strangers to lovers

CHAPTER-TWENTY:

As I was questioned by my manager several weeks later, he asked me, "When are you planning on returning to work again?". When I pulled back my phone, I looked at him in such a way that he seemed to be laughing at me. I hesitated a bit before I threw the phone at the wall before he asked me, "You are Ella?". After a couple of weeks, he asked me, "Are you sure that you are Ella?" I thought that it would probably be best for me to put some extra money aside for the future, since I was adamant about not returning to that job again in the future and wanted to save some extra money for the future. I was wondering, however, if your availability has not changed from what I had expected? My desire to return to the place I used to live didn't stop me from doing so, but I decided to maintain the quality of my life even though I did not want to. Even though I did not want to go back, I figured that it would be wise to do so. Considering the circumstances surrounding the death of my brother, I figured it wouldn't be a good idea for me to keep all the money Luke gave me in reserve. Despite having the money Luke gave me, I did not think I should keep everything in reserve. Since my brother was in jail, he did not make much money, so I was forced to leave Luke's house because lawyers were not cheap, and since my brother was in jail, he did not make much money. When I slowed down, I thought, "Great. I'll meet you today at five." "Huh?" For tonight, I had a reservation for forty people. There are also other patrons we may be able to attract if any additional patrons come to us." "I am grateful for any help you might be able to provide." "Those others don't seem as good as you." It was almost 3 in the morning, so I was sure I had plenty of time to prep, but I wasn't sure whether Luke's insurance would cover the cost, since I had smashed his rental car the day before. In spite of the fact that it was 3 in the morning, I knew that I would have plenty of time to prepare for the meeting. I glanced at the clock to see if you would be able to make it tonight. I had been doing only one productive activity, which was to get out of Luke's house for a while, so I decided to stay there, at least for a short period of time. Getting a ride was easy since I texted Donna, who told me to text Channing if anything was required, but I decided to not bother him because it seemed like he was quite busy at that point, and it did not feel fair that I was a burden on others. Luke instructed me to text Channing if anything was required of me. It seemed as if he was quite busy at that point. While I was in bed in the heavy rain, I glanced out the window at the lake while I was in bed, ignoring the fact that my car was still at the Coffee House, and her response was an affirmative. However, I was unable to use my car until my car was back at the Coffee House. I did try to blame it on the rain, but it was impossible. I was so distracted by my thoughts as I hit the turn on the slippery track that I was unable to avoid. In that video, I became reminiscary about my situation. Although the new piece of evidence may have changed the investigation in a positive way, I had no idea how it might have altered the investigation. It was impossible for me to comprehend who this man was who looked so much like my brother. My brother's lawyer would have been better off handling this, but I was still puzzled as to why it hadn't been noticed sooner. I cannot comprehend what had happened to me. It is not appropriate to apologize unless you are sorry that you made me worry about you. In the seconds following Luke's words, I felt my cheeks warm, and covered my eyes with my fingertips. His worried face flickered before me with wide-eyed expressions, tensed jaw and blushed cheeks. I felt so ashamed after I thought about what he had said. He seemed so angry about the car that I didn't understand why? It did not make sense to me as to what was wrong with him. He was only concerned about me, and had not even glanced at it. He was only concerned about me. I felt all tingly. That didn't make me feel good. Luke was way out of my league. He wasn't out of my league, so I couldn't even imagine dating someone as talented as him. I had no idea how to react to him saying that I meant more to him than just a business partner. In my life, I had never felt such a warm sensation when I was close to someone. I kept saying to myself, "But what if?" There was nothing like that. I wasn't Luke's type anyway. "f**k it, Ella," I said, pulling myself away from the glass wall. There was just enough evidence in Luke's house that I knew we had been unsuitable for each other. In spite of my best efforts, I chose to eat until I was ready to leave. As soon as I entered the building after two hours, I reluctantly walked through its doors, my hair in a ponytail up high. Upon entering the building, I regretted my decision immediately as the familiar aroma of beer, steak, and God knows what greeted me. Calvin's eyes were like beetles scouring my body, and I became more and more regretful as he got closer to me. In his mind, the uniform was trendy, but I could not see why wearing a black skirt and black blouse was fashionable. I twitched in my seat as the waiter handed me a new wait apron and said, "Thanks." He had already seen several of my guests arrive, so go ahead and order Jordan's drinks." "Yes, of course, she will be able to help you right away." I didn't even get a thank you from him. Instead of being treated better, I was expected to. However, although I hadn't expected it, it would have been nice to be treated better since I went out A bright spot was Levi's flaming red hair, which made him a bright spot in a place like that. Levi was a bright spot in a place like this, and his smile made me smile. As he caught my attention behind the bar as he mimicked hitting Calvin, I became more cheerful as I reacted to Levi's presence. Before I went to the back room, where about forty people gathered, I plastered a fake smile all over my face, making it appear as though I was a customer service representative. I was dreadful at the moment that I realized most of these people were elderly people. It was not long before I realized that there were a lot of wonderful elderly people there. The first time I went there was the first time I ever felt like there was a difference between them and the others. As I waited for an elderly person, I realized that there were so many nice people that were delightful and who gave me excellent tips. In addition, there were those who argued you should pick out the seeds from the lemon slices in their water before leaving them a tip, as they did not want the younger generation to be able to get everything they needed without having to pick it out for themselves. When a new visitor was arriving, I was eager to go out for a beer whenever he or she arrived, but I wasn't able to get a drink until Jessie showed up. Trav asked me if I wanted a Boston Lager, and I told him that I would be happy to get him some right away. My shoes were brand new and had not broken in yet, so when I sat down on my bar stool, my feet felt a little sensitive because they needed to break in. I told my friend as soon as I sat down, "I realized that I had to wait a long time before I would get used to all the running around I would have to do if I didn't order a pitcher and bring it over myself." After having been away from the restaurant world for such a long time, I was very eager to see Levi again since I had been away from it for so long. It was a short while before he gave me the bottles and said "Here you go" and I was determined that the

bottles would reach the nursing home in the next few minutes, by my mouth. The remaining 15 members of my group were still awaiting to arrive, so I prayed that Jordan would arrive before then. The beers were handed out by me on the table after I went back to the table to distribute them. A salad and garlic bread appetizer was added as an appetizer, so I went over to the computer and programmed them in, hoping they wouldn't want to pay separate bills for these items. Suddenly, when the door jingled and I heard the hostess gone, I turned around to greet the new customer, and my mouth popped open. I saw two familiar faces and my mouth opened wide. It was then that Dylan dragged me away from the door, grabbing me by the elbow and dragging me towards the bathroom alcove where I could find the bathrooms. As I struggled to regain my balance, my hand remained firmly gripped to my arm as he asked, "Dylan, what-" "What are you doing here?" I was puzzled as to what he was doing there when he asked. I peeked around him, trying to figure out if that was Luke next to him. "I didn't think you still worked here anymore." "No, I still do." "No, I still do." Seeing that he was leaned over me, blocking my view of the door, I froze up. I didn't realize how tall he was. It wasn't until after I did so that I realized how good he smelt. I wasn't expecting me so close. I almost touched him. It took me a while to realize just how high he was. He was just too close to me, so I froze up. It was then that I snapped out of my stupor, "Ella, listen to me. Don't go over to our table." I snapped out of a saned out of my stupor. I looked at him and asked, "Why?" "Don't come over." Then I asked, "What was he doing?" As I peered out a little, I noticed Luke staring at us dead. It made me wonder if Luke's mother lived here. It appeared as though he was almost rundown tonight and that his jeans were holed. Nearly a year ago, I would have been looking at the woman next to him who had a red dress and her long brown hair cascading down her back. When I paused for a moment, I wondered whether or not I had heard him correctly. "Do not look at Luke," he said. Right now, he is on a date with her, he said. As I paused for a moment, I wondered whether I heard him correctly. I was wondering if Luke was on a blind date with someone. Dylan told me, "It is a blind date set up by his mother." A tight feeling spread across my chest. I was unsure why Luke was on a date with a girl. His mother set it up, so it was unclear to me why he went on that date. There were so many questions I had, but I could not ask him anything about them. He was not my boyfriend, so I couldn't ask him anything. I didn't have a boyfriend, so I wasn't able to

ask him anything. He wasn't my boyfriend, so I couldn't ask him anything. I did not want to smile back at Dylan, but I forced myself to smile back at him. "I'm sorry," Dylan said frowning, "We weren't expecting you." Despite the fact that Luke was on a date with someone else, I am fine with you both being there. Please do not be sorry. If you do not, I will do this as soon as possible. I am familiar with Luke's mom, and we won't be seeing her very often, so don't come near us unless you really want to. We will try our best to make this happen as soon as possible. The same is true for me if you don't want her to recognize you, either. Despite my temptation to glance at her again, I chose not to look at her again. I pointed in the direction of the restaurant and pointed at the huge party at the back. "She is gonna be seated with her back to the walls." He nodded, indicating that he didn't want her to know who I was talking to. She must sit there with her back to the walls." I will make sure she sits there with her back against the walls, as I will make sure this happens." My apologies for being unmannerly about this, but he was a very special person. I'm sorry I was unmannerly. "Thank you for alerting me," "I have to leave

before one of them starts looking for me." Seeing my apology, he smiled. The nod I gave Dylan helped him move away from me and I turned to look at the door in case the girl had still stood there. "It's okay," I smiled back. I decided to go back to my table after a few minutes. Jordan has come here now and is taking orders. The bar was on the opposite side of the restaurant, so I wouldn't be anywhere near Luke or his date, so I decided to hang out with Levi while I awaited Calvin's instructions on what to do next. After helping out the girl, I decided to hang out with Levi while I awaited Calvin's instructions. The brown-haired girl and Levi sat at the same table, and Levi asked me who that guy was. "That guy I spoke to earlier?" I replied, perusing the table. The last time he looked at me, he looked at me for the first time. I ducked to prevent Luke from seeing my face as he finished his sentence. Why is he looking at me? If his girlfriend notices, I should be aware of the fact that I need to stay away from him if he is weird. "Should I talk to him?" I asked him. He didn't seem convinced. However, he had seen some quite handsy patrons before, like Star Spangled Moron. I didn't want to humiliate him too much by talking to him. It was okay, I replied. I felt him pat my upper arm as he doubled as a bartender sometimes. Whenever there is a problem, let me know, Ella." Cackling rushed up to me, his face red. "Ella! Mr. Connor is here!" I exclaimed. "Yes. "Go get their table." "Let me know." Cackling rushed up to me. I followed him. My eyes would widen every time I asked, "What about the backroom?" It was clear to me that Jordan could handle it for now, and that Mr. Connor, who called to make sure you got your job back, should be thanked for that." My question was, "He what?" Calvin replied, "Don't keep his table

waiting." Upon reaching the table, Luke and Dylan both looked up at me at the same time as I cursed inwardly. Calvin said, "Don't keep his table waiting." I silently apologized, and I silently apologized to Sebastian. When I got close to the table, their eyes widened with great astonishment as they realized

what was happening. My eye was fixed on Dylan as I looked at him, hoping he knew what Dylan said to me. When I first met him, it was important for me to ensure that Dylan understood what I said. The boy sat on the outside of the bench, a little closer to me, and I said, "I am Ella, and I am your server tonight.". I kept my attention on Dylan as I said that. I asked Dylan, "Would you like something to help you get started?" Immediately he replied, "Water everywhere." "I'm going to have lemonade right now," Dylan said. Suddenly my gaze shifted from the girl sitting across the table to the girl who asked, "Can I get a lemonade too?" That was a bad decision. There was no doubt that she looked incredible. She wasn't like a Cosmos magazine cover girl, but she looked like someone I was born with, but not like one. I spent one hour with make-up and a lot to try to look like her, but she did not. It was impossible not to be jealous of her long and bronze-colored eyelashes and shiny hair. I knew she was wealthy and that Luke's mother would not pair him with someone like me. I blushed as soon as I saw myself staring at her. She replied with a wide smile, showing off her pearly white teeth. She replied with a wide smile. In truth, I cringed back at her because I felt that whenever I smiled, I looked like I often looked as if my chin had a double chin, which made me feel even less than I already was. My gaze returned to Dylan once more as Luke said, "I'll have a drink," and I nodded. "I'll get those drinks for you soon." She said with a smile, "Thank you very much!" and turned my back to say, "You're welcome." The worst thing was that this was happening right in front of me and I hurried away, my heart racing. "Yeah, can I get another lemonade?" She gestured to her almost empty glass and asked, "Yeah, can I get another lemonade?" Luke began, "Excuse me," and I turned and hurried off. After putting in their orders, I went to the bathroom, where I had a moment of solitude. I really wanted to go back home. However, I did not have the opportunity to do so. I could only go to Luke's place. I groaned, holding my hands over my face. I was a bit disappointed. How did I become so sorry for something such a thing? This girl did not make me jealous at all. As a grown-up, I was unable to be mad at her because she appeared friendly. I could not be mad at me because I was a grown-up. I scowled at myself in the mirror before heading back out. Having grabbed a lemonade glass from the kitchen, I rounded the corner and slammed into someone so hard that I fell over and the glass broke. As I glanced up at Calvin hovering over me, I was stunned. As I rushed to tell him, I was shocked by the pain in my wrist. "Get up!" he hissed at me and the other people were staring. As my wrist was hurting, my face became red, and I got up. I crouch on my ankles, picking up glass from the floor and picking up a broom. I started picking it up and I made sure I didn't see anyone going by. I gritted my teeth as my throat tightened. "Oh my gosh!" I screamed in horror as I felt my finger slip along the razor-edged glass and blood started streaming from the wound. I was irrationally pissed off when I heard my finger slip against the glass and blood started streaming out. I became extremely angry and screamed, "Oh my God!". Suddenly, a body kneeled down next to me, and my hands cupped my shoulders. In a moment, I looked up at Luke, a strange feeling filled me with trembling. "Ella, what's going on?" I looked up and forced myself to get my words out in spite of my trembling lips. He narrowed his eyes and told me to get out of here, Luke. Despite the fact that I did not want his help at this moment, he suddenly lifted me from my crouching position, and placed his hands under my shoulders and lifted me out of it. I told him that I wasn't supposed to act like I knew you, that I wouldn't leave you here like this if I didn't know you." During my struggle, I tried to yank his hand and he tried to grasp my hand again. I stood up and told him to leave me alone. As he looked confused and asked, "Why would I?" "You're hurt." I bit my bottom lip, annoyed with myself. I wasn't supposed to be mad at him. I shouldn't have behaved rudely towards him. What was wrong with me? He moved so his date couldn't see me anymore. I whispered, "She's watching us." He moved to make sure he could no longer see me. Now that she could not see me, I did not look at him. He snapped, "Don't act as if we know each other." "I did not want this date in the first place." He caught glimpse of Luke and moved quickly between us. I did not want to interfere with your date. He returned with the dustpan and broom before I could reply. It looked as though Calvin was going to argue, but eventually he walked back to the table, as if he wanted to go back to the table again. I picked up the glass and Calvin was about to bring over the mop, when I heard that it had come over from Levi. He dropped his shoulders, and he walked back to the table. When I picked it up, I saw Calvin holding the broom, and Levi had begun getting ready to bring the mop to me. "Take this," he instructed Calvin. As Calvin told me, "She cut herself on the glass that you told her to pick up." He then told me to follow him back to the bar with the dustpan and broom. While Calvin didn't reply, I felt a little triumphant when he started mopping the floor without even replying back. Having used the first aid kit to clean up my cut, Levi applied a square bandage over the area where it had been cut. "Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded. "Don't you look so bad?" I replied. Seeing him lean across the table, I stared at him with wide eyes as he said, "I'm fine. Blood just freaks me out." "Okay. You just gotta take it easy." "I'll help Jordan with her food and then take a break," he said. He shrugged nonchalantly as he continued, "Are you telling me you're a life saver? The bar was empty, so I would bring the food to the other table. As I began to bring out the plates, I smiled at him and said, "Maybe but I like hearing it." "Maybe, but I like hearing it." After being gone for a short time, it was nice to be back with Jordan, and I felt sorry for her having to deal with the table alone after my departure. After the forty-person table had finished, almost closing time had passed. I did not notice Luke's party had left, Levi had taken over and bussed the table completely, so I felt relieved. The embarrassing moment for that night had already passed when Calvin said, "Ella, you can go," after I bussed the table out back. My annoyance was evident when he did not even thank me for coming in. The shadow stepped out of the bushes just as I was going to call her, scaring me. I waited outside. I expected Donna to pick me up at midnight because that was the time I thought I'd be gone, but since he'd given me the right to leave early, she wasn't here. As I was holding up my phone defensively, I was preparing to strike and run when the figure yelled out, "Wait!" After a moment, I realized it was Luke, who had called me. Upon seeing me, Luke crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I was waiting for you to get out." as he looked down at his cell phone, questioning if his eyes were faulty. "Luke?" he asked as he looked down at his cell phone. As you do not have a rental car right now, Channing said that he didn't take you here to meet him, which made me think you might not get home. "Have you been here the whole time...?" I asked him quietly, my bangs pushed behind my ear as I pushed my bangs back behind my ear. He said he wanted to make sure you got home safely. So Sierra was her name. That was not what I should be thinking. I found Luke in the kitchen. Whenever I am mad at him, it doesn't make sense to me. In spite of the fact that I know what's wrong with me, I could not go against my mother this time. I am sorry for the way he used the word subservient when he asked me, "Are you upset?" I grimaced at the way the word was used when he asked me, "Are you upset?" "I could not go against her this time." "I'm sorry for what?" He apologized for what? There were better words to use, despite his good intentions. Despite the fact that Sierra was with me, it was necessary for you to pretend you didn't know me. I'm sure you felt subservient." According to the contract, that was not allowed. There is no need to

answer that question. It's because of the contract. "Why are you unable to express yourself the way you want?" "Why don't you tell your mother what you want?" I countered. It was clear to me that he was mad. "Really?" I sarcastically replied. "You're mad, Ella?" Keep moving, Ella. Don't speak to him. You're mad." My question was, "Why are you dating me?" Luke shriveled into himself as he stared at me, and then replied, "Your mother thinks you are dating me, and you go out on a date?" He replied, "I don't feel like I need you." He replied firmly, "I do." It was sometimes that I could not resist my mother's wishes, and that was one of them. "Do you even need me?" "I don't feel like I'm even needed." "I feel like I'm just hanging around." He shrugged. "You are going out on dates, just like your mother wanted you to do. So you don't have to worry about me." The matter is still on, and I still need you." I did not allow his words to get to me. I remained silent. I was astonished. "I don't understand why you would not use that other girl instead?" I caught my breath. Had he heard me right? Was he saying that I was prettier than her? "Not as nice as you." "Not as pretty as you," he murmured. My heart was pounding as I replied, "Ha, yeah right," while my heart was thumping. I did not know whether it was my red face or his. He stood up straighter and cleared his voice as if he had made an impression on me. I didn't know who was the redder as a soft breeze caressed my hair and skin, but he said resolutely, "You're beautiful." I could not tell who was redder. As he apologized sincere for tonight's incident, I felt no more angry. The smile on his face was small when he said, "Yeah, yeah.". It was then that I realized I was getting into trouble. What I had been ignoring all night had to be brought to my attention. It was time for me to acknowledge what I had been ignoring all night. Even though I could pretend I did not know why I had been so mad for so long, I knew exactly why I was. In following the contract's number one rule, I had broken my number one rule. Luke was such an attractive guy.