As Rosemary followed Roo into the cafeteria, Mr. Quennel imdiately clapped his hands, raising his voice, "Hold up, everyone! Let’s give a warm round of applause to welco Mr. McMillian and Ms.Rosemary!"
Everyone turned to look at Roo, their expressions flickering with surprise. They had been part of this subsidiary for quite so ti but had never t the big boss in person.
To top it off, the man rumored to be indifferent to won was holding hands with a lady, and they seed quite the item.
"Good evening, Mr. McMillian, Ms. Rose," many employees stood up to greet them.
Rosemary nodded in acknowledgnt, and Roo spoke up, "The holidays are coming up, and I know you’ve all been working overti lately. I appreciate your hard work."
"Not at all," they chorused in reply, while internally they were all abuzz. Was the big boss always this personable? Rumors had painted him as a cold, emotionless workaholic. Yet here he was, defying
expectations.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Roo gestured for everyone to sit.
Mr. Quennel respectfully said, "Mr. McMillian, Ms. Rose, here is tonight’s nu."
"Looks good," Rosemary said after scanning the nu. Though not as luxurious as the headquarters, the
place was clean and bright.
"Thank you for the complint, Ms. Rose." Mr. Quennel had been worried the ordinary dishes wouldn’t impress them, but a nod from Ms. Rose eased his concerns.
"Go ahead with your work," Roo said.
Taking the cue, Mr. Quennel bowed, "Then I’ll be taking off, Mr. McMillian. Need to pick up so groceries to cook dinner for my wife and kids."
Roo, impressed by his family dedication, said, "Finance will award you an extra month’s bonus. Treat your family to sothing special."
Mr. Quennel’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected gift, taking a mont to register before exclaiming, "Thank you, Mr. McMillian! I wish you and Ms. Rose a lifeti of happiness. Enjoy your al!"
With that, he bowed out.
Rosemary chuckled, "You really startled him. He thought you were here for an inspection. He was too nervous to even breathe."
Roo’s eyes twinkled with a soft laugh, "This subsidiary has been doing well;. Carl reported to last month. The staff is motivated, and the cafeteria ets our hygiene standards. Every dish is freshly
prepared, no pre-cooked als, which is why I brought you here. What would you like to eat?"
"Anything’s fine," Rosemary wasn’t fussy, "Do we serve ourselves steak here?"
"Let do it."
"It’s okay." Rosemary grabbed them so steaks.
"Just set them here." Roo placed the rice on the trays, gesturing for Rosemary to hold onto his sleeve while he carried their als to an empty table.
Many employees watched, intrigued at the sight of the group’s boss being so down-to-earth, without a trace of pretension.
Rosemary tasted the dish, "Pretty good."
The chefs in the cafeteria were impressively skilled, much to her surprise.
"Let try," Roo sampled a bite, "Not bad."
"Right?"
"Try a few more of these," Roo said, offering her a selection from their shared dishes.
Rosemary had barely taken a couple of bites of her salad when her phone began to buzz. It was a video call from her brother, David. Thankfully, the surrounding tables at the small café were empty, allowing her to answer with ease.
"Rose? Are you grabbing a bite? Let get a peek at what you’re munching on!"
With a flick of her wrist, Rosemary turned the cara to showcase her al, and David’s feathers got ruffled instantly. "Roo, what the heck are you feeding my baby sister? If I’d known you were so tight-fisted, I would’ve had her tag along with for a proper al! I an, look at you, pinching pennies. My poor sis."
"It’s a staff al," Roo corrected, a hint of defense in his voice.
"Oh, wow, treating my sister to a staff al. How generous of you," David retorted with heavy sarcasm.
Rosemary chuckled, "David, it’s just that your fanbase is too overwhelming. Every diner in town was packed, and after searching forever, we finally had to settle for a quick bite at one of his subsidiary’s
cafeterias."
"Praising , are you?"
Rosemary was puzzled.
"You say I have lots of fans, isn’t that just another way of saying I’ve got charm?"
She was speechless.
"If I had known earlier, I would’ve invited you guys to join backstage. Eating alone is such a drag."
"Just eat up, bro. Performing is a workout, and Roo and I will co to find you once we’re done here."
"Really?" David perked up instantly. "I’m not bragging, but I can demolish all this food in five minutes flat."
"Don’t choke on your ambition," Rosemary teased before ending the call.
"Back in the day, David was such a wild card. Never seen him so concerned about anyone," Roo remarked as he offered Rosemary more from the platter. But before she could respond, his phone rang.
"Boss, got a mont for a call? There’s sothing I need to report."
"Go ahead." As Rosemary listened to him, the café’s background music seed to drown out his voice, prompting her to stand up and tell Roo, "I’ll step outside to take this call."
"Sure, take your ti."
Left alone, Roo could hear the strains of "Work Hard, Play Hard" coming from the café’s speakers.
No doubt, it was a staff mber’s attempt to curry favor with him.
The café was buzzing with employees who had heard that the big boss was making an impromptu visit.
So had just left work only to rush back in hopes of catching a glimpse of the notoriously ruthless CEO.
Lena, a little-known employee, dread of marrying the handso CEO. She had clocked out when she noticed a flurry of staff heading back inside. Upon inquiring, she discovered that the CEO, Roo,
was dining in their café!
She had been hooked on a novel she read on a smartphone app called "ssing with the Boss," which featured a scene where a nondescript female staff caught the CEO’s attention in the company café, leading to a fairy-tale romance with the dashing CEO.
With her heart racing, Lena slipped through the crowd and, pretending to be composed, grabbed a tray of food, then sat at a table next to Roo’s. She began to eat as if it were the most natural thing in the world, despite the palpable tension around her.
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