Beautiful nightmare

Coffee, for my one and only.

"Yes ma. Sasama daw si Viceral.." a long pause. "I don't know. You know Vice. He always misses him and you." Lea is preparing to leave for her other job as a law professor when her mom called.

"Maybe he just really wants to see you both, especially him. Yeah. Sige na ma, I'm going to be late. I got to go." She picked her things up and went straight to her first and only class for the day.

"Good evening, everyone." She settled herself and got her class cards to start her discussion. Time check: 5:00 PM. Just in time. "Could you please define Article 1768 of the Law on partnership and Private Corporation for me..." a long pause before picking a card. "Mr. Manlapaz."

The latter stood but is just staring at her. She tried to call his attention again but she realized that everyone in the room have the same reaction - jaw dropped, nobody moved to get their books and are just staring at her.

Her eyes squinted and spotted the most attentive, jolly and straightforward student she has in this class-Oliver, a gay, whose smiling widely and meaningfully at her.

"Mr. Mendoza.." he frowned with how she addressed him but he stood anyway. "Yes, Madame?" a now creepier smile grew on his lips, and Lea felt uncomfortable.

"What's with the look on your faces? May nakikita ba kayong di ko nakikita?" and then they became even creepier. They stared even more. Some of them rested their chins on their palms while their arms are resting on their arm chairs.

Oliver chuckled and so she looked at him forehead creased. "Ikaw naman kasi Madame. Wag mo kaming binibigla sa paganyang statement mo."

Statement? What statement? I was just asking for the damn definition of article 1768!

"You look more gorgeous today. And that's even an understatement." Her cheeks flushed but she concealed it and recovered with a counter attack.

"Are you all going to stare at me while I list questions for your quiz or you'll get your books and I'll discuss?"

Before they could even react, she gave them instructions for their first quiz of the semester.

"Are you ready? Of course you're not for you're all busy staring at me a while ago." She smirked. "Number 1, define partnership."

After a few seconds, she asked another question. "What is the general rule?" and then another and another until they reached the last question. "Number 10, what is partnership by estoppel?"

Everyone stopped writing and looked at her again. She heard one of her students said they haven't discussed anything about that part.

"I supposed you've read in advance because I told you so but regardless if you haven't, that question will weight 6 points for a total of 15 points for the first quiz, 75% passing grade."

"6 points! If you didn't know that last one, you'll probably fail your first quiz.

"Are you done?" some wrote, some continued staring at the ceiling or on her and some remained silent with their faces crumpled.

"Everyone, pass your papers and exchange. We'll check them." The students started murmuring. As they check the papers, her phone started ringing but she shrugged it off until everyone got distracted by it. She doesn't put it on a silent mode for emergency purposes like if her clients call or family related stuffs.

"Atty., we can wait naman.."
"Ma'am baka importante.."
"Atty., a minute won't hurt.."

She sent them a warning glare so they'll shut up. She put her phone to a vibrate mode and continued with their activity.

"Pass your papers everyone and get your books. Now miss Enriquez," she called the first name she saw from the papers they passed to her. "What is partnership by estoppel?"

The student gulped in nervousness and started turning the pages of her book faster. "Page 13" she heard someone whispered.

"Ah. A p-partnership that never really exists." The student started. "But because the supposed partners act like there is, the third party believes there is.."

"That's co-"

"Parang sa marriage po." The student continued that made Lea stop and listen upon the mention of marriage. She finds it strange that someone would compare an almost illegal form of partnership to a marriage.

"Hindi naman po kasi lahat ng kasal ay pinagbuklod ng pagmamahal. Sa isang marriage po na walang love, parang partnership by estoppel, there's no actual love, that love represents the partnership in the business matter, but they act as if there is. Ang pinagkaiba lang po, sa marriage may contract pero sa partnership by estoppel wala." Lea was stunned. The girl is right.

"Ang mag-asawa ang partners at ang third party, minsan yung mga tao sa paligid nila pero madalas, kung meron man, yung mga anak nila. Akala nila may partnership, na may love. Pero mabibigla na lang sila one day, nagfa-file na ng annulment case yung isa." She thought of Aga. She hopes his is not a partnership by estoppel.

Or else what? Her brain asked her.

She smiled. Or else I'll go and make a real partnership with him. She didn't notice how her smile appeared to her students like she's in kilig. They started teasing her.

"Take your sit Ms. Enriquez." She gave them a glare and browsed the cards to call another student when her phone vibrated signaling a call, she picked it up now.

"What?!" she knew who's calling from the start.

"Hi, my love. Init ng ulo mo ah. It's Aga." She blushed with the way he called her. And as she did, the whole class, even the boys, started teasing her and squealed.

"Ay, may klase ka love?" she blushed even more.

"Stop calling me that. Lauren, YOUR WIFE, might hear you." She emphasized that phrase for the students to stop teasing her but they just won't stop.

"She's not here. She can't be here. Look outside, love." She calmed herself, closed her eyes and turned her head to the direction of the door and everyone did look outside too. The girls squealed as well as the gays inside.

"Omygaaaad! So gwapo naman!"
"Shet! Yung panty ko paki-check sa floor!"
"My Bae! Shet where have you been all my life?!"

Lea opened her eyes and saw the ever-so-charming Aga with coffee in his left hand and a box of pizza on his right.

"Everyone!" she glared at them before looking at her watch. "Only 30 minutes left. Yung quiz n'yo, that won't be recorded dahil halos lahat bagsak. Now, go! You're dismissed."

Everyone gave her a meaningful smile. Aga went inside and before leaving the premises, almost all of her students thanked Aga which earned them a death glare from their professor.

"Your students are, I supposed, fun to be with." Aga gave her a smile and she returned it with a roll of her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked instead. He pinched her nose, opened the box of pizza and handed her the coffee.

"Bawal kang puntahan? If you didn't miss me, I missed you. So I came here to see you with a coffee for you, my one and only."

xxx

HI, fellas! Sorry for the long wait. Been busy. Next chapter in procees. Hehe!
Hi Ceincyyyxx, ding1012 and Kynxx22.