When Tom opened the door to the restaurant Cera walked through, and found a beautifully decorated room of deep reds and black, and bright glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The hostess that was standing behind the podium had long brown hair and dark green eyes, and was wearing an all black uniform. Cera couldn't help but think the whole scene was incredibly beautiful. Cera found herself smiling while the lady greeted them, "Welcome to La'Rado. Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes I do, it should be under Tom Lang."
The hostess flipped through a book on the podium then looked up with a smile, "Right this way Mr. Lang."
Cera was a little surprised that he would take her to a five star restaurant. She quietly followed Tom and the lady.
"Here you are." she pointed to two beautifully carved wooden chairs on either side of a round table with a red velvet table cloth, and two candles that looked like they had just been lit.
Tom pulled out a chair for her, and Cera sat down quietly while waiting for him to sit down across from her before speaking, "This place is very fancy."
"Yeah, but the food here is amazing."
"Do you come here often?"
"Yeah, the first time was when I was promoted to the CFO position. CEO Park took all of us here to celebrate, and now every time we have an important lunch or dinner meeting we come here. I also come here whenever I have a craving for their food."
"Oh, I see…." while she was speaking she caught a glimpse of a very familiar tall handsome man with blonde hair. He was being showed to a private dinning area that wasn't to far from them by the lady who showed them to their table.
When she stopped talking Tom saw that her gaze moved from him to a direction slightly to his right. He turned to the direction she was looking and he immediately lowered his eyes in a glare. Right then and there he grew to hate his boss for the first time since he started at the company. 'Why did you have to steal her attention before I even had the chance!'
Cera thought it was strange that they would be at the same place, but then remembered that Tom had just said that MinYue frequented this place. 'Earlier today when I checked his schedule there wasn't a dinner meeting planned. Is it not work related?" The pain in her heart returned, and she lowered her eyes. When Tom turned his head back towards Cera who had now lowered her head. Tom let out a sigh, and Cera raised her menu trying to act as if nothing was wrong, "What do you suggest I order?"
Tom lifted his menu and started naming off a few dishes and what was in them. She decided to go with the seafood carbonara spaghetti, and he ordered the BBQ black peppered chicken, "I order this all the time, but I never grow tired of it." He explained his order choice, and she simple nodded. He was thinking that the whole meal would be awkward and that she would be disinterested in talking, but to his amazement she started to speak.
"So Tom," she paused as if asking if it was okay to call him that, and he nodded, "What do you like to do in your free time?"
"I really enjoy eating, so I attend a cooking class on the weekends, I enjoy reading a good book from time to time, and I love to see new places. What about you?"
"Wow! Cooking classes, that's so cool. I mainly spend time with my best friends on the weekends, since I just moved into my place I don't know what to do with my free time. I cook somewhat, but I am not the greatest."
"Well next time we can cook together, if you would like?" he was asking this question to test the waters, see if she would be interested in seeing him again.
"Sure, that would be fun! Just letting you know if I show up and it's boxed mac n'cheese I will leave."
Tom couldn't help but laugh, "I can assure you it won't be that." Cera and him both laughed, then the waitress arrived with their food.
They continued their chatting while eating, "So what else do you like to do Cera?"
"Hmm, I really enjoy traveling as well, but I don't get out to often. My mother always made sure that when I wasn't in school that I had jobs lined up for me. She really didn't want me going to school for what I did."
He didn't want to dig any further than that so he started talking about when he was in Rine, and how the country was well built, and how the leader of the country was a complete mystery.
By the end of the meal Cera had put the thought of MinYue in the back of her mind, she was there to have a good time, and to get to know her coworker better, maybe even develop a new friendship. She found herself laughing and smiling.
MinYue was having dinner with a COO from one of the companies that he was in charge of a few tables down from them. Even though he looked like he was listening to the man across from him, he was secretly listening in on Tom and Cera's conversations. When she laughed a little too loud the grip on his wine glass tightened so much that the stem broke in half. Causing the wine to spill all over the table. Almost immediately afterwards the waitress came running over, but instead of waiting for her to clean up the glass he abruptly stood up, and headed towards the bathroom.