Bitter Sweet

23. The Garden Restaurant

Julio took a deep breath as he stepped inside the Garden restaurant. It was hours before dinner service and it was the perfect time to speak to Natasha. He needed to put whatever he had with Natasha to an end. As much as the money helped him pay the bills, it didn't feel right anymore.

He loved Stephanie, and he loved her with all his being. He needed to stop having meaningless sex with Natasha and focus on what he wanted with Stephanie.

He walked inside firmly, the classy restaurant welcomed him with the aroma of delicious food from the kitchen. He walked around the dining room hoping to find her preparing for the busy night ahead. But the room was empty. He heard the loud chatter coming from the kitchen, Julio had been to the restaurant so many times before, he knew the place as if he himself, was the owner. He made his way to the kitchen and found the chef and his cooks talking cheerily as they each prepped their station.

"Julio! Long time, no see!" greeted Hector, the head chef, a big, charismatic man, that loved what he did. "You here to see Natasha?" Julio nodded. "She's in the pantry showing the new pastry chef around."

"New pastry chef? What happened to Jen?" Julio asked curiously.

"Jen and Nat, didn't see eye to eye so she quit. You should see this new one though," he replied as he poured the potatoes he was chopping into a big bowl. "She is young and beautiful. Is she a good pastry chef? I don't know but damn, she's pretty."

Julio chuckled as Hector spoke of the new girl with such admiration. Hector came to a halt and turned to look at him as he wiped his hands on a rag hanging from his apron. "How are you doing, Julio? I heard you were in the hospital."

Julio nodded. "I'm doing very well. It was no big deal," he replied. He had taken the sling off, it kept making him feel weak and useless. The stitches were healing rapidly and it became less painful, the sling was just a nuisance.

Hector smiled hearing the good news and returned to his work as Natasha walked out of the pantry. Her eyes lit up as she saw Julio standing in the kitchen. "Julio, hi! I wasn't expecting you today. Why don't we go to my office?" she said as she motioned her head towards the dining room. Julio followed close behind her as she led the way, even though he already knew where it was.

The second she shut the door behind Julio, she wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him on the neck, but Julio pulled her off him quickly and without hesitation, he told her, "I'm not doing this anymore."

Natasha stepped back. "What do you mean?"

"I am not doing this anymore," he repeated. "I'm sorry."

"We had an agreement, remember?"

"I know, I know. But I met someone."

Natasha stood quietly and Julio considered leaving her with her thoughts. "Alright," she said. "I can't say I didn't see it coming." She walked to her desk and sat defeatedly. "And you love this someone?"

"I do."

She looked past him as she stared into space. "Well, you are very handsome, and it was selfish of me to assume you would stay with me."

Julio blinked confused, he was never going to stay with her, that never crossed his mind.

"What will you do to sustain your family?"

Julio had thought about it for three seconds. "I will have to put in extra hours at the shop."

She nodded. "Well, you seem to have everything under control. You love this girl so who am I to stand in your way," she shuffled through her desk and took out an envelope. "This is what I owe you, I believe."