Chapter 1

NICOLE

"Nicole!" Someone yelled my name. I rolled on the bed lazily and sleepy. I was awake all night watching the art exhibition of Nancy Tires, a renowned artist. Sleepy, I heard the door bang.

I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and sat up, wondering who could be so loud at this time of the morning.

“Nicole, come out.” My eyes snapped open at the sound of the landlord's voice calling out for me to come out. Dread washed over me as I realized that he was here, and I had no choice but to face him. As a struggling artist, I couldn't afford to lose my apartment, so I had to find a way to make things work.

I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled towards the door, my mind racing with thoughts of how to explain my situation to the landlord.

I took a deep breath and opened the door. The landlord stood there, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. He was a tall man with a thick mustache and piercing eyes that seemed to bore into her very soul.

“Good morning, Mr.Trent," I greeted him, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Good morning, Nicole," Mr. Trent replied, his tone cold and businesslike. "I hope you have good news for me regarding your rent."

I bit my lip nervously. I had no good news to share. I had been struggling to make ends meet for months and my landlord had already given me several warnings.

He could kick me out of my apartment any day now if I didn't pay up.

"I'm sorry, Mr.Trent," I began, my voice shaking slightly. "I don't have all the money right now, but I can give you half and promise to pay the rest next week."

Mr. Trent sighed heavily, clearly not impressed with my offer. "Nicole, you know I can't keep accepting these excuses from you. You are already two months behind on your rent and I can't afford to keep letting this go."

My heart sank. I was in trouble. Where would I get the rest of the money from?

I had no idea

I was barely making enough to cover my bills and food, let alone my rent.

"I know, I know," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm sorry about that. I've just been going through a rough patch lately."

He sighed heavily. "Look, I understand that times are tough for everyone. But I have bills to pay too, you know. I can't just let you live here for free."

"I know, and I don't expect you to," I said quickly. "I've been trying to sell some of my artwork to make some money, but it's just not happening fast enough."

He looked at me skeptically. "How much have you made so far?"

"Uh, not much," I admitted. "But I'm really trying, I promise."

"I'll try to figure something out. Please, give me some more time."

Mr. Trent didn't look convinced, but he let out a sigh and nodded his head. "Fine, Nicole. But you have one more week to come up with the full amount. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to evict you."

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. I watched as Mr. Trent turned and walked away

I was hopeless. I had to come up with a plan fast or risk losing my apartment.

A cascade of envelopes tumbled off the door hinge, startling me from my thoughts. Frustration prickled at my skin as I bent down to gather the scattered mail. "The mailman never listens," I muttered under my breath, annoyed

I closed the door behind me and began sorting through the envelopes, my heart sinking as I realized they were all bills. Water bills, light bills, school loan reminders - a never-ending stream of financial demands. The sight of them made me want to crumple them up and toss them away, but I knew that wasn't an option. Bills needed to be paid, no matter how much I wished they would disappear.

Yup, welcome to my life. I’m Nicole Zachary and my life is one big mess.

****

Nina's voice echoed through the studio as I stepped through the door, her tone both teasing and concerned. "Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up. Lazy ass, where have you been?"

I grinned at her playful jab, grateful for her lighthearted spirit. Nina had been my best friend since childhood, and we had made the move from Florida to North Dakota together in search of a fresh start. But as it turned out, starting over wasn't as easy as we had hoped.

"Sorting my mail," I replied with a shrug, dropping into a chair with a heavy sigh. "And dealing with my landlord. He's on my case about the rent again. I swear, I'm so tired of this."

Nina's expression softened, and she leaned over to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry, girl. That sucks. But we'll figure something out. We always do."

As if on cue, Nina's phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her pocket with a grin. "Speaking of figuring things out, I've got some news that might cheer you up," she said, scrolling through her notifications. "There's an art commission for you to submit in the next three days."

My ears perked up at the mention of a commission. As a struggling artist, any opportunity to make some money was a welcome one. "Tell me more," I said eagerly.

Nina beamed at me. "It's a local business that's looking for some artwork to hang up in their lobby. They're willing to pay a pretty penny for it too."

Excitement bubbled up in my chest. This could be my chance to finally catch up on my rent and get back on track financially. "What's the theme?" I asked, already picturing different ideas in my head.

Nina shrugged. "They just said they want something eye-catching and unique. I can forward you the details if you're interested."

I nodded eagerly, feeling a newfound sense of motivation wash over me.

My eyes fluttered open as I heard Nina's voice calling out to me. "Wake up, Nicole. It's almost six pm."

I groaned as I rolled over in my chair, my eyes still heavy with sleep. How had I managed to doze off like this? I had work to do - both as a painter and a waitress. There was no time for lazing around.

I heard Nina's voice again, more insistent this time. "Wake up, Nicole. It's almost six pm. You're going to be late for your shift at the diner."

I jolted upright, suddenly alert. She was right - I had completely lost track of time. I scrambled to gather my things, grabbing my bag and my apron before hurrying out the door.

"Thanks, Ninny," I said as I passed her, still feeling a bit dazed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Take care," Nina called after me, her voice warm with concern as I walked out of the studio.

Working my butt off had become a daily struggle. Moving to North Dakota had been a dream come true - a chance to pursue my passion for art in a new and exciting place. But reality had hit hard, and making ends meet had become a constant battle. No matter how hard I worked, I could never seem to earn enough to pay my rent on time.

I pushed open the door to the diner, the chime ringing out a cheerful greeting. As always, Mr. Liam was there to greet me, his stern expression softening just a bit as I approached.

"Good evening, Mr. Liam," I said, my tone respectful but friendly.

He gave me a nod in response, his eyes flicking over my uniform to make sure I was dressed appropriately. I took that as my cue to head into the changing room, quickly swapping out of my street clothes and into the familiar diner shirt and apron.

When I emerged, I was greeted by the sound of a busy evening rush - the clatter of dishes, the hum of conversation, the occasional burst of laughter. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the busy shift ahead.

"Nicole! Table four needs a waitress," one of my coworkers called out as I stepped out of the changing room.

I flashed her a quick smile. "Got it!" I said, making my way towards the table in question.

Good evening, sir and ma'am. Welcome to Happy Stomachs Diner," I greeted them warmly, smiling at the couple as I approached their table. "What can I get for you tonight?"

They both picked up the menus simultaneously, perusing the options with interest. Though they seemed like a couple, I made a conscious effort not to assume anything about their relationship.

"Um, I want the chicken rice with chicken, please," the woman said, her tone sweet.

"You got it," I replied, nodding in agreement. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the beef soup with white rice, and a bottle of wine to go, please," the man said in a confident, business-like tone.

"Excellent choices," I said, jotting down their order in my notepad. "I'll put that in for you right away. Anything else I can get for you while you wait?"

They both shook their heads, and I smiled before heading back toward the kitchen to place their order.

“Table four, A plate of chicken rice with chicken, and another plate of White rice with Beef soup.” I said to one of the counter waitresses and waited for the food to arrive in the tray.

It didn’t take so long, the waitress placed the tray of food. I picked them up and started to walk but fate had other plans in store for me. As I picked up the tray and turned to walk towards my table, I collided with a sophisticated-looking woman. The force of the impact sent us both tumbling to the ground, and the food spilled all over her.

She was understandably furious, her anger ringing out through the diner as she shouted, "What the fuck?!"

Mortified, I scrambled to my feet and apologized profusely, trying to brush the crumbs of food off her clothing. But it was no use - the damage was already done.

As I looked around, I could feel the eyes of every person in the diner on us, watching as I made a fool of myself once again. My cheeks burned with embarrassment,

I overheard the manager exclaim, "What's happening here?"

Oh no, I might lose my job too. Why does this always happen? My clumsiness never fails to get me into trouble.

Suddenly, the lady’s angry voice interrupted my thoughts, "Your employee bumped into me and ruined my expensive gown. Do you have any idea how much it costs?"

Feeling remorseful, I apologized to the woman, "I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to bump into you. I didn't see you coming."

But her response was harsh, "Sorry? That's not good enough. You just stained my $2000 dress, and you think a mere apology will suffice? You have no idea how hard it was for me to get this limited edition dress. People like you, born into poverty, have no sense of place."

Her words cut deep, and tears welled up in my eyes. She wasn't entirely wrong - my family was poor, and I couldn't afford to finish college. But her condescending attitude made it worse. Trying to show my remorse, I apologized again, "I'm sorry, Miss. Please forgive me."

She raised her hands to hit me. I closed my eyes expecting her to hit my face.

However, before she could react, a calm voice intervened, "Leave her alone, Carmen."