Anthony's Angel

VI. Wine and Dine

Angelica’s POV:

Analyzing the man in front of me, the pounding in my chest increases as each second passes. The moonlight beams onto him as if he is the main star on stage.

His alluring light blue eyes captured me. It was so captivating to the point; it was frightening.

Absolutely frightening.

Finally, able to move my eyes, I scan the rest of him. The wind blew gracefully across his glorious styled hair that cost more than the outfit I’m wearing. Due to the small wrinkles on his tan skin, I can tell he is quite old, perhaps near his late twenties or early thirties.

But even with that, he is a very seductive man. A man I wouldn’t mind being in bed with, despite being a virgin. At that insane moment, I want him to pop my cherry.

Quite a story to tell our future children.

I must have hit my brain without knowing earlier with that fall to make up stories such as our children with an unknown man.

He stood up, fixing his expensive black suit, and offered me a hand. My hand grabbed his rough, dry hand and stood up. “Thank you,” I mumble, removing my hand.

He continues looking at me, eyes studying every inch of my body. “Be more careful from now on,” he said.

We continue standing there, gazing at each other. If I were a stranger walking past by, I would wonder why the f**k are two people staring at each other.

My eyes wide open, I look down at my phone, realizing I’m late for work. “Th-Thank you again, and I’m sorry for bumping into you,” I said in a rushy tone and sprinted into the building. Taking a peek back, he stood there, hands in his pocket, eyes still locked on me.

I shook off the uncomfortable emotion and ran towards the employee’s lounge, putting my things away. Throwing my shoes into my locker, I grab my heels. Taking a deep breath, I rub my numb foot and put on the death trap. Running towards the restaurant, I greet the other workers.

“Darling, what are you doing here? You work earlier,” Kathy said.

“Picking up an extra shift,” I respond, giving her a small smile. Quickly, I walked away so she couldn’t say anything else. Kathy is really nice, but she gets noisy with other people’s personal life. Once she knows something, everyone knows it.

“Thank you so much, Ann,” Mr.Rayland said, smiling at me.

I gave him a nod and started working.

After a while, no more like ten minutes later, Mr.Rayland pulled me aside. “Did I do something wrong?” those words automatically slip out.

“No! It’s just someone requested you,” he said in a firm voice.

My brows scrunch together, “Who?” No one ever requests a specific waitress unless their families come to eat here, but my family can’t afford to eat here.

The most we can afford is the mega meat pizza five blocks down when they have a promotion on Wacky Wednesday. I mean a large pizza for $4.99? That is wacky!

“An imperative customer,” he said as he swallows loudly, sweats pouring down his forehead, which he quickly wiped away with his handkerchief. He points behind me with a shaky hand, like a character in a horror movie. I slowly turned around.

Striking blues met mine, and a smile etched on his lips, no more like a smirk. He was sitting next to the large glass window, hands folded together. The city light reflected on his blue eyes beautifully.

What in the world? Why does he want me?

“Listen, Angelica, Mr.Winston is an imperative customer. If he is unsatisfied with something, we will go out of business. No matter what, do as he says. If you do well, I will let you make up your own hours, and I’ll even give you a raise,” he said in the most serious tone I’ve ever heard.

Own hours...Raise...Money.

Those words circled inside the mind, and I nod quickly, plastering my usual fake professional smile.

For the money.

Turning my feet, I head towards his table. His eyes never once removed from mine. As the distance decreased between us, my heart felt like it would leap outside my chest any second. “Hello, my name is Angelica. I will be your waitress tonight,” I said in my best professional voice.

Smile for the money, honey!

“Hello, Angel,” he said in a seductive deep voice.

Wait, did he call me Angel?

Shaking that thought off, I continue showing him a smile, “What can I get for you tonight, Mr.Winston?”

He starts ordering, and I nod, “Your order will be out soon, Mr. Winston,” He gave me a nod, and I headed towards the kitchen. I can feel his eyes burning in the back of my head like he is trying to drill a hole in my body.

Looking down at his order, I realize that he may have a date since he orders two of everything.

Of course, he is taken; good-looking men are always taken.

My eyes blast open when the food is finished in less than ten minutes; he must be really important. I carried out the food in the brutal heels and placed it down in front of him. “Please, call me if you need anything else, Mr. Winston.” I offer another one of my smiles and turn my bruising feet.

Smile for the money, Angelica! The money! The pizza!

“Oh yes, I do need something else,” he replies before I can even take a single step away.

I turn around and smile once more. “What would you like, Mr.Winston?”

“You,” he said in the most serious tone I’ve ever heard. I stood there, blinking a few times.

“Excuse me?” I finally said after several thousand clocks ticking.

Continue smiling at the weird but powerful man!

“I need you,” he said again as he pierces my soul with his light blue eyes.

I stand there dumbfounded, attempting not to release a humorous scoff. Tilting my head slightly, I bit my tongue to ensure I didn’t curse him out.

I need this job. I need this job. Job means money. Money means food. Food. Food. Food.

“Take a seat,” he demands and gestures towards the seat in front of him.

Glancing at Mr.Rayland, he nods his head mouthing me to sit down. Offering him my professional smile, I hesitantly took a seat.

“Eat,” he commands.

I can tell he is a man who is used to ordering people around.

Biting my bottom lips, my smile dropped as I shot him a glare. I was tired of playing this game. “Okay, is a bet? Because that’s not very nice. I don’t have time to be playing around with rich men like you,” I lean back, folding my arms together.

He breaks into roaring laughter, “No, not a bet. I just thought you could use a break from standing in that modern torturing device they call heels.”

Little laughter escaped my lips when I heard him say that. I bite my cheeks and start eating while he continues staring at me.

Free food is the best kind of food.

“Tell me about yourself, Angel,” he said as he pours himself some wine. That damn wine that cost more than my monthly paycheck.

Again, he called me Angel.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not looking for a lover right now,” I respond quickly.

Placing the bottle down, he lifted a brow. “Did I ask whether or not I want you as my lover?” he elegantly takes a sip of the wine.

Licking the sauce off my lips, I took a sniff, quite embarrassed that I assume he wanted me as a lover. “No, you didn’t,” I replied quietly.

“And what did I ask?” he said, clasping his slim fingers together as he leans closer to me.

“To tell you more about myself,” I said as my eyes wandered down towards his fingers. For some strange reason, I was quite delighted when I didn’t see a ring on it.

Looking back up, he smirked at me, knowing I was scanning his finger for a ring. “Exactly,” he replied, exposing more of his left hand, more specifically a particular salient finger.

I place the fork down, “And why should I tell a stranger about myself?” I said, attempting to calm myself down.

A low scoff escapes his throat as he bit his divine lip, “A stranger?”

“Yes, I was raised not to talk or take stuff from strangers.”

He glances down at the plate in front of me and raises a brow. “You are eating the meal I brought for you, that seems to cross the stranger status, doesn’t it?”

I shook my head, “Only because my boss forced me to sit here to wine and dine with you, a stranger.”

He held up the cup of wine in his hands and swirled it around lightly. “Do you know why we are still strangers?”

My eyes entranced by the whirling red wine, “Why?”

“Because you won’t tell me about yourself. To not be strangers any longer, we need to know about each other.”

My hand automatically starts playing with the tip of my ponytail. “Then why won’t you tell me about yourself first, Mr.Winston?”

He traces the inside of his cheeks and nods, “Anthony Winston. Age 31. No lover. One younger brother.”

No lover.

“Angelica Chisai. Age 20. No lover. Four younger brothers and an older sister.”

I can see his brows furrow as if he is having an inner conversation, “Chisai, quite an interesting last name,” he replied after a few moments.

“Yes, from my mother’s side.”

“Not your father?”

My eyes closed momentarily, and I took a silent, deep breath, “Divorced.”

He nods his head, and I swear I can hear him muttering something under his breath. He glanced back at me, “Must be rough.”

I shrugged and brushed off the minor ache, “Not really. He cheated on my mom.”

“Must be tough for your mom.”

A smile crossed my lips, “No, mom found her true love. My dad,” I said while staring at the wine bottle in front of us.

“Oh, really?” he said.

“Yeah. Mom really loves dad a lot.” I somehow manage to chuckle out despite the brewing pain in my chest.

Imagines of their bodies lying in the hospital bed flashed before my mind. I can still hear Lily shrieking cries the moment she laid eyes on our parents.

Closing my lids, I can hear a seat being pulled next to me. Looking up from my blurry eyes, I met with a pair of blues. He placed a hand on my head and pulled me into his broad chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat, but it insisted on staying. Next thing I know, I broke into a loud cry, arms wrapping around this stranger I met less than an hour ago.

He continues rubbing my back, mumbling comforting words into my ear. “Hey, it’s okay, Angel. Cry all you want,” he whispers while placing light kisses on my forehead.

I know I’m at work, sitting on a stranger’s lap and crying. But, the past few years had been rough. Let me have this.

Plus, he is very sexy.

I don’t think I can ever be comforted by such a gorgeous man ever again, so I might as well take the advantage.

After a while, I attempted to inhale through my nose, but it was utterly stuff. He placed a tissue in front of me, and I blew my nose, very loudly. He took the dirty tissue and threw it across the table.

This is freaking weird. The first time a man ever helped me blew my nose, who isn’t related to me.

Grabbing another one - a clean one - he wiped off my tears as he continued rubbing my back. Without looking into a mirror, I know I’m a mess. Trailing my eyes downward, I saw snot and tears on his expensive-looking shirt. “Sorry about your shirt,” I mumble out, mentally praying he won’t send me a laundry bill.

“It’s okay.”

Staring into his eyes, my head involuntarily tilted. Perhaps, it’s the lack of sleep and his beauty, making my brain unable to reason.

Before I knew it, our lips collided, and a rush of warmth spread throughout my body. For some mysterious reason, his lips felt very familiar. I can feel his hands trailing towards my lower back.

Screw it, even if it’s a bet, it’s worth it.

He comforted me.

He helped me blow my nose.

He is strikingly handsome.

And most importantly, he fed me.

What’s there to complain about?

Our lips move together in perfect harmony. I can feel my legs lifting, straddling him as his hands slipped towards my inner thighs. “My room tonight?” he whispers into my ear as his lips trail down my neck.

“Mr. Winston, this is inappropriate,” I manage to gasp out as he sucks my neck.

“Call me Anthony, Mr. Winston is my father,” he said as his hands trail all over my body.

“Go on, Angel, call me Anthony,” he whispers into my ear, nibbling it lightly.

“Annnthony,” I moan out.

I can hear him cursing slowly as his hard-on pressed against my core, our lips once again attached—tongue exploring every centimeter of my mouth.

"Ummm, excuse me?” a voice said. I pushed myself off of Anthony’s lap, bottom brutally colliding with the hard tile floor.

Oh God, I just made out with a stranger at my workplace. No, I shouldn’t call him a stranger, more like an acquaintance?

Oh God, I just made out with an acquaintance.

Looking up, Kathy’s face was flush red. “Angelica, your phone kept on ringing,” she whispers.

I nod and dash towards the worker room, not once looking at the man I just had a heated moment with. Glancing around, I realize that all the customers are gone. I stopped and took one more spin around the restaurant, avoiding Anthony, to ensure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me.

I’m pretty sure I look like a dog chasing its own tail.

Where is everyone?

Shaking off the sudden bizarre moment, I rushed towards the employee room. Opening my locker, I can hear the ear-splitting ringing. I should really consider changing my ringtone.

“H-Hello?” I said.

“Miss Chisai?” a deep voice spoke.

“Yes? How can I help you?”

“Miss Chisai, we are calling to inform you that Miss Minnie is in the hospital.”