Lina's POV
I can't understand why, but Mr. Lowell seems incredibly hostile toward the restaurant employees. He was rude to the usher, unfriendly to the waiter, and now he appears to be throwing daggers at the sommelier. I can't help but wonder if he's always like this or if he's just dissatisfied with the restaurant's service. I feel bad for my colleagues, but my job is on the line, so I don't dare to interfere. As I glanced at the multiple bottles of wine, I became concerned about Mr. Lowell's intentions: "Are we really going to drink all of these?" If he says yes, I'll have no choice but to comply with my boss's wishes. "Of course not. We're just going to have a sip of each to try them" he nonchalantly replied. In my mind, I already saw the waiters celebrating with the leftover wine.
Mr. Lowell pours us glasses of the slightly chilled white wine and raised his glass for a toast: "To your first official meal at Wolfsville's Best." "To our first official meal," I correct him, and our glasses clink as we smile at each other. His warm smile captivated me; his face looked like it was painted perfectly. But before I could get lost in his looks, he asked about my job as a waitress. "So we were talking about your job as a waitress." "Yes, sure… Since I'm still studying, I work on the side to support myself. Even though my parents volunteered to help me with my expenses, I don't want to burden them." "What?!" Mr. Lowell asked, obviously taken aback by what I just said. "Yeah, that is just how it is," I replied, a little insecure since I didn't know why he was so surprised about my story. After all, it's quite common to work as a part-timer while studying. He quickly replied "It's just, I thought you were one of our new employees. I would never have guessed that you are an apprentice." I explain that, as a student, I work on the side to support myself, not wanting to burden my parents, despite their willingness to help.
As we began taste testing, the waiter returned with a salver full of exquisite appetizers. My modest upbringing and lack of experience with fancy food made me feel unsure, but I'm eager to try something new. I hoped my lack of knowledge wouldn't hinder my duties, considering how specific Mr. Lowell's requests were. We both tasted the first appetizer. We exchanged only a few words during the tasting, focusing on the flavors and wines Mr. Lowell carefully selected.
Suddenly, Chef Dubois arrived, surprised and delighted to see Mr. Lowell dining at his restaurant. "Alarick, what an honor having you coming here personally." "Well, I knew I would have to show up some time to see you since you're always so busy." Mr. Lowell replied playfully. "Well, you're the one to say so. You haven't come around since you returned and here, I thought eating was a necessity." Mr. Dubois replied, shaking his head and with a frown on his playful face. "You should thank me! At least you got to enjoy Coco's presence when she came to fetch my meals…" Mr. Lowell quickly put in with a naughty smile. Mr. Dubois was surprised by Mr. Lowell's statement as he blushed and got all flustered: "Shut up, I didn't know you went abroad to study matchmaking." Both men started laughing out loud. Their playful banter amused me, but I never expected to see such camaraderie between them. Until now they mostly had left a cold and professional impression.
I directed my look to Mr. Dubois while he threw an amused look at Mr. Lowell that I couldn't decipher and then looked back at me; he then kindly and sympathetically replied: "So, this is how it is. I don't want to interrupt your... work further. I just came by to personally inform you that I arranged for the dinner menu to be brought first before the remaining appetizers. Since those are sweet, they will be served with the desserts. I hope everything is to your satisfaction. It was nice meeting you two. Now, I really should go back to work." After excusing himself, he left the two of us to the last pieces of appetizers. Since Mr. Dubois left the atmosphere somehow got tense and heavy. I didn't really know how it ended like this since Mr. Lowell and Mr. Dubois seemed so friendly seconds ago. I only notice him stealing glances at the back of the restaurant. I'm at a loss for words and ideas on how to turn the situation around, and we haven't even finished half of the dishes. Unfortunately, I got a feeling this will be a long lunch meeting as his cold gaze hit me from time to time when I looked up…