11

"Seriously, bub. Nakakahiya!" I am currently pacing back and forth in my office while telling Dee about what happened the other day in his condo. He came from work saying it was his break so he decided to eat lunch with me here in the atelier.

"Bakit ngayon mo lang ito sinasabi sa akin?" He sat down on the seat in front of my desk and laughed at me.

"I was ashamed, okay? I really thought you were cheating on me. I had a free schedule in the afternoon so I took the chance to cook for you and surprise you then I see you kissing Berniece's forehead in front of your condo. What do you think will I feel? Hindi ko naman naisip na kamag-anak mo yun dahil alam ko wala ka namang kapatid na ba-" I stopped talking when I suddenly felt arms encircling around me. It was Dee hugging me from behind.

"Do you really think of me as the cheater type?" he whispered while his lips brushed my right ear which gave me tingles. I looked up giving him the thinking face.

"Well, you dress up like a decent fuckboy so-" Kumalas siya sa pagkakayakap sakin at tumingin sa salamin.

"What's wrong with the way I dress?" he asked while eyeing himself in front of the mirror. I looked at Dee mesmerized by his looks. He's wearing a simple black coat with a white polo inside and black slacks. Mas lalo akong napangiti nang makita kong suot niya ang necktie na regalo ko sa kaniya nung pasko.

"Ayos naman ah," he said. I giggled and sat down on my pink fur swivel chair. He took off his coat and placed it on the coat rack beside the mirror. He sat down in front of me and took out the food he ordered from Burger King. I'm glad we still get to make time for each other despite our busy schedule. Good thing Dee's company is just near my atelier so he can easily pass by during his free time.

"Bub, I can tour you in our company next Saturday kung pwede ka. I figured I have seen where you work but you haven't seen mine. Tapos, dinner tayo sa bahay ko so you'll get to meet my dad," he said while sloppily eating his food. I unconsciously wiped the mayonnaise on his face with my thumb. He grabbed my hand just when I was about to pull away and licked it.

"Yuck, bub! Ano ba! Ang dugyot mo!" sigaw ko sa kaniya. I quickly got the alcohol placed beside my laptop and sprayed it on my hand. At talagang tawang-tawa pa si gago.

"So, what do you think?" tanong niya sa akin. He carried his seat and sat beside me. 

"Ok. I'll ask Faye later to clear up my schedule in the afternoon." I got the pack of ketchup and opened it using my teeth. I spread it on a pile of tissue and Dee dipped his fries on it. He gestured for me to open my mouth so that he could feed me the fries but my eyes went wide when he drew around my lips using the ketchup. 

"Tangina mo talaga Dee!" I looked at the my phone case which is a mirror. "Kamukha ko na si Mcdo!" I told him while playfully slapping his hand. 

I was about to get a clean tissue to wipe my face when he stopped me. We stared at each other for a while. He went a little bit closer to me. Our faces were inches apart. I could feel his heavy breathing and the loud beat of my heart. I felt his nose brush against mine. He cupped my face and was about to kiss me when Faye suddenly showed up at the door. 

"Ma'am Cha- Ay palaka! Sorry ma'am!" I pushed Dee away from me when I heard Faye's voice causing him to lose his balance and fall off the chair. Nakita ko ring sinara agad ni Faye ang pinto. Nang mabalik ako sa katinuan ay dali-dali kong pinuntahan si Dee at itinayo mula sa lapag. 

"H-hey! Oh my gosh, bub. Are you okay?" Inalalayan ko siyang umupo. Bahagya pa siyang napahawak sa braso niya dahil tumama ito sa sahig nang malaglag siya. He looked at me and I could see how hurt he was but I was surprised when he bursted out laughing.

"Tangina mo! Concerned na concerned ako tapos tumatawa ka lang diyan. Joke ba yun?" Pinalo ko ang braso niya at napahiyaw ito sa sakit. 

"Aray, puta!" 

"Masakit pala eh! Bakit ka tumawa?" I gently massaged his arm and checked for bruises. 

"Eh kasi may ketchup ka parin sa mukha eh," sambit niya habang pinipigilan ang kaniyang tawa. I roughly grabbed a piece of tissue and wiped it on my face. I retouched my make up too and fixed my hair. I looked at Dee as if I was about to kill him any minute now. 

"Dito ka lang, bub. I'll get an ice pack in the fridge," paalam ko sa kaniya. Pagkalabas ko ng office ay nakita ko si Faye na naghihintay sa may desk niya. I walked towards the kitchen and I felt her following me.

"Sorry po talaga Ma'am Chanel," she awkwardly said while looking down. I sighed and motioned for her to look up. 

"It's okay, Faye. Just don't forget to knock on my door especially if I'm with Dee." I opened the fridge and got the ice pack. "Anyways, what were you supposed to tell me a while ago?" I asked her. 

"Nasa may lobby na po si Ms. Zara," sabi niya. Zara is Dee's family friend. Anak siya ng ka business partner ng dad ni Dee. He kept on bugging me to interview her since he knew I was looking for a design team for the label. I didn't even bother hiring those interns from Benilde last time so he recommended Zara to me. He told me that she studied fashion design at SoFA Design Institute in Makati which is one of the best fashion schools here if you ask me. 

"Hmm. Mukhang napaaga ata siya ah." I got a glass of water and drank it. "Tell her to wait a little. I'll just finish my lunch." 

"Ok po ma'am." 

I went back to my office with the ice pack on hand and saw Dee scrolling on his phone. I handed it to him and he pressed it on his arm. 

"Zara's in the lobby na daw," I told him while I sat on my chair to continue eating my burger. He just nodded and looked at his phone.  

"I need to see her skills first so baka gawin ko muna siyang intern dito before making her a regular." Hindi parin niya ako pinansin.

"Akala ko ba kaibigan mo yun? Bakit parang wala kang pakialam? What the fuck are you doing?" I said, starting to get irritated. I was about to grab his phone but he showed it to me. 

"Stalking you on your i*******m," he casually said. Buti nalang binura ko na yung mga posts ko dati na nene pa ang itsura ko. Baka makasira sa image ko eh. I threw away the food wrappers and cleaned my desk before looking at Dee's phone to check what photo of mine he was looking at. It was a trip to Pico de Loro in Nasugbu, Batangas last year with my mom, Anais, Kai, Nay Fellie, and Lili.

"Pico de Loro. That place is breathtaking," he said. 

"And expensive," I added. Natawa siya sa sinabi ko. "You know, that was my last out of town trip. I haven't been able to go on vacation ever since." I pouted thinking about how it's been a while since I last went on a trip with my family and friends. 

"San mo gustong pumunta, bub?" tanong niya sa akin. I thought for a while before answering him. 

"Baguio." I said with a smile on my face. "I've been there when I was little but I want to go back to experience the cold weather. I want to take lots of photos with the big pine trees in the background then set up a bonfire at night while roasting marshmallows." I saw how his hazel brown eyes never left my face while I was explaining. 

"Alright. Let's go there in the summer with the whole squad." My eyes glinted.

"Really?" I asked with an excited look on my face.

"Really," he said while tucking the hair that covered my face behind my ear. 

Pagkatapos naming mag-usap ay tinawag ko na si Faye para papasukin si Zara. She's two years younger than Dee and I. Nakagraduate siya ng maaga because she got accelerated back when she was in high school. When I saw her enter my office, I thought her face looked familiar. She wore a simple white ribbed top paired with black culottes that has a ribbon which served as its belt. Her hair was tied into a low ponytail with loose strands of hair falling on the sides of her face. Her sunglasses were also placed on top of her head. Sinalubong siya ni Dee ng yakap at ipinakilala siya sa akin. 

"I'm Z-Zara Eloise M-Madrigal," nauutal niyang sabi. Medyo natulala pa siyang nakatingin sa akin. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Miss Chanel Suarez." She offered her hand and I took it in exchange. 

"Nice to meet you, Zara. Please, have a seat," I said.

"I guess I better be going now," paalam ni Dee. He went to me and kissed my cheek. "I'll talk to you later?" I nodded. He tapped Zara's shoulder and whispered her a good luck before leaving. 

"Ok, Zara. I'll just be asking a few simple questions. It's nothing too hard to answer. Just relax." I gave her a warm smile para naman hindi siya masyadong kabahan.

"Ok po, Miss Chanel," she answered. 

"Why did you want to be in the fashion industry?", I asked her. 

"To be honest, it's all because of your mom. Ever since she became known, gusto ko na talagang maging fashion designer tulad niya. I'd even watch her fashion shows and try to draw her pieces on my sketchpad. I brought it with me actually." She reached out for her sketchpad inside her tote bag and gave it to me. These sketches definitely looked like my mother's creations. 

"Your mother really made a huge impact on my life decisions and now that I see you following on her footsteps, I thought I wanted to work with you even though there seems to be bumps along the way."

"What bumps exactly?" I curiously asked. 

"My dad was never really open to me becoming a fashion designer." I heard her voice crack. "He owns a reputable company and he wanted me to take over it. I had to apply for a scholarship and keep my grades high para lang pumayag siya sa desisyon ko. Even this. I haven't told him I applied here in House of Suarez. He always gets angry at me whenever I mention it to him." She looked down. "Maybe he's mad I didn't follow the path he set up for me."

I looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry about that, Zara. I'm sure your dad will accept it once he sees how passionate you are about your craft. And most importantly, when he sees you happy with what you're doing." I reached out for her hand and caressed it. "Don't worry."

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Miss Chanel."

"Ok then. As much as I want to hire you right now, I'd want to make you an intern first for a few days so I get to see how you work. That's when I'll decide if I'll keep you as a regular employee. Would that be okay?" I asked. 

"Yes..Miss Chanel. That's absolutely okay with me. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." She got up and bowed to me a couple of times. I smiled at the sight of her. I don't know why pero magaan ang loob ko sa kaniya. She reminds me of myself. Someone who is passionate and hardworking. Someone who has her eyes fixed on a dream and will do everything to achieve it despite the difficulties. 

"You're welcome, Zara. I'm looking forward to work with you. You'll start on Monday." 

After the meeting with Zara, I just did my work the whole day. I met with a few clients. Dumadami na ulit ang nagpapagawa ng mga gowns for Chinese New Year and prom since malapit na mag February.

Pagkauwi ko ng bahay ay nakita kong nagluluto si Nay Fellie sa kusina. I went to my room first to change my clothes and went down again to play the piano. It's been a while since I last opened my piano because of work kaya naman pagkabukas ko ay medyo maalikabok na ito. I got a rug and wiped it before I sat down on the piano seat and opened my phone to look at my notes. 

Tamang-tama, kakatapos ko lang panoorin ang Hotel de Luna sa Netflix. It's probably one of the kdramas I've watched that have the best OSTs. I chose "A Poem Called You" by Taeyeon. Dinama ko lang ang pagtipa ng aking mga daliri sa piano. It's like my fingers are gracefully dancing on top of the keys. It's definitely my stress reliever. After practicing a few times, I took a video of me playing and posted it on my IGTV. 

A few seconds in and the views started rising. I saw Dee commented first. 

@diorlouis: You look so beautiful playing the piano. I still can't believe I get to call you mine <3

I smiled and continued playing the piano. Nang mag alas siyete y medya na ng gabi ay dumating na si Lili galing ng kaniyang dorm. Tuwing weekend lang naman siya umuuwi dito at bumabalik rin sa Manila pag Monday na. Hindi naman kalayuan ang Manila sa Makati pero pinag-dorm na namin siya dahil traffic naman ang aabutin niya araw-araw. 

Kumain na muna kami ng hapunan bago umakyat ng kwarto. Lili went to my room a few minutes later and plopped herself onto my bed. 

"Wala kang gagawin?" I asked. 

"Wala. Just a few quizzes on Monday. Bukas na ako mag-aaral." She placed her body underneath my sheets. "Tara, movie marathon." She opened her netflix on the tv. I curled my body beside her. Movie marathon daw pero Grey's Anatomy naman ang pinapanood. Hindi tuloy ako maka relate pero nakaka amaze kung pano nila pinakita ang buhay ng mga doctor sa palabas na yun. 

Lili and I watched until 12 am. Nakailang episodes na rin kami when my phone suddenly rang. I immediately answered when I saw that it was Kai. Ilang araw na rin kaming di nagkikita nina Kai at Anais. I guess they're both busy dahil last sem na nilang dalawa ito. Malapit na silang grumaduate. 

"Yo, Kai. What's up?" I put my phone on speaker for Lili to hear as well.

["Dani, gising ka pa?"]

"Malamang. Bakit ko pa sinagot diba?"

["Papunta ako diyan ngayon sa inyo."] Lili and I exchanged looks. Kai doesn't usually go to our house unless we invite him. 

"Bakit? May problema ba?" I worriedly asked. 

["Uh, si Anais kasi lasing. Ihahatid ko diyan sa inyo muna kung okay lang. Tangina, Anais wag kang sumuka sa kotse ko!"] 

["I'm fucking thober dumb ath!"], rinig kong sigaw ni Anais sa phone. Napabuntong-hininga ako. 

"Fine, Kai. Bilisan mo, inaantok na ako." I ended the call and gave Lili an annoyed look. 

Mga ilang minuto pa ang hinintay namin bago sila dumating. Bumaba si Kai ng kaniyang kotse at binuksan ang pinto ng shotgun seat kung saan naroon si Anais. Di pa ako gaano nakakalapit pero amoy na amoy ko ang alak na nanggagaling sa kaniya. 

"Natapunan ng tequila ang damit niya kaya ganyan," Kai said. 

"Care to tell us what happened?" Lili asked him. Hindi pa kaagad nakasagot si Kai at inalalayan akong ilabas si Anais sa kotse niya na ngayo'y tulog na. 

"U-uh. W-wala. Ano, nakita ko siya sa club na u-umiinom. Oo, g-ganun na nga," nauutal niyang sabi. I gave him a sharp stare. Nasa club daw pero nakapambahay naman ang suot niya. Pinalagpas ko nalang iyon at nagpatulong na rin akong buhatin si Anais paakyat ng kwarto ko. Lili got a basin full of water and began wiping Anais. 

"Thanks, Kai. You can go now. Kami na ang bahala dito." Hinatid ko siya sa may pintuan ng bahay. 

"Thank you rin Dani." Tinanguan ko siya at hinintay siyang makaalis. I swear, I'm beginning to become curious of what's happening between Kai and Anais. I'll just ask her tomorrow when she's sober. I really want to know now. I can't keep pretending I know nothing when they're being so obvious. 

Pagkaakyat ko ng kwarto ko ay napunasan at nabihisan na rin ni Lili si Anais. 

"Tulog na ako, Dani ah. Good night," pagpapaalam ni Lili. 

"Thank you, Lili. Good night rin." 

I turned off the tv and sat beside Anais. I gently placed my blanket above her, careful not to wake her up but failed. I was about to go to the bathroom when she forcefully grabbed my hand and mumbled a few words. 

"D-dont...l-leave...m-me...p-please," she said loud enough for me to hear. I looked at her face and saw tears streaming down her cheeks and onto the pillow beside her. I guess she's dreaming or maybe it's still the tequila talking. I didn't leave for a while. I'll just wait for her to go to sleep. 

I was scrolling on my phone when I heard her muffled cry and was shocked with the words that came out of her mouth. 

"I l-love you..." Love you who? I asked in my head becoming as curious as ever. 

"...Kai"