"Elle naman, please stay with me." He said those words with all his emotions. "Let's do some catching up and besides the work will be easier kung magkasama tayo."
Kanina pa niya ako kinukulit na magstay sa hotel. Hindi naman kasali sa usapan na LU ang magpprovide ng tutuluyan ko. In fact, my flat is just an hour tube ride from the hotel, not that far. Pero, libre na yun. Bakit aayaw pa ako.
From airport, dumiretso kami to my flat to pick up some of my things.
"Bakit nga ba ikaw yung kasama ko ngayon? I mean, hindi ka naman na professor sa LU. It's been three years already." I asked him as I was packing my bag. He looked very comfortable on my couch. Cute.
"I only stopped working for LU last year. For the past years, I worked in Japan as a researcher, and cover ng contract ko with College of Business is to attend this conference. It was supposed to be last year, but it got postponed. I loved my job with LU. If not only for some instances, I wouldn't be leaving."
Hindi ko na dinagdagan ang mahaba niyang litanya. The drive back to London was quiet. Hindi ko rin naman kasi alam sasabihin ko. We went inside our own hotel rooms and after a few hours of relaxing, nag-ring yung telephone. Maybe a call from the lobby.
"Napagisip isip ko na kung bakit mo natanong kanina why I'm here. Ayaw mo ba akong kasama?"
"May sinabi ba akong ayoko? I was just curio---"
"I'll be there in three. Seconds." And he hung up on me.
Gumawa lang kami ng presentation for the conference on his first two days. I can say na talagang mahal niya yung trabaho niya on how he puts in so much effort for this conference.
The conference was fun. Marami akong nakilala from different countries and some of the professionals na nakausap ko seem to know my dad.
I took up Accountancy but I'm currently working on something inline with Science—my Dad and Sir J's field. Ika nga nila, first love never dies. Sa dami kong gusto gawin sa buhay, parang hindi na ata ako mahihinto sa pag-aaral. Nakakapagod, oo. Pero masaya. Lalo na as you reach every goal.
The day after our presentation, I sneaked out of the hotel seeking for some me time. Free naman kaming lumabas, I was just caught up with the feeling of being in a big conference for the first time without the guidance of my dad, kaya hindi ako lumalabas masyado.
"Where are you?" Sir J said on the other line of the phone.
"I'm at my flat po, Sir. I went back, may kinuha lang."
"I know. I'm just making sure that it is your car parked outside. And haven't I told you to stop calling me Sir? I'm not your professor anymore."
"What the hell?! Have you been following me?"
"Watch your language, Miss and nope. I went in your hotel room to find out you aren't there. Then naisip ko baka you went home and here I am. Do you mind touring me around Berkshire?" Nakalimutan ko pala isarado yung connecting door ng rooms namin.
Before I could even answer, I heard the doorbell ring.
"Can you please not bother me? I have a planned me time for today." Inunahan ko na siyang magsalita pagkabukas pa lang ng pinto.
"How about let's make it a we time. Kung hindi mo alam, I really don't take no for an answer, Elle." He told me putting an emphasis on 'we time' with a smirk. Please, not that again.
"Angtuaco, you are such a creep."
It's been two days since we went around the county and I can say it was fun. He likes taking pictures and it is just one of the many things we mutually like. We even had some sort of a bet on who takes better shots.
The pictures are to be uploaded on our Facebook accounts and kung sino may mas maraming likes, ililibre on tour around London.
To cap off the hard work, napagusapan namin to have the tour after the last conference session later.
My mind was still at work as the last speaker just finished his talk. "Hi Beatrice. I was just wondering." I smiled and looked at Mhel who has been my seat mate during the week-long conference. "Sorry if medyo out of the blue yung tanong pero, kayo ba ni Sir Angtuaco?" Nagulat ako sa tanong niya. Weird.
"Ha? Hindi ah. Why'd you ask?" She handed me her phone and it shows J's pictures from Berkshire.
"I added him sa facebook kasi he's cute." She left out a little giggle. "Di naman ako aware na he's already eyeing someone."
Over a hundred na yung likes ng album niya. Well, yung akin din naman kaso we're not Facebook friends kaya I haven't seen his photos. But for an album na halos kakapost lang, ang bilis. The number of likes keeps on growing and growing. Matatalo na ata ako.
Hindi ko pa tapos tignan yung album nang napadpad ako sa comments section.
Omg Sir, is that Bea?
Hala Bea!!! Dream come true for you na 'to!!!
Sir J, I never thought you wanted quiet and younger girls!
Jay! Akala ko nagbibiro ka lang, congratulations pare! Di ko inakalang you'll push through her.
So Bea, ikaw pala yung sinasabi ni sir na hinihintay niya.
Nilamig ako sa mga nabasa kong comments. Some even tagged me. Binuksan ko ulit yung album and the last two pictures were pictures of me.
The first one shows how I'm struggling on riding a bicycle and the other one was when I was taking a picture of the sunset.
He captioned the latter with: I feel sorry for her. She's been looking for the best thing to take a picture of the entire day. She doesn't know, but, I found it.
