All Novel JR
Chapter 23
23 23- Longing
“Please get this mess cleared,” Joseph ordered someone and turned to her, “It’s ok ma’am. Please don’t feel disheartened.”
He took a slow lingering look around the room especially at all the dishes on the long table, “If all your food has fallen on the floor, we can give you a second chance.”
Joseph didn’t give her any choice to speak or to express that she knew him, and they had already met.
“Beef Fajita and Baklava are safe, sir,” She tried to convey to him in a clipped tone and gave a hard stare to the blond responsible for this
mess.
She was blowing on her nails as if trying to blow dry the nail color. She just raised her eyes for a moment to meet Marissa’s gaze and then moved away to talk to someone standing close to her.
The rest of the participants were still standing in a shocked state.
“It takes hard work to come up with such amazing dishes and here this precious food is on the floor,” A woman who was also a participant remarked with a sad expression on her face.
Marissa felt a hand on her shoulder. Upon turning around she found Akari’s worried face,
“Marissa!” she couldn’t speak anymore.
“It’s OK, Akari. We won’t give up so easily. I promise,” At last Marissa smiled. She wasn’t about to back down just like that just because a jealous dame decided to push her.
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She saw the superstore guy tasting the food of all the participants. one by one that was lying on the table. When it was Marissa’s turn, he picked up the fork and stuck a beef piece in it.
When he took it in his mouth, Marissa saw his eyes rolling back in bliss. It was Rafael’s ever favorite dish and now today this man was literally moaning while chewing it, taking his sweet time.
“Who made this?” his tongue was swiping on his teeth to wipe it.
clean.
Dean was quick to move forward, “This one is by Xander’s caterers,
sir.”
Joseph took two to three more pieces and then shifted his focus to the baklawa glazed with sugar syrup.
He held it between his index finger and thumb and pushed it into his mouth, “Umm. Awesome… Waow…”
Though Marissa was disturbed by the accident and the way her. hard work was spoiled, but this time she couldn’t stop smiling.
She needed to confront this man about his suspicious presence in the superstore but there was another shock in store for her when Mr. Joseph asked an office worker to take her two dishes to the
main office.
Now who sits in the main office? Or this man wanted all the food
for himself?
“Can’t other participants try it?” Marissa asked the unexpected question taking everyone by surprise, “I mean we all should taste each other’s food. In this way, we’ll know that the selections are fair and square.”
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She said with a shrug and found several participants nodding, agreeing with her opinion. With a forced smile, Joseph didn’t have much choice but to go with the suggestion of the majority.
The rest of the participants were handed over disposable plates and spoons and were invited to take the food from the table.
Within a few minutes, it became more like a party where people were chattering to each other.
Most of the participants came to Marissa to show respect, “Ms. Aaron. You have got taste. The two dishes that are part of the entry.
are awesome.”
“I agree,” another participant spoke, “I wonder those dishes that she dropped, how did they taste,”
“Yeah. It was a waste. But she is welcome to invite all of us for a delicious meal at her place,” though it was a joke but it warmed Marissa’s heart to hear such compliments.
Marissa took those kind words with a smile when the same blond who poked her elbow in her ribs came to her with a plate, “Beef Fajita was a common dish for everyone. I don’t know what you put in there. However, the one I made is an authentic recipe.”
Akari was about to utter something rude when Marissa stopped
her.
“Why did you push me, ma’am? If that was some stunt to win, then that was quite cheap,” The blond was not expecting Marissa to speak up and batted her eyelashes dramatically.
She glanced at the people around her and let out a hesitant laugh, “You must be delusional… ha–ha. It was just an accident.” She
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raised her shoulders casually and all Marissa wanted to do was to strangle her neck.
She was sure that it was an intentional move.
They had one hour until the results would be announced.
***
Rafael was pacing around in his office like a restless lion. He watched everything on the LED screen of his office.
The door burst open, and Joseph came inside closing the door behind him. Rafael at once got to him, “Man! How did it happen? You should have taken some action. One minute she was bringing her dishes to the table, quite confidently and the next minute all of it was on the floor.”
“Cool down. Everything is under control. Beef Fajita and Baklava were safe, and we all tasted it. Oh. My. God! It was heavenly! We all
loved it!”
Rafael had a deep frown on his face, “What do you mean you ALL loved it? Where is my cut, man?” Joseph got quiet for a minute.
ит
“Joseph!” there was a warning in his eyes, but Joseph just gulped down his saliva to face his friend, “Y…your wife was the one… who suggested to… let everyone taste the dishes… for fair and square
results.”
Rafael gave a death stare to his friend while Joseph was looking at the carpet, trying to hide his sheepish smile.
They both turned when the door got knocked and Dean came inside holding a plate. He extended his hand to hand over it to
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Rafael, who was standing there like a statue.
“Umm… I… no thanks…” Rafael gave a subtle look to the food and turned away.
“Please, Mr. Sinclair. Take it. Among the three winners, we are considering handing one of the contracts to Ms. Aaron. Her food was unmatched.” He might be serious but there was a knowing” twinkle in his eyes.
Rafael didn’t know what Dean was up to.
With hesitancy, he held the plate and picked up the beef piece. dipped in sauce and so wet, to push into his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, all Rafael wanted to do was run to his wife and kiss her hard.
Like a kid, he took a nearby seat instead of taking his head seat and started eating it, without looking here or there.
Dean’s eyes were on his boss who usually seemed like a Godzilla.
Rude, arrogant, and domineering.
Right now, there was softness on his face.
Boss was certainly in love with his mistress. But what would. happen to his wife? Though she was a brat but still…
“Dean!” Dean straightened when Joseph waved his hand before his eyes, “What are you thinking?”
Dean shook his head and eyed Rafael Sinclair, “Boss! Please take your time, you have got at least one hour to yourself. I hope you remember. When the contracts will be given, the winners will come to your office to meet you. It’s a custom to meet the CEO
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after getting a contract.”
Rafael who was chewing the crunchy baklava, stopped moving his mouth for a minute and raised his face to look into Dean’s eyes.
For the first time, Dean saw something alien in those orbs… longing!