moirai

his turn

The next 2 weeks were crucial for everyone. Their respective clients had given them a deadline so they had to work double time on their projects.Rj hardly slept while Maine was getting sick from stress. They didn't contact each other either.

One early evening, while Maine was quietly reading a book at Figaro, Greenbelt 3, a figure suddenly dimmed her light source.

"Hey!..." she said, looking up, at bit annoyed.

Rj was looking down at her, smiling. "I was going to watch a movie sana...." he began. "Ginahulat mo na naman sugat mo?" (Are you waiting for your ride again?)

She nodded, smiled and put her book down. She removed her bag on the chair closest to him and he sat down.

"Thanks....so, this is how you spend your time gali when indi ka masugat gilayon..." (So this is how you spend your time when you don't get home right away) he continued

"Yes...or galakat-lakat ko (or I walk around)....but it's too warm to walk around now..."

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. "Excuse me..." he said as he stood up, walked out of the café, and took the call.

He came back after 5 minutes but she was already fixing her things, ready to leave.

"Nagtext na brother ko...lapit na sila sa driveway..." (My brother's there...they're near the driveway)

"Ah sige...I'll walk you to your car." he smiled and pushed their chairs back.

They chatted some more as they walked to the driveway and waited for Maine's car to arrive. He said that he had been busy with work for the past weeks. She said that it was the same with her. She was actually just recovering from a cold which she says she got from the stress of her current project. He looked at her with concern.

"Oh, don't worry..I'm okay na..." she said as she patted his arm and nodded towards a black Subaru that was approaching.

She reached for the door handle but he was quicker. He opened the car door for her and she slid in.

"Thank you..."

"Ok...halong!" he said as he closed the car door. He waited for the car to move before he turned on his heel and walked back to the mall.

It was the first time in 2 weeks that Rj would hang out with Steven again. He met up with Steven at a bar in the Fort. He wasn't a drinker but he enjoyed a bottle or two once in a while. He hadn't told anyone about his "encounters" with Maine. Over bottles of beer, he shared with Steven his thoughts.

"Pare...when are we going to have lunch again?" Rj asked, out of the blue...

Steven was caught by surprise with the question. He sensed something...he was taking a swig of his beer so he slowly put the bottle down on the table and looked at Rj with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait...lunch?...what?"

"Ahhh...the project pala...the suggestions you gave were perfect! I just need to figure out a few more details but..."

"Don't change the subject!" Steven interrupted. "Why ask about lunch?"

"....basta! The project I'm working on will be completed next week. I still owe you a round, right?" Rj was talking a bit too fast, and was obviously trying to hide something.

"Wait...wait...okay....congrats on the project..." Steven said; a bit annoyed. "Why are you asking about lunch?" They were standing by a cocktail table. Rj was slightly leaning against it while Steven was facing him.

"Ahh...eh...."

"Hmm....wait...lemme think....lunch...lll....unch...ahhhhh!" Steven said looking down at his beer bottle.
"Is there something I should know?" Steven smiled impishly at his friend.

Rj didn't know where or how to start his story. Although he was talkative when around his friends, he would turn quiet on personal matters. He really didn't like talking about himself. He chugged down on his beer then set down the almost empty bottle...

"Remember....Maine...?" he started really slow..

"Maine?....Maine....ahhh...Pauleen's friend..." Steven got curious and put down his bottle after taking a full swig (this was his 3rd).

"Yeah....her...we saw each other again..."

"And...?"

"Well, I saw her again kanina lang..."

"Oh...." Steven said as he turned away from Rj to lean on the table and rest his elbows on them.

"Dude..."

"What?"

"She's an Ilongga too...and lives in Bel-Air..."

"Wait...how did you know she lives in Bel-Air?"

"I brought her home...."

"You....bro.....WHAT?!" Steven exclaimed a little bit too loudly that the group at the table next to theirs looked at them.

"Sorry..." Rj said to the group who just shrugged and chuckled at the 2.

"What?" Steven said again, a little quieter this time.

Rj went into detail as to how she saw her at the bridgeway, had dinner and coffee at Greenbelt and bringing her home.

They paid their bill and walked out of the bar and to the parking lot.

"Wait pare..." Steven continued as they were nearing their cars. "You said, you saw her again?"

"Yeah...kanina lang..."

"I say, dude...go for it! You're single anyway...." Steven chided him before giving him a high-five and body bump to say goodbye.