I am the boss - English version

Chapter 6: Ai Fiori

Bennett turns the key, and the car starts with a loud sound from the car's powerful engine that gets intensified by being inside the underground parking lot.

The car is a beautiful black Audi A8, shiny, clean and still smells new, wow, amazing, in my life I couldn’t have gotten into a car like this, like never.

The car starts moving and Bennett asks me

- Let's see, miss, tell me, What is the reason for you having an empty stomach, being very late right now?

- There is nothing more to tell, I was late in the morning, since I did not consider some variables when planning my routine yesterday, so I just left my apartment fast and that's why I took a taxi instead of going by metro or by foot.

- Oh, I see, then, will you not normally hinder my place?

- Ha, ha, very funny. Are you going to keep fighting me over the taxi driver, who decided to stop exactly at your place of descent, mighty emperor?

- Seriously you are something else.

- What do you mean?

- That not only you do not get intimidated by me, but that you have the gall to confront me.

- Gall? Wow, how arrogant you are.

- See? How can you address the company owner of your new job like this? Don't you think I could ask to get you fired with a snap of my fingers?

- Well, of course you can, but you will be a fool to waste my knowledge, and you will lose the opportunity to know how excellent an employee I am.

- Oh I see, so according to you, would my company suffer a big loss if you leave?

- Don't mock me, seriously I am very dedicated to my work and would give everything to help the company.

- But if I remember correctly, in your resume there were no jobs listed in the professional experience section.

- My resume? Did you read it?

- Sure, I was doing it, right the moment you fainted in my office.

- Now my mortification has increased exponentially.

- Ha, what do you mean?

- I already felt totally mortified and embarrassed by the show I put up in your office, now you make me feel more ashamed. Why were you reviewing my resume?

- Mmm just to get to know a little more about Miss troublemaker.

- Don't call me like that, I am really not a troublemaker.

- Oh, aren’t you? And how do you call, to speak to me, the way you did it in the morning, to any random stranger, not knowing who he is.

- By definition, you never know who a stranger is, that is why they are called strangers, and in my defense, your driver made my hair stand on end and almost caused me to collapse nervously, your horn sounds very loud.

- Oh I see, in that case, I apologize, I was the one who asked him to do it, the way he did, it bothers me that people do not follow the rules, and where your taxi stopped it was clearly identified in yellow as a place where parking was forbidden.

- Do you know something called kindness?

- I am not really sure, I am used to giving orders and having them followed without questioning.

- Aaah about that, I am someone used to questioning and never obeying anyone with blind faith.

- Oh yes? You look like you are a riot.

- Ochhhh you are unbearable.

- I know.

Suddenly the big boss stopped the car in front of a super fancy Italian restaurant called Ai Fiori, located on Fifth Avenue, near the company.

As soon as he stopped the car, a valet parking rushed over to open his door and greeted him by his last name.

-Good afternoon Mr. Jones.

-Good afternoon Steve.

Another usher opened my door and stretched out his hand to help me get out of the car, Bennett rushed and told him

-Don’t worry my friend, I will help her with that, thank you very much.

In a surprisingly friendly tone.

He gives me a beautiful smile and I am on the moon right now.

-Thank you.

I told him, letting go of his hand once I was out of the car.

-You are welcome, anytime you need me, Miss.

Hey, wait, was that a little flirtation on his part?

No no no, I am crazy, that cannot be even possible.

He placed his hand on my lower back, and stayed next to me, very close to be precise, until we walked through the door of the restaurant.

As soon as we set foot at the entrance of the restaurant, the employees straightened out and greeted him by his last name.

-Mr. Jones, welcome back, Your usual table?

-Hello Giuseppe, yes please.

-Are you waiting for someone else sir?

-No, it is just the two of us today.

-Very well sir, Marco will accompany you to your table and in an instant your waiter will be with you.

-Thank you.

Marco, who is dressed in the classic black suit, white shirt, black vest and black bow tie, and he is very very nice to the eye, he accompanied us to the far end of the restaurant, to a semi private section where a table is located, the table is much larger than all the ones we already passed to get to this one, with a U-shaped black velvet sofa around three sides of the table and they already had everything arranged for two people, with three beautiful chandeliers with lit candles and flower arrangements with white and purple lilies, which for your information, are my favorite flowers.

Quickly, Bennett, very confidently, sat right in the center of the seat and signaled me with his hand, palming at the seat, which means he wanted me to sit next to him in the seat.

I smiled and said no with my head, then again, he palmed in the seat next to him, but this time with a larger force, so the sound coming out of the seat when hit was much more intense.

This man is a guy, mmmm, a guy who does not take no for an answer.

Since I don't see any way to stop him from getting away with it, I sat on the far left end of the seat, and moved around to get a little closer, not as much as he told me, but honestly, closer than what I would have liked.

He scolded me with his gaze and proceeded to move towards me, sitting just right next to me, too close for my taste.

I moved a little bit to my left to separate myself from him and then he came back to sit next to me, for heavens’ sake! This man is unbelievable.

I try to complain but quickly the waiter arrives and presents himself with a sexy and Italian tone.

- Good afternoon, my name is Luca, and I will be your waiter, good afternoon Mr. Jones, welcome back, it is an honor for us to have you back with us.

- Good afternoon Luca, How are you today?

- Very well sir, thanks for asking what about you?

- Oh Luca, today I'm fantastic!!!

- Glad to hear that sir. As you know, this is our wine and beverage menu. Do you want a bottle of the same wine that you usually order?

- Unfortunately, not today Luca, because we have to get back to work.

- I understand sir, what do I offer you to drink?

- For me, I want a large glass of mineral water with a lot of ice and a lime.

- Right, what about you miss?

- Ah, I want a pink lemonade.

- Excellent, here, I leave you our food menu and, in a moment, I will return with your drinks.

The waiter told us and walked away from the table.

Bennett took the menu and told me

- If you really like Italian food, I recommend this one.

With his finger, he pointed on my menu at something called 'Imperial Gold Ossetra Caviar’

Ewww, I hate caviar, it will be very fine and expensive, but it tastes like stagnant water, no no no, I will pass on that.

- They do it with the finest and most exclusive ingredients.

- If I am really honest with you, I don't like caviar, in fact I can't stand the taste of it.

- Oh, I see, then I recommend this one.

He pointed on another dish called 'Bouillabaisse'

I appreciate his recommendations, he is trying to be nice, but I don't think we have even by mistake, similar tastes.

- Mmmm I wanted to order a spaghetti Alfredo with shrimp and a slice of pizza, he he.

- Oh, I see, you are like all New Yorkers who say they like Italian food, but they refer only to pizza and spaghetti.

- Well, no, but I like that.

- Ok, I understand, in that case.

He turns to the waiter and raises his hand slightly, the waiter returns immediately.

- Yes sir?

- Ok Luca, I ask you as appetizers Insalata and Vellutata.

Astice and Tagliata, as our dishes, and please tell the chef to indulge me with his best spaghetti Alfredo with shrimp, the most delicious shrimp pizza with bacon and mushrooms.

I also want Casoncelli and a Crudo e caviale.

- Very well sir.

I smiled and he noticed it.

- What happened?

- You asked for such an amount of food as to feed an army.

- Well, someone needs a lot of food, she is growing.

- Ha ha, so, do you dare to mock a woman for being a short person?

- I love your bold and sharp mind.

- Just that?

Oh crap! how did I tell him that, he is going to believe that I am flirting with him, I don't even know how to try to fix that.

- Hmm, I don't know, I just have close to an hour of meeting you

- Oh and by the way, why did you make Richard take me to your office, Great Lord and Mighty Boss?

- I see now, that the way you call me is evolving, why don’t you just call me Benny?

- Of course not, you are everyone's boss, how am I going to call you like that?

- Because I just asked you

- No sir, imagine what people would think if they hear me calling you Benny, they could believe that is why I got my job or that I am trying to win you over. No, hell no!

- Oh Layla, don't be so dramatic, no one will dare to question my decisions, I am the Boss

- I know you are the ultimate Boss

- Then, ready, fixed

- No, I didn't accept it, that’s unacceptable sir

- Then I will call you honey

- Whaaaat? Are you-

- What? Say it

- It is crazy, I am asking you, please, and I am asking in the most attentive way to stop this

- What is this?

- I don't even know. You can call me Miss Miller or Layla, and I will call you Mr. Jones, that is it

- I don't like it, I will call you Layla and you will call me Ben, what do you think?

- It is still pretty informal, Sir, you are the boss of my boss's boss

- Oh by the way, what do you call your immediate boss?

- Jim?

- Do you see? you just called him Jim

- Well yes but-

- But nothing, Ben and that is final.

I kept quietly pouting, as I couldn't convince him of how wrong it is to call him as he asked me to do it.

- Why do you make that cute pout?

- Sorry?

- I repeat, Why do you make this cute pout? Your face looks too cute and sweet with it, so cute. If you keep doing it I could-

He said, looking at me and then he just bit his lower lip, his full pink lip, God, I will freaking faint, I feel a feeling of warmth that starts in my neck and goes down to, down to, over there, CONTROL YOURSELF WOMAN!!!!

- Is that your game?

- What do you mean?

- I asked if that is your game? flirting with all the women in your company

- I see, did I make you feel harassed?

- Mm no, but-

- I apologize, I don't want the situation to be misunderstood.