Another Chance To Say... [ON HOLD]

Their World Is Getting Smaller

"Gael?"

"Hmm?" Gael looked up from the news article he was reading on his phone. He and Sabine were at a coffee shop having breakfast after her shift at Flour and Eggs. He loved that Sabine was no longer in a rush because she had graduated from school, now had more time to relax and take care of herself.

"I have a question for you."

"Okay, shoot," he put his phone down and took a sip of his café Americano.

"What do you think of me quitting Flour and Eggs?"

"Huh?" he looked at her. "You're quitting Flour and Eggs?"

"No, I mean, not yet. It's just that I got a job offer from an Eloisa Santos."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of her. She's a restaurateur. Really, a job offer? That's great!" he reached across the table and held his girlfriend's hand.

"Yeah, she's thinking of putting up a bake shop in the near future, specializing in wedding cakes. Babe, do you think it's a good idea? I mean, it's what I want to do, make wedding cakes. But I haven't done any cakes formally so I have to do a few mini wedding cakes for her to sample on our next meeting."

"Babe, this is a wonderful opportunity. But wait," he squeezed her hand. "What are the hours?"

"It'll be a 9-5 job, unless I have a rush order or something, but yeah, it'll be a steady, regular hours, kind of job."

"I like it already," he smiled at her.

"But I don't want to leave Maria. She's the best boss ever. She gave me my start, let me experiment using her resources...she's incredible. She let me cultivate my passion for baking, and it would be a shame to leave something so wonderful...someone so wonderful," Sabine lamented.

"I know, babe, but you've wanted to do wedding cakes all along. You've taken classes, you've been practicing at home...this is what you were meant to do, and now you have a chance to do it. Just talk to Maria. I'm sure she'll understand you...support you in your new venture even. I'm sure just because you leave doesn't mean your friendship with her is going to end."

"Thank you, babe. You've really calmed me down."

"With your new schedule, maybe you can even come and watch some of my games," he winked at her.

"Um, I don't know about that..."

"You don't want to?" he frowned at her.

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I don't know if I can handle being your girlfriend...in public, that is," she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "I don't know if I can handle the public scrutiny. I mean, I can just imagine it now, all I will hear is, 'Her? That's who Gael Andrada is dating? But she's so ugly and homely...probably more like his maid!'"

"Babe, stop! You're overthinking this. First of all, you're my girlfriend, not mine and the rest of the country's, so who cares what they think? Secondly, you're beautiful. I don't know why you can't see what I see, Sab. Third, you have a beautiful heart, and that's what makes you so beautiful."

Sabine looked shyly at her boyfriend. It was obvious to everyone that he adored her, but sometimes she let her insecurities eat her up. How can it not? Her boyfriend was drop dead gorgeous: tall, dark, and handsome. Not only was he a professional athlete, but also was the son of the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the Philippines. Their family owned several shopping malls in Metro Manila alone. With the help of her best friend Tina, she found out more things about him on the internet, how he only dated high profile actresses, models, and socialites. She told Tina she wasn't interested in finding more about Gael's personal life, that if he wanted her to know things, she'd rather hear it from him. Tina wanted to show her pictures of his exes, but what for? That would only be inviting more insecure feelings to rise up within her. She already felt inadequate as it was.