Desiree's hazel eyes scan thoughtfully over the painstakingly curated catering menu in her hands.

She looks down her freckled nose at the well balanced and carefully thought out dining options. 

"I can't believe I planned this all by myself!" Countless silver vessels of steaming hot dishes were waiting to be sent over to the Long Palm Country Club. 

Counting and re-counting them. She lifted each lid slightly to double check their contents before waving them off so that another member of cooking staff could load it into the delivery van. 

"Thank you for trusting me with this, Dad!" she beams up  at the older man standing next her. They're both garbed in chef whites, making quite the father-daughter duo. Desiree pairing hers with a tight pair of ripped jeans and white tennis shoes.

"Sure thing, Des. My intuition proved me right!" he gushed affectionately flicking the end of her nose causing her to giggle, "You've done a splendid job!"

Desiree's eyes shone with pride at the completed catering job before her. She had successfully executed and managed every single detail of it from A to Z.

Work at both the 'Wave Crave' and the 'Restaurant' was going extremely well. There was only four weeks left before she had to complete her portfolio. Des felt more confident than ever re-applying to one of the best culinary schools in the world. All this hands on experience was sure to set her apart from the rest. 

She was on a high since her uninterrupted week spent with Taehyung and even though she hadn't seen much of him since her mom's return to Miami, she felt that somehow that week had brought their relationship into a new phase. 

Maybe he would even ask her to be his girlfriend soon? Tiny butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach every time possibility crossed her mind.

"I'll get going with Sven. See you later!"

"You don't necessarily have to do the delivery as well, Des. We have people for that." Des' dad reminded.

"I know," she said. The precious smile she gave melted her father's heart. In the past few weeks, she had shown how hard-working, dedicated and  passionate she was toward her craft. His little girl was following in his footsteps. He could only see a bright future ahead of her! 

"But this job is my baby. I've gotta' see it through to the end!" she winked and he chuckled jovially before bidding her goodbye.

Des followed Sven out to the two waiting delivery vans and they set off for the Country Club. One vehicle followed closely behind by the other.

She pulled her phone from her pocket. Scanning through her text messages, she scrolled to the last one she'd received from him. The sentiment of the note was enough to tithe her over 'til whenever she would see him next.

Tae 🏄💕      

6 days ago

I miss you

Des looked at it for a while. Looking at the words made her heart flutter and hurt a little at the same time. 

If he really missed me then why didn't he call more often?

Her lips cracked into a sad smile. 

Realising that they were nearing the venue, she replaced the phone quickly into her pocket. 

When the two white vans rounded into courtyard of the Country Club. A butler was waiting to greet them. Desiree emerged from the van wielding a clip-board and nodded to the gentleman who showed them the way through. 

"Lets get all the sea-food inside first guys." 

Desiree's eyes survey the estate. She can remember coming here with her dad when she was a lot younger. 

Sven and the other two restaurant staff hurry after the butler carrying massive silver trays. 

Desiree offers a hand to help but the guys insist that its okay.

Wandering into the dining room, she wanted to see what the set up was like. 

She steps forward confidently, thinking that the space is empty. But a small gathering of business people: men and women in smart suits sends her scurrying back into the corridor wanting to remain unseen.

Just then, her shoulder collides painfully with someone else's and Des looks up to find the same eagle-eyed butler's gaze bearing down on her. 

"Sorry," she apologised sheepishly, "I was just having a look. When will the banquet start?"

"Not for another hour or so," he replies in a dignified tone.

"Oh," is the only response Desiree can manage feeling a little awkward now.

The butler clicks his tongue before sharing an idea.

"Well there is something that needs to be done in the mean time. You can give Cynthia a hand with setting out the hors d'oeuvres while your team sets up in the kitchen?"

"Sure!" Des chirps in reply and immediately busy's herself, heading straight back to the truck outside and taking out the smallest of the catering trays.

After a half an hour of expertly arranging the beautifully crafted canapés for the Club's guests, Des steps away feeling accomplished. She thanks Cynthia for her help who has already began taking her leave from the dining room as more professionals begin to pour inside the dining hall. 

Desiree quickens her steps to leave as well but not before stopping to adjust a crookedly arranged salmon croquette.

She gasps in surprise when a delicate and manicured hand reaches out, brushig lightly against hers on the plate. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry.." Des apologises. 

She is even more startled when her eyes rise to meet those of the same pretty girl's from the bank that day.

Nathalie!

"Hey I remember you!" Nathalie smiles warmly and Desiree flushes, feeling nervous.

Surely Tae had never told her about them so she didn't know why she felt so uneasy in front of her. 

"Oh, we met at the bank a few months ago. You have a really good memory!"Des remarked, watching the text-book beauty queen as she elegantly lifted another small canapé to her glossy lips and hummed in satisfaction at the taste. She was clearly hungry!

"I'm absolutely ravenous!" she commented as if reading Desiree's mind and Des chuckles politely in response. 

Her smile falters though, when her eyes catch a glint from the colossal diamond ring adorning Nathalie's left ring finger. 

Nathalie slowly follows the direction of Desiree's eyes which seem unable to tear away from her left hand as she eats.

"Hmm....oh this!?" Nathalie snorts. 

The ring was stunning. It's no wonder the poor girl was staring.

"I'm engaged!" she wiggled her fingers, stifling a little squeal.

"R-really?" Des answered breathlessly. She tried and failed to hide her shock, "That's lovely..."

This girl sure does move on quickly, Desiree thought. She figured that Nathalie must have already been seeing someone else for a long time, like Tae said before she and him broke up if she was already engaged!

"Isn't it?" Nathalie rattled on gesticulating with a handful of choux pastry causing the diamond to glint even more aggressively around the room as fractals of light reflected off the gleaming array of silver trays that surrounded them.

"Oh look! There's the lucky fella now..." Nathalie quipped, turning around and motioning to a clean cut and neatly coifed blonde young man in an exquisitely tailored three piece suit. 

He was flanked by two older men who were similarly dressed. One had his hand clamped onto his shoulder and the other looked back at the pair nodding his head in agreement as they spoke quickly in hushed whispers.

Embroiled in what looked to be a very important conversation, Taehyung failed to look around at the first note of Nathalie affectionately cooing his name from across the room and attempting to call him over.

Desiree stood there frozen, looking on at Taehyung in disbelief. An invisible ice bucket of realisation came swiftly crashing down over her head. Dousing her body in hurt, shock, panic, surprise! 

Pins and needles stung at her body as every fibre of her being tingled to take flight from the situation.

Taehyung finally looked over, catching the sound of his name being called over the buzz of chatter around the room. His eyes immediately finding a stunned Desiree standing next to his new fiancée, looking utterly forlorn.

His eyes remained expressionless but his lips turned down into a slight frown.   

Nathalie turned back to Desiree, oblivious to her smacked expression and red face, "These men, all they talk about is business...."

"Um, honestly. It's ok!" Desiree gulped. She swallowed harshly but her throat had gone dry, "C-congratulations..." she croaked softly, bowing out of the room and finally scurrying to the safety of a nearby washroom.

Splashing warm water over her face, she looked back at her wide-eyed and freckled reflection in the mirror.

This can't be!

She wiped her damp hands down on the front of her uniform, feeling numb.

Hurrying back to the delivery van outside where Sven and the others waited, she couldn't wait to get out of there. 

Still in a daze and her mind in a tizzy, she let her legs lead her numbly back down the hall to the courtyard outside.

The blood must have been rushing too loudly in her ears to hear the footsteps pounding behind her. 

A firm grip on her arm caught her attention.

"Des!" It was Taehyung. 

Slightly out of breath and panic swirling in his eyes as they searched her own.

"What do you want, Tae?" she replied softly. A strange outer calm taking over her countenance despite the pain brewing in the pit of her stomach, sending a dull ache of emptiness to her chest. 

His flaxen tresses ruffled slightly in the wind as the pair of them broke out into the open air and warm sunlight of the courtyard. 

Desiree watched as her world crumbled before her eyes. There he stood before her, the man she had so doubtlessly fallen for and he was nothing but a liar. 

She knew that Nathalie was telling the truth. She realised that she had been played for a fool all this time and the devastation that she felt was too hard to describe.

They're suddenly interrupted by the butler bursting onto the scene as well and Taehyung immediately steps away, letting go of her arm. 

Desiree immediately releases another sigh of disappointment. Reality crashing down on her like a ton of bricks again.

She was only a secret.

"Miss..." the butler hands her a P.O on a clip-board and gestures for her to sign it before she leaves.

"Oh...I nearly forgot." She mumbles, stifling a sniffle while scribbling her signature in a messy scrawl on the page.

Her eyes have become blurry with tears and she keeps them cast low. 

Bidding the butler goodbye, she is carefully to avoid looking at Taehyung who she knows can no longer say a word to her in front of this man in order to not cause a scene.

With a heavy spirit and a broken heart, she clambers into the van and heads back to the Restaurant.

                                                 ***

https://youtu.be/u8Wlhr_VkSQ

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