Svetlana blushed with shame; her temples began to throb, and her palms grew damp. She realized her husband had been right: gathering all the relatives around one table was a bad idea. They should have celebrated at home, in a family way, but now it was too late, and she had to deal with her own naivety.
Svetlana was dusting the top shelves of the rack when the phone rang. She deftly jumped off the stool and quickly wiped her hands on her apron.
— Hello, — she said cheerfully upon seeing her husband’s work number on the display, — how are you?
— Fine, Svetik, I’m short on time, so I’ll be quick, — his voice was accompanied by the distant hum of the street, — my parents are coming into town; they want to meet us for dinner one of these days. I just dashed out to get some flowers, and I’ll stop by to say hello after work tonight. What do you think?
— Well, sure, come by, I don’t mind…
— I mean dinner, Svet! — her husband interrupted, — shall we cook something up?
— Listen, maybe we should go to a café? It just happened spontaneously, and we need to buy groceries, — Svetlana pondered, — and the new set hasn’t arrived yet; we’ve already gotten rid of the old one. We can’t even set the table for your parents on a bedside table.
— Oh, right! I almost forgot. It’s good that you called!
— Always a pleasure, — Svetlana burst into laughter again.
— So, will you handle finding a decent café? You know, somewhere proper, with good food and all that?
— Of course, I’ll take care of it, — Svetlana understood that her husband was in a hurry and tried not to delay him, — don’t worry, I’ll take full responsibility.
Although Svetlana and Pavel had been married for five years, she didn’t know his parents very well. In her memory, they had only visited a few times—staying with Pavel’s relatives or coming over for tea—nothing special. Parents are just parents. They asked when the renovation would be finished, how work was going—typical small talk. So Svetlana wasn’t too worried about the upcoming meeting. They would just sit, chat, and eat. Nothing hinted at any trouble, and Svetlana set off to find a café.
In the evening, Pavel returned from meeting his parents in high spirits.
— And why are you glowing like that? — Svetlana inquired curiously.
— Mom, it turns out she came for a checkup and everything’s fine with her. Isn’t that great? And you wouldn’t believe what they planned for themselves! — Pavel jabbered on, pouring himself some tea.
— Oh, how nice. Doctors are great too—how they can instill fear, yet easily unsettle older people.
— Yes, and don’t even mention it… by the way, speaking of older people. You know, my relatives are also joining us for dinner, — Pavel munched on some cookies.
— Oh, I don’t really know anyone properly, — Svetlana began to worry.
— Well, you’ll get to know them. They’re all normal, reasonable people. Besides, it’s just dinner. It’ll fly by before you know it, — Pavel planned with a cookie above his tea cup, apparently mimicking a fleeting dinner.
— So, a table for four?
— Five, there will also be a niece from my aunt’s side.
— Hold on, — Svetlana furrowed her brows, — isn’t she the one he was supposed to marry?
— Oh, that was a long time ago, forget it, — her husband brushed it off, but Svetlana couldn’t help but remember that story vividly.
Pavel had told her about his past himself. Not long before meeting Svetlana, his parents had been actively trying to set him up with Nadya, a relative of his uncle’s wife. Allegedly, any bride would do, as suitors lined up, but he was always eyeing Pavel. Svetlana had seen Nadya in family photos, and Nadya seemed like a real threat. With her thick, light-brown braid, huge blue eyes with long lashes, an assertively upturned nose, and a stunning figure, Nadya was unforgettable. Svetlana, of course, was glad that Pavel ended up with her, but she couldn’t help asking him then why things hadn’t worked out. He replied that Nadya simply wasn’t to his taste—he preferred sultry, tanned brunettes like Svetlana. Back then, Pavel was content with that explanation, but now, as she was about to sit at the same table with a former rival, she became seriously anxious and thought she should look a bit better than usual.
The next day, Svetlana went to the chosen café personally to try the food and assess the ambiance. The sense of responsibility was overwhelming, and she decided to keep everything under control as much as she could.
But during lunch she relaxed a little. The food was excellent, the waiters friendly and smiling, the place was immaculate, and the bill, by city standards, was even modest. Svetlana confidently arranged with the manager for a reservation on Saturday evening. By then, she needed to get a manicure, dye her hair, and find the best dress that would flatter her figure. While she could choose the dress from her home wardrobe, everything else required an appointment and a personal visit, so time flew by until the weekend.
— Pash, are your parents taking a taxi? — Svetlana called to her husband as she fastened a gold bracelet on her wrist.
— No, on foot. Dad really doesn’t like spending money on taxis, restaurants… in short, on all that we’re used to in the big city. He believes it’s a luxury for the rich, and he’s fine walking—and with mom’s borscht, — Pavel answered loudly from another room.
— But we…
— No, don’t worry, this isn’t about today! We already agreed—we’re definitely going to the café. By the way, just in case, I brought up the topic of what budget to look for when choosing a place. Mom said let’s leave it to our choice; they rarely come to town, so they might even go all out.
— Phew, — Svetlana exhaled, — I was already thinking there would be problems. Well, I’m ready.
Svetlana went out to meet her husband, and he nearly dropped his cufflinks in surprise. The red dress accentuated her figure in all the right places; the curls of her dark hair fell on her shoulders, covering her collarbones. But they couldn’t hide the sparkling necklace Pavel had given her on their anniversary. He hadn’t seen Svetlana so happy, elegantly dressed, and slightly excited in a long time—as if on a first date.
Despite the fact that Svetlana and Pavel arrived at the café earlier than planned, the relatives were already waiting for them at a table: Pavel’s mother, Victoria Ivanovna; his father, Gennady Andreevich; Uncle Misha; Aunt Olya; and Nadya.
Svetlana paid particular attention to the last one, as she expected to see a blonde beauty in a form-fitting dress. Although, to be fair, the dress was indeed tight. It just clung not to a once-toned figure, but to some extra pounds. Nevertheless, the hostess was not at all embarrassed; she leapt from her seat and threw her arms around Pavel’s neck, exclaiming how happy she was to see him. Yes, Nadya had indeed changed. From a slim girl with a sly look, she had turned into a mature lady with uncolored roots peeking through lacquered, styled hair, protruding from a short knitted dress at the sides, and sporting garish makeup.
— Pashenka, do you recognize me, kitty? — Nadya purred in a smoky voice.
Svetlana looked at the family. Victoria Ivanovna nodded with an approving smile, while Uncle Misha and Aunt Olya lined up for hugs with Pavel.
He looked pathetic and bewildered, having no idea how to shake off the persistent relatives.
Once everyone had calmed down and sat at the table, the relatives announced that they had already placed their orders without waiting for the couple, who, by the way, should hurry since the service was “snail-paced,” as Nadya put it.
Svetlana ordered a warm salad, and Pavel ordered pasta with mushrooms. And then the food arrived. It turned out that the relatives felt more at ease than the inviting side and hadn’t hesitated to order veal medallions, chef’s salmon, and sea scallops. And that was just Gennady Andreevich’s order.
Svetlana thought that Pavel’s parents really knew how to live in style.
In addition to the gourmet delights, the group ordered an expensive bottle of wine and a decanter of the most expensive vodka.
Despite persistent suggestions to drink to the occasion, Svetlana and Pavel each ordered a glass of mineral water with lemon, which displeased Uncle Misha.
— Well, suit yourselves, of course, but it’s not very nice. As if we see each other every day, I swear! — he turned to the other guests, a full shot glass in hand, — well, here’s to the meeting, to family!
Before the hot dish was even served, Nadya started dancing, tugging at Pavel’s tie. He tried his best to resist, but an inebriated Nadya wouldn’t give up. Pavel eventually gave in.
— That would have been quite the couple, — Victoria Ivanovna said dreamily, — he almost married Nadya, if circumstances hadn’t interfered.
Svetlana knew full well that she was those very “circumstances,” but she didn’t let it show.
— Oh, don’t say that, Vikus’, — Aunt Olya agreed, — remember the way he looked at her?
— Of course! If things had worked out back then, she wouldn’t have ended up in that unfortunate marriage. She’d still be a catch.
— Oh yes, the Lord blessed her to divorce such a husband as she had. But never mind, it’s all in the past. It’s time to rebuild life, to start fresh, — Aunt Olya shook her head.
— Or maybe not completely fresh—perhaps a little nostalgia for the old days, — Victoria Ivanovna smiled slyly and shot a sidelong glance at Svetlana.
Svetlana listened to these conversations and thought about how much they must not like her, judging by the whole spectacle. But she trusted her husband; besides, being jealous of today’s Nadya was foolish, so she kept quiet, pretending not to understand the context.
The slow dance ended. A flushed Nadya and a embarrassed Pavel returned to the table.
— My fish has gone off, change it, — Gennady Andreevich grumbled at the waiter’s sleeve.
— Dad…
— What, Dad? Do you want me to eat my food like leftovers every day?
— You haven’t even touched hers since it was brought! — Pavel protested indignantly.
— Nothing will be impoverished. They definitely didn’t overfill the vodka. Their decanters are special; the glass is thick—it seems like a liter. But there’s much less in there! — Gennady Andreevich explained with the air of an expert.
— Yes, yes, and the wine seems somewhat cheap too, — Nadya chimed in.
— And how do you know how it should be? — Pavel retorted sarcastically.
— Do you think that just because we’re not from the capital we know nothing about life? — his mother looked at him indignantly, — sit closer to Nadya and chat about your own matters.
At Nadya’s mother’s suggestion, Nadya moved closer to Pavel. But he only pulled away in response.
— Mom, I’m fine sitting next to my wife, thank you.
— Alright, — his mother suddenly agreed, — so tell us about your life? So this is how you spend your time—going out to cafés instead of cooking at home? Or is there no one to cook for you? Nadya cooks wonderfully; she even brought such a fur coat for New Year’s…
— Mom, maybe we should change the subject? — Pavel could no longer hide his irritation.
— Why not? But I’ll have some coffee then.
The rest of the dinner passed in a disorganized and absurd manner. Nadya kept clinging to Pavel. Clearly, he was disgusted by it. Victoria Ivanovna and Gennady Andreevich continually criticized the food, the service, and the choice of venue, periodically drifting into remarks about how happy their son could be if he stayed with Nadya. Aunt Olya and Uncle Misha quickly got drunk and began behaving boisterously. Svetlana couldn’t stand the chaos any longer and at one point loudly shouted, “The bill!!!”
The waiter immediately rushed over with the check, as if understanding that he simply had to save the poor girl. He handed the folder to Pavel, thereby halting the endless buzz at the table.
— So, that’s 1,200, plus tip, total 1,500, — Pavel said, handing the folder to Gennady Andreevich while reaching into his pocket with his other hand.
But the father wasn’t in a hurry to accept the bill; on the contrary, he had already pulled on his jacket.
— You pay the café bill yourselves, we didn’t like anything, — his parents declared as they rose from the table.
— Dad, we agreed… what about “going all out”? — Pavel asked in surprise.
— Yes, I would have loved to go all out. But only if it had given me pleasure! Here: the food is disgusting, the service is even worse, dirty… — Gennady Andreevich continued his tirade.
— Then why did you stuff yourselves, eating so much that you soaked the plates in bread? — Svetlana interjected indignantly, — and you nearly drowned the vodka too?
She was surprised that Pavel didn’t tug her arm as he might have done before. He looked at his father unblinkingly.
— And where’s the dirt? Please show me, — he demanded, — my wife sought out the best place, traveled, sampled the food to be sure, arranged the reservation for Saturday when all the cafés are packed. And what did you do? You spent the entire evening complaining about how nothing pleased you and how great Nadya is. Nadya, no offense, — Pavel turned to Nadya, — but enough is enough! I’m married, and I’m satisfied with my life.
Pavel pulled out his wallet, tossed two pink banknotes on the table, and took Svetlana’s hand.
— Come on, dear, it’s time. Let’s have coffee somewhere else. I’m now too ashamed to come here.
After that, Pavel’s parents never visited again, even though they continued to come to the city on business. His mother was upset with him for not giving them a proper welcome, while Nadya continued to delight Victoria Ivanovna with her tasty salads, still hoping for an elusive happiness with her son.