Who is Nick from Sudden Fiction International: Sixty Short-short Stories and what is their importance?

Nick of Di Grasso is a member of an opera company in Soviet era Odessa. He is indebted to the conniving manager of the company, Schwartz. Nick pawns his severe father's prized watch to Di Grasso, who refuses to buy it back. As such, Nick resolves to leave for Constantinople. The night before his flight, Nick sees a performance by the company's prime attraction, Di Grasso. Nick is moved to tears by the performance, and Schwartz's wife sees it. She forces her husband to give Nick his watch back.