Aika and Nat had gotten into a comfortable routine of seeing each other 2-3 times a week for runs and gym sessions. The owners of their usual coffee run often had their drinks ready before Nat and Aika even entered.
"We've never seen a couple so sweet like you two before!" The wife of the elderly couple-run shop would always swoon over Nat and Aika, no matter how many times her husband reminded that Nat and Aika had told them they weren't a couple.
"But seriously, young man...what are you waiting for? It's obvious that you two don't see each other as just friends. Don't wait until it's too late." The older man whispered to Nat as he passed him their coffee. Aika was with the lady owner, picking out bread.
"I know, tito. Thank you for the advice." Nat gave the older man a wistful smile. He looked at Aika and his heart told him that the owner was right.
"Your best friend has been asking when she can meet you again..." Aika smiled at Nat's words.
"I miss my best friend too...Hmm, I have nothing on tomorrow night so why don't we have dinner together?" Aika suggested, to Nat's delight.
"Sounds good! Where do you want to go?" Nat knew Jamie would be overjoyed.
"Actually, how about you come over? My mama and Tricia have been curious about you and Jamie...Only if you're fine, of course!" VP Leni and Patty had been bugging Aika to invite Nat and Jamie for dinner for a while.
"You mean me, meeting the Vice President of the Philippines?" Nat lowered his volume in case.
"Relax, you're meeting my mama. After 7pm, she's not the VP. I think Patty is scarier..." Aika teased.
"I mean, it'd be an honour to meet your family. Are you working at the office tomorrow? I can pick you up before we pick Jamie up from kindergarten and head to your house." Aika nodded.
"Don't get too uptight. My family won't bite..." Nat let out a nervous laugh.
~
I'm downstairs waiting. Take your time.
5 minutes!
"Jamie's been hyper the entire day. I hope your house doesn't have fragile items for her to break..." Nat held his temple as he remembered how Jamie was jumping up and down when he sent her to school this morning.
"I'm equally excited to see my best friend too, can't blame her for that..." Aika casually opened the glove compartment of the passenger seat and stole a candy from inside. She handed one to Nat as well.
"You sure you can be seen picking Jamie up? I mean..." They were heading up to the kindergarten when Nat asked.
" Aren't you the one that said we shouldn't think too much? Anyways, I'm not that recognisable under a mask." Aika stepped off the escalator with a slightly worried Nat behind. Nat couldn't help but worry.
"DADDY!" Jamie ran out of the gates of the kindergarten as soon as she spotted Nat outside. But the moment she spotted Aika's figure behind Nat, Jamie made a beeline for her.
"Hey, I missed you..." Aika knelt and pulled Jamie into a hug.
"I missed you more!" Jamie threw her hands over Aika's neck as Aika lifted her up.
"Erm ladies? Am I invisible?" Nat faked a cough as he watched Jamie and Aika.
"Jamie, your dad's being jealous again..." Aika and Jamie giggled as they headed to the carpark together, Nat following with Jamie's backpack in hand.
YOU ARE READING
Beneath The Surface
RomanceAika Robredo was a poster child: with a Masters from Harvard, a respectable career trajectory and dependable eldest daughter of the Robredo family. Everyone was telling Aika that all she had left to do was finding her 'dream guy' to settle down with...
