From Hate Flourishes Love

A Cancerous Compulsion

Kia's POV

It's been almost a month since my meeting with the Storms and there's no way I am taking their offer. My dad made the mistake so he should the paying for it, not me.

Yet, I still can't bear knowing he could go to prison leaving my mom lonely and homeless. She would just about dead watching as they throw Dad in prison. It has only been two years since her three-year-long fight with cancer. The woman is a fighter, I can't worry that wouldn't be able to manage without Dad. He's far from perfect, but he made my mom happy.

His gambling started as a way to pay for my mom's chemotherapy. Imagine having to put more faith in a hand of blackjack, than in the healthcare industry.

The gambles work at first but then they started to fail, and mix him having to witness cancer stifle the life of his wife, it became an escape and ultimately an addiction.

Could I even make a good partner for Zander?

I leave the answer for another day and make my way to work. It's almost 4:30, and I need to start my shift.

I wash my hands and take over the current orders from Rose. As I wait on a fresh brew of coffee, I start to think about my problems again.

"Kai!" I turn around and see Rose pointing to the steaming coffee pot.

I bite my lip and hope she didn't think I'm slacking off.

I pour the coffee into the cardboard cup and seal the top. I hand it over to her and pour coffee into china cups for the customers having their coffee inside the shop.

I look over the order, and the first was
an order for a straight black coffee.
How anyone could drink coffee with no cream or sugar is beyond me.

I walk to the back of the café, and I saw the guy I had spilt coffee on - hot, near a hundred degrees coffee - the other day.

I didn't think he would've come back to the café at all, but he did. And now he would be here anytime I'm on shift, ordering the same black coffee.

I approach him, and the moment I utterly embarrassed myself plays in my mind.

He is always wearing an expensive type suit or outfit that tempted me into dropping the coffee.

I carefully place his coffee down on the table. I couldn't afford to burn the poor fella.

"What can get you today, Mr . John?" I ask him.

He gives me an intense look as if he's reading my soul. His look makes me bothered, and nervous.

After recommending that John try the Portuguese custard coconut tart on the menu, I wait for the other table and go back to him.

"What's your name ?" He asks.

"Kai," I answer, feeling stupid that I didn't introduce myself.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier." I apologize

Why I'm always saying sorry to him? He probably asked my name so he could send me his thousand-dollar dry cleaning bill here at work.

"Kai, I think your recommendation was very good. I vote you add it to the menu." He says.

I was happy he enjoyed it. Ms Rose wasn't sure if they would be a good fit for our menu.

I leave his table and go back to the counter to get his last order. I look behind me, and I see him leaning on the counter glass. I could smell the fresh rain scent of his cologne.