Chapter 2
1138 Words
“Order for Table 5” The chef rang out.
Ashleigh went to the counter to receive the meal.
“I’ll take it Emily. Table 6 is asking for a menu, go attend to them please.”
Ashleigh went to serve the food to the said table before returning to the counter while Emily returned back with the table’s order and handed it over to the chef.
“How’s your mum, Ashleigh? Is she getting better?”
“She’s stable compared to last month. The doctors were already done with her checkup by the time I got there but I have a meeting with the doctor soon.”
The doorbell jingled signaling the arrival of a customer. They both looked up and saw a couple enter one after the other. Emily sighed as she rose to attend to the new costumers.
“Looks like we’re going to have a full house today. Can you help on this one? I’ll take the next one.”
Ashleigh nodded and took her pad ready to go before she turned to Emily
“Fine but you’ll serve their food. I have a call to make.”
Ashleigh went up to the couple sitting by the window. The man sat there obviously uninterested in the menu and the lady while the lady sat smiling widely at the man. Ashleigh greeted them both with a practiced smile.
“Good evening to you both. Welcome to Cilantro. Are you ready to order?”
She looked from both the man to the lady in confusion as no one said anything.
“Um, excuse me Sir? Ma’am?”
The man finally spoke glancing at the lady in front of him before turning to look at Ashleigh.
“We’ll just have water for now. We’re not ready to order. Thank you.”
Ashleigh bowed slightly and left. Emily stared at her and nodded her head in the direction she was coming from.
“What’s up with them? I could feel the tension all the way here.”
“Well, they’re not ready to order so just give them water for now.” Ashleigh said and shrugged. She turned to look back at the couple and met the man’s gaze fixed on hers. She turned away immediately and went into the changing room.
Jerome stared at Natasha Rogers blankly as she smiled back at him.
“Will you please stop smiling? Let me spare you the trouble, I’m not interested in this date. You can tell your father when you get home.”
He was about to get up when the waitress came over to their table. The waitress smiled down at both of them as she spoke up.
“Good evening to you both. Welcome to Cilantro. Are you ready to order?”
Jerome didn’t reply her as he stared back at Natasha who returned it. The waitress spoke up again.
“Um, excuse me Sir? Ma’am?”
“We’ll just have water for now. We’re not ready to order. Thank you.”
The waitress left and then he turned to Natasha.
“When you get the water, you can pay for it. I’ll be leaving now. Have a nice day.”
Natasha stared at Jerome for some seconds before standing scraping her chair on the tiled floor in the process. She threw him a nasty look before turning to leave.
Jerome heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at the waitress as she also turned back and met his gaze. She turned away immediately and went through a door. He left a tip on the table before leaving. Heading to his car, he got a call from Liam.
“How was the date? Where did you take her to?”
“We went to your restaurant and she just left.”
“What do you mean she just left? Did you cut the date short again? What’s wrong with you?”
Jerome rolled his eyes as he started his car and pulled out of the parking space.
“Are you still at the restaurant?”
“I’m about leaving. Why?”
“Don’t yet leave. I’m right around the corner. Let’s meet up.”
As he sat in his car, his mind wandered back to the waitress. Her brown eyes that widened when she met his eyes. He smiled at the thought. Her brown hair tied up in a ponytail that bounced as she walked away.
A knock on his window brought him back from his world of thoughts. Liam’s face appeared, smiling lightly. He gestured for him to come out which he did.
“Let’s go inside and have a drink just to while away time.”
As they entered, Jerome’s eyes wandered to the counter scanning for her but she was nowhere to be found. Liam noticed and tapped him on his shoulder.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Huh? No one. Let’s go.”
Entering Liam’s office, Jerome proceeded to where he keeps his drink and took out two glasses. Looking up at Liam, he asked,
“How close are you to your staff?”
“I’m close to a few of them. Why?”
“That’s good. No reason.”
“So how was the date?”
“Do not ask me about the date. I need to make my father stop setting me up on dates.”
He stopped as he took a sip from the drink in his cup. Liam turned to face with an expectant smile.
“You said all this was because you don’t have a girlfriend, right? And your dad said he would stop if you had a girlfriend?”
“Yeah. What are you getting at?”
“Can’t you see? All your dad wants is to see you with your girlfriend so why not give him what he wants? Get a fake girlfriend and let her meet your father. Then he’ll stop setting you up on those blind dates.”
Jerome stared at his friend for a while then chuckled lightly.
“Let’s say I decide to go along with your crazy plan, where do I find a fake girlfriend? Even if I do find her, what if my dad finds out?”
“My plan is not crazy, it is your only solution unless you have a girlfriend which I know you don’t, this is the only way out. There are ladies everywhere, I don’t know go to a bar or something and find a girlfriend.”
Running a hand through his hair, Jerome sat there thinking about what Liam had said. He let out a sigh before speaking.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Just think about it. No pressure, alright? This is why I always told you to date but you wouldn’t listen.”
- Writer
