In Between Takes

take 37

Hindi sya nagsasabi kapag pupunta sya sa coffee-shop. Most of the time, she works from her house, and barges in without warning. Magugulat na lang ang mga barista nya na nandoon na ang boss nila (some can't even believe they're working for the Maine Mendoza) at kahit hindi naman nilagay ni Maine sa requirement nya na dapat... fan, they all became admirers of the woman.

True enough, it was different. The woman they're working for today sounded so different (at least she still looked the same; simply stunning as always) than what they see on television. She utters jokes every now and then and lightens everyone's mood, but most of the time, she'll be in her office, scanning papers. Minsanan lang ito lumabas... well, you can't really blame her. If the likes of Maine Mendoza was seen on public - pandemonium it is. 

There was one particular barista, though, who loved serving her. Arthur. Palagi itong nagvovolunteer na hatidan sya ng kape kapag nasa loob sya ng office nya, and he always acts on guard kapag may nagpapapicture sa kanya. Maine appreciates the existence of the younger man, though. Kaedaran lang kasi ito ni Dean.

"Ma'am, coffee nyo po," Arthur greeted her with a smile.

She politely declined. "Sorry, I'm really hoping for a smoothie right now."

"Talaga po ba? Pasensya na po." Tinanggal na nito ang kape sa harapan nya, and she felt bad for rejecting him. 

"You can drink that, though. Sa 'yo na 'yan."

Arthur beamed at her. "Salamat po! Ihahabol ko na lang po 'yung smoothie nyo."

When the man left, she dialed Coleen's number... para lang magreklamo. "Ate," panimula nya. "Sumasakit na ulo ko sa mga numbers dito."

"Of course," Coleen replied, now twenty-seven. "But you have to face it. 'Di ba gusto mo 'yan?"

She grunted, like calling her sister's of no help. "Thank you sa support, ha?"

A laugh was heard on the other line. "Really, Meng. You always tell people not to exhaust themselves tapos ikaw 'tong nagtatrabaho pa rin dyan. Take a break!"

"Ate, 'wag ka nga," she smiled. "Feeling ko accomplished woman na ako sa mga ginagawa ko."

"Okay, but don't forget to invite Bayaw tomorrow night, ha?"

"Oh, anong meron?" Bakit parang mas gusto pang i-inform ng ate nya si Alden kesa sa kanya?

"Oh well..." She heard giggling. "I'm finally tying the knot."

Squeals were heard all over Nicomaine's.

Nag-aalangan pa sya kung i-invite nya si Alden, because the man's busy as a bee - and sometimes more than that. Daig pa nito ang mga langgam kung magtrabaho. But he was able to make it on time, fortunately for the both of them.

"Akala ko hindi ka na pupunta," she joked, fixing his collar. "Sinabi ko rin naman kina Ate na busy ka."

"Family first," he answered, grinning. 

Pabiro naman nya itong pinalo sa balikat. "So family mo na rin 'yung family ko?"

"My family is your family yet I don't have the right?" He opened his car door for her. "Ang daya nito."

She placed the seat belt on. "Mas favorite na ako ng Lola mo kesa sa 'yo, ano. In case you don't notice, ako na ang apo nila ngayon."

"There's another way to be a Faulkerson, Maine." He started the engine. "Marry me."

She glared at him. "Don't tell things you're not serious about."

"I am serious."

Tumingin sya sa labas ng bintana. "We're not talking about this tonight."

Maine heard a sigh. "Why aren't we talking about this? We're grown-ups. This is the five years later we've talked about before."

"Hindi pa nga tayo, Alden!" Maine snapped. "Why are you talking about marriage kung hindi pa tayo?!"

Pumikit ang binata, tila pinapakalma ang sarili. "But we are together."

Oo nga, Maine wanted to scream. Yes, they are together. Yes, they are exclusive. But there's this line they haven't crossed yet and it happened to be the most important line they have to overcome. "Alam ko. Pero mahal mo ba ako?"

"Oo naman!"

She face-palmed herself. "Not that. Do you love me like the love I was referring to?!"

There was silence.

"See?" She sighed in frustration. "You can't even answer the question."

"But you're important to me," he murmured.

"You're important to me as well and we both know we can't live without each other's existence," she said. "But you have to understand, Alden."

Silence filled the car again.

"Sorry," he said in a low voice, after minutes of not talking. "Sorry kund hindi ko nasagot 'yung tanong mo."

"Okay lang," she assured him. "I won't be able to say yes if I were asked the same, too."

That was the cold, hard truth.