Chapter 2.

Anabelle's POV.

  "What took you so long?", Gabriella, my closest friend and co-worker asked once I walked into the diner,

  "Trouble at Bianca's school, those kids really need a time out", I groaned, taking an apron from the hanger and putting my hair up into a messy bun, "Is Phil here?", I asked glaring at the door which said, 'Manager',

  "Nope, he is running late", Gabby answered and looked at the clock, "How I wished we could also chew his ass up when he comes in late", she sighed.

  I rolled my eyes, "That’s why he's the boss, he does the ass chewing and we do the ass cooking",

  She clapped her hands together loudly, "Well then, we better get to work before the ass chewer arrives", we both laughed at the joke and started cleaning the diner as our other co-worker, Shawn was handling the grill and stove. Shawn was quite a looker with his muscular frame and handsome face but I just didn’t feel any romantic attraction towards him.

  Minutes later, the place was crowded with lots of hungry customers waiting for their breakfast. It was always crowded like this in the morning but by noon, all the customers dispersed to be back in the evening. It was a daily routine for us and to be very honest, my favorite time of the day was afternoon since there were less customers at that time.

  I finished serving the last customer in the diner before heading back to the counter and resting my back on it, "Phew", Gabby started, wiping away fake sweat from her forehead, "I thought I was going to die back there. My legs and hands ache like crazy", she said rubbing the spots,

  "At least we have a break for a while", I said and just then, someone walks into the diner, "I guess I spoke to soon. Don’t worry, I'll handle it", I muttered and she nodded, disappearing into the back.

  "Hey", a husky voice said from behind me, making me whip my head to face the most wonderful and somewhat familiar brown eyes I've ever seen,

  "Hey", I smiled longingly at him, his face was beyond handsome, it was beautiful. He had deep brown curly hair that framed his face perfectly which reminded me of Bianca and so did his brown eyes. He also had a button nose which also seemed like Bianca's, even the olive skin.

  He cleared his throat, snapping me out of my daze, "Can I place my order?",

  "Sure, will you like some coffee?", I suggested,

  "Cappuccino", he ordered, "I'll also have bacon and eggs along with it and maybe a burger", he said again,

  "Okay", I placed his order in the box and turned back to continue ogling his features like he was a snack.

  "EHEM!", he snapped trying to get my attention off his face, at this point, I could be drooling and I wouldn’t even care.

  "You're new here, right? This is my first time of seeing you around", I said, trying to bring up a topic so he won't see me as a complete creep,

  "Yeah, I just moved into town", he replied sitting on his chair as I suddenly remembered that I left the coffee machine on. I turn it off and pour the cappuccino into the mug and hand it over to him,

  "Well in that case, welcome to Coral Bay", I smiled warmly and he just nodded in response. I don’t think this guy is much of a talker, I mean, he only speaks when he thinks it’s necessary.

  I busied myself with a book as I waited for Shawn to indicate that his food was ready. Although, I couldn’t help but steal a few glances at him. I've never felt this way towards a guy before and trust me when I say that I've met a lot of hot guys. I mean there's basically a living proof in the kitchen.

  After ten minutes, I heard the bell ring, "Order up", Shawn's manly voice boomed through the kitchen. I took the food from the opening and handed it over to the guy.

  "Here's your order of eggs, bacon and a burger", I said hoping I got the order right since I was too busy staring at his fine features when I was taking them down. To my luck, he didn’t complain, so I let out a sigh of relief and continued to look at him. Why did he have to look so familiar?

  "Is there something I can help you with?", his gruff voice asked and my eyes darted somewhere else. I took my book off the counter and started reading, trying my best to focus on it.

  Few minutes later, he got up and handed me a fifty-dollar bill, "Keep the change", he said before walking out of the diner. I looked at the money again in shock, his food cost only twenty dollars and that meant the change was thirty dollars. I put the fifty dollars in the cash register and took a thirty for myself, there was no way I was leaving my tip for Phil. No way.

~.~

  After my afternoon shift which finished at three, I had about two hours to myself and about thirty minutes of that time was usually spent on picking Bianca up from school and taking her to the diner.

  Part of the time was also spent on doing her homework with her and watching her play with Shawn and Gabby. It was a tradition we had all gotten used to, she gets along with everyone and I love the fact that they love her as well.

  Sometimes when I’m on my shift and Shawn isn’t, he volunteers to take her to the park so that she could at least enjoy part of her childhood and since I have anxiety problems when it comes to going too far from home, I can’t take her.

  Gabby buys all my groceries for me. She helps me when she goes grocery shopping for herself and I couldn’t thank her enough for doing that for me even though I pay her back immediately. She knows what happened to me five years ago, I took the liberty of telling her when we got close. That was four years ago. She didn’t judge me and I was grateful for that. I don’t know what I would’ve done if she insulted me for being sexually assaulted against my will.

  “Mummy, did you hear what I just said?”, My daughter asks me with a small frown on her beautiful face. She knew that I had zoned out on her like I usually do. I’m such a terrible mum.

  “I’m so sorry sweetie. Mummy was just thinking, what did you say?”, I place her small frame on my lap and she clung close to my body,

  “I said Miss. Greyson made all the mean kids apologize to me today”, she beamed happily. Her smile was so contagious, she had that megawatt smile that could turn so many heads and I knew for a fact that she did not inherit that from me. I wasn’t saying that I was a total grinch but I was grumpy half of the time. With a life like mine, it was hard to be over joyous, don’t you think?

  Only one thing or rather person could bring light into my gloomy day and that is my daughter. I don’t need a love life, the only thing I need in my life is my adorable daughter that I can shower with love and give my undivided attention to.

  Besides, no man will ever want me, I was damaged goods. Once I get close to a man and tell him about what happened to me, he’ll probably make a b-line for the door and leave me heartbroken. Bianca had been through a lot; I didn’t want her to see me like that and grow up hating men. I didn’t want her to be lonely like me. I needed her to have a love life one day.

  I couldn’t know why but my mind immediately drifted off to the man from this morning. I just couldn’t help but think of the handsome stranger in an unholy way. No. I’ve decided. I wanted to have nothing to do with men. No one could change my mind on this. No one.

My eyes involuntarily darted down to my daughter remembering the similar features they shared. Maybe that was why I was so attracted to him. Yes. I had to admit that I had or maybe have some sort of attraction to him but I’ll get over it soon. I didn’t deserve love from any man. The only love I wanted, needed and deserved was from my baby.

  At night, I received my daily pay and head on home with a sleeping Bianca on my hip and her school bag along with my hand bag in my hands. I never took the night shift because I had a daughter to care for and I wasn’t comfortable leaving her with a sitter.

  Once we got into the apartment, I removed her shoes and set her down on the couch before making my way to the joint kitchen to make dinner. After putting the spaghetti on the stove, I removed my work apron and retied my hair into a bun.

  I left the kitchen and walked over to the couch, giving Bianca a few light taps on her shoulder so she won’t get startled. She opened her eyes, her chocolate brown irises looking up at me, “Go take off your clothes love, have a shower. Dinner will be ready by then”.

  She sat up from the couch stretching and yawning in the cutest way ever. She nodded and sleepily left the living room, dragging her school bag on the floor behind her. Once she was out of sight, I go back into the kitchen just in time to see the water drying up, cursing under my breath, I tipped some water into it.

  When I was done helping our food into two bowls, Bianca walked in with her Minnie Mouse onesie that she received from Gabby on her fourth birthday. “Mummy, I didn’t brush my teeth cause whenever I do before I eat, my mouth tastes all sour and yuck”, she explained while climbing into one of the chairs.

  I smiled warmly at her, “It’s okay sweetie, you’ll brush when I’m brushing”. She grinned at me and after a short prayer dug into her food. Let’s just say she definitely be needed another bath that night.