A few days after Tamang Panahon, d ba we started shooting for My Bebe Love? I remember sobrang awkward ko pa nun. Hindi ko talaga siya kayang tingnan sa mata, my God. Pero mahilig siya sa ganun eh, yung tititigan ka niya na parang wala lang sa kanya pero jusko, nangangatog ang tuhod ko. As in literal, my knees were shaking.
Tapos we were asked to play it up for the camera pa. Akbay, hawak sa braso, tinginan na kunyari in love. Can you imagine how I was feeling back then? Mamatay-matay ako! Si Alden Richards kasi yun, friends.
At eto pa, in the middle of the shoot, he'd simply whisper, "okay ka lang?" And then he'll wait for me to say something as if my answer mattered. Ganyan siya. Walang respeto sa feelings ko. I swear he will be the death of me. Pero siyempre, I had to be all cool about it. I had to pretend na wala siyang effect sa akin kahit pambansang bae pa siya. Nakakahiya kaya!
And, and, and! Did I mention na sobrang bango niya? Pati hininga niya, mabango! I swear! I actually entertained the idea na baka he uses perfume as his mouth wash. Ang shunga ko lang pero totoo talaga.
But in all fairness to him, he never made me feel inferior. Not even once. Kahit ako'y isang hamak na Maine Mendoza lamang.
He'd check in on me at regular intervals. Mostly, yun lang yung extent ng conversation namin. He'd ask, "Okay ka lang?", tapos sasagot ako, "Oo, thank you. Ikaw?", then he'd respond with "I'm good." Tapos he'd go back to his assigned room. Pero okay lang. Better than nothing, d ba?
Pero after that really awkward photoshoot, things got better. When we started shooting our scenes together, masaya. Kasi Alden is very playful. Makulit din pala siya. Masayahin. Not the stuck up, prim and proper guy I thought him to be.
I started to look forward to our shoots. Kahit magdamagan, mapuyat, gora lang. Kasi kasama ko siya. I didn't think I was falling for him at that time. Tropa-tropa lang, ganoin. Masaya kasi siyang kasama. And he takes care of me.
He'd text me a few hours before we would meet sa set usually asking kung anong food ang gusto kong kainin. And without fail, meron siyang dala sa set. He'd bring food for everyone din naman pero nakahiwalay yung akin. Ang haba ng hair ko, d ba? Hindi mo pa ba naaapakan diyan?
Pagdating niya sa set, he'd go straight to me kaya yung make-up artist niya, alam na kung saan siya hahanapin. Alden is the type of guy who do not run out of stories to tell. Ang daldal niya lang, grabe. But I love hearing his voice and his laugh. Sobrang nakaka-good vibes.
There was a time na muntik na akong magalit sa kanya. We had a scene with several male extras and when Direk Joey called cut, one of them asked for a photo with me. Siyempre pumayag naman ako. Kaso this guy, inakbayan ako, eh nakita ni Alden. Bigla ba naman lumapit and kinuha yung kamay nung lalake sa balikat ko. He did it playfully, of course, pero nainis ako kasi kinilig ako kahit wala naman akong karapatan. Hindi naman yata tama yun d ba? Dapat panagutan niya yung kilig ko, shet siya.
Oh, meron pa pala. One shooting day, I had a really bad case of menstrual cramps. Hindi ako makausap ng matino, all I wanted to do was to lie down. I stayed sa kotse ko. During the break, may kumatok tapos pumasok siya may dalang malaking box na puro chocolates ang laman. Hindi siya nagsalita, inabot lang niya yung box tapos tinabihan lang niya ako. Naiyak ako kasi ang sweet niya and hindi siya natakot na lumapit sa'kin kahit beastmode ako.
Ayun, nakatulog ako with my head on his lap. Hindi ko alam kung naglaway ako or humilik basta ang sarap ng tulog ko nung time na yun. Nangalay na siguro siya pero he just let me sleep. When I woke up, he fixed my hair then asked kung kamusta na ako. He really is one of a kind.
Hindi ko pa rin alam if nanliligaw siya during that time. In my mind kasi, ganyan talaga siya as a person-thoughtful, caring, sweet.
Gagawin din kaya niya yun sa ibang girls? Ewan ko. Pero sana hindi.
Sana sa akin lang.
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