Would You Mind? ✓

WYM? 22

A day ago was an argument enough to make Uno not want to push through with his plan that he ended up partly regretting his changing of address. Though fact check--he could always go back to his previous pad, for that was still his property. Nonetheless, he knew he'd refuse to accommodate such an idea still, with the want to have her dominating over his preference to quit.

All said, he settled on being her 'bitter' looker, just as he told Yari he'd be once Dos chose Seri over him. Quite early, for he hasn't even started yet. Too late, for Dos seemed to be standing firm with her decision of wanting him not for herself.

"Parang mga tanga, maglalampungan na nga lang sa ilalim pa ng katirikan ng araw," he mumbled, peering between the curtains covering the partly-opened sliding door of his terrace.

He could see Seri hugging Dos from behind. She was landing kisses on the latter's neck.

"You're tickling me," he heard Dos say, giggling. She was pushing Seri's face away from her neck. "Take a bath na nga. You have work to attend pa 'di ba? Ako, I have no classes today. I can sulk all I want, unlike you." She tucked her tongue out, garnering a laugh from Seri and a heavenward rolling of eyes from the man behind the curtains--Uno.

"Kagatin ko 'yan, eh," Seri teased, then she mockingly clenched and unclenched her teeth like that of trying to catch her girlfriend's tongue.

"Jombagin kita, eh!" Uno yelled out loud. His hands crumpled the curtains with rage.

The two must have heard him yell that they tilted their heads from here to there only to search for the owner of the voice who ruined their supposedly cuddle time.

"Who was that?" Seri asked, curiosity registered in her voice.

Whereas, Dos' knitted brows loosened as she pinned her eyes at the sliding door by the terrace opposite theirs. Her eyes almost landed exactly where Uno was hiding.

"Maybe it's just a cat," Dos said. Uno sighed in relief yet almost choked when she went on saying, "An attention and affection seeking cat."

His hands dismantling the curtains slid off, the curtains tagged along. They fell on the floor, revealing his hiding self the two who were stuck staring at him with eyes about to pop out.

"Uno...?" It was Seri who coped up earlier from shock.

Much to his irk of hearing her voice; he said, "Seri....?"

Seri's creased forehead, mouth came ajar, and forefinger directed at Uno--pictured a dazed woman who knew not about her new neighbor. "W-what are you--Why are you--How the hell--How come--"

"Ano talaga?" he sarcastically asked, torn with the four unfinished questions thrown at him.

She turned to look at Dos. "Do you know about this, Hon?"

Dos nodded. "He just moved in two days ago. I no longer told you 'cause I thought you already knew, or at least you had a chance on with him by the hallway or anywhere in this building."

Seri returned her gaze to Uno. "I see," she said, her left arm snaked around Dos' waist. "Care to grab a meal with us? Tamang-tama mainit-init pa 'yong breakfast na niluto ko."

He would have turned her offer down had he not seen the scowl painted all over Dos' face as she glared at him with her head shaking to nonverbally ask him to say no.

"Sure." He smirked. "Can I go there now?"

"Yeah, feel free," Seri replied before guiding herself inside her pad with her seemingly saddened girlfriend.

Uno, on the other hand, rushed back to his pad when the two completely vanished from his sight.

He went straight to his room to change his sweaty shirt and sprayed a massive amount of his perfume all over his body before he stormed his way out.

"You do have a nice flat," he commended while roaming his eyes around. They were on their way to the dining area. "Very much minimalistically designed."

When he swayed by her flat once to visit Dos, he did manage to appreciate it, excluding, of course, Dos' stuffed toys cluttered around, which reminded him of the days when she was still with him.

"Thanks." Seri smiled. "Maganda rin 'yong flat mo, ha? I mean the previous one. It was as if meticulously customized for your classy taste."

If before, neither he knew why he was always itching to hit up an attitude at Seri and to go a little baggy; now it's clear as day that jealousy caused it, ergo he acknowledged it way too much that he responded with, "I know right."

He received silence as a response, making him feel like it was worth a point for him though they weren't in a contest, nor Seri would put up with his preposterousness.

As they reached the dining area, all three of them took their seats at a four-seater dining table. Dos and Seri were seated side by side, whereas Uno was sitting in front of Dos.

"Coffee, tea, milk, or chocolate drink?" Seri asked him.

"Coffee," he said. "Thanks."

When Seri was to push on her feet, Dos held her by the arm and pulled her back to her seat. "You go and make your coffee, Uno. I bet you're old enough to do it for yourself, eh?" she said.

He felt so attacked, he suddenly wanted to leave.

"Hon," said her partner, sounding ashamed by her display of irreverence.

"Why? Did I say something wrong? He can do it naman talaga, ha? Am I right, Uno?"

"Hon, beat it, will you?" though it was a whisper, Uno heard Seri say it. "That attitude isn't a nice thing to flaunt, I tell you."

"She's right, Seri," he said before he stood. "Ako na magtitimpla. Where shall I go?"

Looking compelled based on how her shoulders dropped when she sighed--Seri directed her forefinger to the coffee maker placed beside their fridge.

After having his coffee prepared, they all started to knock off every meal on each platter. The two women had chitchats on the side, while Uno just listened to them, although Seri had multiple times involved him with their talk.

"May pasok ka rin ba sa work ngayon?" he was asked by Seri again, trying her best not to make him feel outcast re his assumptions based on how she relentlessly engaged herself in a talk with him.

"Meron," he replied before taking a spoonful of meal to his mouth.

"Oh, okay. Parehas tayo. Anong oras?"

"Depends, since I don't have a fixed time-in at work. But I guess I'd head off at eight later today."

"Ah, yeah." She chuckled, obviously at a shortage for a topic. "Same here. Eight din alis ako."

"Sabay na tayo."

Holy fucking cow, Magnus Nikolai Iglesias?! Jeez! he inwardly cussed in mind, wanting to take his words back but couldn't because he just uttered his words clearly. More so, Seri had already lodged a response.

"O-okay? W-why not?" she said.

He gave her a toothy smile as he rustled up his coffee and stood. "Thanks for breakfast. I'm afraid I have to go. 'Cause I--I...need to...." Think of an excuse to escape from shame, stupid! "I--I need t-to use the restroom."

"You can use our--"

"Namamahay pwet ko, eh," he cut her to the chase.

He ran off her pad without hearing a word or two from either of them.

More than an hour later, when he was all prepared to head off for work, his doorbell rang. He ran his way to his door to check who it was. It was Seri in her corporate navy blue women's suit, which she sophisticatedly donned. "Y-yes? What can I help you w-with?" he asked.

Seri furrowed her brows for a little while, then laughed. "Didn't you tell me we'd head off to work together?"

"Oh--I--Oh gosh...I--I did? I mean--"

"I'm not actually up for it either, Uno. But...." she gave him a knowing yet an unknowable smile, "I think we need to talk."