"So how was your stay so far?" tanong ni Raquel. She and her guests have been friends for exactly...5 hours and 17 minutes.
"Sa totoo lang, it's so good. Alam kong sobrang ganda ng London pero it felt really surreal to be here," Julie answered.
"Where is Hugo nga pala?" asked Josh.
"He won't come home tonight eh. He'll be staying with his aunt. Tomorrow na lang daw uuwi," sagot ni Raquel when asked about her boyfriend.
So how did these three meet?
Raquel lives in London right now. She acquired a scholarship grant in one of the most prestigious schools in London. She was having lunch with her boyfriend, Hugo, when suddenly a guy approached their table.
It was Joshua, Hugo's childhood bestfriend. They became friends in Texas where the two grew up. Apparently, he is having his vacation there. Hugo, offered their flat for Josh to stay. As they went by the grocery, some 30 minutes after, they bumped into Julie. Raquel's greatest idol. Julie is a professional singer and she is really famous in the Philippines. What Hugo did was, he went to her and asked for an autograph for her girlfriend. Being really sociable, he also asked if she already has a place to stay and offered their flat once again, which Julie accepted.
"Uhm, it's kind of cold today. Would you like some drinks to somehow keep you warm?" the hostess offered. They just had their dinner at ngayon, kinukumusta ni Raquel ang dalawa.
"Yes please," sagot naman ni Julie. After a while, Raquel came back with bottles of beer.
"Ay, we forgot to buy coffee pala kanina. Will these be fine?" sabay angat sa beers na hawak. She put them on the table. The three were having a good talk. They were laughing, and laughing and laughing.
"Josh, 'di ba you grew up in States?" asked Raquel.
"Yes, why?"
"Are you still a virgin?" napatingin si Julie kay Josh habang natigilan naman si Josh.
"I'm just curious! Kasi diba most guys are no longer virgins? Tapos ikaw, you never had a girlfriend pa,"
"Yes," matipid na sagot ng binata. Maya maya pa ay nag-yaya ng laro si Raquel.
"Let's play a game!" Raquel suggested. The three of them are already tipsy and you can see it in their faces. Pulang pula na sila lalo na si Julie na ngayon ay nakadantay ang kanang braso sa hita ni Josh.
"Well it's not actually a game, pero since we are friends already, we should know how to trust each other," tumango ang dalawang bisita. "What we'll do is, we will tell a secret about ourselves."
"What kind of secret?" asked Josh.
"Something you wouldn't want others to know about you kasi they may take advantage of it," Josh raised his eyebrows.
"Eh why do we have to tell it to each other if it would make you take advantage of me?"
"Yun nga! Kasi once I entrust you with that secret, being my friends," she did the imaginary "quote-and-quote" sign, "I would expect na you would keep it and you won't take advantage of me. Yun yung essence ng game," she explained.
Several seconds passed and the two agreed. Julie held the bottle to spin when Raquel stopped her.
"Ha?"
"Para fair!" sagot ng dalaga. At pinaikot niya ang bote. Tumapat ito kay Raquel.
"You go first the counter-clockwise!" Julie said drinking another bottle. Now she's hugging Josh at pinatong pa ang mukha niya sa balikat ng binata. Josh, being the natural gentleman, just let her do whatever she wants.
