Chapter 4 Hotel Desk

Bella stepped confidently and entered Gabriel's room after knocking. Despite her upset state, Bella must not forget the principle of politeness that she had taught since childhood. Even though she knows that politeness goes both ways, if the other person is polite, you should be polite, and vice versa, but she must always do it if she meets Gabriel. She didn't want to get fired because of her frivolous behavior.

"Have you come up with any new ideas?" Gabriel asked when he saw who had entered his room. He took the proposal Bella had given him. "Can you explain the point?"

The woman didn't deny that her boss's serious demeanor quite mesmerized her. The man looked authoritative, very different from the Gabriel she had met a few days ago, ignorant and childish.

"I have proposed frozen food and instant food. We can take tofu egg rolls as the frozen food and pozole for the instant food. Both menus are not on the market yet." Working in the planning department of a food company meant that Bella had to be more serious about creating new innovations.

"Why did you propose these two foods?"

"Tofu is a very popular food right now. You asked me to create new innovations, so I thought of making foods that are not yet on the market. Especially in our country, there are many people of Asian origin. Tofu is very famous in Asia, and it is even a favorite food that has good nutrition. Pozole is a traditional soup from Mexico, and as you know, the Mexican population in the United States is very high. Los Angeles is an ethnically diverse county, so this is an opportunity to market products from other countries. The two foods I'm proposing are a combination of Asian-Texas-Mexican elements."

"Doesn't pozole have a spicy flavor? Many people don't like spicy food, Bella." Although he was quite interested in Bella's proposal, he couldn't ignore the fact. Many Americans don't like spicy food and prefer sweets. "Most Americans have had heartburn, and they avoid food that is too spicy." He was one of them.

Bella nodded. "I am also aware of that fact, sir. However, the product I am going to make is a product that has a level of spiciness. The buyer can adjust the level of spiciness according to their ability." She picked up the proposal on the table, opened a few sheets, and showed the data. "Pozole is usually made with pork, but I recommend making other options, such as chicken or beef, at different prices. A small percentage of Americans are Muslims, and they can't eat pork, so that option is also very good for them. Halal food is pretty hard to find here.""

"Only a small percentage? Your target should be the majority, not the minority." He shook his head, signaling disapproval.

"Aren't there many Americans who can't eat pork? For health reasons, as well as reasons from the past."

What Bella said was based on solid facts. Many Americans don't want to eat pork because of the past events, so many citizens have switched to beef.

Gabriel was silent, but Bella's words made sense. "However, pork is more dominant in this country."

"I'm just giving you a choice, sir. I'm not saying that pork won't be on the list. We just need to add another option for people who don't eat pork."

Gabriel now nodded. He did not expect that Bella's performance would be like that. Not bad. "You're right too. Then, come to the meeting tomorrow. You must present this plan."

Bella's pupils are rounded. Bella was quite happy. At least she could show her skills. "Then excuse me, sir," she said and turned around.

"Wait!"

Bella's steps halted. She turned back around, raised an astonished eyebrow, and stared at Gabriel's face, waiting for instructions from the man.

Gabriel stepped closer, lowered his head, and aligned his face with the petite woman who was quite attractive to him. His gaze flickered. "I'm curious about one thing." There was a moment's pause. He to be thinking and deliberating about what to say. "Don't you recognize me?"

Bella looked confused, but still tried to answer as best she could. "I know you, sir."

"Really?" The man was enthusiastic, his eyes wide.

"Yes, you are Mister Gabriel Asahavey Hamilton, the grandson of the owner of the Hamilton group, which is famous for owning the largest food company in America. Wouldn't it be presumptuous of me not to recognize you?'"

Gabriel sighed in disappointment. "Don't you have a brain? Why don't you remember me?" He groaned in annoyance. His efforts were not going well, even though Gabriel had appeared in front of Bella many times, but she had not remembered him at all.

"Sir, you can say whatever you want. I can't keep playing conundrums with you."

Gabriel straightened up, then clicked his tongue. "What about two hundred dollars? Do you remember anything about that amount?"

Two hundred dollars? The woman paused, her forehead creased to a sign that she was deep in thought. What about two hundred dollars? She couldn't remember anything after hearing that, and in the end, she just frowned in incomprehension.

"Two hundred dollars at the hotel desk." Gabriel couldn't hold back any further. If Bella still didn't remember, he would say out loud that they met at the club and spent the night together in one of the hotel rooms.

Bella's pupils widened. Two hundred dollars on the hotel table. Wasn't that the scene where she left the hotel room occupied by the man who was still asleep? Because of the man's prone position, she couldn't see his face clearly. In her haste, she didn't have time to look closely at the man's face.

"Did you remember me?" Gabriel raised one eyebrow with a silly smile.

Bella opened her mouth in disbelief. She was shocked and speechless. The woman spent the night with the man in front of her. She had a one-night stand with the CEO. Oh, no! Her life would never be peaceful. Bella cursed her stupidity for carelessly asking a strange man to accompany her. She wanted to scream, wail, and curse. Her own boss took away her virginity. Oh, shit.

"I was drunk, sir. So please forget what we did that night."

Gabriel feigned surprise. "Forget it?" He hissed. "It seems difficult. You were the first woman to come willingly to give me her virginity. Let's also not forget, you were the first woman to pay me two hundred dollars." The man sighed in annoyance. "Am I that cheap? Even my underwear is more expensive than what you paid, Bella."

Bella looked down, hiding her face. "I can't help it, sir. I was drunk and don't remember everything." She sighed. "I don't even remember the taste," she continued in a whisper.

However, the whisper was still audible by Gabriel. "You don't remember the taste? Don't you remember how I played either?" The man massaged his temples. "Oh, come on, Bella. You made me a little disappointed."

Bella just fell silent. She was so embarrassed. This was the most embarrassing scene in her entire life on this earth. She didn't expect to get the most embarrassing thing after she was more than a quarter of a century old.

"Then we can just replay that night, so you can see what it's like," he suggested casually.

"Are you kidding me?" Her voice rose. "That's not possible, sir." The idea was impossible.

"Why is it impossible? If you want, I can book a hotel to do it again. Think of it as a reenactment scene."

Bella did not expect her boss to behave like that. Apart from being ignorant, he was also crazy and unethical. Are rich men always such assholes?

"So, do you think this product will explode and sell well in the market?"

Bella smiled before responding to her teammate's question. "We won't know the exact answer until we try it, but according to data and respondents, more people like spicy food during winter. We should take that opportunity."

Gabriel cannot ignore of Mexicans and Texans in America. People from both countries love spicy food. Add to that of some Asians in Los Angeles, who have long known for their love of spicy food.

"Americans are mostly busy working. Sixty out of a hundred respondents choose to buy instant food, twenty-five of them choose to order delivery, and the rest choose to cook at home. Therefore, we can deduce that busy, productive-aged Americans prefer simple and affordable food. Because food delivery will require time and service costs that are quite expensive." Bella added. At this meeting, she had to get approval from everyone in the planning team, and also her boss, who joined the meeting. In fact, he rarely to join the meeting in small meetings in the planning department.

"Well then, when are you going to make the samples?" As the team leader, Tom spoke up.

"If you approve this plan, I will start immediately, Tom."

Abigail, who was also there, nodded in agreement. "I agree with her. What about you, Mister Gabriel?"

The man swiveled his chair, gazing intently at Bella, enjoying the sight before him. He had always liked Bella clad in work clothes. A shirt combined with a knee-length skirt. Her petite body looked both adorable and tantalizing.

"If you agree, I will too. I will only provide the funds, and you will manage them. Although I don't like spicy food, we can't turn a blind eye to the facts. It's a fact that spicy food has a lot of fans." He smiled, making everyone there applaud.

Bella smiled with relief. Finally, she could present the task given to her well. In front of the entire planning team, Abigail and Gabriel. She didn't deny that her nerves were high when Gabriel walked into the meeting room. The thought of yesterday made her a little nervous. Thinking about her relationship with Gabriel, the one-night stand she'd forgotten about, and the two hundred dollars she'd given her boss. Truly, she was both embarrassed and awkward when she met Gabriel.

Bella tried to act okay, but every time Gabriel appeared in front of her, her heart would beat so fast, not because she was interested, but because she was uncomfortable. She even had trouble sleeping.

What would happen next? Would she continue to feel this awkwardness? The awkwardness of meeting Gabriel. She tried to play dumb, but it was very difficult to do. When their gazes met, suddenly her heart and blood flow did not function normally. Wasn't that torture for her?

No way! She had to talk to Gabriel about this. She had to ask her boss to take it easy and forget about the incident. However, on second thought, it was actually Bella herself who made things worse. She's the one who cares too much, she's the one with the headache, and she's the one who makes everything even more overwhelming.