Nico and I walked away from the crowds and started going to the taxi hailing area. I was rummaging thru my purse to look for my power bank when I suddenly bumped into someone.
"Sorry," I said as I looked up to the person who I bumped into.
"Sorry." The other person said.
As we had eye contact, recognition dawned on both our faces.
"Martin!" "Liza!" We uttered simultaneously.
"Oh my God, what are you doing here?" I asked him as smile spreads across my face.
"Trying to get out of here," he said chuckling. "And you?"
"Same," I responded.
"Yeah? But why are you walking this way?" he said confusedly, pointing at the Departure area and then the direction that I'm going to.
"I just lost my seat, I...uhh..a bit of a long story...but...I'll just try my luck again later. I'm going to try calling the other airlines...I actually..."
"I'm actually meeting up with a friend, we're finalizing a chartered flight for Mrs. Lewis." Martin said in a rush.
"Really?" I said with shock and glee.
Martin is Mrs. Lewis' assistant. Mrs. Lewis being Mrs. Loida Nicolas Lewis, the Filipina billionaire immigration lawyer, activist, philanthropist and business executive.
Mrs. Lewis usually hosts members of the Philippine Mission to New York in her Long Island home and I met Martin in one of her soirees.
Martin and I hit it up pretty smashingly after I complimented him with his pink socks with little banana prints in them. We were sitting beside each other in a couch in one of Mrs. Lewis' sitting room and I said, "Cute", gesturing at his pink clad calf which was peeking from his pants. He smiled and said that that's what he was aiming for and the conversation flowed freely from there. Those socks were really a sure fire conversation starter, if I do say so myself.
And now it seems like to those socks is what will save me from my problem
"Going to New York?" I asked, coming back to the present.
"Of course, where else?" He replied sarcastically, Martin being his usual sassy self.
"Martin, you know I don't usually ask for favors but this time, I will be bold and ask, can I hitch a ride?"
Martin smiled and said, "Of course, darling..."
"Oh my God! Thank you so much...I cannot thank you enough...I..."
"Enough talk now, let me get in and seal the deal with the airline first. Or else all of us will be stuck here for God knows how long."
I grinned widely. "Sorry, sorry. I'll let you go now."
"Message me your passport details and I'll confirm the schedule with you, ok?" Martin said as he begins to walk towards the airline offices.
"Ok, bye." I grabbed him for a quick peck on the cheek and a quick hug and then Martin slipped away into the crowd.
I was smiling to myself, giddy with relief that I forgot that Nico was with me.
"Who was that?" He asked and I was pulled out of my puff of euphoria.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to introduce you to him," I said, my hands covering my mouth in shock.
"It's ok," he said with a wan smile. "I...it happened so quickly and...I'm just glad you can still go back to New York."
YOU ARE READING
When He Loved Me
RomanceLiza hasn't been back to her childhood hometown since she left for college. After twelve years of being away from Isla Verde, she was invited to be the guest speaker in her previous high school's graduation - and for some reason, she agrees to go. W...
