--[Ramon]--
Dinner service that night was hard, a description that took on multiple meanings. Not only had my overall bonuses reached an all-time high, but missing out on the hour or two of prep meant I was constantly juggling seven different tasks at once, from flipping steaks, peeling potatoes, plating dishes, and more. It was a tough battle, even with the Minor Clarity bonus I received after my romping session with Summer. Though after investigating, I realized that the five percent efficacy bonus wasn't a flat addition but rather a percentage based on the existing modifier. For most of my skills, that was less than half of a percentage point, which was hardly a noticeable difference in the real world.
However, one noticeable change was hard to ignore, and while it didn't help me in the moment, the near future looked very rewarding.
Upgrading my Cooking Skill to level 3 had granted me yet another year towards mastery, and with it a slew of ideas for new dishes, using more expensive ingredients and more culinary advanced techniques, resulting in even more expensive dishes and recipes. I had never been more motivated, envisioning my profit margins widening by another two or three percentage points, and I doubted whether anything could possibly top the motivating power of hard, cold cash.
But about halfway through the service, I was proven how misguided my earlier assumption had been.
Perhaps I should have taken her early display of overwhelming affection and desire as a warning, but I doubted that anything could have prepared me for the endless barrage of teasing and flirting that Megan sent my way.
Every time she entered the kitchen to take an order or clean dishes, Megan would torment me, dropping a piece of silverware and making sure I looked over as she bent down to pick it up, brushing my arm as she accepted a platter of food, or making her chest bounce inticingly which was on full display with the low cut blouse that barely managed to conceal her massive bosom.
As I endured the assault on my sanity, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause such a major change in her demeanor. Megan had been shy and timid just the day before, but now she was moving like a huntress that had locked eyes on her favorite prey and had no intention of going hungry. And I couldn't have been a bigger fan, because by the time I plated the last order, I was rearing to go and could barely keep my mind clear of lewd depraved thoughts for more than a minute. And it seemed like Megan was suffering from the same affliction as well as she was practically vibrating as she walked into the kitchen, "I just saw Patty out the door, and everything is taken care of in the front of the restaurant. How much longer are you gonna be?"
I stood up from the heart, having just finished putting out the last of the embers, "Nothing's holding me up."
"Then why are we wasting time? Let's go upstairs, already!" Megan insisted as she walked over and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the back door.
"Relax, I'm not gonna run off," I laughed as I pulled Megan back and wrapped my hand around her waist, "Especially after you've been teasing me all night. I never would have thought you to be such a minx."
Megan blushed and reached up to twirl a strand of her hair, "S-sorry, if it was too much, I thought..."
I cut Megan off with a squeeze as my hand trailed from her waist to her ass, with my fingers digging into the crack of her jeans, "Don't apologize, I liked this confident version of you. Honestly, I think you could pull off the seductress act really well."
"M-me a seductress?" Megan asked doubtfully, "You really think I have that much raw sex appeal?"
"Today you did, and you know why?" I asked.
Megan paused before a small grin appeared across her lips, "Because I was confident?"
I grinned as well, "Exactly, I want to see more of confident Megan, and I think I know exactly what you need. Is there a mall or shopping outlet in town?"
"Yeah, there's a mall...why do you ask?"
"Because I think a change of wardrobe would really help your self-esteem. I mean, I think you would look amazing wearing anything and nothing, but I can tell you want to change. So, how about I take you clothes shopping this weekend?" I replied and watched as Megan's cheeks flushed at my shameless flirting, but her grin turned into a genuine smile, "T-that sounds really nice, but you don't have to spend money on me, you already write my paycheck."
"How about this," I countered with a smile, "I'll pay for your clothes, and in return, I get to pick out a few... nighttime pieces that you can wear just for me."
Megan blushed and started to fidget, but nodded nonetheless, "O-okay, it's a deal then."
"Great, now how about we go upstairs and get busy," I whispered in a husky voice while wiggling my eyebrows, making Megan laugh and shove me playfully, "F-fine, just as long as you promise never to do that again."
"Deal," I replied in a heartbeat before pressing a quick kiss against Megan's cheek, making her blush.
A second later, we stumbled out into the alley behind the Grillhouse, barely able to keep our hands off of each other. I almost wondered if we were gonna make it back to my apartment before we tore each other's clothes off, when all of a sudden, two blinding headlights shone down the alley, making me and Megan freeze on the spot.
"What the hell!"
Holding up my hand in front of my eyes, I tried to peer through the blinding wall of light as I stepped in front of Megan, "R-ramon, what's going on?"
"I have no idea, but I tend to find out," I muttered before taking a step forward, "You know it's kinda rude to set up an ambush so late at night."
For a moment, my comment went unanswered, but then the headlights shut off, and I watched as four men got out of the car. My gaze narrowed as I realized one of them was the perv I had thrown out last night. The other three I had never seen before, one of them was an overweight middle-aged man wearing green pants and a white shirt, another was in a wheelchair with a large chin, and the third was a black guy with a mustache that I couldn't help but be impressed by.
I opened my mouth to address the crew, but before I could, Megan called out from behind me, "Dad?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"I'm here to take you home, Meg, before you do something you regret," The fat man replied as he stepped forward, glaring at Megan, "Now get over here and in the car, we can talk about this nonsense when we get home."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Megan insisted as she glared at her father.
"Meg, this is not up for discussion!" Her father growled, his cheeks wobbling with his irritated tone.
"I'm twenty years old Dad, I don't have to go anywhere with you if I don't want to." Megan shouted back, "Stop trying to control my life."
"This isn't about control, it's about protecting you from making horrible decisions!"
"That's like half of what life is!!" Megan protested, throwing up her hands before she turned to me, "Come on Ramon, we don't need to sit around and listen to them."
"You're not going anywhere with him!" Her dad roared before he turned his attention to me, "You keep your filthy hand off of my daughter, you hear me!?"
"Don't you talk to him like that!" Megan insisted as she went to take a step forward, only for me to hold her back, "Sorry, Sir, but it seems like Megan has made her intent clear. She doesn't want to go with you. And that isn't going to change unless you want to try dragging her away kicking and screaming."
"Hey you stay out of this!"
"See, the problem with that is, since Megan is a legal adult, that would be kidnapping. Also, if you were to try, you fine gentlemen would have to go through me."
"See what did I tell you, Peter? He's a fucking prick that needs his ass kicked!" The pervert shouted as he jabbed a finger at me.
"Actually, Quagmire, I don't think I've ever agreed with you more," Peter muttered as he started to roll up his sleeves.
"Dad what the hell are you doing?!" Megan shouted, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Teaching this punk a lesson!" Peter growled as he started to walk towards me his hands balling into fist, "This will teach you to keep your hands off another man's daughter!"