“Can’t be… Alright, we’re going. On the way, I’ll tell you everything you need to know. Just try to speak little and keep a low profile.”
The girl nodded. They headed for the exit. On the way Arkady explained the situation in detail:
“Introduce yourself as my fiancée. We are planning a wedding but haven’t set a date yet because we’re waiting for my grandmother to be able to come.”
“Your grandmother?”
“No, let’s say she’s yours. Fine. The main thing — don’t start conversations, don’t attract attention.”
Kirill, who was driving, suddenly asked:
“Lilia, are you married?”
“No. I’m studying.”
“And working?”
“Of course.”
“What do you… do? I mean… never mind! Maybe you have a free evening? We could go to the movies or a café?”
Lilia smiled:
“I’m in the middle of exams. I don’t know yet.”
Arkady felt a strange irritation inside. Why was Kirill flirting with her? He sharply said:
“Kiryuha, watch the road!”
“Got it, boss!”
Arkady grimaced — he hated being called that way.
When they entered the restaurant, Arkady suddenly thought: does Lilia know etiquette? If she doesn’t know how to eat properly, everything will fail! But it was too late to fuss — he should have thought earlier.
The Italians were already waiting. After exchanging courtesies, everyone sat down at the table. Miguel, the main investor, looked at Lilia with interest and said through a translator:
“You are incredibly beautiful! So unusual to see natural beauty among artificial ones.”
Lilia smiled:
“Thank you, you are very kind.”
“I should be the one thanking you. Arkady, you are really lucky!”
Arkady tensed internally. He watched every movement of the girl, but she behaved naturally, gracefully, and confidently.
Then the business part began. Miguel spoke in Italian, not allowing the words to be translated. Arkady didn’t understand a word but noticed the Italians started to frown. They clearly doubted his sincerity.
Lilia realized what was happening and quietly replied to Miguel:
“Please forgive us… especially my fiancé. I have a very strict upbringing, and I ask him not to show feelings in public. I feel awkward…”
Miguel was surprised:
“You speak Italian?”
“Yes, but I never told Arkady about it. Men don’t like women who know more.”
“You are a wonderful girl! And you just helped your boyfriend close the deal. It’s for your shared future!”
The Italian businessman extended his hand, and the deal was signed. Arkady saw Miguel’s mood change. He understood that thanks to Lilia, everything worked out but did not know the details.
On the way home, Arkady asked:
“What did you say to them?”
“I explained that you don’t show feelings in public because I asked you to. Because of my strict family.”
“So, you saved me?”
“Maybe.”
At Lilia’s home, Arkady gave her much more money than promised. She was amazed.
“This is too much!”
“It’s fine. If not for you… Well, can I hug you now?”
He hugged her but did it too freely. Lilia broke away and slapped him:
“That wasn’t in our contract!”
She left, leaving Arkady confused.
The next day Arkady came to her home — with a doctor. He paid for her mother’s treatment at the best center in the city.
“Thank you very much! We could never have gathered so much ourselves!”
“Lilia, let’s rest together. A ski resort, for example. I promise — separate rooms. Just relax. I haven’t rested with a smart woman in a long time.”
She smiled:
“I’ve always dreamed of skiing in the summer…”
A year later, they got married.
