John Victor: The Origins

CHAPTER 14

"Whoops, I think I overslept. I'm already running late." I muttered to myself as I hurriedly got dressed. I sent a message to Nick, asking if he was ready.

'I'm already at the hotel with my date, bro. Where are you?' he replied.

'On my way. Will be there in 20 minutes.' I texted back.

Can't believe Nick managed to be punctual for once. I wonder who he brought as his date.

I hurried downstairs, and my mom asked, "Where are you rushing off to?"

"Uh... to Bella Italia restaurant, hanging out with my friends." I improvised.

"Don't lie to your mom, John. He's going on a date, honey." my dad chimed in.

"Aww, really dear? Best of luck." My mom said giving me a hug.

In a hurry, I left home, hopped on my bike, and took off. When I reached Jane's house, I was relieved to see she hadn't arrived yet. After a couple of minutes, she emerged from the front door, adjusting her dress. She wore a red top and blue jeans, looking effortlessly beautiful.

"You look great in that dress." I complimented her.

"Thanks, you look great too. Sorry for being late, I had to work overtime." she apologized. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice my own tardiness.

"No problem at all. Shall we get going then?" I asked.

"Sure." she said, and she climbed onto the back of my bike. I couldn't believe I was going on a date with such a gorgeous girl.

We arrived at the restaurant, and after parking my bike, we headed inside. The place was already quite crowded, but fortunately, I had already reserved our table.

I noticed Nick sitting at the table beside ours, and he winked at me when he saw me. Initially, I couldn't get a proper look at his date. As we got closer, I finally got a clear view of who she was. To my surprise, it was Miss Rose.

'This guy is such a menace.' I thought to myself.

I acted like a gentleman and pulled her chair out, inviting her to take a seat. She appeared to appreciate the gesture. We then began perusing the menu card. As I had never been to an Italian restaurant before, I randomly chose a dish called 'Toasted Ravioli.' The waiter arrived to take our order.

"What are you going to order?" Jane inquired.

"Uh...Roasted Tavioli." I replied.

The waiter chuckled, "It's Toasted Ravioli, monsieur." correcting my mistake. Jane couldn't help but giggle, and I felt a bit embarrassed.

"I'll have the same too." Jane said. It seemed like she might not have been to Italian restaurants before either, as she ordered the same dish as me. We both fell into a brief silence, and I sensed she might be waiting for me to initiate the conversation. Looking to my right, I noticed Nick having a great time with Miss Rose.

"I'm curious, where are you from? Where did you grow up?" I inquired.

"I'm a bit of a country girl, born and raised in a town in North Virginia. And you?" she asked.

"I was born and raised here in San Francisco. What brought you here?" I asked.

"The thing is my hometown has a huge drug problem. My folks in school were also drug addicts, and I didn't get along with them. My mother divorced my father because he was a drug addict and physically abused her. We both moved here to start a new life. My mom works as a nurse, and I work in a cafe to make ends meet." she explained.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." I sympathized.

"It's okay. Hey, I heard you were the most intelligent guy in your school. Is that true?" she swiftly changed the topic, perhaps feeling uncomfortable discussing her past.

"How did you find that out?" I asked.

"My friend Stella goes to your school. I asked her about you." she revealed.

"I see. So, you did a background check on me before the date, huh? What else did you hear about me?" I teased.

"Smart, good at sports, and a good guy. You seem like a total package, John." she replied playfully.

"Maybe I am. And you seem like one too." I said.

"Did you ask about me too?" she wondered.

"No, I could see that you're a beautiful and really smart girl. I don't think you remember this, but a few weeks back, I came to your cafe with nine other friends to celebrate my classmate's birthday." I recalled.

"Yes, I remember." she confirmed.

"We all placed like twenty orders at once, and you didn't even write them down. Yet, you brought every single order accurately. Your memory power is impressive." I praised her.

"Thanks. I never thought someone would notice that. I used to be a pretty good student too, but because of my financial situation, I couldn't finish high school. My mother and I are saving enough money so I can attend school within a couple of months." she shared.

"That's awesome. Let me know if I can be of some help. I could recommend you for a seat in our school." I offered.

"That means a lot, John. Thanks." she exclaimed gratefully.

While talking about our interests and favorite movies, we were having a blast. To keep the date going, we ordered a couple more dishes. It was evident that she really liked me. Nick walked away from the restaurant with Miss Rose, giving me a thumbs-up before leaving. After he departed, a strange man walked into the restaurant. He was wearing a black suit, towering at about six and a half feet, and had a robust build – a complete unit. His eyes were cold as he scanned the place, and then he locked onto me, giving me a death stare that sent shivers down my spine.

"John, are you listening to me? John?" Jane asked, trying to get my attention.

"Oh, sorry, I got distracted." I responded, but when I looked again, the man in the black suit had disappeared.

Excuse me?" I heard a deep, masculine voice say from behind. I turned around, and there he stood – the man in the black suit. "Apologies for interrupting your date, but I need to discuss some personal matters with John Victor. Could you please step aside?" he asked Jane.