Vee and Vince (V series #3) (#Wattys2019) - COMPLETED

3 - Kuya Vince

Vince's POV

Tanghali pa lang pero sobrang busy na agad dito sa restaurant. Well I don't even think na nawawalan ng tao dito. Parang araw-araw ngang jam-packed 'tong El Dominguez. And it's all because of Tita Tanya's recipes. Kaya nga I'm so honored to be her assistant chef.

Sobrang sarap talaga ng mga luto ni Tita Tanya. Mas lalo pa ngang nakikilala ang The Villamor Hotel dahil sa kanya. Business partners kasi sila Daddy at sila Tita Tanya kaya lahat ng branches ng hotel namin, merong El Dominguez restaurant.

"Vince, okay na ba 'yung soup?" Aligagang tanong ni Tita Tanya.

Nilagyan ko na ng garnish lahat ng bowls ng soup bago ko siya sinagot. "Yes, Tita. Ready to serve na po ito."

Tumango siya bago tumawag ng isang waiter para ma-serve na sa mga guests ang soup. Sinunod naming gawin ni Tita Tanya ang mga dessert.

"Let me do that, Tita." I offered. She gave me the scoop and let me put vanilla ice cream on top of the lava cakes.

"Thank you, Vince. I'll take care of the dessert platter naman." Sinimulan niya na ang paglalagay ng iba't ibang dessert sa dessert platter habang inabala ko ang sarili ko sa pag-aayos ng lava cakes.

Maya't maya din ang pagtawag ko sa mga waiter para mai-serve ang mga 'to.

It's already 2 pm nang medyo kumonti na ang mga customers so the kitchen got less busy too.

"Tita, I think you can leave na so you can prepare para mamaya." I told Tita Tanya. "I think I can handle everything from here."

"Are you sure? I can stay a little longer pa naman." She told me, hesitant to leave me here alone.

"Yes, Tita, I can handle this. You wouldn't like to look stressed sa graduation ng kambal." I chuckled.

Natawa rin siya. "Ah, yes. Sige, I'll leave you here na ha? And sumama ka na rin sa dinner namin mamaya."

"I'll try, Tita. May lakad rin po kasi ako." Sagot ko naman.

"Ay sayang naman. Pero try to catch up ha? Matutuwa ang mga kinakapatid mo if you're there."

"Sure, Tita. And congrats nga po pala sa kambal. Tell them I'm so proud of them." I told her. Nakaka-proud naman kasi talaga ang kambal. Veronica will graduate as a Summa Cum Laude while Veera, well, she'll graduate.

"I will." She said and smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'll go ahead na. Call me if there's an emergency, okay?"

I nodded and promised to call her if something came up. Umalis na rin siya nang mapanatag siya.

I was currently preparing a cake para sa isang customer when Veera's image came into my mind.

"Basta 'pag natapos ko 'tong thesis ko at naka-graduate ako, ipagbe-bake mo 'ko ng cake, deal?" She told a few months ago when she was still working with her thesis.

"'Yun lang? Sus, wala bang mas challenging?" Hamon ko sa kanya.

"Syempre meron." She retorted. "I want you to bake a cake na para sa'kin lang. 'Yung 'pag natikman ko, I will feel like para sa'kin lang talaga 'yun."

"Deal." Sabi ko sa kanya and smiled teasingly. "Kung makaka-graduate ka."

She glared at me bago niya ako kinurot sa tiyan.

My thoughts were interrupted when a waiter reminded me about the cake. Binigay ko naman 'yon sa kanya para ma-serve.

Napa-buntong hininga ako when he left.

Veera. . .

We've been best friends since we were young. Me, Veronica and her. But sometimes I feel like higit na do'n ang tingin ko sa kanya.