It was almost six o'clock in the evening, and Leni had been staring at the Sociology teacher for quite some time now. She has been grading papers for the past hour and a half, meanwhile, Leni has no work left for the day. Her classes finished two hours ago. To be quite honest, she didn't know what she was still doing inside their department when she could have gone home early. But then again, who would want to go home to an empty house when she could easily spend her time here at her table, secretly gazing at her crush for more than a year now.
Risa could not shake the feeling of someone staring at her. As far as she knows, she's the only one left in the room and she could not help but get scared. She's heard rumors that there's a ghost roaming around the campus at night, not that she has experienced that first-hand. The thought is still frightening to her. She was shaking when she noticed a shadow on her far left side. Why couldn't she have finished the papers earlier?
Leni was still in a trance, daydreaming about how she'll ask the other woman out, and how their first date will go. She heard from the other teachers that Risa is still single. She couldn't believe it, but she was thankful that luck is on her side. All she needs now is the courage to actually speak to her without stuttering, and her heart pounding out of her chest.
Risa screamed when she heard a chair screech. She instantaneously packed all her things without looking back and ran out of the room.
"Hala, anyare don?" Leni mumbled to herself, grabbing her things as well to run after her co-teacher.
Risa's eyes were almost shut while running as fast as she can to the parking lot so she could get the hell out of the campus. She's mentally swearing that she's never going to stay that late at work again. "Oh, shit." She almost tripped, some of her belongings falling from her arms.
This gave Leni a chance to catch up to her, her breathing following second. "Bakit ka ba kasi tumatakbo?" She panted, helping Risa pick up test papers.
Risa screamed again, failing on her attempt to run away when she felt someone grab her wrist.
"Huy!" Leni was more than confused as to why the other teacher was acting that way. "Ma'am, ako lang 'to. Sino ba'ng tinatakbuhan mo?"
"Ha?" Everything finally sunk in for Risa. There wasn't actually a ghost, it was just her co-teacher. She can feel embarrassment creeping up on her face. "Sorry. Kasi ano," She wanted to run away again to avoid this awkward encounter. "Akala ko may multo sa faculty room."
Leni pursed her lips to avoid laughing at the other woman's antics. "Naniniwala ka sa multo?"
"Hindi!"
"Eh ba't ka tumatakbo? Umiirit ka pa nga eh." Leni teased, seeing how red the other woman's face is.
"Uwi na 'ko, late na rin." Risa excused herself. She acted like a complete fool, and she doesn't know how to face her colleague. She just hopes that words wouldn't spread to their other co-teachers.
Leni thought she had offended the other woman and apologized profusely. "'Di naman kita niloloko, curious lang. Sorry uli." She caught up to Risa, who was speed-walking to the parking lot.
"Eh kasi naman, akala ko mag-isa na lang ako kanina. Bakit kasi hindi ka nagsasalita? Sobrang takot na takot na 'ko kanina." Risa is slowly starting to feel comfortable around Leni. It's not like they haven't interacted before, they have been working together for two years now, although not directly. Their department has held several gatherings and programs that required them to work together, but they had never been left just by themselves.
Leni scratched her head unable to think of any answer to the question. "Ah, ayoko lang kasi makaabala. Sobrang busy mo eh." She chuckled.
"Wag mo na ko takutin sa susunod, please."
"'Di naman kita sinadya takutin eh."
Risa laughed, only a few steps away from her car. "Akala ko talaga." She faked a cry. "Sobrang duwag ko pa naman."
Leni laughed loudly. "'Wag ka mag-alala, di naman halata na duwag ka. Secret na lang natin." She winked.
"Pag iyan kinwento mo sa iba, di na kita kakausapin."
Leni feigned hurt, holding onto her chest. "Grabe ka naman sa'kin, ma'am!"
"Saan ka ba umuuwi, ma'am?" Risa asked, noticing that her car is the only one left in the lot.
"Bakit, iuuwi mo na ba 'ko?" Leni's eyes widened, realizing she said her thoughts out loud. "Ano, malapit lang ako." She smiled.
"Gusto mo ba iuwi na kita?"
"Ha?"
"Sa bahay mo, ihatid na kako kita." Risa smiled. "Okay ka lang ba, ma'am?"
"Maglalakad na lang ako, nag-iipon din ako steps eh." Leni gestured to her pedometer.
"Hatid na kita, malapit lang naman pala eh." Risa insisted, clueless to how nervous the other woman was.
"Hindi, okay nga lang." Leni had never been in a situation where she was this close to Risa, and the thought of it scared her more than anything. Sure the attraction started off as an innocent crush, but as time went by her crush has developed into something more. She feared that she'll be rejected even without asking yet. "Malapit lang ako talaga."
"Para ka namang others." Risa laughed, opening the passenger seat's door for Leni. "Tara na. Malapit lang naman pala, edi hindi ganon kalaki epekto sa dami ng steps mo." She teased.
Leni sighed in defeat and got on the car. "Sige, thank you."
Risa just smiled, closing the door after Leni before getting on as well. "Actually, nagugutom na 'ko eh. Do you mind if mag-dinner tayo first or may naghihintay ba sa'yo?"
"Libre mo ba?" Leni joked, trying to distract Risa from noticing that she is having a hard time with her seatbelt.
"Oo naman!" Risa reached over to help Leni with her seatbelt.
"Huy, joke lang, ma'am! Bilis mo naman maniwala." Leni scratched her head again, taking a whiff off of Risa's perfume. How could someone who has been working for 10 hours already still smell that fresh. She wished she could smell that scent forever.
"Ay alam ko na." Risa grinned, planting herself back on her seat.
"Ano?" Leni was a bit disappointed that the moment was over as soon as it happened. However, she kept herself in check so as not to do anything stupid. She doesn't even know if Risa is into girls.
Risa did not respond, but flashed a wide smile instead. She proceeded to open the radio of her car. "What kind of music do you like?"
Leni wanted to answer classical, but she didn't want Risa tot hink she's boring so she shrugged instead. "Kahit ano naman, ma'am."
"Also, can we drop 'ma'am' na, nasa labas naman na tayo ng school."
"Okay, Ana Theresia." Maybe it wasn't so bad to be this close to the other woman. Leni is slowly starting to feel at ease.
"Ang formal mo naman, Maria Leonor!" Risa retorted. "Pwede naman Risa na lang, akala mo naman di mo alam nickname ko."
"Pwede bang mahal na lang."
"Oi, ikaw ah. Narining ko 'yon!" Risa's smile could not get any wider. "Crush mo 'ko no?"
"Ha? Alin?"
"Wala." Risa just laughed, she was sure she heard it right, though. "Malapit na tayo. Favorite restaurant ko 'to eh. Usually mag-isa ko kumakain dito kasi wala naman akong kasama sa bahay."
Leni listened intently as Risa told her several stories. She didn't think that it was possible to be this fascinated over someone, but she's in too deep. She knew for a while now that she had fallen for the other woman. How could she not, though? Risa is the most beautiful woman that she had ever laid her eyes on. It might even be love at first sight for her.
"Okay ka lang ba talaga? Gutom ka na ata eh." Risa found Leni in a deep trance, though she didn't take offense that she might not have been listening to her all this time. She knew how exhausting their job is. "Buti na lang andito na tayo. Tara na, mahal."
Leni could not believe what she was hearing. She was so dumbfounded that she didn't notice Risa already getting out of the car and opening the door for her.
"Bakit, ikaw lang ba pwede tumawag ng mahal sa'kin?" Risa teased, leaning on the door, waiting for Leni to get out. "Ano bang gusto mong tawag ko sa'yo? Babe? Baby? Honeybunch?"
"Ano ka ba?" Leni laughed her embarrassment off, slowly getting out of the car and mentally hitting herself for saying something foolish again.
Before Leni could walk off, Risa caught her arm and made her lean against the car. "So ano nga, mahal? Dami mo na options, pili ka na lang."
"Nabubuang ka na, Ana Theresia." Leni laughed nervously, noticing how Risa's face is slowly inching towards her.
"Nagtatanong ako maayos eh." Risa smiled. "Babygirl? Sweetheart? Mine?"
Leni could not take the teasing anymore. "Okay okay, may gusto nga ko sa'yo, matagal na. 'Di ko lang masabi kasi nahihiya ako, natatakot na baka layuan mo 'ko." She sighed. "Wag mo na ko pagtripan, please lang."
"Seryoso naman ako, mahal." Rise wiggled her eyebrows. "Tara na ba sa first date natin?"
