The setting sun provided a wonderful hue in the sky. The sky hue perfectly matched Amanda's dress and hair as Derek drove along the coastal highway en route to Quinton Hotel Townsville.
It was too good an opportunity for Amanda to pass. She took out her phone and took a couple of selfies, including one that showed Derek's chiseled side profile.
"I can't wait to see the pic you just took. As soon as we reach the hotel, you have to show me those pictures." said Derek excitedly.
"Absolutely. I can't wait to show you." replied Amanda.
Soon Derek's car stopped at the valet spot of Quinton Hotel Townsville. The valet staff, professional as expected of all Quinton Consortium staff, opened both doors and escorted Derek and Amanda out of the car. Derek then passed his keys to one of the valet staff for parking.
Guests and passerbys that saw Derek's brand new Rimac Nevera were starstruck by the sheer sleekness and coolness exuded by the car. They didn't hesitate to take pictures of the car and post it on their social media platforms.
Equally, they were mesmerised by Amanda's beauty and Derek's manliness. It was as though a perfect couple from heaven had graced them with their presence in the hotel.
For Derek, the attention given was still a bit much; but he took it in stride. After all, this night was about him and his date Amanda, who was also taking the attention as best she can.
In two minutes, both Derek and Amanda were nearing Giannos. They noticed there were two lines outside the restaurant. One is the normal queue for dine in, the other is for VIPs who can skip the queue and enter directly into the restaurant.
"Hi there. I have a reservation for two under Derek Smith." said Derek as they both approached the host.
"One moment, please." replied the host as he checked his booking list.
"You're still using that name. That's so cute." said Amanda as she held on to Derek's arm.
"Ah yes, Mr Smith. We have the chef's table waiting for you. Please, follow me." said the host, as he led Derek and Amanda to their chef's table.
It was a sight to behold for both Derek and Amanda. This was their first time sitting at a table literally next to the kitchen. They enjoyed the scenes unfolding before their eyes as the kitchen staff work tirelessly to complete orders a fast pace.
Chef Gianno soon approached the chef's table to greet them both.
"Good evening, Ms Amanda and Mr Derek. Welcome to Giannos. What would like to have tonight?" the chef asked.
"Chef Gianno, good evening to you too. Amanda has always wanted to try your pastas while I like to try some seafood dishes. What do you recommend?" asked Derek.
"How about a mix of both? We have on the menu tonight a wonderful Frutti de Mare pasta made with baby clams, mussels, squid and shrimp in a thick red homemade Arrabiata sauce, dare I say, as red as the lady's hair." said chef Gianno with a smile.
"That sounds amazing, chef Gianno. We'll have one each." replied Amanda.
"Also, for dessert, we'll have your famous tiramisu." added Derek.
"Fine choice, Mr Derek. We will get to your dishes right away." replied Chef Gianno before heading back to the kitchen.
Derek and Amanda continued to watch the action in the kitchen as Chef Gianno ordered his cooks around like a drill sergeant.
Within five minutes, their dishes were ready and served by none other than Chef Gianno himself.
As promoted by the chef, the pasta was absolutely delicious. One mouthful and both Derek and Amanda were in culinary bliss. They continued to enjoy their pastas and each other's company.
With Desmond's security surrounding the area where the chef's table is, there was no surprise that all eyes were on the chef's table. Some watched in admiration, others with a hint of motivational jealousy, planning some day to be able to sit at the chef's table with their partner.
There was one couple that looked on with pure envy. This couple in particular knew Derek in the past.
One of them was Judith Evans, a distant relative of the Smith family. Judith had previously heard about Derek getting kicked out of the Smith family. So seeing Derek at the chef's table, let alone with a beautiful lady, did not make any sense to her.
She was at Giannos with her boss, Tyler Powell. Tyler came from a well to do family; but he was a womaniser. To him, women like Judith were nothing but someone who he can flirt with and dump away as and when he pleases. Also, Tyler's family owns a business in Townsville where the Quinton Consortium owns a controlling interest.
Derek and Amanda continued with their tiramisu dessert, unaware that Judith and Tyler were staring intensely at them.
Twenty minutes later, Derek and Amanda were done with their dinner. They stood up, thanked Chef Gianno for the meal and made their way out of the restaurant.
As Derek and Amanda were making their way towards the valet, they heard a voice calling out to them, Derek in particular.
"Hey Derek! Derek Smith! Turn around, loser!"
Loser? Talk about a buzzkill.
Derek initially didn't know who it was that was behind him, so he paid no attention, but that same voice said something that caught his attention.
"For some poor trash loser who got kicked out of his family, you sure are good at leeching off other people to live the good life."
'Kicked out of my family? Who else other than the Smiths know about this?' thought Derek. He decided to turn around to the direction of the voice calling him.
"Oh...it's you, Judith. I should have known." Derek groaned.
"Do you know her, Derek?" asked Amanda.
"Sadly, yes. I know this loser. I don't know who you are, miss; but you should not associate with this loser and have this loser bring your image down!" said Judith, obviously wanting to shame Derek.
"I don't remember asking you! You need to watch your mouth, lady! I'll have you know that Derek here paid for everything on our date tonight. If he was a loser, would he be able to afford that?" Amanda retorted.
"Please....we know his suit is rented, and he must have paid your dinner using an IOU. Haha!" mocked Tyler.
"You are a beautiful woman. Don't soil yourself with this fake. Say, how about we go to a bar and enjoy ourselves?" Tyler said to Amanda, trying to flirt with her.
"Do you know this boytoy?" Derek asked Amanda.
"He's Tyler Powell. He and his family work for VisionMedia, one of the companies under the Quinton Consortium here in Townsville." replied Amanda.
"Boytoy, you say? You need to watch your mouth, you jerk! I rather be a boytoy than be a fake like you!" Tyler retorted to Derek.
"That's right. His father owns one of the biggest media companies here in Townsville. You be lucky just to be a janitor there, let alone in my position as an upper tier manager." added Judith.
"How do you want to deal with this, Derek?" asked Amanda.
"No need for you to defend me tonight. I'll defend you instead. Besides, some people have to learn the hard way." replied Derek.
Derek took his phone out of his pocket and made one phone call....to Owen.