11 I Think I Like Her Now

"Son, Beauty is really creative as her photos showed. She's really good. I like her. With a little help, she can reach new heights. And ... I think she passed as a daughter-in-law," Claire told Clarence with a teasing smile on her face.

"Come on, Mom, what are you talking about? I only wanted to help her after what happened." Clarence countered his mother with a flustered face. "How is she now?"

"She is wonderful," said Clyde. "Here, look at the pictures we took," added teasingly by Clyde as he handed over his DSLR camera to Clarence.

Clarence looked at the pictures and could not even recognize Beauty. "Which one is her?"

"What? I thought you've met her," said Clyde.

"Dad, I'm not pretending here. I mean it. I don't recognize any Beauty Ferol here based on what I remember."

"This girl, the one wearing a chef outfit with a red scarf. She likes the red color a lot. She had something red on her almost every day," Claire said beside Clarence's left shoulder while pointing at Beauty's face as it was being zoomed in.

Clarence was dumbfounded, seeing the girl with a chef hat, pinkish cheeks, and a cute smile. Her body stats could not be seen, for she was wearing a white chef outfit with an apron on her waist. Somehow, Clarence could clearly see that she was no longer the fat girl he saw before.

"So? ... What do you think? Isn't she cute?" teased Claire while looking at her son's blushing face.

Clarence coughed twice before closing the camera viewer. "I agree, this girl is cute, but are you sure this is Beauty Ferol? The Beauty Ferol I saw before, Chevy's classmate?"

"That Beauty Ferol you're talking about is living in Camotes Island with her grandparents, right?" asked Claire.

"Yes," replied Clarence with certainty.

"Then how many 'Beauty Ferol's live on that small island coincidentally? Do you think there could be more than one?" added Claire.

"Ah? ... Who knows?" Clarence answered with a pondering face, surely avoiding the obvious.

"Oh? Is my son avoiding the truth? She's cute, right? ... Hmm?" Claire winked at her son with a wide grin on her face.

"Encourage her to join the Open Culinary Competition. Tell her that she only needs to get the recommendation letter from the mayor there, so she can attend the Regional trial in Cebu City. If she wins the regional, then you will pay for her national competition registration and her airfare. Make her submit her personal profile online straight to the competition website," Claire told Clarence with a commanding voice, which he could not refuse, while she paced back and forth in front of the two men.

"What? I'll pay for all of it?"

"Of course, you even gave her 6,000 pesos more for the photos. Why can't you afford a measly 500-peso registration fee and another 3,000 for airfare?" Claire left the office after telling that to Clarence with a 'we know what you did' tone. Clarence looked quizzically at his dad who just shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly, the office door opened, and Claire's head popped out. "Oh, by the way, you're joining the competition as well." Closing the door again, she left merrily with a big grin.

A competition was made annually to encourage the new generation of chefs to enter the stage. Background or educational attainment was not important in this Open Culinary Competition. As long as one knows how to cook and was 17 to 25 years old, then one had a chance to showcase one's ability.

The prize for winning in the regionals would be provided by the Local Culinary Association: a trophy, prize money, and a certificate.

For the nationals, it would be 50,000 pesos in cash, a plaque, and a chance to join the Philippine Culinary Dream Team Training Camp. Being in the camp could mean being sent to the international competition if chosen by the coaches. A lot of young budding hearts, who loved to cook, vie just for a seat—so much more to become a national winner and international representative.

. . . . . . . .

Night time, Clarence was sitting in front of his laptop on the table beside his bed. He was brooding on how to break the news to Beauty. He knew she would be glad to join, but for him to be one of the contestants as well; should he tell Beauty that he was 'Your Romeo'?

This alias, too, was a headache. It was only made impulsively by Chevy as a prank. At that time, Clarence was contemplating with a guilty heart on how to communicate to Beauty while hiding his identity. Chevy then just manipulated the keyboard and opened a new email address. He also went along, thinking that there would not be a chance for them to meet personally, but fate was playfully teasing them of all things.

"I never imagined that she can be this cute. She became slim in less than three months. What strong determination, only a few were able to achieve that. I hope it was me who gave her the inspiration to lose weight. Strength wise, she is determined and hard working. I like that part of her. What a girl." He was looking up the ceiling with his two sets of fingers interlocked together, supporting the back of his head.

His mind was full of the girl's face on the picture. "I better ask Dad for a copy of each of her pictures in that photo album. ... I really regretted not going there when Dad invited me. I could have seen her personally, without her knowing it was me ..."

He was silent for a while, and then he realized something. He softly spoke, "Oh my, this is bad. I think I like her now."

After realizing his own feelings, Clarence just shut his laptop close, went to bed, and then closed his eyes. The cute face of Beauty lingered in his mind until he fell asleep.

The next day, Beauty received the shortest email she got from Clarence.

(Join this. Get the mayor's recommendation letter. https://culinary.org.ph/Open_Culinary_Competition/)