Raisa nervously paced from one corner of the room to another — her heart felt unbearably heavy, as if everything inside her had been turned upside down. Yesterday she had been at the notary’s office… And now she couldn’t understand what was happening to her.
Her father had died. The very same father she hadn’t spoken to for so many years she couldn’t even count. It turned out he had died six months ago. And she didn’t even know about it! And the most surprising thing — he left her a restaurant in his will. Not to the children from his second marriage, whom Raisa had never even met, but to her.
Her first thought was to refuse. To hell with it all! She had other plans: in two weeks, she was supposed to fly to Germany to her fiancé.
Karl… What to say? Their relationship couldn’t be called passionate — more businesslike. He was a businessman who needed a smart and beautiful wife. She wanted a reliable and well-off husband. Everything was straightforward, without romantic illusions. Raisa dreamed of opening a chain of beauty salons there — she was already well known as a professional makeup artist.
But this damn restaurant changed everything!
“Rachka, think carefully before you refuse,” her mother urged.
“Mom, I don’t want anything from him!” Raisa exclaimed.
“Wait, don’t rush. Your father wasn’t the only one… People fall in love even when they’re already tied to other relationships. It happens to both men and women.”
“Are you defending him?!” Raisa couldn’t believe her ears. “You yourself said he was a traitor and a man beneath contempt!”
Her mother looked away toward the window.
“No, I’m not excusing him… It’s just…” She sighed deeply. “I remember how he was there for you in childhood… He never came to any of your birthdays.”
“Because I forbade him!”
Raisa nearly dropped her cup:
“What do you mean — you forbade him? You always said Dad had a new family and that he abandoned us!”
Inna Pavlovna went to the window and was silent for a long time.
“I need to ask forgiveness… For lying.” Her voice trembled. “I loved Yurochka very much. Maybe too much — I suffocated him with my jealousy… But he… he always helped us financially. It was his money that allowed you to get a good education.”
This was a shock to Raisa. As far back as she could remember, she believed her father was a scoundrel, untrustworthy to anyone. But now everything changed in an instant.
She didn’t refuse the restaurant but had no idea what to do with it. Maybe let it run on its own while she went to Germany? Or maybe she should stay and figure things out?
Karl was unhappy:
“You must understand that my parents won’t accept a long delay.”
“Of course, darling, I’ll try to resolve everything as soon as possible.”
“So, have you decided what to do with the restaurant?”
“Not yet. I need to visit, see it, understand. Maybe it brings good income, and then it would be wiser to keep it.”
After talking to her fiancé, Raisa felt like a guilty schoolgirl. She shook her head and opened the internet.
Photos of the restaurant inspired her — she liked the interior. Most reviews were positive, but two or three caused concern:
“I don’t recommend working at this place! The manager organizes some strange ‘tests’ and then doesn’t pay!”
Another review was similar. What kind of tests were these?
And then a crazy idea came to her mind…
“Mom, what if I apply to work there?”
“Why would you want that?” her mother asked from the couch, looking at her daughter like she was crazy.
“I don’t know myself. I want to understand everything from the inside.”
“You’re not planning to wash dishes, are you?”
“Why not? That’s exactly what dishwashers do.”
“You remind me of your father now. He also liked unconventional solutions.”
“Mom, I think it’s great!” Raisa spun in front of the mirror in old clothes.
Inna Pavlovna looked at her daughter:
“This is a nightmare! You look forty years old!”
“That’s exactly how it should be!”
“Rachka, think again — do you really want this?”
“Mom, everything will work out!”
The restaurant made an impression — large, beautiful, with a neat territory. Raisa entered and looked around.
“We haven’t started work yet,” a girl approached her.
“I’m here about the ad, for the dishwasher position.”
“Come in, I’ll take you to Andrey Nikolaevich.”
“Interesting,” Raisa thought, “probably that very tyrant.”
“Tell me, is it true that you have strange tests here?” she couldn’t resist asking.
The girl laughed:
“That’s all made up by those who didn’t want to work but demanded a salary! Tests? Of course we have them — but better call them professional aptitude tests. Without them, we couldn’t maintain this level of service.”
Raisa fell silent, confused. So there are tests, but they’re not that bad? And why does this girl talk about them with a smile? She expected employees to be scared and miserable…
Andrey Nikolaevich was about five years older than her — and nothing like a tyrant.
“Hello, please come in, sit down. What job are you interested in?”
Raisa couldn’t understand: in front of her sat a calm, attentive man with a friendly look. Handsome, by the way… Not the type she had pictured as a despotic manager.
While Andrey described the dishwasher’s duties, Raisa barely listened — her thoughts scattered, her gaze involuntarily lingered on his lips. Only when she caught his surprised look did she realize she was acting strangely and shyly looked away.
“Will there be a test?” she asked, trying to compose herself.
He smiled:
“We can do it right now. Then it will be clear if you’re suitable or not.”
As they walked, Raisa was mentally preparing a lecture about labor rights violations and other injustices. But Andrey began to explain:
“We don’t do these tests just like that, you see? When there are many people, it’s important to keep up. So we look at how fast you wash dishes, how waitresses carry orders, how they handle stress. Basically, a professional suitability test.”
“That’s all?” Raisa couldn’t believe it.
“What else did you expect?”
Raisa hesitated. She didn’t know what she expected. Probably anything but such a simple and logical explanation. She shrugged.
“Well, are you ready?”
She nodded. She had always liked washing dishes — in general, she loved cleaning and order. Even her mother joked, “Rachka, you won’t be lost! If anything, you can always work as a maid.”
Since childhood, she adored helping the housekeeper Zina in the kitchen — Zina cooked soup and told fairy tales about porridges and borscht, and Raisa sat next to her with her mouth open.
And the test went perfectly.
“Everything is simply excellent!” Andrey said approvingly. “When can you start?”
“When do you need me?”
“To be honest, yesterday. The girls here work for three people.”
“Then I’ll start tomorrow.”
“Great!” He accompanied her to the exit. “Then tomorrow at nine.”
Raisa went out, her heart pounding as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. What was happening to her? Why did this man stir such emotions?
She took out her phone to call Karl and regain her usual composure but changed her mind. Somehow she didn’t want to call or remind herself of the upcoming wedding. Karl always acted on her like a sleeping pill, but now… now she felt alive like never before.
At home, her mother greeted her with a questioning look:
“What’s wrong with you? You’re like a flustered sparrow!”
Raisa spun around the room with her mother:
“I got the job! I’m officially a dishwasher now! I passed the test! And there’s a manager — Andrey Nikolaevich… he’s so…”
Inna Pavlovna frowned:
“Andrey? Dark-haired, tall?”
“Yes! Do you know him?”
“He’s the son of your father’s old friend. After your father died, Yura took the guy under his wing. Helped his mother, brought him to his place, supported him… I didn’t think the connection would break. So Andrey became an independent person thanks to your dad.”
Raisa fell silent. Another good memory of her father. And again she felt pain — why weren’t they close, why didn’t they try to mend their relationship?
“Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t communicate with him.”
“Me too.”
“So am I really going to wash dishes? After all, this is my restaurant!”
“For now, yes. I can’t just abandon these people.”
“It’s just strange to see you as a worker.”
“That’s right, Mom. Very right.”
Inna Pavlovna shook her head:
“You’re acting like a lovesick schoolgirl!”
Raisa closed her room door and leaned against it. Love at first sight? No, that doesn’t exist — fairy tales for romantics. But her heart sang, her thoughts tangled, and she clearly understood: she was hopelessly in love. But what to do about it? Her wedding was soon… And that thought immediately spoiled her mood.
She buried her face in a pillow and cried.
A week passed. The restaurant was busy, people came all the time, and there was plenty of work. She saw Andrey rarely and was glad at first — better to keep distance. Meanwhile, she was looking for a new dishwasher so as not to let down her own restaurant.
Karl called several times, asking when she would fly. Raisa understood: going back was like dying. Staying here, where she could sometimes see Andrey — that’s what her heart wanted.
“Rayochka, tell me, what’s going on?” her mother asked anxiously.
“Mom, I think… I’m in love.”
“With whom?! And what about Karl?”
“Mom, I don’t know myself… I just don’t want to leave.”
“Does he know?”
“Of course not! You see how I am. Everything is tangled, and I don’t know how this will end.”
“So that’s how it is… And what now?”
“Oh, if only I knew…”
That day Raisa decided to tell Andrey the truth. Not about all her love, of course, but about who she really was.
The evening was in full swing when suddenly a scandal broke out in the hall — nothing like it had ever happened before. Raisa cautiously peeked out — waitresses were crowding in the corner.
“She’s completely lost it! Always throwing a tantrum!”
“He doesn’t even notice her. But today, apparently, he lost his patience — asked her to leave.”
The shouting grew louder. Raisa recognized Lena’s voice — a friend who had once been close to her. She yelled at the top of her lungs:
“Who do you think you are?! This is my friend’s restaurant! And consider yourself fired! You’re just an employee! You don’t decide anything here!”
Lena was clearly drunk. Andrey stood before her, pale but composed, and said:
“Please leave the hall. Otherwise, I’ll have to call the police.”
“Call them! And I’ll call the owner to fire you in front of everyone!”
Raisa couldn’t stand it. She threw off her apron and headed into the hall. The waitresses looked at her like a ghost.
“Lena, come on, girlfriend.”
She perked up:
“Rai! Where did you disappear? What’s that on you? Ew! What happened to you?”
Raisa saw Andrey’s expression change — from confusion to anger. She quickly got Lena into a taxi and then, gathering her courage, went to the manager’s office.
Andrey was sitting at the table when she entered. He stood up.
“You’re free to go now.”
“Andrey Nikolaevich, forgive me… I started by reading stupid reviews and decided to check them myself. And then… I didn’t know how to tell the truth.”
“So, I’m not fired?” He rubbed his face with his hands. “Honestly, I was confused.”
They talked for a long time. After the restaurant closed, they washed dishes together. Andrey walked Raisa home and shyly said:
“I can’t get used to you… exactly like this.”
“Let’s be friends, definitely!”
He shook his head:
“We will be friends…”
And suddenly took her hand and kissed it gently.
“Will you be coming to the restaurant often?”
“Much more often than you think. Until we find a new dishwasher — every day!”
“You’ll wash dishes?”
“Of course! I agreed myself!”
“You are… extraordinary.”
Raisa came home with flushed cheeks and a pounding heart. A message from Karl arrived on her phone:
“Either you come immediately, or I cancel the wedding!”
She smiled and replied:
“Cancel it. I’m not going anywhere.”
And six months later, the wedding finally took place — in her own restaurant. With her beloved Andrey.
