Just Friends

6 - Sweet conspiracy

"Den, hanggantg 10PM ka lang sa FCs mo tapos diretso na airport. Nakaimpake na si Mama Ten. Si Daddy mo na maghatid sayo. VIP lounge ka lang tambay ha, hirap na wala ka kasama ngayon."

"Yung pastimallows?" Naka-book ka sa hotel nila Maine?"

"Sa carry-on mo na. Naglilihi na ba?"

"Huy, haha. Aayusin muna namin ito. Wala na rin naman important events di ba?"

"Naayos na, basta wag ka lang mag-extend dun wala na tayo problema."

"Okie, good to go na. Sam, walang maglalabas nito ha."

"Wag ka lang mag touchdown tweet wala makakaalam. Send ko sayo ang hotel voucher."

A few meters away, si Carmelito nagmamasid lang sa halos bulungang usapan ni Alden at Leysam. Mama Ten was busy entertaining the fans.

Back in Honolulu, Maine was lounging by the hotel poolside in her black and blue bikini. She just opened her notebook to resume her writing after a quick catnap. Thirty minutes of soaking in the infinity pool did her good, except that once in a while, flashbacks of events would slip into her reverie. Nikki never left her side almost all the time knowing how angered her sister was this morning. After a phone call with Alden, Maine was back to her usual self although once in a while she would space out.

Nikki got to have a quick chat with Rafa earlier when the guy approached her on the way to the reception to fix their tour schedule. Rafa was very apologetic to the point of kneeling down just so Nikki agrees to talk to him. He explained that he did not know Maine being a very famous celebrity in the Philippines though he mentioned having seen her videos and photos in the net before. He didn't get to tell Nikki his plan to tandem with Maine for his travel vlog as Nikki already interrupted him. "If your intentions were good, at least man up and apologize to my sister at once. And please, do it privately, not with gifts, and definitely not on social media. I cannot promise she'll talk to you though. Now I need to go."

"Ano oras daw babalik si Dean? Pasama sana ako may bibilhin lang."

"Naku baka gagabihin yun. Samahan na kita. May boutique shops naman across the hotel. What time daw dating ni Alden?"

"Around lunch time tomorrow. Diretso na raw sya rito."

"Alam nila Tatay?"

"Oo daw. Medyo hindi maganda ang sagot. 'Up to you' daw pero may pagbuntong hininga."

"Patingin ng pagbuntong-hininga sa phone."

Maine, switching from melancholic to crazy mood real quick, acted out her Dad's signature facial expression when he holds his breath, half rolls his head to the right, and twitches his mouth before making a big yawn.

"Loko ka. Meng. Pati yan ginagaya na ni Matti."

"Na-miss ko na nga pala magpapangit."

"Akyat na tayo? Ano nga pala bibilhin mo?"

"Couple outfit namin ni RJ."

"Ay putcha, akala ko cool off muna?"

From afar Rafa was observing the sisters idling by the poolside. He decided to cancel his day's schedule after the incident this morning despite the fact that he has several deadlines to meet. He busied his mind plotting several options how to get near the girl who occupied his senses for the past 24 hours.

"Den, after this labas tayo, nagyayaya ang core. Celebrate natin ang seven years mo magdamagan."

"Di ako pwede, Nay Lites. Pagod na ako, pahinga muna."

"Minsan ka na nga nila makasama di mo pa mapagbibigyan?"

"Pass muna, next time promise."

"Sige bukas organize ako lunch."

"Mga next week na siguro ako mababakante."

"May kopya ako ng schedule mo. Free ka sa mga susunod na araw." Dedma ang sagot.

Patingin-tingin si Alden sa relos nya habang nagkikipagselfie ang fans. 10:08PM. By 10:30PM, dapat andun na sya sa dating tagpuan nila pag mag switch ng sasakyan. Nauna na si Daddy nya dun.

After another 10 minutes, nagawa nya na ring magpaalam sa mga bisita.

"Maaga pa naman ba't nagmamadali ka?"

"Medyo hindi na maganda pakiramdam ko may kailangan lang ayusin. Sa akin na sasakay si Mama Ten." Sabay beso na nagmamadali.

"Susundan mo si Maine?" Blangkong tingin ang sinukli ni Alden kay Carmelito.