Lost in Tokyo

Shi

"Ate, is this okay?" I show Niki and Coleen before I get ready for my dinner with Richard.

"Wow, for once mas maganda ka sa akin." Coleen said. This girl has no filter, I swear.
So I shot back, "Kahit kelan never ako naging kasing taba mo!"

Just when Coleen was going to fight back, Niki interrupted, "Meng, okay na yan! Mag ready ka na! Anong oras na oh!"

I ready myself and I decide to wear my knitted Zara dress, black tights, and boots. Then I cover myself with my coat and scarf.

My phone beeps, and a message from Richard read, "Maine, I'm downstairs. See you!"

"Meng! Lipstick!" Niki shouts as I was about to leave the door. Right, never leave the house without your lipstick, a mantra Niki swears by.

I go down the lobby and I find Richard sitting by one of the couches. I come up to him.

"Hi!"

"Hi, Maine." Stop staring at me like that, Richard.

"Let's go?"

"Come, this way." He leads me out and I see a cab waiting out front. I was about to go in when he grabs my arm.

"Uhm, Maine?"

I look at him.

"We're not riding that. We're riding there." He points to an S-class Mercedes Benz with a driver waiting outside.

I feel my cheeks burning. Keep it together, Maine.

He speaks in Japanese, and his chauffeur nods.

"So Maine? Your dad seems like a very cool guy."

"Huh?"

"Well, our meeting went well awhile ago. I asked him if I could take you out for dinner, and he agreed..." he stopped for awhile... "With threats of course!"

My face froze. I mean, WHAT?

"I'm kidding. He just told me to take care of you and to bring you back before 10."

My dad's an old-soul and very traditional. For him to even let me on this date is not so new, but usually costs a guy to be afraid. I've dated a couple of guys both in and out of showbiz, but most of them don't have the balls to face my dad.

"I'm surprised he didn't threaten you with a gun." I said nonchalantly.

"He does that?" Now it was his turn to turn red.

"I'm joking. Well, the threats are always part of his speech, but I'm surprised he's quite cool with you." I continued, "Anyway, tell me about your meeting."

"Well, your dad and I are going to push through with the oil project in Manila. My boss was impressed by your dad. He's very hardworking, and seems to know the business quite well. You never thought of working for him?"

"Uhm, I tried, but it was just not me. I didn't know what I wanted to become, but I knew that it wasn't to work for the family business."

"And here you are... Maine Mendoza, one of the famous celebrities in the Philippines."

"Stop!" I feel myself blush every time he does that. It doesn't feel quite real.

"And here I am, lucky enough to take you out to dinner."

"Is that why you're taking me out to dinner?"

"Uhm, quite frankly, no. Even if I didn't know who you were or who your dad was, I would still take you out to dinner."

He opens the door and takes my hand as he leads me to this sushi restaurant. It's a small place, but looks very expensive.

"So Richard? What's your story? How does a twenty-seven year old guy like you become so accomplished?"

"Like I said, my family is all I live for. I know what it's like to barely have anything, to accept dole outs from relatives who are well-off. I worked my ass off, and I was given a scholarship in Stanford by this company, I was relocated to different countries thrice, tripled my salary over the years, gave my dad a business, gave my sister her dream shop, my other sister is in high school, and I just keep investing what I earn. I have Ikinari, and I have another restaurant in the Philippines. I guess, seeing my family happy and comfortable, seeing my money grow, it drives me to strive harder."

"Don't you get tired?"

"I do, but it's all I live for. My job has become my life here in Tokyo. It's hard to date, yes. Being an expat, everything is temporary... your car, your penthouse, your job, but it's the price I have to pay for all the success I'm receiving. What about you? Don't you get tired?"

"I do." I answered honestly. "Sometimes, all I want to do is just escape. Leave. But I have a lot of commitments. I owe my success to the people who believed in me. I didn't think I'd make it this big. Right here, trips like this with my family, are enough. It's already a breather from the crazy world."

"So if there are three things you could wish for this Christmas, what would it be?"

"Time... Honest friendships..." I stop in my tracks. I haven't been asked this question so honestly. "Love."

"Love?"

"Yes, love. I have all kinds of love, but somehow there's something lacking. I have love coming from my parents, my friends, the fans, but I've never been romantically loved anyone. I feel like I'm never worthy to be loved or I'm afraid of the possibility that something will get ruined before it even begins. The possibility of being in love scares me."

"You're not hard to love, Maine."

"Really?"

"I know so."

"How come?"

"For someone who's only met you two days, every time I look at you, every time you speak your mind, and every time you smile, these might be enough for me to be attracted to you. And truth be told, this might be the first time in a very long time that I have taken someone out on a date."

Before I can even reach my lobby, he stares at me intently. The gap between our bodies inches closer. For the first time, something that feels right terrifies the crap out of me.

Don't, Richard. Please don't. It might be hard for me to walk away after tonight.