Antonio, noticing the commotion earlier when the guest arrived but unable to pull himself away from his phone, finally shifted his gaze from his phone and cast a distracted glance toward his chaotic surroundings. He saw his co-workers murmuring about a certain foreign VIP guest. He also saw rough-looking men in all blacks sitting at four tables in the restaurant looking very scary. Suddenly, he felt a bit light-headed and he felt dizzy, and almost lost his balance. Luckily, at that moment he had no order to deliver and had to grab on something. “Diego-San, are you okay?” A waitress rushed to him with a worried look on her face. Antonio forced a smile and nodded, standing upright. “Yes…thanks a lot.” “Anytime, take it slowly.” She smiled back and went back to her duty. Antonio sighed deeply, with a hand on his head. He then slowly left his spot and followed her to get diner's orders. “What just happened?” He asked himself and looked back at the men in suits again.
******
A waitress was sent to attend to Courtney in the VIP room. She offered her their VIP special treats and wine. Then she bowed professionally with a warm smile. “Welcome to our restaurant, ma'am.” Courtney smiled back as softly. “Thanks, your hospitality is highly appreciated.” The waitress smiled back. “We are glad to hear such a nice review. Is there anything in particular you’d like to start with, or would you like to see the menu, ma'am?” Courtney was impatient, but she was able to keep her calm. She had to pretend to be interested in something. She flipped the pages while the waitress waited patiently with a friendly smile. “Take your time, ma'am.” She told Courtney, trying to be as polite as possible. Courtney looked up and smiled softly. “Actually, I’d like to be attended to by Antonio. I will then make a choice.” “Oh…..” She replied a bit disappointed. “But we don't have Antonio on our staff.” She replied. Courtney cursed inwardly then flashed her a smile. “Pardon me, I must have misread his tag. I think it's Diego.” “Diego? He’s one of our regular waiters. May I ask if there’s a particular reason for your request?” A nosy one, huh? Courtney thought and flashed a smile again. “I don't know how to put it, but he is a foreigner too, so I would love to have him attend to me. Sorry, if it's offensive in your culture. I don’t know how else to express it.” The waitress forced a smile. “No…please don't apologize, ma'am. I will get him for you immediately. Our customers' comfort is our priority.” She bowed. Courtney noticed she was actually offended but very professional, maybe that was why she was sent to attend to her…a VIP guest. “That's nice, I will appreciate it.” Courtney said, and then she dipped a hand into her purse, she took out some bills from it. “This is for your understanding.” She offered it to her. The waitress's eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the dollar bills, she smiled genuinely this time. “Thank you very much. I’ll send him right away. Please make yourself at home. Mr. Diego will be with you shortly." She received it with a low bow. Courtney nodded with a soft smile. The waitress quickly made her way back downstairs to find Antonio, hiding the money inside her bra. Antonio, still preoccupied with his phone and frustration mounting, was startled when she approached him. “Diego-San,” the waitress called. Antonio immediately put his phone back in his pocket and carried a tray of customers' orders. “Yes…?” He answered, hoping he's not in trouble for delaying orders. The waitress simply smiled and carried the tray from him. “I will deliver it instead, what table is this for?” she asked. “14…but why…”. Before he could finish, she interrupted him. “There’s a VIP guest upstairs who’s requested to see you. She’s the one accompanied by those bodyguards and has made quite an impression. She is so beautiful with green eyes like yours…seems like she's interested in you.” Antonio was surprised. “A VIP guest, interested in me?” he repeated, a flicker of curiosity breaking through his agitation. “Who is it?” “I don't know, but she is a foreigner and said she wanted to be attended to by you, only”. She shrugged. “Because I am not Japanese, isn't that racist?” “No, of course not. She just wants to be comfortable, that's all. It 's normal. In fact, she is a nice woman. Hurry. She’s upstairs in the VIP area.” She winked at him and left with the tray.