Chapter 3: Determination Provides Results 1
"But you can't do it that way. If I were you, I would stop being foolish by trying to lose weight in that manner."
She heard a male voice speaking at her side. She turned her head around and was dumbstruck. The girl didn't realize her eyes were so round like marbles and her mouth was gaping wide as if her fist could fit in.
She saw a young man in his early twenties with wavy black hair, tall, nice nose, and sparkling black eyes. The man had no shirt on, showing off his toned abs. He was only wearing his swimming trunks, and his right hand was holding a snorkel.
Beauty was staring at his face and body shamelessly. The man felt awkward about the way she looked at him. He felt like being scanned by a CT scanner that he wanted to cover his body with his hands. Goosebumps were seen all over his body.
He coughed twice and woke her up from her dazed look. All of a sudden, she felt the urge to run and hide in a hole if there's one near them. She really felt so ashamed. She wished she could transform into a crab and dig her way down the sand to hide, but that wouldn't happen at all. Instead, she ran back straight to the house, without even saying anything to the guy.
"Wow, if she can run fast with that body for even ten laps every day, she might lose weight as she hoped." He was laughing at her reaction. Then he saw a red towel on the sand where she was standing.
"Hey, you forgot your towel," he shouted, but she didn't stop running. He picked it up and then went to follow her.
The guy was actually a gym fitness instructor on vacation. He went there to enjoy the hot sun and swim at the fish sanctuary of the island. After hearing her words of determination, he thought of teaching her a little, but she ran away.
Back in her room, she covered her face with a wet towel. Her face was so hot, like steaming hot with shame and another feeling she was unsure of, which was foreign to her.
"Why did I stare foolishly at him? Who was that guy? It was his fault for appearing near me all of a sudden. It was his fault for being attractive. How can I go outside again with that guy around?" She slumped on her bed, feeling tired from running away.
"Beauty? Beauty dear. Are you in there?" Grand Mommy knocked twice.
"Yes, the door is open. Please come in."
"Dear, a handsome guy came, handing us your towel. He said you left in a hurry, leaving it behind." Grand Mommy said nonchalantly as she went in Beauty's bedroom.
"What? Don't invite him in, Grand Mommy. Where's my towel now?"
"What's wrong, dear? What happened? Did that guy try to do something bad to you? Tell me, and I will beat him good," Grand Mommy spoke with a grim face.
"No, no, no, no, Grand Mommy. Ahh! How to explain this? Actually, he didn't do anything to me. I just ran after he tried to talk to me," she answered helplessly. She couldn't bear to say that she was ashamed for staring at his face and even on his body. Shameless girl, totally shameless.
"Oh, if so, then come down and thank him. Don't be shy now. I think he is a good boy. I already put the towel in the washer. By the way, your Grand Daddy invited him for lunch. I'll be going now to prepare the table, so dress up a little." Grand Mommy winked at her to hint her about something and left the room with that statement.
"What was that wink for?" Beauty was quite innocent and couldn't get the meaning of the teasing wink of her playful grandma. Then, she realized the exact situation.
"What? Why did you invite him? Please, no, Grand Mommy." She tried to stop her grandma, but the latter couldn't hear her anymore. Grand Mommy was in a hurry to set the table since it was already 11:30 in the morning.
"If I won't go down, then Grand Mommy will come up again to get me—that won't be good. Oh, what am I supposed to do? But I think he's a good guy, so what's there to be scared of?"
She went to the door, but she remained standing there. Ten minutes had gone by, but she was still not moving.
"Beauty?" Grand Mommy called from downstairs.
"Yes, Grand Mommy. I'm coming down now." She went to the mirror and made sure she looked fine. She just realized she was still wearing the sweaty jogging outfit. Beauty changed right away and was now wearing a simple black shirt and a pair of jeans. She went down slowly, without thinking more about it but fighting the urge to go back to her room.
The girl sat in front of that handsome guy who was grinning foolishly at her. The man was now wearing a shirt. He might have gone back to his hotel room to get that. [1] She lowered her head, with her chin almost reaching her chest.
"Hmph!" Grand Daddy harrumphed, trying to get her attention, signaling her to stop lowering her head that much. She sat straight. Grand Daddy led a short prayer for the blessings and for the food.
"Beauty, this is Lionel from Cebu City. I think you've met already. He said he's a fitness instructor," Grand Daddy introduced him to Beauty.
"Hi, Beauty, nice to meet you. You have a pretty name." He extended his hand as a courtesy.
With so much effort, Beauty shook his hand and pulled hers right away, almost not making contact at all. "Thank you, and nice meeting you, too." It was said in one breath but almost like a whisper, nearly only she could hear.
Lionel couldn't hold back his laughter with her reaction.
"Lionel?" Grand Daddy called his name curtly.
"Sorry, sorry. Your reaction was so funny. Sorry, I can't hold back laughing. Promise, I won't do it again," he apologized while trying his best not to laugh again. He coughed and looked up the ceiling to hold back the laughter in his stomach.
"Beauty, I'm a professional fitness instructor. I admire your determination, and so I thought of giving you some guidance in these three days I'm here. I hope that you will continue and follow all of it after I leave."
"Really?" she blurted almost without reservation, which was opposite her earlier behavior.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone