Chapter 4
Chapter 4
IBINALYA NI Leo ang pintuan papasok sa opisina ni Hendrick, ito iyong uncle nya na halos kaedaran nya lang.
Hendrick Montemayor or "H". Nagmartsa sya papalapit dito. "H, please help!" he said, still catching his breath. "Today's my official date with this girl..."
Kumunot ang noo ni Hendrick Montemayor. He seemed confused for a while. "It's nice to see you too, Leo. I'm fine thank you and how are you?"
Natigilan siya. "When did you learn how to joke?"
"About three seconds ago, when you suddenly appeared in front of me -without knocking on my door."
Bahagya syang natameme. Oo nga pala, almost two weeks na rin pala nang huli silang magkita.
"J-just give me a quick advice, will you?" Napapikit sya. "Listen..." sabay tingin sa kanyang wrist watch. "Tonight is my first date with this 'gorgeous-funny-desirable-worth-it-kapag-naikama-ko-girl'."
Tumango lang si Hendrick at nangalumbaba. "Okay. So... who is this 'gorgeous-funny-desirable-worth-it-kapag-naikama-mo-girl'?"
"CT." Napapitik pa sya.
"CT?"
"I mean, Cynthia. I just call her that way."
"Ilang araw na kayong mag-ON?" Sumandal ito sa sandalan ng kinauupuang swivel chair.
"Hindi pa kami. I mean, hindi kami."
"You're kidding me, right?" Lalong napasimangot si Hendrick.
"Of course not! I'm still courting her..." Pakiramdam nya'y nangangapal ang kanyang mukha.
Natahimik panandalian si H. "Alright, I'm done with you. It's a waste of time. Now get out of my office!"
"Oh, come on!"
"I don't believe you. You're a known womanizer. One wink and you've got a woman in your bed by the end of the night. And now you're telling me you're actually courting this CT girl? That's beyond impossible."
"Look! I'm serious, okay?"
Humalukipkip naman si Hendrick. Nakasimangot pa rin. Well, ganito naman talaga ito. Bihirang ngumiti, dominante at masungit. Pero sanay na sya. Ito ang paborito niyang buwisiten 'pag may problema siya.
It was as if H suddenly became interested in what he said. "Okay. So, how exactly am I supposed to give you advice?"
He winced. H had never actually courted anyone either. Maybe he went to the wrong person. Napayuko siya.
"How long were you courting this girl?"
"Two weeks and four days..." He couldn't even look at his young uncle while speaking. Nahihiya siya.
H shook his head. "Is that really you, Leo?"
He couldn't say a word. Honestly, he couldn't believe he was doing this either.
"So, how exactly are you courting her?"
Lumikot ang kanyang mga mata. "Ah, well... Hinahatid ko sya at sinusundo. Dinadalhan ng lunch. 'Tapos..." Napakamot sya ng pisngi. "...'tapos 'yon lang."
"Is that how you flirt?"
"No! Flirting is different from courting..."
"Then make them the same."
"What?"
"There's something wrong with you that's why she hasn't said yes yet." Umayos ito ng upo. "Be natural. Be yourself. Don't be afraid that she might not like something about you. Just show her who you really are, and whatever impression she gets, so be it. Kapag nagpanggap ka kasi ay ikaw lang din ang mahihirapan. Parang business lang naman 'yan, you have to take a risk."
He was left speechless by what he just heard. It didn't seem like something a nonchalant guy like H would say. Ilang words din iyon, ah!
"And what the hell are you still doing here? Get out of my office! Now!"
Para naman syang robot na wala sa sariling marahang humakbang palabas ng pintuan.
"Oh, by the way..." H spoke again.
He stopped and turned to look at him.
"Camilla is fine, and we're okay..."
Para syang natauhan sa sinabi nito. "Ah, right. How's Camilla? Kumusta kayo?"
Sumimangot lang ang masungit na si H. "Just get out of here, will you?"
***
HETO NA NGA si Leo at sakay ng kanyang kotse. Sinundo nya si Cynthia sa Ortigas, nagpasundo kasi ito para sabay na silang mag-dinner. This is their first ever official date kaya naman todo porma sya. Madali naman nyang namataan ang dalaga sa labas ng building.
She got into the backseat of his car. He wondered why she didn't sit next to him. Iyon pala ay may bitbit na naman itong malalaking bagahe. Itinuon na lang nya ang paningin sa daan. Lumunok muna sya bago nagsalita.
"M-mukhang pinalayas ka naman sa tinitirahan mo, ah. Okay lang sakin kahit i-cancel muna natin iyong date." He wanted to smack himself. What kind of martyr move was that? Really? He was going to cancel their date, when this was the moment he'd been waiting for?
Nagkibit-balikat si Cynthia. "Okay lang. Hindi naman talaga ako pinalayas, kusa akong umalis. Nahihiya na kasi ako sa kaibigan ko na tinutuluyan ko. Sinaway na kasi siya ng landlady niya."
Pigil naman ang ngiti niya. "Ah, okay." Sa isang elite resto niya ito dinala. Pakakainin niya ng masarap.
"Hindi mo naman sinabi sa akin na sa ganitong klaseng restaurant mo ako idi-date. Mahal ang pagkain dito, 'di ba?" Lumilinga pa sa paligid si Cynthia na tila namamangha sa kagandahan ng paligid. "Sigurado ka bang afford mo?"
Of course afford niya kahit bilhin niya pa ang buong restaurant na ito.
"Ah, oo..." Come on, Leo! Umuurong na naman ba yang dila mo?
Then heto na ang menu. Hindi na nagtagal ang dalaga sa pag-order. "Ito, ito at saka ito. Then take out nito, nito at saka nito."
Natatawa na lang sya. Bumaling sya sa waiter. "Same order yung akin."
Nawala na sa pangin nila iyong waiter. Tumingin sa kanya si Cynthia. "Alam mo ba, iyong canteen sa'tin naghimala."
"What do you mean?"
"Biglang bagsak-presyo ang paninda. Nakakatuwa!"
He secretly smiled. After all, he was the one who gave the order to lower the price a bit. Napatikhim na lang sya. "Mabuti naman."
"Ewan, ha? Pero parang dininig ng CEO ang sinabi ko tungkol dito..." nakangisi ang mapula nitong mga labi.
Kung alam lang nito, sya iyong CEO.
"Ah, sya nga pala. Alam mo bang tinanggal na sa trabaho si Rudolf?" Nalungkot ang mukha nito.
Ang Rudolf na iyon ay iyong maangas na karibal nya.
"Sinong Rudolf?" Kunwari'y nakalimutan nya.
"Iyong ka-work kong guy na naabutan mo nang mag-OT kami," paalala nito.
Kunwari nama'y naalala nya na. "Ah, oo... naalala ko na. Bakit sya tinanggal?" If only Cynthia knew that he was the one who fired that bastard.
Napailing na lang si Cynthia.
"N-nalulungkot ka ba dahil wala na sya..." Hindi sya makatingin sa dalaga sa itinanong nya. Crap! Why did he even ask that? And why couldn't he look at her?!
"Bakit naman ako malulungkot?"
"Huh? Ah, eh... wala lang. Malay ko ba kung type mo pala sya..." Nice, Leo! Sana may patunguhan ito kahit walang direksyon.
"No way!" Humalakhak ito. "Marami ngang asar doon sa department namin, kasi palautos! Mahilig magpasa ng trabaho sa iba! Saka, ang laki nang lamang mo ron! Di hamak na mas guwapo ka sa kanya!"
He mean... may direksyon pala, hehe. "Iyan ang nagustuhan ko sa'yo, eh... honest ka na yummy ka pa..."
"Ha?"
Mabuti na lang at dumating na iyong order nila. "Ah, what I mean is, ang yummy nitong food. Kain na tayo!"
"Ah..."
"Sya nga pala, lilipat na ako ng matutuluyan. Pwede mo ba akong tulungan?"
"Sure! May malilipatan ka na ba?"
Bigla itong natahimik. "Ah, eh... meron na."
"Saan?" Habang umiinom sya ng iced tea.
"Sa'yo..."
Naibuga nya bigla ang iniinom niya.
"Okay ka lang?!" Inabutan siya ng dalaga ng tissue.
"Sa akin? You mean in my place?" Habang pinupunasan nya ang sarili ay namimilog ang mga mata niya.
Ubod tamis siyang nginitian ni Cynthia. "Oo, sana eh. Okay lang ba?"
Puwedeng-puwede! "S-sige..." Wala na sya sa sarili.
Napapalakpak ang babae. "Yey! Thank you talaga."
If only she knew! May pakay sya kaya sya pumayag.
"Oh, by the way, tayo na ha..."
"Huh?" Heto na naman sya, nabibingi.
Napasinghap muna si Cynthia. "Sabi ko, tayo na. Mag-ON na tayo! I mean... sinasagot na kita. Congrats!"
JF
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