Sweet Serendipity - [AU]

6. Relieved

“Iho.” Tatay Ted started, his voice stern as he paced back on forth in front of RJ and Nicomaine.

“Ano po yun, Sir?” RJ replied, his voice half a pitch higher than usual, his ears as red as a ripe tomato, looking straight at the Mendoza patriarch, as he discreetly rubbed his cold hands on the side of his thighs in a effort to kee.

“Bakit mo hinalikan ang anak ko? At anong kinalaman ng lola mo dito?”

Nicomaine blushed, the memory of the kiss, flashing before her eyes.

“Ah Sir, I kissed your daughter kasi po natapat po sa amin yung camera. And your daughter is beautiful, I couldn’t help but…”

“Ano?!” Ted scowled at what he heard, his fists clenched.

“Tay…” Nicomaine reminded, gently  caressing her father’s arm and turning sideways from RJ to hide her smile.

“I’m really sorry, Sir. I meant I kissed your daughter kasi po hiniling ng lola ko. Birthday nya po kasi. And I agree with Lola Linda. Bagay po kami.” He was rambling and in his end this sounded sane and normal but saying his reason out loud just didn’t sound right.

“Aba talagang…” Ted, nose flaring, took a step closer towards him but RJ remained unmoved and determined.

“I’m really sorry, Sir. I’m taking full responsibility for this. I know I shouldn’t have kissed Maine. Wala po talaga siyang kasalan. We just met about three hours before what happened. Pero ayoko naman pong ma-disappoint ang Lola ko kasi yun lang po talaga ang pinakiusap nya or mapahiya si Maine kung wala akong gagawin.” His heart pounded so fast, he thought it’d jump out of his chest knowing that one wrong word and the old man could probably beat the living shit out of him.

“Tama po si RJ, Tay.” Nicomaine swooped in, hoping to save RJ from her father’s anger. “Sa ganda ng anak nyo, Tay, gusto mo bang mapahiya ako on national TV?” She had to speak else she’ll scream because more than being worried about her father’s anger, she was all giddy and tingling inside.

“I realize Sir, that none of my explanations are acceptable. Mali po ako. But I want you to know, Sir that in the few hours na magkasama kami ni Nicomaine, I also realized that I like her and if you would give me a chance, I’ll prove to you that I’m worthy of your daughter’s time.” He closed his eyes after saying his piece, anticipating a blow from Ted’s fists but all he got a clap on his shoulder.

Nicomaine, sitting on the couch, her head bowed, silently praying that RJ gets through this unscathed, suddenly lifted her chin up and felt her face warm after everything she heard from RJ.

“Good job, RJ. You passed the test.”

“Ha? Ano po, Sir?” RJ asked, confused yet relieved.

“Tay?”

“Call me Tito Ted, RJ.”

“Tay, ang bilis mo namang magbago ng mood.” Nicomaine commented, a hint of smile gracing her lips.

“Anak, this is something I should have done with Luke. Eh tinanggap ko lang sya ng bukas palad e. Tingnan mo, niloko ka lang.”

“At least now I know RJ here is sincere. May takot pero matapang. Napaamin tuloy ng wala sa oras.” He chuckled while RJ rubbed his nape, his face and neck flushed red, but smiling nonetheless, his dimple deepening as his smile grew even wider.

“Ikaw na bahala Menggay, kung papayag ka. Basta RJ, sinasabi ko sayo, makanti mo lang kahit isang hibla ng buhok ni Menggay ko…”

“Opo. Understood, Sir. I mean Tito.”

***

RJ walked up to his Lola Linda and kissed her cheek firmly, his smile reaching his eyes. “Kelangan na nating umuwi, Lola. Baka matraffic tayo for your birthday dinner.”

“Oh sige. Magiingat kayo ha. Lola, next time po, sabay tayong manood ng Eat Bulaga sa Broadway.” Mary Ann invited, holding Lola Linda’s hand between hers.

“Ay of course, Iha, nang makita mo din kung gaano kainlove ang MaiChard sa personal.”

“Lola talaga. Sige po, Tita. Nagpaalam na din po ako kay Tito Ted.” He said, bussing Nanay Mary Ann’s cheek, glad that everything worked out alright but quite sad that he had to leave.

“Lola, happy birthday po ulit. Ingat sa pagdadrive, RJ ha.” Nicomaine kissed Lola Linda’s cheeks while the old lady cupped her face.

“Naku, Nicomaine mamimiss kita. Dalawin mo ako ha.”

“Oo naman po, Lola.”

RJ was about to buss Nicomaine’s cheek when Tito Ted peeked from his office door. “Heeeeep! Saka na yan, RJ!”

“Hehe. Sorry po, Tito.” He ducked his head and grinned  but kept his eyes on hers. “Sige po, mauna na po kami. Bye Nicomaine.”

“Call me Meng, Menggay or Dei. Any one of those. Ang pormal masyado ng Nicomaine eh.”

“Dei.” He smiled even wider, her nickname resounding inside his head. “Ok, Dei. Bye, Dei.”

“Bye, RJ.”

They stood looking at each other for a few more seconds, Nicomaine not caring anymore if she was blushing, because RJ’s ears were too. All she wanted to do was to keep staring at him, taking all her self-control not to poke a finger into his dimple.

Then Nicomaine’s father broke the spell. “RJ…” A hint of warning lingering in his voice.

“Po?” His eyes still not leaving hers. He was drowning in their depths, his heart beating erratically as he tried to etch every detail of her face into his memory.

“Hayo na. Baka matraffic kayo.”

“Yes, Sir.” RJ Finally and reluctantly took his eyes off hers and looked at his Tito Ted’s instead. “Thank you po ulit, Tito.”

Nicomaine walked with them back to RJ’s car under the watchful eyes of her father.

He waved one more time to Nicomaine before driving off. In his haste, he forgot to ask for that one very important detail.

© Mitsubishi Motors FB

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A/N:

Hay sa wakas natapos din ang araw na to. Pasensya na po inabot ng anim na chapters ang isang buong araw na to. Next chapters’ pace should be a little bit faster now. Matagal kong pinagisapan kung paano ko tatapusin ang part na to ng story, one of the reason’s din why it took me a while to post the past few updates. Nag isip pa ako ng, as @noodlesbychi called it, “creative palusot.” 😅 I just hope what I thought of was indeed creative.

Maraming salamat sa pagtatyaga at paghihintay.😘

Unbeta’d and unproofread but do let me know what you think by tweeting me at @bankingonkimet or comment down below.