Antonio De Isquierda: The Rise of Rich CEO

Chapter 11 Afternoon Plan

It's Saturday afternoon. Mostly during these hours, the pub will be empty, no one is ordering their fave cocktails in the bar, or mostly flirting with their female staff members. It's an unusual sight, the manager said. All of the people are circling a certain table, far away from the entrance. It’s near the jukebox and the comfort room door. They are standing, hands on their chin, whispering and gawking at two people sitting at the table with a chess board and a clock. 

The female staff wears glasses with her hair down, wearing his female staff outfit. Her opponent is a stranger, who seems like a pub reviewer from the local government unit where they can revoke your license to operate. 

They instantly played chess as if they bet their life on it. One of the onlookers explained the game to his children, who didn't even know the rules of the game. ‘I want to play like her, dad,’ the children excitedly told her father. The father nodded and said, ‘In a right time, darling,’ 

The children seem mesmerized by the female staff’s skills in playing certain board games. She must be queen who will move on her own accord, by following a set of rules and openings. 

Antonio and his personal assistant stride on the pub’s entrance with no one greeting them a good day. It seems odd since one of the important people of the city must be greeted by the employees and there was none. The personal assistant immediately went into the other side of the pub. 

Antonio stops on his tracks after seeing the onlookers back, circling on the far end of the pub. He thought what kind of situation would happen in that specific place, since everyone seems curious. 

“What do you mean, you wanted a draw?” a female voice roared in the sea of people. 

“It’s a better solution, Miss.” her opponent suggested. 

The onlookers hold their breaths and are still waiting for the next move. Antonio went there, standing behind a man wearing a long trench and a beret. Antonio crossed his arms and examined the game. The woman shook her head as an answer and her opponent groaned and continued to move one of his pieces. 

Lastly, the woman moved his rook and checkmate the queen of his opponent. The onlookers roared for satisfaction and Antonio clapped his hand to acknowledge the win. The opponent handed his right hand to shake and the female staff accepted it. 

“Till the next match,” the opponent said to the female staff. 

“Let’s see, if you won’t lose to the other players,” the female staff taunted her opponent. 

The opponent smirked and he left his chair and ordered his beer. One of the customers congratulated the female staff and after that, the woman noticed Antonio looking at him. The female staff excused himself. 

She went to Antonio and seemed unfazed by his calm and collected demeanor. She flashes a polite smile and asks him about his day. 

“I didn’t know you played chess,” Antonio said. 

“Just a past time, Sir. Do you have anything to order? I will be your attendant for today,” the female staff professionally asked Antonio his orders. Antonio peeked at the female staff before he turned his gaze into the empty table near the window. 

The female staff noticed Antonio’s eyes piercing into the empty table and she guided him. 

“You can sit here for an hour, Sir. I will serve you sparkling water, first,” the female staff said. 

Antonio seated and still looking at the female staff who seems attentive to Antonio, as one of her many customers. Antonio felt like she didn't seem to put him into the pedestal. He sighed when the female staff returned with water and glass with ice cubes on it. 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Antonio said. 

“You’re talking to me now, Sir,” the female staff replied, reminding Antonio that they already had the conversation. “Is there anything you want to talk about?” 

“Yeah. It’s purely business,” Antonio said, and the female staff sighed but still flashes a nervous smile. 

The female staff fixed her hair and her uniform. She seems uneasy since Antonio his looking at him with those hawk eyes, and she fiddles her fingers at her back. 

“You can sit if you want,” Antonio requested. 

“Nope,” the female staff shake her head, refusing Antonio’s polite request. “I know it won’t be long. Besides, you’re our valued customer,” 

“I wanted to propose something to you,” Antonio said. 

The corner of the female staff’s mouth was twitching and she tried to smile at Antonio but failed. She seems like she heard it wrong. 

“What did you just say?” the female staff said. She quickly moved aside when one of the male staff walked into them. 

“I want you to work for me,” Antonio proposed his plan to the female staff. 

The female staff hysterically laughed and all the people in the pub gazed at them as if their the characters of their favorite sitcom. The female staff wiped the tears on the corners of his eyes. 

“Are you out of your mind?” the female staff said, mocking Antonio’s sudden proposition. She clicked her tongue before gazing at the sunshine bomb Antonio. “You’re just hungry. I need to take your orders now,” 

Antonio’s dumbfounded by the female staff’s reaction. He doesn’t expect that but maybe, he got the approach in the wrong way. He needed to convince her even further or else, this will be another embarrassing moment. 

“Miss Elyse, I’m not joking. I am recruiting you to be part of my team. In my own company,” Antonio formally said, the female staff felt the intensity of Antonio’s words and she seemed speechless. “We needed you in my company,”

“How did you know my name,” the female staff muttered, ‘shit, he knows my name, as well,’ she thought. 

Antonio shrugged, and the female staff almost dropped her pen when Antonio spoke to him. “I don’t want to repeat myself again, Elyse. It’s only a yes or no,” 

“Fine. Let me think about this, first,” the female staff doesn’t have the energy to argue back since she tried to be the convenient female staff, waitress, name it, in that same pub. Ironically, someone offered her an office job. 

“This will be discussed further,” Antonio stated, and he calmly scanned the menu. “I have a clam chowder and a mojito,” 

Antonio flashes a smile to Elyse, the female staff. But, Elyse just wrote his orders in the piece of paper without saying a word. But, Antonio heard her whisper, ‘Asshole,’ and went into the cashier to let everyone know that their valuable customer ordered their bestselling menu. 

Everything will be damned, and Antonio will face the consequences. Antonio, partly surprised by his convincing skills, didn't have that particular skill before, not until he got rich and owns a company, with his surname on it. He felt like legit self-serving good of a bastard. 

“Young master, I already talked to the manager about the removal of that particular female staff,” Nicholas said, informing Antonio about the talk. 

“Thank you for doing that Nicholas. Where’s the manager, by the way?” Antonio asked. 

“In his office, young master. Probably talking to the female staff,” Nicholas said. 

Antonio nodded. Nicholas and Ferrer went outside, standing behind their car. Antonio felt relief when they did that since he wanted to have a peaceful lunch. We needed to debrief the manager, the female staff named Elyse, my company team and the old executive committees. Monday is a hell of a ride.