Contracted By The Enemy; Daddy’s new Nanny

The lunchtime rush at The Golden Spoon was chaos catching air. Plates clattered, orders stacked up and steam misted the windows at the rear of the counter. Eli Navarro sashayed his way through it with practiced speed, trays carefully balanced on one arm, dropping bills, forcing a smile even when he felt as if his back might give out and his legs wobbled from under him. His manager, Mr. Collins, barked from the kitchen. "Eli, table four. Hurry up. And remember, if you spill one more drink today, I am cutting your hours." Eli muttered under his breath, "You cut them any further and I will be working negative shifts." Mara, the older waitress beside him, snorted. "Careful. He might actually make you pay to work." "I would not be surprised," Eli replied. He grabbed a tray of drinks and walked toward table four. His mind drifted the way it always did when stress pushed too hard. Aunt Lila needed her medication refill by Friday. The landlord wanted rent by Monday. His tips had been garbage all week. He forced the thoughts away before they crushed him. "Not today, Eli.One step at a time." he whispered to himself. At table six, a small voice trembled. "I am sorry, sir. I did not mean to spill it. Let me just…." Eli stopped mid step. The junior server, a boy barely out of high school, stood frozen with wide eyes. A tall man in a sharp black suit, looking as handsome as a god, glared down at him like he was trash. Coffee dripped down the edge of the table. "You did not mean to spill it?" the man repeated. His voice was low, dangerous and filled with fury. "You are so incompetent. Get me someone who knows how to do their damn job." The boy stuttered, "S sir, it was just an accident." The man leaned forward. "Do you think I care? I do not tolerate stupidity. Move." The boy’s hands shook as he tried to wipe the table. Eli felt something snap inside him. He set his tray down and stepped forward. "Sir, that is enough," Eli said firmly. "It was an accident. You do not have to talk to him like that." The entire restaurant went silent. Forks paused mid air. Mara whispered, "Oh God, Eli. What are you doing?" The man slowly lifted his eyes. They were cold, flat, and unreadable. "And who are you?" "I work here," Eli said. He straightened his shoulders. Usually he swallowed insults, but not today. Not with the boy shaking like a leaf. "And you need to calm down. Yelling at him will not un-spill the coffee." The man stared at him in disbelief. "Are you correcting me?" Eli felt heat crawl up his neck. "Someone should. You are being rude." A soft gasp rose from nearby tables. The man leaned back slightly. There was something frightening in his silence, as if he were deciding between several ways to destroy him. The junior server mouthed, "Eli, stop. Please." Eli forced a stiff smile. "Your coffee will be replaced. On the house. Just wait like a normal person." The man’s expression tightened in a way that made the air shift. His assistant, who had been standing quietly behind him, looked like he might faint. He bent toward Eli and whispered rapidly, voice trembling. "Do you not know who he is? That is Damian Blackwell." Eli froze. His heartbeat dropped to his stomach. Damian Blackwell. The billionaire. The CEO. The man known for making grown men cry during meetings. People said he once fired someone for sneezing too loudly. Eli swallowed hard. For a second, panic rattled through him, but pride kept his feet glued to the floor. Damian stood up slowly."So….You think I am rude." Eli opened his mouth, then closed it. "Look, I did not know who you were, alright? But I stand by what I said. Yelling at a kid does not make you look powerful. It just makes you an ass." Mara whispered, "We are all getting fired today." Damian did not shout. He did not insult. He simply called out, "Manager!!!" Mr. Collins rushed out of the kitchen, sweating. "Y…Yes, sir. Mr. Blackwell. Is there anything you'd like me to get?" Damian kept his eyes locked on Eli. "Fire him." Collins sputtered. "S.. sir? Eli? He has been with us for two ye…" "I said fire him," Damian repeated. His tone was soft but deadly. "If he is still employed here in the next sixty seconds, I will make sure this restaurant shuts down permanently. I will buy the building, level it, and turn it into a parking lot. Maybe then you will understand who you are dealing with." The room held its breath. Eli felt all warmth leave his body. "You cannot be serious." Damian stepped closer. "I am always serious." "Sir, please," Collins begged, turning red. "He is one of my best workers. We can talk about this." "You have fifty seconds," Damian said. Collins turned to Eli. "Give me your apron." Eli’s stomach twisted,disbelief written all over his face. "Mr. Collins, come on, you're seriously not listening to this guy, right?" "I cannot lose this business, son. I am sorry," Collins whispered, his voice filled with regret. "Take it off." People stared. The junior server looked horrified. Mara shook her head helplessly. Eli pulled the apron over his head slowly. "So this is it, huh?" Damian watched without blinking. Eli dropped the apron on the table. "Happy now?" Damian’s expression did not change. "Next time, learn to hold your tongue." Eli clenched his jaw. "Next time, try acting human." A dangerous calm settled over Damian’s face. "I do not need to act. I am exactly who I should be." Eli wanted to punch him. Instead, he grabbed his bag, turned, and started walking toward the door. The junior server whispered, filled with sadness, "Eli, I am sorry. This is all my fault. I should have been more careful." "It is not your fault," Eli said quietly. "Take care of yourself." He pushed open the door, feeling everyone’s eyes burning into his back. Behind him, Mara let out a shaky breath. "You i***t," she whispered. "You brave, stupid idiot." As the door closed, Eli stepped into the afternoon light, heart pounding, life collapsing around him. His phone buzzed in his pocket. The landlord reminded him about the rent. Aunt Lila's pharmacy, reminding him about the overdue bill. Everything hit him at once. Inside the restaurant, Damian sat back down, calm again. His assistant whispered, "Sir, y…you really fired him for that?" Damian replied quietly, "You want to question me too?? I'm more than happy to let you join that lowlife on the street.You should know well that I do not tolerate disrespect." The assistant swallowed hard and shook his head, trembling. “ I'm so sorry sir, It won't happen again.” Outside, Eli stared at the sky, feeling sick. "What the hell do I do now?" A cold breeze swept through, carrying the weight of a ruined day. And behind him, through the restaurant window, he could still feel Damian Blackwell’s eyes on him.