Chapter 32 Serving Them In Person
Chapter 32 Serving Them In Person
Ethan contemplated on Lawrence's words and soon realized that he made sense. Just like the others, he had only heard about the child's accident. He didn't see it with his own eyes. But almost everyone, including James, put the blame on Maria so naturally.
James remained quiet. It was not that he didn't know what they were talking about, but he just didn't want to bring back the past over and over again. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Maria was just a woman, and she meant nothing to him anymore. He didn't even care even if Lawrence had taken her out of the police station. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
In the hotel, Maria was still leaning against the door of her room. It had been a while since Lawrence left, but she didn't move even a bit.
She had been holding back her emotions since she and Lawrence walked out of the police station. The truth was, Maria was so afraid when she alone in the police station. She was reminded of everything that happened after Arthur's accident a few years ago.
Those memories surrounded her like nightmares, gradually suffocating her. It was already late. Finally, Maria left the door and dragged her swollen legs to the bathroom.
In the past few days, Alina had been recuperating at home. But she knew that James and Maria saw each other at the dinner party again and she got in his car. She was so angry, but she didn't dare to act rashly for a moment.
Then she heard that Maria was taken by the police because of trespassing on James' villa. It made her feel relieved. She got more convinced that she had nothing to worry about Maria. James wouldn't hesitate to punish his ex-wife.
James' car arrived at the entrance of HL Group.
He glanced at the coffee shop across the road and said to Lorenzo, "Call the people of Gran Melia and tell them that I will wait for them in the coffee shop across the street."
"Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo answered at once.
Inside the Miracle Cafe, a few customers had been lining up at the counter to pay for their orders.
However, the cashier went to the restroom. To avoid getting customer complaints, Maria took the initiative to take the place of the cashier for the moment. She looked at the young couple in front of her expressionlessly.
Maria's eyes were fixed on the man's phone in his hand. She had been waiting for him to hand her his phone so she could scan the payment code. However, he didn't have the intention of handing over his phone to Maria at all. The man said to his girlfriend, "It's my treat. Let me pay."
She refused, "No. I will pay." She then took out her phone from her purse and was about to open the payment app. But it took time for her to enter her password and unlock the app.
Maria impatiently held out her hand in front of the man and said, "Give me your phone!"
The man looked at her confusedly but still didn't hand her his phone. "Hurry up!" she snapped.
At this time, his girlfriend had already opened the payment app, so she quickly gave her phone to Maria and said, "Miss, please take my phone. I'll pay for our bill."
However, Maria didn't take the woman's phone. She quietly stared at the man in front of her, who looked a little embarrassed. Under her gaze, the man was forced to hand over his phone to her.
Maria picked up the scanner and scanned the code on the man's phone. They then heard a beeping sound. A payment of five hundred and thirty dollars was successfully made.
The man took back his phone with his face as pale as a sheet. "How come it costs so much? We only had two cups of coffee and a few desserts," he muttered.
His girlfriend, who was in a good mood just now, suddenly looked sad. She forced a smile to hide her embarrassment. He only spent a few hundred dollars, and he already felt bad, while she, on the other hand, had always paid thousands of dollars on their dates but never made a fuss about it.
Maria handed the receipt to the man and said to the woman, "Girl, if a man doesn't even want to spend this small amount of money for you and he's playing tricks when paying the bill, you must think twice. Ask yourself if he is worth being your boyfriend. Be careful."
The man's face flushed with anger upon hearing Maria's advice to his girlfriend. He glared at Maria and scolded her, "How dare you! You are just a waitress. What do you know? Why don't you just mind your own business? Where is your manager? I will complain about you for stirring up trouble between us."
Maria just shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Whatever!"
She then ignored the man and continued what she was doing.
As soon as the young couple went out, Maria heard several waiters and waitresses greeting the new customers enthusiastically. "Welcome to Miracle Cafe!"
Lorenzo opened the glass door of the coffee shop for James. He then followed James to a table at the corner near the window. Maria, who had just finished taking a few customers' orders, smiled when she recognized the new customers. She thought to herself, 'Well, who would have thought that the big fish will take the initiative to nibble the bait on my hook? I should take advantage of this opportunity to be close to James.' She walked out of the bar counter and stopped the waiter, who was walking towards James' table. She took the menu and said, "Leave them to me. Just take care of the other tables."
"Okay, Maria."
Maria put the menu in front of James. She then said in her sweetest voice, "Good day, sirs! May I take your orders?"
Her voice was so familiar to James that he could already tell who she was without even looking at her. He had banned Maria from the business circle, so she must have taken the job as a waitress in this coffee shop to continue to live.
On the other hand, Lorenzo frowned. It seemed that they couldn't get rid of Maria wherever they went.
With his eyes fixed on the phone in his hand, James ordered, "Cafe Americano, no sugar. Thanks."
"Okay, Mr. Xi. Just give me a moment. I'll brew it for you." Maria picked up the menu and turned around to leave. Lorenzo immediately stopped her and said unhappily, "Ms. Song, I haven't ordered yet."
Maria turned around, smiled, and replied, "Lorenzo, you're just an assistant. You can drink whatever your boss drinks. Don't be so picky!" Did Lorenzo want her to personally serve him? He must be dreaming!
Lorenzo's eyes blazed with anger. As the assistant of the CEO of HL Group, he was not someone to be looked down upon. He couldn't just allow Maria to belittle him, so he said furiously, "Is this how you treat your customers? I wonder if you have undergone any customer service training."
"I'm sorry, but I haven't had any customer service training because I don't really need it." After exchanging a few words with Lorenzo, Maria turned around to leave again.
Looking at her back, Lorenzo awkwardly coughed in front of James and bitched about her in a low voice. "What kind of coffee shop is this?" He thought that with Maria's attitude, this coffee shop
would not survive in H City for a long time.
"Stop!" All of a sudden, a cold voice stopped Maria.
She turned around and stood still with her arms crossed over her chest. Smiling brightly, she asked, "Yes, Mr. Xi? What else can I do for you?"
Without looking at her, James said indifferently, "I want to talk to your manager."
"Oh, my manager? I'm so sorry, Mr. Xi. He is out of town for a business trip right now. I think he will be away for a month or two. Do you want me to call him?"
James noticed the complacency in Maria's voice, and he hated it. This time, his sharp eyes looked at her. He scolded her harshly, "With the kind of service you provide to your customers, this coffee shop is just wasting their money and resources on a waitress like you. Which group does Miracle Cafe belong to?"
Maria unhurriedly called a waiter and asked him to make two cups of Cafe Americano without sugar for James and Lorenzo. She then turned to James and countered, "Mr. Xi, our Miracle Cafe is an independent coffee shop. We don't belong to any group. If you are dissatisfied with my service, you are free to complain to my manager."
Maria then walked away in her high heels without even giving James a chance to say anything more.
Her attitude definitely pissed off Lorenzo and offended James this time.
James was always flattered and pleased by people wherever he went. This was his first time to be despised by a waitress in a coffee shop. He felt so upset.
When Lorenzo noticed the cold expression on James' face, he whispered, "Mr. Xi, shall we file a complaint against her?"