It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, Lea and her friend had just finished watching a matinee show on Broadway and decided to head to Time Square to meet with the TFC rep, to shoot some video materials for "The Voice of the Philippines." Lea was supposed to make a 360-degree shot, with her turning around looking at her surrounding when she caught of glimpse of a familiar face. She stopped what she was doing and ran quickly towards the man.
"Oh, my God!" she screamed excitedly. "Oh, hell no! Aga, anong ginagawa mo dito?!"
Aga smiled. He, too, was just as excited to see her. But before he could even say a word, Lea jumped with excitement to give him a big, meaningful hug. Which Aga somehow anticipated, as his arms opened widely to accept her embrace.
"What are you doing here?" Lea asked again, finally letting go and setting her feet back to the ground.
"We're filming 'Pinoy Explorer'," said Aga, reaching for Lea's right hand.
"How long will you be in the city for?" she asked.
"Hanggang Linggo."
"Great! Then you should come see me at my performance at Cafè Carlyle," said Lea, giving him a playful, seductive look. The look that sends shiver down his spine and makes him weak in the knees.
"Sige, I'll be there," he answers, staring right into her eyes.
As usual, Lea did not believe his answer. She turned to Aga's assistant, "Can you please make sure he goes?" She took out a pen and a piece of paper from her bag and wrote down the info: address to the venue, dress code and time of the performance. She walks over to Aga and grabs his hand, "Oh, ayan. Here's everything you need to know. I really hope to see you there."
"Of course. I will be there," Aga said with a flirtatious smile.
Lea's heart skipped a beat. After all these years, he still has the power to make her feel a certain way. And even after going their separate ways and marrying different people, the strong connection between them is still palpable. They both know it. They both feel it. The strong attraction and love, and sometimes even lust, is so strong that people around them also take notice.
"Talaga lang, ah?" she said dryly, in her usual sarcastic tone.
She walks over to him to give him a one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Aga."
----- Cafè Carlyle
It's Thursday night and Lea's heart is pounding out of her chest. Aga promised her that he would come see her tonight. But knowing Aga, she did not want to expect anything because most of the time Aga's "I'll be there" really means "I am not coming."
The night started like usual. Crowd cheering and getting drunk; the sound of utensils and laughter filling the room. It was too dark for Lea to see everyone. But during her third song, she noticed a familiar silhouette in the very back of the room, holding a glass of scotch. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the man, and sure enough, it was him. The two locked eyes for what felt like forever. Then, Lea smiled at him, closing her eyes to continue her song. Aga spent the night standing, as he had arrived late to the show.
Aga stayed for the entire show. He listened to every song she sang, like it was the first time he has ever heard her sing. He kept his gaze at her, making her heart pound even much harder than it did earlier that evening. Right now all that matters is Lea. He doesn't seem to care about what is going on around him. Fuck, he hasn't even called Charlene at all tonight. He can't take his eyes off her. He is mesmerized. He is under her spell.
-----Dinner For Two
The show had finally ended and Lea is finally finished with the meet-and-greet. She looks around and finds Aga standing by the door, waiting patiently for her. She suddenly gets this weird feeling in her stomach, which radiated down her legs and between her thighs. She walks over to him and gives him a flirty smile. "Oh, nandyan kapa pala," she said, brushing her finger on his left cheek.
"Oo naman," he answers, giving her a slight pat on the elbow. "Syempre ililibre pa kita eh."
"Wow. Ililibre mo ako?" she teases.
"Tara! Let me buy you dinner," he says, extending his right hand to her.
Lea smiled and grabbed his hand, "If you insist."
The two of them walked for about 4 blocks, holding hands. They talked and marveled the busy city together, not minding the cold weather. They finally arrived at a small burger joint. The place itself is small and cozy, and very intimate. They settled at a table near the back, where the light is most dimmed.
"This place looks beautiful," says Lea, scanning the menu.
"Di kapa nakakakain dito?" asked Aga, amused.
"Hindi pa. This is the first," she answers.
The two ordered the exact same thing: a cheeseburger, fries and a tall glass of ice cold beer. Just like before, it feels as though the time stood still. Just the two of them, laughing and talking. Lea looked up and finds Aga staring at her weirdly.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"Nothing," he answers, staring her straight in the eye. "I, um..I just like to stare at you," he said, finally looking down.
Lea takes notice of Aga's reaction and tries to lighten the mood. "So, kamusta ang mga bata? Kamusta si Charlene?"
She and Charlene are good friends, and so are Aga and Rob. However, there is just this pull between her and Aga that both of them cannot deny nor ignore.
"They are good," he answers, sounding almost convincing. "Eh si Rob, kamusta?"
As much as he loves his wife, he still cannot say Rob's name without feeling a sting in his heart. Yes, he knows Lea doesn't belong with him but deep down he cannot help but feel envious of the guy who get to hold the woman of his dreams.
"He is good. Busy sa work and with Nic."
Aga's phone suddenly rings...
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Lea asked.
Aga shakes his head. "No, it's nobody," he answered, putting his phone into his pocket.
Charlene had been calling her husband all night but he hasn't returned any of her calls. She knows Aga and Lea are both in New York, and given Aga's relationship with Lea, she is almost certain that he will try to make time to see Lea, and this makes her feel very nervous, or even jealous. She calls again, and this time, the call went straight to voicemail. Aga had turned his phone off.
..to be continued. Next chapter, Aga's infamous love letter to Lea🙂
