If I Love You...

If I Love You C.2

CHAPTER 2

Hindi ko naabot ang kamay niya. Nakatingin lang ako sa table namin. Isang nagtatakang tingin ang binigay sakin ni Nat. Lumipat ito sa tabi ko at nanatiling nasa harap ko si Declan.

Isang tikhim ang pinakawalan ni Declan. Nakataas pa din kasi ang kamay nito. Saka lang parang natauhan ako at inabot ko naman ito. "Hi. You can call me Daney." Tipid na ngiti ang binigay ko sa kanya.

I slowly sat down and tried to regain my composure. I opened my clutch and took out my cheque and write there. Nat and Declan are quietly watching me and are wondering with my actions. Inabot ko sa pinsan ni Nat ang cheque na sinulatan ko na kinagulat ng dalawa.

"Daney, what are you doing?" Si Nat. Habang ang pinsan niya ay patuloy ang panunuri ng tingin sa akin.

"Well it's the payment for this bouquet." Sagot ko.

"What? And why on earth would you pay this bouquet? I bought this to give you." Mahina lang ang pagkakasabi nito pero may diin ang bawat salita.

"You bought this from my shop. And it isn't for sale. My staff made a mistake, sorry for that. I made this for a certain person tonight. This is really special so I have to take it back." Paliwanag ko. Wala along pakialam sa galit na nilalabas ng lalaking kaharap ko.

"Alright, take it back but I am not going to take your money. It's yours now and you can do anything you want after."

"Wait, you paid Ten thousand for this bouquet?" Gulat na sabi ni Nat ng makita ang halagang nakasulat sa cheque.

"That is why I had to return it to him Nat. So please can you convince him to just take the payment back." Nakikiusap na tingin ko kay Nat. Alam ko naman na hindi ako mapapahindian ng best friend ko. Buntong hininga lang ang sinagot sa akin ni Nat.

"Daney, mistaken or not, you don't need to return the money." Nagsalit ang tingin nito sa amin ng pinsan niya at nagpatuloy. "Let's just say you weren't able to get the bouquet back and this incident right now didn't happen. Is that what Mitch called for?" Tango lang ang sinagot ko sa kanya. "So, let's just forget what happened and continue with our lunch. This is a small matter. That amount is not even a cent with this guy." Sabay tapik sa balikat ng pinsan na ngumisi lang.

I sighed. Feeling ko napahiya ako dun. Nagpadalos dalos ba ako? Gusto ko lang naman na ibalik yung pera at itama ang pagkakamali. At ayokong isipin ng lalaking ito na manloloko ang shop ko. "Fine, I'm sorry guys. I just don't want you to think that our shop is overpricing or cheating."

Declan simply nod and kept quiet with his face is unreadable. He looked at the menu in front of him and scanned the foods. Ganoon na din ang ginawa namin ni Nat. Pagkatapos ay tinawag na nito ang waiter para maibigay ang mga order namin. Nat and him talked while waiting for the food.

Habang naguusap, palihim ko namang tinitingnan si Declan. Hindi ko napagtuunan ng pansin kanina ang hitsura nito, basta alam ko lang, sa kabuuan napakagwapo nito. Kasing gwapo ni Nat kaya lang si Nat ay maamo ang mukha at masayahin pero ito ay seryoso.

Makinis at namumula ang balat nito. Straight hair which is stylishly cut short and neat with a jet-black colour. Surprisingly, his eyes are grey with dark and thick lashes and brows. He has a pointed nose with narrow bridge. His sensual lips are red. Mukha itong foreigner. Then I saw him smirked.

"I believe I passed your standard." He then said which made my eyes glowered. Duh! The nerve of this guy.

"Well, for one, am not into human standardization or classification. I only aim ultimate perfection." Tumaas talaga ang mga kilay ko at tiningnan ng masama si Nat na nakita kong may naglalarong ngiti sa mga mata at labi. Humanda ka talaga saking baklita ka. Mukhang nuknukan pa sa yabang ang pinsan mong to.

"Exactly. You are looking at 'The Ultimate Perfection', that is me." Declan said while grinning. Nakalimutan na ata ang inis nito kanina at ibang trip ng pang-iinis ang balak. I motioned my feet to kick Nat who groaned. "You're cousin is so full of himself. Baka hindi ako makapagpigil at batukan to." I screamed in my mind which I hoped he was able to decipher.

"My dear, hindi mo naman sinabi na kakabagan ako sa hangin na nilalabas ng pinsan mo." I said looking so sweetly at Nat but he knows inside I am ablazing fire.

Malutong na tawa ang pinakawalan ni Nat kasabay ng pagtatanong ni Declan kung ano daw ang sinabi ko. Hindi pala ito nakakaintindi masyado ng tagalog. Good for me.

"Well, cuz, my girl here says that you too seemed to be destined for each other." Nakakalokong sabi ni Nat.

"Oh yeah." Mas nakakalokong ngisi pa ang pinakawalan ni Declan sa kanya. Parang di bagay ang ngisi nito sa seryosong aura na nilalabas ng kabuuan nito. Mabuti na lang at dumating na ang mga order nila.

"Good our food has come. My hand were itching to use my fork and knife already." I said glaring at the two guys in front and beside of me. Tawanan lang ng dalawa ang narinig niya.

Nairaos naman ang lunch date na yon. In fairness to Declan, he really seemed to be someone with great intellect. He has a lot of comments and arguments when it comes to business and current events. I almost couldn't cope with their discussion. Malay ko ba naman na business lunch pala yun. Akala ko pa naman friendly date.

Kaya pagkalabas namin ng resto at bago magkanya-kanya ng punta sa sariling mga sasakyan namin, hinila ko si Nat malapit sa kotse ko. I just waved Declan goodbye which he returned.

"Baklita ka! Huwag na huwag mo na akong ise-set up ulit kahit kanino at baka sa susunod eh tuluyan ko nang mawala ang poise ko sa pagkairita sa kaharap ko."

"Oh, me girlie, akala ko pa naman, enjoy na enjoy kang kausap siya at gwapong gwapo ka sa kanya." Ani Nat sa akin at pilyong pinisil pa ang ilong ko.

"Gosh! Yan din ba ang tingin niya. Puwes both of you are wrong." Nanliliit ang matang sabi ko sa bestfriend ko habang iwinawasiwas ang kamay niyang patuloy na gustong kurutin ang super cute kong iIong. "Hindi ko pinangarap sa buhay ko na pagusapan ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas araw araw Nat! Simpleng tao lang ako na ang gustong gawin ay mag-alaga at magpalago ng mga bulaklak at makapagbigay kasiyahan sa mga taong mapapagbibigyan nito, alam mo yan. Geezz... Tutuyuin ng pinsan mo ang utak ko."

"Di nahalatang natutuyo na ang utak mo kanina."

"Well its nearing that state. Di lang naabutan. Nagtagal-tagal pa ng kaunti, nanigas na siguro ako doon."

Tinawan ako ng mokong. "Daney, matalino ka. Of course you can keep up whatever he will say. Bakit pag tayo ang magka-usap kaya mo naman?"

"Nat, iba ka kasi comfortable na ako sayo. I wouldn't mind if I had said something out of the topic or a misleading one." Tumango tango ito na hindi ko alam ang ibig sabihin. I just sighed and opened my car door. "I'll be going back to the main shop. See you when I see you." I kissed his cheek first before I stepped inside the car. Di pa rin umaalis si Nat sa tabi ng kotse ko. I opened the window when he knocked on it.

"Ok, I will not set you up anymore with any other guy."

"Good - "

"In one condition - " We both interrupted but he continued.

"Date me instead." He said and just walked out fast I wasn't able to utter a word.

What did he just say? Date him? What does it mean? Crap. Bading na yun, niloloko ba niya ako?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡til next chapter♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Posted: 3rd Aug 2021

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