Allison

Thirty minutes earlier.....

"Not again!" I looked at the pan in front of me. The vegetables didn't look appealing at all with the burnt smell and them almost sticking to the pan. And let's not get started about the spaghetti that had the pot overflowing.

It was decided, I couldn't cook to save myself. Who messes up like this? Me.

I looked at the piece of shit I had created in my kitchen. It's going to be pizza or ramen for dinner again. Was it bad to wish that if Lana could pop out like a Ginnie and cook for me? I chuckled at my thought. How many times had she tried to teach me to cook, and I had failed?

"Okay let's go with pizza tonight," I said to myself as I settled down with the phone in my hand after cleaning that hell of a mess in the kitchen. The toppings selected, the crust was done and i was just placing my order when an incoming call became a hindrance.

Dolores's name flashed on the screen. I answered it in seconds so I could be done with her soon and order some food because I was starving.

"Hey, Ms. Dolor," I was cut off before I could even her say her name.

"Do you have something elegant and sophisticated to wear?" She asked without any greetings. Did she think I was a poor lad? Of course, I had good clothes.

"Yes, I have something but why are,"

"Good, then get ready in fifteen. I want you to look really sophisticated, elegant and someone who would look powerful beside him." She cut me off again and her demands were kind of getting on my nerves.

"Ms. Dolores, can you speak slowly and tell me who is him? Why is it me who needs to get ready?" I cut her off and spoke fast because if I didn't this woman might have beat me to it.

"Because it was you came up with the idea in the first place. God, gracious I hadn't thought that this could turn into such a disaster." I couldn't understand by God's what she was talking about.

"Which idea?" I yelled through the phone literally. Here I was starving after a hard day at work and she was talking but I couldn't understand a damn thing.

"Of Noel going on a date!" Came back the sharp reply. For a few seconds, there was just silence.

"Okay let's start from the beginning. Why do I need to wear something good and get ready? And a little bit of explaining would be really good." I asked after taking a deep breath. As the bits of pieces of her talk were adding up I wasn't really liking where it was going.

"Noel's date Luren bailed out on him. She is no longer coming because she thinks it could harm her father's firm image and seriously I have got no one. Thanks to heaven I hadn't dished out a name to the reporters. So I have an opportunity to save the face but in order to do so I need someone to be there with Noel." She talked fast but I could understand the severity of this situation right now.

"I thought we were looking for someone reliable for Noel," I spoke out my mind which I shouldn't have.

"I know and it's my mistake you don't need to point that out." She snapped making me try to keep my mouth shut.

"So now I want you to get ready and get there to the restaurant to act as if you were supposed to be his date." Hearing those words I felt really miserable. Annoyed and irritated too. I had a date with that man before and yeah I never want to remember the humiliation even though I had that let go.

"Can't we have someone else to do this?" My voice was meek. I was quite sure Dolores wouldn't have called me if she would have someone else.

"I have no one else I could trust Allyson. Above that, there is this fact that I know you can handle Noel. You have once and you can once again when he comes to know of that his date ditched him." I could hear her taking a deep breath. This situation wasn't really that easy. Noel was a devil and I really didn't want to have my head bite off by him.

"I really think we should get," and no I didn't get to finish my answer.

"Either you get down to the restaurant in twenty minutes or your job is gone. Done with. I will fire you and won't even give a reference." Her words came in a harsh tone.

"That's not fair," I yelled through the phone.

"It was your idea and you got to have a deal with it." I really didn't like my idea anymore. "I'm desperate so please get there in twenty, " she added before cutting the call.

"Uhhhhh," I yelled in my apartment. Actually not liking this at all. I was hungry. I needed food and above that this issue. Going on a date with Noel wasn't a real damn good idea but hell I could lose my job which I might add I have just started to like. Looking at the clock I saw the time ticking by.

If I looked on the positive side I could have a great meal that I won't have to pay for. A fulfilled meal and not fast food. I was sure Noel couldn't do much harm to me in public and he won't quarrel with so many people around.

My phone chimed with the name of the restaurant and I felt a big smile gracing my fave.

Yes, I could do this for the sake of the delicious food and saving my job.

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Present

"I'm sorry I'm late but in my defense, it was very short notice," I looked at him and I can really tell he was suprised to see me here.

"May I?" I asked out of manners because I was really intruding on his date though his date had didtched him but he didn't knew that. He just gave me a curt nod because I was sure that he was a loss of words seeing me here.

"You aren't Lauren," the way he said I knew he was trying to undertsand what was really going on.

"Good observation, Mr. Rivera. I'm just your employee Allyson. Hope you don't mind but Ms. Dolores was really persuasive in her words to get me down here." I was really not going to be the one to break it to him that his date dicthed him. Nope. I wasn't going to be the one who would hurt his ego and God know I didn't want to be the reason for his anger.

"So Dolores was behind this," I just gave him a curt nod as I thanked the waiter who had come into pour me some wine.

"Is it safe?" I asked out of nowhere looking at him as the waiter left. He gave me a skeptical look.

"Just being precautious after our last date," I gave him a dazzling smile and basically I saw his face change. I could see regret over it but he gave me a nod of understanding.

"The waiter just poured it out of the bottle just in front of you and I have learned from my mistakes. I might once again say I'm sorry for what had happened last time." That was a first I actually looked at him with surprise This was a first, Noel Rivera was saying sorry once again for his mistake.

"Thank you." I sipped on the wine really enjoying the taste. As I looked around I could tell that the place was filled with some high influential people. It had a nice ambience and was a really nice place.

"So how did Dolores get you to be here?" he asked drawing my attention back to him. I gave him a raised brow at thew question.

"I mean I don't think you would have been a fan of actually coming out on a date with me again after last time." Should I tell him that even I wasn't but somehow I was the reason that this mess had been created so yeah. I made a bed and now had to lay in it. Okay I wasn't really going to lay in a bed with Noel.

"Keep it between us," I said leaning a bit forward. He too leaned forwrd as if I was telling a secret.

"It was the food." I saw his eyes staring at me. "I'm really starving for a really good meal because I'm tired of eating pizza or noodles. I'm in a dire need of a proper meal so here I'm. As promised by Dolores." The best way to deal with a situation like this was to act as funny and friendly as possible. I really didn't need to do anything that could tick my boss of and that was I needed.

"So can you please, really please help this starving employee of yours," his face broke out in a smile and it was first. I had just noticed that Noel was acually sitting in a pair of jeans rather than his normal suit. At least he had made an effort.

"What would you like to eat?" he called for the waiter to bring in the menu.

"Anything that comes out in small proportions is out of the question. I need meat, vegeatables, a good dessert and I should add everything should be delicious." He actually looked at me with a smile with a little suspicion.

"You don't want a salad or something?" He joked as he looked at a woman at a table beside us who was eating salad. I stared at her for a bit. She was thin according to me. If the wind blew too much she might have just blown away. Yeah no salads.

"Nope, I need more. A lot more than that." My phone chimed with a message and it Dolores. A small thank you and attahced was a picture of Noel and me leaning close on the table. These things happened fast. For a second I did a look over trying to find the photographer or something. Nothing. I was handed over the menu but nope I kept it closed. Why because I might have a heart attack with how high the rates were going to be for a small bowl of salad.

"You want me to order for you?" Noel looked at the closed menu in front of me. "Yes, I would really like that because you might have a better experience and knowledge about this restaurant better than me." With a last galnce at me her ordered for both us. Just like that I needed this night to go as smoothly as possible.

"That's pretty trusting of you in me." He pointed out once the waiter left. I looked at him with curiosity. "I mean letting me order for you. Aren't you a bit worried that I might do something wrong intentionally?"  Either he was trying hard enough to know my certain change of character towards him or he didn't want this evenign to go as smoothly as possible.

"I think I can trust you a tad bit for something like this. You were trusting enough to tell me about the reasons whay you did waht you did in first place. So yeah. Maybe I can give you that tad bit of trust." I saw his eyes glance downwards for a second on my words and then he gave me a small smile as if content with my answer. Every person can have a second chance if he or she wanted. We stared at each other with an understanding and I just hoped to god that he didn't order something small in order to make me spite him.

"Hello, Noel," A female voice said from beside us and I don't know why I really didn't like the way she said the name. I saw Noel freeze and that was agood giveaway of the fact whoever she was. She was TROUBLE and an interuption in my plan to have things go out smoothly.

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Fingers Crossed.

I wrote this up today. Hope you like this.

Who do you think this person might be?

And how is the evening really gonna go?

Let's hope Allyson gets her food because that girl is starving.