Chapter 4

Selena froze at the spot. Hot blood coursed through her body as she felt the presence of her dad behind her. She looked at Jenny's face and saw the pity in her eyes as she avoided eye contact.

The place became a graveyard to Selena though she knew it was as noisy as hell. She stared a moment at the all busy customers and cursed as they would soon be staring at her thanks to her father.

For the hundred times that day, she wished Mikey was there with her or could just walk into the door.

He or more like his money had a special way of pleasing her father who wouldn't mind Selena not being at the restaurant at all, as long as she was with Mikey.

Anger burned through her as she thought about Mikey. She blamed him for leaving her, She hated his decision of choosing his job over spending the day with her.

He'd chosen his job over her.

When She told her father earlier the day that she was feeling dizzy and he'd given her the day off, she was way too happy about it and decided to spend the day with the only man she loved in the whole world. It's been that same man who has refused her the pleasure she had in mind.

She convinced herself over and over again that his job was very important and his excuse of not spending time with her was worthy but the situation she found herself in at that moment cleared all that off her mind, living behind anger and wantrust.

Slowly she turned with a bright grin.

"Hello Dad!" she said quickly before he did first.

Even as she stared at his grave face, her heartbeat thundered in her chest as her ears waited anxiously for his latrations.

His stony face which had begun to have traces of thin lines was covered in a sneer which at a moment, made Selena consider taking flight but for the records, her legs became heavy and immobile.

"Yes! Yes! nice to see you too!" he growled.

"Uhmm I..I.." Selena stuttered but then, his expression changed.

Suddenly, his sneer was replaced by a genuine bright smile.

"How are you now feeling Selena?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"You got me worried. I asked Jennifer to throw you a call but she said you refused to pick".

Selena was confused. She didn't know what had changed him suddenly but she gave in to his humor and chuckled a little.

"Sorry, dad! my phone was silent. SHIT!!" she screamed when saw 8% on the battery percentage.

"Whatsit?"

"My battery's dead"

"Oh!" his smile widened "I guess you spent a great time with him"

"Yeah! it must have drained when I dozed off while the video game was still on"

"Dozed? game?" his voice rang with surprise and confusion.

"You mean you weren't with him?" Now it was Selena's turn to be confused.

"Who?"

"Michael Dangoat of course"

"Uhmm no! I was at home" his smile faded at an instant replaced by his usual business look but Selena understood why.

"Anyways, hurry and get to work. There's no time. See to it that the Phillows are properly served, yeah Jennifer?" He turned his attention and addressed Jennifer with a gesture to a group of persons at the VIP section which Selena guessed were the Pillow family.

"Yes sir!" Jenny replied.

With that, he left them, moving to the far eastern corner and barking instructions to a group of waitresses.

Slowly, Selena turned and faced Jenny. She all but missed the relief sigh which eluded from Jenny's face.

"He thought I was with Mikey. I guess that's why he didn't bother calling me"

"Yeah! I think so!"

"Do you think he loves him genuinely as he claims?"

"I don't know. Hey! what were you doing at home anyway?"

Selena didn’t miss how careful Jenny had changed the topic. The young chief waitress wasn't quite comfortable discussing her boss with her daughter.

"Nothing serious. I dozed off and forgot. How's the business been?" she grinned as she decided to let the former subject down.

"Nothing unusual!. But oh!!..."

She jerked and clutched Selena on the arms sending her two steps backward, with bulged eyes and sudden ecstasy, Selena understood that excitement--she had something to tell her.

"Just a knobhead who got a little boozy and knocked glasses of wine off Zendy's tray to my skin. I had to go change uniform and perfume"

It was at this point that Selena finally looked once more at the waitress who'd become so close to her.

She had short dreaded red coily hair with bright and dark eyes. Her nose which was womanly small was hung above her red painted lips which when parted, revealed her careful sets of white teeth.

She wore the usual working uniform.

"Oh! sorry! but no one saw right?"

"come on, you needed to see how eyes pierced at me" she became vapid.

"was so mortified I could have died right there but a prince charming saved me "She started blushing "He covered me and made it look like nothing grande happened. Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you I was almost knocked down, but Sely, he caught me" Her smile widened again.

"Then what again?" Selena demanded.

"Nothing that exciting. By the time I got cleaned, he was already gone. I didn't get a chance to thank him"

Her smile started fading as her face fell.

"Oh, you sweet thing!"Selena coaxed."I'm sure he'll pass by again. Was it the first time you saw him?"

"Yes!" she answered even before Selena finished speaking.

Selena opened her mouth about to say something but the sight of her father caught her attention.

"Dad's out. Better we get working"

"Yeah! you brought your charger?"

"Nope. I didn't realize my phone was down until now".

"Okay, not a problem at all. I brought mine. Let's change to your uniform first"

"Sure!!"

Then the two colleagues and friends walked in the sea to the restaurant dresser. Selena saw something different about Jenny which she'd not seen for quite a long time.

Her friend was beginning to develop feelings again after that heartbreak.

They may not be the best of friends, but she knew Jenny well enough to dictate a change of attitude in her.

As Jenny opened the door to the dresser room, Selena hoped she'd certainly fallen in love with the right person, but till she saw the 'him', she couldn't quite approve