My daughter's XXL physical therapist

Chapter 03

Nicole

Man, that girl—the slut who hangs around the boss of the favela—is so lazy. I don’t know how these women live like this. Do they really depend on a guy just to buy a plate of food? Unbelievable! That’s not for me.

My mom leaves the diner at 5:00 PM, so Luana and I had lunch, and then I went home, dragging my feet. I wanted to take a shower and change clothes. After all, I had seen patients all morning, I was sweaty, and I had been rushing around in my car, so I needed to cool off.

"There is going to be a samba at Zeca's bar, and we are going," my mom announced before we left the diner, and I got super excited, right along with my favorite pain in the neck.

"What is with that face, Dona Luana?" I asked her while I took a shower. She was sitting on the bathroom floor.

Yes, we have that level of intimacy, and I know this little brat very well.

"Jonathan and I would be celebrating twelve years since our first kiss today," she said, and I looked at her while rinsing soap out of my eyes.

"And, as always...?" I could already guess what happened.

"He sent a breakfast basket, a bouquet, and a letter with a picture of us..." she said, and I stared at her. "I will never accept what he did. It would have been twelve years together since our first kiss, and I just can't forgive him..." she finished, and I looked at her seriously.

"You need therapy, because he does everything for you, and you know it. Even though you aren't together, he tries to support you in every way. And you love each other. You can't stand seeing him with someone else without suffering like crazy, and he can't stand seeing you with someone else, even if it's some random guy. He is the reason Anthony is still in prison today, because he dug into the guy's past. Forgive him, man. Try to talk to him... or seriously, go to therapy," I said, and she laughed.

"It is no use. He does these things because he wants to. Every time there is a police raid, you know the hell he puts my life through," she argued, but I interrupted her.

"And you put his through hell, too. You take care of his mother like nobody else; that woman idolizes you. Do you really think all the blame was on him? You know that back then he didn't have control over everything. You are not teenagers anymore. He didn't mean any harm, and he never committed to anyone else—you know very well why. So try to change this situation... You never even talked to him about everything that happened. You just tried to kill him and almost got arrested. You had to answer to the bosses for it, too. So come on, think about it." I finished my shower, and she didn't say anything else.

After we left the bathroom, she stayed sprawled out on my bed while I got dressed and organized some things—some materials for the studio I want to open here in the favela. Then, I received a text from a home care agency.

"Hello, Dr. Nicole, a position has opened up..." The message listed all the specifications, and my eyes completely lit up at the pay rate and the specialty: pediatrics! Without a doubt, I accepted it right away.

I was starting tomorrow, so I immediately went to grab some materials to research, get informed, and outline a treatment plan, already super excited.

"I am going home to get ready. I will meet you at the samba." Luana got up from my bed, her face looking a bit swollen.

She left without waiting for an answer, but she knows I am right. I tell her these things for her own good, and she knows that...

I rested for a bit and woke up to my mom shouting and banging on my door.

"You have twenty minutes to get ready, or you are paying for the Uber!" My soul left my body, and I am still looking for it lost somewhere out there.

I jumped out of bed, hopped under the shower, took an invigorating cold shower to wake my soul back up, and got ready. I put on a sandy-colored, knit-style dress with some fringe and a low heel. I did the quickest makeup in the universe and grabbed a small purse for my money, charger, and phone; I never leave without them. I put on my good perfume that I got from my mom for my birthday. It is from my favorite brand, and she paid for it in six installments just to give it to me, even though she didn't need to. But I love that we both fight so hard to give each other the best we can.

"I am reaaaaaady! I am in the car, let's go, Dona Adriana, the first bucket of beers is on you!" I shouted, jumping into the car, racing her, and bursting into laughter.

I got in the car, and that feeling of satisfaction engulfed me. I put on my accessories because I didn't want to miss out on the first bucket, and sped off toward the square.

"Wow, daughter, what a dream car. You deserve it so much, my love. I know how hard you work and how much you sacrifice. You deserve it so much." My mom was still completely enchanted, and honestly, so was I...

We arrived at the square just as Luana was pulling up on her motorcycle. I touched up my lip gloss in the rearview mirror, and I looked wonderful!

"Let's celebrate your achievement!" my mom said, dancing her way out of the car.

"Wow, Mom, wow!" I laughed, and we headed to a little bar we liked. It doesn't usually get too wild or full of thugs and their sluts, even though it was still packed tonight.

"The first bucket is on my mom," I informed Luana right away. The singer was already performing in the square. The music sounded amazing, and the place was packed, as usual.

I was chatting, excited, talking about life while my mom told stories from the diner, and both of us were dying laughing at the embarrassing things those women do.

When out of nowhere, a space opened up at the bar where we were standing. A bunch of guys doing security for Urso appeared out of thin air. He never came to this bar; he always hung out at the chaotic spot over on the other side of the favela... I didn't understand what was going on, but... that was his problem.

He sat down with all his men around him. Jonathan walked in, giving a fierce look to Luana, who immediately looked away.

"Let's dance, come on," my mom called out to us, and we went to dance.

A circle formed around us, and we danced with our cups in our hands, celebrating my achievement. We laughed happily, but I could feel my body burning. He was staring at me. With all those women around him, he was just sitting there...

Sitting perfectly still, with a glass of beer near his mouth, his gold chains shining, and a gaze that pierced right through my soul.

"All fat and she still thinks she is hot s**t, poor thing..." The blonde from earlier brushed past me, and I gave her a friendly bump with my hips as I danced. She went flying, then came storming back toward me, looking for trouble, and I stepped right up to her.

"Are you crazy? Do you know who I am? Don't touch me with that disgusting body!" she screamed. Just as she raised her hand to hit me, I heard the loud crash of a table falling, and suddenly his scent filled the air around us.

"Are you f*****g crazy? Who the hell even are you? I don't even know you." He stepped right between us, glaring down at her.

"Did you see what she did?" she screamed at him.

"Lower your damn voice! Who do you think you are talking to? Am I just some random guy in this b***h?" he roared, and she instantly fell silent. "I saw exactly what happened. I was paying very close attention to the whole thing."

"Get the f**k out of here, Larissa, before I get sick of looking at your face. Don't you ever raise your voice to me, or I will slap the s**t out of you without a second thought," he growled, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her backward by her hair, pointing a finger right in her face. When he was done talking, he shoved her out of the bar, sending her stumbling into the middle of the street.

I won't deny it—I loved it!

"Turn the music back on," he ordered loudly. He stopped right in front of me, glaring at me even more intensely than before, as if that were even possible...

The heat consumed my body, but I kept my composure. My throat went dry, and I wasn't going to say anything. It wasn't necessary...

He stepped away, also in silence... He returned to his table, and my mom came up to me nervously, already bombarding me with questions.

"Let's go back to dancing," I said, downing a glass of beer. I went right back to dancing in the middle of the bar, noticing that he was still staring at me.

He shook his head with a mischievous smile and wiped his mouth. What a man, ladies... what a man. But I wasn't going to give him the time of day. I am staying far away from that kind of competition.

"What a scandal, Urso stepping in like that, calling out the girl who is always with him. Astounding..." Luana said, looking at me mischievously.

"You have a lot to say, huh?" I deflected, calling the waiter over to ask for another bucket of beers. I sat down, feeling flushed, and I could feel that he was still watching me.

Damn it!

"My loves, I am heading out..." I said, getting up a little while later. I had already danced and laughed enough. "I work early tomorrow. I have a new patient, and I have to be at my best." I called the waiter over to pay.

"It is already paid for, Nick, don't worry about it," the waiter said, and I was confused, since neither of us had paid.

"What do you mean?" But as soon as I asked, a lightbulb went off in my head. I looked over at Urso, who simply raised his glass toward me in a toast.

I just gave a tight nod, while my mom waved at him all happily. Since she knows him—he eats at the diner almost every day, and my mom is a favorite among the local guys—he threw a peace sign back at her, but his eyes were still locked on me.

I headed to my car, said goodbye to Luana, and went home with my mom.

"I don't understand why Urso paid the bill, girl!" my mom commented, and I just shrugged.

"If a thug has a conscience, his must have been feeling heavy. His b***h started two fights in one day—first with you, and then with me. It was about time he asserted his authority. What he did was the bare minimum," I told her. She laughed and gave me a suggestive look, but I shook my head in denial. "Good night, my goddess. See you tomorrow." I said goodbye to her and went to my room.

I took a shower, but the heat of that man looking at me was already making me dizzy... I couldn't think of anything else. Just his eyes, his intensity, his scent...

"Snap out of it, Nicole," I told myself as I put on my pajamas and lay down in bed to sleep.

Which was a struggle, by the way...

I woke up to my alarm, jumped right out of bed, tidied my room, and went to the bathroom to take a shower, do my skincare routine, and get ready for the day.

I put on black leggings and a black polo shirt with my name embroidered on it. I did my hair, put on my go-to accessories and a fresh daytime perfume, and then went to check the address.

"Hold on..." I paused, reading the address. "This street... oh no, this can't be real..." I said, still processing the information.

At his house? Seriously? The universe must be playing a joke on me; there is no other explanation.