Once Upon A Chance

Chapter Fifteen

Going to Divisoria on a weekday is just as the same as going here on a weekend. It's June so people have flooded the streets to buy stuff for school. It takes us about more than two hours before Marco finds an available parking space at Tutuban center.

Yes, Marco has offered to accompany me because Ruth is at work. He used that as an opportunity to pick me up at the language center and meet my Korean students. We also ate lunch (his treat) with mom before leaving.

Mom advised us to go to Juan Luna street where we can find shops that sell shirts wholesale. I've been going to Divisoria with her but not to Juan Luna, so Marco and I have to ask. After getting the directions, we realize that it's quite easy to find the so-called "shirt capital" here. The only obstacle is that you have to bump into people and walk side-by-side, only an inch apart, with jeeps and motorized sidecars.

Anyway, we're having a field day going through different shops and seeing what type of shirts they offer. My best friends saw my designs last night and agreed that they look best in black, white, blue, and grey shirts. Blue isn't in my portfolio though, but Chinkay reminded me that blue is the color of Southwood.

After going to five shops, Marco finds a big one with a wide array of choices: from the quality of cloth, to colors, to style. Marco suggests that the faculty members wear blue shirts with collar. You know, to look a little formal. I agreed with his idea.

For the shirts I'm going to sell to students and alumni, we choose round neck ones in colors white, blue, black, and grey.

Southwood management has paid me a check worth thirteen thousand pesos. I encash it and use the money to purchase the shirts. The management will pay the other half once I deliver the shirts to them. For the other shirts I plan to sell on my own, I use my money from my savings account. After this, we will bring the shirts to the printing press Chinkay suggested before. Since there are about 500 to 600 students in Southwood, my target is to sell at least 200 shirts. That's my safe bet.

Once we load everything to the backseat and to the trunk of Marco's car, we decide to have dinner first. We agree to eat at the paihaw near the parking area and order seafood, just like what we did in Batanes.

"Remember when I ordered a platter of seafood," Marco recalls when we get to our table. "Your face turned red out of envy, because the grilled tuna you ordered wasn't enough."

I playfully punch him in the arm before making a face. "You still gave in and offered me the lobsters," I wink at him. "Admit it, I charmed you."

"Yeah, you caught my attention at the airport," He jokes, referring to that incident at the Basco airport where I mistook his luggage as mine. The waiter then comes to serve us our grilled fish, pork, and adobong kangkong.

When he's not within earshot, Marco draws his lips closer to my ear and continues. "Imagine the things I could have done to you in Batanes," Then he winks. I know what he means by that.

"Hey," My face turns red. Sometimes Marco cab really get naughty. I look down on my plate, trying to ignore the sensation I'm feeling. "Ssssh!"

He just smiles and kisses me on the cheek. "I'll do to you what I'm thinking now when we're alone."

Now I don't think I still want to eat.

Marco is able to eat five cups of rice. I wonder how he maintains his buff body even if he's eating like there's no tomorrow. When we're done, we wash our hands and walk back to the parking area.

"Thank you for today," I say once we reach his car. He fishes the keys out from his jeans pocket and opens the car door for me. I hold onto his shirt and pull him close.