Merging Hearts (Smitten Hearts #1)

Chapter Twenty-six

Hazel

In the restaurant, there are good days, bad days, and those days. Those days occur when there are so many customers, you won’t even get a chance to rest.

Today is one of those days.

The restaurant is on lockdown for a full day by a man who planned a surprise birthday for his girlfriend. The guests have arrived, the celebrant already made a whole drama with fake tears, and the party has been going on for over three hours.

There has been no sitting and in fact, no breaks.

Is it sadistic though that I’m enjoying being so overworked? It isn’t. Especially since it’s keeping my mind off the kiss I shared with Rain some days ago. I’ve dreamt about it for nights and in each dream, he didn’t ruin the moment by spitting out rubbish. In fact, we ended up taking things to the next level.

I haven’t told Su-mi about it. Partly because I’m so scared she’d tease me about it every single day of my life, and partly because I just can’t tell her.

She and Reina have disturbed me to feed their curiosity with the information of what happened that day after they left, but I only told them he got angry.

I suspect that was the reason they planned the sleepover last night. They didn’t stop asking. Smartass Su-mi even suggested we play ‘Truth or Dare’, all to get it out of me.

Keeping secrets may not be my speciality, but there are some things I can’t say. Rain kissing the living day out of me is one of them.

I shouldn’t be so flustered because my husband kissed me, but I can’t help it. Maybe it’s because he’s a fake husband, or maybe because I’ve never been kissed that hard before. With so much passion and possessiveness that made my feet tingle from memories of it.

Now I understand why he didn’t kiss me on our wedding day. He must also know how deadly his kiss is. It’s possible that if he had, I would have curled over and announced my undying love for him.

I’m pathetic. I should not like a man just because he shared a hot passionate kiss with me, but I … I like Rain Dacosta.

I shouldn’t be feeling this way. Conflicted. Drawn to him. But every time he looks at me, I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of something I can’t control.

Why do I like him when there’s nothing likable about him? He’s rude, mean, egotistical, and so controlling. Always wanting people to do what he wants and is so clueless at communication. But still, he’s the same man who helped me as a stranger at the immigration office, not knowing if I truly was a criminal. He took me to his house after seeing me stranded alone on the road without a single care in the world that I could bring harm to him. And he did all that without expecting anything in return. In this economy.

I drop the smoothie on the table for the patron and turn to leave, almost jamming into Greg and his tray of soup.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. Are you tired? Do you need to take a rest?”

“No, no, I’m good. It’s truly been a busy day, but I need some work to get things off my mind, so it’s working.”

He gives a soft laugh, nods his head, and points his tray at me. “Okay then. Deliver this to table eight, clean table four, take the order for table twelve, and check the kitchen if the new round of baked potatoes is ready.”

Half of the people in the restaurant ordered Baked Potatoes because it’s the restaurant special for the day and it finished so fast, the kitchen had to start preparing more.

“Wow chill, Cinderella’s stepmother.” A louder laugh releases from him. “How can you even think to stress a lady like me?” I slur playfully.

Greg’s eyes soften and he stares at me with a recognizable emotion on his face. “You’re right. A man would be stupid to stress a lady like you.” And that’s my cue to get out of here.

So I’ve decided to leave Greg be and let him like me. It’s the least I can do for calling him a freak and believing Su-mi when she said he gives a serial killer vibe.

I can’t halt his feelings. One, he isn’t aware I’m a married woman, and two, I can’t control someone’s heart. The only thing I can do is hope that he doesn’t ask for a date because if there’s something I hate the most, it’s having to reject and hurt someone.

“You should go.” I point at the tray with him and he nods.

“Yeah, I should,” he replies, but stands there with that look on his face. The poor man is gone beyond return, which is strange because I don’t consider myself lovable, but the way he stares at me makes me feel desirable.

If only a certain someone will ever look at me like that.

A constricted feeling holds me. In less than five months, I’ll leave and he’ll find someone else to get married to for real. Someone more befitting of him; like a popular model, a famous actress or a rich entrepreneur. And I’ll return to watching people like him from the television or the magazine, like I should have from the start.

My lips purse when I imagine myself reading the magazine a year later and seeing a blonde hanging on his arm. What am I thinking, having feelings for someone who will never stop reminding me of how this arrangement is just a business deal and how we have to forget the other exists after we part ways?

“Hazel.” The voice comes out sharp and I turn my attention to see Su-mi striding over with wide eyes. She gets to me, holds my arm, and throws Greg a quick lips-only smile. “I’m gonna have to steal her away from you.”

“Of course.” He returns a more genuine smile at us and leaves.

Before I can ask what’s happening, Su-mi pulls me to a corner and pins me with a stern look.

“I’ve been thinking about it all day. If you lie to me this time, I’ll kill you.”

My face scrunches up in confusion. “Lie to you about wha—”

“Did you sleep with Rain Dacosta that day?” Red is an understatement for how scorching hot my face is, but no matter how much I claim to like Rain, the thought is still absurd to me.

My reply comes immediately. “No.”

“Okay, ouch. I was so sure you did, that totally ruined my prepped role.” She taps her jaw, oblivious to the way my heart raced. “Then did you kiss him?”

Oh Santa Maria. Now that she has asked me directly , I don’t want to lie. But I can’t exactly tell her the truth, can I? Why does it feel like I’m about to be caught messing around? This man is my husband. Might be for a short period of time, but I’m still married to him.

My lack of response draws a grin out of Su-mi. “A-ha! Hazel Wilmer, how could you keep that from me? I thought we were friends. I call you my best friend.”

I roll my eyes. “It was only a kiss.”

“How was it? Tell me. Was it like in the movies? That one where they lock you against the wall and kiss the shit out of you? Let me guess; you said something mean, so he pushed you against the wall, locked his hands above your head and whispered, ‘ Repeat it . ’ So when you tried to actually repeat it, he shuts you up with a kiss? Uhn? Uhn?” The slender man on his way from the restroom gives Su-mi the side-eye as she demonstrates the scene along with her rambles.

“It wasn’t that deep. He just … kissed me.”

“And, how was it? He must kiss the way he talks.” I said the same, girl child . Su-mi squints her eyes at me, and my smile drops. I don’t even realize I’ve been smiling. “Hazel, do … Do you love him?” Mortification crosses my face and Su-mi quickly retracts her statement. “You like him, maybe?”

A wave of confusion rushes through me as I struggle to find the words. My mouth opens and begins moving as though it has a mind of its own. “No, I don’t. I hate him. I hate him so much. I hate the way he makes me feel. I hate that even when he’s being so insensitive and mean, I still get lost in his eyes as if he’s a Prince Charming. I hate that I can’t find a single reason why I like him. He is that unpleasant, but I still do anyway.”

Su-mi stares at me in a deafening silence, which only grows with each passing minute. My heart thumps loudly in my ears. “Wow, that escalated quickly.” Concern morphs her face. She’s never really concerned about anything unless it’s completely serious, which is why I’m horrified by the look on her face. “I don’t think it’s advisable for you to like Rain Dacosta.”

My face falls. “Don’t I know that? You can’t fault me for something I can’t control.”

“Nope, I’m not faulting you. I’m just saying. You know how Rain is. He’ll hurt you if you give your heart to him, and we don’t want that. I don’t want you saying, in ten years time, that you don’t believe in love because a stupid asshole that you shouldn’t have been involved with in the first place broke your heart.” I bob my head, understanding every word she says. “But it’s good you’re attracted to him, you can just use him to break your virginity.”

I groan. Why did she say ‘use him’ like he’s an adult toy? “No, I’m not using him. I don’t want to sleep with him.” Lies. “I’m only physically attracted to him, nothing else.” More lies. “Plus he will never want to have to sleep with me . The thought will definitely draw a retch from him.” Bitter truth.

“Never say never. If the opportunity ever comes though, don’t deny yourself good sex. Okay?”

Su-mi never sugarcoats her words. All profanities are thrown out to the world with no care in the world. It’s the thousandth time I’ve wished for a carefree mind like hers.

“Okay, I won’t. Can we go now? The manager is going to be pissed if he can’t find us. There are too many customers to be side-talking.”

The rest of the day moves by slowly, and I change out of my work clothes. Last night was my first time not sleeping in the house since I got married to Rain. I wonder what he said about it last night—if he even noticed I was gone.

My phone beeps and I check the locked screen to see that I have a new email. I haven’t had an email in months. I unlock my phone and the title alone almost makes me drop my phone in horror.

Henri Leclair Foodcademy?

Why?

Although I haven’t sent one as of recently, over the span of three years, I’ve sent uncountable emails to him. Has he finally replied to one of them? To reject me?

I click on the message awfully slow for someone who has been expecting a reply from him. In sheer disbelief, I repeat the content over and over again.

WELCOME TO HENRI LECLAIR FOODCADEMY.

Dear Miss Wilmer from Jamaica,

I trust this message finds you well. On behalf of Henri Leclair Foodcademy, it is with all due delight that I tell you I have received your email, and I appreciate the value and respect you give to cooking.

In Henri Leclair Foodcademy, we are aware that recipes all over the world are different and that is why we welcome everyone from every continent in order to have diversity in every spoon of cooking we put in our mouth.

The enthusiasm evident in your writing made your application stand out amongst the others. We believe that with such raw passion coupled with your knowledge in major Jamaican cuisines, we will be creating a world filled with new dishes that offer choices to the people.

Your presence is required at the nearest HLF to you, and in the coming days, we will provide you with the necessary detailed information regarding your schedules, curriculum and extra requirements needed from you.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to support you every step of the way.

Best regards,

Henri Leclair Foodcademy.