Love Struck (The Taylor Brothers Book 4)

Annalise swore that she was done with these creepy men of the restaurant. She fumed at Greg's audacity. How could he too harp on the same tunes as Nelson? She had just reached the kitchen when Trent peeped in. "Annalise, Nelson's summoned you to his office, now," he announced and then went back to his counter. Annalise braced herself for the insults that was surely coming her way. She walked over to Nelson's office as Greg looked down at the paper in his hands  refusing to meet her eyes. Annalise noted that he did look guilty. She peeped inside Nelson's office.

"You called sir?" She asked tentatively.

"Yes. Come in," he growled in a displeased tone. Annalise went inside.

"This is the last time I'm warning you Annalise. If I see you hooking up with the employees or the customers here, I'll throw you out of this place. I will ruin you so much that you'll never get another job in the whole of Houston, " he warned furiously.

Annalise gaped at him. "But I didn't..." she started but he simply banged the table and stood up.

"I didn't call you to listen to your sob story. I've warned you and you may leave," he growled, pointing at the door.  Annalise's whole body trembled at his accusations. She just didn't want to stand in his office a minute longer. She knew that the way he shouted at her, the whole restaurant might have heard everything that he had said. She whirled around and rushed out of his office. Greg looked at her with sympathy but didn't have the courage to day a word to her. Apart from Susan and chef Garner, all the employees of the restaurant avoided her for the rest of the day. The waitresses giggled behind her back making fun of her. Susan was too busy overworking to talk to her. Annalise didn't mind. She wasn't in the frame of mind to talk.

Her duty was over and Erik came to pick her up. Annalise was aware of Nelson watching her from the office window but she didn't look at him even once. She was done with the likes of him. They were all the same. Make chauvinists!

"Anna, get ready, we're going to the hospital. Edwin has gained consciousness an hour back. He's woken up from his coma. He's asking for all of you," said her uncle. Annalise was stunned. After so many months her dad had recovered from the coma? She just couldn't believe it.

"This is the best news so far, uncle Edward," she said with a smile. She rushed to  inform her siblings and they were all ready to go to the hospital. Reaching the hospital, they went up to her dad's room. Opening the door, Annalise found her dad, looking frail, pale and extremely thin, lying on the hospital bed. He looked lost and dazed and his vision might be blurred since he did focus on anything. Annalise walked into the room holding the hands of Aries and Alexis. They stood beside her dad's bed. Aries brought a chair closer and Annalise sat down. Aries sat on the bed while Alexis stood beside her older sister.

"Dad, I'm Anna, can you hear me?" She asked softly. Her dad looked around everywhere but couldn't focus his eyes upon them. Annalise caught his hand in her own and he grasped onto her hand tightly. "I'm here dad," she said gently. Her dad nodded.

"Anna," he breathed out slowly and laboriously.

"Aries and Alexis, you little ones are also here dad," said Annalise gently.

"Children, " he sighed softly.

"Greta," said her dad again looking around, searching for their mom. Annalise closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't tell him about their mom's death.

"Mom will come later, okay?" she told him and he nodded.

"We all love you dad. You'll soon be fine and we'll go home, " said Annalise with tears in her eyes. Her dad nodded but tears fell from his eyes too as if he knew the impossibility of it all. Alexis walked out of the room unable to control her tears anymore. Her uncle and aunt came in to after a talk with the doctor. Annalise could feel his eyes looking for her mom everytime someone came into the room. She stayed back with her uncle Edward, Erik and Dean while the rest of them went home. The doctors changed their course of treatment and her dad was responding to the new treatment. They were very excited. The next day was her mom's funeral and they all went to attend it. The whole morning they were busy with her mom's last rites. Dean and Mike took turns to go to the hospital to check up on her dad. He was improving and they couldn't be more glad.

After the funeral a haggard Annalise went the the hospital to see her dad. After keeping awake the whole night, her condition worried Erik. She looked like she was on the brink of a mental breakdown. He drove her home with him against her will. "No Anna, you're going home. You need rest. We're there to check upon uncle Edwin," he stated like an order. Annalise went straight to bed after her aunt forcefully made her eat a little dinner.

Although she didn't have the physical or the mental strength to go about her daily routine, yet she forced herself to go to work. Thankfully it was a Saturday and her college was closed. "Don't you get any leave?" Asked her aunt with concern.

"Yes. I've already taken two days off this week so I would need to work on the weekend too, aunt Emily, " said Annalise.

"You don't need to. You can concentrate upon your studies first sweetheart. Derek and Mike does too. You can start working when you complete your studies, " she suggested kindly.

"I'll think about it, aunt Emily," she said and left for work. Erik was busy at the hospital so Dean offered to drop her home. He looked too good with his baby blue eyes. He drove her to the restaurant his white sleek Ferrari. Switching off the ignition, he smiled at her. "Isn't she a beauty?" He asked proudly, trying to cheer her up. He was very proud of his brand new car.

"Yeah, that she is," Annalise admitted.

"You need a car of your own, Anna, " he told her.

"Maybe I'll buy one later, " she sighed. She didn't have much money right now. She would need to save for a car but the pay wasn't much and after giving at home nothing could be saved till date.

"I'll pick you up after work. You get off at six, right?" He asked.

"Yes. Are you going to work?" She asked him.

"No, first I'll go to the hospital and then work," said Dean. "See you, then." Annalise nodded and climbed out. She went inside but she could feel Nelson's stare upon her right from near the billing counter where he was standing with Trent. He might have seen her getting out of Dean's Ferrari from the glass floor to ceiling windows all around. She lowered her head, not wanting to look at him and walked into the kitchen. Just as she was about to enter the kitchen, she heard Nelson's growl.

"Come into my office now, Ms. Martin," said Nelson. Hos blood boiled seeing her new customer, another gorgeous and rich guy. This time, she shamelessly sat in front of the restaurant, flirting with him. Annalise looked up at his furious red face and felt her composure break. What the hell was wrong with the guy? He was stretching this way too much, insulting her unnecessarily in front of the whole restaurant. She couldn't take it any more. Nelson stormed into his office and sat waiting for her.

Annalise opened his door and went inside. "Yes sir," she asked warily.

Nelson looked at her with hatred. "So you have a new rich customer to fu*k? How dare you flirt with him right in front of my restaurant? This place isn't a cheap place for meeting up with your hookups," he gritted out.

Annalise stared at him without a word. His insults were getting worse day by day. What was his problem with her, she had no idea but she couldn't take it any more. "You are insulting me for no reason, sir, " she said calmly, looking at him straight in the eye.

Nelson was taken aback by her calm retort. He hadn't expected it. "You think so? You wh*re! How dare you talk back to me?" Yelled Nelson.

"You mind your f*cking language, Mr. Nelson Taylor. I can also shout baseless accusations at you but you know what? I'm not like you. What proof do you have behind all the accusations that you pinned onto my name?" She yelled at him. Nelson simply stared at her outburst.

"I'm done with being insulted for no fault of mine. You're welcome to think what you want of me. I don't need this job. I'll email my resignation to Henry sir," she said, storming out of his office. She didn't go to the kitchen but simply walked out of the main door as Nelson simply stared after her.