A Christian Romance II

Chapter 13 - First day of work

Before Joel dropped Miriam at the restaurant at the Quay, they prayed. She was nervous and overwhelmed to take on the responsibility of running the kitchen of a multiple-awarded restaurant.

"I think I did this wrong, Joel." she lamented while looking at the restaurant advertising lettering.

"You don't feel peace about working here?" Joel asked, attentive as he always was.

"I came from Abah-leh's restaurant to here? Isn't it a crazy leap for an amateur cook?"

"If they found enough ground to trust your cooking skills, maybe it's time you believed them too."

"Do you think I'm that good?" She still looked away, somewhat distracted.

Joel smiled comprehensively and looked at her. "Miriam Smith," he only used her name when the talk was serious. "You know that I love your food, but I'm biased!" Unexpectedly, his phone rang a notification. "It must be my client!" He looked at the phone and saw that it was something important. "Do you mind?"

Miriam smiled sympathetically and then looked away, imagining how busy she would be with all the work and studying that she still had to do to cook at the level of that awarded restaurant. "Well," she sighed. "At least, I'll keep Michael off my mind." She said her thoughts out loud without noticing it.

"Off your mind?" Joel overheard her and tried to tease her.

"Everything alright at work?" Miriam turned to him to check whether Joel was talking to a client.

He put his phone away and looked at his sister. "Is Michael on your mind?" He asked dismissively.

Miriam scoffed not knowing where that interest came from. "What kind of question is that?"

"You said something about keeping him off of your mind." He insisted.

Miriam paused for a while realizing that her thoughts were probably louder than she wanted. "Did I say it out loud?" She regretted that something like that had happened, especially regarding her feelings for Michael. Her heart was so full of it that it overflew from her.

"Yeah, you said it out loud." He declared.

"Joel, I'm gonna be late for work if I don't leave now!" She tried to escape her brother's questioning, so she came up with that.

"We'll get to the bottom of this later." He warned as she left the vehicle.

Miriam grimaced at him and walked to the restaurant. All of a sudden a rush of adrenaline fell on her and she became so nervous that even her hands began to shake. In that instant, Ferdinand opened the door for her with a polite greeting. He led her silently through the restaurant onto the bar. He considered it wiser to entertain any type of conversation rather than any topic related to the restaurant.

"Do you want a drink or a snack?" He kindly offered as he searched for water within the bar.

"Water, please."

After failing to find water, Ferdinand regretted offering something. He couldn't find anything in that bar. He looked at his wristwatch and noticed that it was getting late.

Suddenly, the sound of the main door unlocking resounded in the room. Ferdinand stopped what he was doing, and Miriam aimed her attention at the door. From the bar, she couldn't see anything, but as the sound of the steps grew closer, she involuntarily looked at the person from toe to head, and when the identity of this person was revealed, she couldn't help but close her eyes in disappointment. It was Michael. He would not only be in her mind, but also in her sight.

"Hi to you too, Miriam!" Michael greeted her, despite the unwelcoming reaction she had showed him. "Before you protest, I came to help with the tasting menus." He answered, as he removed his backpack from his shoulder.

Miriam was in shock to find out that she had to cooperate with Michael right on the first day of work. She only overcame those news, after they sat at a table for a brainstorming regarding the menus. Michael had laid out a few options, but there was no agreement at first. After a few hours discussing what was right and wrong, he came up with an arrangement that incorporated everyone's preferences.

"What about this menu?" He asked the group while showing them the screen of his laptop.

Ferdinand and Miriam looked at the screen attentively, almost bumping their heads, but the former commented first, saying:
"This could work perfectly."

Now Michael who was used to Miriam's depreciation, proudly leaned back on his chair with his arms folded against his chest. Looking into her eyes defiantly, he called for her attention.

"So, Miriam," he teased her, "you didn't say anything. Is there something wrong with this menu now?"

She quickly replied:
"This menu could work."

Michael was almost speechless to hear Miriam approve of something that was a product of his intellect. "You don't mean that, do you?" He almost scoffed at her.

"I do." She reassured him. "This menu could work perfectly." She turned her face to Ferdinand, as if seeking approval.

"Yeah, I think so too." Ferdinand nodded at her.

Michael didn't know what to think. He was flabbergasted looking at Miriam, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Can you print that menu, then? Miriam will start working on it...?" Ferdinand tried to call for his mate's attention.

Michael finally woke up to life, but not after a few long seconds. "Print it? Sure!"

Ferdinand stood up. "I'll get it for us." He informed the group and left the table.

The printer was somewhere in an office in the deep of the restaurant. Miriam observed Ferdinand leave, wondering if it was a good idea to be left alone with Michael.

"You amaze me." Michael tried to make conversation, while looking in his laptop as if working on something in there.

Miriam lifted up her head from her notes to give him attention. "Are you talking to me?"

"Not to you." He replied. "About you."

She didn't say anything, and this caused Michael to be even more curious about her.

"Look, weren't you supposed to hate something that I produced?" He insisted.

Miriam looked at him, noticing again that he was a handsome guy with piercing eyes that could read into her soul.

"Your intelligence, organizational and leadership skills are undeniable." she replied.

"That's it?" he was visibly surprised.

"Look, I don't like you." Miriam had been sure of those feelings all along, but when she blurted them out to him, it felt like she was lying to herself. "But that doesn't mean that I will disrespect you or my boss."

"Weren't you Christians supposed to like everybody?"

Miriam looked up at him, tempted to laugh in his face, but she only let out a giggle. "I thought you were a Christian..." she dared.

"I am a Christian." Michael replied.

Michael was a good liar.