Basta't Kasama Kita

12

The following day was his coding day. Hindi n'ya alam kung sasabay ba s'ya kay Sandra o kukuha na lamang ng cab. Hindi n'ya kasi alam kung paano magtatanong sa kanya kung magsasabay ba sila papasok. Nagtatampo pa rin kasi s'ya kay Sandra dahil sa manner ng pagtutulak nito sa kanya para makipagdate kay Carmie.

He did go out with her but they just had coffee sa isang coffee shop na malapit doon sa venue. They talked for a while and went separate ways. He didn't even have to bring her home because she had her own car.

Pero ang lahat ng kanyang tanong ay nasagot nang makatanggap s'ya ng text mula kay Sandra: Sasabay ka? See you at my parking slot.

Tahimik sila habang nasa sasakyan. Tumunog ang phone ni Sandra kaya she answered it using the Bluetooth device on her right ear. "Hello? Jaimee! Kelan ka dumating?... Miss na kita sis... Sige! Pwede naman... I'll just tell Greg and Fred... Yeah, we'll see you later."

"Dumating na si Jaimee?" he asked kahit na alam naman n'ya ang sagot. He just wanted to start a conversation with her.

"Oo. Kagabi lang daw. She said we'll go out tonight after office. She'll only be here for a few days kaya mamaya na agad ang get-together. Wala na daw kasi s'yang ibang free day."

"Okay."

And then there was awkward silence again until they reached the office building.

That afternoon ay pinuntahan ni Greg si Sandra sa kanyang office. "Sands, busy ka?"

"Duh!" ang sagot nito.

"Ah... what I mean is can we continue our discussion about our projects? We have to finish the first one and start on the second one."

"Ah 'yun ba? Sige, give me 30 minutes."

"Okay. I'll just come back later."

They had their meeting again until it was time for them to leave for their get-together. Their discussion wasn't as productive katulad nang dati. Obvious pa rin ang tension between them. Hindi nila pinag-usapan ang nangyari sa kanila the previous night - neither one of them wanted to start talking about it.

********

Nagbeso ang magkakaibigan nang nagkita sila sa isang bar. They were at their complete attendance. Masaya ang naging umpisa ng kanilang catching up hanggang medyo lumalim na ang gabi.

"So Greg and Sandra, I heard you're working closely together now. Kamusta naman 'yun? Hindi na ba kayo aso't pusa ngayon?" ang tanong ni Jaimee.

"Nah! We're good. Ako na ang bagong bestfriend ni Greg eh. Hindi na si Fred," ang makulit na sagot ni Sandra, halatang tinamaan na dahil sa ilang beer na nainom nito.

"Really? So you do spend a lot of time with each other," ang pang-iintriga naman ni Ingrid.

"Oo naman. We're over at each other's units pero madalas nagtatrabaho pa rin. 'Oy Greg dapat maganda ang bonus namin ni Greg ha. Super overtime kaya kami dahil sa mga big accounts natin."

"Ha... ha... ha! Ako na ang bahala d'yan basta ayusin n'yo lang lahat 'yan," Fred said.

"Wala pa bang nadedevelop?" Olivia asked.

"Anong nadedevelop? Kami? Hindi noh! Kagabi nga pinagpalit ako n'yan eh. Nakipagdate doon sa isang kaibigan ko that he met at the party. Tignan mo kung anong klaseng kaibigan 'yan," sabi ni Sandra sabay lagok ulit ng beer.

Tinitignan lang ni Greg si Sandra this whole time. Lahat sila ay nagtinginan naman kay Greg na hindi pa rin natinag sa pagtitig kay Sandra.

"Greg, totoo?" ang pabirong tanong ni Jaimee.