Anyone But You

Meet Cute

SYDNEY

"Pretend I'm first date Dean, hindi yung sexy annoying neighbor Dean. Pretend I'm the Dean na nakilala mo sa supermarket habang bumibili ka ng grocery."

"What supermarket? Wait, role play ba to and we're doing this right now? Ganon ka ba ka-kinky?"

I was only mocking him but Dean's eyes glistened with mischief, buti nalang he quickly snapped out of it dahil it's not the time para ma distract pa ko thinking about his kinks. "Syd, be serious."

Bahala na! Buti nalang dumating na yung wine na inorder ni Dean and I took a large gulp from my glass for courage. This dating lesson is not going to work if I keep resisting everything anyway. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Ready na ko." I exhaled as if preparing for something tiring.

"Nasaan na tayo?" It was like he was testing me my resolve to take this seriously.

"Sa role play? Grocery."

"Yeah, namimili ka. Looking around, minding your own business then nabunggo mo ko with your grocery cart. Unfortunately, may dala-dala akong isang kahon ng itlog so nung nabangga mo ko, nalaglag at nabasag. So you'll say...?" He waited for my answer.

I started to frown and ask kung bakit kailangan may itlog but stopped. Instead, I willed myself to play the evolving scene on my mind. That I really met him sa grocery and that is what's happening. Whatever.

"Ohmygod, I'm so sorry!" My tone told Dean na I'm finally playing along. Wag lang sya talagang mag mayabang, titigil ako.

"Miss, you broke my eggs. Baka di nako magka anak sa ginawa mo." Dean joked, clearly also playing the scene. Okay at least dalawa kaming mukhang tanga ngayon. I'm glad no one can hear us. Sana.

"Ay sorry, egg cells din pala yung meron ka?"

"I'll laugh at your wit and mapapansin kong maganda ka. So naturally magpapacute ako."

He smiled easily with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing to do in that scenario. I on the other hand was thrown into unknown waters. No one has ever flirted with me, lalu na sa supermarket. I pushed the thought away and let myself be open sa possibility that someone might or is.

I felt that Dean has transformed in this exercise, but weirdly, it feels like he's still the same Dean. Would he really act and react like this if totoong nangyari to sa amin ngayon?

I continued, curious how this would all play out, sipping on my wine again and feeling myself relax and thinking kung anong gagawin ko talaga next. "Clueless ako kasi nakatingin ako sa mga itlog mong nabasag. I'll apologize again and offer to pay for it."

"At dahil ako to and I would want to see you again, I'll say 'I have a better idea for payment. Go out with me on a date.'" The sides of his lips slowly twitched into the boyish smile which is, begrudgingly, my favorite.