Their Toy

- 30 -

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Paumanhin ko nang makarating na ako sa restaurant na kakainan namin ni Miguel ng dinner. I'm late for more than an hour at nagawa nya pa rin akong hintayin. His patience really shocked me.

Mabilis syang tumayo at aligaga nyang hinila ang upuan palabas ng mesa para paupuin ako doon. He's being gentleman and that made my eyes roll.

"Thank you!" Nakangiti kong sabi sabay haplos sa braso nya.

He cleared his throat and he sit back on his chair opposite to mine. He stared at me at kita ko ang pagkamangha sa mga mata nya. "K-kamusta?" Naiilang na tanong nya.

"Okay na ako. Kasama na kita eh." I teased him sabay kindat sa kanya.

"It's getting hot in here." Aniya he opened the two buttons of his long sleeve sabay pay-pay sa menu book na hawak nya. Napatawa nalang ako sa naging reaksyon nya.

"So how are you? Hindi ka ba busy ngayon?" Tanong ko. "You're the most famous actor in the country, hindi ba ako nakaka abala sa schedule mo?" Pagpapatuloy ko.

"No!" Sigaw nya. "I mean, I'm not busy. Hindi ka nakakaabala. I'm sorry if I yelled. I-I'm just nervous." Biglang naging kalmado ang boses nya.

"Bakit ka naman kinakabahan? Hindi naman ako nangangagat." Natatawang tanong ko. I don't know how long I need to fake this conversation but I have to keep being natural dahil ayokong maramdaman nya ang nakatago kong poot sa kanya.

Napangisi sya. "I know. Hindi lang ako makapaniwala na ang gaya mong sobrang gandang babae ay yayayain akong lumabas." Aniya. "Base sa mga narinig ko sa mga staff ng show ni Chef Justine that you are the woman behind the success of the famous restaurant sa bansa and you are the youngest billionaire dito sa Pilipinas. I'm just-you know a bit shocked when you asked me to have a dinner with you."

"You can't blame me, seeing a handsome and hot guy like you full of aggression when you entered my dressing room made me turned on." Sagot ko sabay inom ng wine.

Napatawa sya sa at kitang kita ang pamumula sa mukha nya. "Now you-you're making me crazy." Hindi makapaniwalang sabi nya.

"Oo nga pala, I remembered that the reason why you entered my room dahil akala mo ako si Ali? Who's Ali by the way?" Tanong ko. Let's see his reaction and answer.

Bigla syang naging seryoso. "Uhm. Sh-she, she's a very special person to me. But sadly, she's dead." Malungkot nyang sabi. Napataas ang kanang kilay ko sa sinabi nya.

Special person? Fvck that description! She never been a special a person to you dahil parausan lang ang tingin mo sa kanya. You thought you loved her? That's ridiculous, you don't even know the difference of love and lust!

"I'm sorry to hear that." Saad ko. "But do we really look a like?" I asked.

Muli nya akong tinignan. "Y-yeah. Magkamukhang magkamukha kayo. But the way you speak and the way you dress magkaibang-magkaiba kayo." Tugon nya.

Nagpatuloy ang pag-uusap namin ni Miguel at marami akong nalaman tungkol sa pamilya nya. His eldest brother, Daniel is now running for Mayor and he already have a family at si Samuel naman ay Engineer na ngayon. Malubha raw ang kalagayan ni Tito Manuel kaya si Belinda na ang nagpapatakbo ng kumpanya nila. Pero nang si Belinda na ang nagpatakbo ng kumpanya nila, it is now on its way to bankruptcy. Napatawa ako ng palihim sa sinabi nya. Belinda has a very high dream, now she's getting taste of her own medicine.

"But we're trying to save my Dad's company dahil ayokong mawala ang kumpanyang pinaghirapan nyang itayo." He continued telling me his life story. "I tried to look for some investors and I even tried to use my fame as an actor to save my Dad's company but it's still not enough."