As Luca heaved a sigh, Lliam had already parked the car at the entrance of Blue Coast Restaurant.
After Luke and Luca got out of the car, they were led into a private room by the waitress at the entrance, where Percy and Nina were already waiting for them.
"Sorry for being late," Luke said to Percy. When they returned, they encountered some traffic, so they were ten minutes later than the agreed time.
"Mr. Crawford is a busy man. I'm used to it." A hint of mischief flashed across Percy's eyes as he teased Luke.
Nina wore a helpless smile and replied, "It's okay. Actually, we just arrived."
"I didn't expect traffic on the way back, sorry," apologized Luca. They all valued punctuality. That was why being late required an apology.
"Dr. Craw, it's okay," replied Percy. He could joke with Luke but not with Luca.
After all, Luca was now arguably the most capable among them.
Most importantly, Luca was Nina's good friend.
There was a saying, a man should never offend his girlfriend's or wife's best friend. Otherwise, he would experience what despair truly meant.
Even though Luca had another identity, one day, she would inevitably return to her true identity as Bianca. He could not afford to offend her.
Besides, Luca had indeed helped Nina a lot.
Luca was slightly surprised. Why was Percy so polite to her?
However, when thinking about their relationship dynamics, she instantly
understood and returned a smile.
Luke had nothing to say about Percy's differential treatment. He just helped Luca
pull out the chair and gently said, "Have a seat."
"Okay." Luca sat down. With Luke's help, she scooted forward slightly.
Luke then sat beside her.
With everyone present, Percy said to the waitress, "You may serve the dishes, and bring the wine that's been prepared." "Yes, Mr. Mallory." The waitress turned around and left, ready to inform the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
After the waitress left the private room and closed the door, a woman grabbed her arm.
"Excuse me, how can I assist you?" The waitress was surprised to be suddenly grabbed by her arm. Who could it be? That was rude!
However, her good service demeanor did not reveal any anomaly.
"Is that Percy in that private room?" asked Karen. She knew Percy was hosting Luke and Luca today, so she came here to wait.
"I'm sorry. We can't disclose the guests' privacy." The waitress naturally knew the rules of the restaurant and did not reveal who was in the private room.
She smiled at Karen and asked, "Madam, where would you like to sit? Let me take you there."
"Do you know who I am?" Karen understood what she was thinking. Did she think she barged in to find someone?
Well, she did come to find someone, but she also booked a private room!
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" the waitress impatiently replied. She still had to inform the kitchen to prepare the dishes!
Also, the wine that had been prepared needed to be served on time. If it was delayed and the guests were unhappy, she would face complaints and lose her bonus!
"I'm Percy's mother. I also booked a private room here. I don't need your service. Just tell me if he's in that private room," replied Karen.
The waitress carefully sized up Karen. She did feel that Karen looked familiar when she first saw her. Now that Karen mentioned it, the waitress thought she resembled someone.
Karen had become a celebrity in the gossip circles lately. Even though the waitress did not know Karen's intentions, it should be fine to disclose the information she was asking for since Karen was Percy's mother.
Hence, she nodded and replied, "Yes, this is Mr. Mallory's private room. Would you like us to add an extra chair for you inside?"
At first, Percy mentioned there were only four people, so there were no spare chairs in the private room.
However, with his mother arriving, adding one more chair would not hurt, right?
Karen let go of the waitress' arm and let out a cold sneer. "I have my own private room. Why would I go to his?"
Then, she turned around and walked toward her own private room.
The waitress watched her leave from behind and frowned. What a strange
person.
She was just like those wives catching their cheating husbands...
However, it was her son inside the private room, so there could not possibly be any cheating. Initially, she thought Karen wanted to enter after confirming with her.
Who knew she would leave right after confirming it was Percy's private room?
The waitress thought about the discussions online that claimed that Percy's relationship with his birth mother had soured because of the Mallory family's inheritance issues.
At the thought of this, her heart skipped a beat. She should not have told Karen!
"What are you standing here for?" A questioning voice came through. The waitress turned to look toward the source of the voice. It was the manager doing rounds. She quickly answered, "Nothing, sir. A strange lady was asking about the private rooms just now." "Did you tell her anything?" asked the manager. Blue Coast Restaurant had a high-end clientele. Their venue had top- notch decor, and they served the best cuisine.
It was common for many businessmen to dine here regularly. Occasionally, wealthy patrons would bring their mistresses along.
Scenes of spouses catching their cheating partners played out frequently at the Blue Coast Restaurant.
With such incidents occurring repeatedly, the manager could not afford to show favoritism to anyone. Therefore, he issued a directive to all staff that no matter who visited, they were not to disclose the guests' personal information or they would be terminated immediately.
"Of course not," replied the waitress, feeling a pang of panic.
She realized her mistake. If the manager found out, she would lose her job.
She had considered reminding Percy earlier, but now, that thought was gone.
She could not remind him. Reminding him meant losing her job!
"That's good. You're a veteran. You can't afford such mistakes," said the manager. He frowned when he noticed her still standing there. "What are you still
doing here? Get busy."
"Oh, right. I need to inform the kitchen." The waitress slapped her forehead and immediately headed toward the kitchen.
After she informed the kitchen, she brought the prepared wine to the private
room's door.
She glanced at the private room Karen had just entered. She secretly struggled for a moment and finally decided to keep the matter concealed.
It was not abnormal for a mother to want to know if her son was inside, right?
Also, Karen did not look like she wanted to catch anyone in the act, so nothing would happen.
Moreover, even if something did occur, the blame could not be placed on her. After all, Karen knew from the start that Percy was dining in this private room.
With these thoughts in mind, the waitress knocked on the door. "Come in." Percy's voice came from inside the private room. The waitress entered with the wine, her previously flustered expression now replaced with a smile. She said cheerfully, "Mr. Mallory, your wine is ready."
"Place it down. Tell the kitchen to hurry with the dishes," said Percy.
"Yes, the kitchen is ready. The food will be served soon." The waitress placed the
wine on the table and then asked in a low voice, "Would any of you like to have
the wine now?"
"Leave it for now. Don't worry about us," replied Percy.
"Yes, sir." The waitress turned around and walked out of the room, feeling
relieved.