Paris Dilemma

Being a cashier in a vacationing hotspot was certainly not an easy task. Mason learned this the unfortunate way; In the span of seven hours, he handled several irate groups of tourists who were dissatisfied with the limited supply of souvenirs, had his manager yell at him for not satisfying customers, and nearly got fired after the manager received news that one angry tourist was the American celebrity Cassandra Noel. He strolled down the riverwalk with a heavy heart and sat down at on bench overseeing the Seine to relieve his thoughts.

In the river, the garish lights of the city melted into pastel colors. Watching a firefly flit nearby, calmness enveloped his tense body. Suddenly, barks of a dog broke through his solace. A few meters behind him, a Beagle scrambled after the glowing insect, causing a young woman to lose grip on her lease. Immediately, he stood up to help, only to have realization strike his mind.

He had seen this woman before. Her platinum blonde hair, blowing freely in the wind, was all too recognizable from earlier events. Cassandra, he muttered, the name stirring bitter memories. Frozen in the thought of her harsh voice demanding to know why she couldn't purchase a sold out Eiffel Tower snowglobe, he stood, watching.

"Fluffy!" Cassandra screeched as her dog scrambled towards the edge of the riverwalk. Mason bit his lip. She was spiteful to him earlier, but was it ethical to ignore her suffering in retaliation? The dog plunged into the water like a heavy stone, and before Mason knew it, he was shaking off  his jacket and diving in.

Cold water smashed his face. He swam towards the source of desperate yipping and grabbed hold of wet fur. As he carried the shivering creature towards safety, Cassandra lathered on praise. "Thank you so much. How can I-"

She halted when he faced her directly. "I know you." she drawled, eyes scanning over his features. "You're the cashier at the gift shop."

He smiled, lips pursed. "Yep, I am."

"Why did you help me?"

"A petty argument shouldn't interfere with helping somebody in need."

Her cheeks flushed. "Oh, well, I appreciate it. Forgive me for my rude behavior earlier." Hesitantly, she stuck out her hand. "I'm Cassandra."

"Mason." He shook it.

As they began to talk, Mason realized that they shared more commonalities than he expected, including their love of animals. He felt glad to make an acquaintance out of a former enemy, but before he walked away, Cassandra grabbed his arm.

"I need to return the favor."

"Maybe put me in good word with my manager? He's pretty angry at me because of the whole scenario today."

The next day, Mason's manager received a call directly from Cassandra praising the store's exceptional service. An anonymous box filled with clothes was later found at the entrance. Mason smiled to himself. Although his job was not easy, responding kindly was better than reciprocating negativity - he learned this the fortunate way.