Strong Instincts

Stefan sat behind the big desk in the center of the room. Behind him, there were tall cabinets stood against the big wall, full of books and folders. In front of the desk, there were two chairs, on the left corner, there was a set of dark brown leather sofas and a minibar near the wall. This room was his office, everything he needed for work was right in here.

Stefan stopped reading the reports, put the folder down and looked up to his bodyguards. He heard them whispering for a while and it got on his nerves.

"What is it?"

Stefan asked with an annoyed tone. gazing at the two tall men. They were standing with their hands in front of their crotch like they were so scared of him, but Stefan knew his bodyguards too well, they were just pretending to be afraid... gave him a lot of bullshit sometimes. It's just the ways they were, and just like the way he was.

"Uh ... nothing, boss. We're just seeing Sam posting on his Facebook. He's got injured."

James reported. Stefan immediately frowned with worrying in his eyes.

"Really? What happened. He didn't mention it last night."

Stefan talked to Sam on the phone quite often. And last night there were talking about the UK Premier League and he seemed okay, never said anything that's he'd any discomfort.

James handed the tablet to his boss. Stefan looked at the image of Sam on the screen and sliding down to read the messages that Sam and people were having underneath the picture. Stefan frowned even more.

"So, he's hurt his leg, how, I have to ring him. But why you two were whispering like there was more than what I am seeing?"

Stefan asked the bodyguards. He couldn't see anything special or suspicious about this. Saw his little brother still had a smile on his face, so it couldn't be that bad for the injury.

Then at the second, a message from Sam bounced up as it's real-time dialogues.

'MISS YOU MY GAL.'

That made Stefan paused a little when he used his fingers to slide the screen to see previous lines above, wanted to know who Sam was talking to and telling that person he's missing her.

'Sato'

Somebody's username... Stefan decided to read the whole lot which was quite a long thread. He was like his bodyguards, he knew the Thai rice wine called 'Sato' and could guess who was 'Sato', Sam's GIRLFRIEND of course, who else! And Stefan had to make sure he remembered that word!...GF!

Sam's flirting with his GAL on social online to show how much he loved her. Nothing to do with him. Stefan told himself, felt edgy deeply in his mind, which that could be because of all the talks of business deals he had done with his debtors all day. Stefan felt a headache when thinking about it, his debtors who didn't keep their promises!

Stefan handed the tablet back to James with no interest. So James decided to shut his mouth about his thinking. Better make sure with the information first as Ben said.

"What is the latest news about John White?"

Stefan asked his men, changed the topic back to business.

"He has sent a woman again. Now she is in the suite room."

Ben replied to the boss. Stefan frowned, John White had been late and postponed and begged to extend his time for several times now.

"The day before, our men reported that they saw him sitting with Bernardo in the casino Grand Costa. "

James added. Stefan's face went serious when heard that name.

Bernardo Costa was Stefan's number one enemy! He was the owner of Grand Costa Casino, thirty-two years of age, the same as Stefan. They were enemies in both business and women. They had been fighting on and off all these years.

"Tomorrow I will see John White. You prepare and make sure he knows I am going to his place."

Stefan finished the order, waved to tell his men to get out of the room.

"Well, uh ... what about the woman in the suite?"

"Send her back where she's from, I'm not in the mood."

Stefan said with no interest in his voice. The tall and nice feature walked to the bar at the corner, poured whiskey into a thick glass and drank it slowly. He was thinking of something.

Ben and James bowed to the boss.

"Wait!"

Stefan's voice stopped Ben and James in their tracks. They turned to look at the boss again and wait for the orders which they knew there would be one or two.

"Call to book a table at the Thai restaurant."

Here came the order.

"Yes, boss. What date and time?" James asked for more information.

"Now."

"Now?!!" The bodyguards said in tune, very surprised with the command because, well the time was saying it's almost 11 o'clock and the boss had already eaten!

"Problems?"

Stefan asked, seeing his bodyguards surprised, he didn't know why.

"No, boss. But you already had um your dinner."

Ben was brave to give the boss the reason why they were surprised. It was unusual that Stefan wanted to eat at this time of the night.

"It's Friday night, let's get out for some air unless you two have special schedules?"

Stefan said, knowing that his bodyguards also had their own lives to live.

"No, boss. I'll book a table and Ben will get the car ready." James said Stefan nodded with satisfaction, the bodyguards bowed and walked off the room.

Stefan recalled the conversation on Sam's Facebook, he thought it was a bit strange, Sounded to him that Sam was attached to Sophia as well as Wirata. However, Stefan didn't want James and Ben to think he paid too much attention to Sam's woman.

******

Wirata had been busy in the washing room at the back of the restaurant. It was Friday, so the restaurant had been packed as usual. The tables were booked for the evening. Now it was 11 p.m., the restaurant's half empty, but the dishwasher still was running like crazy.

They closed at midnight, Wirata was feeling so tired now, been dragged by the mafia boss all the afternoon, listened and followed his orders with all patience she had. And when arrived at the restaurant she helped the mother serve and did the washing. Wirata thought she would have a very good lying down unit midday tomorrow.

The black Mercedes stopped at the front of the restaurant. Stephan stepped out, sharp blue eyes were looking around scanning the place, hoping to see a slim figure of his new secretary, but felt a little disappointed when she wasn't in his vision.

"This way sir." Polite voice invited and staff led him into the place, the VIP room he had been in before. This time James and Ben were forced to follow the boss in.

The two bodyguards knew deep inside that, their boss was a bit lonely sometimes. Looking into his life, he'd worked hard and no true friends... Of course, he didn't seem to bother.

Stefan Mackenzie had got a strong heart, as tough as nails. He was raised to win through life.

Well, the truth was he had no real friends, but he had real enemies, lots of them!

"Is Wirata here?"

Voice of the VIP guest asked Wimon. The waitress looked up at the tall figure, wearing a T-shirt with a leather jacket and pale jeans. The face was so attractively handsome, his deep deep blue eyes were so sharp, too powerful for Wimon to stare at. When he took off his jacket, hanged it on the back of the chair, the tattoos on both of his arms appeared. The staff here knew that he was one of the powerful businessmen in the city.

Wimon remembered that he had been here before, she bet any money, gorgeous man like this one, a woman only had seen once, and she would carry his face into her dream all life!

But now he was asking for Wirata. Wimon remembered that Wirata had said that if anyone asked for her, to tell them that she's not here.

"Uh ... no ... she's not in."

She answered and quickly looked down on the floor, couldn't force herself to look at his face because his sharp blue eyes were like blazes. Stefan looked at the waitress, he only gave her a nod for her answer.

"James, Ben, order whatever you want to eat and drink."

Stefan said to his bodyguards but his eyes were looking around.

"What about you, boss, don't eat?"

Jame asked. The reason they came here, he thought it's because the boss wanted to eat?!

"Just order it, I'll be back."

Stefan said to his men then stood up.

"Which way is the restroom?" Stefan asked the waitress.

"That door, sir. Walk through there and it's on the left."

The waitress pointed to the door at the back of the room. The tall figure walked off, Ben and James watched, they knew that the boss was a stubborn man, he believed in his own instincts very much.

And now he seemed so sure of his instincts that Miss pretty Wirata was somewhere in here. Ben and James sat down, stretching and relaxing in the nice and peaceful atmosphere with sweet-scented candles and nice smell of Thai food that made their mouth-watering.

They would let the boss do whatever he liked to. He seemed a little distorted since seeing Miss Wirata again after four years. But the boss loved his brother so much, so, that might be the reason for him to be worried about keeping an eye on his brother's girlfriend.

Behind the door, which separated the front and the back, when opening, on the left, there were two rooms, labeled 'Gentlemen' and 'Ladies'. Stefan didn't stop at the Gentlemen.

He walked to the back, seeing a door on the right, it got 'Staff Room' sign on it. Opposite, there was another door. The loud noise of the machine running. Stefan pushed the door open. It was the washing room.

In front of him, a slender figure standing at the sink turned her back to the door. She's wearing a black T-shirt with a pair of jeans and a plastic apron. She very much focused on washing the dishes by hands, while the dishwasher was running making a loud noise.

Wirata was singing along with the music from her iPod, earphones plugged in her ears. Then the corner of her eyes saw a shadow of some movement, she thought it was Supin. a Thai staff who had the duty to carry dirty plates to this room.

"Sis, please put them here, ready for the next load."

The voice was sweet and friendly. Wirata didn't look but saw the movement again. The figure came to stand close to her, put a stack of plates in the sink. Wirata turned to give a thankful smile, then she had to stop dead with a shock when she saw who it was. The dark tall and evil boss was standing right beside her!