Chapter 3: Mr. VIP

"Hey, Athena!"

I was snapped back to reality because of what Vanessa did. This friend of mine, I swear—every time I’m deep in thought, she just has to ruin it.

"What now? I’m thinking here and you just had to butt in," I grumbled, but she only laughed.

"Sorry bestie, it’s just—you were totally spacing out. What were you thinking about again? Your secret admirer? My God, let it go already. We’re in our first year of college and he still hasn’t revealed himself," she said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

Geez. She’s right, though. We’re already in college and I still haven’t found out who the first guy to make my heart race really is. I’m not even sure if that guy I met three years ago… was really him.

After what happened between the two of us, I never saw him again—and until now, I haven’t even returned the shirt he lent me. I don’t even know where he is now, but from what I heard, he went abroad to study. That’s why it feels impossible that he’s the same *Mr. Z* who’s still been sending me flowers, chocolates, and all sorts of things up to this day.

“He’s not the one I’m thinking about,” I denied. And, once again, Vanessa just laughed at me. Some customers even glanced at her because of it.

“Oh please, you’re not fooling anyone. It’s so obvious that you’re thinking about him. Just let it be—but don’t worry, I’ll find a way to help you figure out who he is,” she said, flashing a mischievous smile at me. What could she possibly be planning now?

“What are you going to do?” I asked, taking a sip of the coffee she gave me. I was never really into coffee, but since I started working at a coffee shop, I’ve gotten used to drinking it. Coffee is life, as they say.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got this—just wait and see,” she said with a meaningful smile. And when she smiles like that, I *know* she’s planning something I’d never expect.

“Anyways, what time are you leaving?”

“Around 5 PM. It’s still early, and customers are still coming in. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“Aww, you really love me, don’t you? Thank you, friend, you’re really so sweet to me,” she said with a smile before pulling me into a tight hug.

“You’re welcome. You’re the only one between the two of us who isn’t sweet,” I replied, which earned me a sharp look from her—but I just laughed it off.

We both work at a coffee shop owned by her aunt, Tita Lorna. I was supposed to be the only one working here, but she wanted to save up too, so she decided to work as well. We only have half-day classes at school, so we work in the afternoons. It's not a hard job, so we're still able to manage both schoolwork and work.

"Does Aunt Rosa know that you're working at a bar?" she asked. I shook my head in response.

"Why not? When are you planning to tell her?"

"I don't know. I'm scared she might get mad when I tell her."

Aside from working here at the coffee shop, I also work as a waitress at a bar during the evenings. And Aunt Rosa doesn't know about it. I didn’t tell her because I knew she’d get mad and wouldn’t allow me to do it. But I really need to work so I can support my education. I don’t want to depend on her anymore because I know how tired she is from working. I want to help her, so I’m willing to take any job just to ease her burden.

“She’ll be even angrier if she hears it from someone else. She’ll understand you as long as you explain things properly. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, so I’m sure once you tell her, she won’t be mad—she’ll understand you even more,” she said as she gave me a light pat on the shoulder.

I let out a deep sigh. I really need to tell Aunt Rosa before she finds out from someone else. I just hope she understands why I’m doing all this.

***

Loud music from the sound system, people screaming and dancing, and colorful lights greeted me as I entered the bar. I’d gotten used to this scene every night, but there are still times when I question why I even chose to work here. I've only been working here for seven months, and even though I’m managing, this kind of environment can be a lot sometimes.

"Oh, you’re a bit early today, Athena?" one of my coworkers said in surprise when I entered the locker area.

"My shift at the coffee shop ended early, so I headed straight here. What about you, Lara? Have you been here long?" I asked as I placed my bag inside my locker. I grabbed my black apron and put it on so I could start working.

"Yeah, I got a text from the boss, so I didn’t have much of a choice but to come in early," she replied.

"Why? There aren’t that many customers yet."

"Because his friend just arrived—the so-called Mr. VIP."

I was surprised by what she said. Mr. VIP is Boss Yael’s best friend, and up until now, I still don’t know his real name. I’ve never seen him face-to-face either since I always seem to miss him whenever he comes by. But according to Lara, he’s good-looking and rich—and that's what we called him.

Our conversation didn’t go any further because I stepped out of the locker area to start working. The bar was getting more crowded now, the music louder, and there were already plenty of drunk people all over the place.

"Good evening, Brother Marky," I greeted the bar’s one and only bartender. He’s been working here for a while—three years, I think.

"Good evening, Athena. Glad you're here. Can you bring this to the VIP room? Lara’s been gone for a while now and she’s actually assigned there tonight," he said.

"No problem, Brother, I'll take care of it," I replied with a smile as he handed me a tray of liquor. Just the smell alone was expensive and intoxicating.

After thanking me, I headed to the VIP room. It was my first time going in, and I was really nervous. Usually, I only deal with regular customers, and I have limited interaction with VIP customers. But I was nervous, hoping that at least they’d be kind.

When I got to the VIP room, I knocked before entering. But I was surprised when I went inside. I expected it to be loud, but it wasn’t. It felt like being in a prayer meeting where only one person is speaking, and the rest are just listening. That was the situation in there.

Did I enter the right room?

"Oh, Athena, it’s you. Please place what you brought here, you might be getting heavy-handed." 

It was Boss Yael, which means Mr. VIP is here?

I followed what my boss said and placed the tray of drinks on the table, setting down the glasses and a bottle of champagne one by one. But as I was doing that, I noticed that everyone with my boss was staring at me, and one of them might be Mr. VIP. I still haven’t seen his face, so I wasn’t sure who he was among the men here. It was confusing, especially since all of them were handsome and around my boss’s age. Boss Yael is still young, so I wasn’t sure who Mr. VIP was among his companions.

"Thank you, Athena," my boss said with a smile.

I didn’t say anything, just smiled in response and glanced at his companions, who couldn’t seem to take their eyes off me. There were five of them in total, so four pairs of eyes were focused on me, aside from my boss, who was busy drinking.

"Maybe Athena will melt from that," Boss Yael joked, and his companions quickly turned their gaze away. I couldn’t help but laugh quietly—they looked so cute.

"She's pretty," said one man wearing eyeglasses. He looked like he might be of Japanese descent, and he was really handsome and seemed smart.

"Yeah, why do you work here? A pretty woman like you doesn't belong here. Are you still studying?" said the man in the leather jacket, speaking seriously.

He sounded so serious, but it was hot to hear. Huh? Athena, stop it, that’s not appropriate. Get it together.

"Ah, y-yes Sir," I stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Please cut the word 'Sir.' I'm just one year older than you," he said with a laugh, though his voice had a soft tone. I couldn't tell if he was flirting with me or if that's just how he spoke.

"God, bro, stop flirting with her. She's not the same as every woman you've met," another man interjected. "Anyways, I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you, Ms. Athena," he added with a smile as he stood up and walked towards me. He extended his hand toward mine, and I had no choice but to take it and shake his hand.

God, his hand is so soft.

"Get your dirty hands off her, Thomas!" another voice interrupted.

I was shocked by the man who suddenly shouted. We all turned to look at him, with surprise and confusion in our eyes. What was his problem?

"Chill, Mr. VIP, I won't take her away from you," the guy next to me said, raising both hands as if surrendering to the police before walking back to his seat.

But what did he mean by that?

Mr. VIP? My god, is it really him?!