The Man Behind The Beast (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 8: Prepare The Food And Meet The Malfacini Family

"Why are you even here?" I questioned Lumiere as he handed me fresh spinach and romaine lettuce.

"Well, first, I'm here to make up for-"

"Lying?" I interrupted.

"Not telling the truth." He clarified. "Secondly, I was actually sent in here by Mr. DeGramont to make sure you don't poison our guests who'll be arriving tonight."

"And why would I do that?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"They are very important people, within our company."

"Criminals." I confirmed.

"Hey, I think tonight will confirm your suspicions that we are, in fact, the good guys."

"Mm, we'll see." I replied, pulling out fresh tomatoes.

"So what's on the menu for tonight?" Lumiere asked.

"Well, judging by the fair skin and heavy accents all the men in the dining room share, I'm guessing Mr. DeGramont is meeting with Italian mobsters."

"Please don't call them that to their face, I rather not find you in an alleyway somewhere with you fingernails filed off." Lumiere joked. My face paled regardless.

"Anyways." I replied, shaking off that horrible visual, "I'm making an authentic Italian meal. Grab these ingredients listed here, and pull them out for me. I'm not going to have you do the actual cooking, but if you can pull out everything, it'll make this process quicker."

~

"Is it done?" Lumiere asked, rushing to dump all the used utensils into the sink.

"Yes. First round served will be a salad." I replied, as I loaded all the plates onto a food cart.

"Okay. They are all seated and ready for the food now." Mrs. Potts chirped, entering through the doorway with empty bottles of wine in her hand.

"Thank you." I nodded, placing the last of the food into the cart before pushing it out through the kitchen. As I entered the dining room, the conversation instantly ceased. All eyes were on me now while I set the plates in front of each man.

Could we just take a second to appreciate quite literally every man sitting at this table?

Because the lord himself must have laid with their mothers.

There were a total of four gentleman, including Mr. DeGramont, who sat at the table. Every last specimen looked so outrageous delicious, including Mr. DeGramont. His hair was let down for the occasion, going too well with the dark blue suit he was wearing. I hadn't seen him all day since he had meetings, so the intensity of his gaze was something I forgot I had to grow used to.

"Oh wow, Amico, you have found yourself a very beautiful cook." One of the men commented, turning fully to me as I set his plate down. He was in beautifully patterned vest, with a gorgeous black suit, and champagne colored tie. "When you entered the room, the whole place lit up with your beauty." He spoke, his words as smooth as velvet leather and heavy with an Italian accent.

"T-Thank you." I stammered, blushing furiously as I continued to place food at the table. "This first dish is a fresh cut Romaine lettuce, with a blend of spices and authentic Italian dressing." I explained, setting the last plate at the head of the table for Mr. DeGramont. I noticed his body looked more rigid than usual.

"It's delicious, Il mio amore." The man farthest from where I stood, commented. He was in a more casual black suit with a grey undershirt. His accent was identical to the first man who spoke, but the first man's voice was a bit deeper.