Collision

Chapter 1

'Hold that!'

Serena Taylor called out to a waitress balancing two plates in both hands, as she headed out the kitchen.

'Boss! Where's the fire!'
The waitress jerked in surprise, the plates shaking, as she came to a sudden stop.

'There isn't one yet, but there could be, if you take this order outside!'
Serena hurried over to take hold of one plate from each hand of the surprised waitress.

'What's going on?'
Julia, the head waitress at Cup of Sea Cafè, put down her plates on a counter, just as Serena did.

'Chef Mario made a mistake! He gave you the wrong order!'
Serena shook her head.

Julia looked surprised at that.
'Wrong order! How's that possible?'

'I'll be finding out in a few minutes. I'm just going to talk to him. This is the third time something like this has happened within a span of one week.'
Serena frowned, pushing a lock of her brown hair behind her ear.
'Once can be a coincidence..I understand how busy it can get in here..but three times! My customers have started complaining, and that's something I can not let pass!'

'I'm sorry! I had no idea..'
Julia lifted her palms in the air.

'No, no! Don't be sorry!'
Serena shook her head, causing her dangly earrings to swing to and fro.
'Just go and ask Henry to give you the correct order. I'll handle the rest!'
Serena waved Julia back to the kitchens, before she headed to her office at the back of the cafè.

          ****************

As the door of her office closed behind Chef Mario, Serena rubbed a palm over her forehead.

What in the world was that?

She leaned back against the headrest of her armchair, and closed her eyes.

Running one's own business at twenty-six years had its' ups and downs for sure, but Serena had been very lucky in that respect.
Ever since her grandmother had left her the rundown restaurant, Serena had worked day and night to make it a success.
Her hard work had finally paid off three years back, when Cup of Sea Cafè had become one amongst the popular restaurants scattered over Miami Beach.

And nothing can get in the way of me and my business..

Chef Mario had acted as if there had been nothing wrong with mixing up orders a few times.

'This is a busy restaurante..' he had drawled with his Italian accent.
'Such mistakes do happen..'
He had shrugged off the entire thing as non important.

'I have never had such a problem in my kitchens before, even when I was cooking myself!'
Serena had been firm.
'It's a matter of reputation! Customers complaining is not tolerated here..and neither are chefs who are not as passionate about their work as I am!'
Her voice had risen with his non serious attitude.

He had merely looked back at her, before getting up from his chair.
'If you have a problem with me, then you can always hire someone else!'

'What? You won't admit what you did was wrong, but threaten me with leaving?'
Serena had tried to remain calm, although she had fast been losing her cool.

'You may believe what you want, but I can't work somewhere where I'm insulted!'
His cheeks had reddened with anger.

'I never insulted you! And no one's even here to hear this conversation. All I wanted to know was how these mistakes have occurred not once, not twice, but three times!'

'I'll have you know that..' he began angrily, but then stopped as his cellphone rang.
He took it out of his pocket, and as soon as he saw the identity of the caller, not only his expressions, but his entire demeanour changed. Cutting the call, he looked up at Serena.
'Uhm, you are right..'