ANTOINETTE scowls at the receiving copy while signing.
Ano bang kalokohan 'to? naisip niya.
"Again?" may nakakalokong ngiti na tanong ni Fritz sa kanya. She just gave her friend a sidelong glance that is not quite friendly at the moment.
"Hindi ka pa ba busy ngayon?" mataray na tanong niya sa kaibigan.
"I still have time to snoop, thank you," mas lumawak ang ngiti nito saka inginuso ang box na nasa harap niya "hindi mo pa ba bubuksan 'yan? Excited na ako mabiyayaan ng grasya."
"You always think with your stomach, Fritz" naiiling na hinila niya ang elaborate violet bow na nakatali sa magarang white keepsake box at iniangat ang cover niyon.
It awed her to see a dozen of red roses spearing out of the box and in between the buds are different colored and shaped chocolates. The chocolates are like giftwrapped presents within the present. Without thinking she picked a rose and presses it to her cheek to feel the soft smooth petals, the surprising sweetness of the smell made her close her eyes a moment and savors it.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the smirk of her friend, she just rolled her eyes and saw the single black paper tuck at the side of the box. Natigil siya sa pagiisip ng bahagya nang maramdaman ang mumunting pagkabog ng kaniyang dibdib.
She picked it up, opens it, read it and smiled foolishly at the words.
You make everything shine brighter with your smile, your eyes, always honest and direct, and your heart so pure and true always captivated me. You spellbound me. I command to be cure, my lady. Remember me. – 313
"So, sino ba kasi 'yang si Mr. 313 mo?" paguusisa ng kaibigan niya
"It doesn't make any sense... But he said that I should remember him so I must have known him and these numbers means something," tumingin siya kay Fritz na nasa akto ng pagbubukas ng chocolate. Ngumiti ito at nagkibit balikat "you sure are very helpful to me," natatawa na naiiling na sabi niya.
"Siguro it represents letters? Like a code or date or time or something..." tumigil ito sa pagnguya at nanlaki ang mga mata.
"What? Did you figure it out?"
"These are so, so good!" exaggerated na pumikit pa ito saka muling kumuha ng isa pang chocolate. Natawa na lang siya ng malakas dahil sa hitsura nito.
"Excuse me?" isang baritonong boses ang nagsalita, huminga muna siya ng malalim bago humarap dito na may nakahandang ngiti sa mga labi.
Ang ngiting kaniyang inihanda ay unti-unting nawala at napalitan ng panlalaki ng mga mata sa labis na pagkagulat.
"Philip Michael!"
Alanganing ngumiti ito saka hinimas ang batok na madalas na nitong gawin kahit noon pa man.
"Geez, Toni hanggang ngayon 'yan pa rin ang tawag mo sakin. You never change, have you?"
"At 'yan ay dahil hanggang ngayon, 'Toni' pa rin ang tawag mo sakin and yes, I never did change unlike you," natutuwang tinitigan niya ang gwapong mukha nito "you change a lot and I mean that in a good way."
SHE LOOKS so beautiful. That's the first thought that comes to his mind when he saw her again a month ago. Natatandaan niya na ang nasa isip niya ng mga panahong iyon ay magpakita lang sa kaniyang kapatid, sabihin dito na nakabalik na siya at may balak siyang magbakasyon somewhere where he doesn't have to cover his face or be swarmed with body guards every time he step foot outside to get some freaking fresh air.
Philip remembered he asked his brother—the CEO—to wait for him at the back entrance of the hotel. Inantay naman siya nito at nakahanda na ang VIP elevator—the only elevator that went up from the ground floor straight up to his office. Then he saw her—well technically—he heard her. He heard her rolling laugher that is familiar to him like his own.
Nasa lunch break ito noon at halos kalalabas palang ng hotel papunta sa kung saan man para mananghalian at kasama nito ang babae na kasama ngayon sa front desk.
"Ahm sir, are you gonna check in now?" tumingin ito sa likuran niya "are you with someone?"
"No," napansin niya na mas lumuwag ang ngiti nito dahil sa sagot niya. Napangiti na rin siya.
"Sir, what kind of suite are you looking for? We have plenty of available master suites if you're leaning towards that," nanatili ang ngiti sa mga labi nito at base sa paraan nito ng pagsulyap sa kaniya ay nararamdaman niyang mas gusto nitong kausapin siya on the personal level rather than business-like. Pero dahil oras iyon ng trabaho kaya marahil wala itong choice.
"Can you go out with me?" nanlaki ang mga mata nito at natawa naman siya "just at the back, Antoinette. I would like to talk to you in person."
"Ahm hindi po kasi pwede sir. It's against our hotel's policy to interact with our guests on a personal level," nagaalangang sabi nito.
"I'm not a guest, am I?" halatang nag-iisip ito ng maaring ipalusot muli "if you don't want to step out for a while, then you leave me no choice but to talk here," kumunot ang noo nito at halata ang pagtataka sa mukha ng ngumiti siya ng makahulugan "So have you thought of the numbers?"
"I don't unders—" na blanko ang mukha nito at biglang namula "How did you—what? why?" hindi magkandatuto na sunod-sunod na tanong nito.
"It a date," he said simply "March 1, 2013 it was the first time we met, you were a PA then to someone in the industry and you saw me cramming and you helped me. You told me to just focus and let my emotions flow and it did. That show gave me my first break and here I am. You made me who I am my lady"
Nang umiling ito, he smiled and touched her cheek "You're the cure to my emptiness, will you be with me?"
BINABASA MO ANG
A Little Bit of Love and Chance
Short StoryLove is power in itself, and when given the chance to share it, give it and be in it, well... that could only be equated to happiness, isn't it? The stories within will give you a glimpse of love in the truest of form and the fastest of ways. It wil...
