The Bridesmaid [MaiChard AU]

Desserts

Maine
The thing that makes this day so incredibly, undeniably amazing is from the moment she pushed RJ to get to the restroom and he pulled her hair away while she puked last night have been totally unexpected and the path to where this will all lead to, how this night will end, will rely on the choices they make in the next few hours.

And Maine definitely wants this day to end with both of them smiling as they succumb to sleep tonight.

In our own separate beds, Maine. Separate! She punctuates her thoughts, biting her lip to hopefully stop her brain from going any further.

They are having leche flan and mango crepes for dessert after a delicious lunch at RJ’s restaurant when these thoughts start bothering her that she doesn't notice his fork with a piece of crepe on it, hovering over her lips.

"Meng? Where are you?"

She shakes her head lightly in the hopes that it will do the same with her thoughts, then smiles at him. "Sorry, I'm spacing out." She says before taking that spoonful of dessert into her mouth.

"Because?" He tilts his head to the side, genuinely interested to know why.

"Nothing. Ang sarap talaga nitoooo."

"That's not nothing, Maine? Don’t distract me. Come on, what is it?"

"Wala talaga promise, sorry." She assures him and feeds him a spoonful of leche flan to distract him. She seems to have succeeded.

***

RJ
He is familiar with that look. He has seen it from the eyes off all the dates he has ever had after Mia and before Maine: that certain look on their faces that hopes there's a second or a third date after this one, that this date could lead to something more. And as sorry as he was to crush that hope in them, this time, he does a want second, a third, heck, a hundred more dates with Maine. And granted they have already kissed, it gives him all the more reason to get to know her better, beyond what happened last night, beyond whatever is going to happen today.

But Maine moaning and licking her lips over mango crepes is too distracting. Easyhan mo lang naman, Meng.

He takes a deep breathe and reaches for her hand from across the table, his thumb drawing shapes over knuckles and he feels her pulse quicken. "Maine?" She hums in reply. He has to tell her now before he loses his nerves and never get another chance.

"Jaaaay!"  The owner of that shrill voice from behind him gets louder as she comes closer and wraps her arms around him, startling Maine.  Said woman cups his face then squishes his cheeks quite forcefully. "Ugh, I miss your face. What have you been up to, Bubble Butt?"

He looks at Maine reassuringly but with his cheeks hurting, he hopes he is able to convey the message. From the look in her eyes, it is apparent that he failed. Maine looks...jealous? mad? He knows he needed to explain himself but for a few seconds, he basks in the possibility that she is jealous of this woman who seems to plan on crushing his face to death.

***

Maine
She feels her cheeks heat up in anger? Jealousy?  Because how dare this girl just barge in and disturb their date and act as if she weren't there?

And what did she call him? Bubble Butt? On second thought, Bubble Butt naman talaga. Mehehe.

She watches them for a few more heartbeats, waiting for the girl to notice her presence before she decides to clear her throat. At the same moment, RJ is finally able to unclasp her hands from his face.

He clears his throat as well and prepares to explain as he takes a deep breath. "Maine, sorry." he starts, his cheeks redder than the rest of his face. "This is..."