Paranoid. Insomniac.

Chapter 32: Spit It Out

*DOMINIK

I couldn't let her see that message.

Caldwell ;)
I'm sick of waiting, Kat. It's almost like you don't even love me. I want to show you how nice it is to be with someone. Let me be that guy. Meet me at my house in an hour. I'll make you feel good, I promise.

It still lives in my head, a day later. The fact that that idiot got her attention is beyond me. How could someone write something so vile? He's peer pressuring her but at the same time making it sound like a good thing. It gave me chills, I can't imagine how Kacha would've felt.

In other news, I found out how my waitresses have been treating Katarina while I was gone. So I asked Igor to pick her up from school while I deal with them.

I open the kitchen doors to see almost everyone taking a break. Guess they didn't know I came back. All the girls and even the chefs look shocked to see me.

"Boss, welcome back," The head chef bows his head. Everyone else mutters the same.

"Who did I leave in charge when I left?" I ask, knowing full well they all knew.

"The new girl."
"Katarina?"
"The new girl for some reason."

That last comment was made by Hailey, someone I should've fired a long time ago for how she treats customers. The only reason I kept her was because her friends are all great dancers. She didn't make it as a dancer in my club so I demoted her to waitress. Something tells me she caused the most problems. And it's not just the fact that I'm a human lie detector and I can see it in her eyes that she feels some guilt for it.

"Katarina. Right. So why do I come back and hear that none of you showed her respect?"

"Sorry, but she's a teenage girl. What does she know?" Kelsey asks shyly.

"I don't care if she's completely clueless at the job, which she's not. She's proven to me she can handle it. Clearly she did, because she scared you guys enough to start listening to her."

"Then what's the problem?" Hailey rolls her eyes.

I step forward, causing Hailey to lean back on the counter, "The problem is that when you disrespected her, you disrespected me. If you wanted to piss me off, you could have skipped mistreating her and gone straight to me. So why do you wanna piss me off? Do I not pay you well enough? Is it something I said? Go on, tell me."

Hailey keeps quiet which angers me more, "TELL ME!" I demand.

"N-no! No, I- did- I didn't want to- I wasn't trying-"

"SPIT IT OUT!" Ironically, I spit in her face.

"I didn't mean to," Hailey's voice goes small, "I shouldn't have talked back to her."

"Because?"

"Because I don't have a problem with you or her."

I step back and address the rest of the room, "Next time one of you feels the need to make me lose my temper, skip the middle man."

I storm out of the kitchen to hear more chaos at the entry doors. Igor blocks the door, not letting someone in and Katarina's speaking with them.

"What's going on?" I scoff, just wanting today to be calm from now on.

"Nothing," Katarina waves me away, then I see him. The brunet boy who I spent all morning researching. Caldwell Jacques. The little bitch who only wanted sex from Kacha on Valentine's Day. Didn't even bother getting her a gift or speaking to her beforehand.

I pull Katarina back and push past Igor. I grab Caldwell by the collar of his shirt and slam his body against the outside wall of my nightclub.

"NO!" I hear Kacha yell but I ignore her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" I slam him against the wall again.

"Get off of me, dude!" Caldwell wiggles in my grasp.

"DOMINIK, STOP!" Katarina pulls my arm but I don't budge.

"I don't even know you!" His expression becomes even more terrified.

"Let go!" Katarina slaps my arm.

My rage subsides, but not before I throw him to the ground. Katarina kneels to his side and I go back in to avoid looking at his puny face. I crack the window open slightly to overhear their conversation, but keep the curtains closed so they don't see me.

"Caldwell, I'm so sorry!"

"Who the fuck was that guy?!" He grunts, brushing himself off.

"My boss. He hates when teenagers try to get in. He knows about your fake ID and you're on the banned list. I just didn't realize how much he hated that."

Good lie.

"Was he spying on me through the security cameras or something? The jerk."

"Yeah, I'm so sorry about him."

"It's whatever. I just wanted to see you and apologize."

"For what?"

Shit. She has no idea.

"For trying to force you into something you didn't want. I know you already said we're through, but can you just give me another chance? I was drunk and my mind was in a different place when I sent that message. Are we cool?"

"To be honest, I barely looked at the message. I was just upset you didn't call me for Valentine's Day."

"I meant to!" Bullshit, you did. "I was so busy with my grandmother's funeral that I forgot." BULLSHIT, YOU FAKER.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright. I'm okay now. I feel really bad-"

"Don't! You have every right to mourn and save some time for yourself to cope. I'm not mad."

"Really?" Caldwell chuckles.

"Of course!"

"Thanks, Kat," She hates being called that, "You always know what to say to make a guy feel better."

"I'll text you later! I gotta go work. And I don't suggest coming here anymore. My boss never forgets a face."

"Good call."

Katarina walks back inside and it takes all my willpower to not tell her about that message. I could be wrong about him. But if I'm right, I need proof. I can tell she really likes him. It's going to take a lot to change her mind.