The next week, as if nothing had happened, Daniel Kerrington brought another girl to the restaurant.
She looked quite different from the others he had brought here. Sure, she had the typical look: brown hair, blue eyes, tall and leggy. But there was something about her that felt different than the rest. She looked anxious. Inexperienced. She brushed her hair nervously like it was the only thing that was keeping her from falling apart at the seams. Her face was kind, she broke a small smile at me when they were waiting to be seated. I could tell that she was excited about her "date", seeing as how her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him.
Her dress was elegant; an off-shoulder champagne dress. It made her look simple and beautiful, and it did not show much skin, like the others usually did. She also wore a pair of black kitten heels, but from the way she walked, it seemed like she did not have much experience wearing them.
When Daniel and the girl were seated, I took their orders. Daniel did not once look my way when he ordered his usual. His gaze was fixated on his date. The way his eyes skimmed over her with such intensity and lust made the girl blush.
I did not think the girl knew what she was getting into. I recalled the way her date had treated the redhead last week, and anger crawled into me. Even though I did not know the girl, I certainly did not want her to end up like the redhead, or the previous girls he had been with. She did not need this in her life.
Perhaps I should warn her about Daniel. I didn't know how, but I knew I should. I didn't want him to take advantage of her. Maybe if I told her what he was going to do to her after dinner, she would reconsider about her 'date' with him.
I didn't know. But it was worth a shot.
I glanced at them from afar as I served the customers their meals. As usual, Daniel let the girl talk. She chattered excitedly with him, telling him about her family and friends. He listened patiently, but his attention was elsewhere. His eyes locked on the part of her dress that cupped her breasts. At one point, he licked his lips, probably thinking about what he was going to do to them afterwards.
"I can't take it anymore," I murmured to Marianne in the kitchen. "I think I need to tell her."
She raised her eyebrows. "No, you don't."
"Why not?"
"Don't stick your nose to where it doesn't belong, Alex." She mumbled as she placed a customer's order. "I may have gossiped about Mr. Kerrington and his ladies, but there are certain limits we cannot cross."
Oh jeez.
"Does nobody have any care in the world for what's going to happen to her tomorrow morning?" I shot back. "The least I can do is warn her."
She just sighed. "I don't know, Alex... you might get into trouble."
My lip quivered. Perhaps... it might be worth it. I knew if it were me in that poor girl's shoes, I would want someone to warn me about potentially getting my heart broken. I needed to tell the girl, and if she brushed it off and still went home with him, at least I knew I tried my best and did my part.
Plus, it wasn't as if I was going to lose anything just by speaking to her.
I glanced at their table again and noticed that the girl was about to leave for the washroom. She grabbed her purse and casted Daniel a warm smile before standing up and walking across the restaurant.
There's my opening, I thought to myself.
After wiping my hands on the white apron tied to my skirt, I slowly approached her. Just as she was about to enter the washroom, I stopped her. She looked at me with confusion.
"Hi," I smiled. "Um, you don't know me.... But I have a feeling you would want to know about this."
Her eyes widened, puzzled. I tried to explain to her what I had seen over the past month working here. I told her about Daniel and how he had fooled every girl he brought in here. I told her about how he would manipulate them, telling them of dreams and empty promises. I told her about him bringing girls to his apartment, and after he's done with them, he disposed of them like trash.
She listened, her eyes gathering tears. At first she was hesitant on believing what I told her, but after a while, she began to accept it.
God, I felt so bad for her.
"He told me I was special." She said, leaning against the wall, defeated. "He said I was the best thing that's ever happened to him."
I stood next to her, unsure of what else to say. "Um... it's alright?" Damn, that was a dumb thing to blurt out.
She wiped off the tears from her eyes, and forced a smile on her face. "Thank you for telling me."
She took a while to gather herself before returning back to her table. I quickly got back to my station, pouring champagne and serving meals as if nothing happened. My gaze flickered to their table and I saw the girl arguing with Daniel in hushed tones. His eyes bulged out as he processed what he had heard. No doubt the girl was telling him about what she knew. He tried to explain himself, but the girl did not want to have any of it.
She shook her head, threw a curse at him, and walked out of the restaurant. Daniel was left confused by what had just happened.
I blew out a shaky breath. At least I saved that girl from a horrible heartbreak.
And throughout the next month, I continued to sabotage all Daniel Kerrington's dates. The next time was a brunette with a British accent. I had to get creative with that one. When I had served her her meal, I sort of stole her phone from her bag and sent her a text message. When I came around the table another time to give them their desserts, I gave her back her phone and said that she had dropped it under the table a while ago. She sent me a grateful smile and when she checked her phone, her eyes burned with intensity as she read the message I gave her. It was basically the same thing I told the nice girl before.
After reading the text, the brunette stood up abruptly. Daniel stood up too and asked her what was wrong. She didn't say anything.
She kicked him in the balls.
Yeah, ouch. Marianne and I spent a good hour laughing about that one.
After that was Fake Boobs girl. I knew I had to tell her what a lying traitor her date was. I sort of cornered her like a creep in in the bathroom where she was putting on her makeup. She got kind of freaked out, but when I told her what was up with Daniel, she completely flipped out. She trudged out back to the table, calling him a 'lying man whore' and left the restaurant.
The look of Daniel's face was absolutely priceless.
I think he must have known something was up, because he started to get super perceptive whenever he came into the restaurant. So I had to tone it down, and lie low for a while. I guess I had to let him take a few girls back to his place to avoid suspicion. I didn't want to get into trouble.
But eventually I did.
After staying invisible for a while, I decided to continue my little heroic stunts again. When Daniel came in with his next victim, I took action. I didn't have a chance to tell her in person, seeing as how she never left the table. So, I uncapped my pen and started writing a small note. When I passed Daniel the check, I slipped the girl the note.
I was not subtle enough.
Daniel immediately saw what I did. He grabbed the note before the girl could retrieve it, and read it. I stepped back, knowing I had been caught red-handed.
A look of fury flashed across his face. He stood up, pointing at me with an accusing finger. "So it's been you that has been sabotaging my dates."
Say something, Alex! My mind kept telling me, but I could not speak. I wasn't supposed to get caught. Now I did, what the hell am I supposed to say to justify my actions?
I panicked. I didn't know what to say.
I started to back away.
"I'm not done talking to you!" He yelled, loud enough for the entire restaurant to have their attention now focused on us. My cheeks were burning from the hundred pair of eyes glued to me. "Who the hell are you?"
"N-nobody, sir," I mumbled.
"Bullshit!" He hissed. Now, the kitchen staff had stopped what they were doing and came out to watch what was happening. I heard Marianne gasp.
"Would you like to explain yourself?" he spat.
"I'd rather not."
"Perhaps you would like me to tell the manager to pull out the CCTV footage?" His devious tone sliced through my body. "Maybe that will get you to talk."
Shit. Shit shit shit.
"Alright, fine." I caved in, braving a deep breath. "I'm the one who's been sabotaging your dates."
"Well, there's a shocker," Daniel deadpanned.
"You're a terrible person for treating all those girls you bring in here, you know," I told him spitefully. "You fuck them, and then you throw them away like they're nothing. So yeah, I took it upon myself to tell them who you really are because they deserve to know what a fucking monster you are."
His eyes narrowed, and I swore they turned blood red.
"Did I screw you or something?!" He asked, pissed off as hell. "Because if you are, then I get that you're angry at me for not calling or whatever. But honestly I really don't care..."
This guy is freaking unbelievable.
I stared at him in disbelief, "No! I'm not one of your stupid little leftover hookups!"
Daniel eyebrows rose. His anger seemed to be radiating off of him.
"Then? My personal life is none of your fucking business, girl. You should have stayed out of it." He stepped towards me, and I had to back away from the suddenness of it. "You messed with the wrong person."
Anger spreads across my chest.
"Oh I'm sooo scared!" I said with sarcasm, my hands waving around dramatically. "You look so intimidating with your nice expensive suits and your money! Please forgive me!" I mocked.
His jaw tightened, gritting his teeth.
Daniel's eyes whipped to the manager, still breathing hard. "This girl over here has been purposely sabotaging my dates, and I want her fired!" His pointed his finger downwards.
The manager frowned deeply. "Now, now, Mr. Kerrington, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement-"
"Fuck that!" Daniel said, startling everybody. His date yelped. "I want her gone from this restaurant. I don't care how you do it. If she's not gone by tonight, I will press charges. I will sue this place!"
Well, fuck.
Then he turned to me, the veins in his neck pulsing. "And you." He hissed. "You dare mess with my dates, mess with me? Do you know who I am?"
"'Do you know who I am?'" I mimicked his pretentious tone. "Are you serious right now? How far up your own ass do you gotta be to pull that card?" I almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of those words. How . . . predictable. "But I shouldn't be surprised, though. Of course you would use your immense wealth and power over a lowly waitress who's just trying to protect the women you've unjustly manipulated into getting into bed with you time and time again. Sounds very much on-brand for you."
My manager came up to me and clamped a hard hand on my shoulder. "Alex, that is enough."
"Yeah, go do what he says like the little bitch you are." Daniel gestured lazily in the manager's direction, a heartless chuckle vibrating through him. "And do us all a favor by keeping that little mouth of yours shut. You sound better that way."
That did it for me.
The roaring fire in my veins flared at his words, and I was so pissed off that my whole body trembled from the force of my anger.
"I like my mouth just the way it is, thank you very much." I smiled tightly at him. "What I don't like is wealthy, entitled men who think they can get away with everything. All the money in the world will never be able to cover up that toxic, black sludge inside of you. And guess what? You can go fuck yourself."
Then I did what I thought I would have never done in a million years.
I grabbed a bottle of champagne and poured it all over him.
The whole restaurant erupted. Everyone looked at me in horror.
I spilled every last drop of champagne on him, then when I was finished, the magnitude of what I had just done became palpable, sinking deep into my stomach.
I let what I had just did sink in. I couldn't believe I had done that. Me. The girl who barely had any friends. The girl who always kept a low profile. The girl who had never gotten into any trouble.
Except now.
Breaths came out of me in short spurts. Daniel's eyes were molten, ablaze with red-hot fury. My gaze darted from Daniel to my manager, who looked at me with a reservoir of disappointment.
My hands fell to my sides. "I guess I'm so fired now, right?"
The look from my manager only confirmed it. I glanced around, looking at the mess I just made. I fucked up so bad. I had just lost my job, a job that I actually loved.
Shamefully, I untied my apron and handed it back to my manager. I walked out slowly, casting a sympathetic smile to Marianne before I left. When I passed the restaurant doors, I caught a glance of Daniel from the windows outside. He seemed to be looking at me, his jaw clenched tightly.
Then, he mouthed three words. Three words I would not forget.
This.
Is.
War.