I was busy at the bar, but my eyes kept drifting toward where he was sitting. Since his back was to the bar, I could only see his back and his profile reflected in the floor-to-ceiling window. He wore a white suit, with the jacket neatly folded on the sofa beside him. Over his pink shirt, he had a white vest, and his dark brown shoes were polished to a shine. He held a fork in his left hand and a knife in his right, and his long fingers were reflected beautifully in the glass. He cut the steak with grace and chewed slowly. Just sitting there, he seemed to radiate an aura of brilliance.
I was lost in thought until a pair of delicate hands waved in front of my eyes.
"Hey, hey?! I'm talking to you. What are you looking at?" a girl's slightly angry voice pulled me back to reality.
"Oh, hello, I'm sorry. How many?" I responded quickly.
"I'm looking for someone. And get me a Tequila Sunrise, sent to that table." She pointed in the direction I had just been staring.
"Okay," I said, my heart sinking as I trembled. That table? Isn't that where he's sitting? But he only ordered one serving earlier. So, he's with her? Who is she? His girlfriend? I felt a pang of disappointment, and my hands moved more slowly.
I watched as the girl walked towards his table. She wore a white spaghetti strap dress with a knitted cardigan, her skin was fair, and her legs long and slender. She wore clean white shoes. Though I hadn't seen her face clearly, I imagined she must be a beautiful and elegant girl. An inexplicable sourness rose in my heart, disappearing as quickly as it came.
In my daze, the girl had already sat down next to him. I couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance. Regret filled my heart—why had I seated him so far from the bar? They were whispering to each other, their heads close together, occasionally laughing. Suddenly, he reached out and patted her head affectionately, and she leaned on his shoulder. I couldn't bear to watch anymore.
I mechanically carried the Tequila Sunrise to their table. With each step, my heart roared, and time seemed to slow. Finally, I reached their table and tried to appear calm. I placed the drink in front of the girl and was about to turn away when his voice stopped me. "Wait, we'd like to add something."
"Okay," I replied. He said "we." My heart sank further. So, they were familiar with each other. I stood quietly, waiting for him to order. Instead, he handed the menu to the girl with a tender smile, "See what you want."
She took the menu, smiled sweetly, and said coquettishly, "Don't you know my tastes by now? Why didn't you order earlier?"
"I didn't know when you'd arrive, and I didn't want it to get cold," he replied, smiling.
He really cared for her. For some reason, a baseless jealousy surged within me. I lost any good impression of the girl. He was so elegant; she must have seduced him somehow. I wondered what tricks she used. Dressed so provocatively, she didn't look like a decent person.
I was lost in thought until the girl spoke in a delicate voice, "Well, I'll have a roasted chicken wing, half a portion of pasta, and a tiramisu."
"Half a portion of pasta?" I asked in surprise. When did the shop offer half portions? I was about to explain when he spoke, "One portion of pasta, please. Bring two plates. I haven't had my main course yet," he said, smiling at the girl beside him.
"Okay," I said, feeling a bit better. Why would a couple split their food? Maybe they were just friends.
That night, I was distracted. They stayed for a long time, ordering more drinks until almost closing time.
As I was cleaning the shop that night, I found his wallet on the sofa. Yes, it was his. I recognized it from when he paid with those three 100-yuan bills. Usually, we would keep lost items in the bar's storage until the owner returned, but I couldn't resist opening it. I wanted to see his things.
It was a finely crafted black leather wallet with a thick stack of cash inside. I didn't need to count it to know it was probably worth several months of my wages. As I was about to close the wallet, I noticed a white card tucked inside. I took it out and saw it was a business card.
"Gu Shijie, Assistant to the Chairman, Qianfan Group. Mobile: 138-xxx-xxxxx Email: jason.gu@xxxx.xxx."
For some reason, I memorized the number, etching it deeply into my mind. Yes, you read that right. At that time, I couldn't even afford a phone.
That's right, someone from the bottom of society who couldn't even afford a phone fell for a wealthy second generation at first sight. Looking back, it was so foolish.
I put the wallet back and stored it in the bar's compartment. I felt inexplicably happy. If he came to retrieve it, I would get to see him again.