Damien walked inside the event which was already underway, with Katherine by his side, their elbows intertwined together, looking like the ultimate celebrity power couple which the media portrayed them as.
They had arrived some minutes ago, and he had just finished giving his welcome speech, going up the stage as he had been called with Katherine as usual by his side, and he had welcomed the guests to the business function.
He had left for outside, wanting to get some fresh air, and Katherine obligingly had followed him too, and now they were both back inside going straight to their seat.
The crowd stilled as he entered yet again, and it felt as if he was arriving just for the first time because he could feel the stares of the guests on him as he walked in, and scanning the crowd he duly waved them as expected once again.
While he waved, at the same time he looking for the VIP seat that had been kept for him and Katherine.
The seat they had both sat on, some minutes back.
Music playing in the background from the live band that had been hired, Damien hummed softly to the popular song of Tim Jones, that was being played, all the while directing his date Katherine, to her seat.
He was about getting there, when he felt a tap from behind, and he froze.
Turning around, wanting to see who had interrupted him, Damien came face to face with an elderly couple, and looking at the man amongst them, he smiled recognizing the fellow as one of his business associates.
Mr Ramon, he could remember the man's name, and glancing at the grey haired pretty woman standing besides him, clad in expensive clothes and jewelries, Damien who was albeit amused bowed his head in respect.
"Mr Damien." The old man greeted, pulling his hands out for an handshake, one which Damien immediately partook in, removing his arms from Katherine's, and clasping the fragile veiny hands in his as he replied back, "Mr Ramon. How nice to see you today."
"Same here, same here." The elderly man said with a smile, and carrying on Damien proceeded to introduce his girlfriend, to the old man, and his wife who welcomed her with open arms.
A nearby waitress passing by, Damien signaled for the blonde haired lady's attention, and as she arrived, bearing a tray of drinks in her hand, he simultaneously collected four glasses, handing each and everyone a glass and taking a sip of his own drink, he looked up at the man again, and asked, "What brought you by? You rarely come out and..."
"Honey."
Damien stilled, as Katherine patted him, and raising his glass towards Mr Ramon, taking a slight excuse, he turned to face her slightly irritated but using his will power to mask his feelings.
He hated interruptions, of any kind, and worse still this man in front of them was one of Italy's most revered and respected business man and billionaire, but of course she had no idea.
Even if she had an idea, she wouldn't care...
Sighing gently he asked, "What is it?"
"I'm feeling pressed, I need to use the bathroom, I'll be back soon." She muttered slowly to him, and he just gave her a curt nod and turned back to resume with his discussion while she scurried away.
"I know that lady. Her father worked under me before..." Mr Ramon started to say, still looking at Katherine's retreating figure and smiling, Damien turning to look at her again before facing the old man again said, "Of course I won't be surprised if you know him. That man is a jack of all trades..." Damien added, and the old man chuckled.
Discarding the topic of Katherine, they continued talking business while Ramon's wife excused them too, and soon it was just the two of them, wine glass in hand, and whiling away time.
.......
"Finally we would get to serve this pompous assholes." Madison muttered loudly, much to the amusement of her colleagues who marched the stairs down with her.
"You are so funny, you know right?" One of them said, and rolling her eyes she replied comically, "Of course I am. I am a comedian, a drama queen, atleast it takes me away from the jumbled thoughts going on in my head."
Finally she was to get on with her gig, Madison thought to herself as she walked down the stairs, wine tray in hand, filled with glasses of juice, and various cocktails.
She was marching down confidently, as this was the time that she was actually starting her waitressing gig, instead of earlier on.
Something unexpected had happened, and so she and some other of her colleagues had been delayed and ordered to help out in the kitchen before coming out to do their job.
She had been a little bit unhappy about the development, because she had wanted to see the host of the party give his welcome speech, but due to the order she hadn't been able to.
The tip, she was going to get after though, did compensate her a bit and she was somewhat grateful that she would have some additional money after everything.
She needed it...
Looking around, at the hustle and bustle of the evening, Madison soon stepped down the stairs, alongside her colleagues, who were waitresses like her, and after saying a short goodbye and good-luck gestures, they all separated, each and everyone going their separate ways to begin their activity.
Madison, walking straight, immediately blended in the crowd, and in minutes with her cheerful smile placed impeccably on her face, hiding her worries away, she was off serving guests, and carefully fending of men who were trying to make passes at her.
She was collecting tips from them though, because she could use the spare cash going around, and whistling away to the song playing in the background, laughing care freely and enjoying her self, she didn't realize when she bumped into an incoming lady, and then her tray of wine glasses fell on the lady, staining the dress she was putting on, as well as shattering on the floor, whilst Madison's eyes widened in horror.
No, no! This couldn't be happening...
Surely this was an hallucination, and she was just dreaming probably but the murmurs from the crowd, the stares of the guests boring a hole in her back, the hysterics from the lady she had bumped into and the shards of glass that were already digging into her feets, were a stark reminder that all this was real and she had just gotten herself into a big mess.
Quickly dropping to her knees, not caring about the glasses scattered all over, Madison knelt in the floor, sweating profusely, with beads of sweat gathering around her neck and shoulders, and muttering some apologetic words she started to pick the glasses that had broken.
She had no idea what the time was, as she continued picking the broken pieces, no one was coming to her rescue, or to help at least and worse of all the lady was shouting angrily and ranting.
"I am sorry ma'am." She said slowly, finally taking her eyes of the floor to look at the woman and beg her for mercy but the young lady rather was so adamant as she kept on screaming.
Damn it! She thought to herself, her face dropping downwards again, not even properly looking at the lady she had seemingly had an encounter with.
From the way the lady was shouting, causing chaos, Madison could tell that she was one spoilt brat, or wife of a rich billionaire obviously because...
Fuck! She shouldn't be thinking of this.
She was supposed to be thinking about how she was going to get this under control, because she knew she was surely going to pay for this, and apart from being disgraced and embarrassed right here, she would still be scolded very well once this party was over.
This was one of the minor ills of her job, and she was always supposed to be attentive and focused so as not to create this kind of scenario, and now she had fucked up really bad.
Crowds were already beginning to form, the event already in disarray, and the dawning fear of what was going to happen should this become worser than it already was made her frantically try to pick these glasses and just disappear away from here, but she knew she just couldn't do that.
She would probably be called to explain, and her tip for the night would be collected from her, and withheld since she had violated some rules.
Tears burning at the back of her eyes at the waning situation, Madison was still trying to salvage the situation when she heard someone's voice, a deep baritone voice belonging to a man rather, shouting from the crowd as he came close, "What the fuck is happening here?"
"Katherine darling, what happened?" The man was saying again, and this time the whispers from the crowd increased a million fold, as she heard the lady say, "Oh honey, I am doomed. That brat, that foolish waitress she soiled my dress. She has successfully made all the time I spent looking good, feel like a waste and now..."
"Who?" The man asked again, this time whispering comforting things to the lady's ear, and from the words he was uttering it was obvious that they were lovers and immediately Madison's heart squeezed a little in jealousy.
Oh well, she had been right before.
The lady was surely the wife of a rich, and pompous billionaire.
Useless people all of them! Madison sweared in her mind, cursing at the same time crying painfully as shards of glasses continued to pierce her skin, and flesh.
"There...there she is." The lady shouted, obviously pointing at her, and not able to contain her shame any longer, Madison decided to face the couple, ready to apologize, or likewise give them a piece of her mind, as all this was just some stupid mistake when her hands froze...
No, no this couldn't be yet again!
The glasses that she had successfully gathered atop a tray, scattered yet again and the tray fell of her hands as she matched gaze with the lover of the lady she had bumped into.
Eyes widening this time around, another tear flowed down her face in shock.
No it wasn't true! This was a dream, she kept on telling herself, but as they held gazes, their mouths both opened in shock, Madison knew that this night was definitely a doomsday, because standing in front of her was him...
Damien Daniels, the man who had broken her heart and shattered her dreams.
The man who had left her, and turned her into a scorn.
The man whom she loved, and cherished ever since childhood.
Damien Daniels, the poor mechanic boy she had given her heart and body too...
"No!..."
.......
Thanks for reading. 💕