Seen

Chapter 3

"DAD! HI! YOU'RE BACK SO SOON!" I squeaked as Dad walk to meet us.

Our Dad, despite being a workaholic sales supervisor for a local car dealership, is also a sports fanatic.

Name a sport and you'll be surprised that he is into it.

Today, my sister and I thought that he is still on his routine morning run. We thought that we have more time to prepare for a breakfast meal since he usually return by seven; but apparently, we were proven to be wrong.

"Jen, why are you up so early?"

"Good morning Dad! I just went to buy some things from the grocery," I said while showing him my bags.

"Hmmm... It looks like you brought someone with you," he teased noticing Nate by my side. "Kid, you look familiar. Have we met?"

"Actually, yes sir. We met last week. I was the one who was able to help you in the park--"

"Oh right! Haha! Silly me, thanks by the way," Dad said as he interrupted Nate midsentence. "Sorry, I was not able to get your name then."

"It's Nate po, and please don't mention it," he politely said.

"Oh no please, don't call me 'sir', Tito Al would be fine; especially since I am in the impression that both of you know each other."

"It's not the way you think it is, Dad!" I defended. "He's just a classmate of mine at the university and it so happened that we bumped into each other earlier, I mean literally."

"Yes sir-- I mean Tito Al, we are classmates po!" He seconded.

What's this? Is he flustered or did he just blush right now?

"Hmmm... Fine, well then, I will assume you two are friends, right?" Dad inquired.

"Uhm yeah! You could say that, (Sort of...)" It was me who answered this time.

"Jenny!! Where in the world have you--?" We were so in the conversation that we didn't notice Nica come from behind us. Apparently, she was startled to find Nate with us. "Dad, don't you want to come inside? I have something to show you."

Nica you don't know how much I wanted to strangle your neck right now.

As if on cue, it was Nate who spoke, "Right! Sir -- uhm -- Tito Al, please excuse me but I really have to go now."

"Seriously? Right now? I was just going to invite you in the house for some breakfast. I'm sure these two are up to something here.

After all, it's my birthday, so a guest would be very much welcome," Dad said.

I thought I'm going to die on the spot. Dad is really asking Nate to stay for crying out loud!

"Yeah! Come on in, Nate. Jen here is cooking for us this morning," Nica seconded.

I gave Nica that I'll-kill-you-if-you-don't-shut-your-mouth stare.

As Nate looked at me as if for reassurance, he said, "Uhm well, a bite or two won't hurt, would it? Happy birthday by the way Tito!"

With that, we were ushered into the house by Dad and Nica.

Until now, I can't still fathom if all of this is for real! I mean, bumping into Nate this morning, finding out that he knows my Dad and now he's going to eat some breakfast with us; with me literally cooking for him. What more could I ask for?

As we go inside, Nica nudged me with her elbow, "Hey! Come on, he's just going to eat breakfast with us, it's not as if he's going to murder us all, would he?"

With that, I accepted my fate this morning, a day of humiliation in the presence of Nate. 😱