Chapter 8

I looked at the door of Lover's Café when it opened. Sports Arena owner Norman is the one I saw. But according to my mother, there was a rumor that Norman was not the real owner of the Sports Arena. The first owner who started Sports Arena was in America, so Norman has been the acting owner for years. According to the rumor, Sports Arena has a branch in America and the original owner manages it.

"How's your mother's business, Fatima?" Norman asked, smiling as he approached the counter where I was standing. Norman was kind and handsome. Maybe he also takes care of his body by exercising and lifting heavy equipment in the gym, which is very obvious in his muscular body.

I once tried to be cute to Norman. But when my brother caught me, he pinched my ear and gave me a sermon. If my brother Tristan acted like that, I looked like a minor. Even though I have a lot of body fat, Tristan still doesn’t want to see me lewd.

"Fine. There are a lot of customers coming because you have a lot of fans," I joked. But what I said was true. The Sports Arena is the home of handsome, rich, and famous people.

We also have female customers, pretending to drink Ice Tea and eat cake, but the truth is that they want to hang out with men who love sports.

"It's really different when you're handsome, girls will chase you," Norman replied and grinned.

I laughed. "Yeah, you're handsome."

"I guess you don't have a tail?"

My forehead furrowed. "Tail? As in tail? Geez, I'm just chubby but I don't look like a demon with a tail."

Norman laughed. "Kier is the one I'm referring to."

I laughed out loud. "You're crazy! He's not my tail. He's my mortal enemy."

"Ows?" He smiled at me. "Because I always see him close to you."

"Because his day isn't complete when he doesn't annoy me. He's so happy when my day is ruined. Let's not talk about Kier, I don't want to ruin my day because of him."

Before Norman could speak a hand landed on his head. Norman was violently pushed away by whoever owned that hand.

"Norman Echenique, you're blocking the counter."

Norman smiled then scratched his neck. "I'm sorry, Kier. What's your order?"

Kier frowned. "When have you been a part of Lover's Café?"

"Just now," Norman replied with a laugh. He walked away from the counter. "I'm going to buy drinks at the mini-store. Bye, Fatima!"

"Wait, Norman!" I shouted at him. "I thought you were going to order your favorite Coffee latte?"

Norman just waved at me.

I looked disgusted at Kier when Norman got out of Lover's Café. What a waste of income. Oh, Kier! You are a pest indeed!

"Unlucky day," I said softly. "Norman is my customer. You see, he left because of you. He will spend more than two hundred pesos if he orders. It's your fault because you suddenly appeared from nowhere."

"One Hazelnut Coffee," Kier ordered. He ignored what I was saying.

I waved my hand. "Even if you don't say so, I know Hazelnut Coffee is your order again."

"None of your business," he said rudely.

With a grumpy face, I look at him. "You really look like a mushroom. You just pop up all of a sudden."

"Hurry up and make my coffee, I'm thirsty." His face was grumpy. He probably lost the basketball game bet.

"Where's Tristan?"

"He’s on the basketball court," he replied.

"Why did you leave him?"

"Because I want to have coffee," he seemed annoyed.

Kier put three hundred pesos on the table. "Keep the change."

"Keep the change? You didn't pay enough. If Norman hadn't left, five hundred pesos would have been added to the income."

He put three hundred pesos on the table again. My mouth dropped open. I didn’t think he would take what I said seriously.

"There, I already gave you six hundred pesos."

I was about to take the money when he slapped my hand. "Ouch! You're violent!"

"Wait," he said.

"And why?"

"I've already paid for Norman's possible order. So I shouldn't see him here at Lover's Café all day." That's all and he turned his back on me and then took his favorite seat in the café.

I closed Lover’s Café early because we ran out of creamer for coffee. After I counted the money in the cashbox, I locked it.

It was only three in the afternoon so I thought of going through the Wellington Clubhouse. But first, I went to the basketball court and told my brother I was going to the clubhouse.

I positioned myself on the diving board. I then jumped down and quickly swam to the other side of the Olympic-size pool.

I am currently in the clubhouse. There is a pool in our house but I chose to swim in the clubhouse because I prefer the big pool there. I wanted to take a dip to put my mind at ease even for a short while.

These past few days, my days have been so stressful because I often get annoyed with Kier. Surprisingly, he didn't call me by the name Fat. Maybe he’s not in the mood to piss me off!

I looked around the pool. I saw some women there. They were wearing two-piece swimsuits. They are very sexy in their swimming attire.

I looked down, I was wearing a loose plain black T-shirt so that no one could see my big belly and I was also wearing black cycling shorts.

I took a deep breath. Although I can't admit it to myself, I also wanted to try to wear a sexy swimsuit. But I can't do that because my body fat is overflowing.

Maybe some women noticed that I was staring at them because they started whispering and I saw how they laughed as they looked at me.

Okay, fine. You are all sexy and I am healthy! I whispered to myself. I don't want to call myself fat or obese because for me I'm just healthy.

Shaking my head I kicked the tiled wall to swim back.

I stopped swimming and lifted my head into the water. I shook because it was only a little and I would have reached the end if I hadn't gotten tired so quickly.

I sank again into the water and seemed dead letting myself sink.

But I was startled when a hand grabbed my T-shirt and suddenly pulled me up into the water.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?"