The Billionaire's Contract Wife [COMPLETED]

Fifty-Seven: A Future Together

Nagmamadali akong pumasok sa coffee shop, habang kausap si Huifen sa cellphone, kaya hindi ko halos napansin na may makakasalubong ako sa may doorway.

Before I knew it, I bumped into someone --- a woman --- on my way in.

"Duìbùqǐ," I immediately said sorry. 

The woman didn't say anything. She didn't even look my way. She just went her way like nothing happened.

But I was able to catch a glimpse of her side profile before she was able to get out of the door.

"Francine?" I called out loud after her. 

I was expecting her to turn around. 

She didn't. Tuloy-tuloy lang itong naglakad palayo hanggang sa tuluyan na itong mawala sa aking paningin.

I lightly shook my head. For a moment, I really thought it was Francine. It really looked like her. Pati yung buhok, height, at body build.

I was 90% sure earlier that it was her.

But I must be wrong. 

Of course, I was wrong. Imposible namang 'di ito lilingon noong tinawag ko ang pangalan nito. Unless it was really someone else. 

"By the way, have you talked to Francine recently?" I asked Louie one week later. 

We were in the kitchen. I was sitting on one of the bar stools at the counter, watching him prepare our dinner.

Today's among the very rare occasions when both of us came home earlier than usual. Kaya sinusulit namin.

"Nope. You know that I don't really keep in contact with them," he said as he was getting the steak ready. "Why do you ask?"

He looked really hot with his apron on. His hair is still damp from taking a shower earlier.

"Wala lang. I just thought I saw her last week," I said as I tried to recall the incident.

Nagtaas ito ng tingin. "Here in Beijing?"

I nodded. 

"I bumped into her --- I mean, the woman who I thought was her --- on my way to the coffee shop. For a moment, I was so sure that it was her. But then she didn't even look back when I called her name so I must be mistaken," pagkukuwento ko. 

"Uh-huh." He was busy with the creamy mushroom soup this time. I am not even sure if he's listening. 

"Are you even listening?" I asked the obvious.

Muli itong nagtaas ng tingin. "Yup, of course, I am. Must be the wrong person."

Okay, he was not interested in the topic. And I respect that.

"How did you learn to cook that well?" I changed the topic.

"Maybe because I was living alone in the UK for so long? I need to learn how to cook to survive."

"I was living alone, too. I didn't learn how to cook like that."

"You were living with your mom," he corrected me.

"I moved into my own apartment, remember?"

"I don't know what you've been eating during those two years of living alone that you never really learned how to cook beyond fried eggs and hotdogs."

"Grabe naman 'yan. Kaya ko din namang mag-sangag."

"And fried rice, too," he added with a smirk.

"Uhmm, takeouts?"