A Compromise Before Christmas

Chapter 5

On a bustling street, the afternoon sun beat down on a small restaurant situated on the sidewalk. As people bustled by, the noise pollution was at its highest. Some walked past the restaurant, while others joined in line, hoping to get even the littlest bit of food.

The inside of the restaurant was just as lively as the outside, if not more. Several customers filled the seats, while others waited in line at the cashier to place their orders. The reason for such a commotion was simple: it was lunch rush.

The lunch rush, being the busiest and most chaotic part of the day, was arguably the worst time to work as a server. It tested the employee’s patience and stamina; some would break under the pressure, while others overcame it, but at the price of their exhaustion.

Among the employees who were being tormented by the devilish hours was Acacia. A beautiful bronze-skinned woman with honey-brown hair and expressive green eyes. Acacia was part of the servers serving meals and cleaning tables as fast as she could to bring in the next customers.

Sweat beads formed on her forehead and eventually dripped down her face; it was a combined result of the heat and her hard work. Though she had been on her feet since the early hours of the morning, Acacia still moved vigilantly through the restaurant, making sure to earn her minimum wage.

Only when the clock struck 4 pm did she finally stop to catch her breath, for that was her break time. After hours of uninterrupted work, Acacia sighed in relief because she could finally rest her aching feet.

After telling her co-worker where to find her if needed, Acacia excused herself to the changing room to try to rest.

The small room at the end of the hall served as the ladies’ changing room; it was only big enough to contain two people at a time, and yet all 6 servers still managed to squeeze in together every day. The only time it was free was during her lunch break, which was convenient for her.

In the tiny room, Acacia lay down on a bench and closed her eyes. She could still hear the noise from the restaurant, but years of working there had made her immune to it. Though the outside sounds could not bother her anymore, the ones coming from inside the room could.

From a locker, a known ringtone started to play; it was hers. Frustrated, Acacia first attempted to block out the sound, but she remembered that she, of all people, did not have the luxury to avoid phone calls; not when so many people were after her.

Reluctantly getting off the bench she was resting on, Acacia retrieved her phone from her locker and checked who was calling; when she read the caller’s name, she answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“Bad news”

“You could at least greet me first.”

“Acacia, this is serious!”

Acacia sighed. When was it never serious?

“What happened this time, Violet?”

“It’s Mr. Sanders.”

“What happened to him?”

“Nothing, but he came over and told us what’s going to happen if we don’t pay him.”

Acacia listened to her little sister frantically explain the situation at home. Her shift had exhausted her, so she did not have the energy to panic.

“So, he threatened us?”

“He warned us, and I think he’s really serious this time.”

“What makes you think so?”

“There was just... something in his tone of voice, I don’t know, I might just be getting paranoid, but I think we should take him seriously.”

Acacia ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. Her day was getting worse by the second, and she felt powerless to stop it.

“We are taking him seriously, Violet, but we can’t make the days go faster. Look, I’m getting paid soon, it might not be enough to clear our debt with him, but it will be enough to calm him down... I hope”

There was a long pause after her response. Acacia wondered what was going through her little sister’s mind at that moment.

“I’m worried about you, Acacia,” Violet finally said

“Huh? Why?”

“Because you’ve been working like a madwoman for weeks nonstop. If you keep this up, you might hurt yourself.”

“It’s not like we have a choice, Violet. We’re fresh out of miracles, so right now, all I can do is work.”

“I know, but-“

“I’m fine, I promise. Your concern should be Mom. Speaking of which, how is she handling the warning?”

“I didn’t tell her, thankfully, Mr. Sanders came when she left, so she’s clueless about it.”

Acacia sighed in relief, “Smart girl.”

“I’m not sure how long I can keep it from her; she asks so many questions.”

“Try your best, at least until I get paid at the end of the week.”

“That’s a tall order... but I’ll try.”

“Thanks, Violet. I need to go now, my break is over, and I still have to head over to the bar after this.”

“Okay, don’t stay out too late.”

Having concluded their call, Acacia returned her phone to the locker and immediately slumped back down onto the bench; the conversation she had with Violet drained every last bit of energy she had left.

Though she was calm while talking to her sister, there was no denying how anxious she really was. How wouldn’t she be? Every day, a new person was threatening her and her family over a debt she knew nothing about, but somehow was obligated to pay, and it was all HIS fault.

Staring blankly at the wall in front of her, Acacia clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. Each time she remembered him, her blood boiled; the only emotion she had for him was anger, and if it weren't for the fact that he was already dead, she would have killed him herself for putting her and her family in such a position.

***

The sun finally set on Acacia’s busy day, but work was far from over. After clocking out of her job at the restaurant, she took the bus to her second job, the bar at the Grand Hotel, which was located in the heart of the city.

Already exhausted from her first job, Acacia dragged her feet as she struggled to stay awake. It was almost like Violet had jinxed her.

At the grand hotel, she quickly freshened up and began her night shift, serving drinks. The bar was as lively as ever, just like the restaurant. Acacia tried her best to serve with a smile, but she felt her eyelids start to betray her as they felt heavier by the second.

Already disoriented, she moved around like a robot on autopilot. If a customer complimented her, which they usually did, she could not acknowledge it, for her brain was fuzzy. Noticing her sluggish movements, a fellow server approached Acacia and spoke into her ear.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yes, I’m okay... why?”

The server gave Acacia a once-over before replying, “You don’t look okay at all”.

“I’m just... a little under the weather,” Acacia admitted, “but I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Absolutely not, go stand behind the bar. If you keep walking, you might fall and drop all the drinks.”

Acacia opened her mouth to protest, but a yawn came out instead. The embarrassment made her agree to her coworker’s suggestion.

At the bar, she slid her tray across the counter and waited for the bartender to look her way. Too lightheaded to focus on her surroundings, Acacia stared off into space, completely unaware that someone was watching her intently.

At first, she heard nothing, then a faint mumble, and eventually, a full voice belonging to a man. Still out of energy, she slowly turned her head to look at the person standing beside her. It took a long moment to fully process the man’s face, and when she did, her eyes widened.

“Acacia?” he said in an amused tone

The man’s face, it was too unique to mistake for just anyone; it was a one-of-a-kind face, and it belonged to a man from her past whom she could never fully forget, no matter how hard she tried.

It was he, the handsome but incredibly arrogant Nikolaos Cassavetes.