Chapter 2

"Thea, you take over here. I have something else to attend pa." paalam n'ya sa assistant n'ya at hinubad na ang doctor's robe n'ya.

"Sir, do you need me to disturb you if you don't like your date?" His assistant really know what to do.

Tumawa si Anthony dito. "I'll text you if I'll need that." his assistant doesn't flirt with him though. She just really know what to do since Anthony has been attending different blind dates set up by his mother and he always asks for Thea's help whenever his date is uncontrollable.

"Got it, sir. And also I'll remind them to not page you." tumango si Anthony sa sinabing iyon ni Thea. His assistant has been working with him for five years now and he's proud how she knows him that well.

"You know what, Thea. I still wonder kung bakit hindi ka nagkagusto sakin." biro n'ya pa dito na busy sa pagtitipa sa laptop nito.

Thea gave him a straight face. "Really? Sa dami ng nakapila sayo, sa tingin mo makikipila pa ako? And besides, I know the real you, sir. Hindi ko kayang magkagusto sa isang tulad mo na araw-araw hindi lang isang babae ang kinakama kundi marami tapos iba-iba pa everyday." parang nandidiri pa nitong ani na ikinatawa ni Anthony.

"You're funny, I don't do that." natatawa n'ya pang depensa sa sarili n'ya.

"Yeah, whatever." anito na ikinailing-iling lang ni Anthony.

"I'll go ahead now, I still have a date to catch. A boring date." He snorted which made his assistant laugh.

Naglalakad na sa parking lot ang binata papunta sa kotse n'ya ng biglang tumawag na naman ang mommy n'ya.

He annoyingly answer the phone. "Yes, mom. I'm going, nasa parking lot na ako, papunta na ako. I will never be late." he said kasi alam na n'ya ang sasabihin ng mommy n'ya kaya uunahan na n'ya ito.

Narinig ni Anthony ang tawa ng mommy n'ya. "That's good, son. I'm so proud of you. Huwag mong ipahiya pamilya natin." Anthony roll his eyes when he heard those words again. His mom keeps on reminding him that but he ain't teenager to follow that. If he doesn't like his dates, he would dump her right at that moment, doesn't matter what the woman would feel.

"Mom, you know I don't follow that." bored na bored n'yang tugon sa ina.

"Try to get to know the girl this time, son. I'm sure you'll like her." pagpipilit pa ng mommy n'ya.

"Mom, I already agreed to attend the blind date you set up once again and I think that's enough. Don't force me to like my date kasi hindi ko pa siya nakikilala, hindi ko na siya gusto." aniya pa sa ina na ikinatahimik nito.

"I'll drop the call now, I have to drive pa. Bye, I love you." At binaba na ng binata ang tawag dahil baka mas kulitin pa siya ng mommy n'ya.

When Anthony arrived at the restaurant, nakita n'ya na kaagad ang babae. Anthony thinks she's elegant by the way she dresses, not sure with how she thinks and talk.

Napansin kaagad siya ng dalaga at ngumiti ito sakanya, hindi ngumiti pabalik si Anthony dito dahil hindi naman n'ya gusto ang babae at ayaw n'yang magkaroon ito ng thoughts na baka may chance na maging sila dahil wala naman.

"Hi, you must be Anthony." Tayo nito sa pagkakaupo at inilahad ang kamay sakanya para magpakilala. "I'm Audrey." anito.

Tinanguhan ito ni Anthony. "You already know my name so I guess there's no need for me to introduce myself to you." Anthony said leaving the girl with hilaw na ngiti. "Did you order already?" tanong n'ya pa dito at tumango ang dalaga sakanya.

"If ever you have something to order pa, I'll call the waiter for you." Anthony appreciates the small gesture but no thanks.

"What did you order for me?" Anthony asked again.

"I ordered Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata for you kasi your mom said na it's your favorite Italian cuisine and since we're here, yan yung inorder ko for you. And for me is, Fettuccine alfredo." ani sakanya ng dalaga at hindi na kumibo si Anthony. Nakatingin nalang siya dito na para bang pinag-aaralan bawat galaw nito dahil doon n'ya nababasa ang mga taong nakakausap n'ya.

"So, what do you do, Audrey? Anong pinagkaka-abalahan mo sa buhay?" His mom already set this date so might as well do what people do on blind dates.

"Well, I don't. I'm just waiting for my parents to hand over their business to me." Parang proud na proud pa ito pagkasabi niyon pero ang kilay ni Anthony ay nakataas na habang sinasabi ng babae ang mga katagang iyon.

"Is that so?" medyo sarcastic na tanong ng binata sa dalaga pero surprisingly, hindi nito nahalata.

"Yes." nakangiti pa nitong ani sakanya.

"How old are you again?" tanong n'ya pa ulit sa babae.

"Going twenty eight next month, why?" hindi parin nawawala ang ngiti sa labi ng babae.

"And you're still living with your parents with no job at all?" nakataas ang isang kilay ni Anthony pagkasabi n'ya niyon.

"Yeah, I choose not to have any job since sabi naman ng daddy ko na ako ang magmamana ng negosyo so I don't see the point of having a job." Paliwanag pa nito.

Anthony hates a person who's still depending on their parents kahit matanda na sila and is capable of finding a job and have an experience in working industry.

"How can you run a company if you don't have any experience in working?" He asks.

"Well, that's easy. I can learn things, I'm a fast learner." And she said.

"Having to learn it is different from having to experience through the years of working with the same field that you're aiming to have. Ipapamana sayo, you're gonna be handling a big company, you can't learn how to handle the people, clients and a whole lot of company just by how many months." Anthony firmly believes in having to experience different varies of jobs and knows how to handle everything after learning at hindi yung deretso sa pagiging president ng kompanya kahit wala namang experience sa bagay na yan.

Mukhang natauhan ang babae sa sinabi ni Anthony at akmang magsasalita na ng dumating na ang order nila kaya tumahimik nalang ito pero napapailing nalang si Anthony dito.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" napatingin ulit si Anthony sa dalaga ng medyo napapataas ang boses nito. Natapunan pala ito ng konting wine habang nilalagay ng waiter ang mga order nila.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Nagmamadali po kasi ako kasi ako lang waiter ngayon. Sorry po talaga." paliwanag at hinging paumanhin ng waiter dito pero galit parin ang babae.

"Kakamadali mo, hindi mo na nagagawa ng maayos ang trabaho mo!" sumisigaw na talaga ito. "Ang tanga mo, grabe!" sigaw nito sa waiter ulit at yung waiter ay nakayuko lang.

"That's enough, Audrey. Hindi n'ya sinasadya." mahinahon na ani ng binata pero hindi nakikinig ang babae.

"Simpleng trabaho pero hindi magawa ng tama! Where's your brain?" She's causing a scene now, everyone's looking at them.

"Audrey, tama na." tumayo na si Anthony para pigilan ang babae sa pagpapahiya sa waiter.

"No! This waiter should be punished. Natapunan ng wine ang dress ko." she shouted at him which made Anthony's blood boil, no one shouted at him. No one should shout at him. "At ikaw na waiter ka! Look what you did to my dress! Kaya mo bang bayaran ito? You can't! Sa liit ba naman ng kinikita mo dito, I don't think kaya mong bayaran ito!" nagtitimpi nalang si Anthony sa dalaga.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." hinging paumanhin ulit ng waiter pero tumawa lang si Audrey!

"Fuck your sorry!" at tinapon ni Audrey ang medyo mainit na tea na kasama sa order nila kanina sa waiter.

"AUDREY! I SAID ENOUGH ALREADY!" sigaw ni Anthony sa babae na nagpatigil dito at mukhang nahimasmasan dahil medyo takot na ang tingin nito sakanya.

But before Anthony could do something about it, may malaking sampal ang dumapo sa pisngi ni Audrey na nagpasinghap sa lahat ng tao at nagpagulat din kay Anthony.