His Caramel

Chapter 29: Don't back off

Scarlet POV

"Hey Scarlet, someone is asking for you," Michael informed, standing near the door.  I was busy organizing the storage room with the new stock while he helped out at the front counter. The peak time already passed so the café was not really occupied for the time being.

"Who's that? Raymond?" I turned around to look at him. Raymond will be the only one that drops by every day, making new friends not on my list yet now.

"No, some elderly guy. He is sitting at the table no. 8. He said he needs to talk to you."

A frown appeared on my face as I tried to figure out who might that be but I answered him instead, "alright, Michael, I will be there. Thanks, anyway." He immediately went back to the counter to resume his work. I stopped my work and strode out from the storage room with curiosity.

The old man in a black suit was facing the other side, so I couldn't see his face. He sat at the table alone while accompanied by a cup of drink. I slowly approached him.

"Hello, sir, I was told that you were looking for me?" It came out more like a question. I just want to make sure I didn't approach the wrong person even though I was sure about the table that Michael mentioned.

"Oh, hello, you're Miss Scarlet?" He asked with a genuine smile on his face.

"Yes, I am Scarlet. Is there anything that I can help you with? Any problem with the service that we provided?"

He raised his hand and the smile brushed away all my worries, I could sense his friendliness. "Don't worry about the service dear, everything is good. Please have a seat first." The way he talked to me made a warm feeling filled my heart for a moment. He pointed to the empty chair across him.

I don't feel any threat or uncomfortable aura around him, so I decided to follow what he motioned. Not that he can do something bad to me in the public. I sat there and waited for him to talk further.

"Let me introduce myself first, I'm Rodriguez," I caught the familiar name but it was impossible that they were related to each other.

"It sounds familiar to you?" He caught the obvious expression that appeared on my face.

"Yeah, I have a friend-uh, maybe not anymore, I mean someone that I know before with that surname," I explained.

"Miguel Rodriguez?" I swear my mouth formed a big 'O' at the moment the name slipped from his lips and a frown covered my forehead soon. He laughed softly due to my expression but I couldn't control it.

"Y-you are-his dad? His grandpa?" The shock made me stuttered but I managed to ask him, drawing out the possibility.

"Grandpa," he answered shortly with a smile and softened eyes. I could see the love that he had for Miguel. I never heard him mentioned his family, so I'm not aware of them.

"Please, I already left Miguel and the city. I don't have any relationship with him anymore and I'm not in contact with him at all." The conversation with his mom immediately popped-out from my mind.

"What had she done?" I saw a glint of anger from his eyes but not towards me.

"She asked me to step out from Miguel's life and if you're here to-"

He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"I'm really sorry about her rude behavior. Don't worry, I'm not like that and I'm here to ask you to do the opposite thing."

"Pardon?"

"Please don't back off from my grandson's life," I gawked at him in an attempt to get some truth behind the statement. The smile on his face confirmed that and it convinced me more with his next action. He patted my hand that I rested on the table, reassuring me.

"I'm sorry," I lowered my gaze, embarrassed with my assumption. "I thought you're here for the same reason."

"No, dear. That will never be the case. Instead of back off from Miguel's life, I want you to step into his life."

"I don't understand." That was the only sentence that I managed to say.

"Before that, I want to ask you, why do you follow what his mom said?"

"I don't want to ruin their relationship. I'm not in a good term with my mom and I know how it hurt. I don't want Miguel to go through the same thing. Moreover, I don't want to be the reason for that." I explained truthfully, and he nodded his head with my explanation.

"I'm sorry about your mom." His eyes held empathy instead of sympathy.

"Nah, it's okay. I already get used to it. It had been a few years." It's hurt to say that but I brushed the feeling away.

"Do you like my grandson?" That was out of the blue.

"No, no, nothing like that happened." I covered it with humorless laughter but noticed the smile on his face.

"But the blush on your face said otherwise, dear." I wanted to face palm myself.

I sighed with his statement and turned my sight away from him. I averted my eyes to the table. "I think I like him but to be in his life is not something for me to do."

"Because of his mom?" I nodded, admitting it for the first time to someone after the incident.

"So, you mean that if his mom didn't say anything about this, you will stay in his life?"

"I think so."

"Great to hear that. Let me tell you their story and I hope it will change your mind after this." Now, he got my attention back.

"The person that asked you to stay away from my grandson's life is actually his stepmom. His real mom passed away a long time ago and his dad which was my son passed away a few years back.  I'm not living with Miguel but I'm aware of everything that happened in our family. I still have someone to keep an eye on the family business and Miguel's life. He is a good grandson. He always keeps in touch with me, but I was aware that he hid all the bad things caused by his dad and stepmom. He became the victim in the family." An involuntary sigh escaped his mouth when he ended his story.

"Do you know why his stepmom wants you to stay away from Miguel?"

"I guess because of my family background."

"Yes, that was part of it. Don't get me wrong, dear; I'm not someone like that."

"I know," I assured him with a smile. They were obviously the opposite types.

"Her real motive is to find someone from a rich family to secure her status in the high society with her privilege as Miguel's stepmom. She is afraid that after my son passed away she will return to her old life, keep in mind that she was not someone from the high society. I can make her life in disaster but I'm not someone that cruel."

"But did she treat Miguel nicely?" I expressed my doubt. That was what I got from his story.

"Do you consider being used and threatened as nice?" He gave me a hint through his question.

"Of course no." I instantly answered. Well, everyone aware that wasn't considered as nice. "But, what do you mean by being used and threatened?" Curiosity grew widely in me.

A smile on his face showed me that there are more storiesbehind his question. It made me drowned in guilt and doubted my decision instantly. Am I making the wrong decision?
*************************