Ignorance

Chapter 7

                   

Eduardo is nervous. And Diego has been digging his fingers into Eduardo's side ever since they sat at the u-shaped booth, teasing him with, "Yihee, kilig siya o." Eduardo didn't protest, not even a little, because if one were to think about it, like really think about it, this could be a date with Amor. The first date with Amor. But a date where both Diego and Betty Mae will also in attendance. But it's still a date, if you think hard about it.

            And it's the start of something new. What happened at his office earlier, was the start of something better. Amor's walls had come down, exposing what kind of person she really was—not Eduardo's employee in his publishing company, not someone Eduardo's boxed in his disposed narrow worldview, but a person. Blood, flesh, and bone, a hundred percent human Amor de Jesus. Those were the walls he's been trying hard to break through, and that afternoon, Eduardo started taking them down brick by brick. And he has to say, he's liking what he's seeing.

            The restaurant that Diego found is deceptively intimate. From the outside, it's a relaxed bistro, with high-end Filipino cuisine that would surely fit its location in the heart of Taguig's leisure district. But the inside is a much different story. Past the formal dining area, past the recessed lighting, Aracama transforms into a microcosm of high society, a hub of the glowing possibility of the Manila nightlife.

            The lights are dimmed for the events of the night, people of different ages spilling in: youth, most likely no more than 25; yuppies, still in their corporate attires; middle aged men, in dress shirts with sleeves rolled, and their middle aged lady friends, in cocktail dresses and high heels. Then there's Eduardo and Diego, quietly waiting in the booth for Amor and Betty, who are set to join them any minute now.

            And there she is. Eduardo sighs, letting go of the breath he was holding. There she is, in a white dress that hugged her curves so nicely, in platform heels that made her legs so much longer. He stands abruptly, looking like a complete fool with a blank and dazed expression on his face. Amor catches his gaze, and smiles as soon as she does. Eduardo is pretty sure he's reduced to a puddle by Diego's feet.

            "Betty Mae, iwan na natin yung dalawa!" Diego says from behind him. Eduardo spins, only to see his cousin on his feet as well, a short distance from the table. "Pool Club tayo."

            "What?" Eduardo says, in shock. "What are you talking about?"

            Diego gives him a patronizing pat and all-too-knowing smirk. "When we heard na um-oo si Amor, nag-agree kami ni Betty na magplano ng iba for ourselves," he says without a hint of remorse. "Ayaw mo yun? Masosolo mo na siya."

            Eduardo grabs Diego's arm in a vicelike grip. "Don't do this, Diegs. Hindi naman 'to yung plano ah."

            "Don't tell me na ayaw mo pa rin maiwan with her? Uulitin mo yung sinabi mo nung banquet, pards?" Eduardo stays silent. "So enjoy ka na lang, ha? You can thank me later. I have to go; andiyan na yung driver."

            Diego approaches the two women, letting Betty take his arm. Eduardo watches him talk to Amor with an encouraging smile. Amor's face flits from shock, to panic, to resignation, then understanding. She nods a bit grimly, gives her best friend a squeeze on her hand, and bids them goodbye. Diego throws one last look at Eduardo, before disappearing through the glass doors, and out of sight.

            He barely notices Amor come closer, slowly and tentatively. But when he does, he seizes up, freezing completely. Get it together.

            "Tarantado talaga si Diego," he comments curtly, a sly smirk on as he tries his damnest to break the ice. "I'm really sorry about him."