Chapter 5 - Pain In The Neck

Ivanna frowned slightly when Warren crossed out the proposal she made on his restaurant renovation design. She watched as he made some notations on the side and some sketches. They are currently sitting in an isolated dining table in Tony’s main branch and discussing the renovation proposal that will be happening.

“I saw this on one of your magazines last time and thought this will look perfect at the receiving area,” Warren carefully pointed out as he turned the paper to her. He made some few lines and looked at her. “What do you think? There’s no need to tear down that wall.”

She looked at the paper and then turned her attention to the restaurant’s receiving area to assess the suggestion.

“Yeah, that’s one way of sprucing it up,” she commented as she made notes on her laptop. She looked down at the paper and further read his comments. “You’re still going to maintain the colors?”

“I have to,” he answered firmly. “This is the main branch and where everything started.”

“Yes, but we can minimize the entirety of it,” she explained. “Let’s concentrate the two colors on one side then we can use them as accents on the rest of the area as I shown on the drawing. But, I have another idea. Give me a few minutes.”

Warren leaned back on his chair, nodding while he turned his attention on his own tasks.

Ivanna took that action as a go-signal and she quickly moved the mouse of her laptop and opened the 3D drawing that she already has on her file. She worked quietly for the next thirty minutes editing the colors, arrangements while she could hear Warren talking on his phone and entertaining some questions from his staff.

“How about this?” She finally asked, turning the screen towards him.

She watched as Warren moved his eyes along the screen. She managed to contained the two main colors on one side by coloring the entire wall yellow and then making the ledge as well as the cushioned sofa into green. She made the long communal tables into a medium dark mahogany wood and the remaining individual chairs into white. Other tables were in white and the chairs this time were in dark mahogany with small pillows in the two colors.

“This is much better,” Warren commented finally. “Although I prefer the wall to be in green and the seating in yellow. The individual tables are better in black.”

“It’ll be heavy maintenance if the seating is yellow,” she pointed out calmly as she changed the tables into black. “You might be cleaning it up weekly.”

“You have a point,” he agreed. He looked at the 3D again and nodded. “Yup. I like this option better than the previous one. When can I have figures?”

“In two weeks,” she replied. “Most of the materials here will be different so I have to canvass and source for them.”

Warren nodded and signaled for a waiter.

“What would you like to eat?” He asked with a teasing smile. “I took up your time and it’s the least I can do. Can this be a lunch date?”

Ivanna rolled her eyes and shook her head as she tidied up her stuffs and placed her laptop inside the tote bag she has with her as well as the papers.

“How was your date last Saturday?” He inquired.

She looked at him in surprise as she leaned back on her chair. “I hardly call that a date,” she answered sarcastically. “And, how do you know about that? I didn’t tell you when you called me up.”

“Why the hell do you think I called?” Warren asked with a smirk. “Didn’t I told you that a friend of mine seemed interested in you.”

Ivanna tightened her lips and crossed her arms.

“Nicholas Alonso is your friend?” She asked flatly. “Well, then, tell me how am I going to get him off my back? Since that day, he never stopped bothering me. He will call me up and did you give him my mobile number? I unplugged the ringer on my phone to put an end to it, now he’s calling me on my mobile as well as thru messages. God, he’s such a pain!”

“What did he do?”

“He’s asking me out although I responded no several times,” she scoffed. “What language does he prefer me to relay so he will get it? If I get one more call, I’m blocking his number!”

Warren laughed, good naturedly as he reached for the tall glass of lime soda served to them by the waiter. “I’ll order for us. We have some new servings,” he said. “Serve us each of the paellitos, two slices of rib-eye, medium well and some blue cheese salad. Have the dressing separated.”

“How many paellitos will be there?” She asked curiously.

“Six,” he answered. “But, it’s serve in a solo pan. Chef Jean came up with that idea and the family finds it interestingly good. I mean, we have customers who go here on there own and would order a paella. So why not make a size for one?”

Ivanna nodded with an impressive smile.

“Good thing, I’m hungry,” she said. “Only had coffee and toast for breakfast.”

“Well, someone is catching up,” he stated with a grin.

She looked at him intently and then frowned. “Don’t tell me that someone is your pain in the neck friend,” she said flatly. She crossed her arms. “Why did you invite him to come over?”

“He very well heard that we’ll be meeting today so he called me up,” Warren explained patiently. “Besides, I want to see how far he can get on with you before I changed my mind.”

Ivanna leaned back and looked at him thoroughly for a long while.

“Okay, Warren James,” she finally said firmly. “What’s behind all this? Don’t you dare tell me nothing because I know there is.”

Warren looked at her in surprise.

“Why would you say that?”

“Changed your mind?” She countered with one eyebrow raised. She looked at him intently. “You made a bet, didn’t you? Huh? Don’t you dare lie to me. I’m good at reading people, let me remind you that again.”

His mouth dropped opened and he stared at her, speechless.

“Honestly, you are so childish as well as your friends,” she said with a smirk after shaking her head disapprovingly. She crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair. “So, who did you bet on?”

Ivanna looked at him and rolled her eyes.

“Change your bet, Warren,” she finally said. “You’re going to lose because I’m telling you that Nicholas will never win. Haven’t you gotten to know me yet?”

“How sure are you that you’ll be winning? He challenged.

“That’s easy,” she countered. “He’s your friend, right? How far have you come since we’ve meet?”

Warren gave her a dark look which she only responded with her eyebrows raised triumphantly.

“Sorry,” they heard a voice behind. Both looked up and saw Nicholas Alonso looking down at them with a grin. “There was some troubleshooting done in the office so I had to stay a bit to make sure the necessary actions will be done.”

“It’d be better if you just stayed there until it was repaired,” Ivanna commented quietly, casually draping one arm over her bag to make sure it will not be moved. She gasped in surprise and looked at Nicholas darkly when he hauled up her bag and unceremoniously placed it beside a grinning Warren. “I didn’t say you could sit there.”

Nicholas gave her a challenging smile.

“Nobody tells me what I could and could not do,” he answered evenly.

Ivanna rolled her eyes and looked away from him. She reached for her glass of soda and took a drink as the appetizers are being placed on their table. She surveyed the food and reached for the plate of bruschetta.

“How’d your meeting go?” Nicholas asked as he took a seat beside her and reached for the bruschetta as well. He looked at her innocently when she gave him a dark look. “Hey, I happen to like bruschetta, too. Warren made sure to order that because he knows I’ll definitely want one.”

She passed him the plate after taking one slice and didn’t reached for anything else, sensing his tactic on getting on her nerves.

“We traded some arguments, of course,” Warren answered for them both. He handed the plate of hamon serrano to Ivanna and gestured for her to get a slice. “But, you know me. I always tend to get my way.”

Ivanna looked up when she heard her phone, ringing from her bag. She gave Warren a thankful smile when he handed her bag. She looked at her phone and smiled tightly.

“Hey, Michelle,” she greeted calmly. “How’s it going?”

She shifted in her seat so the two gentlemen couldn’t see her expression as her friend is talking on the other end. She gripped her phone and rolled her eyes. “Tell your parents that I said thanks for the invitation. I’ll even send a very expensive gift basket,” she answered. “But, I’m not honoring your mom’s wishes, Michelle. She demands too much of me.”

“Look, they haven’t seen you for a quite a while,” Michelle insisted calmly. “You very well know that they treat you like a daughter and mom’s just really concern that you haven’t found a partner yet.”

“She never stops putting her nose in my personal life, doesn’t she?” Ivanna retorted. “Let me guess, she’s going to introduce me to someone at the party.”

Michelle laughed at the other end.

“You still love my mom anyway and you’ll let her get away with it,” she answered. “Find someone! Or bring that client of yours, Warren James. I’m sure my parents know his family. That way you can stop mom from nagging you.”

Ivanna glanced and showed her dismay when she noticed the two men, listening to her conversation. She shook her head at them and stood up, walking away from earshot.

“I’m going,” she finally said, resigned from her friend’s determination. “But, I’m not bringing anybody. I’ll just find a way to stay away from your mom’s line of sight. She already has grandkids to keep her occupied already but still has me in her list.”

“I’ll see you, then,” Michelle replied with a laugh.

Ivanna ended the call and turned back towards the table and frowned at the two, who are looking at her expectedly. She then only smiled and took her seat.