Il Suo Zaffario (His Sapphire)

The bar was dimly lit, bathed in a soft, warm glow. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxed, with mellow background music playing through a high-quality sound system. The scent of fresh cocktails and light snacks mingled with the cool, crisp air. Some patrons were swaying to the music, others were engrossed in games, while a few enjoyed smoking and drinking. A group of sharply dressed men, exuding an air of authority that made the space feel charged, walked into the bar. Their tailored suits, polished shoes, and dark sunglasses created an aura of power and intimidation. "Sapphire, look—it's him again," Nyah said, drawing my attention. "It's Logan and his men." I watched as Logan entered the bar. He was dressed in his usual suit, like a businessman flanked by bodyguards. There was something about him that I couldn't quite place. He was clearly wealthy, but his whole demeanor suggested that his money wasn't earned legally. His presence was dominating and fierce. Every time he entered the bar, it was as if the world stopped to notice him. "Yeah, whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Wait! How do you even know his name? I thought he was really private?" I turned to Nyah. "He's here almost every day, in that same spot. He's the hottest guy I've ever seen, so of course I want to know his name," Nyah said, causing Sapphire to cringe. "Hey, Sapphire, please attend to the gentleman over there," the boss instructed and I sighed. This is my life, and I hated how some people had it easier than me. I have to bust my ass every single day just to get paid barely enough. I'm Sapphire Amariya Carson, 21 years old. Let's just say, my life is not great. "Good night, gentlemen. What can I get you?" I asked with a forced smile, though not one of the guards wouldn't even make eye contact. "Give me four bottles of your strongest drink, and do it quickly," one of his guards demanded. I rolled my eyes and took the order. That's so rude, and besides, couldn't he speak for himself? Is he dumb? "Okay, that's it," I said with a bit of attitude, and Logan's eyes met mine. My heart started racing, and I quickly looked away. What the hell? His gaze felt like it had no meaning, like he was draining my soul. His eyes were cold, representing an unknown realm of darkness. I hurried back to the bar and handed my notebook to Nyah. "You can take this order to them," I said and sat down. "Why?" Nyah asked, chuckling a bit. "Are you intimidated by him?" She questioned, and I huffed. "No," I said, then paused. "Maybe a little. He's not human, and I don't like his energy," I added, and Nyah continued laughing. "Maybe it's because he's so hot. Bet he made you a little turned on," she teased and I cringed. "Just go give them these four bottles of vodka," I said, and she nodded before walking over to their table. I took Nyah's order and started attending to other customers. I could feel a burning gaze on me and had a feeling it was Logan's, but I ignored it. "Table number six, here are your chicken wing tenders and nachos," I said with a smile as I placed their orders on the table. As I turned to leave, one of the guys I served grabbed my hand. "You're such a pretty little thing. How about we get to know each other?" he asked. I pulled my hand away. "Never, not even in your dreams," I said and walked off. "Sapphire," Nyah called, waving her hand to get my attention. "Come here." "What's up?" I asked, leaning closer. "I don't think they like what you did. They might suspect something. You should've just served them," Nyah said, biting her lip. "I really don't care, Nyah," I replied, with a dismissive tone. She smiled and shrugged. "Well, they gave me a nice tip and told me to give this to you," Nyah said, handing me a thousand dollars. "What the heck, Nyah? I can't accept this," I said, and she rolled her eyes. "Girl, why not? You're way too soft for this world," she said. "I'm giving it back. I don't need their pity. I didn't even serve them," I said. She waved me off, and I walked over to the group of men, placing the money on their table. "I don't want it," I told them, staring at the wall. I couldn't look Logan in the eyes again. "Why not?" one of his guards asked. I huffed. Logan couldn't even speak for himself; he just sat there drinking and smoking. "You tipped me this amount for what? Just walking up to you and taking your orders?" I paused. "I don't trust you or your money," I added. The guard who spoke to me smirked. "Just take the money, sweetheart. It's clear you need it," he said, as the other guards started laughing. "Or you can take it and shove it up your rich ass," I said with a hint of attitude before turning on my heel. Just as I was about to say something else, I felt one of their hands on my ass. My jaw dropped in shock, and I spun around, snatching the drink from the table and tossing it in their faces. I hadn’t meant to hit Logan, but some of it splashed on him. Sh*t They were about to stand up when Logan cleared his throat and shook his head. I watched as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face. I hadn’t realized the entire bar had gone silent; the only sound was the background music. “I’m sorry; she’s new around here,” Nyah said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back to the bar. “What were you thinking?” Nyah asked, panic evident in her voice. “Someone touched me on my ass,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. I glanced around to see that everyone was still staring. “You might not make it out of here alive,” she said, her expression serious. I looked at her, searching for a hint of a joke, but found none. “I don’t care. It’s not worth it anyway. I’m getting fired today, but I don’t care. I’ll be outside,” I said, yanking off my apron. I walked through the back door, and the cold night air hit my skin. I shivered slightly and sighed, leaning against the wall as I pulled out a cigarette. “Let’s hope this helps me calm down,” I said, lighting the cigarette. Just as I was about to bring it to my lips, someone grabbed it from my hand, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it. I was about to explode when I looked up and saw Logan staring down at me. He was much taller than me—I’m 5'4". “What's wrong with you?” I demanded, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge. His cold, intense gaze made me feel uneasy. His lips parted as if he was about to say something. I could smell the strong scent of vodka as a whiff of it reached my nose. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered. “Women shouldn’t smoke,” he said, his deep, sexy voice sending a shiver down my spine. His warm breath against my ear made his words both provocative and hypnotic. I wanted to push him away, but my body felt weak and scared. Who would have thought his voice would be so compelling? “You can’t tell me what to do,” I managed to say, my voice trembling and my mind racing. “I just did,” he whispered, then leaned back slightly to look directly into my eyes. His penetrating gaze seemed to see right through me. "You know, that little stunt that you pulled back there was very disrespectful," he said in a deep, low voice as he picked up a few strands of my hair, his fingers gently curling them around his finger tips. He leaned in, his face close to my neck, then took a deep breath. His eyes momentarily, and a smirk played on his lips. With a subtle, approving tone, he whispers, "Hmm, strawberry," his voice warm and smooth. Why is he smelling my hair so weird? "First you came up to my table with an attitude, then after taking my order you proceeded not to take my drink to me. I tipped you something small, and you overreacted and messed up my suit," he explained, and my heart started beating faster. He stopped twirling my hair and then leaned into my ear once again. "What should I do to you, Princessa?" He asked, and the way the last word rolled off his tongue did something to me. I think that language was Italian. "First of all, what your men did to me was disrespectful and rude," I managed to say in an angry tone, and he chuckled. "I know what my guard did to you was rude and uncalled for, but you would get your apology," he said, and I was confused. "After all, he can't touch what is not his." He whispered into my ear. His words kept on confusing me. What does he mean by 'not his'? "I don't belong to anybody," I said, and he leaned more into me. He was so close that our bodies were touching. "Not yet," he said, then paused. "So how are you going to repay me for the embarrassment that you caused?" he asked. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Move or I will scream for help," I told him, hoping that he would go away. This man was crazy. "Take her," he said, then took a step back. What does he mean take her?? His men descended out of the dark, and my heart started beating at an abnormal rate. I ran past Logan then tried screaming "Hel-" but failed when one of his men sneaked up from behind me and placed a cloth over my mouth and nose. The intoxicating scent filled my nostril, and I slowly started to lose consciousness. ~~~~~~~