Let Me Be The One

Chapter 4 - Not Another Usual Day

Gail

nag alarm ang phone ko bandang 830am, like it usually does. sarap ng tulog ko. what with the cool breeze sa kwarto and all the long islands i drank last night.

<message received>
good morning, babe!
don't be late for work ok.
ingat sa work.
love you!
sender: brent

brent is such a sweetheart. he even thinks of me na wag ma late for work. hay... i love him so much. wish he was here to hug me. ilang araw na kasi siya sa may cebu for the big business conference his father organized. brent is the second son of the owner of the big conglomerate, loyola corporations inc. very business minded and very responsible, kaya even if he is still 24, he was already given a top level management position by his dad.

gud am, babe!
thanks.
love you so much!
when are you coming home?
missing you.
sender: gail
<message sent>

i was just placing my phone sa may bedside table ng may tumunog sa may living room. parang phone. message alert tone? mabilis akong tumayo at sumilip sa may door.

"good morning..." isang boses na bumati sa akin sa nakaupo sa may sofa set ko while drinking coffee.

"babe!" dali dali kong takbo kay brent na nakangiti sa akin habang binababa ang phone niya.

i leaped onto him while he was sitting on the sofa. sabay yakap sa kanya ng mahigpit. i love this man. so much.

"so this means you really miss me, noh babe?" tanong ni brent habang hinihimas ako sa likod.

his warmth really is different. its like coming home to a place you feel safe. where you feel cherished. where you feel... well, loved.

"i thought nasa cebu ka pa... isn't your conference suppose to end in two more days?" sabi ko ng hindi bumibitaw kay brent. nakayakap ng mahigpit.

hindi agad sumagot si brent. he just let the quiet morning as it is. he just hugged me tighter.

"nagpa alam ako kay papa na uuwi ako ng mas maaga kasi sabi ko pupuntahan kita. he said yes kasi puro mga small events and meetings na lang ang gagawin daw for the remainder of the conference. kaya nandito na ako..." nakangiting sabi ni brent ng tingnan ko siya.

he is such a sweetie. kaya i didn't let him go the moment i met him. we actually met after i graduated college. i was going on a job interview when i met him. it was such a nice memory. i can still remember it, like it was yesterday.

>>

"gosh, jeannie! this is like my third interview today... and i don't see a glint of hope in any of them. parang the job doesn't fit me..." sabi ko sa phone ko.

"sis... anu ka ba... job interview yun hindi costume fitting... 'the job doesn't fit me raw' oh... hehehehe!" tawa ni jeannie sa other line.

tumatawid ako sa kalsada papuntang starbucks habang kausap ko si jeannie, alam ko nakastop ang mga cars naman nung tumatawid ako.

"yun nga sabi ko jeannie... it was like... ohmygod!" sigaw ko ng napaharap ako sa isang kotse na rumaragasa papunta sa akin.

natakot ako ng sobra. nabitawan ko ang dala kong mga things ko pati phone. parang bumagal ang lahat at parang huminto ang oras. and everything... went black.

"... miss... miss... are you ok... miss..." alalang bulong ng boses ng isang lalaki habang hinihimas ang face ko.

i slowly opened my eyes to see this tall, handsome, tanned young man looking very worried as he looked down on me. it was instant attraction as i looked at him his face was framed by the sun shining from behind his head as i lay on the pedestrian lane.

"... miss ok ka lang?" he repeated again to me, removing his shades, as i stared at him longer than required with me in his arms.

everything in the world has already stopped... when it was the screaming of jeannie that brought me back to reality.

"gail!!! gail!!! omg! are you ok?! gail!!!" jeannie screamed in the phoneline.

"gosh... yung... phone ko..." i said slowly still awestruck by the man's handsome face starting back at me habang kinakapa ko yung phone on the ground without loosing eye contact on him.

then he smiled at me sweetly as he slowly got up from where he crouched on the ground and let out a hand towards me. he slowly lifted me up with his strong arms. he is such a gentleman. he even took my things from the ground and handed it to me including my phone that was still screaming. omg! jeannie!

"hello! hello! jeannie... calm... calm down... i'm... i'm quite alright... ok lang ako..." i talked to my bestie on the phone as the crowd of people around us started to disperse.

"... ok... will talk to you in awhile... bye, sis..." i ended the call as i turned to the guy who was holding my things.

"... so... so where were we..." i turned as i faced him, he just smiled at me with that sweet, innocent boyish smile of his. kinilig ako ng sobra sa nakita ko.

"by the way... i'm brent..." he said as he raised his hand to me.

"h-hello... i'm gail... its nice of you to bump into me..." sabi ko as i tucked in my hair under my ears then raised my hand for a handshake.

and that was what i can call how it started. not another usual day. well... not in my lifetime. pinagmaneho niya ako around the city for my job interviews. bawi raw sa nangyari kanina. sabi ko ok lang yun, but he insisted. thanks to him i was able to get to all my interviews on time. and one of them got me the job i have now. sabihin na lang natin na lucky charm ko si brent.

>>

"babe, you should get ready na... baka ma late ka... i will drive you to work... tapos sunduin kita mamaya after. we can have dinner..." sabi niya as i sat straight on the sofa.

"wish i can have this day off..." sabi ko habang nag uunat.

then tumayo na ako, i know i have to. i have a presentation later. it's all ironed out. i just have to, well, present it. my clothes are already ready even before i left with the girls last night. so i prepared for the day ahead.

"so how do i look?" i asked stepping out of the bedroom clothed with my executive suit on.

"like who you really are... my angel..." he said ng malambing.

i walked over and kissed him on the cheek leaving a red lipstick mark on him. i took some tissue and wiped it off. baka sabihin ng makakita masyado akong promiscuous. well, i am. pero i don't want it to look very obvious naman, di ba?

"so... let's go..." brent said as he took my bag from the living room and held out a hand to me.

naglakad kami to the elevator with him holding my hand, hanggang makababa kami to his car. pinagbuksan pa niya ako ng door. such a gentleman. pagkasakay niya, bago i-on ang iginition, he checked if my seatbelt was on. then he turned the car on.

"i am such a lucky man to have you, gail... i love you..." he said to me as he held my hand.

i just smiled. i am so loved by this wonderful man. and alam kong mahal ko rin siya. pero sure ba talaga ako?