Tempted

Chapter 2

Life with Nathan Graham seemed to have no fun, or even a bit of color. He was a university student on photography scholarship. And with that, he ran part time jobs to support his mother in paying his younger sister's education.

They were a family of three. His father had abandoned them while his mother was pregnant with his sister – Angela. He'd ran off and started a new family with a rich woman which had angered Nathan when he grew up to understand it all.

Angela had only cried when she heard and whined about her mother being adamant on not giving them a new father while her friends made her jealous with a complete family.

Nathan had no classes that day, so he worked in a restaurant for as long as it was open and attended to customers flawlessly.

He was friendly and got along easily with his fellow workers, and sometimes customers. He was tall, handsome and had a really nice and admirable physique which made him the most liable to more tips from customers than his colleagues.

That day, he was cleaning a table when a customer walked in.

"Good day, how may I...?"

But he was slapped hard across the face by an older woman.

"How dare you people?" She yelled. "Do you know who I am?"

"What's wrong?" He tried to remain calm as he clutched his already reddened cheeks.

"You dare ask me what's wrong?" She threw a paper bag in his face and the contents spilled. It was half-eaten food. Chicken and chips along with hamburger.

"I hope you do not plan to return this?" Nathan asked.

"And what if I am?" She hissed.

"What's wrong with the food?"

"Everything!" She yelled. "This wasn't what I ordered in the first place."

"But you already ate it."

"I wanted to see if it was worth it, not like I wanted it." She shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," Nathan packed the food back into the bag. "This can't be returned and you're getting no refund."

"Do you know who I am?!" She yelled.

"Whomever you may be," Nathan started. "You're so wrong for coming in and hitting the first person you see just because the food is not to your liking."

"I'm going to sue this place!"

"You have money to sue?" Nathan scoffed. "But you have none to buy another food instead of asking for a refund and creating a scene."

"You'll regret this." She turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Nathan handed her the bag. "Feed this to your dogs, it shouldn't go to waste."

With that she barged out of the restaurant.

"Whoa, Nathan!" His colleagues exclaimed.

"You acted so cool."

"How's your face?"

He only managed a small smile and returned to work. Thankfully, his boss was absent and there weren't many customers or he would have been scolded and gotten embarrassed.

                                                                                      *

Nathan was out for a break with some of his colleagues, as his boss – Michael had arrived and some other colleagues were working with him.

Nathan just took a walk around the block, had some juice and walked back into the restaurant.

"You're done?" Michael checked his time. "You still have thirty minutes."

"Time is precious." Nathan winked. "And I'm getting extra pay."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Michael patted him. "Get to work, then."

"Yes sir."

"And I heard how you managed an annoying customer today." Michael smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sir."

He pulled his cheeks. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore."

"Okay, get to work now."

"Yes sir!" Then Nathan walked away.