~Louisa POV~
Tonight was my first night working at Taste of Rome. I spent the morning looking for appropriate shoes to move around with and appropriate hairstyles on Pinterest to put my hair in. I placed on some baggy clothing and headed down to the restaurant.
I hopped off the bus and gaped at the amount of cars on the road all heading to eat at 'Taste of Rome'.
I did my own background research on it and it was indeed a magnificent place that has been around for 10 years. Miss Mellisa, the sassy woman who hired me who was in fact the owner had the restaurant passed down to her by her mother and her mother by her grandmother.
It was indeed a beautiful establishment and they were indeed keeping it in the family. I was given my clothes, more like have them shoved to me by the rude girl named Monica.
For some reason she thought I was here to steal her position but I just needed money. She was 18 working to pay off her college debts and she was the most spoiled brat I ever saw.
I got dressed and they let me take orders and simply showed people where to sit.
I wasn't allowed to take food because apparently you needed a certain level of skill for that.
My night was filled with 'right this way sir' or 'right this way ma'am' or 'of course I can clean the spill your spoiled brat made because he has no respect for others'. I was complaining but I wasn't.
It was now ten o'clock the place was less busy but a different set of persons arrived. It seemed as if the rich came from seven to nine thirty and the filthy rich came at 10. They came with the big orders. I would like to have the lobsters or the oysters or give me a whole octopus.
I cleaned the kitchen after the staff made a mess, I wasn't being treated fair but I remained polite.
"HE'S HERE, okay, everyone stay calm, REMAIN CALM!" Mellisa started screaming but she was the only one freaking out.
Her face was filled with makeup like the night before. It looks as if she puts on a performance for special guest because she is so mean to the other guest.
She gives the staff orders to give me, she never speaks to me directly, it's as if she is disgusted by me.
"Patricia." She called out and I looked around to see who she was talking to.
"Patricia!" No one answered but their eyes were all on me. I turned to her and she looked at me with widened eyes waiting for me to respond.
"My name is Louisa...it's literally on my shirt, you can't miss it." I told her and she rolled her eyes.
"You're new here so I have to let you know, Mr Cattaneo is a very special guest of mine. He came here last night to check out the restaurant and he's coming again once more, I'd like everything to be perfect, don't screw things over, got it?" She said and I nodded.
"Good, because if things go well tonight, he's going to be with the woman of his dreams." She said turning and smiling into the air.
Wow, this woman was full of herself. The vehicle pulled up and she shooed everyone away.
She didn't want any of the waiters standing next to her, she felt it was threatening to her beauty. She wanted to be the only one who caught Mr Cattaneo's eyes.
I scurried behind the desk and the girls pushed me around until I reached the back, out of sight out of mind but I was still seeing what was going on.
He jumped out of the driver's seat and fixed his suit as he walked around the other side of the vehicle. He opened the door and a little mixed boy jumped out wearing casual clothes, his hair ruffled just like Mr. Cattaneo.
He held his hand and walked into the restaurant.
Miss Mellisa's smile faltered quickly and turned into a scowl but it was lifted into a smile just as quick. He has a son.
I said more to myself than to anyone in particular. So he probably has a wife as well, so why was Mellisa going after him?
"Goodnight Mr. Cattaneo." She said flirtatiously before flipping her beautiful curly hair behind her shoulders.
He looked at her and smiled gently before his smile disappeared again.
She looked down at the little boy and faked a smile so big how could anyone believe that it was real.
Another thing I read about Miss Mellisa on the web was that she wasn't too fond of children unless they were her own.
"Let's sit shall we?" She said to him and they walked over to the most beautiful table in the restaurant. It was so far at the back and it has a beautiful light setting. She ran back quickly to us and looked at us with widened eyes.
"I'm not paying you to stand and look pretty, get to work!" She said and everyone started rushing.
"You have to serve Patricia." Monica said and I turned to look at her in disbelief.
"I know, you know my name isn't Patricia." I told her raising my brows at her.
"But you look like a Patricia, you know...basic, annoying, a brat."
"I'm surprised you know the adjectives that suit your persona Miss Monica, I can assure you your accuracy is on point." I told her acting like a proud teacher of my student, she looked at me and flared her nostrils and I smiled before picking up the notebook and heading to the table.
Miss Mellisa was talking to Mr.Cattaneo in a very seductive way, trying to convince him to do something but he kept a neutral face. The little boy was on his phone playing games and it was clear that it annoyed Miss Mellisa because she kept looking over at him.
"Goodnight, I will be serving you tonight, are you ready to order?"
"How dare you distract me from a conversation?" Mellisa asked me as if she was a disappointed mother. "I'm so sorry for the waiter's lack of manners." She said apologetic to Mr.Cattaneo.
"I am a bit hungry and it is a restaurant, so I did come with expectations to eat and not talk all night long." He said in a very deep but alluring voice. His eyes trailed from Miss Mellisa and straight at me.
I felt as if he pierced my eyes with his dagger stare. I looked down immediately at my notebook because the close proximity between him and I felt like a coat shielding me from the cold outdoors.
The little boy looked up at me and his eyes were not hazel but they were grey with streaks of blue, that set aside he was the spitting image of his father.
"You have beautiful eyes." I said to him stooping at his level. He blushed and looked away.
"Thank you" He responded and I stepped back.
"pretty." He said and I smiled at him sweetly before standing up and stretching my hand out to him.
"I'm Louisa."
"I'm Alister." He said taking my hand and shaking it.
"Do you have any allergies?" I asked him and he nodded.
"What are those?"
"peanuts." He said and I laughed because I was allergic to peanuts too.
"What will you be having little one?"
"I like...I like chicken nuggets and fries...French fries not the other one."
"What other one?" I asked him raising my brows.
"celery sticks...it's nasty." He said and I chuckled.
"It is healthy, I don't like them either." I agreed and he smiled brightly.
"So a serving of chicken nuggets and French fries for the sweet boy."
"I'm a man." He said showing his muscles and I raised my hand up in defeat.
"My bad." I apologized and finished off writing his order.
"And what will the adults be having." I asked turning to Miss Mellisa first.
"A salad for me." She said fixing her dress, more like pulling it down more so that Mr.Cattaneo can catch a glimpse of her breast.
"And you." I said turning to face him, his eyes plastered on me the entire time I was speaking.
"What would you recommend Louisa." The way he said my name sent an unfamiliar feeling coursing through my vessels. He wasn't English, he had an accent.
"Um...the...lobster is pretty good." I said flipping my head back to him after staring down at my notebook for sometime. A curl got loose and bounced in front my face, I blew it out and it fell to the side of my face.
"I'll have that." He said and I nodded before writing it down. I turned to walk away and I felt eyes on me when I walked away and it was not Alister nor Miss Mellisa.
I gave the order to the kitchen staff and I just took a breather. That was so intense. I've never had someone look at me like that, his voice was authoritative and I was a puppet to his words not only because I had to take his order but because I felt like this man had so much power over my existence.
The food came quickly but I didn't really want to go back but obviously I did have to go back.
"Chicken nuggets and French fries." I said in a cute voice to Alister and he got so excited before saying thank you.
"A salad." I said and Miss Mellisa looked at me up and down without thanking me.
"And lobster." I said placing the plate down and opening it causing the steam to escape into the air. As I moved my hand from the table his hands brushed pass mine and I pulled away as if hot water caught my skin but really it was a pure bliss of electric passion transferring from Mr.Cattaneo to me.
"Enjoy." I said before rolling the cart away.
I entered the kitchen and took deep breaths in and out.
He's just a man Louisa.
Some time passed and we all waited for them to finish eating and chatting until it was time for everyone to leave.
They got up from the table and Alister hopped happily while holding his father's hand. They stopped at the front desk and I turned in a different direction to pretend as if I was doing something quite important.
"Louisa." I heard Alister's voice and I turned to face him I couldn't ignore him.
"Yes Alister."
"I liked it." He said and I smiled brightly before walking around to stoop at his level.
"Well, I'm glad you did." I said and he blushed looking down at the ground.
"Will you be here tomorrow ?" His father asked.
"Yes...sir." I responded.
"Great." He said quietly. I bowed my head and I stretched my hand out for Alister to shake but he hugged me instead.
"Thanks for not making me eat celery sticks." He whispered.
"Anytime buddy." I whispered back before he let go of me.
"Bye." He said and I got up and I was met with his father looking at me. He looked away by looking down at his son and cleared his throat.
"I enjoyed tonight Mellisa, the service was...beautiful." He said looking back at me before turning to leave with his son.
He opened the door and Alister jumped in, he went around but not before looking at me once more before jumping into the car and driving off.
"What exactly do you think you're doing!?" Mellisa turned to me snapping as soon as they left.
"I was...just doing my job."
"Are you trying to fuck him?" She asked me and I was taken aback.
"I'm sorry...but being genuinely nice doesn't mean I'm trying to have sex with anyone, he's a kid, I am going to speak with him nicely."
"Don't make me fire you kid." She said pointing at me, emphasizing the word 'kid'. I just nodded and went my way.
Monica smirked as if she accomplished something and I just rolled my eyes before picking up the rest of my clothing and heading home.
I entered the apartment ten minutes after a long and hard day at work and kicked off my shoes. I took a shower and I just thought about Mr.Cattaneo.
I threw myself in the bed and just thought about the way his stares affected me and changed the behavior of my body in mere seconds. I went to sleep with a smile on my face.