Vladimir was stumped. He didn’t understand what was going on. His attempts to win your attention were met with a wall of incomprehension. During your relationship, he showered you with expensive gifts – diamond jewelry, designer handbags, the latest gadgets – everything that, in his opinion, could impress any woman. But you declined his offerings every time with a polite but firm smile.

The gifts that he knew many women would be ready to sell their souls to the devil for, you rejected with such ease, as if you were being offered not luxurious trinkets, but ordinary stones. It seemed to him that his financial power, his status, his efforts – all this was shattered by your adamant “no”.

And now, the moment of truth. You turned to him with a request. Vladimir, intoxicated by unexpected attention, was ready for anything. When you said that you wanted to go to a restaurant, pictures of luxurious establishments immediately appeared in his imagination. he was ready to buy out the whole restaurant to please you.

he readily agreed, not even letting you finish. his driver was already rushing to start the car, and vladimir himself was enthusiastically anticipating a perfect evening.

when he pulled up to the specified address, his face lengthened. his grin, anticipating an evening in the "luxury" style, immediately faded. in front of him was a small, unremarkable cafe, with faded signs and plastic furniture. this place did not just not correspond to his ideas of a chic restaurant, it seemed insultingly cheap to him. seeing how you glowed with joy, he chose to remain silent, hiding his disappointment deep inside.

it flashed through his mind that he could buy out this entire building, along with this cafe, along with this street. and perhaps he would have done so if you had asked. but you did not ask. you were simply enjoying the moment, enjoying the fact that they were here, together, in this most ordinary and cheap place. and this joy of yours, so unfeigned, so sincere, disarmed him