The Secret Tavern

"Cassandra, here's another tray for table number eight! Please be careful, the people on that table are celebrities."

*TING TING TING*

"Are you done with table number eight? Here's another one for the executive director of the Spa Paragon."

The kitchen had just begun to become busy for today once again and Cassandra couldn't have the chance to take a break. The bell was ringing continuously as a signal that another food was ready to be served.

"Corner! Out of the way, food is passing through!" One of the chefs in the main kitchen shouted with two trays in his hands. He put down the tray on the countertop and rang the bell thrice to call out a waiter or a waitress. "Table number 27, ready!" The chef shouted, then he went back to the kitchen.

"Thank you for dining with us, Ms. Celine. I hope you enjoyed your meal." Cassandra bowed her head the moment that the celebrity from the other table was about to leave the restaurant.

"I had fun. The food is great." The celebrity replied with a glimpse of a faint smile on her lips. "Anyway, that tip is for you for being too diligent and attentive to our needs." She winked at Cassandra, then she completely left the place with her boyfriend.

Cassandra thanked her but she was already gone, then she immediately took the tip given by the customer. Afterward, she rushed to go to the counter to deliver the food to the next customer.

"Cassandra, look. Mr. Harriet is looking at you again. Can't you notice him stealing glances?" Eleanor told her in a teasing manner as she poked Cassandra with her elbow.

"What are you talking about, Eleanor? I can't even see hi–" She wasn't able to continue her line when she really saw Mr. Harriet, their supervisor, looking at her in the distance. She suddenly felt uncomfortable knowing that the gaze from her supervisor was different from the usual ones.

Cassandra and Eleanor were working at the Secret Tavern which was located in the heart of New York. It was at the center and only rich businessmen, celebrities, important identities, and big-time entrepreneurs could afford to eat at the restaurant. Cassandra had met a lot of big names upon working at the restaurant since she was one of those persons who were out there serving them.

"See him? I bet he has a crush on you, believe me." Eleanor continued to tease her, but Cassandra just looked back at Eleanor with her forehead creased.

She rolled her eyes heavenwards and scoffed at the thought. "Don't you tell me absurdity? That thing is really impossible to happen. Besides, I'm only eighteen and I'm just trying to save up money for my university tuition." She said, then she tried to tickle Eleanor on her sides while she was holding a tray in her hand.

"What the hell, Cassy! Just don't! I don't have money to pay for this meal, I'm warning you!" Eleanor said while she was trying to dodge Cassandra, then they both continued to work since it was still so busy.

—

"Hey, look at this part, Cassandra! Look, this is the most intense part of the movie!" A woman with a black jacket and an unending smile on her lips uttered with excitement while she was covering her eyes with a pillow. "Cassy, look at the movie! You love this horror movie, right?" She added as she looked at the woman sitting at the corner.

"Hello, Cassandra Harper! You are not listening!" The woman called out to her but the woman still didn't dare to look at her, so she turned to her side and picked up the throw pillow to literally throw it at her.

"1, 2, 3, here you go! Incoming!" The woman named Charlotte said while she giggled at the same time. Charlotte released the pillow and threw it directly at Cassandra who was sitting and it hit her hard on her head.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" She came back to her senses and nagged in an instant, then glared at the person who was now laughing at her.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and pouted. "Well, what can I do? You're not even listening when I say it's snowing." She reasoned out, then she continued to laugh.

Cassandra slowly nodded her head as a simp flashed through her pretty face. "Oh, is that so? Then you better dodge this before it reaches you." She quickly took the pillow that Charlotte threw and threw it back at her. Charlotte even tried to dodge it, but it still got to her and hit her on the head.

When it successfully hit her, she quickly proceeded to play pillow wars with Cassandra just like how they always did. They were inside Cassandra's house watching horror movies and talking about their lives since they just graduated from high school, but she just suddenly spaced out. Cassandra and Charlotte grew up together, both of them were just simple and kind when it came to their lifestyle.

"I think I'm gonna find a job, Charlotte. I have to fund my own schooling and I have made up my mind." She just blurted out of nowhere which shocked her friend.

"Are you sure about that? Don't you have any other plans?" She asked her with her eyes wide open. "Summer has just begun, but I still don't know what to do to keep myself busy." Charlotte suddenly said after they finished watching some movie.

She heard a deep sigh of being dispirited from Cassandra which was now a normal thing. "As I told you, I'm going to find work and save money so I can study for college. That's my only option. Plus, my parents kept on limiting the things that I do." The sadness in her voice was too evident because of the feeling of being stopped by her own parents.

"I told you, Cassy, you should try to voice out to them once in a while. I don't understand why you're just letting them restrain you all your life." Charlotte commented with her low tone of voice to avoid being heard by Cassandra's parents.

"If only it's that simple, then I've done it years ago." She answered in a low tone.

—

Studying in New York was very expensive, however, to support her studies, Cassandra had decided to work in a very fancy restaurant around town to earn university tuition during summer vacation. Her lifestyle was just merely on the average level and her parents seemed like they couldn't support her in terms of schooling, so she had to do it her way.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was now on her way to the five-star restaurant she was working for. She was just so fortunate to be able to work there because they absolutely offer competitive salaries which could support her studies at Bloomington. During holidays, she was always active at the restaurant, especially when school was out and she had nothing to do.

"Phew, it is yet another day at work. Here we are again… at the Secret Tavern." Cassandra uttered with a deep sigh, then she quickly ran to the back of the restaurant which would lead her directly to the waiter and waitresses' locker room.

"Oh, dear. Thank God, you're here. You're just in time, Cassy." Eleanor, one of her co-workers at the restaurant suddenly uttered while putting on her work uniform.

Cassandra walked in and opened her locker which was just near Eleanor. "Why? You seemed restless, Eleanor. What's happening here? Don't tell me Mr. Harriet is looking for me again." she teased, referring to their boss who liked to order her about the restaurant despite the fact that there were so many people to order around.

She looked at Cassandra and a grin flashed through her face. "Well, that is half true. He's been looking for you like crazy." She answered, then the both of them laughed together. "But that's not the problem here, Cassy." Her mood changed literally in a blink of an eye.

"Then what?" She asked with her forehead creased, but when Eleanor was about to answer, the door leading to the main kitchen suddenly opened and it welcomed one of their co-workers.

"Hey, you should move quickly! Mr. Harriet is in rage because he received a call from the owner of the restaurant. Mr. Horace Sergey, the owner, will be visiting us today to look after our work." She said with nervousness in her voice.

"What? The owner himself is visiting? How come? I haven't even seen him in person." Cassandra said with her forehead creased, but she was also excited to see the owner of the prestigious restaurant.

Eleanor nodded her head continuously and looked at Cassandra. "You're right about that. Maybe that person must have been really important that the owner himself had to visit us here to check on us." She said, then she began to give Cassandra her uniform

"What man?" She still tried to ask, but Eleanor began to push her to the side where she could change her clothes.

After a while, she finally got out and she was still trying to annoy Eleanor about what was going on at the restaurant as to why such an important person would come and visit their works out of the blue but she didn't have the time to answer her.

They got out of the main kitchen, but she was surprised to see that there were no customers at the dining hall when in fact, during their normal days at work, people were now occupying the seats.

"Okay, okay, the restaurant is gonna be busy for the next few days because we have to do all the decorations and other preparations. A billionaire will be holding a wedding here at the Secret Tavern, maybe that is also why Mr. Harriet was in a panic that the owner would be visiting us here." Eleanor also answered her straightforwardly, then she quickly paced into the hall, leaving Cassandra dumbfounded.

"What? A billionaire?" She uttered to herself in disbelief.

The day went on and the entire team who was working at the hotel restaurant was now so busy decorating the entire place. They set up the decorations on the ceiling like an enchanted forest wedding with a color combination of red, orange, and brown. A lot will be going on in the next few days because the decoration has just begun.

"Aww, I feel envious of the future bride of the client. This wedding is going to be so unrealistic, he's really out of this world. A trend-setter!" People at the hall continued to talk at random while looking at the plans for the wedding.

"Cassandra, I have something to say to you, meet me in my office in five minutes." Mr. Harriet suddenly approached her and whispered that in her ear, then he began to walk to her office.

That was too sudden for Cassandra, but even though she was a bit hesitant, she still followed the supervisor and went to his office. They went inside and the environment was so quiet.

"Cassandra, I've been meaning to ask you this since the day that you came to the Secret Tavern. I really find you beautiful and attractive… Are you free this Saturday night for a movie for two?" Mr. Harriet didn't waste any more of his time and straightforwardly asked Cassandra. He was looking at her in the eyes with his most sincere look.

She was taken aback by what she heard, but she didn't want to keep the conversation going, so she gradually shook her head. "Thank you for appreciating me. I respect you, Mr. Harriet, and I respect my job at the restaurant. However, I have to decline your offer. I'm sorry." She said, then she immediately opened the door to leave the room.

Before they finished working for the day, everyone was very excited to go home. They were rejoicing except for one… Cassandra was being punished by Mr. Harriet by cleaning the entire place alone because she declined his offer. His ego must have been thrashed over.

"Cassy, I'm sorry but I really have to go home now. It's my mother's birthday and there is a celebration. Let's just see each other tomorrow again, shall we?" Eleanor told her while Cassandra was mopping the floor.

She smiled at her and nodded. "Don't mind me, I can handle this. Tell your mom I said happy birthday." She said before Eleanor completely left the restaurant.

In an instant, the entire place became quiet. It was already 9 in the evening and she was all alone inside the restaurant, mopping the entire floor all by herself.

Cassandra's attention was caught by the loud sound at the back of the building, so she went to check it out. She thought that Eleanor went back since she forgot something.

"Who's in there?" She asked, but upon opening the door at the locker room, she saw a man who just entered and he looked like he was drowned in booze.

"W-What the hell? Who are you?" She asked the man with her eyes wide open.