Boss Me Hard

by R. R. Banks

  Hannah nodded. “There’s one problem with this scenario,” she said softly, acting as a kill joy to Alexis’s plan. “The Australians have to agree to it. We can’t force them into this arrangement.”

  “I think I can convince Nathanial at dinner,” replied Alexis. “From what you read earlier, he seems to be the biggest investor in that company and should be able to convince them to accept this deal to survive.”

  “Alright,” stated Hannah. “I’ll call Richard at about nine when you’re at dinner, but don’t be afraid to check your phone and head to the bathroom. If I can convince him, which I’m thinking I can, this could be a big night for you to impress someone.”

  “I think showing off my business acumen and saving his company could give me the best route to having a successful evening with him.”

  “And what would you consider a successful evening?” asked Hannah playfully.

  “Combing my professional life with my personal life,” replied Alexis, prompting Hannah to immediately scoff.

  Chapter 8

  Alexis rode in a cab on the way to Amal, one of the finest Italian restaurants in the world. Though not a fan of Italian food, specifically pasta and tomato sauces, Alexis was able to look through the online menu to find a few things that she wouldn’t mind trying without making her order so incredibly complicated that she would upset the waiter and the chefs. Knowing how Nathanial’s last encounter ended up with the Swiss super model, Alexis wanted to appear as low key as possible, not angering anyone on the staff and maintaining a completely cordial mood while in the building. She did not want to complain or make a scene because, while not a Swiss super model or celebrity, Alexis was still the face of the American Oil Trade and Refiners and she needed to maintain a certain level of professionalism in case someone did take a snapshot.

  The cab pulled up to the restaurant in perfect time, arriving right at nine o’clock. The driver stepped out and opened the door for Alexis, allowing her to step out onto the curb and not off into the street. He was from Africa, speaking with a thick accent that was friendly, but could be difficult to understand. He wore a beautiful black suit with a black driver’s hat that set off an appearance of elegance, something that can only be acquired from the cab drivers in Dubai. She reached into her purse and paid the driver, handing him a fifty-dollar American bill, which he happily accepted, before stepping away for him to close the door. “Thank you, and have a wonderful evening, ma’am,” he said as he shut the door behind her, extending his hand and shaking Alexis’s hand as she smiled warmly in response. “Oh, here, take this,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his card to hand it to her. “If you need another ride tonight, please, do not hesitate to give me a call. I will be happy to meet you here when you are finished.”

  “That would be wonderful, can I text you?” she asked, turning her head to look up at the beautiful restaurant, noticing the beauty and grandeur from the outside.

  The driver laughed. “Absolutely,” he smiled. “Just in case your date isn’t going as planned, you can text me and leap into the back of the car and we can escape before he knows what’s going on,” he continued to joke as Alexis placed his card in her small handbag.

  With a hearty smile, Alexis nodded to the cab driver as he walked to the driver’s side door and entered the vehicle, leaving Alexis to turn and gaze at the majestic building. The structure was magnificently designed and built with intricate details and ornate architectural accessories. After climbing a small staircase, the customers would stand on a landing overlooking the entire restaurant. An outdoor seating area filled with incredibly comfortable chairs, tan with brown legs, positioned up against tables with vinyl tablecloths to protect them from the elements. The outdoor walls were constructed of white marble tile, imported from some random corner of the world and thick, clear glass to allow light in from the sun, moon, or order lights. The waiting area for the restaurant was outside with the maître d′ stand right beside the door and a large, outdoor bar was positioned adjacent from the stand so that the guests who were having to wait could enjoy a cocktail until their table was ready. This area was filled with plush benches, all made from hand carved wood and thick vinyl, giving off the appearance of being made from leather. Amal did not leave much to the imagination when it came to beauty and design. With a specialty in fine dining and Italian cuisine, Amal was the preferred location for romantic encounters.

  Alexis wore a beautiful, tan dress with sequins and stones emblazoned throughout the fabric. The straps were an inch thick while the top of the dress began near the top of her breasts, exposing a small amount of cleavage while not appearing to be too slutty. It went down to her shins, showing off her smooth, silky, tan legs which were held up by a pair of matching, open toed heels. Her hair was down and straight while curving up at the ends and her makeup accented her magnificent eyes. Her jewelry accented the colors of her dress and her skin tone, opting for golden bangles and bracelets, as well as a golden necklace with an ivory stone in the pendant hanging down to her chest. In her hair, a golden hairpin with ivory stones rested in the center of her hair, just above her shoulders to bind her hair slightly as it trailed down her back.

  Alexis walked up a small set of stone stairs to reach the landing in front of the restaurant, noticing the grandeur immediately. The servers and assistants were all wearing incredibly pressed and delicate suits, tailored to match their exact dimensions so that no one would look out of place or disheveled. Their shoes were polished leather, sparkling with the outdoor moonlight and their demeanors were all incredibly professional and courteous, not displaying a hint of displeasure as Alexis approached. The table settings were well done and choreographed, aligning the silver flatware and the serving dishes in specially designated locations to the inch. “This place is a bit out of my league,” she thought to herself as she stood at the top of the landing to take in all the scenery, looking around to see if she could find Nathanial in the sea of businessmen standing near the door. The customers by the door were congregated around the maître d′, waiting for him to announce their name to alert them that their tables were ready. Alexis, not seeing Nathanial anywhere, walked up to the short Indian man at the podium.

  “Excuse me,” she said calmly, leaning in to be heard over the echoes from the men behind her. “I’m supposed to be meeting Nathanial Jenkins. Has he arrived yet?”

  The maître d′ looked over Alexis for a few short seconds before answering. “I’m sorry, but can I have your name?” he asked before looking at his tablet to see who was on the reservation with Nathanial. He was an Indian man with tan skin, black hair, and a very thick accent, making it somewhat difficult for Alexis to understand him.

  “My name is Alexis Matthews,” she answered calmly, still leaning in so that she could be heard over the light ruckus behind her. “He told me to meet him here at nine.”

  “Yes ma’am, I’m aware,” answered the man rudely, almost as if he were already prepared to defend himself from any passing objection or breach in protocol. “Your table is ready and she will take you to it. Mr. Jenkins called ahead and said he would be late, but to make sure you were well taken care of prior to his arrival,” he continued, still with an incredibly rude, matter of fact tone. Alexis nodded before stepping away from the podium and looking at the beautiful young Indian woman in front of her. “Oh, Ms. Matthews,” stated the maître d′ as he placed his arm out to delay her entry into the restaurant. “Mr. Jenkins is an amazing man and a dear friend of this restaurant. With that being said, please do not make a fool of yourself and embarrass him tonight.”

  Alexis chuckled as she looked over at the small Indian man. “Sir, I’ll have you know that I don’t give a rat’s ass where any of your cheeses come from, nor do I really care about the origins of anything here,” she said with a smile, swearing at him in a polite tone as she turned to face the young lady again. As she took her first few steps, she could hear the man chuckle behind her, clearly leaving an impression on him of
not being incredibly up tight or needy. The young Indian lady, wearing a stunningly beautiful purple dress that accented her dark skin and black hair, glided through the restaurant with a smile on her face. She led Alexis to her table, pulling the chair back for her and pushing it underneath her before handing her the menu. “Your dress is absolutely gorgeous,” she said to the hostess as she placed the menu in her hands.

  “Why thank you,” she replied kindly. “It’s not often I get complimented when I’m at work.”

  “Are the customers here generally rude and up tight?” asked Alexis, making conversation with the young Indian girl while she waited for Nathanial to arrive.

  “Many of them are,” she replied. “I love it when Nathanial comes here though, because he always puts a smile on everyone’s face, no matter if they serve him or not. He is a genuinely good person and we are thankful he has finally decided to come back after the last incident.” The hostess paused and smiled at Alexis placing her hand on her shoulder before leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I think you won my boss over, by the way,” she whispered quietly, peering around to make sure he was not looking. “He comes off as rude and unnecessarily defensive sometimes, but he means well and when Nathanial called earlier to place the reservation, he was overjoyed that he was returning.” She leaned up and wiped off the table around her, moving around debris that wasn’t there, but trying to appear as if she was being productive. “Nathanial does not spend the most money when he is here, nor is he the greatest tipper, but the way that he treats people makes him an absolute joy to be around and I wish you nothing but the best this evening.”

  Alexis smiled warmly as the hostess removed her hand and nodded. “Thank you,” she said politely as she watched the young lady walk away, only to see Nathanial walking up in the distance. The hostess, without thinking, opened up her arms and hugged his neck as he approached, before releasing and pointing at Alexis, smiling and nodding in approval. He looked incredibly dashing, wearing a black, silk dress shirt with grey slacks and a matching blazer, all set off by a gold chain around his wrist and a gold ring on each hand. He smiled as he walked up to Alexis, who started to stand before Nathanial motioned for her to stay seated, walking up and hugging her around her neck and kissing the top of her head before taking his seat across from her.

  “Pardon my tardiness,” he said as he sat down in the chair. “An oddly incredible phone call at a very inconvenient time reached me before I left my home, and there was no way I could take a message and delay it. I hope you understand.”

  Alexis smiled and nodded, reaching across the table and grabbing a glass of water that was waiting on her, bringing it to her lips and sipping on it. “I completely understand,” she said, holding up her handbag with her cell phone sticking out of the top of it. “It’s an unfortunate part of my career; always being available, even at the worst of times.”

  “Well I’m glad you understand,” he stated solemnly as the waiter walked up to the table, bringing a bottle of chardonnay with him, and pouring a glass for the two of them before setting it beside the table, in a small metallic container filled with ice. Alexis remained calm, though immediately started thinking about the night and analyzing what was happening already. He was a bit tardy because he had a business meeting, making her wonder if it was in regard to what Hannah and she had discussed earlier. She also noticed the glass in front of her, filled with her favorite alcoholic beverage without having to order it, which struck her as odd, but not terribly as chardonnay was a common wine to serve in restaurants. However, as her thoughts wandered, she thought about how the night could go and what all could happen.

  She went into the night with no expectations but with a great deal of hope and intrigue. She wanted the night to go well because she felt a genuine connection with Nathanial, something that she never felt before when it came to another man. Her relationships in the past were always brief, which she placed on the fact that she always chose her career over anyone else. With the exception of Hannah, no one ever got close to Alexis, which for the bulk of her life, was perfectly acceptable. While she yearned for her career to be the focal point in her life, being driven and consumed by her ambition to fuel her professional life to its absolute maximum, Alexis slowly started to feel differently toward things. Her feelings about her personal life changed, though until she met Nathanial and allowed herself to let go and let him into her life, did she realize this. Alexis always appeared to be detached, calculating, and out of reach to most men, which for the bulk of her life, was Alexis’s objective. Now, after putting herself out there to get Nathanial, she was trying to find the perfect balance of professional and personal to give her the other things that she was missing in life.

  The server, an older, pale gentleman with a grey, horseshoe haircut and a deep French accent, greeted the two as he made sure the glasses of wine were positioned perfectly to fit the décor of the restaurant. “I’ve already notified the chefs of your arrival and your first course will be out promptly,” he stated kindly, not being incredibly courteous or friendly, but still being professional. Alexis started to think about the evening and how her plans of eating things that she knew she would like backfired. Now, she began to think about how she would react if she saw pasta or any of the other Italian cuisines she did not fancy. Within seconds of the waiter leaving, a larger Italian man brought out two small, empty plates, and a platter with what appeared to be sautéed scallops. Alexis placed her hands in her lap and sat patiently as the larger assistant server placed the appetizer in front of them while positioning the plates perfectly. Without a word said, he stepped away from the table with a slight nod and went back into the kitchen.

  “I don’t think he speaks English,” chuckled Nathanial under his breath. “Maybe you should break out a few other languages to see if we can get him to open up.”

  “We may need to get both of them to open up,” she replied, implying their French server was also a bit too uptight. “How’s your French?”

  “Not optimal,” he replied honestly. “I can speak a lot of languages, but unfortunately, I cannot speak French very well at all. I can understand it and I can have a basic conversation, but after that, it’s ugly.”

  Alexis laughed as the two looked at the appetizer. “I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries,” he said as they he grabbed the serving utensil to plate the scallops for her. “But, I also got the number for your friend, Hannah Burchfield, and called to talk to her for a few minutes while you were getting ready. You look stunning by the way,” he said, confusing Alexis while also inserting a compliment into the middle of his announcement that he spoke with her best friend. “I made the reservation here because, in all honesty, I was craving this place and it’s been a while since I have been able to show my face in this establishment from the embarrassment of my last encounter here. But, after a few hours of me reflecting and pondering my financial future, I got to thinking, what if Alexis doesn’t like Italian? I started to panic, and, I went through the employee database for COT to find that you traveled with your friend, Hannah. I got her number and called her, conveniently while you were in the shower, to discuss with her what you eat and don’t eat, as well as the type of wine you prefer.”

  Smiling and holding her eyes open, she reached into her bag to pull out her cell phone, prompting Nathanial to laugh as he placed the scallops on her plate. “Love you,” she texted to Hannah, thanking her for helping Nathanial make the night even better for them.

  “The deal is on,” she immediately replied back, sending a message to Alexis simultaneously. Alexis’s face contorted a bit as she held her phone, waiting a few seconds for another reply. “Also, love you too. Enjoy your night.” She smiled and placed her phone back into her handbag and set it underneath the table by her feet, looking down at the plate of small white scallops sitting in front of her. With a genuine look of satisfaction, Alexis grabbed her fork and cut into the scallops before starting to eat them.

  “So, tell me about this pan
ic,” stated Alexis, wanting to know more about why Nathanial was panicking over the food.

  He laughed as he swallowed the scallop. “I love this place and love taking people from around the world here, but I also know that tonight isn’t just about me,” he said calmly. “I honestly wanted to impress you a little bit, simply because you don’t strike me as the person I generally go out on a date with.”

  Her curiosity piqued a bit as she looked around the room to notice the staff walking around, all seeming to look over at the table from time to time to see how Nathanial was doing and how Alexis was reacting and behaving, wondering if there would be another incident like before. Alexis nodded as she stabbed another scallop with her fork. “And who do you normally go out with?”

  Nathanial sighed, placing his fork down and sitting up in the seat to compose himself and think up the best possible answer, as to not seem sleazy or disingenuous to Alexis. “Honestly, because of my success, society seems to think that I am meant to date the richest and most famous women in the world,” he explained, though also bragged a bit. “The women that I tend to see are on vacation here, reaching out to me from various locales, whether it’s Monaco, Cairo, Moscow, Tokyo, or wherever happens to be the center of their universe. They reach out to me because of my connections in COT. Most of these women have friends or family who invest in the various oil companies around the world, and I am known as the billionaire playboy of the oil industry. The tabloids have referred to me as the safe billionaire in Dubai, because I’m a transplant from America and I still hold onto my cultural values from there.”