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3. Bet.
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Is everything okay?"
Marra put on her helmet and turned around, and the question had come from Luke, who had just put a few boxes of pizza in the large box on his employee's computer. Because she didn't answer–Luke also looked intensely at the girl in the pink jacket.
"Why? Are you quiet? How are you doing at work? I mean, it's been a few nights at 24Night," Luke said again. He was known to be an attentive and loyal boss.
"Oh, that, everything's fine."
"Matthew's not giving you any trouble, is he?"
Marra shook her head. "Not at all. I've been there three nights, he's a professional man, and his girlfriend is very friendly."
"Lover?" Luke thought. "Ah, you mean Celine?"
"Right, we had some interaction. She's so beautiful." Marra smiled. "Well then, I'm going to deliver all those pizzas now. The sky is ready to cry again." The two of them looked up-discovering that the sky this afternoon was indeed starting to become unfriendly, already gray, and soon it might be joking at will.
"Be careful on the road. Remember not to break the traffic signs."
"I understand." Marra sat on the motorcycle seat, starting the engine before driving off with her spirit. Luke lingered there, silently staring at Marra's departure until she turned a corner and disappeared from his sight.
The brown-aproned man who aspires to be a sous-chef or a pastry chef in Paris is charismatic. His 170centi tall upright body makes Marra always look up to him when communicating with him–an idol for some customers and even employees at the pizza shop he has managed for two years.
Since graduating from college, Luke had wanted to move to Paris, and he craved the world of pastry with the sweet fragrance of confectionery. Still, Luke was forced to bury that dream after his father had an accident and suffered a stroke that confined him to a wheelchair.
Luke has several siblings, but he is the only one who has not settled down here, while the rest of them do not live in Manila and are scattered in Cebu, Boracay, and other locations.
As a result, Luke is the only one who can care for his father even though he now has a 24-hour nurse at home as he runs the pizza shop himself, a distraction from the disappointment of failing to pursue his dream of going to Paris.
The man's fate was almost like Marra's, taking care of his parents and working hard, but Luke was luckier than Marra, who didn't even have another sibling to rely on. The girl worked hard day and night to care for her treatment and living expenses with Laura.
***
"Isn't she so cute?" Celine's hands were arranging several different colored daisies into a glass vase on Matthew's desk, and the woman was Matt's girlfriend since they were in high school. Let's call her ready to be his future wife.
She sat on Matthew's chair while her boyfriend sat on his laptop in the corner of the sofa, working on this month's expense chart.
"Who?"
"Your little girl." Celine smiled and blinked as Matthew looked at her questioningly. "Marra."
"Then, are you jealous?" It was Matt's turn to smile wryly.
Celine shook her head. She cut the flower stems that were too long. "No, that girl doesn't seem interested in anyone. I think everything on her mind is limited to how to work well and make the boss happy, then the next day, she will act like that without worrying about anything else."
"That's a good mindset." Matthew refocused on the laptop. "So, you like her too?"
Celine nodded. "How could such a sweet girl be ignored, I want to be friends with her, but I think Marra is too busy to be limited to sitting together in a coffee shop. I'm sure she has other things to do."
"That good character is what makes me willing to accept Marra, especially since Luke himself proposed it. I heard that her mother has schizophrenia."
Celine's hand stopped as she was about to put a green daisy into the vase. She squinted. "That bad? It must be a hard life, but she seems to be cheerful, or maybe she only complains when she's alone." Celine supported her chin. "This is too hard for her." She snorted.
"It's better not to ask if Marra doesn't reveal everything herself. She doesn't like being a burden to others. She's too mature."
"Right, Matt. When else can you find loyal workers? Even you can only find money-grubbing women here." Although Celine was also aware of the possibility of Matthew being wooed by the many ladies of the night in his workplace, she was confident that Matt would not go overboard and protect his girlfriend's feelings.
The reason they were still together so far was mutual trust. When many girls at school were crazy about Denis, only Celine acted indifferently, making him like a ray of sunshine in Matthew's eyes.
Also, when many men see a person through his body, for Celine, only Matt looks like a normal human being. She will indeed have a pleasant future if she continues to be by his side because they complement each other.
Knock-knock-knock!
"Come in."
The door to Matthew's study opened and revealed Marra's petite figure smiling there. Celine then got up, and she returned the curved smile on the girl's face.
"You've come," Matt said.
"Yes, I'm starting right now."
"Wait a minute." Celine reached for another bouquet of daisies wrapped in newspaper, obviously not the ones she had ruffled earlier. She moved towards Marra. "Have you eaten yet?"
Marra nodded. "Yes."
"Good, you need to replenish your energy before action, and this is for you." Celine handed her the bouquet. "I picked each daisy of a different color from the farm, some to fill the vases in this room, and some for you. You should decorate your house for color."
"Thank you very much."
"Okay, work well." Celine gently rubbed the top of Marra's head, looking at her like she had found a little sister.
"Excuse me."
***
This was Marra's fourth night as a disc jockey at 24Night, some people were getting to know her, even asking for her cell phone number and offering her a ride home, but this was Marra, and she would politely decline because she didn't want to be distracted by anything other than work while at 24Night.
Getting into a relationship or playing with men wasn't on the 23-year-old's mind. She didn't want to shift her focus from taking care of Laura. She was only thinking about how to make more money so that her life would be better, which seemed fair, right?
Marra was back in action, the speakers blaring different music from the previous nights. She is busy controlling the controller that doubles as a turntable and mixer to adjust the pitch, volume, and FX panning. Mastering the audience on the dance floor is a disk jockey's delight, and she's good at it.
Denis and his friends had just arrived, ten o'clock or so, and Jose hadn't missed even one night of Marra's set during his time at 24Night. The girl was enough to hold Jose's attention like candlelight in a dark room, becoming his desired focus.
Tonight Denis was with Selena, but they still joined Denis's friends and enjoyed the whiskey and merriment that echoed in the room.
"Isn't this boring?" said Jamie, shaking the sloshier glass filled with whisky before his face. "It is."
"You hate whisky?" asked Jose.
"No, it's the atmosphere."
"So, you'll rip off your clothes and dance on the table? That should be fun." Jose smiled amusedly.
Jamie snorted in annoyance, and he set his glass of wine down hard enough to make a sound as it made contact with the table's surface. "Is that funny? Why don't you ask someone else to do it."
"Who? Who?" Jose looked around. "Does Matthew have a stripper here?"
"He won't. There's Celine upstairs," Denis said.
"Oh, the good girl. Would you do it, Selena?" Jose smiled mischievously.
"Get lost, and I'm just having a good time with Denis." Selena went so far as to push Jose's arm, but he just laughed it off.
"Let's make a bet," Jamie said, getting excited.
"What bet? I don't have any money, and boss Racher Art hasn't distributed the salary yet." Jose quipped at Denis.
"Is it the end of the month?" The Rancher Art boss commented.
"No, that's too easy. I mean... her." Jamie pointed at the disk jockey as he blinked his left eyelid.
"Marra?" Jose was taken aback. "What do you want to do? What bet, idiot!"
"Why the sudden outburst? I'm not even talking about money. Are you reading my head, hm?"
"Then what? Don't mess with that girl, and she's too innocent." Jose was not willing to let anything wrong happen to Marra.
"Innocent?" Selena suddenly burst out laughing. "Are there innocent girls in a place like this? Jose still believes that?"
Jose's jaw hardened, and he gave Selena a disapproving look. "She's not like you."
"Of course, didn't many people talk about that girl refusing a ride home and refusing to share her cell phone number? Is that a tug-of-war or a sell-out strategy?" Jamie said.
"Will you shut up?" Jose was getting annoyed.
"Just do it," Denis said, looking intensely at the DJ. "What do you want to do, Jamie?" He gave Jamie the benefit of the doubt.
"It's easy. Ask for her cell phone number. If one of us gets it, then–"
"I'll buy him a drink for a week here," Selena interrupted. She smiled at the three men. "Agreed?"
"Agreed!" Jamie exclaimed excitedly. Jose was silent and resigned, while Denis just nodded. "Then I'd better start first. Jose, watch my behavior." Jamie felt confident, and he moved towards the altar of the disk jockey. Several people were watching the man's movements.
Jamie seemed to invite Marra to shake hands, but the girl refused. I don't know what he said, and Marra just shook her head before Jamie returned with a crumpled face. "He said he didn't have a cell phone. Isn't that an old-fashioned lie?"
Jose laughed at the denial. "I told you, she won't be easy."
"Then it's your turn."
Jose shook his head. "I didn't agree to it, did I? So, it's between you and Denis."
"Your turn, Denis. No woman will turn you down, so relax. Give it to me if you get the girl's number."
Now, it was Denis' turn to take vast strides toward Marra.
***
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Mr. Tatto Wants Me 4. You're the only one.
"I bet Denis easily got the girl's number, right?" asked Selena looking at Jamie and Jose, then turning to Denis, who continued to stride past people in the dance floor area. Just stepping on his charisma was strong. So how could someone refuse his request? Denis was too charming to be missed."I'll bet my life on it," Jose said hesitantly."Are you crazy?" Jamie couldn't believe it, and he clucked dismissively. "Too confident. Denis is with you every day. You don't even understand his character.""I'm serious." Jose did mean it. Having interacted with the boundary-preserving Marra while delivering pizzas to Racher Art that day and having heard rumors that Marra had turned down many male offers, the girl must have kept to herself.Jamie and Selena should have seen the enthusiastic way Jose watched the couple's interaction at the turntables, and foreheads furrowed with curiosity.Before Denis reached Marra, the girl had already seen him from a distance–as Denis stared unblinkingly at a
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 5. Their busy lives.
It was a good thing Jose had a spare key to Racher Art's main door. Otherwise, he would have had to wait for his boss to open the door even though his hands were swollen from knocking and pressing the bell repeatedly, but the owner never came out, even though Jose had called his cell phone dozens of times. Denis's baby–like mood returned, and Jose thought he could guess why. The man walked up the stairs to Denis' room, and he didn't need to knock again to find his friend's body because the rectangular object that separated the room and the outside had been wide open since Jose arrived. A distinctive aroma wafted from inside the room. Several beer cans were lying on the floor beside the bed. When Jose checked one by one, there was only a whole can of beer left, but it had also been opened. Denis's ammunition from last night–after coming home from 24Night, the man was still lying on his big bed without a T-shirt on, but others wouldn't be able to see Denis's biceps if the body had vari
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 6. Boots.
"Thank you for visiting. I hope we can serve you again." The last sound was Jose's as he ushered a client out of Racher Art, a client who had successfully spent Jose's three-hour period inking a tummy tattoo to cover up post–surgery stretch marks.Three hours, sitting for so long that the man's loins rattle as he twists left and right. "Tiring, really tiring." No matter how much he grumbles, Jose is devoted to his job.The man grabbed a soft drink can from the table in the main room, sat down, and gulped down the contents to quench his thirst, while the boss was utterly carefree as he lifted a pair of legs that rested against the wall while playing with his cell phone and enjoying a lollipop."I'm hungry. What should we eat this afternoon?" Jose leaned back, a pair of legs also straight on the table surface. "What to order? Is it pizza again? I heard a new flavor has been launched.""NO!"Jose was stunned when Denis spoke up. "What, no? I thought you had no intention of talking. What
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 7. Looking for weak points.
"Where have you been? Why is it so hard to find you these days? Even if your cell phone is hard to reach, you can only when you're at 24Night. Unfortunately, I can't get close because you're with another woman." The complaint came from Emily, a woman who had only known Denis for a few days after accompanying her close friend to get a tattoo at Racher Art. Emily was the next woman ready to heat Denis' bed."Ah, I've been a little busy outside these days, sorry." That man did something that no one else knew, not even Jose, and he could go from noon to evening with the excuse of meeting someone.Even when meeting women, they came to Denis without being sought out. Jose couldn't get a feel for what Denis was doing out there. He was also busy with his work at Racher Art."Really? Or do you have a date with someone else?" Emily was still protesting, following Denis from the side of her car until she entered Racher Art and sat on the sofa.Denis just nodded. He took a pack of cigarettes from
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 8. Pulling the hook.
Marra panicked that her mother had been injured and hospitalized when a neighbor–Marra called her was delivering pizza without telling Luke first–she sped to the hospital, her pink work jacket still clinging to her body as she ran through the hospital looking for Lauren's hospital room.When she found Aunt Romel talking to a doctor in front of the ward, Marra approached her. Sweat dripping from her head, she took her time to catch her breath until she felt utterly calm."I'm so glad you came," Aunt Romel said, "I know this has been a huge distraction from your work, Marra. I'm sorry for putting Lauren in the hospital, and I accidentally left her on the porch because I had to turn off the stove. I'm sorry, Marra." Aunt Romel's crying, which had stopped since she exited Denis' car, had resumed.She was genuinely terrified that she had hurt someone else even though it was unintentional, especially her victim Lauren-someone she was supposed to take care of and not go unnoticed. She felt
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 9. Grey day.
It was uncharacteristic of Marra to have trouble focusing on her work while mastering the turntables, people were still moving their bodies on the dance floor and enjoying the music Marra was playing, but the girl couldn't be as expressive as usual. Marra rarely smiled. She looked tense and several times looked to the corner of the room–where Denis was, the man's black irises also kept watching her despite the many humans around–as if Marra was the only one with the right to control Denis's line of sight.Ever since they parted ways in the hospital hallway, Marra had been unable to get Denis out of her mind, the man's voice ringing in her head freely, even louder with a high pitch than the music Marra was now listening to for the audience.Damn it, this is more complicated than anything, Denis' offer is tempting, but the consequences Marra has to accept are also a consideration. The request is too heavy, like Marra is obliged to jump over the glass board from one to another while gues
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 10. A tense night.
One keeps on rethinking when it comes to entering 24Night. Now and then, the urge to run away comes to her mind, but a pair of feet clad in red Converse confirms otherwise. They keep Marra moving towards the location–a place she never wants to visit again, especially tonight. She has been standing in the courtyard of 24Night and staring at her workplace for more than two weeks. The money from Matthew is enough to help Marra's life. The club's owner is not at fault, and neither Matt nor Celine has contributed to Marra's fear.The girl backed away and tried to step in a different direction. Against her obligations and commitments, she resolved to leave, trying to escape, but a pair of lights from a car that had just appeared in the 24Night courtyard seemed to shine on the girl's face deliberately. Marra froze as soon as she realized the car's owner was Denis.I don't know what mistakes I made in my previous life to face this kind of trouble.Marra's desire to rebel instantly disappeare
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 11. Shower.
The car stopped at the curb opposite Racher Art. Denis opened the door for Marra and retook her hand. The girl's courage was gone. She let herself be treated like a mindless body by Denis. They drove to Racher Art, and a key opened the main door; it was dark inside because the lights had been turned off when Denis left his house.He didn't press the light switch and preferred to rely on the light from the flashlight on his cell phone. Marra looked down, following wherever Denis moved, climbing the stairs until they entered a room-then. Denis pressed the light switch.The room's atmosphere greeted Marra's vision, and Denis let go of the girl's hand, ruffling her waist or occasionally adjusting her bangs."Why did you do that to me," Denis said after a long silence. He stood right in front of Marra."What? What did I do? I was following your orders-""Why do you have to cry like that!" Denis cut in, and he pointed at Marra. "I've never made anyone cry, so don't use it as a shield to pro
Latest chapter
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 36. Whose bracelet is it?
"I noticed that even though that tall man didn't appear in front of my face, he still disturbed my mind. It was as if our knots had tied together." Marra clucked. "This is crazy!"Matthew and Celine had returned about ten minutes ago, and they had seen Lauren's condition, and Celine's admiration for Marra grew. She couldn't believe that the young girl was trying to take care of her sick mother without a father.Marra didn't even know the man's whereabouts; she was reluctant to remember him, and Celine's question left Marra speechless for a long time because she didn't have an answer about her father."Maybe he already has a happy new life." Although she spoke with a flat expression, Celine could emphasize that Marra was very good at taking care of every wound inside her. The girl could show a calm side when the emotional part of her sprung up.Now that the girl was feeling upset because of what Denis had done behind her back, if Matthew and Celine hadn't come and said things, Marra wo
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 35. Little facts.
Two weeks after the strange situation, some things had changed strangely. Still, Marra enjoyed it because not communicating or seeing Denis would not affect the girl's life unless someone robbed her of the money from selling fish.Two weeks of quiet, perhaps. When Denis no longer chatted, called, or came to Marra in front of her. Now and then, the girl tried to guess the situation: was Denis sick?However, her little heart always insisted that everything was fine and there was no problem that she should think about it.Marra enjoyed her everyday life like tonight. She had visited the hospital and filled up Lauren's medicine because it was running out, and the woman could not stay away from her medicines."Take this before you rest," Marra said as she knelt in front of Lauren's wheelchair and helped the woman swallow her medicine. "It's all right, Mom." She laid Lauren on the bed, pulling up the covers before kissing her forehead. "I'll always love you, Mom."A car horn sounded outside
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 34. I just want you to know.
Marra is busy cleaning up the empty tables after all the fish have been sold out today. Whoever has to do it for convenience, the tiredness is relieved as the fish sells well, and she receives her fair share.Meanwhile, the market's protective roofs make a relentless pounding sound, which always happens when it rains. The afternoon looks even more somber because of the rain.The crowds are still visible at every corner, as some vendors have yet to close their stalls. Competition is no longer an unfamiliar situation, depending on how each vendor can gain customers' trust.Marra was almost done. She had put all her money in the sling bag after it had been collected in the apron pocket. Marra untied her hair, smoothing it again before tying it lower.The girl almost jumped when North sprinted towards her."What's going on? Why are you running in the market? Aren't you afraid of slipping because the floor has become so slippery from the raindrops from the leaking roof, huh!" Marra was ann
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 33. Panic.
"It turns out that the tattoed man's house is far away," North said as he drove the Vespa along the highway this morning. Although the temperature was quite cold, the sweater made them feel better."Yes, it's far. I'm sorry if I'm always bothering you." Marra is like a lollipop when a large helmet hides her head."Hey. Didn't I say that this friend of yours should also explain the condition of that guy's car? We need each other, Marra.""Alright, I'll shut up now." Marra made a motion to lock her lips."Sure, we'll be there soon, won't we?""He'em."Marra had intended to wait for the public bus when she told North that she was going to Denis' house because she had to return the hoodie she had left at his house. Marra couldn't let a foreign object stay there for long. She would think about it for days.However, North offered to drive Marra to Denis' house, explaining that North wanted to discuss the progress of Denis' Jeep repair after entering his friend's workshop.Marra had refused,
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 32. Seduce.
Denis came out of his room after a long rest, and now that the sky was dark, he realized after looking at the window.Denis cleared his throat, and he felt dryness in his throat. The man walked out of the room. The light in the other room was already on. He could guess that Jose had done everything today.Some clients were supposed to come in, but without explaining his problem to them, Denis just dropped the job. He chuckled, realizing that he managed to disappoint them."I never wanted anything like this to happen," the man muttered as he descended the stairs. He inhaled the aroma of cooking before finding someone still at Racher Art.Yes, Jose was still in this place. He was standing in front of the stove with his apron tied around the front of his body while his hands were busy doing something else."I'm still an angelic human willing to take care of you even though you're a pain in the ass," Jose said, knowing the house owner was watching him near the stairs. He could find Denis
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 31. Every question.
Marra still remembered asking Denis to fall asleep in her room while the girl remained beside Lauren. Denis's attitude was still annoying, but Marra felt it was too much to let him sleep on the sofa when he was not feeling well.Denis didn't say much. He followed Marra's orders and removed his hug from the girl's waist before going to Marra's restroom, obviously not as spacious as Denis' at home.Later this morning, Marra paused by the wide open wide-open door. She grunted as she watched Denis, the man still asleep in bed as if he never thought about the morning coming. Everyone had to get up quickly to start their activities, but Marra never knew how Jose dealt with his predicament whenever he pulled Denis out of bed and onto the floor."What time does he get up every morning?" Marra muttered. "Should I wake him up now?" She tried to think wisely. "But I still have to wake him up. The owner of this house is preparing to go to the fish market, setting up shop from morning to evening f
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 30. It's up to you, but with me?
It was almost ten when Marra still calculated her earnings from selling fish today. The smile on her face spread like a sunflower, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Although slowly, Marra could divide the money into savings. The girl turned to Lauren, who had fallen asleep on her bed."I feel much better today, Mom. So, stay with me." She got up, bent down, and kissed Lauren's forehead. "May you always dream of every beautiful thing."Marra kept her money in a box with a dangling lock, and she kept it in the closet. Just as she was about to rest her body, a knock on the door from outside the house interrupted her."It's not too late. Did North come here?" Marra went out to the living room, and she was pretty sure that the person outside her house was North because four hours earlier, Marra had turned her cell phone back on, but there was no chat or call from Denis.Marra just felt that Denis must be busy with his nightlife. Especially since it was raining now, anyone should rest in t
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 29. She is back.
Denis had no intention of showing up at 24Night tonight. He was exhausted from working on Benjie's broad back tattoo for almost five hours. Still, his curiosity about Jose's silence today was getting to him because Denis realized that his best friend had not ignored him all day, so he had to postpone his break to meet Jose at the club.He had tried the other way by continuing to text and call Jose's number, especially since Jose had gone home this afternoon without saying goodbye, even though the man had tidied up after he was done. Jose managed to ignore Denis just like Marra did, and now Denis wanted to guess that the girl must sleep comfortably without interruption."I hate the rain when it makes me feel even more tired," grumbled Denis when he had to turn on the wipers on his car halfway to the club–he met the rain, an overcast effect since the afternoon.Denis exited the car when he parked in 24Night's courtyard, put on his hoodie, and ran through the rain to the club's entrance.
Mr. Tatto Wants Me 28. What did I do wrong?
"So, what will you do with these fish, buddy?" A white box lay on the surface of the dining table. "I'm not a restaurateur who has to cook and sell everything for one day, so think fast." Jose didn't want to be busy thinking about the what and how, as he was more curious about Marra and Denis' interactions without his knowledge these days.If Jose had to make the connection that even before Marra had come to Racher Art this morning, they had met at the fish market, it must not have been a coincidence–considering that Denis had put a lot of pressure on them to buy fish where Marra was that day.Jose squinted suspiciously when Denis didn't answer his question but kept calm as he sat in a chair and played with his cell phone."Boss, you should have been honest with me," Jose spoke again, grumpy and resigned. "I promise it won't be a problem if you say it politely and pleasantly."Denis just looked at him. "What should I tell you?""I know you're well aware of it, so don't pretend to me.
