END OF THE BEGINNING

20: You're Such A Cow.

'You're Such A Cow'

"My phone battery's almost drained." I complain to Philip who shoots me an amused look with his signature grin.

I search the dashboard of his car hoping I would find a charger that matches my phone. Fortunately I did.

Philip had offered to help me choose the designs for my new house after we left yesterday. Although we fell into a little  argument which was based on him leaving his work because of me, he still managed to talk his way out of it, or rather, kiss his way out of it.

"When are they commencing with working on your house?" Philip asked, breaking the silence.

"Tomorrow or the day after, I'm not sure."

"That's fine then."

"Thank you for coming with me and showing me to the right people."

"It's nothing, you know me, I know a lot of people." He bragged, totally aware that I hated it when he sounds so proud.

Philip parked in front of mom's house."Yeah yeah yeah... whatever helps you sleep well at night." I scowled.

Well, starting last two weeks, I officially stopped calling my family house 'my house'. Technically speaking, it wasn't mine anymore, my new house is.

"What are your plans for the forthcoming celebration of Christmas?" Philip asked just as my fingers were about unfastening  the seatbelt strapped across my body.

"I'm gonna spend it cuddled up on my bed reading some book..."

"How boring that must be." Philip spoke bearing a bored look.

"Yeah, it is to you, but to me, it isn't." I replied.

If he saw me as a boring person, there'd be nothing I'd say to change his mind.

I had no problem with celebrating Christmas, it's just that it was my ritual every year to spend it quietly in my room while mom and Tamara sat in some place listening to a choir singing Christmas songs.

"You're really an interesting woman." Philip smiled.

I thought he was disappointed that I didn't spend my Christmas doing some cliche activity.

"I am, I agree with you on that."

"What will you be doing later in the evening?" Philip asked. I leaned back into the car seat and tapped my finger against my forehead in thought.

"Nothing much, maybe go out with Tamara to shop for things for her upcoming wedding."

"When's the wedding?"

"25th of next month."

A frown appeared on his face. "I might be out of America by then."

I took his hand in mine."You don't need to work your self up about being in attendance."

"Thank you for being considerate, you're unlike..." He stopped his speech half-way making me wonder what else he wanted to say.

"Tell me." I pleaded. He glanced outside the car for a brief second and flickered his gaze back to me wearing an unreadable expression.

"You're unlike my former girlfriends who'll want me to abandon my plans for them."

This was the first  time he was telling me about his previous relationships. There was only one of his ex-girlfriends I knew and that's Maya. Although I didn't know what their relationship was like, I had concluded it was a complete bed of roses.