Chapter 5: Sighting of a Stranger

The chef slowly approached her, gliding on the smooth wooden floor, his feet barely touching the ground. His face was holding a carefully blank expression, and Selene shivered, being the center of his attention.

His eyes never left hers.

Carter stopped several feet away from her, just where the last piece of her broken cup landed. He dropped his gaze to assess the damage before trailing his eyes along her figure.

He started with her Chelsea boots that she never got to change before enjoying her lunch, paused slightly on her waist where a new stain was quickly taking its shape, and finally got to her face, looking intently but remaining silent.

She also felt another movement near her. Considering how close that person was, it had to be either Luke or David, possibly trying to minimize the mess around them.

The chef let out a small breath, taking one of his hands from his pocket. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a brief moment before finally addressing her.

"Selene."

If the bartender thought the situation was at its peak, his voice changed everything. It pierced her skin quicker than any winter chill or even his eyes just a few moments ago. Her brain froze, deciding on the answer and fighting a sudden freeze in all its systems. Damn it.

"Sir, I'm.."

"Please, change the shirt before the shift starts," he didn't smile or show any annoyance when addressing her. Instead, he turned to Luke. "Find the cleaner to take care of the issues."

“Thank you.”

But the chef only nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Luke quickly stood and rushed towards the changing room, which also had extra storage for cleaning supplies. He also didn't forget to quickly catch Selene's hand and squeeze 'reassuringly' before he left. She didn't expect the touch but couldn't let herself repeat her previous panicked action.

Once Luke was gone, Selene looked at Carter to confirm that he was still there and noticed his gaze focusing intently on her hand, the one that was now pressed against her dark jeans to forget Luke's touch. But the chef quickly caught himself, turning around away from the scene.

He bent a bit to address the sous chef and left without saying another word.

Great, one point for me, Selene thought as she turned on her heels to change that damned shirt.

What she didn't focus on hard enough was a very curious matter - the chef knew her name and called it out with no hesitation. With practiced ease, one would even say.

***

Once the crisis was averted, the bartender looked over herself and was quite pleased to see that no stains were left on her jeans. She had to change them anyway, but Selene was sentimental. Taking another second to assess herself, she was startled by the appearance of another person in the reflection. Mr. Peters was clearly waiting for her to finish with the uniform before addressing her and probably accusing her of another mistake.

It was beyond her how he learned about the incident within a few minutes. But somehow, she doubted that the chef was the one to tell him. After all, their first awkward encounter was left out of every conversation, and Mr. Peters wasn't aware of it.

He's like a hawk. Selene quickly wondered if Mr. Peters could also see the whole restaurant like some kind of Eye of Sauron.

"Once you are done, I am expecting you in my office." With that, Mr. Peters left, practically slamming the door behind him.

For someone who is so good at sneaking up on his employees, he sure had a flair for dramatics.

Closing her locker, Selene shuffled towards Mr. Peters' office only to be met with Luke, who was opening the manager's door. He smiled shyly at her and gestured to her to walk first, either being a gentleman or not wanting to face the manager first.

Mr. Peters asked them to occupy two chairs in front of his desk and looked through several folders on his desk. Not wanting to stare, Selene took her time studying at the office. But it was hardly anything interesting. Stark naked walls lacking any personality, no pictures or remotely personal objects. There was a single computer, desk, three chairs, a small coffee table, and a bookcase filled with toms of… encyclopedias? They looked as if they were pulled out from the previous century and completely new. Not to mention that each was probably thicker than an Oxford dictionary.

"Alright." Mr. Peters took off his glasses. "Both of you have signed a waiver against any romantic involvement with colleague." Selene nodded in unison with Luke, not daring to interrupt the manager. "You can 'mess around,' have sex, party… I don't care. But everything should be left outside of this venue."

"But we aren't…" the bartender was about to refute all the accusations, but the manager was out of patience. As if he ever had any.

"I couldn't care less about the details, Ms. Selene."

Selene was intently studying the stack of papers on Mr. Peters' table and acting like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Luke looked much paler than usual; his previously clearly noticeable tan seemed to disappear and was replaced by an almost bluish undertone.

Selene copied Luke's response, and they were both dismissed after signing another waiver and stating that they would never engage in such a relationship.

Only after leaving the office, Selene felt like she could breathe again. Luke also looked slightly better, color finally returning to his cheeks.

"Well, that was fun." He gripped the hair on his neck slightly, pulling and trying to fight another urge to fidget with something else.

"Sure. If you define fun as being interrogated by the Dark ruler himself," Selene laughed lightly, more out of nerves than anything else.

Luke followed suit.

"Ughh, of course, he was hiding in plain sight all along." He finally relaxed his shoulders and dropped his hand from his hair. "That makes so much sense."

Selene nodded, still smiling, but her expression hardened when she decided to break an awkward topic.

"Look, I mean no disrespect, but," Selene nervously twirled one of her rings, avoiding Luke's gaze. "I'm not really looking for a date or anything. It's not…"

"Not me, I know," Luke's smile also dropped, and the hand came back to his hair. "Maybe you'll change your mind."

"Luke," Selene sighed, remembering Rose's advice. "I would prefer to remain on friendly terms. I don’t need complications or any more strikes from Mr. Peters."

"Okay, friend," the waiter stated, highlighting the last word as he leaned towards her a bit. "I'll see you on the shift."

Selene nodded gratefully, relaxing fully and letting another full breath from her lungs. The past couple of days felt more like a month with all the mistakes she has made. Besides, every conversation with Mr. Peters sucked out the last will to live right out of her already wavering soul.

Turning around to finally get to the bar and ensure that everything was ready for Thomas and her own ‘bartending’, she saw two figures walking closely together. Shoulders brushing, but hands not joined — Carter was directly beside an extremely elegant young woman.

What a sight they were. Practically the same height and elegance, they stood out among beige colors. He, all in black with snow-white skin, and her light brown hair, swiped into a careful braid. Her body was hugged by a tight white dress, and if perfection existed, they would be the first ones to get that title.

The woman was a definition of feminine beauty, walking effortlessly in heels, clearly used to red bottoms. Her coat was simple, but something in her definitely screamed privilege and wealth. And even if Selene didn't know all that much about fashion, she easily recognized the signature designer bag carelessly abandoned at the woman's side.

Carter didn't see Selene studying them. He was listening intently to the woman walking by his side; his expression strained and far more concerned than she had ever seen.

The bartender trailed her eyes after them, drinking every last drop of the sight before they both disappeared into Carter's office.

The encounter left Selene even more confused: was she truly petty enough to be jealous of someone else's status, or their place by the chef's side? So, she had to keep her priorities straight. The bartender added the encounter to her growing list of things she managed to gather about the chef, and decided to finally be productive.

She had to help Rose with the wine list, see if Charlie had everything ready for another party, and check in with Thomas.

"Careful Driver" won't make itself when another sober person comes to the bar, Selene thought, finally diving into the normal restaurant shift.