~~~
"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm Mr. Santos, the store's district manager. I can't help overhearing you asked if we could deliver." He's polite to Emily.
"Yes, ma'am, we can manage that. All you had to do was place the order and give me the delivery address, and we will send it as soon as it is ready." Mr. Santos offered to take the order himself to speed up the process.
"Could you kindly come with me to this side of the register? I will take the order to ensure everything you require is placed correctly and provide you with the best service possible."
He was friendly and courteous, and when the workers heard him, they were astounded by what they heard.
Jake Lewis's eyebrow shot up. He could tell when someone was trying to flatter him, but it was advantageous to the company. He only stared, a half-smile plastered on his grim expression.
This is what managers should be and how they should be. They should know who they need to respect and provide the best service.
Emily placed her order without any constraints. She ordered almost everything on the menu that could feed fifteen or more people.
She was about to pay when she finished. When the manager saw that Jake had given him his card, his eyes widened with amazement.
He realized that he was looking at one of the wealthiest people in the nation, not just in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Recognizing him for who he was, the manager grinned broadly.
The District General Manager had lived in Las Vegas for several decades and knew who was in the area—especially the big shot in town.
After seeing the name, he surprised Emily and Jake when he said it.
"Sir, CEO Lewis, why didn't you tell us you were coming? You could've requested your assistant to send one of us to your office, and we'd gladly accept the order. You did not need to attend in person.
"However, seeing you and your wife visit our little restaurant gives us great joy. Please accept my deepest thanks. We will ensure that everything is prepared and brought to your home. Also, please take your card. We cannot accept your payments. This black card does not function with our computer. The manager jokes, but he cannot expect the firm owner to pay for their meals when they are paying their salaries."
Jake didn't realize that Mr. Santos knew he was one of the major shareholders of the chains.
He had never attended board meetings and only invested in the company, knowing it was a trendy fast-food chain in the Philippines.
With so many Filipinos living in Las Vegas and many others coming to visit, he knew he couldn't lose.
However, for Jake, business is business. Just because he is one of the significant shareholders doesn't mean he should take advantage.
He insisted they would lose a lot if they didn't accept the payment.
"Mr. Santos, I understand that you feel pressured to satisfy me, but you can be confident that my payment won't break the bank if you take it, as you should. It would be best if you didn't have to withdraw cash from your wallet to pay for it. Now, please swipe the card and add a substantial gratuity for all those handling our order, particularly the meal delivery drivers."
Therefore, witnessing Jake Lewis's menacing aura and emotionless expression, he pushed the card back toward Mr. Santos, who could not refuse.
In addition, Emily didn't believe it was appropriate since, well, business is business.
According to what she heard, Jake is the biggest shareholder in the entire chain. Thus, it's inappropriate for them not to pay.
"Thank you!" She mumbles incoherently to Jake while they wait for Mr. Santos to complete the payment.
Jake looked at her frigidly, uncertain of what she had said. After everything was finalized, Mr. Santos returned the receipt and card to Emily rather than Jake.
Emily hesitated to accept it, looking at Jake beside her.
"Take it, and keep it for household expenses," he said casually, looking bored as he waited for her to accept it.
Emily didn't have an option. She entered the card into her wallet, which she held, as she was ready to pay for everything. She looked at it for a moment, unsure what to think.
Mr. Santos instantly turned around from the other side of the bar and followed the pair out the door. He opened the door for them, drawing many stares from waiting in line to order.
The moment they left, the staff started chatting among themselves, wondering who those two individuals were that even their adored District General Manager, Mr. Santos, had to show respect for the entire time.
Mr. Santos did not provide further details or explanations to the employee. Work needs to be done, not chatter.
He instantly told them to return to their tasks before starting what he was doing when he heard them begin to buzz like bees—He warned them once more, informing them that if they didn't stop, everyone should report to the head office.
As they headed towards the car, Jake asked Emily if there was anywhere else she wanted to go.
It appeared like he intended to accompany her, which perplexed Emily.
Jake is a highly busy man, so why would he spend time with her shopping?
"There's nothing else. I'll be honest with you. I visited your office before coming here. I wanted to talk to you and discuss something with you, but I bumped into a friend of yours in the lobby, and I felt it would be impolite of me to interrupt you when you had company. I left and found something to do since I was already in the neighborhood."
Jake listened to Emily's words. He couldn't understand why he could sit there and listen and enjoy the moment. Her soft and sweet voice sounded like a lullaby; he could fall asleep anytime.
Unlike any other woman he had met, he couldn't stand them and easily got irritated while listening to their words—especially Klara Wright, who complained too much.
He couldn't accept their tone of voice unless they were chatting professionally. However, he could listen to Emily without becoming angry or upset throughout the day.
What does this mean? Jake was unclear about his genuine sentiments and suspected something was building up in his heart, which confused him...~~