79 - ANOTHER SAVIOUR

I sat humbly on the chair while Marvis and the new guy that walked in had a private discussion that lasted exactly ten seconds and after the guy walked away while Marvis was back to me with a sleek smile.

“I’ll show you around and teach you the ropes” he said to me and I noticed the slight Italian accent dripping off his tongue, it almost seemed like he was trying to hide his accent but I stood up regardless and taking in the woodsy scent of his cologne.

“Where are you from Marvis?” I asked as I struggled to keep up with his large strides and managed to walk up to his side. He kept his eyes straight ahead and when I came to his side, he only offered me a brief glance.
“Texas”

“You don’t sound like you’re from Texas” I knew what a Texan accent sounded like and Marvis was far from it.

He stopped abruptly, turning to fully to look at me “You ask a lot of questions”

“I’m new, I’m supposed to ask questions”

“About the job, not my accent” he said and his desperate attempt to conceal his accent was failing even more every passing second, and when he saw a slight giggle threatening to escape my sealed lips, he sighed in a frustrated manner and walked ahead urging me to hurry up. He was one cranky dude and yes I was supposed to work under him as my manager.

“Fine” I said “When do I start?”

“Since the position was urgent, you will start tomorrow. Your schedule will be handled to you after a week, but for now you work in the mornings for six hours, an hour lunch break and your tips are yours”

“That’s pretty generous”

Marvis smirked again “Of course”

The whole restaurant was a large space that was carefully decorated but had a long winding corridor inside that comprised of offices, a changing room, some stores and then finally the large kitchen where the magic happens.

As we walked past, in a hidden corner was a closed door with the Matteo D’angelo plastered on the door and just then I remembered the doorman telling me about the CEO being around today with the name Matteo D’angelo so I turned to Marvis.

“Who’s Matteo D’angelo? I mean where is he, the doorman told he was in today” I asked.

Marvis stopped immediately “Do you know him?”

“I mean not facially, but I’ll like to meet him”

Then Marvis chuckled “Matteo doesn’t meet with new employees and don’t go asking about him, now don’t get ahead of yourself newbie and follow me”

I rolled my eyes secretly after he had turned away and grumbled under my breath “I am following you”

“What was that?”

“Nothing”

“So how was it working in K&H and having an affair with the boss?” Marvis asked me while he showed me the changing rooms and locker rooms for the staff.

“I wasn’t having an affair with my – did you hire me to ask me all these questions and then fire after you have satisfied your curiosity?” I said out, managing to hold myself from spiraling from the flash of anger that plagued me for a good solid second.

“Just background checks” his eyes drilled mine like was purposely trying to annoy me

“Well if you must know and since you’re so curious, I wasn’t having an affair with my boss and Kyle Hart is just not my boss, he was my college ex and there’s so much history between us which is almost impossible to ignore. I’m sure there’s someone from your past that plagues your mind no matter how much you try to ignore it”

The silence stretched between us longer than I’d expected igniting a tension that didn’t seem feasible regarding te weird circumstances of being together in that cramped space filled with the slight scent of detergent and air freshner, Marvis seemed more to be contemplating on my last question but he didn’t say anything more regarding that, instead he nodded his head

“Fine – I’ll take you to kitchen now, you have to meet the chef” he said now and walking out of the room while I followed suit. He led me back down through the same winding corridors behind the dining area and then we passed through a set of double doors marked ‘staff only’. My senses were immediately overwhelmed by by the sights, sounds, and aromas of the kitchen. The space felt like a whirlwind of controlled chaos—chefs in pristine white jackets and toques moved with precision, their movements choreographed like a culinary ballet. Stainless steel countertops gleamed under the bright lights, while the air was filled with the sizzle of pans and the clatter of utensils. So this is the magic that happens behind the experience of a fine dining restaurant.
Marvis guided me through the maze of activity, introducing me to key members of the kitchen team and for some reason they all seemed surprised by his presence, he bore an air of superiority amongst them and it confused me, he was just a manager.

"And this is Chef Alain, our head chef, you’ll be reporting to him in case of my absence" he said, gesturing toward a tall, impeccably groomed man with a commanding presence. Chef Alain turned from his station, a faint smile touching his lips as he extended his hand to me. "Bienvenue, mademoiselle," he greeted warmly in his rich French accent.
I returned his greeting with a polite nod, trying to maintain my composure despite the overwhelming atmosphere. But then I couldn't help but notice the way Marvis watched me silently, I could see him from the corner of my eyes as they were fixed on Chef Alain carefully explaining the delicateness of his dished. Marvis’s gaze lingered on me and when I turned to look at him, he quickly looked away before I could catch his eye.

Just then, my heel caught on a stray piece of kitchen towel that had fallen to the floor. My heart intsantly skipped a beat as I felt myself lose my balance as I struggled to grab unto something, but before I could even register the fall, strong hands steadied had steadied me. When I looked up to see who my savior was, it was Marvis, looking down at me with a weird glint in his eyes and sending a strange kind of shiver down my spine.