PAIN IN THE NECK

CLAIRE

I frowned at how Philip keeps laughing after I had told him that crazy jerk now works at the restaurant. It seems he's enjoying this.

"So tell me, how did you guys react to each other after the introduction by your boss?" He asked amidst laughter.

"I just stared at him dumbfoundedly, and when I finally got myself together and stretched a hand to him, can you imagine that idiot just ignored me and said hi," I responded, still agitated from what happened.

Philip burst into laughter again, and I glared at him.

"You're really enjoying this, right?" I asked.

"Hey, come on, but I'd really like to meet the guy that constantly gets under your skin," he responded, still smiling.

"You said he was driving an expensive car the first time you guys met. Why would someone like that be working part-time at the restaurant?" He asked.

I never even thought of that. He looked like a totally spoiled rich brat, and now that I'm thinking about it, he still looked somewhat bratty in the uniform.

"I don't know, and I don't care... for all I know, he could have borrowed a car or even stolen one that day with the speed at which he was going."

"You really hate this guy," Philip said, and I rolled my eyes.

"'Hate' is an understatement... I loathe him."

The following day...

PHILIP

"The chef called in that he'll be coming late, so I'll need you and Claire to go to the market to get the necessary ingredients. Claire already knows what to get... Ethan, you need to go with her to help with carrying the heavy loads," Mathew said, and I shrugged nonchalantly.

Why do I have to go to the dirty market with this dirty girl?

"Okay, boss," she responded.

"Okay, Mathew," I responded, and I could feel her glare at me.

What's her deal? Does she think we're equal just because we both work here?

"Let's go," she said after collecting cash from Mathew. She led the way out, and I followed after her.

CLAIRE

He keeps complaining at every given opportunity whenever we stop to buy something, and there's a load to carry, and it's so annoying.

"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled at him the moment he dropped one of the ingredients on the floor.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked in his usual condescending manner that's agitating me even more.

"Why the heck would you drop the ingredient that's used to make food for our customers?" I yelled louder.

"It's heavy," he replied nonchalantly.

"So what if it's heavy? Isn't that the reason you're here?"

"No, that's not the reason I'm here... it's 'cause Mathew said to follow you," he responded.

The way he calls my boss by his name is also very annoying.

"Carry it up and let's go get the remaining things," I said, resisting the urge to smack his head.

"No... you carry it," he replied and turned back, dropping everything he's carrying.

"Where do you think you're going?" I yelled after him.

"Home," he responded and waved at me.

"Come back here!" I yelled.

He ignored me and continued walking.

I stared at all the things he left for me to carry and cursed him under my breath.