by Rhea Wilde
“Aria,” he said. “How are you doing tonight?”
“I’m still in one piece,” I replied.
“Good. I’m glad you’re not letting any of this get to you. Waiting tables is demanding work. Especially for this crowd.”
“I know what you mean. You should see—”
“Aria…” Leigh interjected, forcing me to bite my tongue.
“It’s a really great experience,” I corrected myself.
Jacob knew I was lying. He and Leigh smiled just the same at me while I managed to chuckle softly at the situation.
“Aria was just telling me how grateful she was for the favor you did for her,” Leigh said to him.
“Was she?” Jacob said, an eyebrow raised at me. “You know, if you’re interested, there’s a lot more work available. Not necessarily waiting tables but other opportunities.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I’ll think about it.”
“Think about it?” Leigh asked. “Aria, you don’t have any other prospects right now. If not this, I’m sure Jacob can find you—”
“I know. I know. I know. I just… I don’t want to think about it. Not right now. I should probably just get back to work. Thanks again.”
Jacob bowed his head to me as I gave him a thumbs up. I waved goodbye to my friend and turned to head back into the kitchen.
It was the last course. The festivities of the evening were finally coming to an end but the energy in the room was still alive and kicking. In fact, all of the champagne and wine flowing made things even worse. Even the wealthy were not immune to the effects of alcohol.
I headed out of the kitchen with the last tray of food. Plates of chocolate cake, ice cream with some sort of raspberry sauce glazed all over it. I did my best to get the food in front of them as quickly as possible. When I got to the last table, I calmly placed a plate before each of them.
Stephen was the last man I served. As I stood next to him and placed his dessert down, I could feel him staring at me. From the corner of my eye, I saw that he was watching me. I didn’t have the nerve to look back at him. Whether it was because I was intimidated or creeped out, I didn’t know.
“Would you be a dear and pour me another glass of wine?”
I heard a voice from the other side of the table. Everybody but Stephen had become nondescript. When one of them spoke, it was like a collection of people all talking to me at once.
I looked across the table and nearly every bottle was already empty. There was only one left. It sat there in front of the plate I had just placed down. I picked it up and was surprised to see that it was unopened.
I placed the screw into the cork and began opening the bottle. While I did so, I could still feel Stephen’s eyes upon me. Even though his hands were moving as he took forkfuls from his plate, he was still looking at me. I swallowed and tried to remain focused on opening the bottle but everything about him was so unnerving. I dug the screw deeper and began uncorking the bottle of red wine.
Unable to take it anymore, I turned and glanced at Stephen. Just as I had suspected, he was looking at me. I had taken moments throughout the night to observe him. But seeing him up close was another reminder of how handsome he was. A split-second was long enough to disarm me.
The cork flew from the bottle before I had a chance to straighten it out. A stream of red wine spilled down. The entire table turned and gasped as I tried to catch it. But it was too late. A streak of red wine appeared on Stephen’s shirt and tie.
“Shit!”
If it were anybody else, I would have probably laughed. But the blond man was the only person in the room that could actually make me feel embarrassed about what I did.
I quickly put the bottle down and grabbed a napkin from the man sitting next to me. I swiped at Stephen’s shirt, trying to wipe the wine away.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry,” I apologized as I cleaned his chest with futility.
“It’s all right. Just stop…”
“No, I really should—”
“Stop.”
He took hold of my wrist and gently pulled my hand away. I looked into his eyes and swallowed. I didn’t know what he was about to do. For all I knew, he was about to take a swing at me.
“Such a shame,” one of the women at the table said. “And that’s a new suit, isn’t it? Stephen, you should go to my lady. She knows how to get tough stains out. It’ll be spotless.”
“It’s all right,” Stephen replied. “It’s just a shirt. The night is almost over.”
“Miss? Where is my wine?”
I finally gathered my senses as Stephen calmly remained sitting at the table. I picked the bottle up and made my way over to the woman who needed another drink. I looked over at Stephen for a second and he remained emotionless, quietly eating his dessert like nothing had happened. After pouring the woman’s drink, I observed the table one last time to see if there was anything else that needed to be done. Thankfully, everybody was preoccupied with dessert and conversation.
I made my way back toward the kitchen, beating myself up the entire time.
I can’t believe you did that. How hard is it to open a bottle of wine without spilling it on someone? I can’t believe it…
The night proceeded without any further incident. Knowing that it was almost over, I did my best to remain focused on everything I did. After every course was served and there were fewer people to tend to, the tables began to empty and the dance floor began to fill. I sighed as I began clearing the tables out.
“Aria! Get started on those dishes! Move it!”
My boss shouted at me as soon as I stepped back into the kitchen. There were stacks of plates to go through from every course. I rinsed them off and loaded up the dishwasher. It was a process that I didn’t have to be as focused upon but still required more effort than I wanted to use at the moment.
While I wiped away the remains on the plates into the trashcan, my mind still lingered upon Stephen. I thought about what I did and began laughing at myself.
First I get his name wrong. Then I pour some wine on him. You really did it this time, Aria.
I shook my head while I lazily went through the task at hand. I knew I wouldn’t forget this night for a long time.
I didn’t know how much time passed. I was sweating from the heat in the kitchen. But along with everybody else, I kept going and eventually every dish was cleaned and every trashcan was emptied.
As I headed back into the kitchen from the dumpster, I immediately noticed something strange. There was a man standing next to the entrance to the kitchen dressed in a tuxedo. It was obvious that he didn’t belong here. I moved closer to get a better look and the streak of red on his shirt was undeniable.
Stephen stood there with his hands at his sides as he spoke to my boss.
Shit…
I grabbed an empty trashcan and pretended like I was heading back out to the dumpster but it was too late.
“Aria! Come here!”
I sighed as I put the trashcan down and slowly made my way over to the two of them.
“I just spoke to Mr. Aldridge here,” my boss said to me. “He said he’d like to have a word with you.”
I wasn’t sure what to think. My boss left me alone with Stephen. I looked up at Stephen for a second before realizing I didn’t have the nerve to look him in the eye.
“Listen,” I said as I put my hands up. “I’m really sorry about the wine. I—”
“What is your name?”
“What?” I said as I looked up at him, confused.
“What is your name?” he repeated.
“Um… Aria?”
I thought that was my name but at the moment, I’d forgotten it. Being next to him, all I could think about was everything we’d been through in the few hours I knew him.
“Aria,” he said. “I’d like to speak to you.”
“Okay—”
“I’m staying in this hotel. I’ll be in my room. 4701. Come by as soon as you’
re finished here.”
“Um…”
I didn’t know how to respond. I just nodded my head. Stephen glared at me for just a second before exiting the kitchen.
4701… 4701… 4701…
I had no idea what was going on. He was just talking to my boss. And now he was inviting me up to his room. I racked my brain, wondering if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Aria! Get back to work!”
Before I could think about it any longer, my boss’s voice brought me back to reality. I helped everybody else organize the plates and silverware and put them back into storage. I thought the long night was finally coming to an end but apparently, someone else had other plans.
Chapter 4
The rest of my time in the kitchen seemed to fly by. The thoughts about what he could possibly want from me filled my head. I had no idea what it meant. It couldn’t possibly have been good. But he was just speaking to my boss. I figured if he planned on killing me, he wouldn’t be so blatant about it. Then again, he looked like he had a lot of money and he could probably get away with it.
When the night was over and my new boss excused me from the kitchen, I wasn’t sure if I was making the right decision to see Stephen in his room. I made my way out into the ballroom and saw some of the people still mingling while others made their way out. I walked over to Leigh and Jacob, who were just getting up from their table. They both looked at me with a smile but I was too tired to respond in kind.
“How are you doing?” Leigh asked.
“How do I look?”
“Well… It’s over now. You can finally relax. Jacob and I were just going to have a drink. Do you want to join us?”
I couldn’t. Not only was I exhausted but there was still the invitation Stephen had given me. I didn’t even know the guy but I felt compelled to take him up on his offer. Leigh offered me a chance to get out of it and I considered it for a moment. But my curiosity got the better of me.
“Actually, I think I’m just going to relax,” I said. “Maybe another time.”
“The offer is always there,” Jacob replied. “I hope they didn’t work you too hard. These people can be overzealous at times. Especially when there’s alcohol involved.”
“I’m fine. I can handle it. Thanks again for giving me the chance.”
“Of course.”
Jacob nodded to me. He placed his hand upon Leigh’s back and I followed the two of them out of the ballroom. I watched as they made their way to the front of the hotel and out of the front door.
“All right. Time to get this over with.”
I sighed to myself as I undid the apron that had been weighing me down all evening. I didn’t stop to ponder it any longer. I stepped into the elevator and headed up toward his room.
4701…
The elevator was crowded. They all stepped off one by one. When it finally ascended to my floor, the silence of the empty hallway left me alone with my thoughts once again. I made my way toward the room, counting down the room numbers. All the while, a strange sensation began rumbling around in my stomach.
What are you doing, Aria? You have no idea what this guy is going to do to you.
Any reasonable woman would have brushed him off. At the very least, they would have thought twice about it. Not me. Maybe I just thought he was good-looking in a way I didn’t want to admit. But caution was thrown to the wind and here I was just a few meters away from the room of a man I’d only met a few hours ago.
That’s when it hit me. I’ve been in men’s rooms before. Men I barely knew. More men than I cared to count. How was this any different? Sure, he was rich and good-looking and could probably kill me and get away with hit but I could have said that about a lot of guys I’d met.
Is that what this is? Am I really just trying to hook-up with a guy I spilled a glass of wine on? No, he probably just wants to berate me in private.
I stepped in front of the door. After all of the thoughts racing through my head, never was there a moment when my mind was so clouded.
“I need a drink…”
I sighed as I knocked on the door. I tapped my heel upon the ground as I waited for a response.
Nothing.
I knocked again.
Still nothing.
“Is this some kind of a joke…”
I muttered to myself as I looked up and down the hall. Maybe I’d gotten to his room before he was even there. I did leave the kitchen pretty quickly.
I reached down for the handle and pushed it forward. To my surprise, it creaked open. I pushed it farther and slowly stepped inside. The lights were on inside, so it was clear that someone was there. I took another step forward when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. I stopped in my tracks when I saw him slowly pace out from one of the halls.
The way he walked was no less rigid than the way he stood or the way he sat. He looked little different from how I saw him. The only difference was his tuxedo jacket was off. His tie was loose around his neck and his soiled shirt unbuttoned.
“I didn’t hear you,” he said. “I was in the bathroom trying to get the stain out.”
“I figured someone like you could afford someone to do that for you.”
“Someone like me?” he said as he raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. You know—”
“No, I don’t.”
He stared at me intently. I didn’t know why but the seriousness on his face only made me smile. I shrugged my shoulders and chuckled while I shook my head, trying to find a way to state the obvious.
“You know,” I continued. “You have money. Or, you look like you do, anyway. I’m sure you have a butler or a maid or something like that. Hell, you could just probably buy a new tuxedo and not blink.”
“Maybe you should buy me a new one,” he retorted.
“Yeah,” I said with a laugh. “Right after I win the lottery.”
He slowly began pacing his way toward me. The serious look on his face was still there. He seemed so focus that I couldn’t stare back at him. I turned my head away and chuckled in some attempt to try the ease the tension I felt between us.
“Do you talk like that to everybody?” he asked suddenly.
“Talk like what?”
“You’re rather… forward.”
“I’m only saying what’s on my mind, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Indeed.”
He stopped right in front of me. He looked down at his shirt and held it between his fingers.
“I could have this deducted from your paycheck,” he said as he rubbed the wine stain with his thumb.
“You could. You’d probably need a lot more than one paycheck though. Is that what this is about? You want me to pay for your shirt?”
I sighed and looked to the side of his room. The luxurious suite was so spacious that I thought it was a shame if he was the only one staying in it at the moment.
“You don’t really seem to care, do you?” he asked.
“What?” I said as I turned to him. “About the shirt?”
“About anything. I read your demeanor the entire night. You looked like you didn’t want to be there.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes. And it’s clear that you have no experience as a server.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Besides the spilled wine? Your outfit.”
“My outfit?” I said. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
“It’s several sizes too big. It doesn’t fit you. It’s like you borrowed it from someone.”
“Well, that’s true. I like to think I have a sense of style. I don’t have any matching white outfits just laying around, so…”
I looked down at my outfit and observed my clothes, laughing at his observation. When I turned back to look up at him, Stephen remained staring at me intently. There was a look in his eyes. It was a look I’d seen before. Not from him but from other men. I thought I was seeing things.
“Um… Why did
you invite me up here?” he asked.
“…I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No. There’s just… something about you. I just can’t quite put my finger on it.”
“Well… I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
I began laughing nervously as Stephen continued to look at me. His light-green eyes were mesmerizing up close so I had no choice but to look away. As captivating as he was physically, the situation was still a mystery to me.
“Is that all?” I asked with a smile. “Because I really do appreciate you inviting me up. But you didn’t have to. You could have just told me downstairs—”
“I want to tell you something,” he interrupted me. “I want to tell you something but I don’t want to offend you.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Worry about offending you. I know. That’s why I’m going to tell you.”
“All right,” I said, intrigued and confused all at the same time. “What is it?”
“There’s a reason I couldn’t tell you downstairs and had to say it in my room.”
“Oh?”
“I want to fuck you.”
What?
I felt something get caught in my throat as soon as he said it. I thought I was hearing things. I blinked my eyes as I looked back at him, making sure that I’d heard him correctly. Stephen remained silent and suddenly, I felt a tension between us that wasn’t there just seconds ago.
But a few more seconds passed. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t even have any alcohol. When I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t help but smirk.
“Well… That’s certainly a first,” I said. “I’ve never spilled a drink on a man and had him invite me up to his room.”
“There’s a first-time for everything, Miss…”
“Vell.”
“Miss Vell.”
The longer I looked at him, the more I could feel a certain desire burning within me. It swirled around in my stomach. If he weren’t so good-looking, I probably would have run from the room.
This isn’t a big deal. You’ve done this before, Aria.
“So?” I asked as I swallowed. “Now what?”
“That depends. It’s your move.”