Surrender to My Prodigal Billionaire

Chapter 2 - Streak of Luck

Nicolette

Rushing into the breakroom, the clock shows that I'm only twenty minutes late for my shift. Hopefully, my boss is too busy with the lunch rush to notice. Quickly clocking in, I throw on my apron and head out to the service station to check which section is mine. I groan in frustration to see that I'm supposed to be running the counter. Antonio must see this as my punishment for being late the last two days. Any other time I would brush it off and laugh at his immaturity, but this is not the time for this. Everyone knows that you get little to no tips at the counter. No one wants to sit there during the rush, so you mostly deal with to-go orders and a tip for handing someone a bag is few and far between.

Lately, the tips are all I have had to put food on the table for mom and me. The medical bills have been steadily coming in and we are drowning.

Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. While she is in remission now, she is still unable to work, which leaves all the expenses on my shoulders. I know she wishes it could be different, but we have to deal with what life throws at us. I have no problem taking it all on because it means I still have my mother around. She is my whole world - all I have ever had in this life. My father ran off when I was just five years old, and we haven't heard from him since. To this day, I still have no idea what caused him to abandon us, but we are better off without him. He was never the doting, caring father to begin with, so I'm not missing out on much.

Walking out to the counter, I see that the busy time is in full swing. There is a long line at the door and all the tables appear to be full. My heart constricts a bit at the scene before me. The amount of money I can make over a lunch shift is huge because of the restaurant being in the center of a business area. Corporate snobs love to toss money around when they are trying to impress.

I let out a sigh as I start to wait on the small line of people waiting for their orders at the counter. My only blessing today is that I haven't had to deal with Antonio yet.

When I first took this job two months ago, I thought he was the perfect manager. He always gave me great shifts so I could work around my mother's appointments and was always kind if I needed to vent. One night, I was a mess. I confided in him about our troubles and cried on his shoulder. It was that night that he tried to make his move. I was shocked at first, but then came to my senses and let him know that I was against relationships with co-workers. That was true, but it was also that I didn't see him in that light at all. I apologized if I had ever made him think differently. He acted like everything was fine at first. I should have known better.

Ever since then, he has been a complete ass towards me. No longer understanding and always short with me. If it wasn't for my home situation, I would have walked out by now. But I have to have a job, and this is the longest one I have had in a while. Mostly, I only last for a few weeks before I'm shown the door. But, with all my mother's treatments, I didn't have a choice with how much I had to miss. My mother comes first in my life and that will never change.

"Look who finally decided to show up." Antonio spits as he passes me on his way to the kitchen. I bite the inside of my lip to keep my anger in check. He's trying to bait me, and I won't give him the satisfaction.

"Miss?" a soft voice catches my attention and I turn to see an older woman with her salt and pepper hair up in a neat bun. I can tell by the pantsuit that she has on that she has to be an assistant or executive at one of the surrounding companies. She gives me a kind smile and a wave.

Walking over to her, I plaster on my best smile and ask, "Yes ma'am. How can I help you?"

She gives a light laugh and her blue eyes sparkle. "No need for the ma'am. Do I appear that old?"

"Not at all." I placate. In all reality, if it wasn't for the graying of her hair, I would think she was in her forties. Her flawless skin and demeanor make her seem much younger.

The woman laughs again. "I was just joking. You seem like you needed one right now."

I nod my head, "Yeah. Lunch can be hectic."

She gives me the name on her order and I head to the back to get it. On my way, I can feel Antonio's eyes boring into me and I do my best to ignore it. I won't be made uncomfortable by him. I'm here to do my job, not make friends. He's the one with the problem - not me.

When I exit with the order in hand, Antonio is standing in the walkway, blocking the doorway to the main area.

"I don't know what impression you are under, but the time on your schedule is when you have to be here. It isn't a suggestion," he warns.

Doing my best not to roll my eyes, I start, "I know and I'm sorry. Mom wasn't having a good morn-"

"You can't always hide behind mommy. If you want to keep this job, you will not be late again," he seethes as he cuts me off.

Anger boils within me and I glare at him with pure hatred. I can handle it if he wants to talk s**t about me, but he will not bring my mother into it. He c***s his eyebrow in question, as if daring me to respond. Deciding it isn't worth my time, I push past him with my head held high. I won't let him get under my skin right now.

In my rush to get out of there, I didn't see the bucket right behind him on the side. I try to catch myself as the floor nears, but it is too late. Food flies everywhere as I land with a sickening thud. The place goes quiet, and I curse my luck. Can't one day go right?

Getting up, I brush myself off and look at the disaster around me.

"Jesus Nicolette!" Antonio chastises from behind me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see the bucket." I apologize as my eyes scan over to the woman at the counter. She looks more concerned than angry, so I'm thankful for that.

I busy myself cleaning up the mess while Antonio makes his way over to her.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. We will get a replacement order right away. Just tell me the name and we will pull it back up. And it is on us today because of the inconvenience." He shoots me a look that tells me it will be coming out of my check. Just great!

"Thank you. I appreciate it. As long as the young lady isn't injured, I'm fine with waiting. The name is Calloway."

I watch as Antonio's eyes almost fall out of his head and his deadly gaze is once again on me.

Returning a happy face to the woman, he tells her, "We will get that ready right away. And Nicolette, can you come help me with it?"

"I really need to get this cleaned up." I say, waving my hands at the floor.

"That can wait," he urges between gritted teeth.

He shouts at the cooks to get on the order right away before spinning around and getting inches within my face.

"Do you understand what you just did?!"

Gently moving the bucket to the side with my feet, I can't hold back anymore. "It was an accident. If you would have just let me do my job instead of standing in my way, it would never have happened."

"Now you are going to try to blame me?! I wouldn't have had to stop you if you did what is expected of you!"

"Expected of me?" I ask incredulously. "I was upfront about everything when I started working here. I hid nothing and you accepted it all. It only became a problem when I wouldn't f**k you!" I shout. My fury is getting the better of me, but I don't care. I found a new job before; I will do it again.

Antonio jerks his head back as if I have slapped him. "You're done here. Get your things and I don't ever want to see you here again!"

"My pleasure!"

Once I'm in the breakroom, I grab my purse from my locker and toss the apron inside. There is nothing else here for me, so I walk back out to the front with my head held high. I refuse to cry right now. Everyone always takes it that I'm upset when it is more of trying not to murder someone.

Murmurs and hushed voices hit my ears, but I refuse to look at anyone. I will keep my dignity if it is the last thing I do. I don't know any of these people, so I owe them nothing.

Stepping outside, I let out the breath I had been holding. The gravity of the situation hitting me full force. I can't afford to go without a job, but there is no way I can search for another one looking the way I do. My clothes are stained from my fall, and I know no one would hire me in my current state. I could go home and change, but I don't want to worry mom any more than she already is. No matter how composed and chipper I am when I get home after losing a job, she can see right through it. The only thing left for me to do is kill time the rest of the day. I'll go home about the time she expects me and get on the hunt first thing tomorrow morning. I won't tell her about today until I have another job.

"Miss?"

I peer over my shoulder and find the woman from the counter standing there with a broad smile on her face.

"I'm so sorry about your lunch." I tell her and hope she can hear the sincerity in my voice.

She waves off my words. "Don't worry about that. I'm more worried about you. Are you okay? I heard what went on back there and I can't help but feel responsible."

My eyebrows furrow at her. "Don't be sorry. It would have happened someday. It is a blessing in disguise, I'm sure. I just hate that your lunch had to be ruined in the process."

"That's where you are wrong, dear. You made this the best lunch ever. In fact, I think we can help each other." Her eyes sparkle and I tense a bit at her words.

I look at her in shock unsure what to say. "How could I possibly help you?"

She gives me a knowing smile as she holds out her hand to me. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Ellen Peters."