Would You Mind? ✓

WYM? 13

A week came so dully after Uno gave his awaited response to Dos' confession. Added up to the dullness was Hotel Iglesias-Dasmarinas closure. The loss of almost a million peso revenue at the said branch was far from the feasibility of recouping. One of their leading investors even pulled out his investments upon getting alarmed by the huge profit loss.

In place of a great strategic plan to save one of their family's hotels, Uno had convinced the board to have the property renovated into living space and gain through rental or ownership income. He knew it would be the best option as it would undoubtedly regain the losses with dearth, hence commercial real estate is one of the most lucrative investments, for properties appreciate year by year.

As he somehow managed to deal with their business issue wittingly, he was, on the contrary, unwitty to deal with his issue with Dos. It left him uneasy on the couch as the time neared five in the afternoon--a sign that Dos would be home from school, which started three days after he left for Cavite.

Today would be the first day we'd be seeing each other after that-- Ghad! I kennat! he groaned. He began trotting to and fro at the living room with his hair disheveled like a freshly woken up human.

Minutes passed, he almost fell on his feet when the door swung open.

It was Dos, beaming.

She was nailing loose falling hair and a plain custard oversized shirt tucked in high-waisted faded denim shorts. Covering her soles were a pair of white sneakers. On her shoulders were the black straps of her bag. She looked fresher than him, who did neither physical nor mental activities, for his day at work was waived for a rest.

He hardly swallowed a lump on his throat while staring at her, wearing an awkward full denture smile.

"Hey," Dos broke the awkwardness. "I didn't know you'd be home today. Had I known, I would've asked your family driver--whom Tita Nicole sent to accompany me every school day--to sway me by the mall to buy some snacks."

Uno forced a chuckle. "Nah, it's fine. It was sudden on my part either, since I thought I'd be staying there longer than a week."

"As you say so," was what he received as a response from her before she walked to her room.

She doesn't have to be that cold. He rolled his eyes skyward at her back view and slumped on the couch with his lips puckered. I ain't at fault for not liking her back, duh! he said to himself, less for a real talk and more as make-believe to prick the inflating feeling of taking his 'no' back.

His shoulders jerked upward in shock when the door of Dos' bedroom shut with a loud thud, causing him to absentmindedly yell, "Ikaw pa galit?!" which he concluded the latter heard, for she swung her door open.

"It was the wind," she faultlessly said. "Why will I be mad at you when all you did was not to like me back?"

And she shut the door close even without claiming a response from Uno. From Uno, whose mouth gaped open with one hand clutched on his chest in due astonishment at her remarkably candid reaction.

After a few, with Uno yet to get back to his bearing, Dos foot out of her room and sat beside him.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.