Chapter 3

The bed was strangely soft as a baby's bottom to Selena Dundro that afternoon. She stirred and moaned softly in the place she'd spent her entire life. Her eyes were still heavy and her body, slightly dull from the excess nap she'd had.

Selena wasn't someone who often slept during the day. She knew this was true because she slept amply at night, but also because she worked during the day and often had little time to spare for a nap.

When she got to the restaurant that morning, she'd been given the first half of the day off for rest but been cautioned to resume work in the evening.

The free time given to her had made her excited and jovial. She'd called her boyfriend, Mikey, and asked for company but he'd turned down, excusing, just like always that he was busy working to provide for her and their future.

Selena didn't judge him at all--Mikey was a rich handsome young man.

He'd spent so much on her and even though she knew most of the money was from his father, she still respected the fact that he worked and footed his bills, and had his apartment.

Most gracious thing, her father seemed to like and approve of him. Though she wondered if it was genuine love or because of his wealth.

When he'd refused her invitation of spending time with her, she had just come back home and resorted to talking with him over the phone. She had mounted the bed and video chatted with him for a long time until he'd taken an excuse to get back to work.

Selena had been in boredom in the first hours of her off time till she decided to d******d video games on her phone which she used in getting herself occupied. Playing the games had reduced the boredom until she drifted into a long enjoying nap turned to sleep.

She stirred and rolled over again, yawned sluggishly, and stretched her hands into the air. She pressed down her head in the pillow again and closed her eyes deep, praying she impossibly fell asleep once more. After what seemed like long minutes of nothingness, she opened her eyes and slothfully search for her phone.

She soon found it under her laps, and locking her thumb to the power bottom, brought the screen to life, revealing the game she had been playing earlier. With a low hiss, she clipped her finger on the directory home.

"SHIT" she screamed aloud when she looked at the time.

"I'm damn late. Dad's gonna start lecturing me again!"

She scampered from the bed and at an instant, soon unclothe with a towel tied to her torso, walked out the door to the bathroom.

Selena cursed herself emphatically for her hasty bath and unintentional choice of clothing. Normally, she would have loved to take her bath in a tub but time is always against her, she'd decided against it.

She had been given the first half of the day off but asked to return by 2 pm. However, looking at her phone at that moment indicated she was already sixteen minutes later than could be tolerated.

Selena Dundro worked at her father's restaurant which was a few hundreds of meters away from their house. Her father she knew was jocular and friendly, He was that special person to work with, loved hard-working and industrious people.

His upbringing had led him to act in overly mannered ways but he was also a staunch businessman. He was way too facetious for Selena's liking.

He scolded everyone and anyone(well, except rich persons)in the presence of anyone and Selena wasn't an exception.

'Oh!, not just me alone. Bethy included' Selena thought in her mind.

This, every worker of the 'Cibo Speciale Restaurant' knew and wasn't ready to step on his toes.

Not just her father!. She enjoyed that beautiful moment of being in a bathtub. That odoriferous bubble bath and that sweet pleasant sensation of a hot bath. Instead of all this which she had whenever she had the chance, she was reduced to taking a shower bath which didn't even exceed five minutes.

Even as she deliberated on what to wear, her curses increased. Usually, she spent a considerable amount of time through most of the dresses she had, selected, and even tried on before finally choosing what to wear, but at that moment, she barely had time.

Switching her phone once more indicated 2:20 pm. Her heart skipped a little and her joint tensed.

Fishing out her wardrobe, she settled for a pair of dark grey Jean, a vest, a coat, and sandals

'uhmm nope!' she decided against sandals.

"It'll look ridiculous on me," she said aloud.

After what seemed like ages of deliberation, she put on the pair of new pumps Mikey had bought for her some days ago and with her handbag, she was out the front door and advancing down the street.

Worry was written all over her face as she walked on the street. Her heart raced as she feared meeting her father at the restaurant.

Images of many young men, women, girls, and children staring at her as her father scolded her flashed in her mind. She pushed them to a corner and increased her pace.

She pressed her phone to look at the time and was horrified when she saw loads of missed calls.

"Oh my! Jenny's been calling"

Pushing the volume key, she noticed her phone was silent.

"I'm very much damned". She cursed a little.

She was still concentrated on her phone when without a warning, she felt her body bump against something---or more like someone when she finally caught her balance.

"Oh, crab. Lady watch your steps".The man snapped angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry" Selena apologized earnestly as she bent low to help him pick up his fallen papers.

"I was about to answer a video call and was so rooted in the process that I didn't see you" Selena lied.

Even as she bent down, she pulled her flowing hair from her face and stared at the well-shaved head of the man she spoke with.

He wore a black sleeveless t-shirt and a leather jacket over it and a pair of bush pants. On his feet were a pair of glowing loafers.

His dark brown skin made his description as a black man complete.

He wore an earring on his right earlobe while on the left, he just had Bluetooth.

judging from the pile of papers and documents he had, Selena could swear he was in high school.

'20 or 21 I guess' Selena said in her mind.

"What are you looking at, bugger!!" He snarled when Selena stared at him.

"Sorry," she said "But you don't have to be rude or something. I can't ------"

"Piss off"

He cut her short and moved past her after collecting his documents from her.

Selena didn't bother looking back at him. Time was against her and besides, she knew it wasn't at all her fault.

He'd also not been concentrating and had hit her, so why was he being so unfair?

She walked on this time careful not to bump into anyone again. New York was a grand city with people from all walks of life. The last thing Selena wanted was an armed man visiting her in the middle of the night to revenge her matching of his toes.

Turning to the street to her right, she soon spotted the familiar billboard with the words 'CIDO SPECIALE RESTAURANT'.

Relief instantly washed over her. One last glance at her phone placed the time at 2:35 pm.

She hurried up the street and soon applied her well-learned tactics of crossing the busy road to the other street. She increased her steps in the street, not minding the many eyes that seemed to be staring at her. She soon reached the restaurant. Slowly but steadily, she opened the door of the restaurant and entered. The place was as full and busy as she'd always known.

People were eating expensive food and wine at the VIP section, others eating regular food while some just drinking wine, water, beer, or whatever drink their money and desire agreed.

Waiters and waitresses were busy moving up and down either serving, collecting used plates and glasses, or handing out bills.

Selena looked around the busy restaurant but did not see her father.

Usually, he stood there barking orders and sweet talking with the richer clients, coaxing them to come back next time.

But not seeing him around meant either he was in the kitchen--which was likely, not true--or he wasn't around, which was.......

Selena spotted Jenny from among the sea of people. She too seemed to have seen her because she smiled a little and moved in her direction.

"Hello Sely," she said as they hugged each other.

"Hi Jenny" Selena greeted back as she let go of her.

"Why are you here just now. It's been more than 40 minutes. You got me worried, I called but you wouldn't pick".

She said at a speed it took a lot of attention for Selena to grasp the words over the noise. Selena knew she couldn't answer her, not without asking her question first. Hers could wait.

"Is my father here?" She asked.

Jenny immediately opened her mouth to talk but suddenly closed it as Selena felt her eyes stray from her face to her back.

She didn't need to ask what Jenny was looking at or turn behind to see for herself, because a high deep voice spoke behind her.

"Yes I am right here"

Her dad's voice...