Chapter 18
Chapter 18
RAVEL
FIVE YEARS AGO
The red and greenbination was a huge sess. Raymond thought I was crazy for abandoning my
idea of colorbination and going for that of a stranger that bumped into me in the hallway. To be fair
to my ego, I never wanted to pay heed to her words. It all started out as curiosity then by the time I
finished the painting, I ended up falling in love with it.
I wasn’t the only one who fell in love with the jewel and its colorbination, the royal family for whom
I was contracted to make some piece of jewels equally fell in love with it. To cut the whole story short, it
was a huge sess, and I’m here at a restaurant called ‘Delicious’ to show my appreciation to that
youngdy.
It took Raymond less than two hours to find out her name and where she works. It wasn’t much of a ha
ssle for him because she just made a recent delivery to thepany.
On a normal day, you can never get me here, ordering anything, not because the restaurant is a cheap
a ss one, but because the tables are almost cramped together. You can easily hear what the person at
the other table is whispering to his date. If there is anything I like so much, I’m sure it’s an airy space.
“Can we take your order, sir?” A blond man asked me with a smile whilst clutching a notepad and a
pen.
Blinking back to reality, I stared at the young man. “Get Hazel cks to serve me.” I won’t be ordering
sh it if she isn’t the one holding the notepad.
“Do you know her sir?” The young man asked skeptically. “This might be a small restaurant, but we’re
protective of our fellow staff.”
Holding the man’s gaze unblinkingly, I leaned back. “Are you daft or something?” This question emitted
out of genuine curiosity, but the young man took offense by frowning slightly. “I just addressed her by
her full name and you ask me if I know her?”
“Knowing her name does not scream familiarity.” He argued slightly. My jaw clenched at the
unnecessary banter between us. He noticed the change in my demeanor and immediately retrieved his
ws. “She isn’t on duty yet.”
“I’ll wait.” I insisted in a t tone, hoping that he’ll get the memo that I’m done seeing his annoying face,
but I guess the wa nker is too slow to read the underlying meaning of words.
“What?” He blurted out with arched brows. “She’s noting in until five in the evening, and that’s four
hours from now.” His eyes darted around quickly before returning to me. “Are you going to sit here for
four hours straight?”
His fidgeting behavior gave him away. I tightened my lips with distaste. “If you’re done lying, you can
get out of my face.”
He paled instantly. “Why the heck do you think I’m lying?” The entrance door opened and Hazel walked
in. The man licked his lips nervously whilst I arched a brow at him. He muttered an apology before
scurrying away.
Oblivious to my presence, Hazel greeted few of her colleagues with a smile and almost walked past
me, but I grabbed her hand, halting her. Her body tightened the instant I grabbed her, and I realized just
how inappropriate my action was.
She turned around with a tight smile, her eyes telling a different story with the smile stered on her
face, but the moment her gazended on me, her features rxed for a bit. “Hello, sir.”
I let go of her hand and offered her a smile. “Please call me Ravel.”
“Ravel.” Facing me fully, she tilted her head. “I haven’t seen you here before which means you have no
business being here, not unless…” Her words trailed off as her eyes widened. “I did not sell off your
design, I swear!”
“There is no way you could have recreated that, not unless you took a picture of it, which you didn’t.”
The jewel has already been worn by the Royal family, and anyone who recreates it is answerable to
them and not me. “I’m actually here to see you.”
Chapter 18
She blinked slowly, eyeing me skeptically. “What for?” Crossing both hands, she shifted from one footProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
to the other, onable to calm herself. “Mr. Ravel, I’m sure you and I will agree that you have no reason to
come looking for me.”
Actually, I do. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not only here because I want to appreciate her for her
contribution to that piece. “What do I have to do to get you to sit down with me for lunch?”
Looking around with uncertainty, she bit her lower lips. “You’ll have to buy fifteen cartons of fried
chicken.”
Dipping my hand into my jacket, I retrieved my wallet. “How much does a carton cost?” Without waiting
for a response, I pulled out w ads of cash from my wallet and dropped it on the table. “That should
cover it.”
Stupefied, she blinked rapidly. “I was only joking Mr. Ravel.” She swiped the money off the table and
tried to shove it back into my hand. “Take it back before Harrison sees it.”
I’m guessing Harrison is her boss. “I guess it’s a littlete for that.” A young man is standing behind her,
and his arrogance shows he owns the ce.
“What’s going on here Hazel?” Harrison questioned through clenched teeth. “What’s your reason for
dragging money with a
customer?”
“I’m willing to buy whatever chicken you fried today if I get to spend some time with Hazel without
interruption
He’s going to jump on the offer. I can already see greed rolling in his eyes. “We have forty-five cartons
of fried chicken, are you willing to buy all sir?”
Hazel scoffed.
Uncertain if the cash in my wallet can cover the bill, I opted to write him a cheque. Hazel and her boss
stared at me with dropped jaws as I signed the cheque. I handed it over to Harrison. “That should be
more than enough”
He grinned widely. “You can have her for the whole day.”
My jaw clenched at his words. He doesn’t have to sound like he just sold her off. I kept my hardened
gaze on his far back as he walked into the kitchen. “Why did he just sound like he owns you?”
Hazel pulled the seat out and sat down. “Well, I equally feel like I got sold to the highest bidder.” She
snapped. The bite in her tone made me return my gaze to her and that was when I noticed the re.
She’s upset. “What do you want from me, Mr. Ravel?”
Enough with the formality. I’d rather she drops it. “Call me Ravel.”
“How can I help you?” She asked again, her voice tighter and angrier than before. “What exactly do you
n on doing with forty-five cartons of fried chicken?”
I shrugged. I tip my driver more than what I just spent. “I’m sorry if my actions offended you, but I’m
only here to show appreciation.”
Her nose crinkled. “For?”
“The colorbination. The Royal family loved it. It was their favorite piece.”
Her eyes widened, almost falling off its socket. “That was for the Royal family?” She blurted out,
shocked by my words. I only smiled in response. “Who exactly are you?”
I’m surprised she doesn’t know who I am. “That’s beside the point, don’t you think?” When she failed to
give me a response, I tilted my head. “I’m a man who likes to reward people when they earn it, and you
Hazel cks, you’ve earned it.”
“How did you know myst name?”
Raymond. “I’m going to write you an open cheque next week,” I informed her, watching her closely. The
normal reaction for every rational person is shock, which entails widened eyes, but not this woman
seated across me, she narrowed her eyes instead, an act that says she finds my words suspicious.
Chapter 18
“You’ll write me an open cheque?” Her eyes narrowed further, “You know what that means right?”
“Yes, I do.” It means I want to see her again.