A young administrator, impeccably dressed and neat, blinked in surprise, looking at a man about sixty years old standing at the reception. He wore worn-out clothes with a sharp smell, but smiled kindly and asked:
— Miss, please book me a deluxe room.
His blue eyes sparkled familiarly — as if Sofia had seen that look somewhere before. But she didn’t have time to understand where it was from. Irritated, she shrugged and reached for the panic button.
— Sorry, but we don’t accept clients like you, — she said coldly, raising her chin.
— What do you mean by «clients like me»? Do you have special rules for accepting guests?
The man looked offended. Not a homeless person, of course, but his appearance… to put it mildly, left much to be desired. He smelled unpleasantly, as if salted herring had been left under a radiator a few days ago. And he dared to dream of a deluxe room! Sofia just snorted, looking at him mockingly: even the simplest room was not available to him.
— Please don’t keep me. I want to take a shower and rest. I’m very tired. No time for talking.
— I told you clearly — you’re not welcome here. Find another hotel. Besides, all rooms are taken. A dirty old man, and he’s trying for a deluxe… — she muttered under her breath.
Nikolai Anatolyevich knew for sure: one room in this hotel was always free. He was about to argue, but then security guards approached, roughly twisted his arms, and pushed him outside. After that, they glanced at each other and giggled — as if the old man decided to relive his youth but miscalculated his strength.
— Old man, you couldn’t even pay for an economy room. Get out before we count your bones!
Nikolai Anatolyevich was stunned by their insolence. Old man?! He was only sixty! If it weren’t for that damn fishing trip, he would have shown them who the real old man is! He wanted to teach them a lesson, but had no strength for a fight. Getting into a brawl meant risking police involvement, which was absolutely impossible. He had to hold back and mentally promise himself that if he ever became the owner of a hotel, he would immediately replace such security guards.
His attempt to return ended in failure: they chased him away again, threatening to call the police. Muttering curses under his breath, Nikolai Anatolyevich made his way to a bench in the park. How could this happen? He went fishing to relax, but everything turned out quite the opposite. The fish were biting poorly — only small ones, which he released back. Then it started to rain, and on the way back he slipped near the backwater and got his legs wet up to the knees. He barely managed to get out, but now all his clothes were dirty and his keys were lost without a trace.
His daughter, as bad luck would have it, went on a business trip, so no one would let him into the house. Nikolai came to visit Rita, wanting to surprise her, but it turned out she was just about to leave on a trip. If he had known in advance, he would have come later. After all, he took time off specially to spend time with his daughter and see how she lived.
— Dad, sorry I’m leaving you alone. I’ll try to come back quickly, so don’t be lonely. Promise? — Rita hugged her father and kissed his temple.
— What’s there to be lonely about? I’ll go fishing, have some fun. Why else would I come here? — he laughed.
— I thought you came just to see me, — Rita pouted, then smiled — she knew her father was joking.
Getting ready to go to the river, Nikolai hadn’t checked his phone’s battery. He didn’t think he’d end up in such a situation. He thought he would wait out the time in a hotel until his daughter returned. But now they wouldn’t even let him inside. Though this had never happened before. What kind of rule is it — to judge a guest by appearance? He wasn’t drunk or a tramp, just returning from fishing. Sure, not perfectly dressed and smelled a bit like fish, but was that a reason to be rude?
Looking at his discharged phone, Nikolai shook his head. He had no one in the city — no friends or relatives. Calling emergency services was impossible too: the house was registered to his daughter. And the phone was silent as a partisan.
— So what now, old man? — he chuckled. No one had ever called him that before. Old man? He was a man in his prime! His employees would be shocked to hear that.
A stranger, sitting down nearby, pulled him out of his thoughts. A middle-aged woman, kind and well-groomed, handed him some hot pies. The man gratefully accepted the treat, feeling the hunger twisting his stomach.
— I see you’ve been sitting here all day. What happened?
Nikolai told her about his adventures: the fishing, the rain, the lost keys, and the locked hotel doors.
— I probably won’t find them now, — he sighed. — Most likely they fell in the water. I didn’t expect to end up in such a situation. And all because people judge only by appearance.
The woman nodded. She worked at a nearby bakery and had noticed how Nikolai sat alone, ignoring passersby.
— I immediately understood that you are not a drunkard, — she smiled. — You don’t give that impression.
— God forbid, — Nikolai smirked. — You have to take care of your health, especially at my age. Only today they called me an “old man” and threw me out of the hotel. Excuse me, Ella Andreevna, may I have your phone? I’d like to find somewhere to stay for the night. I don’t want to call my daughter — it’s late already, and I don’t want to bother her.
— If you want, you can spend the night at my place. I see you’re a decent person who just found themselves in a difficult situation. My house is small, but there’s a room. You can wash up, rest, and call your daughter tomorrow calmly.
— May I? Thank you very much! I will definitely repay your kindness!
Nikolai Anatolyevich was sincerely glad. Ella Andreevna was the first person that day to show him sympathy and support. He wanted to be useful to her in the future — although he didn’t yet know how exactly, but he firmly decided to repay her kindness.
Closing the bakery, the woman gestured for him to follow her. Over the years, she had seen a lot: people passed by when she was unwell. Once she herself had been in trouble — no one paid attention except one young girl who called an ambulance. If not for her… Ella Andreevna understood that by helping a stranger, she was taking a risk. But she had no relatives or wealth left — after her husband’s death, the only thing left was to do good, hoping that somewhere up there, in heaven, it would be counted.
After taking a hot shower and changing into clean clothes the woman had specially found for him, Nikolai ate a hearty dinner. Ella’s house was modest but cozy. The man was used to a higher standard of living but now felt truly happy. He had been ready to spend the night on the street but now was in a warm home. It seemed God had not forgotten him after all.
— You have the kindest heart. Thank you for not being afraid to help, — he thanked her before going to sleep.
In the morning, the woman gave him the phone, and Nikolai was able to contact his daughter. Rita was furious when she found out that her father was thrown out of the hotel without explanation. She immediately went there to sort things out.
— We couldn’t check in such a person. You should have seen how he looked! — Sofia sobbed, trying to act innocent.
— Like a person in need of help? He wasn’t drunk or dangerous! Now all of you will write resignations of your own free will. Staff must be competent and humane. My father runs the hotel, and I will not allow people to be treated like that.
The staff exchanged confused glances — they didn’t understand why they had to apologize to a “pathetic old man.” But Nikolai appeared on time: fresh, neat, confident. Sofia even gasped — now she recognized him as the owner of the chain of enterprises whose photos had previously appeared in business magazines. Her face went pale; the realization of the mistake came too late.
The guards hurried to apologize and promised to improve, but Rita remained adamant. There was no chance for them to keep their jobs.
— Daddy, sorry they treated you like that here. I’ll hire a new manager who will train the staff in proper service culture.
Sofia burst into tears, begging for forgiveness, but the moment was lost. So close, yet no bite.
When Nikolai suggested hiring Ella Andreevna as manager, Rita agreed. The man said the hotel belonged to his daughter, and he was just her father, who was not allowed inside. When Rita left to study, she fell in love with the city and decided to stay. Nikolai didn’t want to abandon his business but supported his daughter by giving her the hotel as a financial base. He himself never visited before — and now he got his first experience as a client.
Rita wanted to create a place where everyone would be treated with respect. Ella Andreevna enthusiastically supported the idea. She suggested cooperating with other hotels and hostels — if a client cannot pay for a room, it’s better to send them there than to rudely throw them out. They could also add breakfast with baked goods from her bakery and train the staff herself.
Margarita immediately understood: she had found the very person she could trust to manage the hotel during her business trips or studies.
After spending some time with his daughter, Nikolai returned home. Telling his friends about his adventures, he laughed but remembered that day with bitterness. It was terrible — to be left alone face-to-face with coldness and indifference.
He began to think more often not only about his daughter but also about Ella Andreevna. They spent only a day together, but something warm and important had emerged between them. Although he loved his late wife, life went on, and thoughts about not growing old alone became more persistent.
Having made a decision, Nikolai handed the business over to a person he trusted. He sold his apartment and bought a new one — near his daughter and Ella Andreevna. The woman was happy about the news — now they could see each other more often. Though not rushing to conclusions, Nikolai nevertheless invited her to the theater for the weekend. And she did not refuse.
Rita only playfully raised her eyebrows and smiled mysteriously, watching her father. She had long noticed that something more was blossoming between the two. And she was sincerely happy that her father had begun to smile truly again.
