Chapter 1 - Offending the Man

"Oops! Sorry," Kirsten exclaimed, her blue eyes almost popping out their sockets as the piping hot soup spilled on the handsome man's expensive suit. 

In a haste and without thinking much, she put down the tray on the floor, grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him into the restroom.

"Sorry, sorry," as soon as they reached the restroom, she locked the door and hurriedly stripped the suit jacket from his body. 

Wasting no time she reached out to unbutton the man's shirt. With her jumbled mind, she wasn't aware of what she was doing. She was way too nervous that her supervisor would see what happened to the customer. 

Her mouth agape, seeing the man's firm and athletic abdomen already red because of the soup that was spilled on him. 

With teary eyes, Kirsten looked up at the man. And said, "I'm really sorry sir. I didn't mean it."

Her cold dainty fingertips touched the man’s abdomen, inspecting it. 

Kirsten’s mind was so shrouded by her worries of losing her job that she didn't even realize how handsome the man before her was. His hazel orbs looked intently at her beautiful face while his attractive Adam's apple rolled up and down his throat. 

With her trembling hand, she fumbled a handkerchief from her pocket and had it under the running water, wrung it to get rid of the excess water and wiped the man's sexy abdomen. 

But, she, engrossed in relieving the man's pain, hadn't noticed it at all. 

The man flinched when she placed the wet handkerchief on his belly. 

She looked up, with sorry and teary eyes, she asked, "Is it painful?" 

Significantly, the man's hazel eyes darkened and clenched his teeth. "Get out!" 

"Sir, please let me help you," Kirsten was anxious that the man would complain to her supervisor. 

"Get out!" The man repeated coldly, sending chills down her spine. 

Kirsten hesitated for a moment but with the man emanating a suppressing aura filled the room to the brim, she ran out of the rest room like she was being chased by a wild beast.  

She anxiously picked up the tray and went back to the kitchen to replace the bowl of soup. Praying that she wouldn't lose her job because of the accident. 

What had she done to deserve it? Why did her day go like this? 

She can’t lose this job as it's the only job that pays her enough to help with her fees as a part time law student and her brother's medication. Plus, it's just one ride from her university as all other options were too far from her university. 

She’s juggling her time as a part time law student, a server in an upscale restaurant owned by her Italian boss, Mr. Rossi and tutoring students who were studying law.  

Meanwhile inside the restroom, Matthew had to pacify the fire inside his body accidentally ignited by the beautiful innocent woman.  

'Is she really innocent as she had shown to be or another ingenious way to get my attention?' 

It wasn’t a secret to Matthew that Mr. Rossi's upscale restaurant has a shady business as well. The servers weren't only serving food but they served their body to any interested person as well. 

Matthew was stuck in the restroom waiting for his driver to give him a new shirt to wear. He always had an extra shirt and suit in his car whenever he went out in case his outfit was being soiled. 

***

"Toni, please replace this," Kirsten said to the chef once she was inside the kitchen.

The chef raised his brow. "Did the tiger see it?" 

Constance was nicknamed Tiger by all employees in the restaurant as she was like a tiger who could pounce at any moment into her prey. She has no regard for others, treating them the way she wanted as if they were not humans. 

Kirsten shook her head, gaining a chuckle from Toni. "You're fortunate." 

"Yeah," Kirsten sighed. If it happened that Constance saw what happened, the soup would be charged to her. The soup will cost her half a month of her wage. 

Good thing that she was on the good side of the master chef. The soup won't be charged to her. 

The only thing that was bothering her was the man who was obviously angry at her. 'What if he complains to Constance? I hope he won't be petty.'

There were isolated cases where some patrons made a fuss over a small matter and that was worrying Kirsten. Moreover, her case wasn’t a small matter.

"There you go," the chef's voice cut her thoughts about what happened earlier. 

Once again, Matthew saw the woman, she seemed to be relaxed at the moment but soon her body tensed up when her eyes laid on him. 

Obviously, he wasn't someone to be trifled with, there was a commanding aura around the man. Just by his sharp gaze, any one would cower. Kirsten’s heart lurched at the thought that the man wouldn't let her off the hook. 

Kirsten bit her lips as she saw the cold stare given to him by the man. Kirsten's beautiful blue eyes were glossy as tears built up around her eyes. She was thinking that it was her last day of work and had to say goodbye to it. 

Matthew opened the door of The Crown Jewel room and came in.

Moments later, after she took a deep breath, Kirsten entered the room and she avoided looking at Matthew’s direction. 

"Serve it" One of the four men in the room, in his thirties said. His eyes never departed from her. 

While she was scooping the soup for them, another three servers came in with the main course. 

One by one they arrange the dishes on the table. While they were busy arranging the dishes on the table, the men's hands began to travel up the thighs of the servers and wandered. 

The three ladies giggled, apparently enjoying it. Kirsten's stomach flipped, nausea arising. It took all of her strength not to gag. 

Her hands were shaking, making it hard for her to serve the soup. But she steeled herself as she didn’t want to repeat the same mistake spilling soup to a patron. Hurriedly she served the soup, wanting to escape the place. 

However, the man who had his eyes on her since she came in called her. 

"Hey, you! Come here," he said, licking his lips while his eyes roved around her body. 

Kirsten looked at the other server in the room and wished that one of them was called, not her. But her wish wasn’t granted. 

“What are you waiting for, I told you to come here,” the man said in a bossy attitude and fixedly looked at Kirsten. 

Kirsten reluctantly came near the man, slowly she moved towards the man. "Do you need anything, sir?" 

"I need you," he seductively said and lifted his arm and pulled her to him. 

"No!" Kirsten pulled away from him, disgust was plastered on her alluring beautiful face. 

The man chuckled. "Oh, come on, don't play hard to get. Doing that won't raise your price, I know that tactic." 

The man pulled her again but was startled when her palm made a crisp sound as it landed on his face. "Slap!" 

Matthew was caught unawares when Kirsten slapped his business partner right across his face. 

Tear filled, Kirsten ran out the room. 

The man was livid that he was slapped. He stood to follow Kirsten and make her pay for what she did but Matthew spoke. “You already have a woman beside you, why disturb a woman that wasn’t interested in doing it with you?”  

The man was swayed by Matthew and didn’t go after Kirsten. 

Kirsten helplessly scurried through the corridor going to the crew room and packed her things. She knew she would be fired today after all the things she did. She had to say goodbye to this job that helped her for many years in her studies. 

Constance had given her ultimatum two days ago as she was late again. Today, she was not only late but offended two clientele in a row. 

Definitely, she will be kicked out today and she wouldn't wait for her boss to berate her. 

As she was packing, her old phone rang. 

Sensing that something was wrong, Kirsten asked in panic, "Mom? Anything wrong?" 

"Kirsten, your brother needs an operation in three days if not…" Gillian, Kirsten's mother's voice cracked in despair. 

Since her husband died, she worked for her three children and she juggled between three jobs so she could raise them. In the process, she neglected her health. Now, she could only keep one job that pays her enough to put food on the table and pay other expenses but not her son's medical bill. 

Kirsten was her only child that she could pin her hope in. She had been helping her brother with his medication. 

Kirsten clamped a hand on her mouth to stifle her sobs. She didn’t want to worry her mom as she was already in poor health. 

Why? Why this time? She has lost her job. She had a bit of savings but was afraid that it won't be enough to cover the medical bill. 

'Crying won't help you,' Kirsten reminded herself. She straightened her back and marched towards Mr. Rossi's office. 

“Okay mom, I will find a way,” Kirsten said, full of determination. 

“I’ll hang up now. I have to take a look at your brother.” Kirsten’s mom hung up the phone after speaking. 

Dithering, Kirsten walked back and forth in front of Mr. Rossi's office. She bit the tip of finger nail as she paced to and fro. Taking one deep breath she lifted her hand and knocked on the door thrice. 

A thick Italian accent sounded at the other side, giving permission to the person to enter. 

As she twisted the door knob, she felt her heart twisting too and the rapid beating of her heart made her chest rise and fall like a restless wave.