Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas) >>
Note: This story is also available on Novel Palace account in Wattpad. See Chapter 6 – Bring It On, My Mafia Life on Wattpad.
It wasn’t hard for Rhea to find her uncle’s place since she had been here a couple of times before her father died. So she trekked back home with that annoying girl who she had come to know as Mimi stalking her.
It was very annoying to Rhea because, with each step she took, Mimi took one as well; when she slows or increases her pace, Mimi does the same. It vexed her, the girl was taunting her.
“Why are you stalking me?!” She fired at last, unable to stand the girl anymore.
“So you can talk? I thought you were mute,” Mimi smirked at her and that gesture infuriated Rhea the most.
Why was she happy? Was she laughing at her because she’s an orphan?
Rhea’s gaze hardened, “Follow me again and I’ll break your leg,” she threatened her.
However, Mimi snorted, “Who’s following you? I live down the street and what do you mean you will break my leg? I purposely held back my strength earlier, so don’t tempt me,” She lifted her chin in a show of dominance.
Although Rhea was sure of her strength, she didn’t want to test her luck either. Moreover, it would do her no good fighting on the street. So she ignored Mimi and went her way.
Rhea was surprised when Mimi eventually stopped by a bungalow that was just a few blocks away from her uncle’s place. So the girl had not been bluffing as she thought.
Mimi turned to her one last as if expecting her to say goodbye or something. Was she crazy? Why would she say goodbye to that crazy girl?
“What are you looking at now?!” Rhea hollered, when in reality she was the one standing and staring at her. At once, Rhea left for her place while telling herself she did a good job by not waving goodbye.
That night was the first time her aunt laid a hand on her and the beginning of her misery. When her father had been alive, her aunt treated her so well – even more than her daughter Costanza – each time they visited. Who knew that was a pretense all along and she had only been sucking up to her father. Her aunt received report of her detention and took it upon herself to discipline her.
The next day, Rhea was ready to go to school with the painful whips from last night only to stumble upon Mimi outside her place and she had something in her hand.
“My mom heard about what happened and scolded me. She made me bake this as an apology. So can we be friends now?” was all Mimi said.
Just a scold? Mimi sneered inside. She received a serious whipping from her aunt. Rhea wanted to avenge herself and make Mimi feel her pain. What it felt like not to have a mother nor father. But then, the offer of friendship was alluring – she was tired of being lonely.
Fine, she would accept the friendship and in the long run, have her revenge, Rhea decided as she accepted the cake from Mimi. Hence, what started as a little revenge plan blossomed into a wonderful friendship to date.
“Rhea, are you just coming to work by this time?!” hollered their boss, an annoying forty-five-year-old man with a receding hairline.
“Of course not, sir,” Rhea replied busying herself on the counter. Their boss was a strange man and a typical traditionalist. If one looked him in the eyes while he barked orders, he would claim you’re challenging his authority. Either way, if you avoided his gaze as well, he would claim you’re looking down on him.
But then, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, so each of his employees adapted diverse ways to deal with the man’s tantrums which was how they had survived so far. However, to Rhea, if she could survive her uncle and his family of witches, there was nothing on earth she couldn’t survive.
“What do you mean of course not?” he sneered, “This is the first time I’m setting my eyes on you,”
“Sir,” Rhea said calmly, “I’ve been inside putting away the order – boxes, and boxes of supplies and ingredients,” she lied through her teeth.
As a professional liar, she added, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Mimi,” she tipped her head in the direction of her friend who returned with a tray she used to serve a customer.
“Yes, sir, Rhea had been here, just busy,” Mimi supported her best friend.
…..
The boss was about grumbling his disbelief, knowing Mimi was her best friend and she would naturally support her when another employee passed them saying, “It’s true. I saw her earlier,” and walked away. But not without winking at Rhea when the boss wasn’t looking.
Rhea smiled at Julian, the guy who helped her out. In here, they were like family and always had each other’s back knowing their boss was a difficult man.
Truthfully, Rhea was just five minutes late to work, nor was she a habitual offender, the boss wouldn’t hear of it. All he cared about was his gains not even the welfare of his employees – the man loved money so much it was almost an obsession.
Unable to find her guilty of the accusation, their boss huffed and strode away. Mimi and Rhea burst into stifled laughter yet composed themselves immediately knowing their boss would be watching them; he was like a fly that lingered and bothered.
Located in the city’s bustling commercial district, stands their sleek café. The sculpted walls, along with a coffee bean-shaped chandelier hangs above the bar. The ceiling extends past the fa?ade, forming a covered area for outdoor seating, and installed a circular barista station clad in black marble. Hence, for those not grabbing their morning cup on their way to work, the shop has both intimate and open seating areas.
Rhea had not chosen to work here because she loved to make coffee but because she wanted to make money – she guessed that was the similarity she shared with her boss. Money lovers.
She needed money for a lot of things, including surviving in her uncle’s place. She doesn’t eat their food – afraid that they might poison her – and if she does eat, it must be made by Susan. She doesn’t trust anyone in that household except the woman. Susan had been a motherly figure to her since the day she began to live in that hell hole.
“Hey, hey!” Mimi rushed over to her after returning from serving another table, “Guess what?!”
“You found your heartthrob,” Rhea replied without looking up, busy with her beans.
Mimi gasped dramatically, “How did you know?”
“Because we’ve had this exact conversation over a hundred times already,”
“Really?”
Rhea sighed, shaking her head sympathetically. Mimi might be hef friend but she was a hopeless romantic.
Their store wasn’t exactly the best out there but it got a decent inflow of customers, including the handsome guys who were daily nourishment to Mimi’s love-struck soul. But then, even with the hundreds of handsome guys she dated, Mimi was still single – none of them seem to hold her interest for long.
“Mimi, leave the poor customer alone and for your well-being as well,” She advised her.
“Fine,” Mimi pouted her lips with a look of disappointment. She said, “He wants two cups of black coffee,”
“Two cups of black coffee?” Rhea’s brows furrowed in contemplation, “Who in their right mind likes blank coffee?” she blurted out.
Mimi sighed, her arm propped up on the counter, “I think it’s manly of him,”
“You idiot, haven’t you read that study?”
Mimi frowned at her, “Read what study ?”