Chapter 2 - Dream House

“HEY! GIRL! I am talking to you! I thought you were hungry? Why aren’t you touching your food?”

She got back to her senses when Gia shook her shoulder. She still can't get over from what happened a while back. She felt really embarrassed!

“What happened to you? You were not molested by the man following you right?” Gia continuously probes. 

She actually lied to her. She just told her that she was able to escape from the man. Her friend was really concerned about her.

“I told you, I was able to escape.” She told her.

“Anyway, you don’t have to find a hotel. I ask permission to Tita Emz and to my cousin. You can live in the same house where I am living!” Gia announced excitedly.

And because of that, Gia got all her attention.

“Wow! Really?” This is really a big help for her. But at the same time she felt shy. “Is it really okay with them?” She asked her, a little bit shy.

“Don’t worry. They are really kind, most especially Tita Emz. Well, my cousin is also kind, it’s just not obvious.” Gia said and giggled. “And one more thing, you will surely love the twins.” She added.

“Oh! The one you are telling me? The cute twins?” She asked.

“Yes exactly! Cute but sometimes they are giving me some hard time but all good because whenever I am with them it seems that all my tiredness is slipping away. And just perfect! Because you love kids!”

She smiled and suddenly she felt excited. “I can’t wait to see them.” 

Wevz really love kids. Kids easily fall in love with her even at first encounter. Others said that it's 'God's Gift'.

“What are your plans now?” Gia changed their topic.

She took a deep sigh. “I will look for a job.” 

The truth is she wants to stand on her own. She's already 29 and she is so dependent on her parents. They don’t want to let her work. And because of that she felt so fragile, like a patient diagnosed with serious illness. Her parents are both surgeons. According to them, she did not have the love for the medical field the way they do. Because she took fine arts. They said that she loves painting. But she can’t feel that now.

Actually her mind right now is in chaos. She does not really know what her plan is in her life. She really tried so hard just for her parents to let her come to the Philippines. Her parents thought that she was just asking for a vacation. She will just tell them the truth once she gets a job here.

“I’ll bet that your parents did not know.” Gia said as a matter of fact.

She forced her smile. “I will tell them once everything is okay. I don’t know but I have a feeling that I belong here. I can’t explain it. Even when you are talking about the Philippines it seems like something was pulling me here.” Wevz was not sure why she suddenly felt sad. 

“You think it’s something about the woman who kept appearing in your dreams?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I really don’t know. For now I just want to stand on my own. You know, that feeling that I don’t need to ask for money from mommy and daddy. That’s why it will really be a big help to stay in the house for your cousin for now. But once I’ve found a job, I’ll look for a place where I can stay.” 

“Goodluck on finding a job. Remember, you graduated fine arts but you said that since you woke up five years ago, you don’t even know how to paint.” Gia reminded her.

She looked at her sadly.  “I'm hopeless.”

“Don’t worry, maybe I could talk to my cousin about some jobs.” Her friend said which put a smile back on her face.

“Oh! You are really heaven sent!” She told her.

“Yeah right. Now eat so that we can go home.” Gia commanded.

Which she obliged immediately.

AFTER GIA HELP her on buying some clothes, they went straight into her cousin’s house. They went into an exclusive and luxurious subdivision. And by the looks of the houses, you can tell that everyone who lives there is really rich.

They stopped in front of a house with a beautiful tall gate. Gia blew the horn of her car and the security guard in the guard house near the gate immediately opened the gate and let them pass.

She was really mesmerized by the surroundings. Wow! It seems that Gia’s cousin is a celebrity or a very important person. But she was beyond amazed when she was able to see the beautiful house clearly! This is exactly how she pictures her dream house. Open, very relaxing and with a big swimming pool in the middle.

“Wow!” She can’t help but exclaim.

“I know! That was also my reaction when I first came here.” Gia said while smiling at her.

She blinked twice just to make sure that what she was seeing was real. She was used to seeing beautiful houses. Their house in Canada might not be this big but she can say that it’s a beautiful house. But this house really got the design she liked for her dream house. 

"And I will live here! Wow!" She still can't believe it. Even staying for an overnight in this house she will still be happy. It is really a beautiful house!

“Come, I will show you your room.” Her friend said.

Until they are already inside the house she can’t help but still amazed. This is really her dream house!

She followed Gia to the second floor of the house. She said that their rooms are just next to each other. When she opened the door of the bedroom that she will occupy, she was greeted by a beautiful, spacious and clean room. 

She went inside and put all the clothes they bought a while back in the mall on the corner together with her small luggage. She looked around and when she saw a sliding door that seemed to be going to the balcony, she went there and opened it. And she can’t help but gasp! What a beautiful view! From where she was standing she could see the swimming pool downstairs. 

“Tita Emz is not in the house now but she will be back later. The twins are still in their school. Wait, I will call my cousin if he’s in the house.” Gia said and called his cousin. 

The house is so big. Maybe there are times that the people living in this house are not even seeing each other! She giggled at that thought. If she is the owner of this house and will have her own family, she will not let that happen.

“Let’s go. He said he is in the office on the third floor. Let’s go there so that I can properly introduce you to each other.” Gia said, catching her attention. 

When they were on the third floor already, her friend stopped in front of one door and knocked softly. 

"Come in." She heard a voice answered from inside.

They both come inside and by the looks of it she can say that the owner of the office is a man. They walk towards a man sitting in a swivel chair. And as they walk closely to the man, Wevz's eyes are becoming wider and wider. The man was not even looking at them, he seemed busy doing some paperwork.

Wevz is trying to check if her gut feel is correct. And she wanted to take Gia outside immediately when she confirmed that she’s right! This is the handsome man in the airport! And the handsome man in the mall that she mistook for a stalker! Oh! No! This is the cousin that Gia is talking about? The owner of the house?

“I am dead!” She said in her mind.

Yeah right! She’s really dead right now! She tried to look down and tried not to show her face.

“Syke, this is my friend Weva Cartera, Wevz for short and Wevz this is my cousin Syke Rafael Fontanilla. He is the owner of this house.” Gia introduced them to each other.

Wevz slightly looked at the man. She saw him, looked at her a bit and immediately turned his attention to what he was doing. “Hi.” He said shortly.

This man is really grumpy! But she should be thankful about that for now because she can’t even face this man if he recognizes her right now! She’s still wearing the same clothes that she’s wearing a while back. If she will change her clothes and this man will talk about their encounter a while back she can easily deny it. 

“Hello.” She said but almost came out just a whisper.

Gia gave her shoulder a nudge and she looked at her.

“What is happening to you?” She asked.

She pointed out the door. “Let’s go out.” She whispered 

“No, you are not even properly introduced yet---”

“It’s okay. You already introduced us to each other, right?” 

Her friend ignored her.

“Hey! Syke! I know that you are busy but that is not how you treat a guest.” 

Wevz just closed her eyes because of what Gia said. She is really dead right now!

But she secretly took a deep sigh when she slightly checked Gia’s cousin's reaction and found out that he is still busy with his paperwork. 

“I said hi already.” He said casually.

“Let’s go Gia.” She whispered and tried to get her one hand to go outside. But her friend can be so stubborn when she wants to.

“No! He did not even take a look and at least shake your hand!” Gia exclaimed.

Oh! Gosh! What is her problem? Everything was okay with her. In fact that was much better for her!

“Maybe next time. He looks so busy.” She whispered again.

“Why are you siding with him? He is always busy if you only know! He can even beat a celebrity because of how busy he is!” And then Gia turned to his cousin again. 

Wevz just turned her back and faced the door. 

“Did you know that she just came from Canada! And for her it seems like this is the first time she saw the Philippines! I told her lots of beautiful things about our country. And then you will just welcome her like this? She might have an impression that all Filipinos are like you! Did you know that from the airport to the mall she was being stalked by someone!” 

Oh! Shoot! Wevz made a face palm because of the last sentence that Gia said. Why is she so talkative! 

“It’s okay Gia, I’ll just go out now.” She said without even turning her back to them. She was about to open the door when she heard Gia’s cousin's voice.

"Stay there woman." He commanded powerfully. 

She froze from where she was standing. She did not bother to turn her back. 

“Don’t you even want to face the owner of the house that will accommodate your stay?” 

Suddenly she felt nervous. It seems that he was so close to her when he said that! She bit her lower lip and slowly turned her back to face him but she stayed looking down at the floor. 

“Thank you for letting me stay here.” She said and she was right! He was standing one step away from her!

“What did you say Gia? The last one?” He asked her friend.

She looked at Gia and through body language she told her not to say it. But she did anyway.

“From the airport to the mall she was being stalked by someone.”

Oh! Her friend is not really good with body language! She is really dead!

“Oh! Really? Did she describe the man stalking her?” Gia’s cousin asked, putting emphasis on the word ‘stalking’.

“No, thank God she was able to escape from him.”

“Oh! Gosh! Gia why are you so talkative!” She exclaimed in her mind and felt really embarrassed! 

“Hmmm… Maybe it was Superman huh.” He said.

Gosh! This is really embarrassing! She wished that the ground would open and she would vanish there right now! If she was holding a slam book right now, this would pass as her most embarrassing moment ever!

“What are you saying?” Gia asked her cousin afterwards.

“Ask her.” He said.

And she almost jumped when he put his hand on her chin and slowly moved it up so that she could look at him. Now they are looking into each other.

Gosh! Why are his eyes so beautiful? Too bad, he is so handsome but so serious in life and it seems that he can't even manage to smile.

Once again he put his mouth near her left ear. “Maybe it is more appropriate to say that you are the one following me.” He whispered.

"Hey! Don't scare her!" Gia said and pushed his cousin away from her.

"Well welcome to our house then, Lois Lane." He said sarcastically.

That’s it and they went outside his office. She still can't believe it! It seems that fate has its own way of doing things. And to think that there’s a lot of people here in the Philippines! Of all people that she could have encountered with, why Gia’s cousin?

“That was really embarrassing!” She exclaimed.

"Care to tell me?" 

She took a deep breath. As if she had a choice!