Chapter 5

Holden

And there she stood in front of me, her long chestnut hair in a high bun with locks cascading down her sweet face. Her beautiful brown eyes stared curiously at me. Bambi. I almost didn't recognize her but her beauty spot and big doe eyes were a dead giveaway.

I thought I would never see her again.

It was the first time a woman had left my apartment willingly. I went after her but she had vanished as if she had never even existed having me question my mental health.

"Right this way." She smiled and began leading us throughout the restaurant. She stopped at a table and we took our seats. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I fished it out to see it was the group chat.

Jessie, party on Friday night gents.

It's only Monday Jess, Lynch replied.

My phone began buzzing frantically and I exited the group chat and moved to check what football game I was missing because of Mason's fancy tastebuds.

"Hi, my name is Emery and I'll be your server today." I looked up at her and her face was a mask of politeness.  I felt my frustration with her returning causing me to glower at her.

Our eyes locked and she froze, giving the name Bambi a new meaning as she stared at me like a deer spooked in headlights.

She caused way too much trouble for me and then there she stood with the audacity to smile at me. Unless she didn't remember or maybe she did and was pretending not to because she felt embarrassed.

I had so many questions; firstly, was it so hard to leave a note. Secondly, why did she leave?

"What wine would you recommend Ms. Emery?" Mason asked interrupting our staring contest and she turned to look at him.

"We have a sauvignon blanc that we received from California two days ago." She smiled pleasantly at him. "Would you like a bottle, sir?" She asked only him. So she was ignoring me. I would get it out of her that she remembered me.

"And is sauvignon blanc a dry or wet wine?" I asked picking up a breadstick and chewing on it as I stared at her.

The smile from her face dropped a little. "Ur..." she closed her eyes tightly. "Sir I'm fairly new here. I will find out for you." She moved to go.

"Hold on," I said and she stopped and turned to me. "It's a dry wine love. You ought to know for the next time a customer asks."

She looked down at the ground. "Yes sir."

Mason looked up at me his face the poster for confusion." What does the chef recommend?" He asked looking back at Emery.

"The chicken cordon bleu, creamy stuffed salmon in garlic butter and beef tenderloin," she recited with a sense of haughtiness in her voice. 

"And what would you recommend?" I asked bringing her attention back to me.

"Me?" She paused. "Ur exactly what the chef does. He has an excellent palate."

"Fine bring the food and the wine," I ordered.  She scribbled something on her small notepad. "Tell the chef we like our beef medium too well."

"Yes of course sir," when she was done she looked at us again. "Excuse me. I'll be right back with your orders." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and speed-walked away.

"Holden," Mason looked at me with a squinted eye. "What are you doing?"

I shrugged. "What am I doing?"

"Are you flirting with the waitress?"

"Flirting?" I would swear that the old brute knew nothing about romance. "Does that sound like flirting to you mate?"

"Then why the ridiculous questions. You making the poor girl uncomfortable."

"Aren't you a softie for a sweet face." There was a sarcastic edge in my tone that he picked up on causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"So you admit she has a sweet face yet you not flirting," his brow quirked even further up, proud of his wit no doubt. If only he knew that she was the drunken girl I told him about after he caught her sneaking out.

"She's just a girl."

"She looks sweet and shy."

"Your point?"

"Don't even think about it leave her be. Just let this one get away."

I put my elbows on the table and clasped my hands together as I stared at Mason with a tired and bored expression. I was not romantically interested in a girl like Bambi. "I'll leave her alone Mason but you'll find even innocence is drawn to well me."

"Like moths mislead and burned by flames," he countered with a roll of his eyes.

"Are you the keeper of women now?"

"No, but I'm a man that believes in doing the right thing. She looks young and she's working here. Do not mess with her."

I clenched my jaw shut. "She's not my type anyway." I dated hot sexy woman, not the shy pretty girl scout she was.

A silver bucket landed on the table with the wine in it. "Shall I pour you a glass sir?" She looked at me with a small smile on her face.

"No, you can leave," I ordered through clenched teeth. Her face dropped and she nodded and left.

"Now you are being rude," Mason said taking the wine out of the bucket.

"Oh, what do you want from me, Mason." I threw my hands up in frustration.

He filled more than a quarter of the wine into each of our glasses as he sighed. "Holden I've never seen you look at a woman longer than five seconds. You staring at her." He sounded astounded. "And acting like a schoolboy being mean to a girl he has a crush on."

"What the fuck. I don't have a crush on her."

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out to see a text from Jessie, stop leaving the group chat he said.

Then don't add me, I replied.

"She is just another girl," I looked back up at Mason who was watching me cautiously as if he was studying a rare animal species. 

Bambi held my curiosity that's what it was and that's all it was nothing more.

I remembered the night I put her on my bed to sleep. She grabbed my hand and mumbled she was scared that she had lost him forever. 

I shrugged it off guessing maybe she was referring to an ex-boyfriend but before I could question her further she passed out again.

I laid down next to her that night and brushed her hair away from her face and that was the first time I slept with a woman in my bed without being intimate and then the next morning she was gone.

"Here is the chicken," she said placing it on the table. I looked up at her and she avoided looking at me and had her attention on only Mason." The fish and the beef," she relayed as she placed the over fancy-looking morsels on our table.

She turned to leave. "This wine is disgusting," I said and she stopped in her tracks.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Bring me whiskey." I narrowed my eyes and she began squirming and shifting the weight from one foot to another.

"Right away sir." She said in a tired voice giving me a fake smile.

Could she seriously not remember me?... how drunk was she that night.

Mason cleared his throat. "Holden."

"What?"

"You didn't even taste the wine." A broad grin covered half of Mason's face as he struggled to keep his mouth shut to avoid laughing.

I picked the glass up and took a swig of the wine. "It's disgusting. Satisfied?"

Bambi trotted up to our table moments later with a tray carrying my glass of whiskey. She placed it in front of me and smoothed out her skirt. "If that will be all sir," she smiled at Mason again ignoring me and turning to leave.

"I want ice," I called and she stopped I could see how frustrated she was with me with how straight her back went, "and the food has gotten cold. Reheat it." She turned and she still had that fake smile plastered on her face as her eyes displayed her fury.

"Holden," Mason gawked at me.

"It is her job," I said to him and turned back to look at Bambi. All she had to do was admit she knew who I was and I would stop. "Don't just stand there love. Make haste I'm starving."

Bambi was as terrifying as a rabbit holding a knife when she was angry. She loaded all the food back onto the tray and began walking away with it.

"What is wrong with you!" Mason gaped at me.

I remained silent and waited. She returned shortly and placed the meals back on the table. "Thank you, Ms. Emery. You are excused," Mason told her and glared at me.

I subtly watched her as she moved around the restaurant talking to other customers. I began eating since I hadn't had lunch. It was a busy day of college and interning at the zoo with my mentor.

I was studying to be a veterinarian. I had to assist with a lion giving birth that is why I had skipped lunch. Just thinking of it made me push the plate of food away from me. "What's wrong?" Mason asked. "Why aren't you eating?"

"You don't want to know mate."

The upside of working with animals was that they were surely better than people. Dr. Watson one of the specialists at the zoo seemed to share the same opinion.

After Mason was done eating Emery returned. "Can I get you, gentlemen, the bill?" She inquired.

"You should have left a note," I said looking up at her.

"Excuse me, sir?" She questioned in confusion.

I sighed."Nothing, I asked if I could pay with my card. I don't carry banknotes."

"Yes, sir you can pay at the front desk." She smiled most probably happy to be rid of me. "You gentlemen have a lovely evening."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality tonight Ms. Emery," Mason smiled up at her and she gave him a curt nod before turning to walk away.

Mason moved to get up from his seat but I needed more time to figure out if she remembered. "You know what. I feel like eating something sweet." A grin crawled its way up on my face as she slowly turned around. "Do you mind getting me something sweet love?"

She hid her disappointment well as she began walking back up to the table. "We have an arrangement of desserts sir. I'll get you a menu." She said and walked off.

Mason sat down again. "You not even hungry, you are overworking the girl, and for what I don't know." I was getting tired of Mason's bitching.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. I just want dessert."

"Have it ever occurred to you that the woman has a life? Maybe not such a great one if she is forced working here as a servant to rich pompous arses."

Fuck I hated that he was right. I hadn't thought of what I was putting her through. I felt like an arse. She returned with the menu's and I looked up at her. Her eyes were tired and she forced a smile on her face yet again. "Here you go sir," she handed me the menu. I looked at all of the dishes. It was all too fancy yet again.

"Surprise us," I said handing her back the menu. She looked at me and for a second it looked like she smirked.

"As you wish." She walked back off to the kitchen.

"I'm glad you've come to your damn senses," Mason scoffed.

I fucked up and I wondered just how hard she had it. The guilt began to eat at me. This girl was a nuisance to me. She made me think of her more than I should.

I was going to stop messing with her.

She returned with two desserts on a tray. One looked like brownies and ice cream and the other looked like pudding with chocolate sauce. "Here you go sir for you I recommend our house fudge chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce," she placed it in front of Mason. "And for you sir," she turned to look at me, "our taffy pudding with licorice sauce."

"Taffy!" I said glaring at the bowl she moved to place in front of me. I hated taffy and it was paired with licorice of all things. She did this on purpose because she hated me. "No no-" I was about to demand she take it back but then I paused when Mason arched an eyebrow at me. Shit. "I mean thank you."

She left and I looked at the bowl of taffy pudding and licorice sauce. "Go on take a bite," Mason laughed.

"Shut up," I groaned grabbing a soon. Two of my least favorite kinds of candy in a demonic marriage of flavors in a bowl.

I dipped the tip of the spoon into the pudding and lifted it taking a little into my mouth. "Fuck it taste like grandma's house." I reached for the wine I didn't finish to get that putrid flavor out my mouth. "Who would eat this."

Mason laughed joyfully eating spoonfuls of his dessert. "Would a sweet girl do something so mean?" I questioned since he had been on my case the entire night because of her.

"You pushed her to the edge mate." He laughed. "Besides how bad can it be."

I pushed the dessert towards him. "Have at it mate."

He took a spoonful of it and his eyes widened. "It tastes like grandma's house!" He reached for the wine and gulped the entire glass down. "That is disgusting."

After Mason was done with his delicious dessert. We stood and Bambi returned. "Is that it for the night gentlemen?" She asked looking at me this time pleased with her little prank. She thought she was so smart.

"Yes. Thank you for that special dessert. It was delicious I think I'll be craving another soon," I said and the smile on her face dropped as I  winked at her. "See you soon love." Her eyes widened and I couldn't help but smirk.

She remained still almost statue-like as I turned on my heel to walk to the counter and pay the bill for the night.

Behind the counter stood the owner of the restaurant. 

"I trust you had a lovely evening sir," Giovanni said.

"Splendid Giovanni," Mason replied.

"Eccellente."

I stuck my bak card out to the man and he took it. I made sure to leave a big tip for Bambi. She deserved it even after she served me that concoction of purification.

When I was done paying I looked to see if I could spot her one last time but she wasn't around. We exited the restaurant, the warm autumn air was refreshing after being in an air-conditioned room.

"You aren't serious about coming back here again are you?" Mason questioned. "You dislike such extravagant food. So it leaves me wondering if it's for Emery. I thought you said you going to leave her alone Holden."

"You have pointed out to me plenty of times the type of man I am. Trust me Mason this is not about getting into a relationship. Bambi and I-"

"Bambi?" He questioned. "Who is Bambi?" I thought about it for a minute if I told Mason it was Emery that he caught sneaking out of the apartment that day he might ruin it for me and tell her the truth.

I didn't want to tell her the truth. It was apparent to me that she had left for a reason. Besides even if it was wrong and a dick move on my behalf

I liked getting her frustrated with me.

"She is no one," I replied and moved to unlock my car door.