04

Napabalikwas ako ng bangon sa kama ko nang maramdaman kong tumatama na ang sikat ng araw sa aking mukha. Tinignan ko ang orasan at agad akong napatakbo sa banyo para mag-ayos. Tangina, 11 am na.

Bakit hindi nag-alarm phone ko? Bakit hindi ako ginising ni Nay Fellie? Pucha, hindi ako pwedeng ma-late ngayon! I have a meeting with a very important investor for Suarez Label and I can't let this pass. 

I took a shower last night before sleeping so I'll just go home after the meeting to take a bath. I just wore a beige long sleeve blouse paired with black ankle pants and beige Givenchy leather pumps. I quickly tossed my phone, wallet, and make up inside my black Chanel sling bag. Nag lip and cheek tint nalang ako at nilugay ang aking buhok. 

I hurriedly ran down the stairs and muntik na akong matapilok kaya tinanggal ko muna ang aking sapatos bago tumakbo pababa. 

Nay Fellie and Lili were sitting in the dining area while giving me a confused look.

"Bat naman di niyo ako ginising?" reklamo ko sa kanilang dalawa habang nagsusuot ng aking sapatos. 

"Kuya Dan! Paandar na yung sasakyan!" I shouted. 

"Mamaya pa tayo magsisimba, nak. Bakit madaling-madali ka diyan?" tanong ni Nay Fellie.

Simba?

Agad kong tinignan ang phone ko. Napasapo ako sa noo ko nang makita kong Linggo pa pala ngayon at day off ko sa trabaho. 

Lili bursted out laughing when she saw my reaction. Halos mabilaukan na siya kakatawa dahil may laman pa bibig niya. Nay Fellie gently massaged her back para mahimasmasan ito. Napaupo nalang ako sa may hagdan at napatunganga. Gosh, bakit parati nalang akong lutang nitong mga nakaraang araw? Parang di ako mapakali na ewan. 

I went back to my room and took a bath. Bumaba na rin ako para kumain ng pananghalian. Lili was still sitting sa may dining table habang nag-aaral. I sat in front of her at nagsandok ng aking makakakain. While I was eating, she was looking at me kaya naman hindi na rin ako makakain ng maayos. 

"Ano bang tinitingin-tingin mo diyan?" I asked her, a bit irritated. 

"Pansin ko lang ah. Parang wala ka sa sarili mo since last week. Naalala mo ba nung isang araw, baliktad yung blouse mong pumasok? Madaling-madali ka nun kaya hindi ko na sinabi sayong baliktad yung damit mo," she said while chuckling. 

I remembered that. Pagkapasok ko ng atelier, sinalubong ako ni Faye ng medyo natatawa. I was confused. I thought pangit pagkakalagay ko sa make up ko since nagmamadali ako nun. There was a nearby full length mirror near the entrance and just when I was about to check my face, nakita kong baliktad yung damit ko. Good thing only Faye and a few of my employees saw it. If my clients were there baka isipin nilang nag fashion designer pa ako kung hindi naman ako marunong magsuot ng damit. 

"Oh, tapos nakalimutan mo namang Sunday ngayon. Napaghahalataan ka girl. Ganito ba ang epekto pag tinamaan sa puso ang isang Chanel Suarez?" Lili said while making actions.

"Excuse me? I don't like him," pagtanggi ko sa kaniya. 

"Excuse me? I saw you looking at Anais' following list on I*******m the other day," pambabara ni Lili sa akin.

It's been over a week since Dee and I had a heart-to-heart conversation nung party ni Anais. Isang linggo na rin akong nagbabakasakaling makita siya somewhere near La Salle or Makati area. Ako pa nga sumusundo kay Anais sa school. I know he graduated already pero nakwento rin niya na minsan, pumupunta siya sa Taft para puntahan ang iba niyang mga kaibigan. Minsan nga rin ay tumatambay pa ako sa Greenbelt and I make Suarez Label as an excuse to go there. Some of my new employees even said na ang hands on ko daw since palagi akong andun. Well, news flash, marupok lang talaga ako. 

Our talk was cut short that night dahil bigla akong tinawagan ni Kai. Hindi na ako nakapagpaalam ng maayos kay Dee at dali-dali akong bumalik sa club. Lasing na lasing si Lili nang madatnan ko pagbalik doon. The worst part is sinukaan niya ang damit niya. Kai asked for help because he didn't want to change Lili's clothes. 

"Aba, ikaw pa tong nagsasalita ngayon. Buti nga eh binalikan pa kita doon. Kung wala lang akong paki, I would've just let you be and ask Kai to change your clothes instead," I told Lili which caused her to stay silent.

"Well, why don't you just ask Anais about him? Didn't she say she was planning to introduce you two to each other?" tanong niya.

"Eh, ayoko naman yung ipagpipilitan ko. Gusto ko may sign. Kung magkita kami coincidentally, that's it. Itotodo ko na. Pero kung hindi naman, then it just means our paths are not meant to cross. However, I'm still holding on to that day na dalawang beses kaming nagkita," I told her while sipping my coffee. 

After lunch, I went to my piano and played Nocturne op.9, no.2. The piece I heard when I first saw him in Greenbelt. Memories of us talking under the brightly lit night sky came rushing unto my mind. Just like Nocturne, his voice was like a lullaby I would want to hear over and over again. I was feeling every key I touch on the piano. I have been playing Nocturne since I was a kid but why does it suddenly feel so different now? 

We went to mass at 4 pm at dinalaw rin namin si mommy sa sementeryo. Pagkatapos, ay pumunta kami ng Greenbelt para kumain ng hapunan at para maglibot-libot na rin. Even though I am a busy person, I still make sure to spend my weekends with the people I treat as family. 

Kinabukasan ay naging sobrang busy ako sa atelier. I had a meeting with the investor and thankfully, she decided to invest in Suarez Label. Dahil lumalaki na ang business ko at nagkakaroon na ito ng mga branches, it's really best for me to expand it even more through investments. I was also busy with preparations for the Suarez annual charity ball that will be held on December for the education of the children in Bahay Tuluyan. My mom has been helping the children there ever since she started earning enough money. She also told me that she used to live in Bahay Tuluyan after both her parents died in a car crash when she was in her last year in high school. Good thing, she was offered a scholarship to study in college and someone helped her with her daily expenses. So when she landed a stable job, she started giving back. But now that she's gone, I'll be continuing her legacy. 

I took a break from work and ate the salad I asked Faye to buy. I was looking at my followings' IG stories and saw a throwback class photo in front of St. La Salle Hall. It caught my attention when I saw Dee in it. He was wearing a white long-sleeved polo and black pants. He was just holding his coat on his hand. It seems like they all had their thesis presentations since they were wearing corporate attire. He looked so clean at parang ang bango niyang tignan. Nawala ako sa mood nang makita kong wala sa naka-tag ang pangalan niya. I only know his name's Dior. Heck, I don't even know his last name so how will I find him? I just gave up and went back to work. 

The whole week went by smoothly. I'd go to work and go home right after. It's just the usual. Lumipas ang mga araw na hindi ko parin nakikita si Dee. What was I even expecting? We just met twice and had a casual conversation. What's so special about that? 

Today's a Friday and Anais called me to fetch her at school. Mukhang nasasanay na siyang ako ang sumusundo sa kaniya dun. She wanted us to go to Kai's condo and hang out there since her exams are finally done. Rush hour ngayon at sobrang traffic sa Taft. Andito ako ngayon nakaabang sa tapat ng football field dahil sabi niya nasa Henry Sy Sr. Hall siya. Ilang minuto na akong nakatambay dito at hindi parin siya dumadating. Bawal pa naman atang magtagal dito. Panay na rin ang busina ng sasakyang nasa likod ko. 

"Putangina, Anais!" napamura nalang ako sa inis ko sa nagbubusina sa likod. 

Agad kong pinatakbo ang kotse ko at nagpark nalang sa Mcdo. Buti nalang may kakaalis lang kaya nakapark agad ako. Bumaba ako at pumunta sa gate kung saan ako pinahihintay ni Anais. Habang naglalakad ay tinetext ko si siya. Halos makabangga na ako ng mga nakakasalubong ko. Nang malapit na ako sa gate, I stopped when I felt someone in front of me.

"Hey, do you know it's dangerous to hold your phone while walking here?" 

I looked up to see who it was and my eyes suddenly lit up. As in kanina parang nakasimangot lang ako tapos ngayon naman todo ngiti na ako. It's him. It's Dee! He was wearing a plain gray shirt and navy blue walking shorts paired with his white Nike Air Force shoes. He was also wearing specs and a watch on his left wrist. By the looks of it, I'm guessing he didn't go to work. 

"H-hii i-it's you again," I was stuttering because I was caught off guard by his presence. 

"Nice to see you too, Dani." he said while smiling. Ewan ko ba pero nakakapanlambot talaga mga ngiti niya. Hinay-hinay ka lang Dee baka ma fall ako ng wala sa oras. 

"So what brings you here?" he asked me while I put my phone back inside my bag. 

"Oh, yeah, uhm, I'm actually here to pick up Anais. We're going to hang out with our other friends. Ikaw?"

"I visited my friends here and we had lunch. Buti nalang wala akong trabaho ngayon kaya nakapunta ako dito." 

I stared at him for a while mesmerized by how gorgeous he looked. 

"I'm sorry. I don't really know what to say. It's just that we keep on bumping into each other and I'm honestly amazed by that," I told him. 

"No, it's okay. I actually did not expect to see you here. Parang hindi ka naman yung tipong pumupunta dito eh." If only you know, I've been waiting for you here since last week. 

"I'm actually from Benilde. Kakagraduate ko lang rin a few months ago. I have an atelier in Makati and a shop in Greenbelt too. Ngayon nalang ulit ako napadpad dito", pagsisinungaling ko sa kaniya. 

"Oh wow. So you're a fashion designer?" manghang tanong niya.

"Yes, I am," I proudly said. 

"Then I should ask you to make my suits instead. Also, I work around Makati too. Mukhang madalas tayong magkikita niyan ah. I could show you where I work and we could hang out sa Greenbelt pag free ka."

I was about to talk when I saw Anais approaching us. Nakasimangot siyang lumabas ng gate na nakatingin sa akin pero agad ring napangiti ng makita kung sino ang kasama ko. 

"I'm sorry na traffic lang sa elev- Dee! Andito ka pala" she said while giving him a hug. 

"What's up Anais? Yeah, pinuntahan ko sila Zeke. Inaya lang akong kumain sa Zark's. Namimiss na ata ako. I was about to go home but then, I suddenly saw a woman on her phone while walking," he said while shifting his gaze to me. 

"Sorry na." I gave him an apologetic look. "Ang tagal mo kasi Anais eh. Kanina pa ako naghihintay dito," reklamo ko sa kaniya.

"Pero mukhang hindi ka naman na-bored," she said while laughing at us. 

BIglang tumunog ang phone ni Dee.

"Excuse me, I have to take this." paalam niya sa amin. Gumilid muna ito malapit sa gate at sinagot ang tawag. Anais took the opportunity and teased me about him. 

"Ayan na yung sign mo. Go for it na," sabi niya sa akin habang pasimple akong kinikiliti. 

Dee came back a minute later making Anais shut her mouth. 

"I'm sorry but I have to go now. My mom needs me," he said. 

"Okay lang. Ingat ka ah," sabi ko sa kaniya habang nakangiti.

"I'll just see you around," paalam niya.

"Bye," sabay naming sabi ni Anais.

We turned our backs from each other. Anais and I started walking towards Mcdo where I parked my car.

A few seconds later, I heard Dee shout from a distance.

"Wait up, Dani!" Anais and I both turned and saw him running towards our direction. 

"Can I uh, have your number, Dani? If you don't mind," he said looking hopeful. 

Pinalo-palo pa ni Anais ang braso ko. 

"No," I paused for a while and chuckled a bit when I saw disappointment in his eyes.

I gave him a sweet smile. 

"No, I don't mind at all."