Martin, the proprietor of a fancy restaurant, got worried when he spotted a young dishwasher slipping into the locker room a lot. He thought the young dishwasher was stealing, so he made fun of her in public and stole her bag. But as soon as he found out what was inside, he regretted he hadn’t.
Martin Price was the kind of person who thought he understood everything there was to know about life. He was in his early forties and had a lot of money because he operated one of the city’s best restaurants. He walked through life with the confidence of someone who thought the world would do what he wanted. He liked to think of himself as pleasant and intellectual, but his coworkers said things like “bald,” “potbelly,” and “full of himself” whenever he passed by.
Martin didn’t enjoy the whispers.
He still thought he was just as good-looking today as he had been in his twenties. He thought that age was just a number. It didn’t stop him from flirting with waiters or making rude comments to young women who worked for him. He didn’t flirt all the time, but when he could, he did.
When Lila Benson joined the crew as a new dishwasher, Martin recognized her immediately away.
Lila was twenty years old and had a calm, graceful way about her that drew attention without her trying. She had only been working at the restaurant for a little over a month, but her coworkers respected her since she worked hard and was quick. There was a melancholy behind her charming smile, though: she was a widow.
She had married Aaron, her high school sweetheart, who meant everything to her. But he got sick out of the blue, only a few months before she gave birth to their child. It was a rainy afternoon when Lila saw a “We’re Hiring” sign in the window of a restaurant. She was alone and had difficulties paying her rent. The next day, she was cleaning up in Martin’s kitchen.
At first, her coworkers told her that the boss’s eyes were often moving about.
“That guy thinks he can get anything he wants with his money,” one of the waitresses stated. “Someone who treats you well isn’t being nice.” He is fishing.
Lila didn’t care. She wasn’t there to meet new people, and she wasn’t there to deal with advances either. “I know my limits,” she said simply.
Except for polite hellos, she was able to stay away from Martin for a few weeks. But one night, after a long shift, she was alone in the dining area, clearing a table before going home.
At that point, he stopped her from going.
“Miss Benson, do you know why I hired you?” He remarked this while picking a rose from a nearby vase.
Lila stood up straight and ready. “No, sir. Sorry, but I have to leave now—
“Don’t call me sir,” Martin replied as he got closer. “Please call me Martin.”
Her stomach tightened. She could smell the cologne he wore, which was a little too strong, like he had just put it on again.
He gave her the rose and said, “I was drawn to you the moment I saw you.” “Your smile could light up the whole city.” We should go away for the weekend sometime… A trip, some shopping, and some champagne. You should obtain the best.
Lila took a step back. “Sir, I’m here to work.” That’s all. I care about my career and the people I work with. Thank you for the offer, but I’m not interested. She got away from him before he could say anything else.
Martin stood there, feeling bad. No one had ever said no to him so simply in years. He didn’t think of Lila as merely a dishwasher anymore; she was a challenge. And he wasn’t going to lose.
His anger turned into an obsession over the next few days.
After that, he saw something. Lila had started to bring a heavy bag to work with her. She brought it to the staff locker room every day and returned back to it many times during her shift. Martin’s mind flew to the worst possible conclusion: theft. He thought she was taking food and maybe even supplies from his store.
He kept a careful eye on her for about a week and kept track of when she went to the locker room. He got more and more suspicious till he decided to catch her in the act in front of everyone.
It happened on a Thursday afternoon. The lunch rush was over, but a few tables were still packed. Lila told her coworkers that she had things to accomplish and left work early that day. She put her hefty backpack over her shoulder and proceeded to the door.
“Miss Benson, stop right there!” Everyone in the room heard Martin’s voice.
Everyone turned their heads.
“What’s in the bag today?” He asked. “Taking food? What do you clean with? What about the food that my customers leave behind? His voice was full of anger. “You’re done here.” You don’t have a job anymore.
Lila stopped moving. Her heart was beating so fast that she could hear it. The eating area got quiet, except for the gentle sound of silverware hitting the table next to it.
“I haven’t taken anything,” she said, her voice wavering. “It’s just my lunchbox and a new outfit.”
Before she could stop him, Martin stepped over to her and took the bag off her shoulder. He was surprised by how hefty it was.
He put the bag on a table and remarked, “Let’s see what’s in there.” The staff members gathered together, and they all wanted to know what was going on. Some customers leaned over from their chairs.
Martin opened the package and took out a blanket that was warm and folded. Then there came a sound that was hard to hear.
“Ma… ma…”
The blanket shifted.
People gasped as Martin slowly opened the blanket. He saw a small girl with big brown eyes gaze up at him. She shook her little hands in the air and made a noise that sounded like an inquiry.
Martin’s chest tightened.
Someone murmured softly, “That’s… that’s a baby.”
Lila quickly stepped up and said, “She’s my daughter.” “Please, let me explain.”
She told her story with a trembling voice. She couldn’t leave the infant with anyone while she worked because Aaron’s family wasn’t around when he died. She couldn’t find a daycare that didn’t have a long waitlist or cost more than she made in a week.
“I couldn’t leave her home alone,” she said, her eyes filling with sorrow. “So I bring her here.” I keep her in the staff room bag so she keeps warm and quiet. I look in on her when I can. Change her, feed her, and make sure she’s healthy. She has never been in the kitchen or made food. I wasn’t taking anything. I was just trying to keep my career and her safe.
For a long time, Martin couldn’t say anything. He looked down at the baby, who was now quietly looking up at him with attention.
She looked a lot like his daughter, who had perished in a car accident with his wife many years before. He remembered the small socks he used to hold in his palm and how his wife’s laughing used to fill their flat. And the horrible silence that followed the accident, which had never really gone away.
Something inside him broke. Customers and employees saw Martin’s eyes fill with tears.
I… “I’m sorry, Lila,” he said, his voice breaking. “I lost my wife and baby a long time ago.” I thought I had buried that pain, but seeing her… He gazed at the child. “I let my loneliness change me into someone I’m not proud of.” I thought that money could buy anything, including love. “I was wrong.”
Lila blinked because she was shocked by how feeble his voice sounded all of a sudden.
Martin said, “I’m sorry for blaming you.” “And for how I’ve treated you.” You can take the next month off, with compensation, so you can spend time with your daughter. When you’re ready to come back, your job will still be there, plus you’ll make twice as much money. If you want to, you can hire a babysitter.
Lila’s lips were shaking. “Thanks… I really appreciate that.”
Martin carefully returned the baby to her, and for a moment, his hands rested on the blanket, as if he didn’t want to let go.
Lila felt both relieved and shocked when she left the restaurant. Martin Price, the nasty boss who had cornered her just a few days earlier, had not only apologized, but he had also showed her a side of himself she didn’t know existed.
It was still unclear if he would really change. Old habits are hard to break, after all. He stopped hitting on the ladies who worked for him after that day, but he didn’t stop flirting with people he didn’t know outside of the restaurant.
But something was different about him. Lila was happy with that. She knew that even those who looked tough because they were angry or proud might be broken open by something as small and powerful as a pair of innocent eyes.
