Chapter 40: Call Your Boss

Joyce walked over to where Crystal and Nathan were seated. She looked over the table and out their window and then at Crystal. “Well, well, well,” she said. “Since when can just anyone get a table at Air Cosme?” She turned to the manager, “I want this table. You can ask them to leave. I will pay double for everything I ordered.

The manager sighed and said, “I’m afraid that is not the way we operate here. As long as Mr. Davis is here, this is his table.”

“No,” Joyce whined. “I want this table!”

She stomped her feet.” I want it! “I want it! I want it!

Suddenly, Carlos grabbed Joyce’s arm. His face was red, “Let’s eat somewhere else,” he said. “You’re causing a scene, and it’s embarrassing.”

Joyce turned to Carlos and said, “Shut up.” Then she sat down in the empty chair next to Crystal. She looked across the table at Nathan. “Hello, Mr. Davis. Since we are all acquaintances, do you mind if we share a table?”

Crystal turned to the Manager and said, “We don’t know them very well. We don’t want them here.”

The restaurant manager had never seen such an unreasonable and difficult woman, and he didn’t know how to deal with this one. Beads of sweat began to gather on his forehead as he tried to figure out what to do. He looked at Nathan and said, “Mr. Davis, I’m very sorry. I’ll get this straightened out right away.”

Nathan waved to the manager and said, “It’s fine. They can stay.” Then he turned to Carlos and touched the chair beside him. “Have a seat, please.

Crystal frowned. She had hoped to enjoy her meal, but now she wasn’t even hungry anymore. She straightened her knees and tried to get to her feet, but Nathan forced her to stay seated.

Crystal glared at Joyce. Carlos knew that Crystal was distraught, and he was very embarrassed by Joyce’s behavior. He looked at Nathan, then at Crystal, and then said, “Mr. Davis, Crystal, I’m sorry to interrupt you guys like this.”

Crystal looked out of the window and said nothing.

When the waiter came, the newcomers ordered, and Joyce said, “I’ll take care of everyone’s bill. Not everyone can afford to have a meal in a place like this.” Joyce’s tone, though light, was tinged with an innate sense of superiority.

“That is very considerate of you,” the waiter said, and then he left them alone.

As soon as the waiter was gone, Crystal turned to Joyce and said, I cannot allow you to pay. This is our table, and you are our guests. Allow me to take care of everyone’s bill.”

Joyce smirked, and she said, “Thank you, Crystal.” Joyce thought that Nathan was just a boy toy, without much money, so she had already assumed that Crystal was paying his bill.

It wasn’t long before their meals were brought out from the kitchen, and Crystal cringed when she realized how much Joyce had ordered. And everything she had selected Italian alba truffles, almas caviar, and bluefin tuna - was very expensive. All of the dishes cost over ten thousand dollars, and one of them was almost one hundred thousand dollars!

“My favorite truffle is the Italian white truffle,” Joyce exclaimed. “It is very difficult to grow by hand and is basically wild, and the bluefin tuna from this restaurant is also my favorite. At the last gourmet auction, the management spent $736,000 on bluefin tuna.” She raised her glass. “A toast to my sister!”

Crystal glared at Joyce- She must know that I can’t afford this!

The waiter came again, and Nathan ordered a 1956 Screaming Eagles wine bottle, and Joyce looked stunned. “Mr. Davis has a good taste,” she said. “A bottle of ’66 Screaming Eagle is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I can’t imagine how much a ’56 is worth!”

Nathan: “Never mind. The price is just a number.”

Crystal felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and she thought she might be sick. Of course, the price meant nothing to Nathan. He wasn’t the one footing the bill! By now, Crystal knew that she was up shit creek without a paddle, and she didn’t know what to do. Even if she maxed out her credit card, she would not be able to pay for such a lavish meal.

Crystal forced herself to calm down. Think! she told herself - There must be a solution to this problem!

Suddenly, Joyce turned to Nathan and said, “You know, I still don’t know what you do for a living...”

Nathan shrugged and said, “I don’t think you’d be interested in my career, as it involves a variety of fields.” Nathan seemed distant and reluctant to say much about his profession.

Joyce smiled and said, “The important thing is to make enough money so that you can take care of a woman. I’ve always thought that a kept man is no man at all.”

Crystal’s face turned white, and Joyce noticed immediately. She looked at her half-sister and said, “What’s the matter, Crystal? Why do you look so pale? Don’t worry. I’m not talking about Mr. Davis. Your mother trusted Mr. Davis enough to leave her legacy to him and hand you over to him. I am sure he is a real stand-up guy.” The last sentence was dripping with sarcasm.

Crystal couldn’t believe the audacity of her half-sister, and she felt like ripping her eyes out. But she didn’t. She knew that if she got angry, she would fall right into Joyce’s trap.

Crystal smiled and forced herself to laugh. She looked at Joyce and said, “You are such a kidder. The way you talk, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you had a low opinion of Nathan and me.” Crystal touched Nathan’s hand and stroked it affectionately. “Of course, we all know that what you are really after is my man. But you can’t have him!”

Crystal and Nathan’s intimate gesture made Carlos’s heart suddenly tighten, and the jealousy in his eyes was apparent to everyone at the table. It seemed that Crystal only had eyes for Nathan from where he was sitting, who broke his heart. He tried to get up, but Joyce pushed him back into his chair. She glared at him and said, “Sit, Carlos. We haven’t eaten yet!”

Crystal gasped. Even though she was no longer with Carlos, she felt bad for him. Unfortunately, Joyce saw compassion in her eyes, and she laughed. “How does it feel to have your boyfriend and ex-boyfriend sitting at the same table with you?” she asked. “Why do you look so dreadful? Look at Carlos! It seems that he is still crazy about you.”

Crystal reached across the table and slapped her half-sister across the face.

“Joyce,” she said in a voice that was calm and firm. “That’s enough!”

Joyce stood up and tried to rush around the table to hit Crystal, but Carlos held her back.

After a minute had passed, Nathan calmly called the waiter over to the table and said, “Call your boss.”

The waiter disappeared, and within seconds, the manager ran out of the kitchen. When he arrived at the table, he looked at Nathan and said, “Mr. Davis, I heard you wanted to see me?”

Nathan took a black card from his wallet. What is that? - Crystal wondered. From the looks on Carlos and Joyce’s faces, she knew they didn’t know what it was either.

Nathan looked at the manager and said, “I want everyone cleared out of this restaurant within the next ten minutes. Would you mind charging all of their expenses to me? The only way I am going to be able to enjoy the rest of my meal is if I have some privacy!”