Dinala ako ni Ali sa isang restaurant malapit lang sa taft. The moment I went inside, I immediately knew how expensive the food might be here. Sa mga tao pa lang na kumakain, mahahalta mo ng mga mayayaman lang ang kumakain dito.
"Are you going to make me pay for the bill?" I joked as he opened a seat for me. Umupo ako doon at pinatong ang flowers sa isa pang upuan habang siya naman ay umupo sa harapan ko.
"I'm the one who invited you, I won't make you pay" Ngumisi siya at saka umayos ng upo.
There was a candle in between us, may wine glass at iba't ibang klase ng kubyertos ang nakalatag sa harapan namin. Chandeliers were scattered around the whole restaurant, may mga nagpaplay rin ng piano at harp sa gilid.
"I'll get the smoked salmon with garlic lemon butter sauce, and...cabernet sauvignon" I said while looking at the menu.
Nang iangat ko ang tingin para pakingan ang order ni Ali, nakita kong nakakunot ang nuo niya doon, halatang nahihirapang pumili.
"How about you, sir?" The waitress asked Ali.
He licked his lips. "Uh...'etong chicken cordon bleu nalang at...tubig" I couldn't help but smile while watching him.
"Okay po, how about dessert ma'am?" Tinungkod ko ang pisnge sa kamay at inikot ang menu para maghanap ng dessert doon.
"We'll both get the Millie-Feuille vanilla pastry with bourbon sauce" Tumango ang waistress at inulit pa ang order namin bago kami iniwan dalawa.
Ali slicked his hair back, iniwas niya ang mata niya sa akin para tumingin tingin sa paligid kaya mas lalo lang akong natawa.
"You're new to this aren't you?" I teased, he just pushed his tongue inside his cheeks.
"Don't worry, you blend in pretty well. If I saw you eating here, I'll think you're the son of a rich businessman" Humagikhik ako habang pinapanood ang reaksyon niya.
Pinagtaasan niya lang ako ng kilay, nakatungkod ang pareho niyang siko sa taas ng table at nakasikop ang kamay niya.
"Really?" He asked, amused.
"Really! People wouldn't know you're poor" His brows shot up, ngumiti lang ako.
Ali's conventionally handsome. He's the kind of guy who would blow up in the internet after posting a photo of himself. His skintone is not pale but also not tanned, his eyes are almond shaped, his nose is pointy and proud, his lips are as red as a cherry, his cheekbones are defined well. He's also well-built. It's not hard to like him.
"Compliment ba 'yan?" Biro niya habang iginagala ang mata.
"I always compliment you, what do you mean?" Nilabas ko ang cellphone ko at umusog ng kaunti para mapicturan ko ang flowers na binigay niya.
"What are you doing?" He asked curiously, probably eyeing me.
Binuksan ko ang ig ko at saka pinindot ang story. "I'm posting a story" I informed.
I angled my phone first, finding the right position before clicking a photo of it. A smile unknowingly escaped my lips when I finished.
"Pakita" Aniya nang matapos akong kumuha ng litrato.
Mabilis kong nilayo sakaniya ang cellphone at pinandilatan siya. "Make an ig account first so you can see"
Nilagyan ko 'yon ng isang heart emoji sa gilid at nilagyan ko 'yon ng caption.
'I didn't know I liked flowers until you gave me one'
And then I posted it. Pagkatapos no'n ay inabot ko kay Ali ang cellphone ko. His brows curved in confusion but he still accepted my phone.
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Romance(Youth Series #1) Life was glamorous for Amore. Despite being alone throughout her young years, she was accompanied with wealth and extravagance. Her caprices, needs and wants were always given to her with just a flick of a finger. But one thing was...
