Alpha’s Virgin Stripper
Chapter 87

Emerald walked to the counter, slipped in from the small door in front of cubic room and walked towards the kitchen door. The waitress at the counter, Mel, stared at her boss with surprised and elated eyes. She still found it very weird how the alpha's presence always made her quiet boss giddy and all over the place. The woman barely indicated interest in the affairs of the kitchen, and now she was cooking? Exactly what was going on here.

Emerald saw the surprised looks on the faces of her kitchen staff, but she paid them no mind. She had dreamt of this day for years, there was no way she was letting it slip out of her hands now. She ordered the kitchen staff to round off whatever work they had left and leave.

In less than ten minutes, the kitchen space was cleared. Emerald put on her apron and laid all her ingredients on the counter. From the second she rinsed the pot to the moment she dished her carefully prepared meal of cabbage noodles into the plates, tears stung her eyelids. It was a painful and bitter sweet mix. Knowing that he was going to enjoy his favorite meal as a child, just the way she always cooked it, but without knowing she was his mother. Emerald could not begin to imagine how it must be for him.

She walked out of the kitchen with a sweat soaked face and a tray of steaming hot cabbage noodles. She took majestic steps towards the alpha's table, trying hard to hide the broad smile on her face. Emerald placed the tray on the table and served the less spicy plate to the beta, while the spicier one, the one she had taking all her time, love and care to prepare, was given to the alpha - her son.

She stood straight and stared down at him. She watched him look down at the food before she realized she had not added cutleries to their meal.

Shit. She shook her head and spoke up.

"Do you still remember how to use chopsticks? Or do you need me to get you a fork?" She blurted out.

She saw the beta send her a shocked glare, while the alpha's hand stiffened on the table. Emerald gulped her saliva nervously. How could she have been so careless as to allow herself get carried away in such a manner? She forced a nervous chuckle, while her mind raced, searching for quick damage control measures.

"I mean, do you know how to use chopsticks, alpha? A lot of people aren't familiar with it." She spoke, hoping to the goddess that it covered her misstep.

Lake slowly raised his eyes to stare at her. He saw beads of sweat gather at the top of her thick blonde brows. He nodded quietly, Kenji relaxed in his seat.

"Yes. I do remember how to use chopsticks. After all, cabbage noodles aren't cabbage noodles without chopsticks." He replied.

Emerald did not know what to make of that statement, so she decided to make nothing out of it at all. She nodded eagerly, ignoring how violently her both hands trembled.

She turned away to get the men their cutleries but the alpha was quick to call her back.

"I'll like to ask that you close the restaurant, at least while we are here. Send your workers home, I'll compensate for the hours lost." He called out.

Emerald stopped, frozen to the ground. For a moment, she tried to make sense of the alpha's actions. Something about his behavior did not sit right. He talked and acted like he had something up his sleeve. She could only wonder what. Emerald turned to look at them, but her eyes rested on Kenji's first. She questioned him with her blue orbs, only to realize he was just as clueless as she was. Emerald looked at the alpha and managed a curt bow.

"Sure thing, alpha. Whatever you request."

She did as she was told. From the kitchen staff, to the security and the waiters and waitresses, she sent everybody home. A part of her was delighted to do so, she did not care that he would pay for the hours lost. Even if he did not, it would still not matter to her. All she cared about was being alone with him and being able to watch him eat.

Immediately she was out of his presence, Lake focused his eyes on the food. He carefully took his wristwatch off his left wrist and placed it on the table, he took off his cufflinks and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. He pulled the bowl to himself and waited for the chopsticks, his right leg continued to tap the ground. Lake could not tell if it was the anticipation of his stomach, or the anger consuming his heart.

Emerald dropped the chopsticks on their table and retired to a far table at the distal end of the room, just to watch him. Once he took the first scoop of noodles and put it into his mouth, Emerald saw his eyes light up immediately. Her heart melted in her chest, while she continued to watch him ravage the meal like it was the last thing he would have in his life.

In that moment, she saw him as the five-year-old baby she had left behind, throwing the slippery dish into his mouth and screaming for more at the top of his voice.

Kenji was stunned to see Lake's concentration. While he ate, Lake paid no attention to anyone or anything. A fire could start outside and the man would have no idea. He did not even stop to breathe until the last scoop of the noodles was in his mouth. There was nothing, not even a drop of sauce left in the bowl.

Lake dropped the chopsticks into the empty bowl. He slowly put on his watch and rolled his sleeves down. He pinned his cufflinks and stared down at the empty plate. Not a single word had left his mouth. Frankly, he did not yet know what to say.

The woman, his mother, was in front of them again. Lake could feel her beaming with smiles as she looked down at them.

"How was the meal, alpha? I hope you enjoyed it?"

Lake glanced up at her. The anticipation, the excitement, the care in her eyes, all of it made him sick.

"It was perfect, just as I remember." Lake blurted out. He saw the woman swallow hard before she turned to Kenji.

"And you, beta? Hope you enjoyed it?"

"You did an excellent job, Mrs. Smith. I would ask for more if I wasn't so filled up."

Both Kenji and Sapphire chuckled nervously.

"I'm delighted to hear that. I would go and get dessert for you two now. What would you like to have? Since I'm the one who's taking the orders." Emerald laughed at her silly joke by herself.

Lake did not take his eyes off her, not even for a split second.

"Do not worry, ma'am. We must be on our way now." He spoke calmly. He saw her face dim and her smile dissolve slowly.

"Well then, if you say so. I must clean up and lock the store for good now." She replied. Emerald leaned into the table and picked up the plates from the table, she turned away from them and headed towards the kitchen. She would have to clean up and lock up all by herself. But it was worth it, as long as she got to spend time with her son.

Lake rose from his seat immediately she turned her back towards them. Kenji stood after him, but Lake wouldn't move. All of a sudden, he spoke.

"Mother?"

Kenji blinked twice.

Emerald clutched the dirty plates in her hands to stop them from crashing to the ground. Cold sweat broke out from the skin of her face. She did not want to move, but she found herself turning towards the voice that called out to her. However, when her eyes landed on him, he was a far cry from her five-year-old boy. This young man was angry, she could see it.

Lake fought hard to stop himself from spitting on her very image.

"Is that the word you have been dying to hear from me? Is that what you've been expecting?"

Emerald felt herself choke on her tears.

"Lake..." She tried to move closer to him, but he held a hand up, to stop her.

"Don't. Don't you dare?" He took out a wad of cash from his pocket and threw it at the table. Emerald's heart shrunk in her chest when she heard the sound of the dollar notes smashing the mahogany table.

"I do not know why you are suddenly here, after almost three decades. I do not know why you have come searching for me and what you intend to achieve, but you must know one thing. You are dead to me and I intend to keep it that way." Emerald pulled the plates closer to her chest, even though her whole body shook violently. The world around her seemed to crumble before her eyes, her tears freed themselves from her eyelids.

Lake, shaking with rage, turned to Kenji. The man had his eyes wide open, his mouth ajar.

"You knew all this while and you said nothing? You constantly dragged me to this place and made a fool of my intelligence. So much for being brothers." Lake spat out in anger. He turned away from Kenji and began his journey to the door. "Lake! Lake!" Kenji called behind his best friend, but the man was far past hearing and a million miles away from caring.