"OMG. Seryoso, nag-a la Danny O'Donoghue si Papa Vren sa reunion nila? That is so freaking hot!" maarteng komento ni Alexia matapos kong ikwento ang tungkol sa napanood kong performance ng Grey Light kahapon. Pabalik na kaming magkakaibigan sa Medialink matapos mag-lunch out sa isang malapit na restaurant.

Si Mavi naman, ngumiti sabay sabi ng, "Mabuti naman at nagkaayos na sina Sir Vren at ang mga kaibigan niya."

"Kaya nga," pagsang-ayon ko. "Makabawas man lang sa mga sama ng loob na dala-dala ng mokong. Masyadong bugnutin, e. Nakabuti talaga ang pagpilit kong um-attend siya ng reunion nila."

"Dakilang girlfriend ka talaga, Mirathea." Pabiro akong hinampas ni Hannah sa braso.

"At ikaw naman, Hannah Marvilla, ay isang dakilang mang-aagaw!" Alexia grabbed a lock of Hannah's hair. "Sabi nang sa akin si Papa Vince, e. Ahas ka!"

"Aray naman!" pag-angal ni Hannah. "Anong 'ahas' ang pinagsasabi mo riyan? I told you, friendly date lang naman ang lakad namin ni Vince kahapon."

"Sus, friendly date..." Sumabay na rin ako sa panunukso kay Chinita. "Umamin ka nga, Han. May something sa inyo ni Vince, 'no? Kaya pala ganoon ang naging reaksyon mo no'ng lumabas ang balita tungkol sa engagement nila ni Samantha Love."

"True!" Mavi giggled. "Akala ko ba, Han, walang lihiman? Bakit ngayon lang namin nalaman ang tungkol sa inyo ni Doc?"

"Magsitigil nga kayo!" Hannah chastised, her face now flushed red. "Uulitin ko — magkaibigan lang kami ni Vince. 'Wag niyong bigyan ng malisya."

"Fine," I said, curbing a smile as we arrived at Medialink's lobby. "Kung trip mo bang magpaka-in denial ngayon, e. Basta, bridesmaids kami sa kasal, ha?"

Magre-react pa sana si Hannah nang pumailanlang sa lobby ang iritadong boses ng isang babae. "I want to see Vren. Now."

Napalingon kaming magkakaibigan sa reception desk.

"Sorry, Ma'am, but you just can't demand to see Mr. Montevilla if you don't have an appointment," sagot ni Allaine, ang aming receptionist. The poor girl had a terrified smile on her face as she entertained the visitor.

"Are you serious? Do you honestly not know who I am?" mataray na tanong naman ng babae kay Allaine. By this time, every Medialink employee who happened to be in the area was already watching their heated exchange.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm new here and I haven't really met everyone important –"

"Doesn't matter! God, you are so incompetent."

Kahit gusto ko mang lumapit sa babae para ipagtanggol ang aming receptionist ay parang may kung anong pumipigil sa akin. Only then did I realize that it must have been the woman's striking beauty that stopped me in my tracks – sa tanang buhay ko ay ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganoon kagandang babae sa personal. Dati ay sa TV at sa internet lang ako nakakakita ng ganoong hilatsa ng mukha – mala-artista o supermodel, 'yong tipong kapag itinabi ako ay magmumukha akong batang yagit.

Matangkad, mahaba at super straight ang buhok, mala-porselana ang kutis, at mala-anghel lang naman ang mukha ng babae. She was wearing a cream bodycon dress na sa sobrang hapit ay magtataka ka kung paano siya nakakahinga, yet it served very well to emphasize her curves. Napaisip tuloy ako na hinding-hindi ako tatabi sa kanya dahil kapag nagkataon ay baka mawala ang lahat ng interes sa akin ni Vren. Mahirap na, 'no? Better be safe than sorry.

"Let me try calling Sir Vren's secretary, ma'am, and see if she can squeeze you through his schedule –"

"Secretary?" The woman laughed in disbelief. "At talagang ipapadaan mo pa ako sa kanyang secretary? For heaven's sake, I –"

"Vira!" Practically everyone at the lobby jumped in surprise upon hearing Vren's authoritative voice. Masyado kaming naka-focus sa eksena ng babaeng bisita at ng aming receptionist kaya hindi na namin namalayan ang pagdating ng aming big boss. "That's enough. Why are you even making a scene? Hindi mo man lang ba naisip na pwede mo naman akong tawagan kung gusto mong makipagkita?"

"Well, there you are!" the woman exclaimed, her expression morphing from annoyance to pleasant suprise. "Como estas, baby brother?"

Napaatras naman si Vren na akala mo ay gusto niyang bumalik sa pinanggalingan niyang elevator nang marinig niya kung paano siya tinawag ng babae. He looked thoroughly mortified. I, meanwhile, let out a little gasp as I put two and two together.

Oh, my goodness. Vren called her "Vira", and she, in turn, called him "baby brother"... Ang mataray na babaeng 'to pala ang ate ng boyfriend ko?

"Do not call me your baby brother, for fuck's sake," Vren replied through gritted teeth. "I'm not a three-year-old anymore. Spare my dignity."

"Aww, look at you. You are so cute in that suit!" The woman – Vira – started to approach Vren with a doting expression. "I missed you, my little cupcake."

Tuluyan nang napatakip ng mukha si Vren habang kami namang mga nakakasaksi sa reunion nilang magkapatid ay sabay-sabay na nagpigil ng tawa. Even in my bewildered state, I still found Vren getting called "little cupcake" hilarious. But we were all careful not to let even the faintest chuckle slip dahil alam naming lahat na malilintikan kami kay Mr. Montevilla.

"Let's go to my office," Vren told his sister when he finally mustered the courage to remove his hands covering his face. "Come on, Vira."

"Won't you give me a hug first?" Vira demanded.

"I said, let's go!" Vren was already red in the face from the effort of controlling his temper. Hinila niya ang braso ng kanyang ate at halos kaladkarin ito papuntang elevator. But halfway through their walk, he paused and glanced at the direction of me and my friends.

"Mira," he called out to me, making me jump in surprise. Akala ko, hindi napansin ng boyfriend ko na nandito rin ako sa lobby. "You should come, too."

"Good luck sa meet-the-bitchy-sister, friend," pahabol na bulong sa akin ni Alexia bago ako humakbang papalapit kina Vren at Vira.

****

Hindi ko na siguro kailangan pang sabihin na napaka-awkward ng isang minuto na inilagi naming tatlo sa loob ng elevator.

The first five seconds, probably, were spent in total silence. Through his reflection in the shiny metal door of the lift, I saw that Vren was still red in the face, his expression stony as he tried to master his temper.

Si Vira naman, tiningnan ako mula ulo hanggang paa. Bigla tuloy akong na-conscious dahil sigurado akong mukha akong patatas, at least sa kanyang paningin.

Hanggang sa hindi na nakatiis ang ate ni Vren. "Who is this girl?" she blurted out.

"She's my girlfriend," Vren answered. To his credit, he took and held my hand as he said so.

"Excuse me – what?" Vira looked scandalized. "Ito ang ipinalit mo kay –"

"Vira, I'm telling you, you'll regret it if you don't shut your fat mouth right now."

Ako naman ngayon ang namula nang todo ang mukha. I've never given any thought about Vren's past relationships. I'm not just the type of girl to obsess over her boyfriend's dating history. Pero alam ko namang given nang hindi ako ang first girlfriend ni Mr. Montevilla. A guy as eligible as him must have been in tons of relationships with models and female business tycoons and whatnot.

Still, the way his sister reacted – like she couldn't believe someone as plain as I am would even be the receiver of Vren's affection – stung like getting injected by a particularly large syringe.

The elevator opened at that moment, and the three of us stepped out of it and headed into Vren's office.

"Lally," my boyfriend told his secretary, whose desk was stationed right outside his office. "Don't let anybody bother us."

"Yes, sir," agad namang sagot ni Lally. I caught her curious expression as she took in the sight of me, Vren, and a second, much more beautiful woman entering the CEO's lair.

"So, what brought you here, Vira?" direkta sa punto na tanong ni Vren nang tuluyan na kaming nakapasok sa kanyang opisina.

"I just wanted to visit my baby brother!" Vira replied in a dramatic tone. "What, is that illegal now? I can't believe you didn't tell your receptionist about me. Imagine, ate ng boss niya, hindi niya kilala?"

"Vira." Vren closed his eyes, as if praying for patience. "You spent most of the last decade abroad – first, for your modelling career, and then, for your family. Of course, not everyone here knows about you. Kung tumawag ka sa akin para mag-abiso na dadalawin mo ako rito, then that's another story. But barging in my company and yelling at the receptionist to let you in without any reason? That's ridiculous."

"Fine!" Vira sounded whiny. "Ako na ang mali. Didn't even miss me... Now, what?"

Vren let out an exasperated sigh. Then he looked at me before turning back to his sister. "Now, I want the two of you to meet each other properly. Vira, meet Mirathea Custodio, Medialink's accounting department head and my girlfriend."

Tiningnan ko si Vira na noon ay nakatitig sa akin habang nakataas ang kilay.

"Mira, meet Vira Amanda Montevilla-Ramirez, my eldest sibling. She's even stupider than Vince."

"Vren Andrei!" Vira glared at her brother.

Humagalpak ng tawa si Vren dahil sa reaksyon ng ate niya. Even I gave a grudging smile.

"I'm only kidding," he amended. "But then, jokes are half-meant."

I cleared my throat before extending my hand to Vira for a handshake. But to my mortification, she only looked at my hand, rolled her eyes, and turned to Vren with an annoyed expression.

"I don't like her for you, Vren."

"Vira!" Vren's eyes flashed in anger. "No one cares what you think, so shut your mouth if you know what's good for you."

Ignoring her brother, she returned her attention to me. "One advice, Mira." She said my name mockingly. "Don't get too attached to Vren. The way I see it, hindi kayo tatagal ng isang linggo."

Magsasalita pa sana ulit si Vren, siguradong para ipagtanggol ako, ngunit inunahan ko na siya. Aba, sumosobra na itong si Vira Amanda, ha? Wa keber ako kung ate man siya ni Vren – I could only tolerate bitchiness for so long.

"I've got bad news for you then, Ate Vira." I said the last two words as mockingly as she did with my name. "Your brother and I have been together for months now. And I assure you, those months will turn into years, and years... We might even become sisters-in-law someday!"

"Ikaw, magiging sister-in-law ko?" She laughed derisively. "Darling, you will never be a Montevilla."

At bago pa man ako makasagot ay bumaling na si Vira sa nakababatang kapatid niya. "I appreciate your little effort to get me and your girlfriend acquainted, Vren. Sadly, hindi ko type makipag-friendly chat sa kanya. Nice try, though." Then she headed towards the door, opened it, and turned back to Vren to blow him a kiss. "See you around, baby brother!"

****

The moment na makaalis ang kanyang ate ay agad akong nilapitan ni Vren. "Hey, are you okay?" Without waiting for my answer, he pulled me in for a hug.

Resting my head on his chest, I closed my eyes and said, "Okay lang ako, don't worry."

"I'm really sorry about Vira. I don't know what her problem is. I thought that after all these years – after getting married and having kids, for God's sake – she would've learned to control her attitude. Obviously, I was wrong."

"Wala ka namang kasalanan. Bakit ka nagso-sorry?" Bahagya akong tumawa. "'Wag kang mag-alala, Mr. Montevilla. It will take more than your bitchy sister to shake me." Huli ko nang na-realize na parang may mali sa sinabi ko. "Oops. Sorry for the bad word."

Vren sniggered. "Don't be. Vira is bitchy."

"Alam ko na kung kanino ka nagmana."

"What?" He looked down at me, horrified. "I'm nowhere near as bad as Vira!"

I giggled. "Joke lang. Ito naman, defensive."

"Hey, before I forget to ask... Are you serious about what you said to Vira?" He smiled. "That you might become her sister-in-law someday?"

"Sinabi ko lang 'yon para asarin siya." I could feel my face heat up, at sigurado ako ngayong kulay-kamatis na naman ang mga pisngi ko.

"Did you, though?" he asked, unconvinced, a roguish smile playing on his lips.

"At saka nakita mo naman, ayaw sa akin ng ate mo." I extricated myself from the hug.

"Look, don't mind Vira, okay? Who cares if she doesn't like you? She rarely likes anyone."

"Kahit na." I sighed unhappily. "I know this makes me sound like a bit of a suck-up, pero gusto kong lahat sa pamilya mo, magustuhan ako para sa'yo. Alam mo na, tulad ng pagkagusto sa'yo nina Mama, Papa, at Myron."

"Well, my mom, dad, and Vince like you, so..." Nagkibit-balikat siya. "That makes things equal."

Muli ko siyang hinampas. "Vren naman, e! I mean, everyone in your family. Saka paano mo naman nalaman na gusto ako ng parents mo? Ni hindi mo pa nga ako dinadala sa inyo para ipakilala ako sa kanila."

"They already met you, remember?" Vren looked at me, puzzled. "During the celebratory program for the opening of the Canada annex? From what Vince told me, Mom couldn't shut up about you. She's so thrilled to think that you're practically her son's girlfriend..." Tumawa naman ang mokong. "She got the wrong son, though."

In spite of myself, I gave him a reluctant smile. "Alam niya na kayang hindi si Vince ang sinagot ko?"

"Probably." My boyfriend chuckled. "You know my brother; he can't keep things for long. I'd be surprised if he didn't vent out to Mom, at least, about a certain Mirathea Custodio breaking his heart."

"Oh my God." Bigla naman akong kinabahan dahil sa sinabi ni Vren. "E 'di baka naman galit na rin sa akin ngayon ang nanay niyo!" The idea of the two ladies in the Montevilla household hating on me was beyond petrifying.

Vren waved an airy hand. "I doubt it. Knowing Mom, she'd be happy to have you in the family, no matter which son of hers you'll end up with." He smiled, obviously fond of his mom. "She's silly like that – in a good way."

I looked down, skeptical.

"You worry too much, Ms. Custodio." Vren tipped my chin up using his thumb. When we were eye-to-eye, he said, "I don't give a damn about what other people think, as you shouldn't. We love each other, and that's what matters. Now, where's the confident Mira I fell head-over-heels in love with?"

Ngumiti naman ako. It's hard to doubt myself after Vren's words. Tama siya – why do even care about what other people think? This relationship, it's just between me and him.

"That's more like it." Seeing my smile return had satisfied my boyfriend. He gave me a kiss. "Come on, let's go back to work."