Chapter 7

HAILEY

~Can’t believe he had the audacity to show up here after his lewd behavior!~

Hailey managed to keep her cool as she showed him to a seat, but inside, she was seething. She handed him the menu, and he acted as if nothing had transpired earlier.

~He’s probably seen countless naked girls~, she mused.

The other girls swarmed her, squabbling over who would get to serve Valerian’s table.

In the end, she assigned the table to Sarah. Sarah squealed with delight and blew Hailey a kiss, leaving the others to grumble about Hailey’s unfairness under their breaths.

~These girls need to get their act together.~

From where she stood with Matt, Hailey had a clear view of Valerian’s table.

Moments later, she watched Sarah’s fiery red hair bobbing as she approached his table to take his order. Sarah flashed him her most charming smile, and he responded with courtesy—even winking at her.

~Valerian is such a playboy.~

Feeling an arm wrap around her shoulders, Hailey looked up to see Matt grinning at her. She returned his smile.

“What’s on your mind, Hailey?”

“Nothing, Matt.”

“Your expression a moment ago suggested otherwise.”

He tickled her, and she burst into laughter.

“That’s the spirit,” Matt whispered in her ear.

“Matt, quit it!” she protested, trying to keep her voice down.

Their playful banter was interrupted when Bethany, another staff member, approached.

“Whoa!” Bethany exclaimed.

“What?” Matt and Hailey responded in unison.

“Why is Valerian staring at you two like that?” Bethany asked.

Turning slightly towards Valerian, Hailey and Matt saw what Bethany was referring to.

He looked far from pleased, and he didn’t avert his gaze, as if he was expecting them to look his way.

Matt shrugged. “No idea,” he said.

Bethany frowned at them. “You two need to stop messing around. You’re making our top customers uncomfortable.”

“Roger that!” Matt replied, and Hailey couldn’t help but chuckle at his humorous tone, prompting Bethany to shake her head in resignation.

Scanning the room for any dissatisfied customers or anyone needing assistance, Hailey’s gaze landed on Valerian.

It was as if he had been waiting for her to look his way.

She made brief eye contact with him before quickly looking away, rolling her eyes. ~Is he picturing me naked again?~

Matt and Hailey decided to act more professionally, not wanting to risk losing their jobs or receiving complaints. They focused on their work and stopped their playful antics.

Hailey was assigned three tables to serve and didn’t realize that all the other customers had left until the last table she served was cleared.

Sarah approached Hailey and hugged her from behind. Hailey let out a small giggle.

“Thanks for giving me that table. Valerian left a generous tip,” Sarah said. “He’s everything I want in a man. His eyes, his physique, his walk, his voice, even the way he eats.

“He’s just perfect,” Sarah gushed, grinning from ear to ear. “There’s something so captivating about the mystery in his eyes.”

~Sure, he’s every girl’s dream~, Hailey thought sarcastically. ~A pervert like him.~

Hailey hadn’t even noticed when he left, as she was too busy attending to her tables.

“I felt a connection, Hailey.” Sarah twirled around like a ballerina, snapping Hailey out of her thoughts.

“That’s not fair,” Bethany interjected, indicating that she also wanted a shot if he ever returned. This sparked a debate about who would serve him next time.

~Whatever~, Hailey thought. She just wanted to finish up and put this day behind her.

They wrapped up at one in the morning, which was relatively early compared to other nights—sometimes they had to stay late to deal with inebriated patrons or console heartbroken customers.

~In a way, they also provided emotional support here, which was draining and time-consuming.~

Once they had tidied up and reset the tables, they all gathered outside. The keyholders locked up, and everyone bid each other goodnight before heading their separate ways.

“Can I walk you home, Hailey?” Matt offered, bowing dramatically in front of her. His theatrics earned him a playful shove from her.

“No need, Matt. I’m good. I can get home by myself.”

Despite her refusal, Matt insisted on accompanying her to the bus stop. She allowed him to do so. As the bus pulled up, she gave him a warm hug and bid him farewell. “Take care, Matt. See you!”

“See you,” Matt replied, sending her off with an air kiss.

The bus ride was a pleasant one.

Once Hailey reached home, she crawled straight into bed, not even bothering to change out of her work clothes.

She fell asleep almost instantly, only to be rudely awakened by the blaring alarm clock. ~I swear, one of these days I’m going to smash this thing.~

She dragged herself out of bed, took a shower, and then dressed in a pair of long black pants, a blouse, and black heels that completed her outfit.

After pulling her hair into a neat ponytail, she grabbed a quick breakfast before rushing off to catch the bus.

She arrived at work punctually, exchanging greetings with Clara and the rest of her colleagues. She hurried to her desk, determined to finish her work on time today.

As she stepped into the boardroom, she was suddenly yanked back. A pair of hands gripped her thighs, hoisting her up. Her back slammed against the door, shutting it. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

She felt a hand tugging at her hair, forcing her head to tilt back.

She found herself looking up into a pair of dark, brooding eyes.