Just Got Lucky...With Love

Chapter 4

"Hey, Coach Drake.  Kanina ka pa parang tulala dyan.  Is there a problem?"  tanong ni Jason kay Drake na mukhang may malalim na iniisip.

Nasa praktis ang Kaya team nang araw na yon para sa mga darating na games.  May itinuturong bagong drills sa kanila which will help them in the next games.  Pawisan man si Jason, yummilicious pa rin.  Kaya di nakakapag-takang maraming nagkakagusto dito.  Ang dami ngang fans na nag-aabang sa bleachers para lang magpa-pic sa kanya.

Napatingin lang si Drake kay Jason saka napabuntong-hininga.  He believes he can trust Jason naman kaya sinabi na rin nya dito ang bumabagabag sa isip nya.

"It's about Charlie, pre."

Napangiti naman si Jason pagkarinig sa pangalan ni Charlie.  He really found her cute last game that he met her.  Ahhh...the blushing fan. 

"So, what about her?  You got problems with courting her?  I didn't know you to be torpe Coach."  biro ni Jason.

"No, pare.  She's pregnant."

Gulat na napatingin si Jason kay Drake.  "What?  She has no boyfriend, right?"

"Well, it was a jerk she had a one-night stand with.  I already talked to Aya and Charlie won't tell them a thing about the guy.  All she says is that she met the guy at our celebration party."  Frustrated na sabi ni Drake.  He really cared about the girl.  And he wanted to punch the guy for leaving her in this situation. (Kung alam mo lang na nasa harap mo na Drake...hehe...)

Biglang napaisip si Jason sa sinabi ni Drake.  Naalala ang celebration party kung saan nagpunta sya pagkatapos nilang mag-break ni Crystalle.  At kung saan may babaeng tumulong sa kanya pauwi.  That mysterious girl with the floral scent and four-leaf clover shaped birthmark who giggled a lot.

No, it can't be.  But it's not impossible either.  Oh my God.  I could be a father right now!  Damn these drunken memories.  There's only one way for me to find out.  If she has that birthmark.  Geez, how do you look for that?  Do I ask her? But that will make me seem perverted.  This officially made my life complicated.  Napalunok si Jason sa mga naisip.  "Maybe I can help?  Try to find out from her."  I need to know it myself, too. 

Drake let out a sigh of relief.  "Thanks, pare."

"Where does she work, by the way?"

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Ting! 

"Wellcome to Cups of Lovin' and Fantasy Cafe, Sir!"  bati ni Tessa sa bagong dating na customer.  Pero muntik na syang mawalan ng poise pagkalapit sa kanya ng customer.  Dali-dali nyang inayos ang sarili sa harap ng maliit na salamin na nakatago sa cash register nila.

"Hi!  I'm looking for Charlie.  Is she here?"  tanong sa kanya ng bagong dating.

Waaaaahhhhh...si Ma'am Charlie ang hinahanap...pwedeng ako nalang? Nandito na ako oh...Malanding kahera lang tong si Tessa oh. Dalian mo't tawagin mo na si Charlie. "Yes, sir.  Wait lang po kayo saglit sir.  Ay, teka, upo po muna kayo,  what would you like to have, Sir?  You can have me, este, our specialty, sir.  It's on the house po."

Calm yo' hormones Tessa.  Si Charlie hinahanap hindi ikaw. 

Natawa nalang ang bisita ni Charlie sa tinuran ni Tessa.

"No, thanks, I'll just wait for Charlie over there."

"Ok, so, sino po sasabihin kong naghahanap sa kanya?"

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BLAG!

Napahawak si Charlie sa dibdib sa gulat sa pagbukas ng pinto ni Tessa.

"Ma'am!!!"

"Grabe ka naman Tessa.  Kinabahan ako dun ah.  Ano bang problema mo't pati pinto ko eh balak mo pang sirain?"  Nagtatakang tanong ni Charlie sa pinakamatagal nang empleyado sa coffee shop.  Di na s'ya nanibago dito.  Lagi kasing energetic kaya pati pagbukas ng pinto ay pinagbubuhusan pa ng sobrang energy.

"Eh, Ma'am, may gwapo pong naghahanap sa inyo sa labas.  Grabe, laglag panty ko nung ngumiti."

"Gwapo ba?  Baka si Drake yun.  Sabi nya dadalaw daw sya dito sa shop minsan eh."  tumayo na sya para puntahan ang bisita.

"Naku, hindi, Ma'am!  Hindi si Coach Drake.  Jason Sabio daw po.  Di ba crush nyo yun?"

"Ha? S-si Jason ang nandito? T-t-teka ok lang ba hitsura ko?  Kailangan ko na ba mag-retouch?"  Natataranta pa talaga si buntis oh...hehe...E di rin naman nya kasi akalain na pupunta si Jason sa coffee shop nya.  Unexpected kumbaga.  Di pa man din sya nakabihis ng maganda.  Yung favorite white dress lang nya suot nya, may faint chocolate stain pa sa laylayan kaya tuloy alanganin syang humarap kay Jason.

"Ok ka na Ma'am!  Dalian nyo na lumabas baka umalis yun."

Nagtataka man kung bakit naligaw sa shop nya si Jason, nag-ayos pa rin sya ng konti.  Pero bago lumabas ng pinto ng kitchen, sumilip muna sya para sure nga na nandoon si Jason.  Hayun, at parang nakikipagkarera sa bilis ng tibok ng puso nya pagkakita sa lalaki na prenteng nakapwesto sa may table for two na nakaharap sa pinakamagandang view sa coffee shop nya.  Sa park sa harap, particular na sa playground ng mga bata.

Kaya bago pa man sya maduwag at umeskapo eh huminga sya ng malalim at pinuntahan na si Jason sa pwesto nito.
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Jason was busy looking at the children playing at the park just across the road when he caught a whiff of that very familiar scent.  It was faintly overcome by chocolate smell but the scent was still there nonetheless.  Agad syang lumingon sa pinanggagalingan ng amoy at nagulat nang makita si Charlie sa tabi nyang nakangiti. 

I can't be mistaken, that is the exact scent of my mystery girl.  That scent lingered in my sheets for weeks!  He had to restrain himself from grabbing her and bury his nose in her hair so he could smell her more.  The urge was so great that he had to keep his hands on his pockets.  Now there's only one thing I need to confirm, but how do I do this? 

"Hi, Jason.  Naligaw ka ata?"

"Uh, yeah, I asked Drake if he knew where I could get the best hot chocolate in town and he pointed me here.  Ikaw pala may-ari nito?"

"Haha..Si Coach talaga.  Minsan lang siya napunta dito pero best hot choco na agad..tsk..bolero talaga.  Teka bakit wala atang nag-serve sayo?  Sige, papatikim ko na rin sayo specialty dito.  Recipe ng sister ko and my favorite."  umorder na si Charlie kay Tessa saka ulit hinarap si Jason. "Uhm, oo ako may-ari, pero partner ko sister ko dito.  She's currently abroad kaya mag-isa ko muna mina-manage tong shop."

"Ah, I see."  then an awkward silence.  Parang may Anghel nga daw na dumaan..hehe...Biglang di nila alam ang sasabihin sa isa't isa kaya parehas nalang tuloy sila napatingin sa mga batang naglalaro sa park.

One day, baby ko naman maglalaro dyan.  Sana sa one day na yun si Jason kalaro nya.  Tapos kukunan ko sila lagi ng pictures na magkasama.  Piping hiling ni Charlie.

Why am I silently wishing that the baby is mine?  I haven't even confirmed yet if she was the girl who helped me that night.  I can't just be sure because of her scent alone.  Saka sya napatingin kay Charlie.  Ngayon lang nya natitigan si Charlie ng maigi.  She really is pretty, not in a supermodel way, though.  Maybe beautifully simple's the right term. (pano ko ba pupurihin sarili ko dito ha???turuan mo nga ako yanskie...hehehe...) Nothing like Crystalle's beauty.  But why the hell am I comparing them anyway?  It's not like I like Charlie or still love Crystalle.  Need to get this over and done with.