Chapter 3
1150 Words
CHAPTER 3
ALYSSA EDWARDS
I rode back to the restaurant and saw that manager Sam was waiting for me outside.
"Why did you take so long?"
"I'm sorry. I just met someone who wasted my time a lot," I said as we entered the kitchen again.
"Manager Sam, Sir Daniel Patterson ordered a masala," One of the chefs informed him and he gawked.
"What?"
The horrid look on Sam's face scared me. What was so deadly about someone ordering a masala?
"How are we going to prepare that?"
"Masala? I know how to prepare it." I interrupted.
"Alyssa, we're not talking about any Masala. We're talking about the one your mother used to prepare for us."
The statement got me swallowing hard but I nodded. "Of course she taught me and I used to prepare some at my previous restaurant. Let me. I know you'll like it," I assured him.
Sam watched me closely.
"Alright but Mr. Paterson is very particular about how he wants his to taste. I will not serve it if it does not excite my palate." Manager Sam reminded.
"Don't worry."
I smiled and grabbed my apron again and started cooking. My mother taught me how to do this when I was just six years and hers was very special. She said she learned it from an Indian chef in high school.
I knew manager Sam was nervous but he had to trust me. The moment I was done, manager Sam came to taste it. His face fell in surprise.
"It tastes just like your mother's. Wow. I'll pay you double for this." He hugged me.
They quickly went to serve it and I went back to work.
I was still washing the plates when Sam came over with Mark.
"Why? Didn't he like it?"
"Actually. He wants to meet you." Mark explained.
"What? Why?"
"Don't ask questions and just go."
They said pushing me out of the kitchen to the restaurant. I followed Mark nervously to the table.
"She's the one." Mark introduced me and my eyes nearly fell out when I saw the guy on the table.
It was the Ferrari guy. Of course, I knew the brand of the car but I didn't want to grow his ego which I should've deflated but not that poor tire.
He also looked surprised but he quickly masked it, I think it was because of his family.
A small smirk appeared on his handsome face and he relaxed in his chair.
What was he planning?
"Were you the amateur who prepared this?" He asked and everyone frowned.
I wasn't sure if they were frowning at me or his words.
"This was so poorly done. There's too much spice in here and it doesn't even taste like Masala. I can't believe this." He yelled and looked so angry.
"Really? It tasted great, though."
"No, mother. It doesn't I just realized that." He corrected.
Was he doing this because of what happened earlier?
Sam rushed over here. "I'm so sorry, I'll have it replaced immediately. It was all my fault." He apologized, taking the food away.
"Sam, doesn't she look underqualified to be working in this restaurant? Please fix this mess." His grandma said.
I wanted the earth to swallow me up. This was so embarrassing.
Mark took my hand and pulled me with him to the kitchen. I went to look for manager Sam in his office.
Why did he do that?
"Manager Sam, I'm so sorry, I think he has a problem with me, I'll fix this, he's just kidding," I explained, wanting to go back to him and tell him to forget about what happened and apologize if need be.
"Alyssa, I can't lose my job just because of what you are saying? Do you have a problem with him? Where did you meet him?" He laughed.
"Just a while ago but I promise to fix this."
Manager Sam chuckled.
He didn't believe that I knew him. Why? Who was he anyway?
"No. Alyssa. I think I've shown your family some pity for two years now, I think it's enough. Just take this and find something else to do with your life."
"What..... I.... "
"I'm sorry but it's either you get fired or I get fired and..... "
I wiped my tears and took the envelope.
This hurts.
I should've stayed in my part of the kitchen. I went to get my bag and sadly strode to my bike.
Why did he have to do that? Why did he do that?
Next Day
Daniel Paterson
"I saw you arguing with that girl yesterday when you parked in front of the mall, it was funny." Nick Troy laughed.
"I don't even want to remember that night. She made me take a cab, can you believe that? I'm glad it didn't appear in the papers." I snorted, taking a sip of my drink.
We were in my apartment having drinks and playing games. Nick Troy was my cousin.
"Yeah. Do you want to have revenge on her? I know where she lives, though," Nick joked, his eyes on the tv screen as he tried to bypass my racing car.
"I already did. She worked at grandmother's restaurant and I made sure she'd get a very good scolding from manager Sam." I laughed and Nick gaped at me.
"What? You shouldn't have done that. So that explains why she was crying the whole of last night... " Nick said pausing the game and glancing at me.
"You live with her?"
"We're next-door neighbors. Well, Daniel. I think you got the poor girl fired from work. Her whole family depends on what she brings home too."
I gasped at the information. Guilt washed over me. "She got fired?"
"Yes."
"I didn't mean to. I was just playing around."
"You went too far this time, bro."
I took my phone and called my grandmother, trying to see if I could rectify the situation. Leaving Nick in the hall, I walked to the balcony and waited for granny to pick up.
"Granny, do you remember the girl from last night? The Masala girl?" I asked her the moment the ringing stopped and indicated she had picked up.
"No, yes. Why?"
"About the comment I made, I was just kidding and I think you took it too far. You even had her fired." I said, biting my lip and waiting for her to say something.
"Of course. She's just a high school girl. She doesn't qualify for the position she was working in so we had to."
"Dishwashing needs a college degree?"
"We are talking about a Paterson restaurant here, besides why are you so interested in her?"
"Granny? That's you being discriminative again." I reminded her.
"Whatever, what's been done has been done. She's fired and I'm not taking her back."
The line went dead.
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