Chapter 24
1158 Words
Evan looked amused to see Alice at First Bite. No wonder she’d recommended the place to him. She seemed to enjoy the dishes they prepared. And he’d seen the signboard outside announcing the seafood launch tonight which he had decided he would like to try out as well. He wondered within himself how he had never stumbled upon this place before, despite it being so close to his company. When he looked at Alice again, as she pushed her table away and tried to stand, he noticed she wasn’t looking at him, but at Nathan with an air of recognition.
“Alice?” he called, drawing her attention.
“Welcome, Mr. Sterling. I didn’t know you’d go out for lunch,” Alice said, finally looking at him.
“What did I say about calling me Mr. Sterling outside office premises?”
“Hey, Alice. It’s nice to meet you again. Remember me?” Nathan spoke, smiling brightly at her. Alice tilted her head to the side and shook her head. Nathan gave a fake ‘ooooh’ like he was hurt making Alice laugh.
“If you told me your name…” she began.
“I’m Nathan Dirkson,” he cut in, still smiling.
A flood of recognition swamped in and Alice yelled excitedly. She remembered him now. How had she even forgotten his face?
“You’re the guy we picked up from the airport. Nathan. I remember now.”
“My assistant picked you up from the airport?” Evan asked, with raised brows.
“Alice is your secretary?” Nathan asked, looking at Evan.
“You know my boss?” Alice asked, exchanging glances between both men.
“And now I believe it when they say the world is really a tiny place,” Sheila said from behind, amidst laughter. She had been standing behind them watching the exchange going on for a while, while holding Alice’s take away pack of crab cakes.
“Sheila!” Nathan exclaimed and brought out his hand from his pocket for a handshake. Sheila shook him and asked them to have a seat at Alice’s table.
“You work here?” Nathan asked Sheila as they settled into their seats.
“She owns the joint,” Alice answered.
“For real? You must be a really talented and good cook,” Nathan continued, looking at Alice now who was focused back on her food.
“It’s what I love doing. I’ll send a waiter over here now with a menu to take you guys’ order. I’m very busy at the back.”
“That’s no problem. I do hope we can catch up sometime soon. Now I know you own here, I’ll be frequenting here often,” Nathan said.
“It was really nice to see you again, Nathan. Do come around again. Nice to meet you too, Mr. Sterling,” Sheila replied and headed back to the kitchen.
A waiter came over not long after Sheila left and took their orders. Nathan and Alice made small talk while waiting for their food while Evan watched them with interest. By the time the men’s food had arrived, Alice was done with hers and rose to go.
“You guys enjoy your meal. I’ll be heading back to work now,” she said.
“You’re gonna leave us all alone?” Evan finally spoke.
“My lunch break is almost over.”
“Who is it you work for again?” Evan asked, c*****g his head to his right, like he normally did. Nathan swatted him on his shoulder.
“You want to bully her? If you want her to sit with us, ask nicely, Evan.” Then turning to Alice, he added, “Please, don’t leave me with Evan alone. He eats humans if he’s not satisfied with his meal and he might bite off my flesh if you’re not here.”
Alice laughed out really loudly making the couple at the next table to turn and look at her. She returned back to her seat and Nathan called over a waiter and ordered a watermelon and banana smoothie for her.
While they ate and Alice drank, they discussed Nathan and Evan’s childhood. Alice realized she knew nothing about her boss other than his name and his brother. She found out from Nathan that Evan had a sister too.
“I’d love to meet your sister, Evan. Sounds like she’d be more alive,” Alice said excitedly. Nathan burst out in laughter while Evan kept a straight face.
“She might be too alive for your liking,” he said, finishing the last of his Maine lobster.
“Oh, you really devoured your lobster,” Alice observed, changing the topic. She didn’t want to get Evan in one of his moods here in First Bite, although she didn’t think he would. He and Nathan seemed to be pretty close and gathering from all that Nathan had said so far, they’d known each other for a long time.
“Your friend is really a talented cook,” Evan commented. “The lobster was really, really good. Well cooked, properly seasoned. If all her foods are like this, I’ll definitely be coming here much more often.”
“I should have recorded that, right?” Alice teased. “You might never say it again.” Evan laughed. That was the first time he’d laughed since he arrived at First Bite.
“Don’t come here without me, Evan,” Nathan said
“And if I do?”
“I’ll just come with Alice then.”
“You won’t be able to. Because she’ll be coming here with me for lunch everyday henceforth.”
Alice laughed and finished up her smoothie. She knew Evan didn’t mean that. He and Nathan kept on going at each other until they were done eating. Then Evan cleared their bill, including Alice’s, and they all left. Nathan took a taxi because he was going for a cultural festival while Alice hitched a ride with Evan.
Back at the office, she gave Edith the crab cakes she had gotten her. Edith was grateful and thanked her while putting it into her bag. Evan walked past both of them and went into his office.
“You had lunch with Mr. Sterling?” Edith asked Alice, a small smile on her face.
“Not exactly. We just bumped into each other at the place we went for lunch. You should go there sometime. It’s called First Bite and it’s just a few blocks from here. They just started a seafood menu and that’s why I got you crab cakes.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. It’ll be nice to get something for lunch other than sandwiches and shortbread.”
Alice returned back to her office and as soon as she was out of sight, Edith placed a call to the Switzerland branch of Sterling Industries.
- Writer
