Love doesn't always start in a sweet ways. Sometimes, it happened in a way you never expected it to be.

~

"Hoy Yasha Reese! H'wag mo namang punuin yang cart mo! Ikaw na tuloy taga-ubos ng pera ko!" Napairap na lang ako ng mata. Itong si Aishi talaga, reklamadora!

Kasalanan ko bang magvolunteer siya? Ang sabi niya kasi kanina, tutal naman daw may sahod na siya, dahil sa gusto niyang manlibre, dinala niya ako sa mall. Kuha lang daw ako kung anong gusto ko. E sa marami akong natitipuhan dito, edi kinukuha ko. Tapos ngayon, magrereklamo?

"Why did you volunteer, then? Tapos ngayon, rereklamo ka?" Irap kong muli sa kanya.

"Kapag ako nawalan ng pera, sa condo mo ako titira!" She hissed.

"Maluwang ang kalsada. 'Don ka tumira, libre pa." I answered.

"Whatever! Wala kang puso!" Sigaw niya sa akin pero hindi ko siya pinakinggan. Bahala siya dyan! 'Di naman yan mawawalan ng pera e.

Well, she's Aishi Joanna. Unluckily, we're best friends. Aside from that, she's my manager but I actually own a restaurant at yun yung isa sa mga pinagkakaabalahan ko. Co-owner ko rin si Aishi since she was my chef. It's a vice versa situation though. Boss ko siya kapag nasa agency kami but I am her boss whenever we were at my restaurant.

Dahil sa dakila akong best friend, dinagdagan ko pa yung laman ng cart ko. Bahala siya magbayad dyan! Pagkatapos niyang bayaran yung mga pinamili namin sa cashier na karamihan ay akin, sinamahan ko siyang magwithdraw sa ATM niya.

I may sound rude best friend, well I was really rude when it comes to her, wala namang magagawa si Aishi. Tatalakan niya lang ako and at the end, sabi nga nila, nasa akin pa rin ang huling halakhak.

She's used to my rude behavior but she knows naman how much I love her.

Naglibot-libot pa kami sa mall. We don't want to go home yet so we will just waste our time in here. We headed to the third floor of the mall. And then suddenly, may mga media'ng lumapit sa amin.

"Can we talk to you Miss Yasha?" Nangunot ang noo ko.

"Ah, excuse me guys. We are here to hang out, so mind you guys, please give us the privilege to make this day as an ordinary one. H'wag muna ngayon." Sabi ni Aishi sa kanila.

See? She's really my manager. The thing she hates the most is yung bigla na lang akong iinterview-hin without it being scheduled and without her permission.

"Just this once Miss Aishi, may itatanong lang naman po kami sa kanya." Pamimilit nung guy na nakasuot na thick eyeglasses and if I am not mistaken, he's a reporter. Pipigilan na sana sila ni Aishi pero inawat ko siya agad.

"What is it?" I asked politely. Hindi rin naman titigil ang mga 'to hanggat hindi ako nagsasalita.

"Is it true that you were already engaged?"

"WHAT?!" Sabay naming tanong ni Aishi kasabay ng panlalaki ng mga mata ko at nagkatitigan pa kami pareho. Like what the? Where on the gorgeous earth that news came from?

"You were the talk of the netizens in the social media Miss Yasha, so we're asking you now if it's a legit?" The reporter asked.

"Of course not." Agad kong tanggi. Ni wala nga akong boyfriend e. I never entertained suitors tapos engaged agad?

Maya-maya pa ay nagkakagulo na ang mga media sa harap ko. Gad! Bakit biglang dumami ang mga taga-media?

"Sino po 'tong nalilink sa name niyo Miss Yasha?" Muling tanong ng mga reporters.

"I really don't know what you are talking about." I answered dumbfounded. I was clueless.

"Pero Miss Yasha, yun kasi ang nasa news. Nagkakagulo na nga ang ibang fans club mo." Reporter 1

"Gusto lang po naming marinig na sa inyo mismo manggaling ang totoo." Reporter 2

Now, they were throwing me different and random questions. I was damn clueless right now. Biglang may lumapit sa akin na reporter at hinawakan pa ako sa braso.

"Miss Yasha, totoo po ba talagang engaged na kayo?" Damn that question. Damn that news.

I wasn't engaged!

Argh! It was just a fake news for I know! Why would I be engaged? To whom? Where and when and how did it happened, where in fact I have no lovelife at all?

"I guess you need to go now. I will handle them." Mahinang sambit ni Aishi sa akin and I have no other choice kundi ang tumakas sa mga reporter na yun. Some of them ay hinahabol na rin ako, not only the reporters kundi pati na rin yung ibang mga taong nakakita sa akin.

"Oh my God guys! Nandito si Miss Yasha!"

"Miss Yasha, wait po!"

Damn! I love modeling and enjoyed my celebrity life, but the thing I hate the most about it? Yung pati buhay ko, napapakialaman na. I do need my privacy, too. Argh! I was doing a half run already dahil hinahabol na ako ng mga media at ng ibang nakakakilala sa akin.

If it wasn't because of the heels I am wearing, baka kanina pa ako nakalayo rito. Gosh! Dahil na rin sa katatakbo ko, hindi ko na namalayang nasa ground floor na ako.

Oh people! Please, tantanan niyo na po ako. Masakit na ang paa ko!

*peep peep*

"Ahhhhhhh!" Napapikit na lang ako ng mata. Please, please ayoko pa pong mamatay.

"Miss Yasha!" Rinig kong sigaw ng mga taong tumatakbo papalapit sa akin. Unti-unti kong minulat ang mga mata ko. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag.

Buhay pa ako. Thanks God, buhay pa ako.

"Miss, are you okay?" Someone asked me at hinawakan niya ako sa braso, maybe to check if I am okay, but I didn't answer him and I immediately went inside his car instead.

Oh God! Muntik pa akong mabangga. But I am thankful to this guy who almost bump me. At least, makakalayo ako sa mga humahabol sa akin.

Naging mabilis ang sunud-sunod kong paghinga. Takbuhin ko ba naman ang third floor pababa sa ground floor, sinong hindi mapapagod diba? I really got tired running away just to avoid those people. Naramdaman kong pumasok ito at umupo na rin sa driver seat itong may-ari ng kotse. I look at the side mirror. May mga humahabol pa rin sa akin. Geez! Can't they stop? When will they stop?

"Drive." Utos ko sa driver habang nakatingin sa mga taong tumatakbo pa rin papunta rito sa direksyon ko.

Sunud-sunod pa rin ang paghinga ko. I still don't know who this guy is. Gusto ko lang talagang makalayo rito. As in now na!

I heard him heave a deep sigh at wala siyang nagawa kundi ang paandarin ang kotse niya. Huh! Serves you right. You almost end my life. Being my driver will be your payment for what you did.

"Could you please drive a little faster?" Napahawak na lang ako sa dibdib ko dahil sa biglang pagpreno ng malakas nitong driver. Gosh! I didn't buckle my seatbelt for life's sake!

"You geez! Are you trying to kill me?" I shouted at him and right at that moment, he looked at me.

My eyes widened a bit as I saw his face. Okay, he's so damn handsome. And... and so what?

"If I could just do it right now, you're already lying at your spot lifeless." I just rolled my eyes because of what he said. "And who the hell are you woman? You are so fucking demanding! Ikaw na nga 'tong biglang nakisakay e!" Irita niyang sabi. Wow ha? Wow lang!

"You shut up, will you? You talk too much! And geez! You almost end my life so just take the consequence and be my driver just for now! And yes, I am demanding. So, start driving now dahil ayokong maabutan ng mga tao!" Well yeah, he told me I am demanding, edi totohanin ko.

Napailing siya ng ulo. Daming satsat, magdadrive rin naman pala! At grabe lang ha? Ako 'tong muntik ng mabangga tapos siya pa may ganang sigawan ako?

Naging tahimik ang loob ng kotse. No one's talking and who cares? As if I wanted to start a conversation with him. Suddenly, my phone rings so I took it out. It was Aishi.

[Where are you?] She sounds so worried.

"At the car with this anonymous guy." I answered and I saw on my peripheral vision na nilingon ako nitong kasama ko. Sorry naman, hindi ko siya kilala e. Bakit ba?

[What? Are you serious?]

"Don't worry, he's harmless naman. Siguro?" Patanong kong sagot. 'Di ako sigurado e.

[Should I call the police now? We can track you.] Sabi pa niya. Narinig ko naman ang pagbuga nitong kasama ko ng malalim na hininga.

"Don't mind me. Can take care of myself." I heave a sigh. Pero muli akong naghysterical nang maalala ko ang mga pangyayari kanina.

"Gosh! Shut it now Aishi! It's not that important, the thing is, what the hell the reporter was talking about?" Muling nag-init ang ulo ko. I still remember what that thick eyeglasses guy told me.

Damn! I wasn't engaged!

[You won't believe me Yasha! Come on, open your account.] She said instead of answering my question.

Won't believe what?

I ended up the call to open my account but geez, anong nangyari? Bakit ayaw ma-open nito? Ako na ang tumawag ulit kay Aishi.

"Gosh! Can't open it Aishi!" I told her.

[I will send you the pictures. Just wait.] Tapos ay pinatay niya na ulit ang tawag.

I looked outside the car. It's getting dark already. I just wanna go home.

Napatingin ulit ako sa cellphone ko nang tumunog iyon, but then, I realized that it wasn't my phone kundi pag-aari pala nitong driver, ah yeah, we have the same ringtone nitong anonymous guy na kasama ko.

"Mom." He said.

[My God, son! Why did you lie to us?] Her mom, I think, said.

"What are you talking about Mom?" He asked.

Okay, I am not listening to their conversation. It's just that, nakaloudspeaker ang phone niyang nakalagay sa dashboard at hindi naman ako bingi para hindi marinig ang pinag-uusapan nila.

[Stop acting like you know nothing son.]

"Mom, I just don't know if you are up to something again. Just tell me directly. What is it?" Medyo naiirita niyang tanong.

Okay, he's a guy who gets irritated that easily. Teka, bakit ko ba pinapansin iyon? Pakialam ko ba sa kanya?

[Why didn't you inform us that you're already engaged?] Napahawak na lang ako ng mahigpit sa seatbelt ko nang bigla siyang nagpreno.

Kung meron lang siguro akong sakit sa puso, baka kanina pa ako nawalan ng hininga rito.

"What the fuck, Mom?" Malakas niyang tanong.

Honestly speaking, nakakarindi na siya! At bakit ba ang hilig niyang magpreno ng walang pasabi man lang?

My phone vibrated. Imbes na talakan itong lalaking katabi ko tinignan ko na lamang iyon. May mga sinend na sa akin si Aishi na pictures. It was a screenshot of different articles. I look at it one by one at halos manlaki ang dalawa kong mata sa mga articles na nababasa ko.

What the? Is this serious?

Starlight Supermodel Miss Yasha Reese Heuson is said to be engaged to one of the youngest bachelors in town...

Blah blah blah.

I skip to another picture. Ano 'to? Bakit may mga ganito?

Miss Yasha Reese was interviewed at the mall an hour ago with her manager Aishi Joanna as the rumored says that she was already engaged because of the post she was tagged in on her Facebook account but she chose to stay quiet, maybe because she still wanted to make her lovelife private.

Lovelife my ass! Ni wala nga akong boyfriend e! Bakit ba kasi pinipilit nilang engaged na ako? Engaged with whom? Since when? And where? And why? And how? Damn!

I slide my phone once at halos mapamura ako sa nabasa ko. It was a screenshot on my timeline and I was tagged to a facebook post saying,

Axis Ford Averion is with Yasha Reese Heuson.
June 16 at 10.00am • 🌎

💍

Got Engaged to Yasha Reese Heuson
June 16, 20**
See Relationship

Nanlalaki ang dalawa kong mata. What on the gorgeous earth was happening?

Inis kong tinawagan ulit si Aishi.

"There's no way on the gorgeous earth that this is happening Aishi! How come that way? Wala akong kaide-ideya tungkol dun. I can't even open my account!" Inis kong usal sa kanya.

My God! There's no way on earth! Wala nga akong boyfriend tapos engaged pa kaya?

[I know. I was a bit shocked, too. Just relax for the mean time. Ikaw 'tong pinag-uusapan sa social media. I'll find out what happened.] She said.

Muli kong tinignan yung picture. And who was this Axis Ford Averion? Is he some kind of guy who wanted to ruin my life?

"I can't relax right now Aishi! You know that!" Inis kong saad sa kanya

[Wait, Oh my God! This can't be!]

"Hey, what's happening?" I curiously asked.

[This was more shocking than what I thought.] Naririnig ko siyang nagsasalita mag-isa. Curiosity is killing me already. Ano ba talagang nangyayari?

[Do you know who's with you right now?] Tanong niya bigla.

"Nope." And I don't care who he was.

Ang mas inaalala ko ngayon ay kung sino 'tong Axis Ford Averion na 'to at kung paano nangyari itong engagement thingy na 'to sa account ko.

[Gosh Yasha! May mga panibagong nagkalat na pictures because someone took photos of you na sumakay ka sa kotse and they were saying that the guy whom you are with right now happened to be the rumored person whom you are engaged with. Definitely that guy beside you is none other than Axis Ford Averion.]

Mahabang kwento ni Aishi dahilan para matigilan ako. Wait, what does she mean? That this guy beside me was the guy I was said to be engaged with?

Ini-zoom out ko yung picture na sinend sa akin ni Aishi and I look at the guy I was with right now, back to the picture again and to him again.

Nanlaki ang dalawa kong mata.

"IKAW?!"

-

A/N: Okay. How was it, then? Hope you enjoyed reading their first unexpected meet up! :)

-imeesyouuu❤️