Chapter 9
1002 Words
RYKER
I led Gabriella into the restraurant, nodding at the eager doorman, Tate. "Thank you." I said, when the waiter took us to the table.
It was a high end, restaurant. Which meant we needed a reservation before we ate, but of course I didn't need any. Perks of being rich.
"It's really beautiful." Gabriella sighed, allowing me to pull out a chair for her. "Thank you, Ryker." she added, then sat as I pushed the chair in a little.
"You are welcome." I told her, then instead of sitting opposite from her, I pulled my chair so I was seated next to her instead.
"You know you didn't have to bring me here, Ryker." she said shyly. lowering her gaze and tightening her hold on the leather handle of her bag.
I had been watching her since she came to my house earlier. That bag, if it could talk, would definitely have a lot to say about the stress she was putting it through.
I laughed inwardly at my joke, and winked at her. "I don't want my future wife to fall ill beacuse she refused to eat." That being said, I picked up the menu from the table and gave her one. I then signalled the waiter who had shown us the table earlier to bring us some sparkling water.
I knew she liked sparkling water. And how I knew that, was something to be left unsaid.
"You say that like this is all too normal for you." Her face was hidden in the menu.
I raised a brow. "Isn't it normal to you? Or at least, it will soon be." I told her, playing with the menu in my hands. I already knew what to order.
Gabriella made a sound. I wished I could see her face. "Oh please.."
"You ready to order?" I asked her, when she finally brought the menu down and placed it gently on the table. She nodded, and I called for a waiter.
This time it was a female who came. Just one look at her, and I was cringing hard.
Her top was unbottoned, revealing her breasts, and she swayed her hips, never taking her eyes off me, even as she reached the table. "Are you ready to take your order, Sir?" Yeah.. there it was, the overly seductive tone that sounded more of a drunken slur, than anything else, to me.
I turned to Gabriella, who had her beautiful forehead drawn into a frown, and obviously understanding what was going on. "What would you like to eat, baby?"
GABRIELLA
I had been looking at the woman who was going all out in her quest to flirt with Ryker, when he spoke, drawing me out of my reverie.
Had he just refered to me as ..baby?
My mouth suddenly went a bit dry and I could only nod as I tried to work my mouth to move again. I managed to rattle out my order in a somewhat weird tone to the waitress, who took them with a look of annoyance on her pretty face, all the while still managing to keep her attention on Ryker.
A small pang of jealousy hit me, and I bit the inside of my lips, trying to reign it in.
I wasn't supposed to be jealous. Ryker wasn't exactly mine. Our impending marriage was purely physical. He had been clear about that.
Besides, if he busied himself with the side pieces he was well known for, then the better for me.
But why did that thought not sit well with me?
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as the woman took every opportunity to bounce her displayed boobs in his face.
"...that would be all..." Ryker was saying, and gazed down on her boob, where her name sat. "..Mary." he finished.
"Okay." she replied sweetly, then took her sweet time reaching for my menu, and then when it came to Ryker's, which logically she should have taken first, she put extra effort in leaning down. One small push forward and I could swear her boobs would be planted in his face.
"And Mary..." Ryker said, when she straightened. "You have two weeks to look for another job. You are fired." he spoke like he was saying the most simple thing, while my mouth dropped open in horror.
Mary's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
Ryker sighed. "The fact that I like to try not to meddle so much in the running of my restrauants, doesn not mean I will not still do my duty as you boss." What? He owned this place? "Behaviours like this, are not tolerated."
Mary's eyes began to tear up, and for the first time, she looked at me, like I should help her. "I'm really sorry, Sir. I didn't realize.." But Ryker was not having it. "Make that one week. And please leave my sight before I make things worse." he said, turning away from her and settling his eyes on me like he didn't just fire an employee.
"But_" Whatever I was about to say was cut off by a wave of his hand.
"If you are going to say anything about her job, then it's best you just keep those beautiful lips of yours shut."
Annoyance swelled in me. It's not like I supported what she had done, but she had not outrightly said anything to him or touched him or... "You can't just fire someone like that. She was just shooting her shot.' The second sentence sounded a bit lame, but I didn't care.
Ryker rolled his eyes at me. "Well I just did." a replacement, the man who had attended to us before, came and served our food. I looked in the direction he had come from, and didn't find Mary anywhere. "It's my restaurant, chica. I can do what I want."
The food came after a few moments, and the thing I had been so eager to try out, now looked like they would taste like sand to me.
- Writer
