“Sorry it came a bit late,” she politely apologised to the lady who was sitting beside her man.
“Why did it come late though?” The lady demanded, her voice no longer as friendly as it was when she was making the request three minutes ago.
Jasmin’s throat ran dry as she wondered what the right answer to her question would be. This was the reason people lie, she thought, being on the spot didn’t feel cool at all.
Lying was never a problem, in fact, she did it every day at work, but at this point, no reasonable one was coming forth. “Umm.” Her eyes caught the gold chain around her wrist and she loses her sense but decided to brush it off and focus.
“What? You have no reason, you just keep people waiting. You’re clumsy and unprofessional.”
Jasmin wanted to drop her tray right there and then and display what unprofessional meant, but she thought about the attention that would cause, George’s reputation and Anita’s trust, but most importantly, the pay.
“Faith, dear, the red wine you ordered has been served, let the poor girl go, I bet she has a lot of other orders to meet and the longer you keep her, the later they will get theirs too.” Came the gentle voice of the man sitting beside her and he placed a gentle hand on hers.
The voice sounded so familiar to Jasmin and she turned her gaze towards him and there he was.
Cainan Inferno.
The man she ran into his office three weeks ago, the man she stole his Rolex and hoped to never see again. Here he was and her heart shrank as fear set in.
He was wearing a black suit and tie, his hair seemed to be lower than the last time and his beards were fuller. He held the look that was half tired half annoyed, but no indication of who those emotions were directed at. She didn’t forget his face, she couldn’t. Not after everything that took place that day.
She couldn’t forget his smug face even though it was gorgeous and she couldn’t forget that ocean green eyes and how cold they were when he demanded she handed over the diamond necklace to him. It was not a very good memory though, not when it ended with her stealing his Rolex, she should have known that they would be no peace for her after what she did.
Their eyes met and he paused as if trying to remember where he met her before.
Jasmin knew that that would be nearly impossible because unlike three weeks ago, her hair was no longer blonde but back to its natural red colour and the makeup she wore that day was no longer on her face, she’d also taken out the grey contact lens and her eyes were now back to their normal coffee-brown colour.
He wouldn’t recognize her.
He couldn’t recognize her even if he tried to.
She forced herself to look away, but his eyes remained on her.
Faith seemed to have noticed the tension between them because she glared at Jasmin and waved her hand to casually dismiss her.
Jasmin left immediately, with her heart beating heavily against her chest and blood rushing through her veins. Once she got to the kitchen she set her tray down on the counter and closed her eyes she didn’t know for how long they remained close until she heard her name being called.
“What happened?” Anita asked as she approached her.
Her head snapped up, “What? Nothing.” She responded, shoving all the other emotions away from her face.
“Well, what’s up with you and Beatrice?” She asked as she set her tray down and moved to take out a bottle of blue wine and setting it on her tray then going to pick out the already served jellof rice and chicken wings.
“How do you mean?” She asked with a raised brow.
“She was just telling George you wouldn’t do your job and do as you’re told,” Anita asked and paused and turned to her. “I told George she was exaggerating but wanted to hear from you as well.”
Jasmin clenched her teeth and her eyes closed briefly, “Beatrice was given orders by the guest and she didn’t want to do it and was hoping to give those orders over to me even when I had mine. She did it earlier and I let it slide but she tried to again and I didn’t let her. Then she said I wasn’t supposed to be here.”
“That bitch!”
“Don’t get worked up, I handled her already.”
Her eyes dropped, “I’m sorry she did that to you.”
“It’s fine, thanks for having my back.”
Anita just nodded before picking up her tray and walking away.
After another hour passes Jasmin took a bathroom break and when she got to the entrance, she entered the one with the female sign on it and after she finished, she came out to wash her hands when she began to feel a huge urge to throw up and she ran back to the bathroom and buried her face in the toilet. After a while of staying there and throwing up everything she had eaten today and the day before she got up to her feet and out to rinse her hands and mouth.
She whipped her hands with tissue and adjusted her clothes, staring at herself in the mirror one last time before she could head out of the bathroom when the door opened and Mr Inferno walked into the bathroom hall, making her heart drop into her stomach as she expected the worse.
