Chapter 16

The doorkeeper opened the glass door for Adam and the kids once they got to the entrance.

After nodding his thanks, Adam led them all inside the building.

Scarlett gasped as she took in her surroundings.

She could see the lush green plants peeking out from various well-arranged earthenware. A grand crystal chandelier hung above them and the floor, though wooden, gleamed as it had recently been polished. There were various art paintings that were hung at strategic locations in the large hall.

Adam gestured for the children to follow him.

He walked up to the fancy counter and tapped it twice, gaining the attention of the man seated behind it. The man's hair was rather thin on top and was pale gray in color. He also had on a monocle that had a silver chain attached to it.

His outfit was a three-piece suit.

"Good day, how may I help you?" He asked, his question directed at Adam.

His words came out laced with boredom in a sleepy way. One would think he was a nonchalant fellow, but the sharp, strict glint in his eyes told a different story.

"Hello," Adam replied. "I'd like a reservation for six please."

"Hold on, please." The man hit some keys on the computer that was placed on the lower desk beside the counter.

"May I have your I.D card?" The man looked up at Adam and asked.

"Sure." Adam slipped him the card.

Lucy's gaze landed on the nametag placed on the counter.

"You're Gregory?" she asked suddenly as she stared intently at the man.

"Yes," his mouth turned down, displeased at the interruption with his work.

"Sorry," Lucy whispered the apology but he had concrete on the system again.

Scarlett let out a small, impatient cough.

Gregory looked up again, displeased.

"Could you please hurry it up?" Adam said, making Gregory turn towards him.

"Certainly, sir," Gregory drawled out with his mouth still curved downwards.

He returned Adam's card to him. "Mr. Adam, you're enlisted in the VIP section. Would you like your usual table or perhaps prefer another offer?" he asked dully.

"I'd like a private room, thanks," Adam replied. A private room meant it was only going to be the six of them and a few staff members in the room. No other person would eat there.

"Of course, sir," Gregory said and reached for the landline that was on the counter. Caleb drew his hands away from tapping impatiently on the counter when Gregory turned a disapproving look at him.

"Could you please hurry it up?" Adam said when Scarlett tugged at his clothes, making Gregory turn to him once more.

"Certainly, sir, pardon my seeming incompetence," Gregory murmured and started to dial a number.

"Thomas would please come down and lead Mr. Adam to his table? He's made a reservation for six. I've sent you all the details." Gregory said curtly then placed the receiver down.

"Do be gracious enough to wait, sir, your escort will be down shortly," Gregory said and gestured to the black-leather vintage waiting chairs that faced a flat-screen TV which was put on, but the volume wasn't too loud enough.

"Thank you," Adam said and took a seat as Gregory had said. Scarlett plopped down on the chair next to Adam in a noisy way. Immediately the awkward sound was made; her eye came in contact with that of Gregory's and his mouth curved downwards, showing how displeased he was with her ill-manners, before cutting off their eye contact.

"Boy this is one fancy place, ain't it?" Reece laughed as he looked at Caleb.

"Lower your voice, Reece," Caleb said and his eyes briefly glanced at Gregory as he tried to shush Reece, but Reece waved him away dismissively.

"Nothing to worry 'bout."

Matt looked at Gregory then back at Reece and said quietly, "I don't think you're supposed to talk loudly in this kind of place."

"I ain't that loud. This place is just too quiet. The only thing that can be heard if I stop talking is the quiet buzz of the air conditioner," Reece argued.

Thankfully before Caleb could reply to him and Lucy could shush them both up, a man in his mid-twenties walked up to them, smiling.

He had on a pure white shirt that contrasted greatly with his onyx waistcoat and black, well-pressed pants. His black loafers were neatly polished as well.

The peach name tag indicated that he was the Thomas that had been spoken to earlier on.

He gave a short bow when he reached where Adam and the children sat.

"Gooday Misters and Misses'. This way to your table if you please," Thomas said politely and they all got up.

"Let's go." Adam nodded at their escort.

Another doorkeeper opened the door for Thomas, Adam, and the kids as they entered the main building.

The whole room was filled with well-designed tables and people seated on them, discussing in low tones. Some were eating while the others had just begun to place their orders.

There was an indoor balcony where some tables were also placed.

Everywhere was beautifully designed and more indoor plants and flowers could be seen. A huge aquarium sat at the far end of the room.

"This way please," Thomas said as he walked towards an elevator.

They all got into the elevator along with him.

They got off on the 4th floor.

"This way please," Thomas said again as the elevator halted and dinged as the doors opened.

He passed a couple of small rooms before stopping at a decorative carved wooden door.

Thomas pushed the door open.

Matt's eye took in the grand table placed in the center of the room with six Bentwood chairs surrounding it.

Adam sat at the head of the table and Scarlett quickly sat by his right side while Matt sat at his left. Reece eased down on the chair beside Scarlett and Caleb sat opposite him. Lucy then sat at the other end of the table.

"Hey!" Reece exclaimed with a cheerful grin. "We're seated just like the way we used to at home!"

"It appears so," Lucy said with a smile.

Caleb was too busy staring at the various plates, forks, knives, spoons, wine glasses, and the various lot, spread on his own part of the table, to hear their talk.

Everyone had a similar arrangement of silverware in front of them as well.

Some men wearing mauve suits came in. They were all carrying musical instruments: violin, cello, double bass, viola, harp, and finally a saxophone.

A lady dressed in the same color as they were strolled in, holding a baton.

The musicians all set their instruments on the small platform in the room then after the curt but polite bows and greetings, they all started to play, and immediately, melodious, classical music filled the room.

Two waiters walked in along with a waitress.

The men had on black bow ties and a black, well-ironed waistcoat and pants. Their hair was well combed and oiled in a professional way. The woman likewise had on a waistcoat of a feminine design; her hair was packed up in a neat bun and her make-up was very light.

"Good day Misters and Misses'," They all greeted simultaneously.

The waiters and waitresses all distributed the royal-blue-colored menu to everyone seated at the table and stood by as Adam and the kids' eyes searched through the menu.

The word 'menu' was printed in block letters, all in gold italics on the booklet.

"We can choose anything we want?" Caleb asked Adam as he looked at him cautiously.

Adam chuckled. "Yup. Just make sure you can eat it though. It would be silly to pick a dish because of the fancy name."

"Gosh...I'm so hungry, I feel like I can eat 'em all!" Reece said with a grin.

"Me too!" Scarlett chirped in.

Lucy closed her menu and sighed.

"I think you should have just taken us to a smaller, less grand restaurant, Mr. Adam. All these are...," she held back the word 'unnecessary' and sighed again.

"I don't even know what most of these silverwares are used for, or the reason why they are placed differently," she said in exasperation instead.

"Yeah," Reece groaned as he picked up two different forks. "Why do I even have more than one fork to eat a meal?" He examined the two forks in his hands and shook his head uncomprehendingly. "Like they are both forks, we know that, so why put three down on the same table?!" he mumbled more to himself as he glanced at the smaller fork he had left untouched on the table.

"I have more than one plate on my side of the table," Scarlett said with a confused expression on her face. She hadn't thought about needing another plate aside from the one her food would be dished on.

"I've read about formal table settings like these," Matt said with a knowing smile.

"Keep gloating," Reece growled at him as he shot the bookworm a withering look.

Adam laughed.

"Guys, relax. You're all just being paranoid over nothing," he said.

"But what if we don't use the silverware properly?" Lucy asked in a panicked sort of tone as she looked around her rather consciously. "What if we use the wrong spoon or neglect the fork we ought to have used? Or if we don't hold the silverware properly like how they ought to have been held or we—"

"Hey, calm down Lucy," Adam cut in while Caleb hid his grin.

Lucy sounded frustrated like she wouldn't get anything right, not even if she tried.

Reece frowned. He also had similar concerns as Lucy did.

"It's just eating, geez," Scarlett said in a bored tone.

Adam leaned back with a smile resting on his lips.

"You don't need to worry about some dumb etiquette and mannerisms," he said in a reassuring voice. "When I was much younger, I never really cared about stuff like that." Adam shrugged in a careful way.

When he saw that Lucy was still a bit tense, so he added, "But if you so badly want to know the procedures, then I'll teach you. But it'll be as we eat, so go ahead and place your orders."

That seemed to do the trick and Lucy relaxed again, a wan smile of uncertainty on her lips.

Reece decided eating was more interesting and had long buried his head back in the menu again, searching for some delicacies he could order.

"I've decided!" Reece announced triumphantly, making a waiter walk smartly towards him.

"So have I," Adam said with an amused look as he glanced at Matt who seemed to still be calculating how the dish he would order has to be very satisfying.

"Me too!" Scarlett grinned in delight.

"Really?" Adam asked with an eyebrow raised. She had barely glanced at her menu.

"I'll have whatever you have!" Scarlett announced gleefully.

"Okay," Adam chuckled.

Adam started first, "I'd like a lobster bisque as my appetizer and then some stew-minced pork served over rice. I'll order the dessert later."

The waiter who was jotting down Adam's order nodded.

"Very good sir. For the young lady as well?" He asked as he glanced at Scarlett who sent him a childish grin.

Adam laughed and shook his head.

"She'll have an eclair for the appetizer, and then the same main meal as mine. But her dessert would totally depend on her," Adam said and the waiter wrote it all down.

"I want a honey cake!" Scarlett announced cheerfully.

The waiter smiled at Scarlett. "Very well, miss."

"The mushroom julienne sounds nice, I'll have that as my appetizer," Caleb started as he glanced through the menu once again. "And then Hainanese chicken rice as my main meal, then satay as my dessert."

"Good choice sir," the other waiter remarked as he jotted the order down.

Reece cleared his throat a little before he spoke.

"Kaya toast as an appetizer works for me, you can then throw in some chili crab as my main meal, and um...," he paused to think of dessert.

The waitress looked up from her notepad at him.

"Would you like recommendations sir?" she asked, a warm smile on her lips.

"Nah," Reece shook his head. "Just throw in some oysters as well."

"The gazpacho works fine for my appetizer. Then for my main meal, I'd like beefsteak with egg and finally, my dessert would be chocolate pudding," Matt listed off his choice and the waitress wrote down his order.

"Um..." Lucy looked at the long list of food, unsure of what to choose.

"Are you having trouble, miss?" One of the waiters asked, trying to be helpful.

Lucy smiled faintly.

"I haven't the faintest idea what these dishes all taste like," she said.

"I'd recommended escargot as your appetizer miss," the waiter offered lightly.

Lucy nodded.

"What about the others?" she asked.

He laughed a little but replied, "Well, pho would serve as a nice main meal while soufflé would be a marvelous dessert."

"Fine then." Lucy smiled. "Put my order down as you've said."

He nodded and did so immediately.

The other waiter then spoke.

"Please hold on for a while, the meals would be brought to you soonest," he said, and the two waiters and waitress all walked out.