Perfect Illusion

Three - "That Man Has No Shame!"

Two and a half months before:

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" I stood there behind the mini concierge of the restaurant, my fingers hovering over the keyboard of the computer in front of me. I smiled slightly at the guy in front of me, though it felt forced.

The guy smiled as well. However, it was not directed to me, but to the attractive girl beside him. He slid his arm behind his date's back, his hand gliding down her waist and almost touching her butt.

I felt bile rise up from my throat. Not again.

He spoke, his voice deep and smooth. "Yes. It's under the name Daniel Kerrington."

Of course it was. It had always been under that name every single time he came to this place.

"Daniel Kerrington," I pretended to type, my fingers just tapping lightly over the keyboard to create sound. I did not have to check whether he had made any reservation. I knew he had.

He called every Saturday morning to place a reservation for two at 7:00. He never failed to ask for the booth at the corner, next to the window, which is the best place to sit in the restaurant. He had been hogging that same booth for a month now, and I think my customers were starting to get angry.

I clicked on the mouse several times, pretending that I was scrolling through our database for his name. "Yes, Daniel Kerrington. Table for two."

I looked at him, and -surprise, surprise!- he's can't stop looking at his date. His eyes skimmed over the red fiery curls that cascaded past her shoulders, to her huge breasts, then down to the rest of her perfect, size zero body.

The way he stared at her made me want to hurl. He did not look at her with interest and wonder, not like how a man would look at a girl on the first date. He looked at her with hunger and lust, like he was going to take her to his place right after dinner and have crazy wild sex with her... if she would allow it.

But she would. They always did. Daniel Kerrington always got his way with girls... and I was pretty sure tonight would be no exception.

"Yes, that's right." Daniel said after finally managing to tear his gaze away from the girl.

My smile tightened as I grab two menus from the counter. "Shall we, Mr. And Mrs. Kerrington?"

I had wanted to say that for some time now, just to irritate the crap out of him. Just like I expected, he winced and tried to correct me. "Actually, uh, it's not—"

The girl placed her hand seductively on his shoulder, her hair flipped to the front. "Mrs. Kerrington, huh?" She smiled seductively at Daniel. "Are you hinting something to me?" She wriggled her eyebrows.

I almost wanted to laugh. Little did she know she was not even going to be on another date with him, let alone be the next Mrs. Kerrington.

I would know that.

I had been working in the Basil Kitchen the entire summer after graduation.

My best friend, Cara had decided to ditch me by taking an impromptu trip to visit some relatives over in France . She left me to rot by myself in Boston. For the first few weeks of summer, I literally had nothing to do. I was not that close to the rest of my classmates, and I was pretty sure they had forgotten about me the minute we left school for good. So, I figured I might as well make the best of my last summer before going off to college.

After my dad heard that I was up for hire, he persuaded me to work for Woods and Co. I, however, thought differently. When he knew I wouldn't budge, he immediately pulled in some favours amongst his clients, and landed me a job as a waitress in Basil Kitchen. I was thrilled, of course, as I could finally prove that I was independent. It was my first job, and I was already loving it. I found myself really liking it there. The staff at Basil Kitchen always had friendly smiles on their faces. I always looked forward to the little gatherings in the back kitchen with them, chatting and gossiping about the guests that poured through the doors of the restaurant.