Chapter 9 A Little Pathetic
873 Words
Once Olivia, Isabella, and the crowd of people who had gathered to watch their brawl finally dispersed, a man who looked like a kind, down-to-earth middle-aged man approached my vegetable stall.
He wrinkled his nose as he sniffed one of the tomatoes and then reached out to feel a cucumber.
"Smells amazing," he murmured to himself. Without asking about the price, he bought a pound of cucumbers and a pound of tomatoes.
After paying, the man couldn't resist immediately taking a bite of the cucumber, smacking his lips in satisfaction. He then put on an exaggerated pair of red sunglasses and drove away.
With most of my vegetables sold out, I was about to pack up and head home when I hesitated. On a whim, I grabbed a few tomatoes, a box of strawberries, and a pound of spinach to bring over to Ryan.
So, naturally, we ended up sitting together for lunch.
As we ate and chatted, I forked up a large bite of salad. Maybe a bit too eagerly. A piece of lettuce and some dressing slipped off my fork and fell right onto my chest. The lettuce leaf slid down my cleavage.
I casually grabbed a napkin and wiped it away without a second thought.
But Ryan's eyes were drawn to me, his gaze following my movements as I cleaned up.
I kept wiping, realizing I hadn't gotten it all, so I tugged down my neckline a little, fishing the bit of salad out from between my breasts. By now, most of my chest was exposed, the smooth, soft skin gleaming under the light, practically glowing.
I tossed the dirty napkin aside and leaned forward to grab another one, this one closer to Ryan.
Ryan's eyes widened, his focus locked on my ample cleavage, so close he could hardly breathe. Ryan almost seemed to have a nosebleed. His Adam's apple bobbed as he involuntarily swallowed, a soft gulp escaping his throat.
Once I was done wiping, I casually pulled my neckline back up and resumed eating my salad, completely unaware of Ryan's reaction.
He finally looked away from my chest, only to notice that his shirt collar was damp with sweat. He fidgeted, tugging at the collar and sleeves to get comfortable, only to brush against the phone in his pocket.
The phone's vibration snapped him out of his daze. He glanced at it and then exclaimed, "Wait, Alice, did you just sell vegetables to Michael? The middle-aged guy with the red sunglasses?"
I nodded. The man had left a pretty strong impression on me.
"He's apparently got food poisoning. I need to head to the hospital." Ryan jumped to his feet, rushing toward his motorcycle parked at the door.
'Food poisoning?' I got nervous, and I protested. "Whatever caused it, it definitely wasn't my vegetables!"
"Of course, like I said, I believe you!"
Ryan waved as he hopped onto his motorcycle and sped away.
That afternoon, I had just finished setting up my stall again when those two annoying figures reappeared.
Olivia was wearing a ridiculously flamboyant purple dress, strutting around like a peacock. Meanwhile, Isabella wore a bright yellow tracksuit, practically radiating energy. The bruises they'd given each other were still visible on their faces, but now, they were teaming up against me instead of fighting each other.
They stood like two vicious dogs, one on either side of my stall, glaring at every passerby.
"Hey, hey! Don't even think about buying here! The veggies are overpriced and taste terrible! Don't get fooled!" Olivia waved her hands dramatically, scaring off an older woman who had been about to ask for prices.
The woman, startled by Olivia's sudden outburst, looked at her and then at me, confused. In the end, she shook her head and walked away.
"See that? That's what happens when you don't play along!" Olivia crowed triumphantly as if she'd just accomplished something monumental.
I ignored her, busying myself with rearranging my vegetables. Fresh under the sunlight, they glistened enticingly, attracting the attention of many people passing by. But once they noticed Olivia and Isabella's menacing glares, they hesitated and kept walking.
"Sir, here's five bucks. Go buy your veggies somewhere else. These aren't fresh." Isabella blocked a young man who had been about to hand me cash, offering him the bill instead.
The guy hesitated, glanced at my sign prominently displaying: Opening Special, 1/lb dollar, and then glanced back at the five dollars Isabella was holding. After a moment, he accepted the money and walked away.
"See that? Money talks! You're way out of your league trying to mess with us!" Isabella said smugly.
I bit back the urge to explode, glaring at them with cold fury, and said firmly, "Enough! Cut the act! Olivia, Isabella, I get it. You want to chase away my customers, make me leave, and keep Ryan's attention all to yourselves. Fine. But have you ever thought about what Ryan wants?"
I paused, my sharp gaze locking onto Isabella's eyes. "Don't tell me you actually believe that just by getting rid of me, you'll win him over. Are you two high school girls? Isabella, are you really content being Olivia's lackey? Don't you think your behavior is a little... pathetic?"
- Writer
