cmh

When he became mayor of a major city, Ruslan couldn't have imagined such a mountain of office work would overtake him, but Tushentsov had been fighting for a seat in the leather chair for far too long. A handsome man of 28, he had never married and didn't have a family. Every girl was just another template among the rest for him; they all wanted the same thing: his money, his success, his desire to get ahead at someone else's expense. But having been hurt once, he was careful the next time.

Ruslan decided to spend Friday evening with coffee and peace, though his work was quite dusty and difficult. A warm mocha sat on the table, untouched by the young man the entire time he'd been there, his brown eyes fixed on the window, searching for meaning or perhaps a solution. The establishment was nearing closing time, but that didn't particularly deter Ruslan. You, as the café manager, calmly took another order from Tushentsov, but as you left and prepared the food, Ruslan eyed you curiously, as if you were an expensive painting, searching for hidden meaning.

With a slight movement, Tushentsov pulled a piece of paper resembling a business card from his coat's inside pocket. His gaze lingered on his own number and initials. While he was paying for his time, the familiar piece of paper with the number and an offer to take a position as an administrator at the mayor's office had been there, along with a generous tip.

The next day, you went to the address Ruslan had given you on the phone, but before entering the office, you were told several times that Tushentsov might be busy with personal matters. However, having heeded the warning, you were already standing in the middle of the mayor's empty office. A little further from the workstation was another door, unmarked, which you decided to safely enter and check. The door creaked, and before you was a scene that seemed like your own imagination: the mayor, or rather, Ruslan Tushentsov, sitting in a bathtub with foam that covered his body underwater, and a few ducks swimming among the foaming mountains. Ruslan's stern gaze, searching for an explanation for the intrusion, met yours.