After the divorce from her husband and the division of the apartment, Ksenia had to settle almost on the outskirts of the city. She got a two-room apartment that had hardly ever been renovated. At least, that was Ksenia’s first impression. But she was one of those women who aren’t scared of anything—hardened by family life with a tyrant husband.
Before she bought this apartment, she had looked through many options, but they were all very expensive. This one suited her.
“Our granny lived here,” said a young, pretty girl, “her parents took her in, she’s very ill, and they decided to sell the apartment. It’s quite far out. I don’t like it. Besides, my dad promised to add money so I could buy an apartment closer to them.”
Ksenia glanced at the girl, who went on:
“I understand it needs renovation, but whatever you want—basically, I set the price negotiable.”
That’s how Ksenia bought this apartment, tearfully begging for renovation. Another plus was that the office where she worked was just three tram stops away. Otherwise, she spent about forty minutes commuting.
Kirill, Ksenia’s ex-husband, was a real tyrant. She realized that years later—about five years after the wedding, and after they already had a son. She thought about divorce after yet another quarrel. By nature, she was a homebody and practical. The house was cozy and tidy, but if her husband came home drunk, everything flew around the house—plates in the kitchen, vases in the room, clothes.
“Why are you sitting? Get up and clean up,” Kirill shouted threateningly when his rampage passed.
He liked watching Ksenia clean the apartment, and it was not small. He once bought a two-room apartment from the neighbors next door and thereby expanded their own two-room place. Ksenia created comfort, always kept it clean, and enjoyed cooking. But she couldn’t tolerate her husband’s bouts of rage. She was afraid—but at least he hadn’t hit her.
At first, these outbursts were rare but grew more frequent with time. When their son enrolled in university and left to study in St. Petersburg, she decided to divorce. She went through a lot but finally was alone in the apartment. She tried to keep where she bought the apartment a secret from Kirill. She had enough money to buy it and even some left for renovation. She took a two-week vacation specifically to do the repairs.
“I’ll do the renovation myself. The plumbing is all right—it looks like it was replaced recently. I can wallpaper and paint some things. If needed, I’ll find some handyman by ad. Yes, probably I need to do a stretch ceiling first,” she said sadly, looking at the peeling ceiling.
She found a stretch ceiling installer quickly, and the ceiling was done in a few days. She bought wallpaper and glue. She got to work energetically, since it was for herself. Her friend Yulia helped her hang the wallpaper. When they finished, both were happy.
“Well, Ksyusha, now you have beauty. It’s bright, clean, cozy. Only the floor needs to be replaced—laminate, preferably light-colored. I’ll tell my Vitalka, he does that well. He laid it at home himself; it looks great and will be much cheaper for you. He’ll buy and bring everything himself.”
“Oh, right, Yul, but before working on the floors, I need to paint the radiators—I don’t like them; I’ll paint them to match the wallpaper.”
“All right, I’m going home to talk to my husband. We’ll celebrate the housewarming when everything is ready,” laughed her friend.
Near the house was a small building materials store, which Ksenia hadn’t visited before. But paint could be bought there rather than going to a big supermarket. The store was dimly lit.
“Are they saving on lighting?” she thought immediately.
Behind the counter, bent over some can, stood a salesman monotonously stirring.
“Hello,” Ksenia greeted, and the salesman looked up.
She immediately went speechless. Before her stood a handsome man with light hair and blue eyes, reminding her of some actor. Even in poor lighting, she clearly saw him. She recalled her thoughts on the way to the store—wondering what the outskirts of the city might offer her. And here it was…
“Hello,” he replied. “What do you need?”
“Paint… do you have ivory-colored paint?”
“What kind of paint? Enamel, oil-based…”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
The salesman invited her to the shelf, showing various cans while commenting on each.
“This one is good for wood, this one is good for painting pipes…”
“Oh, I need to paint radiators,” Ksenia answered.
He placed a can of paint in front of her. She paid and rushed out of the store. On her way up to the apartment, she scolded herself for not daring to start a conversation with the handsome man.
“That always happens. As soon as I like someone, I immediately get shy. But there was a reason.”
She already dreamed of asking him to help paint the radiators and pipes, but those were only dreams. She immediately started working, painting so actively that by evening everything was done.
She locked herself in the kitchen, where she had a folding bed for the renovation period and a wide-open window.
“It’s so nice here in the evenings, quiet, not like in the center,” she thought as she fell asleep. “Tomorrow I’ll paint here in the kitchen and that’s it.”
In the morning, after breakfast, she grabbed a brush—but it was dry. She had left it out overnight without thinking it could dry out.
“So, I have to go back to the store,” she even rejoiced at seeing the salesman again, and he was there.
“I’m listening,” he said politely.
“Apparently, he didn’t recognize me,” Ksenia thought, then suddenly said, “Why is it so dark here? It’s hard to see the products.”
“Ask me anything, I’ll tell you everything,” the salesman said seriously and calmly.
“My brush dried out.”
“Buy some boiled linseed oil,” he answered evenly and without emotion.
“All right,” Ksenia said a little sadly, then paid and left the store.
The salesman’s politeness was cold, but Ksenia was not upset and thought:
“It’s okay, you don’t know me well, but I really like you.”
She already knew she would have to come to this store more than once, and she would figure something out. For some reason, she didn’t even think that the man might be married with children. She was sure he was single, though he looked a bit over forty, like her.
On the third day, Ksenia went back to the building materials store.
“Hello,” she greeted with a smile. “I’m practically a regular customer here,” she joked.
“I’m listening,” he replied calmly.
“Two hundred-watt light bulbs,” she said, but her mood evaporated when he told her the price, and that was it.
She paid and left.
“What’s going on? Didn’t he recognize me again? I practiced what I was going to say, but he’s like a dry crust.”
On the fourth day, she rushed into the store and cheerfully declared from the threshold:
“Hi, it’s me again. Recognize me?” And without giving him a chance to answer, she quickly continued, “I’ll be coming here a lot; I have renovation, and no one to help, so I’m doing it myself. Let’s get acquainted—I don’t even know how to address you. I’m Ksenia.”
“Stepan,” he answered with the same calm, even voice. “What do you need?”
“Show me a putty knife.”
He showed several putty knives again, calmly explaining which was best for what work. She paid and left.
“Maybe I’m not his type,” Ksenia thought, though she knew she was very pretty and attractive. “I’m a great housekeeper, can make delicious stuffed cabbage rolls and pies. I even graduated from university with honors. And most importantly, I feel that Stepan is my person.”
The next day she went to the store again.
“Hello, Stepan.”
“Hello,” he replied calmly, without emotion.
“I need a paint roller,” Ksenia said, then twirled it in her hands and ran out of the store.
“Let it roll far away,” her pride nagged her, “I’ll survive, but I won’t go there again.”
Almost two weeks of vacation passed; her apartment transformed. She had already arranged to meet Yulia at a café to celebrate the housewarming.
“I’ll go back to work, then we’ll meet,” she told her friend. “You can come to my place or the café.”
“Better at the café—my Vitalya also wants to come. He laid the laminate, so to speak, contributed to your renovation,” they agreed. “By the way, how’s the blue-eyed salesman doing?”
“Not well… I haven’t gone to see him for a week,” Ksenia replied quietly.
“That’s a shame, you need to pursue results, not give up halfway,” Yulia said. “You know, water wears away stone. And here you have a whole man.”
“Oh, come on, Yul, he’s probably married. Men like that aren’t single,” Ksenia concluded.
On Saturday evening, she was returning from the supermarket with a bag of groceries, walking slowly.
“One more day, then back to work on Monday. Well, it’s boring sitting at home, but I got all the things done,” she thought.
“Ksenia,” someone suddenly called out to her. She turned around.
“Ksenia, hello,” Stepan stood before her, and she immediately got flustered.
Then he switched to informal speech, as if they had been friends for a long time.
“I didn’t see you for so long, I walked here several times,” she noticed his voice trembled nervously. “Why haven’t you come in?”
“Hi,” she replied cheerfully. “I finished the renovation and go back to work Monday.”
“Oh? I thought… Can I see your renovation?” Stepan hesitated, and she wanted so much to say where he had been before.
“The renovation is done, but I need some male help.”
“Oh?” He suddenly stopped, frozen, and said very seriously, “I liked you from the first sight, and you just need an assistant?”
“Oh God, you misunderstood me… You can see the renovation, come on, I’ll treat you to tea,” she replied and saw his eyes brighten happily; he even blushed a little.
“So that’s it. Stepan is apparently a modest and unobtrusive man, and I like him too, but he didn’t dare to do more,” Ksenia concluded.
“Well, actually, I don’t need an assistant. I need you,” she said cheerfully, and he laughed and looked warmly into her eyes, and she got a little nervous from his gaze.
“I was afraid to ask; I worried you were married. Then I suddenly remembered you said you were doing the renovation yourself and had no one to help,” he laughed. “I’m glad I met you—I thought I’d never see you again.”
Ksenia’s heart jumped; she wanted Stepan to always be near—calm, unflappable, kind, and his strong shoulder just in time.