No Other You

The Real Motive

Additional Characters:

Ivana Alawi as Natali Guzman 

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Fancy restaurant. Dinner tables strictly for reservations. Guests in smart casual outfits. 

Natali was indeed a high maintenance type of woman. 

As I walked towards the table she was already seated on, I couldn't help but look at her thoroughly. Her skin was as white as snow, hair, although dyed into a chestnut color, suited her quite well, and the clothes that she wore were often in nude colors because it complimented her all-in-all "good girl look". 

Any guy that would lay their eyes on her would instinctively want to make a move on her, which was why I wasn't quite surprised if Eric had fallen into her trap. 

"Oh my gosh, Jaimie, hi!" Natali said as she stood from her seat to embrace me. "I'm so glad you came." She added. 

I laughed rather awkwardly, like I always did whenever I was uncomfortable, and just smiled when my laughter died down. 

As we took our seat, she signaled the waiter to serve the food that she had pre-ordered before opening her mouth to speak. 

"Anyway, Jaimie, thank you talaga for accepting my invitation. I know na you're a really busy person, but really, thanks." She said. "Eric has told me so much about you, most especially how you're so good with your work as a wedding planner which was why I wanted a separate meeting with you na wala siya. Alam mo naman, grooms usually just pay while the bride goes through all the details, either big or small." She smiled. 

"Actually, it should be a joint venture. Yung planning and all." I said. "But I guess it really depends on the couple kung gaano ba talaga sila ka-committed sa kasal nila. Kasi, in a span of three years, I've worked with so many couples already and most of them really love doing this together." 

"Well, I hope you're not implying na Eric doesn't want to get married with me." Natali said in a rather sour tone that caught me by surprise. "The way he kissed and held me last night spoke otherwise." She added, taking a quick sip of her champagne. 

I cleared my throat to avoid the awkward atmosphere and went straight to business. 

"I've already prepared the check list for you guys. Venue, food, gowns and tuxedos for the entourage, photographers and videographers, floral arrangement... lahat ng 'yun naka-prepare na. All you have to do is check what you deem is the most important, and I'll contact the best people for you." I said, handing her the check list. 

As she looked at it, I couldn't quite comprehend her facial expression. It looked like a combination of distaste and dissatisfaction, na parang may kulang.

"Is this it?" She said. 

"Yes, Miss Natali. Did I leave out anything else?" I asked. 

"No. It's just that... I want my wedding to be perfect, and I just hope that you do your job well." 

I couldn't quite understand where this sudden shift of attitude and tone of voice was coming from, which was why I couldn't help but ask her this, "Miss Natali, sorry if I'm being a bit rude by asking this, but... may problema ba tayo?".

As she heard this, Natali put down the check list and replied. 

"You know what, I'm not going to beat around the bush anymore, Jaimie." She said. "The fact that you're Eric's best friend doesn't bother me, but the fact that he once had feelings for you but still wants to get you as our wedding planner bothers me." She added. 

"I only said yes to the idea because I love Eric, but if you ask me, wala akong plano na kunin ka as our wedding planner. I don't even want you in our wedding." 

"Excuse me?" I said, currently feeling a bit of disbelief at what was coming out of Natali's mouth. "Let me clear things out for you a little bit. Before you came into Eric's life, nandun na ko. Before he was your fiancee, he was my best friend, so if you see me as a threat to your relationship, that's your problem and not mine." I added. 

"Ginagawa ko lang yung trabaho ko, and if you can't deal with that, you can always just choose another wedding planner." 

"I just need your assurance na hindi mo aagawin si Eric sa akin." Natali was quick to say. "I can pretend that we never had this conversation, that I like you even if I don't, only if you assure me that you will stay out of our way and just do your job as a wedding planner." 

"I don't intend to meddle, Miss Guzman." I said firmly. "Now if you excuse me, I have other clients to attend to." I added, standing up immediately and walking out of that restaurant despite having people's eyes on me. 

As soon as I was out, I had bumped into someone whose smell was all too familiar to me. 

The arms that had embraced my tiny frame and the chest that I had crashed into was the one that I had secretly been longing for, no matter how hard I tried to deny it. 

"Bro?" He said. 

Though being in his arms felt like pure bliss, I pushed him away gently. 

"Bro, sigurado ka ba sa taong pakakasalan mo?" I asked. "Sigurado ka na ba talaga sa kanya?"

"Bakit?" Eric was quick to ask. 

"Wala lang," I replied, feeling defeated upon the realization that I couldn't ruin his special day by revealing to him what his bride to be had just done to me. I just wasn't that kind of person. I wasn't that kind of best friend. 

 "I just want you to be sure about this. Wala ng way out 'to." I added. 

"Hindi ko naman siya pakakasalan kung hindi ako sure, di ba." Eric said, but then again, his eyes were traitors. It was as if they were telling me to just say that I loved him back and that would be it. Natali could just disappear from the story like that. 

"I'm..." I said, looking him in the eyes. "I'm happy for you, bro. Can't wait for the big day." 

Kakain mo rin ang sinabi mo, Jaim. Kakain mo rin.