RICOCHET
Everyone's eyes dilated wider, but not as much as Justin's did. Justin's eyes were bloodshot red, with clear rage filling them in colour. Janette stood with the evident expression of disbelief and shook her head from Xico to Justin, then to Xico again, who was being held back by his father.
I, on the other hand, had sweat dripping off my face and landing on my chest. If Justin or Xico's dad had come later... hah! I don't even wanna imagine how messy it could've been for Xico, or me. So I just simply didn't. I didn't have time to think about what consequences could've occurred otherwise, the thought of Justin snapping at a formal dinner mattered more, but for him, the only thing that mattered to him was my safety against this creep.
"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!" Justin shouted angrily before storming over.
Justin's words seemed to confuse the men at the table, Xico included. Even when Justin knew that Xico could not understand his fume driven words in English, Justin showed no care for that fact.
Although he couldn't understand a word Justin had said, Xico had definitely recognised his rage when he sternly clenched his jaw in tension.
Justin shouted loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to turn their heads, some even left because of the commotion, and Janette and Jett had consumed the matching rage for Xico now too.
Jett's instincts kicked in faster than her twin brother's could, and stood up screaming, not at Xico, but at his dad.
Wait. What? What did he do?
"Cruz Arroyo-Carmesí, tenías un trata con mamá de que no traerías a tu hijo a esta cena y la rompiste." (Cruz Arroyo-Carmesí, you had a deal with Ma that you wouldn't bring your son to this dinner and you broke it.)
She screamed at the father of the culprit, who gave a half look of fear mashed with plenty of guilt, the guilt Xico should be feeling right now, and the other half clear of anger and disappointment to Xico.
Before Jett could finish her sentence, I was being led by Justin to the opposite side of the table, away from Xico's side. Jett's soft, plump hands locked with mine as I felt Justin's muscular arms strain with rage, keeping me closer to his body than normal. When Justin realised that I was secure in his sister's hands, he let me go, but his eyes quickly hardened into one that was much more menacing towards Xico.
"Señorita, le aseguro que él mantendrá el control de sus acciones de aquí en adelante esta noche." (Ma'am, I assure you, he will keep control of his actions from here on out this evening.) The man, introduced as Cruz earlier, bowed dramatically to Jett while letting a hand force his son's head down to bow also.
This family had a high price of respect, that was for sure, if this is how their employees apologise for their foolish mistakes.
But Janette didn't take any excuses the same way her twins had also.
"Sé que lo hará, porque no habrá otra noche ni ningún otro momento para que su hijo haga eso en mi presencia, y mucho menos en la de Ricochet, porque esta cena está cancelada. Ah, y ya no estás contratado." (I know he will, because there won't be another evening or any other time for your son to do that in my presence, let alone Ricochet's, because this dinner is called off. Oh, and you're no longer hired.)
My eyes, still wide and teary, looked at Janette.
No.. no, no, no.
"¿Cancelado? ¡¿Pero por qué?!" (Called off? But why?!) I blurted out, unaware of the uneasy stares I was getting due to my attention being stuck in Janette's eyes, the same ones Justin rarely looked at me with whenever he was mad. Until they softened into a more surprised look after a few seconds of intense eye contact.
YOU ARE READING
A Father's Journey Of Renewal And Embrace
General FictionA young, twenty-eight year-old father, with a fourteen year-old daughter, tries his best in carving a path for his family to follow, trying to find a way to push past his wife's death that occurred when Ricochet turned six, and to be a good father t...
