Look of Love

Chapter 34

"Do you have your card with you?"

Matamis akong ngumiti sabay bigay noon. A brief kiss on the cheek is all it takes to bid goodbye to my another client for tonight.

"Miss Maxi, may I?" sabay ngiti ng isang reporter.

"Sure."

For the past couple of minutes, all I've been doing is to get interviewed by the reporters. Puro tanong lang naman iyon tungkol sa akin. But I can feel their curiosity towards my private life. Parang kumukuha lang yata sila ng tyempo bago ako tanungin.

Cameras flashes. Nanatili akong kalmado habang nakikipag-usap sa kanila. This feels familiar. I've been in this situation before. When I was hailed as the winner.

"Shariah, hey."

Lumingon ako at napakurap kurap ako.

"Ivan, hello."

"Congrats!"

"Thank you."

Bumagsak ang tingin ko sa kwintas niyang suot pagkatapos. Nakita niya ang galaw ng mga mata ko doon.

"Oh, this," niligay niya ang kaniyang kamao sa bibig sabay pagklaro ng lalamunan. Lumapit pa siya sa'kin na para bang gusto niyang makipag-chismisan sa akin sa oras na 'to.

"It's better to let everyone know that I'm no longer available. Baka mamaya, may maging matchmaker na naman dyan at makiepal sa love life ko," he said so sarcastically.

My mouth went wide open. "Girlfriend?"

Para lang kaming magkaibigan na matagal na hindi nagkita at nagku-kwentuhan.

"Akala mo ba ikaw lang ang in a relationship?" he cracked a joke. Alanganin akong ngumiti.

"Then... the girl in the portrait?"

"That's her. That's my gift for her for our anniversary."

Namilog ang mga mata ko.

"She loves it! Sobrang ganda daw. Buti na lang, sa'yo ako nagpa-commision," he grinnned.

Napangiti naman ako sa tuwa. I'm glad his girlfriend likes it. He was talking about her so joyfully, and the way he was smiling so widely made my heart warm.

"How about you? Boyfriend mo 'yung lalaking masama ang tingin sa akin, 'di ba?"

"Ha?"

"Wala," umiling siya at natawa.

"It was really nice meeting you again after all those years, Shariah."

Slowly, my smile faded on its own when a thought occured to me.

"In another circumstances, we would've have been good friends, don't you think?" I said softly.

Pareho kaming nasa malayo ang tingin.

"Isipin ko na lang na ito ang unang beses nating pagkikita," sambit ko.

Tumango siya. Nilahad ko ang palad ko sa kaniya at marahang ngumiti.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shariah."

"The name's Ivan."

I feel... good. Its so nice to have a conversation with him again.

Nahagip ng tingin ko si Primo sa hindi kalayuan. Hindi ko na inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"The one who's walking towards us is my boyfriend, Primo."

"The famous Ser Amado, yeah?"

I nodded without tearing my eyes off him.

"So he's the one you've told me before?"