Chapter five

Zander Clint dressed in a tailored suit with the fabric draping elegantly across his broad shoulders. His jerry crew hair was perfectly coiffed and not a single strand was out of place his movement was precise and measured, and every one of his gestures was carefully calculated.

Everyone at the restaurant swirls their head in his direction the moment the doorbell swings and his presence is announced by his strong and intoxicating perfume.

Zander Clint desperately searched for Zoey for six months, and when Ethan finally sent her location to him, he had to go there himself and see the face of the girl who had humiliated him before he could finally go after Alex.

Zoey was able to secure a job after she left Chicago in Freetown, although the restaurant was a small one compared to the large hotel where she worked in Chicago, she was still making a few bucks and never failed to send them to Nanny Rose who was in charge of taking care of her mother.

“ Good dark, sir, welcome to our restaurant”. Zoey stepped forward with the large black menu wrapped around her fingers, her pretty fair skin was occupied with a broad smile.

He is silent and carefully watches her, ranging from her hair down to her feet, his thoughts still puzzled about the nerves she had to flee the wedding.

“ Here is the menu Sir, you can go ahead and make a choice, I will be back in a few minutes to take your order”. She carefully explained again but he remained mute with his gaze glued to the beauty before him.

Her golden-blonde hair falls in soft waves past her shoulder, her almond eyes are hazel with flecks of gold that complimented her long and full lashes, Zoey was a beauty no doubt that no one would deny with her slender shape that is well curved behind and a skin as smooth as milk that radiated even with the sweat that filled her forehead.

Whenever she smiled, her full pink lips is widened and accompanied by dimples that instantly swept Zander off his feet.

He did not stop staring at her until she was completely out of sight and while he sat there, he wasn't sure what to do to her.

But she was a young girl with a rough childhood and he just had to let it slide. Just when he was about to get on his feet to leave, she came back to his table and again he was charmed by her smile.

“ Have you made a choice sir, which of our meals will you be trying out today? ”. She inquired but again he remained silent and this time she began to wonder if he was mute.

“ If you are confused about what to eat considering that you are not familiar with our recipe, I could recommend one for you”. She pulled the menu away from his hand and carefully glanced through it.

“ How about pasta with meatballs and vegetables as a side dish, it is very healthy and delicious and to top it all, it was prepared by my humble self here”. She gloated

“ Should I get that for you? ”. She asked again feeling exhausted with this particular customer and this time, he finally nodded his head in response, and heaving a sigh of relief, she dashed out of there.

Zoey returns after several uncounted minutes with a tray filled with pasta, meatballs, and lots of fruits mixed with vegetables, she carefully places it on the large table, her face still filled with a wide smile.

“ And since you are a first-time customer, I am presenting this fruit juice, you do not have to bother paying for it, it is on the house! ”.

“ Thank you! ”. He finally expressed a word as she popped out her eyes in belief.

“ You can speak, thank goodness, go ahead and enjoy your meal and if there is something else you need, you can call to my attention! ”.

She finalized and let him have some privacy. Zander Clint who has battled with allergies for years was always careful about what he ate and wasn't sure if she should go ahead and eat the pasta he wasn't sure of the content of the ingredients.

He stared at it for a while and finally decided to go with it. He dipped the first bite into his mouth and slowly chewed, very cautious of the taste, but his eyes immediately widened in shock at the taste.

The meatball that looked brown on the outside was perfectly soft and tender the way he would love it, he chew slowly trying to savor it carefully, tasting a hint of garlic and oregano, the richness of the beef, and the savory depth of tomato sauce, the meatball bursting with flavors.

Although Zander had been opportune to travel around the world and have various delicacies, the taste of this particular meal was different, it reminded him of home when he had one.

Zander did not realize how fast he had emptied the entire plate until Zoey walked up to him again after serving out a tray to the next table, her face still clouded with a warm smile.

“ That was fast mister, did you enjoy the food? ”.

“ Yes I did, it was nice, are you a waitress or a chef? ”.

“ I am a chef but we are short on staff today so I am working both sides”.

“ How much is the bill? ”.

“ Eight hundred bucks! ”. She responded and he dipped his hand into his back pocket to pull out his wallet but it wasn't there, he checked the other sides just in case but it was still disame.

“ I am sorry ma… But I can't find my wallet, I think I must have left it in the….. ”.

“ You did not leave it anywhere, we witness customers like this from time to time, walk in here dressed in fake designers, orders meals you aren't able to afford with the hope that your fake designers will grant you a free pass”.

“ Excuse me! ”.

“ Yes you are excused! If you had no money to pay, you could have said it earlier, and I would have helped you with free food”.

He scoffs loudly at her reply, the thought of someone from such a despicable family as Sebastian helping someone with free food curled up his entire stomach.

“ And what is so funny? ”.

“ The fact that you said you could have offered me free food as you would ever do it ”.

“ And now you are sounding like you know even a tiny bit of me”.

“ I know enough to understand that a girl like you is so quick to judge and humiliate a man”.

“ What is going on here? ”. Just then a chubby middle-aged woman walks up to them, a frown spread across her face as her eyes go from Zoey to Zander.

“ Is he refusing to pay? ”.

“ You don't have to worry ma, have got this covered”.

“ Shut up Zoey, you've got nothing covered, young man, have you settled your bill? ”.

“ Are you the manager here? ”.

“ I own this place so go ahead and speak! ”.

“ You need to fire her, I was just explaining to her how I left my wallet in my car and would like to hurry and get it”. He explained and Zoey silently chuckled.

“ We accepted card or code”.

“ I am sorry but all my credit cards are inside the wallet, I just need to hurry up and get it”.

“ Zoey! ”.

“ Yes, ma'am”.

“ Call the cops right away”.

“ What… No ma'am, I will help him with the bills”. Zoey could not tell how such words slipped out of her mouth and instantly regretted it the moment they were out.

“ You are going to do what? ”. Mrs. Hugo asked as she narrowed her eyes at her, not sure that she heard properly.

“ It alright ma, I will settle his bill”.

“ You are going to pay right hundred bucks for a stranger while you have a lot of debt piled up”. She exclaimed again but Zoey remained quiet with her head bowed low while Zander stared at her intensely.

“ Fine! But still he is going to do some menial job here before he can leave so that next time he does not come here dressed in fake designer shoes and watch pretending to be what he is not ”.

“ Yes ma'am, he is going to help with the dishes”. Zoey responded quickly and he shook his head in disapproval, he has never had to do any menial job as dishwashing because he was born with a silver spoon, so his eyes widened in surprise when Zoey announced that he was going to be helping out with that.

He opened his mouth to speak, but standing beside Zoey, she gave him a little pinch and he froze right there not saying another word.

Mrs. Hugo's eyes fell on him and remained there for a while expecting a reaction from him, but his silence was proof that he accepted the task.

“ Alright then, since our Polish customer here has accepted his crime, take him to the kitchen and let him resume duty as soon as possible”.

“ Yes, ma! ”. Zoey replied and dragged Zander who was still trying to get a grasp of the situation.

Standing inside the large kitchen, his eyes fell on the soapy water in the sink, the stack of dirty dishes waiting to be washed, and the stained rubbing brush.

Zander never bargained for any of this, all he wanted to do was see the girl that humiliated him and watch her reactions while he revealed his identity to her.

And his heart immediately sank at the thought of spending his entire day elbow-deep in dirty dishes and he instantly regretted coming here in the first place.

“ Are you expecting me to wash all those dishes? ”.

“ Would you prefer to spend the night in jail? ”. She took his silence for a yes and handed over an apron and glove to him which he accepted with his face fumbled.

Zoey left him alone in the kitchen to do the dishes and after putting on the apron and gloves, he held the ceramic plate and a brush in the other not certain of how to start.

His mouth was slightly open like he was going to ask a question but wasn't sure what it would be with his wide eyes searching.

Just then, Zoey came back to the kitchen with more plates but the previous ones were yet to be washed.

“ Mr designer Shoes! What are you doing, you should hurry up with the dish cause more will keep coming up”.

“ I am sorry, but I haven't done this before”.

“ Are you kidding me, what are you, the heir to some multibillion cooperation? ”.

“ Yes! ”. He replied sincerely but instead, she chuckled loudly.

“ If that was the case, then you wouldn't have ended up in a restaurant like this and not to forget, without even a scent to feed yourself.

“ What is your name? ”. She finally asked after staring at his puzzled look for a while which only made him more cute.

“ Zane. I am Zane”.

“ Zane, I am Zoey, and am going to teach you how this is done since you claim that it is your first time”. She held out his hand to the sink which only made him more furious at her orders, her hands wrapped around his and navigating them in the sink around the dishes.

“ This is how it is done, but you have to be careful not to break even just a plate else you will be in more trouble with Mrs. Hugo”. Her words sounded like music to his ear.

He was so close to her with his body touching hers, as her breath swept past his ear, he felt intoxicated by the scent of her body filled with rose, vanilla, Berry, and more of the kitchen ingredients she was familiar with.

A few strains of her blonde hair slid towards her eyes, but with the tip of his finger, he trailed that to the back of her ear and she stopped to stare at him, feeling a sensational sting at his touch.