"Never meet David again", challenged Grace, walking towards Sienna and declaring,"If I see you with him again, our friendship will die forever. You will be someone and I will be someone else. This is your last chance, dude."
Sienna stood up and hugged Grace, apologizing,"I am sorry if I had hurt you, dude. But, please don't misunderstand me."She promised, "I will never ever cross paths with David again."
"Don't say. Do it and prove your honesty", concluded Grace, releasing herself from Sienna and walking back, inside her house.
The next time the sun showed above the hill, Anna Bar and Restaurant was filled with customers relishing their lunch, ranging from pizzas and kinds of pasta to burgers and sandwiches. Sienna and Alice, in their usual chef uniforms, were busy cooking inside the kitchen.
"How many spoons of sugar should I add to the dessert? I am confused. Can you help me out?... The master too isn't well...", asked Alice, examining her half-cooked vegetarian dessert constituting some tomatoes, onions, and bits of cabbage hither and thither.
On the other hand, Sienna was lost, adding pepper to the frying pot roast on the stove. She shrank her eyes at the food, recollecting how David fought the goons and saved her the first time they met. She blushed to remember their French kiss the last night. Her happiness vanished as she remembered him calling her Nancy after saving her from the candle last night and even while meeting her outside the police station. Her eyes were filled with tears as the scene of Grace slapping her face played in her mind.
"Shit! Sienna, look at what you have done.", exclaimed Alice, pointing at the ruined pit roast still getting cooked in the fire. She turned off the stove at once and hugged her, enquiring, "What happened? Why do you seem so dull?"
Sienna walked away from the stove and towards the outlet. Alice followed her as the latter narrated, "David, my life savior is in great trouble. My bestie who is now more or less his girlfriend isn't ready to trust the seriousness of the situation. Instead, she has been misunderstanding me. "She stopped, turned back, and asked her, "What shall I do, Alice?"
Alice escorted her outside the kitchen as the latter began sobbing. They wiped off their sweat with the tissues beside them. Alice began to counsel her, "See, leave everything. Now just tell me what's bothering you?"
Sienna wiped her tears and told her everything from how David had saved her that night, to how he called her Nancy at the police station and cares too much for her but every time addressed her as Nancy and argued that she was Nancy. At last, she also told about how Grace had stopped trusting her best friend for she and David were seeing each other.
"David saved my life. I know that he is likely to be suffering from the psychiatric issues. How could I stay quiet? I hence told Grace about it. She isn't believing me but I wanna save him before his condition gets worse.", shared Sienna. She caught Alice's hands, concluding, "I am a good human being. How can I be a silent spectator seeing someone in trouble?"
Alice rubbed her shoulders and calmed her down, "See, leave Grace. She isn't believing your words. Why do you still need her help in this regard? You yourself walk to David and inform him. Describe the problem gently because mental health is still not a big matter of concern for most."
She continued, as Sienna nodded, "One more reason behind Grace being reluctant to accept his problem is because she loves him. How could a girl agree to the fact that her boyfriend is mental? None, including family or very close friends, would be ready to accept such a stunning fact."
"True. You are right!", added Sienna, smiling a bit, as her friend concluded, "You explain to him the problem and I'm sure he will understand..."
"Huh! Are you my employees or housewives whose passion is to gossip?", yelled Mr.Daniel, the manager, standing behind them. They looked back at him, as all the chefs from inside the kitchen too observed them through the big glass.
"Sorry, sir. We will get back to work now", apologized Sienna. Alice nodded, adding, "Yes sir,we were discussing a small personal problem...."
Daniel laughed, screwing them, "You have created problems for my bar."He targetted Sienna, adding, "Your boyfriend ruined the business of my night bar...."
"He isn't my boyfriend", corrected Sienna.
"Whatever!",shouted Daniel, announcing, "After he bet our customers only a few are visiting the night bar. It has been a great loss for me the past few days."
Sienna looked down, apologizing, while he challenged her, "Get me lots of customers again. My bar should be full within the next three days otherwise I will fire you."The two ladies looked at each other with their frightened faces.
"Sir, please listen to me!Sir!", called out, Sienna, running behind the manager who frowned at her and hurried towards the lift.
"Who the hell is this David?", grumbled Sienna, heading back towards Alice. She continued, "Ever since he entered my life, he turned everything upside down. He kisses me as he wishes, calls me Nancy from nowhere, and finally puts an end to my friendship with Grace who has been my only bestie since kindergarten, and now, last, but not the least, enmity with our manager."
She sighed, sitting back on the couch and grieving, "I lost my manager's appreciation."She recollected how he was surprised at her for bringing the cake on time for the Adams' wedding party." I hate you, David", confessed she, wiping a drop of tear which had just popped out from her eyes.
Alice patted her while she continued, "You know what, Alice? Let me deal with him right away. I won't spare him after all these disasters he has created for me."
"Sienna!Wait!Where are you going?", said Alice, calling her out, like Sienna, in her chef's uniform itself rushed outside the restaurant. She crossed the road and boarded the local bus which arrived at the bus stop. She took a seat in the middle and frowned.
"See what I will be doing now, David. I feel like I am losing everything because of you.", grumbled she, peeping outside the window at her restaurant.
