-Any fish cooked with tomatoes or tomato paste just tastes like a cheap knockoff of sprats in tomato sauce. Total waste of good ingredients. Fried and natural, though—that’s always a winner, - declared Petrovich, a dark-haired man in his thirties with a stern face, more often called Bear. He had recently become Maria’s neighbor. - You picked the right recipe, Masha. Just went a bit overboard with the saffron. It’s bitter.
Still, he ate the demonstration dish and washed the plate himself, because he hated wasting food.
-This spice, Masha, you’d better toss it. It’s probably gone bad. Too bitter, and the smell’s off. They’ve stuffed it full of those E-numbers and GMOs, the scoundrels. Anyway, skip it. Just salt, pepper, and flour. It’ll taste great, I guarantee it.
Maria blushed and promised to throw it out, but she placed the jar labeled “saffron” (which actually contained shavings from a colored pencil, a secret only she and Sirozha knew) back on the shelf with the other spices.
-Let me call her and explain everything, - Maria offered to the cameraman, who was visibly upset.
-No way, Marusya. A bet’s a bet. It’s bad, but I’ll get through it. Back in my village, you don’t apologize to a girl if you’re in the right.
-Don’t get too down, Sirozha. Let her stew for a bit, she’ll come around, - Bear clapped the cameraman on the shoulder so hard that the athletic, muscular guy nearly stumbled. - And if she doesn’t want to accept you with a kid, then let her go. A woman should know a man can have a past. If he didn’t abandon his child, he’s a decent guy.
It sounded convincing, almost as if Bear spoke from personal experience, though he had none to draw from.
-Oh, come off it. Now she thinks I’m living with Masha, - Sirozha shook his head, clearly worried.
-See, that’s why I’m teaching you, - Bear rumbled condescendingly. - You’re just staying in touch with your son, helping out your ex. That makes you look like a reliable man. This Mimosa of yours should be clinging to you, not unfriending you and blocking your number…
MARIA
-They’re always like this. These men… acting like I’m not even here. My husband used to do the same. I guess I should say ex-husband. Or at least start thinking of him that way, - Maria mused as she tidied up the neighbor’s kitchen where her cooking blog was filmed. - I can’t get used to it. Better not to think at all. Otherwise, I’ll end up crying in front of strangers again. That’s embarrassing.
She unloaded the dishwasher and carefully arranged everything in its place, wiped down the fridge, and glanced around to make sure everything sparkled. She looked confident and composed. Yet her mind kept replaying how she’d been left alone with a child. How hard and terrifying it had been back then.
-They’ve already done so much for me. They let me use their place. Because in my kitchen, all you’d see is what happens when you trust a man, and he strips you bare, runs off with every penny of the family’s money to somewhere even the police and courts can’t drag alimony out of him.
If it weren’t for the blog, things would be truly dire. But the channel is growing little by little, thanks to Sirozha’s clever concept.
A wealthy lady, bored out of her mind, teaches the less fortunate—those who dream of a glamorous life—how to cook like the rich.
Except, in reality, we’ve got cod instead of sturgeon, and the “saffron” sauce is just shaving foam mixed with a bit of orange pencil from a kid’s art set. Poor Bear ate it just to spare my feelings. If only he knew what was in there… Last time, the coffee was the cheapest kind, repackaged with a label printed at home, not some fancy Kopi Luwak. And on top of it, just shaving foam. But the visuals? Flawless. And we gained a ton of subscribers.
-The comments are wild, Masha, - Sirozha says.
-Just look at what they’re writing, - chimes in Denys, aka Bear, while rocking the little one. Mikey had bolted as soon as the camera caught him in Sirozha’s arms. But oh, the trouble he caused.
-Spitting image of his dad. Growing up to be just as handsome, - Bear quoted mockingly.
-Not even close, - Sirozha snapped, irritated. - Back in my village, you know what happens for hints like that? He looks like his real dad. Look—Masha’s blonde, I’m blonde, and Mikey’s dark-haired as a beetle! Little rascal, look at the mess he made! Sofia’s blocked me.
-Hold on. That’s not right, - Bear grumbled, looking regretfully at Maria as she scooped up her child and hurried out. - The kid’s not to blame for his dad being a jerk, or for wanting his mom. He just forgot he’s not supposed to while we’re live.
-Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it, - Sirozha called after Maria. - Don’t go yet. We need to plan the week ahead.
The young woman paused but didn’t put the child down.
-At least now the viewers will die of envy—imagining such a dad for the little guy, - Sirozha declared smugly. - Let it go, Masha. Come on, lighten up. We got through this live stream. The next one can be pre-recorded.
-Look at this—everyone’s demanding more of Mikey and—haha—his ‘dad’ on screen, - Bear chuckled, watching Sirozha frantically type excuses and denials of paternity to Sofia, who wasn’t responding.
-Now we’ve got to find the next recipe somewhere, - the cameraman and director of the successful stream said distantly. - Something like nightingale tongues, no less. Because after the kid’s stunt, the tension’s hit a boiling point.
-What did he even do? Why’d you have to pick him up on camera? - Maria asked, annoyed.
-Oh, you don’t know what he did? Well, besides making a strong bid for YouTube’s next rising star… I’ll tell you. Nah, I won’t. I’ve got a message from my fiancée.
Sirozha skimmed the long text. Then read it again. Shook his head. Handed the phone to Bear to read.
-Wow, I don’t even know half these words. Man, oh man. So this is how girls with college degrees talk to their fiancés, - Bear laughed.
-To be fair, she’s got some reason to think badly of me and Maria, since the kid doesn’t fit into what Sofia knows about me, - Sirozha defended his girlfriend. - This could have really bad consequences. Really bad.
Maria could almost see the calculations running through Sirozha’s head. He always measured everything in money and bets won or lost. And this was shaping up to be a crushing loss, with big financial hits to boot. There was plenty to be upset about.
So, I guess things are still a bit unclear?
We’ll gradually learn more about the bet, the other neighbors, and how a secret from one of them ties everyone together.
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Take care of yourselves!
Let’s stick together and keep our spirits up, and everything will be alright.
See you in the next chapter.