The Billionaire’s Unrequited Bargain

Anabeth’s POV “I won’t say it again. You have until the end of the month to pay your rent, or I’m kicking you out!” My landlord said and walked away, slamming the door behind him. “Two jobs, back-to-back classes and bills to pay. I’m exhausted,” I muttered to no one in particular . I slumped on the couch in the living room and stared at the blank ceiling. I hated this life of survival. This life became selectively selfish and unworthy. I looked at my watch to see it was 5 pm, which meant I had 30minutes to get to my second job. I headed to my room to take a shower. Coming out of the bathroom, I dried myself and wore my work outfit, which consisted of a black fitted blouse, a black pencil skirt and black low flats. I tied my hair up in a ponytail and put on some light makeup. I grabbed my keys from the counter, heading out to the busy streets of New York City. By day, I am a Nursing student at Ryland Nursing Institute, a waiter at Lino’s Bar on weekday evenings and a Clinical Assistant at St Mercy Hospital on weekends. This is what I try to do to survive and create a future for myself. I walked a few blocks away from my apartment and took the stairs leading to the subway to catch my 6 pm train to work. It takes me approximately 30 minutes to get to work, and upon arrival, I begin my shift. As usual, the bar was busy, loud and sickening, but it paid well. That's the only reason I do this job, I thought to myself. “Yo! One Negroni for the pretty lady and a mojito for me”, a man called out with a blond petite woman at his side. I accepted his order, began making their drinks and handed them out once it was done. They walked away with their drinks, and I went back to take more orders. After a while, I hear a familiar voice call out, “I’d like a glass of whiskey, Ma’am.” “Ay Ay Captain”, we both laughed, and I handed him his drink. That was my best friend, Jake. We’ve been friends since the day we learned to crawl, and we've stuck to each other ever since. Jake always made sure he visited me after his shift, despite my constant complaining at him for not having to do so. “How’s it going?” he asked and sat at one of the bar stools. “Busy as usual, nothing interesting”, I reply, cleaning a glass cup and returning it to the shelf. “I heard a VIP guest was showing up today.” “Where did you hear that from?” “The guys”, he gestured towards a few men at the other end of the bar station. “Hmm, I wonder who it is. It costs a lot to book a VIP lounge at this bar. Ridiculously expensive”, I added. The night continued in silence, and before I knew it, my shift was over. I called out to Jake that I was going to use the restroom and that he’d meet me outside, which he agreed to. Walking upstairs to the restroom, I did my business and fixed my makeup. I looked at myself in the mirror and shivered at my unsightly appearance. I wasn’t built like the rest of the women here. Men looked at me and walked away in disgust. I didn’t have the type of body they drooled over, no. I was short and had a small frame, no visible curves that attracted men. I sighed and washed my hands, leaving the restroom. As I stepped out, I bumped into someone hard. I quickly apologized and left, not wanting to see who it was. I met up with Jake outside, and he drove me back to my apartment. “Thanks, text me when you get home”, I waved him bye and headed up to the 6th floor, which was where I stayed. Fetching my keys, I unlocked the door to meet my roommate, Mia, making out with a dude. Great, another one of those days, I sighed and sneaked into my room, not wanting to disturb their business. J:>: I’m home! Me: Great! Goodnight and thanks for the ride. I turned off my phone and plugged it into the charger. Stripping, I walked into the bathroom and took a long shower. After a while, I got dressed in my PJs and reached for my purse and my AirPods. I stopped. I checked my purse again, frantically looking for my wallet. Nothing. Shit! s**t! Where is it? I thought to myself as I searched places I’d already searched, panic starting to creep in. I called Jake and asked if my wallet was in his car, but he replied and said no. Then I remembered the person I bumped into. I never saw his face. Shit! What if I dropped it and he took it?? I’m screwed.