Chapter One - Intro

“The clock seems to tick slower when you’re anticipating, don’t you think?” Phoebe’s gentle voice broke the silence. I lifted my gaze to see her face more clearly. I was staring at the small digital clock on the waiters' station.

“I don’t know, it’s not that I am anticipating anything anyways.” I gave her a little smirk.

“Then why are you looking at the little clock so much?” Phoebe tilted her head a bit as she questioned me.

“It eases my mind up from the thoughts that lingers inside my head. Kind of.”

Phoebe looked at the floor and then back at me. Her smile was a little weary. I could see it clearly even though she tried to hide it.

“You can always come over to my placeif you need some company, Ari, I’ll always be there for you. Remember? We are friends.”

I gave her an assuring nod. I was not quite fitted with the idea, but I didn’t want to decline her act of kindness towards me. I did not want to seem like a shut-out because it might hurt her feelings.

“Thanks for worrying about me, Bee, but I’m totally fine. I’ll stop by your place when we both have free time.”

Phoebe gave me a very warm smile. The kind of smile which is able to warm the very coldest of hearts.

Phoebe and I are working as waitresses in this fine dining restaurant called Scalavatia. We were both waiting tables for the night. There weren’t many guests around. Only a few of the tables were filled, which was unusual, because usually the guests were countless. 

Before my mind could start floating around elsewhere, Noah hopped by the waiter’s station. He tapped my shoulder and gave me a little smile. To be honest, Noah could be a movie star. He looked very handsome because he had dominant Egyptian features. His full name is Noah Malachi Ramses. Dark brown hair, wide-set dark brown eyes, very white teeth. You could say he looked a bit like that popular actor of Egyptian descent, but tanner and younger.

“Bored, aren’t you?” Noah said with a little smile.

“Aren't we all?” I replied to him with a half-smile.

“Do you like working here, Ari?”

“Yup. Can’t say I enjoy it, but I’m learning to like it.”

I replied to him in a cold tone, but he seemed like he wanted to have a long conversation with me.

“Have you heard anything about the owner of this restaurant?”

“Not much that I know of. I came here for an interview with Mr. Richards, the head of the Human Resources Department. Two days later, I got a call and just started working with you guys.”

"Well, I used to work in their house, not so long ago," Noah stared into the distance as he tried to open up a story. "Well, let's just say that you need to be careful around this guy."

"This guy? I thought the owner of this restaurant was a woman? An elderly woman?" I questioned Noah.

"Well, the previous owner happened to give this restaurant business to her son." Noah explained.

"Oh? I have never seen him, somehow."

"Well, he doesn't actually care about all the business and such, he's just here to boss everyone around." 

"Really? Seemed like a pain in the butt."

"Well, he's still young and all, he just turned twenty-something recently."

"Not so young, at that age, anybody could be considered as a young adult and no longer a teenager."

"Yeah, but considering his childhood, he was spoiled rotten."

"How do you know?"

"Well, that's a story I'll have to save for another day."

Just when Noah closed his mouth, a guy dressed in linen suit stormed in through the glass doors. His expression looked menacing. Something about this guy was so intriguing, but also very intimidating. His face looked smooth and flawless. His hair slicked up in a very neat way. He walked with a long, commanding stride, each step falling into a perfectly measured rhythm. He looked straight ahead without caring about anyone around him. His gaze was sharp, sharp enough that it seemed capable of piercing through anyone who dared to question him.

"That's him." Noah whispered shortly to me.

I glanced at Noah and looked back at the young man he was talking about earlier. He looked young but filled with utter confidence. He knows that he's an heir, and there is nothing anybody could do about it. After walking all through the back of the restaurant, he finally stopped. He glanced around and gestured the manager, using his index and middle finger, to come approach him. The manager seemed pretty scared, because one wrong move could mean the ending of his whole career. They had a conversation that looked so tense, nobody would want to have part ini it.

Suddenly, Harrison turned sharply at me. 

"Who's that?" He asked, coldly.

"That's the new waitress in Scalavatia, Sir, started working here only recently."

"Recently?"

"Yes, Sir, not even a month in yet, she is still learning."

"You." Harrison pointed at me.

My eyes darted towards him. My face was filled with quite the expression. I was shocked.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Who accepted you to work here? Who did you have interview with?"

"Uh, I had an interview with Mr. Richards. I knew about this job from a flyer, just thought I could give it a--"

"Yeah, shh, I don't need anymore word. One thing I know is you haven't had an interview with me. I am the owner of this restaurant, so that would be necessary."

"Okay, Sir."

Harrison turned around to make his way into the office.

"He does that to almost every employee he finds attractive; especially ladies." Noah whispered briefly to me again. 

"Att- Attractive?" I stuttered a bit.

"Just be careful to not fall for him. He's a player."