♡AN ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS ROMANCE♡
Attending the same college is the only thing Sebastian Hutches and Tara Van Doren have in common.
To Sebastian, Tara is a rich, spoiled girl, obsessed with her looks and status.
To Tara, Sebastian is a rude, arrogant...
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Only ten tables are occupied at The Flavor. I sit at one of them, studying the menu I know by heart while my father is discussing something with Rick, the manager of the restaurant, in his office.
I hope they're trying to come up with ways to do more promo. The business checks all the boxes. Centric location and lots of office buildings in the vicinity? Check. Tasteful minimalistic interior that would leave anyone slack-jawed? Check. And, most importantly, the food — the right mix of innovative and traditional. If you dine here, you won't pay for a microscopic piece of meat strategically placed in the center of a huge white plate that has a few drops of sauce smeared on the side and something green to add joy to the few sad calories. You'll get a dish that will sate you, and that's why ten tables out of twenty-five on a Saturday afternoon seem like a joke. Or bad marketing.
My father walks out of the door in the back and comes up to me. He unbuttons his suit jacket before pulling a chair out and lowering himself into it. "Have you decided what you want?"
"A steak. With some salad."
He motions to a server and places our order. That he chooses the same dish I do might be the only thing we'll agree on today.
"How's college?" he asks as we dig into our food fifteen minutes later.
I chew and swallow before answering, "Good. I chose my major. Business Management."
And I didn't do that to please him — just the opposite. Some people think all wealthy parents build an empire and dream of their kids running it once they retire, but that requires trust in their children's intelligence. Vincent Van Doren has none in his daughter's ability to make a business thrive.
"Do you need money?"
I scoop up a piece of avocado with my fork. "No."
My father cocks his head to the side. "You didn't touch the money in your account."
All I do is shrug. All he does is stare.
"Tara. Don't be ridiculous."
"I don't need to buy anything," I mumble.
That isn't a lie. The perks of being an influencer include free cosmetic products and clothes. But while Tara Van Doren isn't on social media, Tara Hagen has two million Instagram followers and a successful business my father and my friends have no clue about.
My father sighs. "Well, it's there. Use it."
"I will." That is a lie, but he's too busy to remember what I say and do.
"The restaurant's a bit empty," I say once our steaks are gone, and the same server places two espressos on the white tablecloth.
"We're fully booked for dinner," my father says. "The Flavor is doing great, don't worry."
I pretend to study the dark brown liquid in my white cup. "Sure."
"That's not what a girl like you should be concerned about."
