Would You Mind? ✓

WYM? 11

"I think I like you, Uno," Dos said to him.

He suddenly felt panicky. Felt his hands sweating, his legs began to jiggle, drops of sweat started to form on his forehead, back, and chest. He couldn't speak, neither could he look at her.

He badly wanted a way out.

"Aren't you going to say something?" there she came again.

Uno tried focusing his eyes on the movie they didn't manage to keep a close eye on. He attempted to desperately wish for a call or a text message from someone he could phone to cut off the awkwardness arising. He even tried acting as if he heard nothing.

"I'm up for either a positive or unwelcoming response from you. Just drop it, Uno, you know?" he heard her say again.

He acted as if not hearing her. Instead, he maneuvered the car, drove off from the movie theater, and allowed themselves to drown in the deafening silence throughout the ride.

Receiving such romantic admiration from someone tickles either a positive or a not-welcoming reaction. Positive because the feeling is or had always been mutual. Not welcoming because the feeling isn't or wouldn't be reciprocal unless otherwise the receiver is already taken or is head over heels for someone else. But with Uno used at the same time not used to be admired and be a receiver of such declarations of love, Dos' confession rendered him utterly bereft of speech. He was tongue-tied--his tummy began twirling with all kinds of emotions, and his mind dawned floundering till he unwittingly forgot to react.

Was I stupid for not responding? he asked himself while leafing through a business proposal on his hand, which he couldn't seem to understand, for his mind was somewhere else. Was I stupid to just not stare at her and act as if I heard nothing?

"Hey, son, are you listening? I've been standing and talking right here for over a minute," he heard his father say, interrupting his musings. "Give me some ear 'cause I'd bet this is more important than what you're currently thinking."

He sprang up from his swivel chair and lifted his head to look at his father, who was standing in front of his desk, pulling a face with arms folded over his chest.

"I'm sorry, Pa. I just--I just lacked a good sleep last night," he tried to reason out. "You were saying?"

"I'd be sending you to Cavite for an indefinite stay," his father announced. "I had a meeting with the accounting department. They had disclosed to me the records of Hotel Iglesias-Dasmariñas' fluctuating revenues. I know it is very understandable since, in businesses like ours, it is a default to have perishable inventory. However, I still want you to visit our branch there and develop the best revenue management strategies to boost its profits. It is up to you with whom to tie up with and with what plans to come up with, for as long as we'd be able to cover up for the losses. Understood?"

He withdrew a sharp sigh, massaging his temples. Coming up with strategies isn't his thing barring his inclination and partiality to their business. But he got no choice but to say, "When will that be?"

"A day after tomorrow. So, settle whatever unfinished businesses you have to settle here. I'd be giving you today and tomorrow for all that," his father replied swiftly. "I'm heading off then. You, too, are free to go. I'm waiving your day off."

Without any second thoughts, Uno took his black leathery briefcase. He pushed to his feet right after his father left.

When he got to his car, a kernel on the floorboard put him out of action and into the scene just a night ago.

"Shit!" he lamented, deciding whether to go home or just spend his time at a cafe nearby and read magazines starred by faces of showbiz personalities he doesn't give a fuck with.

After a long not-well-thought-of decision making, he maneuvered his car from the parking. He drove off to the nearest convenience store to waste some penny over bottles of beer before heading to his best friend's place, who was currently on a day off.

"What are you doing here? Wala ka bang trabaho?" his best friend, Yari, an out and proud homosexual man like him, asked. His gaze on Uno's hand carries. "Shala! Ang dami n'yan ah? Magwawalwal tayo, baks?"

"Magtititigan. Bumili lang ako ng alak para may props," Uno sarcastically said, welcoming himself inside without the latter's cue.

Yari's been his best friend since their diaper days. Asking for permission if they could pop by at each other's pad and feel at home are already neither here nor there. That said, Uno went straight to Yari's pastel yellow kitchen to grab a can opener and afterward trotted to the pastel blue salas, where he slumped himself seated at the carpeted floor.

The entire seven colors of the rainbow painted every room in his best friend's pad; yellow for the kitchen, blue for the salas, orange for the master's bedroom, green, red, and indigo for the three guest rooms, and violet for all the restrooms in each room and the salas. He's that fancy.

"Ano'ng problema mo?" Yari asked, taking a seat in front of him right after grabbing the bottle of beer Uno just opened.

"What?" Uno asked back before taking a swig from his beer. "Do I have this unknown hobby of swaying by your pad just to spill a drama?" He scoffed. "I went here 'cause I want to. That's just it."

Yari chuckled. "Nikolai, you rarely drink. Especially on a weekday when you have work the next day."

"Well, I don't have work tomorrow so as today. My father waived it off, as I am to settle what's needed to be before leaving for Hotel Iglesias-Dasma to do some mental grinding and save it from financial loss or closure if worse comes to worst."

"And you're not fond of talking about your work." Yari scoffed. "Ano ba'ng problema mo?"

Uno sighed as he loosened his tie. "You know I'm roofing a kid, right?"

"Did you mean the daughter of your mom's best friend?"

"Mm." Uno nodded.

"Ano'ng problema mo kay ate girl? Mas pretty siya sa 'yo?"

Uno shot him with a dagger and roughly pulled himself standing. "That's why I always prefer not to tell you my problems! Lahat sa 'yo biro!"

His best friend doubled over laughter. "Ito naman! Gagalet agad? Meron ka, teh? Tingin nga baka may tagos," he laughingly said.

"Fuck you, Melchizedek."

"Charot lang! Upo ka na ulit. Promise shut up na 'ko." Yari raised his right hand while biting his lower lip, probably trying to contain his giggles. "Makikinig lang ako. Ichika mo na 'yan, dali."

Uno sat back. With hesitancy budding in him, it took him a full minute before he went on telling Yari his deal with the woman he was lodging.

"She told me she likes me. And I did say nothing," Uno finally said, holding his breath, covering his ears, taking glances at his best friend several times. He suddenly felt shy and panicky with the information he had just spit off his mouth.

He did hear no sniggers from his best friend, yet he felt wet drops on his face. His best friend was covering his mouth hard with both hands to prevent himself from bursting into laughter, but less did he know, he didn't contain his saliva from raining on Uno's face.

"Melchizedek, I am fucking serious," Uno uttered with evident annoyance. "Just this once, please, magseryoso ka naman."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," the latter said, putting his hands together like he was praying. "Shookt lang akez. Ever since we were in college, men and women professing their love for you is nothing new to me. And nothing new and bothersome to you. But hearing the reluctance from your voice and seeing how her confession unnerved you just like now, Nikolai? I could say the feeling is mutual."