C3 Three

Elsa’s POV

I watched with held-back anger at who I now knew was someone I harbored great negative emotions for, Alonso had immediately been on alert when he sighted him, he quickly told me he was the owner of Sky Bar, and the CEO of the whole Nelson Franchise, Tyler Nelson AKA The son of my worst enemy.

I wanted to scold myself for not recognizing the face that I had memorized for most of my adult years. Every time I had seen his or his mother’s face on the TV I had carried the hopes of spitting on both of them when I finally did meet them, but it was his stubble and overgrown hair that had been the one to confuse me.

He was handsome, darkly and dangerously, never the type I went for and it annoyed me that I had not been prepared to see him today.

“He usually has dry gin but not until later, he doesn’t drink in the morning. He’s probably here for Nikos. Try to make a good impression. He's strict, fires staff on sight, it was the fate of the last staff that’s why we’re short on staff and had to hire.” Alonso explained and on sighting a new customer he returned to his station.

I watched as he started the coffee machine. I groaned at the thought of having to face the son of my worst enemy in the most awkward way possible.

“Where’s my drink?” Tyler asked as I returned to his table, a mocking look in his eyes. I stared at him with unhidden disdain, my lips pouting in a frown.

It was through clenched teeth that I finally answered him. “Forgive my ignorance, I only started today.”

“I can tell, your Coca-Cola merch shirt is not the bar’s uniform.” He responded, his voice was cold but his eyes had a weird glint that I knew if situations were different would have probably attracted me, baby blue and warm, it had this childish glint that made me feel almost receptive towards him, almost.

His gaze ran over me again and I wanted to punch him in the eyes and beat his handsome face to a pulp but it wasn’t going to do anything to deny the height of hatred I reserved for his family.

“So I guess I can go now?” I asked him, fluttering my lashes.

My plans were not to create a professional relationship with him, it was in fact to change the whole trajectory of his life and do exactly to him what his dear mother had done to my father. Blind and destroyed.

“No. Stay!” He said quickly as I turned to leave, I turned back to look at him, allowing my hair to swish backward.

“What?” I asked him, almost casually, succeeding in hiding the hateful look I had carried on my face.

“Sit with me, Elise is the most incapable of my staff. I need to know if she hired a thief.” He drawled, running his hands in a most natural way through his hair, although it fell right back, he would do it more times throughout our snide conversations.

“What is your name?” He asked me with a tinge of flirtatious disposition. I leveled my gaze and stared at him with all the hauteur Fiona always advised me to do away with and he slightly raised his brow, challenging me not to respond.

I sat down and smoothed my skirt before looking at him and answering. “Elsa, Elsa Forbes.”

“Elsa,” he tested the name on his lips and narrowed his eyes. “It doesn’t sound like the name of someone who works in a bar. I mean, Sky is the most prestigious bar around, but it still suits only those like Alonso.

“What’s your story?” He asked, sounding casual as he spewed the most condescending thing I’ve ever had.

“I need a job and I believe I am qualified for this one so I applied,” I said shortly and he raised his brow.

“You’re quite ambitious. Your dream job is to work at a bar?” He asked me, my earlier condescension now clear in his voice and I didn’t enjoy the switch.

“You’re arrogant!” I scolded, forgetting I was merely a bartender whose weekly pay was a mere $1,000 per week and not a business manager.

Falling into this life was going to be a little difficult for me, as it was already proving to be so. Having graduated Summa cum laude, I had been all around the most capable business management student, and it came with a certain level of arrogance and brashness, the same one which I was going to find hard to let go of now.

“Are you going to teach me morals?” He teased and maybe it was my deep-rooted hatred for him talking but I scoffed.

“I doubt it would work if I did. You’re too far gone.” I said defensively and he leaned in towards me, gathering my hands into his larger ones, his baby blue eyes narrowing seductively.

“I am trying to figure out if you’re really brave or just plain stupid.” He whispered and I could feel the heat creep into my cheeks and I immediately pulled my hands from his.

This was not how I had expected my first meeting with him to be, I wanted to be in control, to be the one to call the shots, I had expected him to be completely taken in with me.

Instead, I was a blushing mess.

“I guess we’ll never know,” I muttered standing up and smoothening my apron. I knew If I said what I wanted to I might lose my job, and he was a flexible employer already, I for one would have fired me. I saw the humor in his eyes but I was already upset at his quips to find anything he said funny.

“You should return to your duty,” he finally said, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Yes, anywhere but your presence is appreciated.” I retorted, walking away, I had the faintest feeling that our story had just begun. I was going to do all I had planned to do and show no mercy, tearing him down brick by brick.

I walked over to the bar and Alonso sent me a sympathetic smile. Everything in his eyes said ‘I’m sorry’ but I wasn't sorry, I was excited because I wouldn’t feel too sorry when carrying out my plans, he had proven to be a bad person.

Guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.